Westmoreland category, Page 361
Latrobe’s Rose Style Shoppe celebrates its 90th anniversary
In June 1932, Rose Rubinoff Buchman opened a shop at the corner of Ligonier and Depot streets to sell bridal dresses and formal clothing to the women of Latrobe. Nine decades and countless changes later, Rose Style Shoppe is still bustling with business. Ronda Goetz, third-generation owner and Rubinoff Buchman’s...
Out & About: Karaoke fundraiser proves ‘Westmoreland Has Talent’
It wasn’t your run-of-the-mill karaoke night. The performers brought a little something extra to Westmoreland Has Talent, a fundraiser for the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition, held June 25 at Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield. University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg president Robert Gregerson channeled Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top with a beard,...
People celebrate return of July 4 parade in Latrobe
A crowd of people lined the streets of Latrobe Monday morning, not only in honor of the Fourth of July but also to celebrate the return of the city’s holiday festivities that were put on hold for two years because of the covid-19 pandemic. The “Celebrate Latrobe” Fourth of July...
Saint Vincent Gristmill has been staple in Unity since 1854
In 1854, millers ground their first batch of flour at the Saint Vincent Gristmill, creating a facility that not only benefited the lay brothers but also surrounding farmers. Located along Beatty County Road in Unity, the mill has been used for centuries to store wheat and other grains grown on...
More than 300 turn out to honor memory of late state Rep. Mike Reese
As word spread that participation in the Mike Reese Memorial 5K Run/Walk Sunday would likely surpass the inaugural event a year ago in Westmoreland County’s Mammoth Park, it did not surprise his childhood friend Chad Zaucha. After all, Zaucha and his family had driven 360 miles from Yorktown, Ind., to...
Unity couple founds nonprofit to provide housing for veterans
Andrew and Shela Gornik always have made a point of thanking veterans for their service. They’ve taught their four children to do the same. “If our kids walked past a veteran, even when they were small, we would tell them, go right back there and say, ‘Thank you for your...
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival featuring nearly 170 vendors through Sunday
For the three straight day, music, arts, historical reenactments and more were on display Saturday at the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival. Canceled in 2020 and 2021, the festival returned for its 48th year Thursday, and it continues through Sunday at Twin Lakes Park, east of Greensburg. Festivalgoers will encounter...
Return of Claridge Fair benefits Penn-Trafford Soccer Club; event continues Sunday
A few of the inflatable rides at the new Claridge Fair in Penn Township were still a little wet from the rain early Saturday, but it didn’t slow down 6-year-old Nina Garafalo as she swiftly descended a slide erected on the fields at the Penn-Trafford Soccer Club complex. “It’s still...
Rostraver restaurant closed under deal with district attorney
A popular Rostraver restaurant and tavern that was the site of a double shooting early Sunday morning has been closed. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said Friday in Rostraver her office reached an agreement with owner Debra Hardy Maley to permanently close Sweeney’s Steakhouse at 1713 Rostraver Road, before...
Out & About: Fourth of July weekend starts with a bang at Fort Ligonier
The Fourth of July weekend started with a bang during the Friday evening Cannons and Cocktails party at Fort Ligonier. Literally. The festivities included mock cannon firings in the hilltop stockade of the restored French and Indian War-era historical complex. Guests had an opportunity to sample a George Washington Rye...
Western Pa. farmers battle weather, price hikes, shortages to produce sweet corn this summer
For Rita Firestone, growing, harvesting and selling sweet corn has been an integral part of her life ever since she and her late husband started The Original Firestone’s sweet corn stand 52 years ago along Route 30 in Unity. “I do it because I want to do it, not because...
Post-July 4 traffic interruptions planned in West Newton, Salem
Motorists traveling in Westmoreland County after the Fourth of July weekend will encounter a road closure in West Newton and Route 22 lane restrictions in Salem. PennDOT has announced drivers will be detoured around a section of West Newton’s East Main Street (Route 136) beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday. The...
Delmont librarian announces retirement at end of 2022
When Louisa Fordyce first got involved volunteering at the Delmont Public Library, she didn’t have a lot of contact with director Denni Grassel. “But I knew how active she was and how much work she put into the library,” Fordyce said. Today, Fordyce is a member of the library’s board...
Photo gallery: Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival
Music, arts, historical reenactments and more were on display Friday at the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival....
Derry rape suspect found in Mexico
A former Derry man who was charged in 2013 with the rape of a child has been found in Mexico and will be returned to Westmoreland County to stand trial, said District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli Ziccarelli announced Friday that U.S. located Efrain Fernandez-Nicolas nearly eight years after he was originally...
Homicide victim’s mother tells Mt. Pleasant man: ‘No more drugs’
Cathy Clawson had a simple message for the man who pleaded guilty Friday to causing her daughter’s death in 2020. “Just come out a better man. No more drugs,” Clawson told Robert Seth Barnhart after he was sentenced to serve 3-6 years in prison for his role in the crash...
Authorities confiscate 7,400 pills, break up Westmoreland counterfeit pill supply chain
A suspected cross-country supplier of counterfeit pills containing deadly opioid fentanyl was jailed Friday in the largest bust of its kind in Westmoreland County, according to court papers. Police said they confiscated from an East Huntingdon home 7,400 pills designed to look like legitimate OxyContin but lab testing showed they...
Westmoreland commissioners say deal reached for covid relief spending
An agreement on how to spend a portion of the $105.3 million in federal funds Westmoreland County was allocated as part of the government’s covid-relief efforts will remain under wraps for the next two weeks, commissioners said Thursday. More than $52 million was banked last year from the American Rescue...
Roundtop Road house in Hempfield to be razed
A Hempfield home that appears to have separated from its foundation will be demolished, township officials said. Supervisors this week voted to condemn the home at 75 Roundtop Road and have the structure razed. “It presents a clear and present danger of eminent collapse at some point,” Craig McVicker, building...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: July 1-3
Fair enough The Claridge Fair continues through the weekend at the Bushy Run Soccer Complex, 100 Kuch Lane, Penn Township. Hours will be 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The event will feature rides, games for all ages, live music, food, beer and...
Officials urge sober holiday driving, place flags for Westmoreland lives lost to impairment
Because the Fourth of July falls on a Monday this year, police will have an extended weekend to be extra vigilant in watching for impaired drivers and working to prevent the potentially fatal crashes they could cause. “The July 4 holiday season is traditionally one of the most deadliest times...
Greensburg’s Freedom 5K will follow Five Star Trail, benefit heart research
Running can help support a healthy heart. Those who run in Monday’s 21st Freedom 5K race, beginning and ending at Greensburg’s Lynch Field, will help the hearts of others as well. The annual race, which includes a virtual option, benefits the American Heart Association. Money from sponsorships and entry fees...
Greensburg coin laundry service damaged by fire
Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a fire at a Greensburg coin laundry service late Thursday after authorities said they believe an item inside a dryer may have spontaneously ignited. City Fire Chief Tom Bell said rags that may have had oil or grease on them left in the dryer...
Crowds celebrate return of Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival near Greensburg
Betty Ann Horvath wasn’t going to let the threat of bad weather this weekend get in the way of her returning to the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival for the first time since the covid-19 pandemic started. Within the first hour of the festival’s opening day Thursday, Horvath arrived at...
Hempfield man pleads guilty to rape of child
A Hempfield man was ordered Thursday to serve 10 to 20 years in prison for the rape of a child. Ted Donald Brown III, 42, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of rape in connection with sexual assaults police said took place over a six-year period that started in 2015....
