Westmoreland category, Page 447
Hempfield school board member balks at mask scofflaws as opposition to mandate continues
A Hempfield Area School Board member left last week’s in-person meeting and joined virtually after several people in the audience were asked to wear their masks correctly. “I’m not putting up with this,” Jeanne Smith said as she left the Oct. 18 session. She later joined the meeting online. Her...
Shapiro makes campaign stop in Greensburg on ‘Big Fights’ bus tour
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro made a stop in Westmoreland County on Monday evening, the 15th of 18 counties he’ll visit during a six-day bus tour after his announcement last week he is running for governor. Shapiro is calling it the “Big Fights” bus tour, promoting his work exposing decades...
Westmoreland election bureau to remain open evenings and weekends through Nov. 2
Westmoreland County’s Election Bureau will remain open until 8 p.m. through the Nov. 2 election, officials said. The hours will allow additional time for the office to process mail-in ballot applications and perform other administrative duties, according to election bureau Office Manager Jessica Goughnour. The elections office willbe open daily...
A peek inside Southwest Greensburg’s new marijuana dispensary
Terri Kroh doesn’t question whether medical marijuana is beneficial. She sees it almost daily through her role as medical director at Maitri Medicinals, which is opening a new medical marijuana dispensary in Southwest Greensburg. “It’s very, very rewarding,” Kroh said. “You see so many lives changed, individuals that come in...
Jeannette woman to remain in custody as mental health is evaluated
A Jeannette woman will remain jailed while she awaits trial for possession of a weapon of mass destruction after utility workers were injured as they attempted to restore water service to her home last year. Deborah Samulski, 62, was paroled Monday after serving three months behind bars following her conviction...
Georgia woman gets house arrest, probation for delivering heroin to Westmoreland County
A Westmoreland County judge said a Georgia woman prosecutors described as a drug mule who transported large quantities of heroin into the area was a good person who “made a bad choice.” On Monday, he rejected a potential prison sentence in lieu of house arrest. Sade Franklin, 35, formerly of...
Derry Township man pleads guilty to sexual assaults of women in Ligonier, Penn Township
Two women told a Westmoreland County judge that three years after they were sexually assaulted by a man they once considered a friend, they still struggle to deal with the emotional and physical implications of the attacks and his continued freedom. “I’ve felt like a prisoner since that day,” a...
Irwin police arrest man they said became combative with first responders, officers
A 49-year-old Trafford man who police say became combative with paramedics and officers responding to a call Friday was charged with multiple offenses, including aggravated assault on police officers and making terroristic threats. Irwin EMS were dispatched to Vine Street about 8:30 p.m. Friday to assist Paul Hudak, who said...
3 charged with receiving stolen property after guns reported missing from Adamsburg home
Three people are charged with receiving stolen property in connection with guns reported missing from an Adamsburg home, according to state police. Nine handguns were discovered at a Hempfield man’s house last week after investigators uncovered text messages and photographs of some of the missing firearms on a cell phone...
New Stanton man accused of raping woman at Hempfield party
A New Stanton man is scheduled for a preliminary hearing this month on rape accusations stemming from a 2020 house party in Hempfield, according to court papers. State police said a DNA sample from Anthony Edward Lucas, 26, matched evidence found on his accuser. Troopers said the accuser reported on...
Gateway signage to be part of Greensburg GetGo project
Gateway signage for the City of Greensburg will be included at a new GetGo fuel station and convenience store slated to be built at the former Family Video store along S. Main Street. The project, which will be located at 531 S. Main St., consists of tearing down the Family...
Penn-Trafford CROP Walk battles hunger on the (literal) battlefield
While client numbers at food banks locally and nationally have decreased since the peak of covid-19 infections in 2020, they are still higher than when the pandemic began. That means every little bit of help is important, and about 30 people did their part Sunday, participating in the CROP Walk...
Westmoreland Land Trust hosts road-rally fundraiser
A handful of dark clouds were gathering on the horizon Sunday morning as classic, modern and muscle cars lined up at the Donohoe Center in Hempfield for the first Westmoreland Ramble, a road rally to benefit the Westmoreland Land Trust. But with a positive forecast and a 66-mile course that...
