Westmoreland category, Page 335
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Sept. 23-25
High seas hi-jinks Stage Right School for the Performing Arts takes to the high seas for a weekend production of the 1934 musical “Anything Goes,” featuring Cole Porter classics such as the title song and “I Get a Kick Out of You.” A multiple Tony Award-winner, the madcap romp tells...
Community, students rally around undefeated Hempfield Area as Friday football game nears
One of the hottest tickets in Westmoreland County this week is for a seat in Spartan Stadium, where Hempfield Area’s 4-0 football team will host 3-1 Penn-Trafford on Friday night. On Wednesday morning, a long line of students at Hempfield Area Senior High waited to purchase tickets from Karen Sternick,...
2 people left homeless, pets dead, after Salem mobile home fire
Two people were homeless Wednesday evening after a trailer fire that killed two of their pets. Neither of the homeowners was injured when a mobile home caught fire early Wednesday evening in the 100 block of Bennett Drive in Salem, fire officials said. Crews were called about 5 p.m. and...
Fayette woman killed in head-on crash in Hempfield, police say
A Fayette County woman was killed in a Hempfield crash Wednesday afternoon, according to state police. Troopers said another vehicle slammed head-on into the Kia Sedona Betty J. Wagner, 73, of Franklin Township, was driving on Arona Road at 4:45 p.m. Wagner was pronounced dead at the scene. Wagner and...
Prosecutor says deadly force not justified in Penn Borough shooting
A Penn Borough man told a Westmoreland County jury Wednesday he was shot in the chest by his landlord last summer. Nathan Booher, 26, testified he was unarmed on Aug. 28, 2021 when he entered the house he had lived in the previous three years with his mother’s boyfriend and...
Donora man contends bar fight that left three injured started by jealous boyfriend
A Donora man told a Westmoreland County jury Wednesday he pulled out a knife to protect himself during an all-out brawl three years ago at a North Belle Vernon bar that left three people seriously wounded. Eric Cook, 46, testified during the third day of his attempted murder trial that...
Bells Mills Road closed after vehicle strikes covered bridge
Bells Mills Road connecting South Huntingdon and Sewickley townships has been closed at the Bells Mills Road bridge, after a vehicle struck the bridge on Tuesday, according to PennDOT officials. Damage to the bridge necessitated the road closure, according to PennDOT spokesperson Melissa Maczko. Vaughn Neil, an engineer with Westmoreland...
Derry Township man accused of taking $21K of guns through improper use of third-party financing
A Derry Township man is accused of taking $21,000 worth of guns and accessories from a Hempfield shop after state police said he misrepresented his financing through a third-party agency, according to court papers. David J. Cochran, 23, was arraigned Tuesday on a theft by deception charge. State police said...
Greensburg state store temporarily closed
There is no timeline for the Fine Wine & Good Spirits store in Greensburg to reopen after its temporary closure in early August because of what state officials described as “potential safety concerns.” The building’s co-owner John Rause said Wednesday that he has contractors lined up to assess moisture issues...
Parents charged in New Kensington boy’s death
Both parents of 9-year-old Azuree Charles were charged Wednesday in connection with the New Kensington boy’s death in May. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said the boy’s father, Jean Charles, 40, of Brackenridge, is charged with first-degree murder, criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, unlawful restraint of a minor...
Shogan promises transparency at hearing for National Archives leadership role
A North Huntingdon native was questioned for 30 minutes Wednesday during a Senate confirmation hearing to review her nomination to be archivist of the National Archives and Records Administration. Colleen Joy Shogan said she would provide transparency in regards to all emails and communications between the agency and the FBI...
Mt. Pleasant man facing more charges after another assault at county jail
A Mt. Pleasant man accused this week in an incident in a Westmoreland County courtroom was charged Wednesday with head-butting a second guard at the county jail in a month, according to court papers. Joe Paul Biller, 37, is facing aggravated and simple assault charges. He was being readied for...
