Westmoreland category, Page 336
Police: Jeannette man charged after 2 children found in dog cage
A Jeannette man was jailed over the weekend on accusations that two children were found inside an animal cage in his girlfriend’s Jeannette home while he was their babysitter. Brian M. Brabant, 26, was charged by Jeannette police on Saturday with two felony counts each of aggravated assault of a...
Prosecutors contend North Belle Vernon bar stabbings started with a joke
Westmoreland County prosecutors contend three patrons in a North Belle Vernon bar were stabbed three years ago because of a quip about their attacker’s criminal record. Assistant district attorney Steven Reddy said the March 7, 2019 assaults at Just A Tavern nearly turned deadly for a woman and two male...
Rape charge against North Huntingdon man dismissed as part of plea deal
A North Huntingdon man will serve two years on probation for the simple assault of a woman who initially claimed she was raped while unconscious. Dominic Anthony Zuccarelli, 27, pleaded guilty Monday to one amended misdemeanor charge after prosecutors dismissed felony counts of rape of an unconscious victim and sexual...
Westmoreland coroner hires new deputy
Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson announced the hiring of a new deputy. Russell Morgan, 43, of Rostraver, was promoted to a full-time position after serving since March as a part-time investigator in the coroner’s office. “His experience is something we wanted to utilize,” Carson said on Monday. Morgan replaces former...
Piper Bay Café plans 2nd location at former Kings in Salem
Jim Fry of Manor has fond memories of stopping at Kings Restaurant when he was younger and getting a slice of hot apple pie with the chain’s trademark cinnamon ice cream. Fry and business partner Preston Gorman of Plum hope to make some new memories, but this time at the...
Loyalhanna Watershed Brewfest returns on Saturday with new fall date
The Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s annual Brewfest, now in its third year, has moved from the summer to the fall. The event, set for 4:30 p.m. Saturday , will feature live music and specialty beverages from area breweries and distilleries. It will be held on the western outskirts of Ligonier, in...
‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ will open Theatre Factory’s new season
If you say the phrase “supermarket tabloid” to someone and ask what image comes to mind, there’s a good chance they will mention “Bat Boy,” the infamous (not to mention fictional) subject of a 1992 Weekly World News story and the poster child for the height of tabloid silliness. “Bat...
Games, obstacle course, pep rally await public at Greensburg Salem homecoming bonfire
The public is invited to a homecoming bonfire Wednesday at Greensburg Salem High School. Set for 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the school’s gravel parking lot, the event is sponsored by the Student Council Association. It is meant to heighten community and school spirit in advance of the varsity football...
Out & About: Westmoreland Croquet Club Tournament aids area nonprofits
Some say it’s a fashion faux pas to wear white after Labor Day; others say the old rule no longer applies. The topic was subject of a good-natured debate between Jim and Jo Rossi of Ligonier Township during the Westmoreland Croquet Club Tournament. The Rossis were among tent sponsors for...
Fare hike planned for Go Westmoreland shared-ride system
Fares to ride Go Westmoreland vehicles will increase next year under a revised fee structure expected to be approved this fall by the county’s transit authority. Authority board members said last week they intend to approve the agency’s first fare hike in more than four years to ride the door-to-door...
Murrysville man recognized for decades of volunteer service
When Theo van de Venne was looking to move from Belgium to a new home in the U.S., he and his family immediately were drawn to Murrysville. “In December 1976, we had just spent almost four years in Brussels, where I worked for Westinghouse Europe,” van de Venne said. “Murrysville...
Irwin seeks students for junior council program
Irwin officials are looking for two residents — high school juniors or seniors or college freshmen, sophomores or juniors — who want a say in borough government. “We want to engage the youth of the community, to take a stake in the community and have an understanding of the town,”...
Behind the art: The Westmoreland’s Mary Cassatt painting hints at subtle message
Painter Mary Cassatt often depicted images of women and children, emphasizing the intimate bonds between mother and child. One such work is “Mother and Two Children,” painted around 1905, which came into the permanent collection of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art via anonymous gift in 1979. It’s a prime...
