Westmoreland category, Page 390
Tarentum Manager Michael Nestico excited for new post in Murrysville, proud of work in borough
Outgoing Tarentum Borough Manager Michael Nestico is eager to rebuild ties with Westmoreland County when he assumes the position of top administrator in Murrysville next 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...
What’s That: The concrete remains of an old lumber mill in GreensburgVideo
Behind Offutt Field in Greensburg, a walk along South Urania Avenue offers an unencumbered view of the football game, along a long stretch of unusually thick concrete that runs for several hundred feet along the road. As it approaches what is now MB Bride, the concrete wall is broken up...
Gold Star Mothers honored during Trafford Memorial Day program
Trafford resident Christine Fike marked Memorial Day by laying roses at the base of a hometown monument that is dedicated to Gold Star mothers. Fike is one of those mothers who has lost a child killed while serving in the U.S. armed forces. Her 38-year-old son, Sgt. First Class Robert...
Educator joins West Overton staff as whiskey distiller
The real potency of the whiskey being produced at West Overton Village is its ability to capture in barrels and bottles the history of the rural community’s 19th century industrial transformation. So it seems natural those in charge of the East Huntingdon museum complex turned to a home-brewing enthusiast with...
Adelphoi welcomes new park on Latrobe campus, looks to further expansion
The center of Adelphoi’s Latrobe village now has a lush, green hub to welcome students. The nonprofit child care agency recently added a park to its educational campus. Park amenities include an amphitheater, bridge, picnic tables, benches and an empty, grassy space for activities. Karyn Pratt, Adelphoi vice president of...
Safety issues persist at Westmoreland Heritage Trail crossing in Murrysville
Every few months — but especially as winter rolls over into spring and warmer weather — a particular topic pops up in Murrysville-area social media posts and comment threads: the areas where the Westmoreland Heritage Trail crosses major roads. “Somebody is going to die sooner rather than later,” said Diana...
Riderless horse marks Memorial Day ceremonies in North HuntingdonVideo
For the past two years, Memorial Day ceremonies at the Penn Lincoln Memorial Park in North Huntingdon have included a “riderless horse,” with military boots facing backward in the bootstraps, a tribute to soldiers lost over the years. One of those soldiers was Army Signal Corps member Daniel Tomko, who...
Girl, 12, in critical condition after being struck by vehicle in South Huntingdon
A 12-year-old girl is in critical condition after being hit by a car Saturday night while riding a hoverboard in South Huntingdon. Emergency responders were called to the intersection of Sixth and Osborne streets just after 7:15 p.m. Police said the girl was riding a hoverboard with a kart buggy...
Out & About: Westmoreland art museum hosts ‘triple feature’ reception
A Saturday evening reception at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art was a “triple feature,” according to Anne Kraybill, the Greensburg museum’s Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO. It served as the opening of the exhibit, “Alone Together: Encounters in American Realism,” featuring works of magic realist and scene painting from the...
Herminie native’s book details struggles of longtime friend, Army veteran
As Memorial Day draws closer each year, Ronald Kaiser of Franklin Park always thinks of Anthony Herbert. Kaiser and Herbert grew up together in Herminie. Kaiser went on to a career in advertising, and Herbert went on to become one of the most decorated enlisted veterans of the Korean War....
Ligonier vets who earned Medals of Honor deserve statues, locals say
Sitting in a Ligonier coffee shop, Mark Sorice made a bet with his cousin: If Sorice approached five people, none of them would know who Sgt. Alvin Carey or Pvt. John Ewing were. Sure enough, none of the five knew either man. Carey and Ewing, both Ligonier locals, were awarded...
Civil War vet gets long overdue headstone at Derry Township cemetery
This Memorial Day will be special for a Derry Township woman, whose hours of research and diligence digging into family history and dealing with the Veterans Administration paid off this spring when a headstone was placed at the grave of her Civil War ancestor, more than a century after he...
