Westmoreland category, Page 35
Dino digger: Norwin grad gathers fossils from Wyoming, aids research in Pittsburgh
Nick Hornicak of North Huntingdon digs dinosaurs, literally. The 24-year-old Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate student was part of a team of fellow dinosaur diggers who in June worked in the high desert of southern Wyoming. They unearthed about two dozen packets of dinosaur fossils that have been buried some...
Penn Township recreation director could take over PTARC operations
The Penn-Trafford Area Recreation Commission could dissolve after 24 years following votes by the nonprofit’s governing bodies. Founded in 2001, the commission organized a variety of recreational events for community members of all ages, including sports leagues, a summer playground program, an annual 5K at Bushy Run Battlefield, art activities...
Manor man captured hiding in Herminie house after eluding law enforcement
A Manor man was captured late Wednesday night while trying to hide in a Herminie house bedroom after eluding law enforcement for about eight hours when an attempt was made to serve him with an arrest warrant at an ice cream shop in North Hempfield, the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department...
Union stages walkout at Derry Township’s Pace Industries; health coverage costs major issue
Union workers at Pace Industries’ Derry Township plant walked off the job early Thursday morning, after local labor leaders said talks broke down for a new contract with the facility that makes aluminum die-cast parts for customers that include Harley- Davidson and Polaris. Union President Duke Reed said members of Laborers’...
Free wash days this weekend at revamped Greensburg laundromat
A laundry service that has been in Greensburg for decades is new again. Nu-Way Laundromat on Highland Avenue has been renovated since new owner Anna Zaydenberg took over in December 2024. While the original name remains on the building, the inside has a new look with updated washers and dryers,...
Hempfield officials hire auctioneer to sell dozens of surplus items
An auctioneer will help Hempfield unload 55 pieces of surplus equipment under a proposal approved by the township supervisors. The township will work with Anderson Auctioneers for an online auction that likely will be held in September or October, according to Austin Erhard, director of public works. “They will handle...
Multiple Westmoreland communities say convention center would be a good fit
As feasibility studies for a convention center and hotel complex in Westmoreland County near completion, leaders from communities along Route 30 say that while they haven’t been contacted for information, they do have ideas about where it could be built. The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce in December launched a...
Wendel residents must go 4 miles to pick up their mail — if the post office is open
A trip to the post office for Wendel residents used to mean a short walk down a wooded path or a quick drive. For the past 41⁄2 years, that has turned into a 4-mile car ride to the Manor Post Office — one that’s complicated by the fact residents have...
Southwestern Pa. graduates 1st class from introductory state police training program
Trooper Tristan Fay had no idea what to expect when she arrived at the State Police Academy in Hershey. Now, seven years into her law enforcement career, Fay wishes she had access to the introductory training programs state police offer today — Camp Cadet for middle school students, Hill Impact...
Manor man captured hiding in Herminie house after eluding law enforcement
A Manor man was captured late Wednesday night while trying to hide in a Herminie house bedroom after eluding law enforcement for about eight hours when an attempt was made to serve him with an arrest warrant at an ice cream shop in North Hempfield, the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department...
Greensburg man accused of trafficking teen girl for sex
A Greensburg man is accused of trafficking a teen girl for sex, according to court papers. City police said Samuel D. Oglesby, 30, exchanged explicit photos and videos with the girl through Snapchat in the fall before they had sex in November, according to court papers filed Wednesday. Detectives said...
Westmoreland happenings: Pollinator event, barbecue chicken lunch, reunion news, more
Fundraisers • West Newton Little House Association will sell takeout barbecue chicken lunches from 11 a.m. until sold out Aug. 9 in Vine Street Park in West Newton. Menu: half barbecued chicken, applesauce, homemade roll, chips and water, $10. Details and tickets: 724-872-7937. • Westmoreland Historical Society will host its...
Suspected cocaine found during I-70 traffic stop; 2nd arrest in as many weeks
A New Mexico man is behind bars after, state police said, about 17 pounds of suspected cocaine was found in the pickup he was driving west on Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County. Troopers said the driver of a GMC Sierra committed a traffic violation about 9 a.m. Tuesday near mile...
