Westmoreland category, Page 392
What’s That: Murrysville marks site of natural gas discovery
Editor’s note ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com. In 1878, Michael and Obediah Haymaker drilled a hole in Murrysville, hunting for oil. Instead, they found gas, inadvertently turning the Westmoreland...
70 cats recovered from Hempfield home after owner calls for help
It will take thousands of dollars to get 70 cats and kittens that were rescued Sunday from a Hempfield hoarding situation into adoptable condition, said Jen Johnson, president of Ninth Life Rescue Center. She and volunteers from As They Come Animal Rescue are hoping for some community support to rehabilitate...
Jeannette man sent to jail for Excela break-in
A Jeannette man was ordered to serve up to 23 months in jail for the burglary of three medical offices at Excela Health in Greensburg. Travis Michael Gibson, 37, pleaded guilty this week to charges to felony burglary and trespassing offenses, as well as misdemeanor theft, criminal mischief and receiving...
Latrobe man paroled for Hollow Tavern arson accused of 2nd DUI since 2021 release
A man paroled just over a year ago after serving more than a decade in state prison for setting fire to the landmark Hollow Tavern in 2008 was arraigned Monday on DUI and related charges for a Christmas Eve motorcycle crash on Route 30 that injured his passenger. It is...
Hempfield man convicted in teen’s 2002 murder seeks early end to probation
A Hempfield man who as a teenager pleaded guilty to charges that he participated in the 2002 murder of a classmate’s older brother wants the 10-year probation term portion of his sentence, scheduled to begin this month, terminated to allow him to move to another state. Robert Laskowski, now 35,...
Police deploy ‘stop sticks’ to end 8-mile pursuit in Westmoreland County
A 38-year-old Herminie man was jailed on multiple charges including DUI and fleeing police following an 8-mile chase that ended when he lost control of his van and drove off the highway in the Hempfield village of Darragh, according to court documents. Christopher D. Troutman was taken into custody near...
Scrap yard worker burned in Washington Township
A worker was burned using a torch at scrap yard Monday in Washington Township, a Westmoreland County Public Safety supervisor said. The incident occurred around noon at B&M Auto Recycling scrap yard along Silvis Road, the 911 supervisor said. Fire units were called to the scene to extinguish some vehicles...
Salem man accused by police of pointing gun at man, threatening to kill him
A Salem man who is prohibited from having a firearm is accused by state police of pointing a gun at another person, according to court papers. Bryan Michael Wallace, 31, who also has an address in Monroeville, posted $50,000 bail Monday through a bail bondsman after the Saturday incident. Troopers...
Police: Jeannette man without valid driver’s license crashes stolen Cadillac in Hempfield
A Jeannette man who does not have a valid driver’s license crashed a stolen car Sunday evening on Route 30 in Hempfield, according to state police. The crash snarled eastbound traffic in the area of Westwood Drive near the Alpine Pools store around 6:20 p.m. after troopers said Thomas Anthony...
Police: Driver seriously hurt in Penn Township crash
A man was seriously injured early Monday morning when his pickup truck hit a tree at the Bushy Run Battlefield site in Penn Township, police said. The man, whose name was not released, was freed from the vehicle by Harrison City firefighters using a metal-cutting tool, said Chief John Otto...
Concerts, cookies and crafts all part of National Library Week
Patrons of Alle-Kiski Valley libraries this week can buy a cheap bag full of books, build a stuffed bunny, listen to a teen singing sensation and satisfy their taste buds with homemade cookies. And maybe even check out a good book. The libraries in Harrison, New Kensington, Leechburg, Plum and...
Reinventing the dog crate? This Hempfield native hopes to make it apartment-friendly
When Jack Murray moved into an apartment with his roommates, he quickly noticed something: The “pretty small” three-bedroom wasn’t spacious enough for his dog Heidi’s crate. The crate took up “so much room” in Murray’s home and impacted its visual appeal. If he wanted the crate out of the way...
Truck drivers needed: job fair to offer opportunities
Edward Roberts recalls how a trucking company offered a student — who had left his minimum wage job to obtain a commercial driver’s license in his driver training school in New Stanton — a shot at a $90,000-a-year job. He would just need to take long-distance routes that would require...