Fawn stops by for quick tour of North Huntingdon counter-top supplier
There are plenty of job openings in the local economy right now, but Vangura Surfacing Products in North Huntingdon doesn’t really have many positions open for an applicant without opposable thumbs. So when a fawn wandered through an open bay door Friday morning, shop supervisor Russell Shirley knew it wasn’t...
Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority plans 8% rate hike
Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority customers are preparing for an 8% rate hike announced recently. The rate hike is part of FTMSA’s plan for addressing a consent order with the state Department of Environmental Protection, aimed at eliminating sewer system overflows. The authority has borrowed $20 million throughmunicipal bonds to...
‘You could ride a raft down there’: Penn Township to address flooding with PennVEST loan
In the 40 years that Dan Hellmann has lived on Dolly Avenue in Penn Township, stormwater flooding has always been an issue. The lack of drains on Dolly leaves the area unable to handle stormwater during heavy rains, and the residents suffer the consequences. “(When it rains) you could ride...
New Stanton to set off fireworks display Saturday night
New Stanton Borough will host its third annual fireworks over New Stanton beginning at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Schaefer Fireworks of Ronks, Lancaster County, will produce the fireworks display. In the case of rain, the fireworks will be rescheduled for Sunday....
Small plane crashes in woods in Elizabeth Township, pilot suffers serious injuries
A pilot suffered life-threatening injuries Friday night when his plane crashed into a wooded area of Elizabeth Township, about a half-mile from Rostraver Airport, township officials said. The pilot, whose name was not released, was pulled from the wreckage of his single-engine Aeronca 7 Champion plane that crashed shortly before...
Contractor, plumber hired for Hempfield Fire Department headquarters
Hempfield supervisors are moving forward with a project that will transform the former municipal authority building into the fire department’s headquarters. Supervisors hired a general contractor and a plumber for the project, which will convert the Woodward Drive building into the first fire station for the Hempfield Fire Department and...
Pa. ag secretary joins Latrobe Elementary students for Unity farm tour
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding’s day in the office Friday took him back to his childhood. Alongside Latrobe Elementary School kindergartners and Valley School of Ligonier first graders, Redding took a tour of the Pleasant Lane Farms creamery and dairy barn in Unity. “I’m much like the kindergartner,” Redding said....
Hempfield Area officials get sneak peek of ideas for high school project
Hempfield Area School Board members this week got a peek at design ideas being considered for the district’s high school renovation project. The preview — which focused on areas including the front entrance, cafeteria, auditorium and athletic wing — came months after board members voted to proceed to the design...
Provisional ballots challenged as Westmoreland officials gear up for recount
John Holwell had no intention of letting the ballot he cast this month be invalidated, so he came to the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Friday armed with information to defend his vote. “I was ready to do battle,” said Holwell, 66, of Madison. Holwell’s provisional ballot was one of eight...
Westmoreland County Jail inmate charged with injuring officer, damaging tablet screen
A Westmoreland County Jail inmate is accused of assaulting a corrections officer and injuring him by throwing a computer tablet device at him. Nathan Baron, 42, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and institutional vandalism. A Florida native, his last known address was in Carson, Allegheny County. According to...
Free fraud prevention seminar slated in Irwin
Representatives from Irwin police, the state banking and securities department and the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office will discuss consumer fraud at a free presentation June 1 at the Lamp Theatre. State Rep. George Dunbar, a Penn Township Republican, is hosting the “ScamJam!” event aimed at helping consumers avoid fraud...
Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s TGIS concerts include new acts, old favoritesVideo
Josh Jams, a one-man jam band with an improvised set list driven by audience requests, will kick off the 18th season of TGIS (Thank Goodness It’s Summer), the popular outdoor summer concert series hosted by Westmoreland Cultural Trust. The free series opens at 6 p.m. Thursday on the lawn of...
PennDOT: $2.5 million Route 30 project in Hempfield makes for less congestion at red lights
If you’ve noticed better traffic flow recently on Route 30 in Hempfield, you’re not alone. A $2.5 million project upgrading traffic signals on 3 miles of the highway between North Greengate Road and Possum Hollow Road is almost done. While PennDOT officials await final work between the contractor and Verizon,...
