Westmoreland category, Page 366
Westmoreland Land Trust nature backpacks are ready to check out at county libraries
Some outdoor lovers like to watch birds, some go wild for flowers and others may enjoy exploring woods and waterways. Resources for any of the above interests now can be checked out, along with books and other media, at Westmoreland County’s public libraries. Westmoreland Nature Backpacks are available for library...
3 charged as 61 animals removed from Monessen home
Sixty-one animals were removed from a Monessen home earlier this month that city police and rescuers said was in deplorable condition. Three people were charged with animal cruelty and related offenses Wednesday while rescue groups work to rehabilitate the dogs, birds, chickens, cats, kittens and a rabbit. All of the...
Mutual Aid Ambulance CEO and operations manager depart, board tabs former coroner Ken Bacha interim CEO
Two years after changing administrators in charge of its day-to-day operations, Mutual Aid Ambulance Inc. confirmed its new chief executive officer and director of operations departed this week. The Greensburg-based nonprofit said Friday that CEO Douglas DeForrest and director of operations Lorenzo Garino are no longer employed with the ambulance...
Kentucky psychiatrist sentenced in kickback scheme involving Hempfield testing lab
A Kentucky psychiatrist was sentenced this week to three years of probation and ordered to repay more than $24,000 to the Kentucky Medicaid program. Varanise C. Booker, 67, admitted that she was a licensed psychiatrist who operated a medical practice, Family and Children Behavioral Health Services, in Louisville, Ky., that...
Greensburg woman pleads guilty in 2018 child rape case
A Greensburg woman said “guilty” 35 times in court Friday when a judge asked how she was pleading in the 2018 rape of a 5-year-old boy. Corby Jo Kinzey, 28, entered a general plea to all of the charges against her and could face decades in prison when she is...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: June 17-19
Scandalous scoundrels Faire Wynds Entertainment will present a living history program entitled “Scoundrel’s Alley” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Compass Inn Museum, along Route 30 in Laughlintown. A troupe of four historical re-enactors will portray rogues, paupers and other undesirable figures, bringing to life historical...
Musser’s will open new location in DelmontVideo
As the summer growing season kicks into high gear, Larry Musser of Musser’s Farm Market in Penn Township is gearing up to boost his production to make produce available in more locations. A new Musser’s store will open this summer in the former Second Fiddle location on Route 66 in...
Honor roll includes 3 Westmoreland men whose cancer deaths followed service in Vietnam
James Sumner of Greensburg lost a battle with cancer just more than a year ago, at 76. New Kensington’s Donald Penzera, formerly of Greensburg, lost his in 2006, when he was 56. Floyd Serbanjak of Herminie was 23 when he succumbed to the disease in 1974. The three Westmoreland County...
Westmoreland County Transit Authority to buy 20 new paratransit vehicles
Westmoreland County Transit Authority is updating its fleet of paratransit vehicles as it reports seeing ridership numbers for the door-to-door, shared-ride service recover after slumping during the covid-19 pandemic. The authority on Thursday approved buying 20 new paratransit mini-buses to replace similar vehicles. Executive Director Alan Blahovec said the authority...
Volunteers brave heat to assemble bicycles for Westmoreland County kids in need
Maj. Scott Flanders, director of the Salvation Army location in New Kensington, knows having a bicycle on long summer days is one of the joys of growing up. Thanks to volunteers and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, 100 kids will be well-equipped to ride. About 50 volunteers braved the...
Murrysville creates ‘do-not-knock’ list for residents to opt out of most types of soliciting
Murrysville residents now can opt out of most types of solicitation through a “do-not-knock” list that will be given to anyone applying for a solicitation license. Council voted 7-0 to approve an updated version of its peddling and soliciting ordinance to give residents the ability to restrict who can walk...
Westmoreland group plans Juneteenth programs in 3 communities
Greensburg’s Unity in the Community group has added Jeannette as a third Westmoreland County venue for its second annual weekend of programs celebrating the Juneteenth holiday. The Celebrating Freedom events begin Friday in Greensburg, with speakers and activities scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Westmoreland County YWCA headquarters,...