Dolly Parton child book gifting program headed to the Latrobe area
A free book every month is on the horizon for children in the Latrobe area thanks to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and community support. More than 400 area children from birth to age 5 could benefit from the program, regardless of family income. The Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation...
Jeannette school district seeks new bids on former building site
Jeannette City School District is once again accepting bids for vacant property that previously held a school on South Fourth Street. Superintendent Matt Jones said directors approved a resolution Monday to seek bids for four contiguous parcels at the intersection of Cuyler and Chambers avenues and South Fourth Street. A...
Westmoreland happenings: scarecrow contest, spaghetti dinners, rummage sale
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to Carol Pinto-Smith at cpinto-smith@triblive.com or mailed to Briefly Speaking, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks before the event. Each announcement is printed once; there...
Glass City Heritage Festival returns in Jeannette
Jeannette will celebrate its history as a glassmaking town during a festival Saturday on Clay Avenue. The Glass City Heritage Festival will shut down three blocks of the downtown business district’s main thoroughfare from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Carole Babish, president of the Jeannette Business Association, said there will...
Witnesses say bar fight started with quip and ended in near death
James Lookabaugh said a fight prompted by an offhanded response to a man he had just met at a North Belle Vernon bar three years ago nearly turned tragic. Lookabaugh, 47, of Texas, testified to a Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday he owned an oil and gas business and was...
Trial for sex trafficking of teen ends in guilty plea for Turtle Creek man
A Turtle Creek man pleaded guilty Tuesday to the sex trafficking of a 14-year-old runaway from New Kensington. Davon Allen Fuqua, 36, cut short his trial midway through testimony from his accuser, who told a Westmoreland County jury she was transported with a prostitute to have sex with two older...
30 employers expected at job fair set on Monday near Youngwood
About 30 employers are expected at a job fair scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Monday at the PA Career Link office adjacent to Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. Employers will be seeking workers in health care, nursing homes, gambling, staffing, machining, manufacturing, higher education and the package delivery...
Trump FBI search puts unusual spotlight on National Archives nominee, a Norwin graduate
WASHINGTON — As a novelist, Colleen Shogan has imagined the most vivid of Washington dramas. Larceny at the Library of Congress. A homicide in the House of Representatives. A stabbing in the U.S. Senate. But Shogan is about to become a protagonist in a storyline too fantastical for fiction —...
Mt. Pleasant man charged after incident in Westmoreland County courtroom
A man accused of incidents involving two nurses at the Westmoreland County Prison was charged Monday after a woman was injured when he “thrusted himself” at his attorney in a courtroom, according to court papers. Joe Paul Biller, 37, of Mt. Pleasant, is facing a charge of simple assault. Westmoreland...
State police seek help to find man last seen in Herminie
State police are looking for a man who was last seen in Herminie Sept. 7. Aaron D. Ross, 43, frequents the Jeannette area, according to information released Tuesday by troopers. He was last seen wearing a red/orange shirt, denim blue jeans and black sneakers. He stands 5 feet, 10 inches...
Franklin Regional restructures administration in pursuit of better student support services
Franklin Regional school officials did some administrative restructuring Monday night, in pursuit of providing more and better support services for students. FR’s education director Jennifer DiFulvio will step into a new role as assistant superintendent where she will work alongside current assistant superintendent Matthew Delp, who was hired last month....
State police probe 2 hit-and-run crashes in Unity
State police at Greensburg are investigating two hit-and-run crashes in the Pleasant Unity area early Sunday morning that left behind parts belonging to either a Hyundai or a Kia. Police said one crash occurred at 4679 Route 981 at about 1:30 a.m. and another occurred about 3 a.m. at 243...
Airline experts encourage high school pathways to aviation industry
Airlines can talk about workforce opportunities with as many high school students as they want, but without adult support and collaboration, they won’t attract as many students to the industry. That’s according to Glenn Ponas, the director of high school outreach at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Ponas was...
