Westmoreland category, Page 327

Smudge the cat might have a mustache and goatee, but don’t be fooled — she’s a girl. The black and white cat from Hunker is well-known in Western Pa. and beyond. She has won titles in international cat shows hosted by the Cat Fanciers’ Association and most recently appeared in...

Westbound motorists planning to exit the Pennsylvania Turnpike at New Stanton can expect delays early on Thursday. Turnpike officials said crews making repairs at the westbound off-ramp will require traffic to halt for two 20-minute periods between 12:01 and 3 a.m. Thursday. Crews began the overnight work early on Wednesday,...

A Westmoreland County jury deliberated one hour Tuesday afternoon before convicting a Sewickley Township man of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl. Steven K. Stemmler, 39, was found guilty of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of a minor after the two-day trial....

A Derry Township man told jurors in Westmoreland County court Tuesday that his female probation officer threatened to send him to jail if he broke off their sexual relationship. Paul Barsoum testified during the first day in the trial of Mary Jo Borelli that he believed his pretrial release would...

A fundraiser that started during the coronavirus pandemic has caught on for Norvelt Volunteer Fire Department. Firefighters opted in 2020 to forego an indoor fall purse bash for a Parking Lot Bash and Car Cruise, a decision which proved fruitful, according to Fire Chief Matt Zelenak. The outdoor option provided...

Jeannette’s three paid firefighters have a new four-year contract on the books. The pact will go into effect January 2023 after the current four-year collective bargaining agreement inked in 2019 expires. Council approved the contract last week. Chief fiscal officer Ethan Keedy said the new agreement includes an hourly pay...

Two new pre-kindergarten classrooms will open in the Hempfield Area School District this school year, thanks to a $600,000 grant. The new rooms will be at Fort Allen and Stanwood elementary schools. They will operate alongside a pre-kindergarten classroom at West Hempfield Elementary School, which opened as the first pre-K...

Takeout orders and outdoor seating helped some traditional sit-down restaurants survive during months of pandemic restrictions starting in 2019. But, for self-serve, buffet-style eateries, the choices were limited. During the pandemic, Jaden’s Catering in Monroeville offered individually packaged meals, but owner Javid Shojaie said “people didn’t recognize us as a...

Editor’s note: ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com When asked to name famous people who called the Latrobe area home, many would mention golfing legend Arnie Palmer or Fred Rogers,...

Franklin Regional school board members filled a couple of the positions left open after the departure of several administrators in the past few months. School directors approved a new assistant superintendent and assistant high school principal, following the resignations of Robin Pynos and Ted Benning, respectively. Matthew Delp joins the...

Irwin area residents who want to capture rainwater and use it for their garden, lawn or flowers, can learn how to make and use a rain barrel in a workshop conducted by a Penn State Extension educator from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Irwin Public Works building,...

Changes under consideration by the Hempfield Area School Board would expand the role parents play in the review of challenged course material and library books. Board members have begun tweaking the review process, continuing a monthlong conversation that began after parents challenged two books available to high school students. “What...

The lawyer for a Ruffs Dale man accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl told a Westmoreland County jury on Monday the allegations were brought by a desperate and jealous teenager. Prosecutors contend Steven K. Stemmler, 39, had a sexual relationship with the teenager that started in...

A Delmont woman who pleaded guilty to harassing the judge who presided over a family court case she was involved in was sentenced to seven years’ probation and 18 months’ house arrest. Jennifer Gesuale, 43, pleaded guilty this month to three sets of criminal charges, including allegations she illegally recorded...

PennDOT projects are scheduled to interrupt traffic Wednesday on Interstate 70 — at a work site near the Yukon exit in Westmoreland County and at a location farther west, in Washington County. Eastbound traffic will be restricted to a single lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. between the exits...

Fines for violations of Jeannette’s 11 p.m. curfew were reduced in a new version of a proposed ordinance approved by council last week. Solicitor Tim Witt said the updated proposal carries fines ranging from $25 to $300 for to curfew violations. The fines could be assessed to a minor or...

A 71-year-old Hempfield man was found dead inside his home Monday after firefighters extinguished a blaze, according to the Westmoreland County coroner. Witnesses reported smoke and flames at the mobile home on Ferens Lane around 4:30 a.m., according to the coroner. Thomas H. Smith was found inside the home on...

A demolition hearing will be held Sept. 13 for Jeannette officials to take testimony about whether the former Fort Pitt Brewery should be torn down or remain standing. Fire Chief Bill Frye said the hearing is a formality on the way to the ultimate goal of demolishing the crumbling multi-building...

Proposed changes to a Latrobe ordinance aim to rid the city of dilapidated and deteriorated buildings by enacting stricter regulations for vacant and rental properties. The changes, which were recommended by the Latrobe Planning Commission, now await council approval. They would grant the code officer permission to order immediate demolition...

When Jim Rumbaugh of Murrysville agreed to accept an appointment as chair for the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority board, he quickly recognized the challenges he faced. “Plum Borough was in the same basic situation 30 years ago, where the (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) shut down tap allocations and...

A man was rescued after breaking his leg in a fall on Sunday afternoon at Westmoreland County’s Cedar Creek Park in Rostraver Township. The unidentified man was hiking the Gorge Trail when the accident happened, according to the Rostraver Central Fire Department Facebook page. The post said RCFD units were...

Ed Egloff still can’t understand why, after 25 years of having internet service at his Derry Township auto body shop and nearby home, he has been cut off from the web. “They’ve got to do something. This is terrible,” Egloff said. His properties sit a few miles north of Route...

People who filtered in and out of New Derry’s Fulton House Sunday afternoon took a step back in time as they recreated the traditional Lammas Day observance, a celebration of the beginning of the harvest. Sunday’s festival, which marked the 17th year the Derry Area Historical Society has celebrated Lammas...

If historic Bushy Run Battlefield Park intends to host future reenactments or programs portraying Native Americans, park management first will have to consult with appropriate Native groups. That’s the policy of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which oversees the Penn Township park. The commission says it also must approve...