Aging volunteers, lack of replacements put Meals on Wheels programs in peril
For about a half-century, Ruth Donnell, 92, and Betty Smith, 89, have packed sandwich lunches and repurposed bread heels to dazzle Freeport Area Meals on Wheels clients with a culinary rarity — homemade bread pudding. “The reason I do it is to help people who haven’t been able to help...
Norwin school playground in line for renovations
Norwin students at Hahntown Elementary School could have a renovated playground to enjoy if the school board moves forward with plans to improve it. The board is expected to consider a proposal on Sept. 19 to hire Pashek+ MTR, a Pittsburgh-based planning and design company, to develop a conceptual design for...
New nurses to get $7,500 bonus to work at Westmoreland Manor
Newly hired nurses will get a $7,500 bonus to sign on to work at Westmoreland Manor in Hempfield, which, like other care homes across the country, is plagued by staffing issues. Nursing aides hired after Sept. 1 will be awarded a $4,000 bonus to work at the county-owned care facility....
Latrobe landlords speak out against proposed rental inspection requirements
Landlords who own property in Latrobe aren’t happy about a proposed ordinance that would require all rental units to undergo routine inspections. About a dozen landlords showed up to the city’s council meeting this week to voice concerns over the inspection requirement, which council tabled after mounting disapproval from the...
Busy Beaver officials look to expand use of autonomous inventory robots
Following a successful pilot program at its Irwin store, Busy Beaver officials have put an autonomous robot to work checking inventory at its Delmont location, a move that has bumped up technology across the board. “We’ve implemented electronic shelf labels, which is a change from the pilot, which was done...
Penn Township Fall Festival continues with parade, music, fireworks
The Penn Township Fall Festival parade kicked off Saturday’s events. Other events planned for Saturday included a car cruise, pumpkin pie and chili contests, and performances by The Penn-Trafford Community Band, Dynamic Music Studio, Angela Angelczyk, the Robert Michaels Band and Big Trouble, followed by fireworks. Events planned for Sunday...
Scottish food, fiddle and friendly competition at 63rd annual Ligonier Highland GamesVideo
Lovers of Scottish harp music may have had a tricky time catching some of its melodic intricacies Saturday morning at the Ligonier Highland Games. That’s because just up the hill, Sean Patrick Regan was playing modern and traditional Scottish melodies on the bagpipe. And while both instruments are beautiful, hearing...
Out & About: Westmoreland Symphony’s Autumn Rhapsody honors longtime patron
About 100 guests gathered Friday evening at Westmoreland Country Club in Export for the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s swanky Autumn Rhapsody. For WSO Artistic Director Daniel Meyer, it was an opportunity to mingle with people he usually sees at a distance from his podium on the stage of The Palace Theatre....
Out & About: Fort Ligonier’s signature Cannon Ball draws 250+ guests
Even though his heritage is Polish, Mark Kozelek of Cincinnati attended the Fort Ligonier Cannon Ball in full Scottish regalia. From the Glengarry hat on his head to the brogues on his feet, with kilt and sporran in between, he was the very model of a proper Highlands clansman. “I’m...
Apple ‘n Arts Festival to mark 40th anniversary Saturday and Sunday
At 7 years old, Casey Schraeder of Murrysville already was showing a keen eye for economics. “He was part of the baking contest at the Delmont Apple ’n Arts Festival, and he wanted to know why the adults got more money for winning than the kids,” said Schraeder’s grandmother Angela...
WestCo Roller Derby team still waiting to hit the rink after 2-year hiatus
Sarah Welch said there was going to be a wonderful group of women from Erie meeting them Saturday at the Mt. Pleasant Sportzone. And Welch couldn’t wait to hit them. Unfortunately, she’ll have to. The 43-year-old Youngwood resident is the captain and team president for WestCo Roller Derby, whose members...
Roe v. Wade upset raises hopes for those attending March for Life in Harrisburg
The Supreme Court decision in June that overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and ended the right to an abortion at the federal level has energized area residents who are planning to attend Monday’s Pennsylvania March for Life in Harrisburg. Many who have made arrangements to participate in...
