Westmoreland category, Page 380
Out & About: And they’re off to Derby Day for Charity
It was 50 degrees and rainy outside, but it was a great Kentucky Derby day inside, as guests gathered Saturday at Latrobe Country Club for the annual Derby Day for Charity. The apparel was Churchill Downs appropriate, with ladies in colorful frocks and hats and gentlemen in sport coats and...
Hempfield summer concert series returns at amphitheater
Hempfield’s summer concert series and movies in the park are returning this year, with festivities kicking off in June. This year, the event will feature nine concerts and three movies at the Smail Auto Group Amphitheater at Hempfield Park. This will be the third concert series held by the township...
Latrobe group’s winery gathering combines female empowerment, community philanthropy
A Latrobe-based group of women have made it their mission to support other women and local organizations that benefit women and children. Since forming in 2019, SHE — which stands for Sophisticated, Humble, Empowered — has raised money and donated materials toward a shelter for victims of sexual assault and...
After decades of talk, new $1.8 million fire station dedicated in Bradenville
Anyone who wonders what a monumental occasion the completion of Derry Township’s new fire station in Bradenville means to the community only needs to meet lifetime township firefighter Brian Balega. Balega, 51, is now a retired fire investigator from the Anchorage (Alaska) Fire Department. But he traveled 4,000-miles to his...
Westmoreland adults with disabilities decorate flower pots for nursing home mothers
Laughter, hugs and bright flowers filled a pavilion at Twin Lakes Park. Westmoreland County community members with disabilities gathered Thursday evening to decorate flower pots for mothers at Twin Lakes Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in honor of Mother’s Day. The event was hosted by Team Friends, a group that creates...
Route 981 improvement project triggers nighttime closures in Mt. Pleasant Township
A section of Route 981 in Mt. Pleasant Township will be subject to weeknight closures as work proceeds to update the road as part of PennDOT’s Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project. Beginning on Monday, the road will be closed to traffic between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. Monday evenings through...
Dunbar faces primary challenge for state House seat in Westmoreland
For the first time in more than a decade, state Rep. George Dunbar is facing a primary challenge to retain his 56th District seat — this time from a political newcomer who contends the incumbent’s Republican credentials are insufficient. “I believe he is more of an establishment Republican,” said challenger...
Out & About: Animal Friends of Westmoreland hosts dance-off, reveals new name
Things got a little rowdy at Dancing With the Celebrities, hosted Friday night by Animal Friends of Westmoreland in Greensburg’s Palace Theatre. There were boos and cat calls from audience members unhappy with some of the judges’ scores. After intermission, emcee and AFW Executive Director Kelli Brisbane asked, “Did you...
Trump looks to advance his GOP takeover, sway support for Oz at Westmoreland stop
Former President Trump spoke to a few hundred people at a fairgrounds in Westmoreland County on Friday night during a rally centered around attempting to establish him and his allies as the voice of conservatives and the Republican Party. The rally at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds in Mt. Pleasant Township occurred...
Running to honor their father’s memory, Latrobe twins finish among leaders at Pittsburgh Marathon
Latrobe twins Lexie and Lizzie Planinsek ran their first marathon May 1. It probably won’t be their last. The Latrobe seniors decided to skip their track season to prepare for the Pittsburgh Marathon, and they did it in honor of their father, the late (Michael) Nick Planinsek, who died unexpectedly...
Trump fans flock to Westmoreland Fairgrounds to see former president, hear more about why to vote for Dr. Oz
Thousands of ardent Donald Trump supporters braved the rain and mud Friday for their chance to see the former president, who was returning to Westmoreland County to promote his endorsement of Republican senatorial candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz. The rally, which officially was to start at 8 p.m., transformed the Westmoreland...
Police: Landslide briefly blocks Route 993 in North Huntingdon
Route 993 in North Huntingdon is open after being closed for several hours Friday evening after a small landslide, one of a host of rain-related incidents across the region as more than 2 inches fell on Western Pennsylvania. Broadway Street (Route 993) between Irwin and Shafton was closed after a...