Convicted Greensburg cop is still collecting a pension, raising questions
More than two months after a former Greensburg police officer was sentenced in a federal drug case, she is still collecting a pension, and city officials continue to wait on documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Attorney Lee Demosky, solicitor for Greensburg’s police pension committee, said Tuesday he’s requested documents...
Judge Bononi honored for creation of program that helps keep families together
In her Westmoreland County courtroom Tuesday morning, Judge Michele Bononi saw firsthand a positive result from a program she started to help reunite families. A person involved in a child custody case was allowed to progress from supervised to unsupervised visits, a direct benefit from the program that makes the...
2 transported from motorcycle crash in New Stanton
One person was flown by medical helicopter and another was transported by ambulance from a motorcycle crash Tuesday evening in New Stanton, according to emergency officials. First responders were called to South Center Avenue in New Stanton around 6 p.m., according to Westmoreland County 911 officials. Mutual Aid Ambulance spokesperson...
Westmoreland will install 2nd Liberty Bell replica in Murrysville as part of semisesquicentennial
When the United States marks its 250th anniversary in 2026, replicas of the iconic Liberty Bell will be installed all across Pennsylvania, each with a different theme created by local artists. And while the goal was to place at least one in each county, Westmoreland County already has two in...
2 arrested on charges of child endangerment in Monessen
Two people are behind bars after police said a 5-year-old boy was emaciated and had bruises all over his body, according to court papers. Charles W. Smitley V, 39, and Colleen Cassidy, 36, both of Monessen, were arrested this week on charges of child endangerment, unlawful restraint and simple assault....
Happy tail: Rare hawk rehabilitated, released in Laurel HighlandsVideo
The red-tailed hawk didn’t hesitate at all — with a “one, two, three,” the bird spread its wings Tuesday morning in Cook, showing no sign of the trauma it sustained 11 days ago after apparently being hit by a vehicle. And while it acted like a typical hawk and took...
25th anniversary of the Rolling Rock Town Fair
If you grew up in Western Pennsylvania during the rise of alternative and grunge rock in the ’90s and early 2000s, there’s a good chance you recall hearing radio commercials for the Rolling Rock Town Fair. For a handful of years, some of the biggest names in modern rock radio...
Nicely Elementary fire alarm should be up and running for 1st day of school, superintendent says
Greensburg Salem aims to have a working fire alarm system at its Nicely Elementary School before students return to its halls Aug. 26. The school’s fire alarm stopped working in mid-April when a power surge — prompted by nearby line replacement work by West Penn Power — damaged the alarm...
Rolling Rock Town Fair debuted at Westmoreland Fairgrounds 25 years ago todayVideo
If you grew up in Western Pennsylvania during the rise of alternative and grunge rock in the ’90s and early 2000s, there’s a good chance you recall hearing radio commercials for the annual Rolling Rock Town Fair. For a handful of years, some of the biggest names in modern rock...
PennDOT sets nighttime I-70 lane restrictions in Rostraver, ramp closures at North Belle Vernon
Motorists traveling at night on Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County will encounter lane restrictions in Rostraver and ramp closures at the North Belle Vernon exit this week as PennDOT contractors work on road improvements. The North Belle Vernon exit and entrance ramps for westbound traffic on I-70 (Exit 42) will...
Girl, dog rescued from fire at Penn Township home
A young girl and a dog were rescued from a fire that extensively damaged a Penn Township home Monday afternoon. The juvenile female was unconscious when two Irwin firefighters and a Harrison City firefighter reached her in a second-floor room, said Irwin Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Stitely. “It was very...
Former Greensburg police chief pleads guilty to evidence tampering charges
Former Greensburg police chief Shawn Denning pleaded guilty Monday in Westmoreland County court to three misdemeanor counts of tampering with evidence. Denning, 44, of Delmont was sentenced to serve three concurrent one-year probation terms, which will run alongside the 15-month federal prison sentence he is serving after pleading guilty this...
