Westmoreland category, Page 385
Area artists get out to paint Bushy Run Battlefield scenes
Five area female artists spread across the historic Bushy Run Battlefield on Friday, painting scenes of how the state park is today rather than what is was 259 years ago when British and colonial troops fought a decisive battle against Native Americans in what was once hilly woodlands. Patricia Dickun...
Greensburg man found guilty of child rape
Prosecutors said a Greensburg man faces up to 372 years in prison after he was convicted Friday of the rape of a 5-year-old child and recording videos he took of a woman engaged in sex acts with the boy. Westmoreland County jurors deliberated just more than two hours before returning...
Redevelopment experts advise local officials at Westmoreland ‘blight boot camp’
If local officials want to start the uphill fight to combat blight and begin revitalizing their communities, multiple speakers at a “blight boot camp” held Friday at Westmoreland County Community College said they’ve got to start on the ground. Multiple speakers, including Christy Bean Rowing, executive director of the Washington...
Allegheny Township man’s ‘reign of terror’ ends with rape, sexual assault convictions
Jurors on Friday found an Allegheny Township man guilty of four rapes and the sexual assaults of two other woman in crimes prosecutors said dated back to the early 2000s. Eric Wright, 50, could receive up to 100 years in prison for the rape offenses, according to Westmoreland County District...
Longtime Yukon firefighter served community, country
A longtime Yukon volunteer firefighter was laid to rest Friday in his hometown, given the traditional honor of a procession of firetrucks from several South Huntingdon departments and surrounding communities. The funeral procession for Jeffrey A. Kite, 61, who had been a member of the fire company for 45 years,...
Pony Club, animal rescue team will be showcased at Ligonier Township event
Folks who have developed some horse sense are ready to share it with others Sunday during a season kickoff event for the Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club. Founded in 1954, the club has about 50 members. It is one of 13 groups that helped establish the United States Pony Clubs...
Troopers accuse Mt. Pleasant area man of multiple burglaries
A former employee of a Donegal Township event center is accused of repeatedly burglarizing the facility since he was fired this month. Donald “Duck” Bailey, 61, is accused of stealing a utility terrain vehicle, alcohol and scratch-off lottery tickets from the Stonehenge Lodge since being terminated April 13, state police...
Hempfield welcomes new businesses, loses restaurant
Several new businesses have opened recently in Hempfield, including two new stores at Westmoreland Mall, while one family-run restaurant shuttered. In all, three new stores opened their doors last month: Dunkin’, located inside Walmart along Route 30, and Charlotte Russe and Lids at Westmoreland Mall. Lupi & Leo, located along...
Women artists use their ‘Visual Voices’ for Jeannette gallery show
Artists showing in the third “Women in Art” exhibition at You Are Here in Jeannette were given a specific assignment. The submitted works had to adhere to the theme, “Visual Voice.” Each artist filled out a statement that began, “I use my visual voice to speak to …” Previous “Women...
Penn Middle students prepare to stage ‘Beauty & the Beast’Video
Less than a decade ago, Maddie Nick was on the stage at Penn-Trafford High School. At the time, it seemed like a big challenge. “When you’re on the stage, you have a lot to remember, but you don’t appreciate the full scope of what it takes to put on a...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: April 22-24
Come out and play The City of Greensburg Recreation Department will host the first of five classic backyard game sessions from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday at Lynch Field, 520 New Alexandria Road, Greensburg. People of all ages can drop in at any time during the event to play four...
Ligonier Township couple raise exotic poultry in rustic setting
Nestled in a Ligonier Township hollow, a rustic cabin sits among the trees with a stream running along either side. Ducks dabble in a stone-lined pond, while chickens strut around the grounds. The idyllic scene is home to Dave and Rosslyn Kemerer, a young couple who are living out their...
Former Catholic academy in Unity could see rebirth as nature preserve
It’s been 50 years since Susan Scherff was standing in the grove outside St. Xavier Academy, huddled with the rest of the evacuated students as they watched black smoke billowing from the burning convent and chapel attached to the Catholic school in Unity. “Then it started to rain,” she recalled....
