Westmoreland category, Page 377
Founder’s daughters revive Tropical Bungalow restaurant in Hempfield
Tom Papinchak said the smoothie was relatively new to Western Pennsylvania when he started selling the fruity concoction in the mid-1990s, first from a mobile thatched-roof kiosk and then at his Tropical Bungalow kiosks in Westmoreland Mall, downtown Pittsburgh and The Galleria in Johnstown. About 10 years later, he moved...
Symposium will help educators integrate Fred Rogers’ teachings into the classroom
Fred Rogers is renowned for the ways he taught and interacted with children — and this July, educators will have the opportunity to glean some of his wisdom during a virtual symposium. Saint Vincent College’s Fred Rogers Institute in Unity will host the two-day symposium on July 19 and 20....
Latrobe locals invited to learn about wards’ history during upcoming shows
Latrobe residents are invited to go back in time and learn more about the city’s six wards in the upcoming months. The Latrobe Area Historical Society will present four shows about this history between July and October. The first show, which will delve into the First Ward, will take place...
Pa. House approves Pitt funding after months of debate over fetal tissue research
The University of Pittsburgh is set to narrowly escape with its state funding after months of heated back-and-forth between Pitt and House Republicans over the university’s fetal tissue research. The state House voted Wednesday night to pass Pitt’s appropriation. Lawmakers reworded an agricultural funding bill to provide Pitt’s funding and...
1 person reported injured in ATV accident in Bell Township
One person was injured Wednesday in an all-terrain vehicle accident in Bell Township, according to a Westmoreland County emergency dispatcher. The accident occurred about 10:23 a.m. and the person was flown by medical helicopter to an undisclosed hospital trauma center in Pittsburgh, the dispatcher reported. Bell Township firefighters were assisted...
Export mayor breaks tie in contentious vote to raise sewage ratesVideo
Export Mayor Joe Zaccagnini had to break a 3-3 vote this week as council approved a $5 increase in local sewage rates, passing along a roughly 8% rate hike by the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority that goes into effect in August. “We have to pass on the cost that’s...
Vandergrift motorcyclist seriously injured after colliding with truck in Ligonier Township, police say
A Vandergrift motorcyclist was seriously injured and flown by medical helicopter to a Johnstown hospital Tuesday after colliding with a truck along Route 30 in Ligonier Township. The crash occurred around 4:30 p.m. along the highway stretch of Route 30 between Laughlintown and the Laurel Mountain Summit, east of Ligonier...
Bigfoot — the truck — coming to Export Tire this weekend
You can spot Bigfoot in Murrysville this weekend. But it’s not the mythical forest ape — this Bigfoot is the kind that crushes cars, which is exactly what it will be doing July 9 at Export Tire’s customer appreciation event. “We’d done the same thing when we had our grand...
Westmoreland happenings: super bingo, community day celebration, turkey dinner
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to 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 is no fee....
‘Home again’: New Heal Animal Rescue executive director vows to expand help for local animals
When Mary Withrow began working as Heal Animal Rescue’s new executive director last week, it felt like she was “home again.” Heal is a no-kill animal adoption center and sanctuary nonprofit, with a shelter in Youngwood and an animal sanctuary in Latrobe. Withrow, 60, of Pittsburgh has a history of...
Trafford to unveil town’s version of Wings Across Westmoreland
Trafford is getting its own version of Wings Across Westmoreland. The artwork promotes community history and encourages viewers to pose for a photo in the middle of it. Borough officials will unveil the metal wings at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Trafford Borough Municipal Center parking lot, adjacent to the...
Out & About: Ligonier museum program tracks fashion through the ages
“Petticoat” and “bodice” are familiar clothing terms, but what about “farthingale” and “stomacher”? Saint Francis University costume designer Bonnie Resinski discussed them all — and more — during the second annual fashion show and purse auction on June 25 at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley. Her...
Murrysville Export Emergency Management Agency provides support network for first responders
When it comes to large-scale emergencies, preparation is the key to a proper response. When something such as a ruptured gas line or a late-night power outage at a senior assisted living facility happens, first responders need to be able to do their jobs and rely on a support network...
Scholarship to help high schoolers, adults entering public service in memory of Mt. Pleasant firefighter, EMT
After EMT and firefighter Andrew Beck died suddenly in January at just 23 years old, his friend and mother wanted to carry on his legacy of service in Westmoreland County. In February, the pair co-founded the Andrew Logan Beck EMS and Fire Scholarship Fund, which will provide funding for local...
Penn Borough man accused by troopers of assaulting woman over cellphone photo
A woman told state troopers Tuesday that a Penn Borough man became so angry over a photograph he found on her cellphone that he woke her from her sleep, assaulted her and then refused to let her summon help. Shawn M. Ressler, 20, was charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief,...
Delmont man accused of shooting at neighbor’s home to be reevaluated for trial
A Delmont man will be reevaluated to determine whether he is now able to help with his defense after years of delays in a 2019 attempted homicide case. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Timothy Krieger said Tuesday he will order a competency reevaluation for Terrance Kurhansky, 82. Rebecca Trout, program...
Police: Latrobe woman assaulted, choked after asking man to lower radio volume
A 32-year-old woman was punched and strangled by a man outside a Latrobe apartment complex after she asked him to lower the volume of his radio, police said. The woman was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital because of the extent of her injuries. The man, Lionel Thomas,...
Police chase from New Alexandria to Latrobe reached speeds of 90 mph
A New Alexandria man is free on unsecured bail after state police said he led them on a chase through a campground near Keystone State Park during the Fourth of July weekend. Police said they apprehended Luis A. Marsales, 26, along Loyalhanna Creek in Latrobe. He is charged with fleeing...
Students with disabilities thrive in Saint Vincent’s Bearcat BEST program
In Pennsylvania, students with intellectual or developmental disabilities are able to attend high school until they’re 21 years old — but many of these students want to move on to bigger and better things with their same-age peers. That’s where Saint Vincent College’s Bearcat BEST program comes into play. The...
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...