Short-term food bank numbers are down, but long-term food insecurity remains an issue nationwide
Hunger and food insecurity across the United States have dropped measurably over the past six months, but the need remains far above pre-pandemic levels. And while that demand has lessened somewhat in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region, local food bank officials are also seeing an uptick in applications for the...
North Huntingdon seeks condemnation of old Rivertowne Pub
The former Rivertowne Pub & Grille along Route 30 in North Huntingdon is either a building that is unfit for human use, with broken windows and a collapsed section of floor, or it is a structure that can be simply repaired and resurrected as a restaurant. Township commissioners recently heard...
Greensburg man faces theft charges by local, state police
A Greensburg man wanted by both city and state police on multiple theft charges has been arrested. Chad E. Carlton, 34, of Greensburg, was arrested Oct. 7 by Greensburg police and charged with one count of theft by deception following his arraignment Saturday. Police said Carlton fraudulently leased a Southwest...
Race for Westmoreland prothonotary pits former row officer against fiscal clerk
Westmoreland County will have a new prothonotary in 2022. But the officeholder elected this fall to replace retiring Democrat Christina O’Brien will not be an unfamiliar face. Democrat Tom Murphy, 57, of New Kensington served 16 years as the county’s Recorder of Deeds until he was ousted for the second...
Trib journalists promoted to key roles
Several longtime Trib journalists assumed key leadership roles last week. Jason Cato, Matt Provenzo and Ben Schmitt have been promoted to deputy managing editor positions, said Trib Executive Editor Luis Fabregas. Dirk Kaufman is director of newsroom operations. “Their experience and talent will play a crucial role in this ever-changing...
Nursing homes fall short of vaccine mandates for staff
Nursing homes are struggling to meet vaccination mandates for workers despite the likelihood of federal sanctions. In Pennsylvania, about 28% of the state’s 688 skilled care nursing facilities had met an 80% threshold for staff vaccination rates as of Oct. 3, according to the state Department of Health. Even fewer...
Damp weather can’t dampen spirits at Pink Ribbon Walk in HempfieldVideo
The damp weather had zero chance of dampening Kelly White’s spirits on Saturday morning. The Ligonier resident, who is a breast cancer survivor who underwent a mastectomy in May, was attending her first Westmoreland Walks Pink Ribbon Walk. The event is hosted by the nonprofit of the same name that...
Westmoreland Conservancy officials invite families to ‘Enchanted Forest’ in MurrysvilleVideo
Despite the best efforts of Westmoreland Conservancy officials and volunteers, steady rain made Saturday’s “Autumn Enchanted Forest” event a bit less magical than previous years at the Morosini Nature Reserve in Murrysville. But while families who might have attended will miss out on the delicious spice-bush cookies, made with berries...
Out & About: Gratitude flows at Westmoreland Symphony’s Autumn Rhapsody gala
An attitude of gratitude prevailed at the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Autumn Rhapsody gala. There was gratitude for the opportunity to gather again with friends, gratitude for business and community support for the symphony during the pandemic, and gratitude that the symphony will return to Oct. 23 to the stage of...
Investigation ongoing into deaths of elderly Mt. Pleasant Township couple
Investigators said there were no signs of foul play in connection with an elderly Mt. Pleasant Township couple found dead in their home this week. According to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office, the bodies of Donald Werry, 78, and wife, Patricia Werry, 72, were discovered Wednesday in their home on...
Passenger in pickup seriously injured after truck slams into SUV, home in Derry
Elmer Derry said he and his wife were literally “shaken out of bed” when a pickup slammed into the side of their Derry home at 10:30 p.m. Thursday. “It shook the entire house. It woke us both up,” Elmer Derry said. A piece of wood fence paneling temporarily covers the...
Shuttered North Huntingdon haunted house had to clear local, state hurdles
The North Huntingdon couple who had hoped to give people a Halloween treat by visiting their “home haunt” in a neighborhood would have had to satisfy both state and local regulations. Jeff Silka, township manager, told commissioners Thursday that a desist order was issued Oct. 7 based on the fact...
