Westmoreland category, Page 412
Ruffs Dale man accused by troopers of raping unconscious woman, sexually assaulting teenager
A 39-year-old Ruffs Dale man was arrested Thursday by state police on accusations of raping a woman who passed out after drinking vodka with him in his Sewickley Township camping trailer late last year and also having a months-long sexual relationship with a teenage girl. Steven K. Stemmler, who resides...
Lane closures, detours planned for emergency bridge repair at Route 51/I-70 interchange in Rostraver
Emergency repairs to Route 51 in Rostraver will get underway next week after an over-height vehicle struck a bridge that carries traffic over Interstate 70, according to PennDOT. The project will result in lane closures on Route 51 and Interstate 70, as well as detours for traffic traveling between the...
Irwin man indicted for child pornography possession
An Irwin man faces arraignment later this month on a federal charge that he possessed child pornography, according to court filings. The grand jury indictment filed this week accused Thomas Crosby, 27, of having images of pornography involving children younger than 12 on Oct. 16, 2020. It was unclear from...
North Huntingdon official wants to revisit rec center idea
More than 10 years after North Huntingdon voters rejected taking on debt to build a proposed $18 million community recreation center, a township official wants to take another look at the concept. With the change in dynamics and demographics in the township over the past decade, Commissioner Jason Atwood said...
North Huntingdon girl succeeds in karate despite health challenges
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Westmoreland DA Nicole Ziccarelli seeks removal of 2 elected constables
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli is seeking to remove two elected constables from office, one in Arona and another in New Kensington. Ziccarelli, a first-term Republican who took office in January after ousting Democrat John Peck — who served as the county’s top prosecutor for a quarter century —...
Troopers: Mt. Pleasant Township man jailed without bond for illegal possession of ammunition, firearms
A 10-year-old federal conviction for illegally importing and selling fireworks resulted in the arrest Tuesday of a Mt. Pleasant Township man who admitted illegally possessing multiple firearms and ammunition, according to court records. Howard W. “Tubs” McCloy Jr., 35, of the village of Bridgeport, was ordered to the county jail...
OSHA probes North Huntingdon skid loader accident
Workplace safety investigators have launched a probe into an accident that injured a man this week as he was using a skid loader to dump dirt over a hillside in North Huntingdon. The worker was ejected as the equipment slid 150 feet to the bottom of a ravine, emergency responders...
Greensburg leaders seek input on comprehensive plan
Greensburg leaders launched a website this week aimed at keeping community members apprised of ongoing efforts surrounding the city’s comprehensive plan project. The site, shapegreensburg.com, provides details related to the project launched last year that will update the city’s 14-year-old comprehensive plan. The site also will give information on neighborhood...
Saint Vincent walks attract birdwatchers in fair or foul weather
The rough “chip” of the cardinal and the “potato chip, potato chip” call of the American goldfinch were among sounds that pierced the winter sky Wednesday morning during a bird walk at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Unity. Before leading a group of about 15 Saint Vincent College students...
Uniontown man withdraws guilty plea in East Huntingdon baby’s drowning death
A Uniontown man who agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge in the 2019 drowning death of a baby in East Huntingdon will go to trial after a judge allowed him to withdraw his admission of guilt. Derrick A. Bass, 31, now claims he is innocent of the murder...
Pa. health officials visit Youngwood pharmacy to boost covid vaccine efforts
The 25,000 covid-19 vaccines delivered over the past year by a Westmoreland County community pharmacy were lauded Wednesday by acting Pennsylvania Health Secretary Keara Klinepeter. However, there is still work to be done in a county that ranks 27th in Pennsylvania in percentage of residents fully vaccinated, according to state...
Westmoreland happenings: painting workshop, bingo, basket raffle
Classes • Laurelville Retreat Center, 941 Laurelville Lane, Mt. Pleasant Township, will offer a painting workshop to make a cutout wooden stacked heart decoration at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at the center. Participants must be at least 8 years old and all skill levels are welcome. Those attending are welcome...
