Westmoreland category, Page 384
Hempfield 9th graders may consolidate under 1 roof
Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District are proposing to move ninth grade students to a middle school building beginning in fall 2023 as the district prepares for its high school construction project. The proposal would permanently consolidate sixth, seventh and eighth grade students into Wendover and West Hempfield middle...
Trump to rally with Dr. Oz at Westmoreland Fairgrounds
Former President Donald Trump is slated to return to Westmoreland County on May 6 for a rally where he is expected to share the spotlight with Republican senatorial candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz. Earlier in April, Trump endorsed Oz in the latter’s bid to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate. Trump has...
Westmoreland deputy sheriff suspended after out-of-state arrest
A veteran Westmoreland County deputy sheriff was suspended with pay on Monday after he was charged with crimes following an incident last week in another state. Police in Louisville, Ky., charged Samuel D. Pilato, 59, of Hempfield with public intoxication and disorderly conduct in connection with a incident outside of...
Mt. Pleasant Township woman accused of hitting man with SUV
A Mt. Pleasant Township woman was jailed over the weekend after police said she struck a man with her SUV, sending him to the hospital for treatment of arm injuries. Cynthia M. Janos, 33, was released from the county prison Sunday on $10,000 recognizance bond. She is charged with aggravated...
Westmoreland commissioners say costs, not politics, behind regional drop box cuts
Republican commissioners in Westmoreland County said it is money, not politics, that’s behind a decision to eliminate regional drop boxes for mail-in ballots in next month’s primary election. Commissioners Doug Chew and Sean Kertes voted Monday to install one drop box at the lower park Pennsylvania Avenue entrance to the...
No injuries reported in kitchen fire in Greensburg
Greensburg firefighters responded to a kitchen fire Monday afternoon on Arch Avenue in the city, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatch supervisor. The fire was reported about 2:40 p.m., the dispatcher said. First responders at the scene said there were no apparent injuries as firefighters worked to quickly douse...
Vandergrift woman’s murder trial ends with plea deal to lesser charge
A Vandergrift woman pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder, putting an end to her homicide trial during which prosecutors claimed she intentionally fired three shots, killing her cousin in 2018. Ashley Marie Croft, 38, will serve a 15- to 30-year prison sentence under terms of the plea deal. Croft did...
Detectives charge 2 more in Westmoreland prison drug smuggling scheme
A former inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison is back behind bars after being accused by county detectives of participating in a Suboxone smuggling scheme with another inmate. Brad M. Rentz, 43, of Indiana, was arrested Monday by county Detective James Williams and accused of conspiring with another inmate, Jamie...
Vehicle crashes through wall at Forest Hills hair salonVideo
Anthony Fazio woke Monday to a 2:30 a.m. call from Forest Hills police informing him that someone had crashed a truck into his salon, Fazio’s Hair Designs. “When they said a hole in the wall, I didn’t expect this,” Fazio said gesturing toward an opening as tall as him. “I...
Looking to protect Pa.’s natural heritage? Become a master naturalist volunteer
Westmoreland County residents hoping to get their hands dirty this summer while learning how to protect the state’s natural resources can participate in training to become a master naturalist volunteer. The courses — hosted by the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist and Brandywine Conservancy at Penguin Court, a preserve near Laughlintown —...
Wildfire firefighters train with controlled blazes in Parks Township
The crackling sound and the odor of burning weeds were unmistakable and necessary for a training exercise for wildfire firefighters from 15 volunteer fire companies in the region Sunday in Parks Township. These firefighters train every spring to prepare for wildfires during warm weather. Extinguishing wildfires demands a lot of...
Greensburg nuns invoke Native American prayer to renew peace garden
A peaceful spot at Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill’s Greensburg property was taken back to its Indigenous roots Saturday. The steady drumbeats and vocal calls transported dozens of sisters to the country’s Native American heritage. It was a way to recognize the land’s first inhabitants and, for Sister Edie...
Out & About: Greensburg, Latrobe artists join for ‘Art Neighbors’ show
They say fences make good neighbors — and apparently so does art. Or maybe it’s that neighbors make good art. Either way, there’s plenty of good art to be seen in “Art Neighbors,” the annual joint exhibition of the Greensburg and Latrobe art centers, which opened with a Saturday reception...