Injuries reported in wreck along Route 30 in Hempfield Township; closed lane snarls traffic
A section of eastbound Route 30 in Hempfield Township is down to a single lane following a two-vehicle accident with injuries, according to authorities. The wreck occurred shortly after 6:15 p.m. near the intersection of Westwood Drive near the Alpine Pools store, according to a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor. First...
‘Remember When’ series details history of Westmoreland County trolley linesVideo
When Jean Loughrey thinks of the trolley lines that once connected towns within Westmoreland County, it doesn’t take long for her to recall some “very good memories.” Loughrey, 92, of Delmont said she used to take the trolley from a station in Jeannette to Greensburg, where she took classes at...
Out & About: Habitat for Humanity brings it on home with revived gala
Central Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity had to cancel its 2020 gala at the last minute, due to the pandemic. Work on its projects also shut down. “It’s been a tough couple of years,” board President Chad Warhold told about 160 attendees at the revived gala, held Saturday evening at Stratigos...
Out & About: Greensburg-Jeannette NAACP hosts annual human rights banquet
The theme of the Greensburg-Jeannette NAACP Annual Human Rights Banquet was “Together We Can Make a Difference.” In terms of politics, education, social and economic inequalities, there’s a lot of work to be done, said President Ruth Tolbert at the Saturday evening event at Greensburg Country Club. “Why are so...
Lawyer: No plea deal offered before trial of Greensburg man convicted in Vandergrift woman’s murder
The lawyer for an Export man awaiting trial for his role in the 2017 murder of a Vandergrift woman whose remains were burned beyond recognition in a wooded area near Keystone State Park claims his client did not have a plea deal in place when he testified last summer in...
How $10 million Pressley Ridge donation will benefit Westmoreland locations
Pressley Ridge’s Westmoreland County locations will feel the impact of a $10 million donation gifted to the social service. Last week, Pressley Ridge announced it received the gift from MacKenzie Scott, philanthropist and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos. The McCandless-based organization offers services related to mental health, foster care, crisis stabilization...
Pandemic isolation helps shape Greensburg family band’s new albumVideo
On “Lonely Telephone,” an EP released by Greensburg band Essential Machine about a decade ago, acoustic-based tunes bubble and float, underpinned by quirky xylophone pings and an indie-folk-music aesthetic. As the band — husband and wife R.J. and Karen Dietrich and their son, 20-year-old Robert — prepares to release its...
Westmoreland tire cleanup targets West Nile virus; volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to help with a special discount tire recycling event set for Saturday, April 9 at Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling. Conducted through a partnership with the Westmoreland Conservation District’s West Nile virus program, the event is intended to help clean up scrap tires that can collect standing water...
World War II veteran from Hempfield honored for his service as he turns 100
Joseph Folino, a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, never expected the community to rally around him as he celebrated his 100th birthday. Saturday afternoon, however, Folino found himself draped in a red, white and blue knit blanket as members of the Army, those...
Schramm Farms in Harrison City holds auction after closing popular market
Some of the first pieces of farm equipment from Schramm Farms & Orchards in Harrison City were auctioned off Saturday morning, marking an end to the Schramm family’s four generations of plowing fields and planting crops in Western Pennsylvania. Despite being a chilly spring morning, more than 300 bidders registered...
Franklin Regional Fly Fishing Club works with Trout Unlimited to promote conservation
Eleven students from the Franklin Regional School District found themselves wading into Loyalhanna Creek last week, learning about fly fishing courtesy of the Forbes Trail chapter of Trout Unlimited. “It’s our opportunity to recruit our replacements,” said chapter member Larry Myers. “We need someone in the future to continue with...
$4.3M federal grant helped 60 Westmoreland County fire departments recruit, train volunteers
More than 470 new volunteer firefighters were recruited across Westmoreland County over the past four years thanks to a $4.3 million federal grant that came to an end this month. The 23% increase in recruits drastically surpassed the original goal of 300 new volunteer firefighters laid out in the SAFER...