Motorist in driveway crash that injured 3 at Derry birthday bash found not guilty of assault
A Greensburg man was found not guilty of serious felony offenses for the assaults of three people caused when he ran over them with his pickup two years ago in the driveway of a Derry Township apartment building. Police said Dominic G. Bellone, now 21, was drunk when he backed...
Murrysville vocalist will parody Pat Benatar song at Gobbler’s Knob on Groundhog DayVideo
A Pittsburgh band fronted by a Murrysville singer will play their parody of Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” at Gobbler’s Knob on Groundhog Day. The band No More Daisies is one of two finalists selected Sunday for the “Gobbler’s Knob Got Talent” competition. They will play at...
Crews rescue equipment operator who went over steep hillside off Route 30 in North Huntingdon
The operator of a skid loader suffered non life-threatening injuries Tuesday afternoon when the equipment went over a 150-foot hillside behind the Norwin Commerce Center along Route 30 in North Huntingdon, Hartford Heights Deputy Fire Chief Mark Gibas said. Gibas said he did not know the identity of the operator...
5 charged with riot in Jeannette incident
Five men are facing charges in connection with a January incident that started in Jeannette and involved members of the group vandalizing a car and taunting its driver, according to court papers. Arrest warrants were issued for Colby E. Doak, 20, of New Stanton and Jeannette residents Erick T. Reusser,...
Man accused of threatening Westmoreland sheriff arraigned on new charge, pleads guilty to DUI
A 55-year-old man accused of making social media threats to harm Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert and his family could soon be released from the county jail to begin a DUI sentence on electronic home monitoring, according to court documents. Matthew A. Betts was taken into custody Saturday after sheriff’s...
On hold with Excela? A Pittsburgh man wrote that songVideo
Most telephone callers waiting on hold with the Excela health system are likely preoccupied with something other than the music they hear. Even so, they may find themselves lightly tapping their feet to the plaintive acoustic guitar and plucky overtones of “Excela Theme,” a song written specifically for the Westmoreland-based...
Crash in Mt. Pleasant Township sends 1 to hospital
One injury was reported in a wreck early Tuesday in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. One occupant was taken to a local hospital after a vehicle struck a guardrail and overturned, the dispatcher said. The crash happened about 1 a.m. on Route 31 near Brady’s...
Westmoreland Community Action outgrows Greensburg office, expands to Hempfield
After creating more than 35 positions across its new and existing programs, officials at Westmoreland Community Action were looking for a larger home. They found it at the GreenForge building in Hempfield, where the nonprofit will relocate in May. “Expanding our footprint in this new location will help program staff...
Greensburg man sentenced for sex with teens
A Greensburg man was ordered Monday to serve two years on probation for having sexual relations with two teen girls. Jerome J. Garrett, 21, pleaded guilty in November to two felony counts of statutory sexual assault. Police said Garrett assaulted two girls, then 14 and 15 years old, during a...
Party at The Palace Theatre will celebrate winter wonderland
Guests once again will walk the red carpet as Party at The Palace returns live Feb. 26 to The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. After a digital event in 2021, the signature fundraiser of the Westmoreland Cultural Trust will sport a Winter Wonderland theme, which will be interpreted in a different...
Westmoreland prison officials say covid cases on the decline
The most recent surge of coronavirus cases at Westmoreland County Prison appears to have peaked. Warden Bryan Kline said Monday that no additional cases among inmates have been diagnosed since late last week. The number of inmates who were in quarantine reached as high as 102 on Jan. 26. That...
Jeannette, Tarentum, Sutersville among those getting funds for emergency vehicles
Jeannette EMS is buying two new ambulances and the Sutersville Volunteer Fire Department is adding a fire truck to its fleet as a result of receiving federal grants and loans, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. Tarentum was awarded a $33,700 economic impact initiative grant to buy a new Ford...