Boxing returns to SportZone with ‘Murrysville Madness II’ on May 7
When the next group of boxers organized by Monroeville promoter Derek Gionta enters the ring on May 7, it will include first women’s fights he has organized. That makes the venue – Murrysville SportZone on William Penn Highway – all the more appropriate. “It’s great because they have a women’s...
Penn-Trafford students bring home awards from digital media competitionVideo
Penn-Trafford students Conner Alexander, Amanda Bobish and Paul Mills were in the middle of a live broadcast, during the third quarter of the 2021 PIAA football semifinals, when a nightmare scenario for a first-time sportscaster began unfolding. “It was taking forever to get this call sorted out on the field,”...
George Washington reenactor will be featured in Fort Ligonier program
Philadelphia-area resident Dean Malissa has stepped back from serving as Mount Vernon’s principal portrayer of George Washington to emeritus status. It’s only natural that he is semi-retired from the living history role since, at 69, he’s lived two years beyond the age Washington reached. “When I was the sole portrayer...
Westmoreland transit garage construction costs $3 million under budget
Westmoreland County Transit Authority board members this week awarded more than $7.4 million in contracts to build a new bus storage facility in Hempfield. Officials said the price tag for the project came in more than $3 million below estimates. “We were planning for a higher number,” said Authority Executive...
From Korea to Greensburg, from mission translator to nun, life keeps evolving for Sister Hyeon Lee
When it came time to profess her vows Saturday morning, there was no doubt Sister Hyeon Lee was ready for the lifelong commitment. “I am so resolved,” she said with emphasis, to laughter of about 100 friends, family and fellow sisters who had gathered at Caritas Christi in Greensburg to...
Out & About: Westmoreland Walks event celebrates passion for fashion
What’s the latest in spring fashions? About 100 guests got ideas for updating their warm-weather wardrobes during the Westmoreland Walks Passionately Pink Fashion Show, a Saturday lunchtime event in the new Westmoreland County Community College Event Center in Hempfield. From togs for trendy tots, to weekend golf wear, to gowns...
All genders show concern for domestic violence and Walk a Mile in Their Her His Our Shoes in Greensburg
All kinds of feet in all kinds of shoes gathered Saturday in downtown Greensburg’s St. Clair Park for Westmoreland County’s 11th annual Walk a Mile in Their Her His Our Shoes, an event that raises awareness of gender-based violence. Formerly called Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, the event was...
Firefighters help get resident out of burning house in Sewickley Township
Firefighters helped a Sewickley Township resident get out of a burning home Saturday morning before extinguishing the flames. Herminie Fire Chief Eric Kline said the blaze, in the 500 block of McClerge Avenue, was reported just before 11 a.m. The chief said it appeared to have started on the home’s...
Teacher: Westmoreland Online Academy ‘a powerful choice’ for students
The covid-19 pandemic had several unplanned lessons for U.S. educators, who were required to adapt to a wide variety of “classroom settings” that blended in-person, virtual and asynchronous instruction. For some students and parents, learning from home was a stressful, unproductive experience that showed them the value of in-person education....
Westmoreland County poised to scale back mail-in ballot drop boxes
Westmoreland County commissioners are expected to scale back the use of regional drop boxes for mail-in ballots in next month’s primary election. A special meeting of the county’s Election Board is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday when commissioners will vote on a proposal to place just one drop box at...
Arnold Palmer airport, Adelphoi among Westmoreland recipients of $14M in state funds
Proposed expansion of the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport terminal, improvements at three industrial parks and a new facility at the Adelphoi main campus in Latrobe are among seven projects in Westmoreland County set to receive more than $14 million in combined funding through Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. Announced Friday,...
Latrobe man fulfills dream to run marathon, despite upcoming surgery
Joe Peroney of Latrobe has two “jobs” tomorrow — tasks to which he has devoted a lot of time and energy. While most people will take it easy Saturday morning, Peroney’s first duty of the day is to start at 6:45 a.m. running five laps, and then about a mile...
