Westmoreland category, Page 417

The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County was ordered to pay $5,000 in damages to a Mt. Pleasant man who claimed the utility removed as much as $700,000 in slate and shale from his property during a water line extension project a decade ago. A jury heard two days of evidence...

A Derry woman was seriously hurt after crashing into a house in the borough Saturday afternoon, according to state police. Rebecca M. Bennett, 33, was taken by medical helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for treatment. Troopers said Bennett was driving a Chevrolet S10 on West Fourth Avenue at 2...

A Monroeville man who police say shot a woman Sunday during a road-rage incident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike attempted to thwart investigators by hiding a 9 mm handgun in the trunk of his car. Andrew Michael Skinner, 30, shot the woman after investigators say she accidentally drifted into his lane...

Nine days after Norwin lifted its mask requirement for students, staff and visitors, the school district said Friday it would reinstate mandatory masking on Monday because of state court decisions. Superintendent Jeff Taylor made mask-wearing optional Nov. 10 in response to a Commonwealth Court ruling that found the state’s acting...

Westmoreland County could be on the edge of a coronavirus case surge similar to one that hit around the holidays in 2020, Excela Health’s top doctor said. The number of deaths attributed to the virus has been higher than the same period last year and the rate of positive cases...

Volunteer firefighters from 14 Westmoreland County companies worked throughout the night Saturday and into Sunday morning to put out a fire in a Cook Township auto salvage yard that began shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday. Chestnut Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Chief Shawn Kestner said firefighters were called to Pipers Auto...

Thanksgiving largely will be close to normal this year, the second year the holiday will be celebrated during the coronavirus pandemic. Families are preparing feasts and there will be football, movies and the Macy’s parade. Perhaps a few political arguments amid another slice of pumpkin pie. A year after families...

The Tribune-Review asked Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer at Excela Health, a few questions regarding vaccines and holiday gatherings. Here are her responses: Q: Should people consider the vaccination status of others when planning holiday gatherings? A: I think that would be wise. Ideally, everyone that you gather with...

The Greensburg Holiday Parade returned this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. Thousands of people gathered downtown Saturday afternoon to celebrate the holiday season as floats, bands and groups from local organizations traveled along Main Street. A visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus capped off...

The driver of a car that crashed into a house Saturday afternoon in the 500 block of W. Fourth Avenue in Derry Borough was airlifted to a local hospital with injuries he suffered in the accident. A spokesman for the Derry Volunteer Fire Department said the gas company was called...

Call them the few, the hardy, the Flat Tire Co. Fellows. On Saturday morning, while much of the rest of the region might have been sipping hot chocolate, nursing a strong cup of coffee or reluctantly rolling out of a warm bed, Ashley Reefer was layering up, preparing to lead...

It’s appropriate that Latrobe’s new community entrance sign greets downtown visitors with the message, “Welcome to the neighborhood.” Illuminated for the first time Friday night, the sign is the work of homegrown talent from the city and neighboring areas — much of it donated. Motorists and pedestrians will spot the...

Advocates of French and German language programs at Greater Latrobe School District have gained a one-year reprieve before administrators consider shifting instruction from in-person to online. Relatively low district enrollment in French and German courses, compared to Spanish, prompted Superintendent Georgia Teppert to announce in May a proposal to phase...

A Unity in the Community rally scheduled for Saturday in Greensburg will work to bridge the gap between community members and local police. The Bridging the Gap event will bring together speakers and organizations like Westmoreland Community Action; Pennsylvania State Police; Ray of Hope, a suicide prevention organization, and more....

Lady Luck eluded Nancy Peters on Friday afternoon. Peters, an incumbent councilwoman in Jeannette, was one of 30 people who tied with one write-in vote in the Nov. 2 election for city controller. Ties were broken Friday afternoon through a random casting of lots for that race — and 38...

Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, on Friday announced nearly $2 million in Commonwealth Financing Authority grants for five local projects in Westmoreland County. The projects in Hempfield, Mt. Pleasant and Unity townships as well as Delmont and Jeannette were among 266 projects statewide totaling $94.4 million that the CFA...

Greater Latrobe School Board has selected a firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio, to help the district develop an updated facilities master plan. The board this week retained SHP to provide facilities master planning and visioning services. The company’s fee structure hasn’t been finalized but will “align with the district goals...

Devon Askew doubled over and cried as a Westmoreland County jury read a verdict that rejected his self-defense claims in connection with a fatal shooting last year in Arnold. Askew, 28, of Churchill, was convicted Friday of voluntary manslaughter — a verdict neither the defense nor prosecutors originally sought —...

Some stories have a message that is evergreen, so to speak — especially when it comes to Christmas specials. That’s certainly true of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” a story that first came to television in stop-motion, animated form in 1964. “It’s all about accepting people and their differences and realizing...

Police arrested a 25-year-old North Huntingdon man Thursday, charging him with simple assault and strangulation after he was accused of choking and punching a female relative, police said. Brandon M. O’Brien was taken into custody a few blocks from his home on Lavonne Drive just before 9 p.m. after police...

Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank officials are hoping to partner with health care providers at its Mt. Pleasant location to bring additional services to those in need. Co-founder Cathy Battle said the coronavirus pandemic has and continues to upend many lives, leaving some families without the ability to access health care....

Crumbl Cookies, a fast-growing bakery sensation, is coming to Westmoreland County. Mark and Tammy Ornowski of North Huntingdon plan to open a location in the township in early 2022 after spending months learning about the Utah-based brand that has gained a following on TikTok. Crumbl is the fastest-growing gourmet cookie...

A University of Pittsburgh study is looking at how Connellsville and other distressed communities in Appalachia can use their resources to spur economic development and turn around a decadeslong “brain drain” — where college-educated residents leave to go elsewhere for better jobs, higher pay or a different lifestyle. “Brain drain...

North Huntingdon officials adopted a tentative budget for 2022 that holds the line on local real estate taxes, while maintaining services. Township commissioners this week unanimously approved a general fund budget of $14.62 million. That’s up from this year’s $13.9 million, although Acting Township Manager Michael Turley said they cut...