Hempfield man jailed after police say he disrupted a funeral, broke window at congressman’s office
A Hempfield man who was the target of a search a month ago for allegedly desecrating and stealing a Pennsylvania state flag was jailed Thursday, accused of setting off a fire alarm at a funeral, damaging a statue and breaking a window at a congressman’s local office. Roger C. Strautmann,...
Murder and mystery abound in Franklin Regional’s ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’
Colin Miller has pretty much had his fill when it comes to being killed off in Franklin Regional stage performances. “I’ve died multiple times in multiple shows, plus I was in ‘Clue’ my freshman year,” Miller said. So how about in his senior year, for the upcoming production of “The...
Attorney: Prescription drugs, marijuana led Vandergrift woman to kill cousin
The lawyer for a Vandergrift woman told a Westmoreland County jury Thursday that marijuana, combined with medications she takes for ongoing mental health issues, left her unable to form an intent to kill her cousin nearly four years ago. “She was suffering from an altered state of consciousnesses,” defense attorney...
Hanna’s Town opening features reenactors; antiques sales scheduled
Historic Hanna’s Town will open for the season from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 30 with guided tours, reenactors, a blacksmith and games for kids. Tours of the recreated 18th century frontier town in Hempfield will begin at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tours also will...
Closing arguments expected in retrial of Allegheny Township man accused of 6 rapes
The Allegheny Township man who prosecutors say raped and sexually assaulted six women dating back to the early 2000s told a Westmoreland County jury Thursday he is not guilty of the allegations. Eric Wright, 50, testified during the third day of his trial . He denied having any improper sexual...
North Huntingdon votes to table decision on housing project road
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority’s plan to build a 50-unit senior citizen apartment building in Irwin hit a snag this week when the North Huntingdon commissioners tabled a vote on approving the project’s 1,300 foot road intended to connect the site to a township street. The commissioners voted 4-3 to...
Irwin police warning residents of telephone scam seeking money for department
Irwin police said they have received word that scammers are calling area residents claiming to be collecting money for the borough police department, Chief Dan Wensel said. “That’s absolutely not true. We are not soliciting donations for anything,” Wensel said. He also noted that police officers do not take any...
Greater Latrobe gains $2K in tax settlement, considers bond refinancing
The Greater Latrobe School District will see a slight increase in revenue as a result of settling a property tax appeal. Officials hope to know by May whether refinancing some bonds could produce a substantially larger financial benefit for the district. The school board this week approved a tax appeal...
Hempfield’s Harrold Zion church prepares to celebrate 250 years
John Millward knows firsthand the impact a local church can have on its community. Millward, 67, grew up attending Harrold Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hempfield, where parishioners are eagerly preparing to celebrate the church’s 250th anniversary. “The church to me is very important,” Millward said. “God is incredibly important,...
Friends remember Mt. Pleasant area nun, Verna Montessori School teacher
This weekend, friends will gather to celebrate the life of Sister Lucy Paladini, a beloved nun who taught at Verna Montessori School near Mt. Pleasant for more than 25 years. Sister Lucy died in January after moving back to her native Italy in 2014. Saint Pius X in Mt. Pleasant...
Greensburg Salem dedicates track complex to late inspirational coach Steve Snider
Coaches Nathan and Matthew Snider were on opposing sides Wednesday, April 20 as their respective teams — the Greensburg Salem Golden Lions and the visiting Hempfield Area Spartans — faced off in a varsity track meet. But before the running and jumping began, the two brothers shared a sense of...
Trial for Vandergrift woman accused in killing of Greensburg cousin to begin Thursday
Testimony in the murder trial of a Vandergrift woman accused in the 2018 shooting death of her cousin is expected to begin Thursday morning. A jury was seated Wednesday in Westmoreland County to hear evidence in the case against Ashley Croft. Prosecutors claim Croft, 38, shot and killed her 31-year-old...