North Huntingdon singer Aubrey Burchell set for ‘America’s Got Talent’ stage
In 2018, Aubrey Burchell of North Huntingdon made it as far as the top 70 on “American Idol.” On May 31, the 21-year-old singer will get another shot at stardom on “America’s Got Talent.” There’s a big difference between those two experiences, said Jill Sorrels, who owned the former Keynote...
Rain doesn’t dampen Greensburg May Mart plant sale
As she walked around the Greensburg Garden Center’s May Mart sale in an almost steady downpour Friday, Elizabeth Pesci of Hempfield was undeterred by the rain from above or the mud around her feet. “Rain doesn’t bother gardeners. We are used to it,” said Pesci, one of organizers of the...
Pine Run, tributaries spill over near at Washington Township mobile home parkVideo
Thomas Bowers has lived at his home on Goldfinch Drive in Washington Township for nearly three decades and weathered storms plenty worse than the steady rain that fell across the region all day Friday. “I’ve had water all the way around the house before,” Bowers said. “But the houses around...
Man accused of attempting to take officer’s gun at hospital accused of earlier police assault in South Greensburg
A 30-year-old burglary suspect, who injured his foot during a failed escape attempt as police arrested him Thursday in South Greensburg, is accused of attempting to grab an officer’s gun at a Greensburg hospital as he was discharged, according to court documents. Cory J. Lonsinger, who lists a Johnstown address,...
Hempfield Area suspends pay-to-participate, parking fees for next school year
For the third consecutive year, Hempfield Area School Board members have suspended pay-to-participate fees and costs associated with student parking. In a unanimous vote, school directors waived the fees for the 2022-23 school year. Both fees were suspended the past two years because of the covid-19 pandemic. Pay-to-participate originally cost...
Franklin Regional considers 2022-23 budget with 2.75 mill tax hike
Franklin Regional school board members will consider a final 2022-23 budget next month that calls for a 2.75-mill tax hike — roughly $95 more per year for the average district homeowner. This would be the first time in five years that the district has opted for a tax hike significantly...
Redevelopment sought for formerly blighted Scottdale property
A developer for a formerly blighted property in downtown Scottdale is wanted, Westmoreland redevelopment officials said. Two parcels at the intersection of Market Street and South Broadway that served as the home of the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Scottdale for two decades are ready for a new owner to...
Man hurt in Hempfield motorcycle crash
A Greensburg man was seriously hurt in a two-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon in Hempfield, according to state police. Troopers said Shan L. Good, 56, was driving a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Swede Hill Road at 2:20 p.m. when it collided with a Honda Accord being driven by Sheila M. Rice, 78,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: May 6-8
Photos and fun Work by members of the Westmoreland Photographers Society will be featured at Art After Hours, from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. Photographers will be on hand to meet with guests and discuss photos showing in...
Families can get an early start on rides this weekend at Idlewild
Seekers of family fun and thrills can get an earlier start this year at Idlewild and SoakZone. The traditional Idlewild section of the amusement park on Route 30 in Ligonier Township will open for its 145th season on Saturday, two weeks earlier than usual. Weekend operations are scheduled through May...
Westmoreland Hospital patient lunges at officer, attempts to take gun, spokesman says
A Westmoreland Hospital patient lunged at an officer and attempted to take his gun Thursday afternoon, according to Excela spokesman Tom Chakurda. The man had been involved in several burglaries in the Greensburg area, Chakurda said. Police apprehended him and took him to Westmoreland Hospital’s Emergency Department for injuries he...
Judge sentences woman to jail after positive drug test in Greensburg fatal overdose case
Britnee Clark stood in front a Westmoreland County judge Thursday and proudly said she turned her life around since she was charged nearly three years ago with selling fentanyl-laced heroin to a Greensburg woman who died from an overdose. Clark, 41, of Avalon, Allegheny County, proclaimed that she completed drug...
Man calls himself a ‘disgusting monster’ before being sent to prison for child rape
An Arona man who described himself as a “disgusting monster” was ordered Thursday to serve up to 40 years in prison for raping a child. Michael Andrew Wiser, 35, told a Westmoreland County judge that as a former child victim of sexual assault he should have known better and was...