North Huntingdon delays decision on waiving building permit fee for Norwin
Norwin school officials will have to wait another month before finding out whether North Huntingdon will waive a $15,575 building permit fee for a school roofing project. The township commissioners on Wednesday tabled making a decision until July on the requested waiver. The move comes a week after a majority...
Rostraver commissioner accepted to enter ARD program in harassment case
Rostraver Township Commissioner John J. Lorenzo was permitted to enter a probationary program Thursday and a judge ordered that his in-person participation in some board meetings be restricted. The order was part of an agreement with the state Attorney General’s office, which prosecuted accusations that Lorenzo used fictitious Facebook accounts...
Police find drugs, missing teen girl in North Huntingdon motel; man arrested
An Ohio man was found in a North Huntingdon motel Wednesday with marijuana, a gun and a 16-year-old girl who had been reported missing, according to court papers. Robert Easley, 40, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, drug possession, corruption of minors and related offenses. He was being...
Murrysville chief administrator prepares to welcome successor, move into new role
Outgoing Tarentum Borough Manager Michael Nestico is eager to rebuild ties with Westmoreland County when he assumes the position of top administrator in Murrysville this month. A resident of Jeannette, Nestico worked as an attorney and municipal manager there before taking the reins in Tarentum five years ago. “I’m looking...
Franklin Regional grad named Truman Scholar recipient
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Romantic comedy ‘That’s Amore’ features filming locations in Plum and Murrysville
Actor, retired dentist and Plum resident David Petti sticks to what he knows. So when Petti was working on the screenplay for “That’s Amore” – which will be shown June 23 at the Oaks Theater in Oakmont – he didn’t stray far from his roots. “My character is a dentist,”...
East Huntingdon man given until July 13 to consider plea deal in baby’s 2019 death
A man accused in the 2019 drowning death of a baby in East Huntingdon was given a deadline in court Wednesday: either take a plea deal by July 13 or face a potential life sentence if convicted of first-degree homicide at trial. “The Commonwealth’s offer will expire on July 13,”...
Norwin grad adds color, detail to the world of Pixar’s upcoming ‘Lightyear’Video
A scratch on a box. A tiny oil leak on the side of a spaceship. The telltale signs a concrete floor has seen plenty of wear and tear over time. Those are just a few of the subliminal details 2015 Norwin High School graduate Alyssa Minko has added to the...
Slain FBI agent’s mother: Remember Sam Hicks as hero
Charlotte Carrabotta, the mother of FBI agent Samuel S. Hicks who was gunned down in 2008 while serving a warrant in Indiana Township, admits reading and viewing news accounts of the early release from prison Tuesday of Christina Korbe has been “very difficult” for the Hicks family. “And I really...
Jeannette police seeking help to identify pair involved in shooting toy gun in face of motorist
Jeannette police are seeking help identifying two people connected to the Monday shooting of a toy gel pellet gun at a motorist. The driver was hit three times in the face. The incident was reported just before 10 p.m. in the area of Clay Avenue and Fourth Street, Chief Donald...
Residents will have a say in plan for Hempfield Park
The future of Hempfield Park is at the center of an upcoming study that will build on rehabilitation projects completed at the Forbes Trail Road facility over the past eight years. Supervisors recently tapped Cranberry-based Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc. to work on the park’s master plan, which will provide...
Greensburg Craft Beer Week shifts to summer, debuts 1-day festival
Organizers of the annual Greensburg Craft Beer Week are shaking things up this year, moving the event forward from fall to early summer and adding a one-day festival in St. Clair Park. The nine-day schedule offers more than 30 opportunities to sample area specialty brews, edibles and entertainment. During Friday’s...
Herbie in Hempfield: Local builds his own ‘love bug’
When Eric Hartman was 5 years old, he watched Herbie star in Disney’s “The Love Bug” — and it was love at first sight. “I saw the movie … and that was it,” Hartman said. “I wanted one ever since.” Now, Hartman does have his own “love bug.” The Hempfield...
