Westmoreland category, Page 478
Family will bid farewell to fashion icon B. Smith in Scottdale ceremony
Late fashion icon and Everson native Barbara “B.” Smith will be laid to rest next to her parents Saturday in the Scottdale Cemetery. The private ceremony and interment of Smith’s ashes will be attended by family, including her younger brother, Dennis, and his four grown daughters. Smith, 70, died Feb....
Jury complies with Jeannette woman’s wishes and finds her guilty
A Jeannette woman dared Westmoreland County jurors to convict her Friday. After nearly two hours of deliberations, they complied. Deborah Samulski, 62, was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of filing false reports with a local gas company and city police. During a two-day trial, jurors questioned her mental health, and...
Greensburg man who fathered child with teen pleads guilty to sexual assault
A Greensburg man will serve up to 23 months in jail for the sexual assault of a New Kensington teenager who gave birth to his child. Marcus Franklin Crawford, 25, formerly of Jeannette, pleaded guilty Friday to statutory sexual assault, corruption of a minor and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Police...
Jury unable to reach verdict in Jeannette drug, gun case
A Westmoreland County prosecutor will seek to retry a Pittsburgh man on gun and drug charges after a jury was unable to reach a verdict this week. Prosecutors contend Stefon Wilson, 23, along with other adults and a juvenile, sold heroin and cocaine from a Jeannette home in 2019. Jurors...
Sundays on Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg scheduled for this weekend, featuring food trucks
Several Greensburg-based entities are gearing up to host their second Sundays on Pittsburgh Street event this weekend. The event, scheduled for Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Wilbur “Wib” Albright Parking Lot, located behind the Green Beacon Gallery and Unique Ink, will feature yard games, corn hole, live...
Police charge secretary with stealing $225K from Washington Township firm
The former secretary of a Westmoreland County trucking firm was arrested Friday on charges of stealing $225,413 from her employer, according to court documents. Christie M. Parker, 43, of Penn Hills, was arraigned on charges of forgery, receiving stolen property, theft by deception and unlawful use of the computer in...
Land trust seeks consultant, public input for planned Hempfield parkVideo
Swallows swoop from their perches in the former Schwarz barn to feast on insects that populate the fields of the surrounding Hempfield farm. The Westmoreland Land Trust, which now owns the property, plans to invite even more native species to enjoy the farm, along with the public. The trust’s board...
Scottdale man accused of driving with man on hood of car arrested on multiple charges
A Scottdale man who told police he was assaulted Sunday and then drove 5 miles to a Mt. Pleasant hospital for treatment with a man clinging to his car hood has been charged with criminal and traffic complaints. Police charged Skyler Silvis, 19, with aggravated assault, careless driving, causing damage...
Grant funds will revamp Westmoreland’s human services department, hire new director
Although human services account for 35% of Westmoreland’s $339 million annual budget, it has been several years since any one person oversaw operations for child welfare, aging, behavioral health and developmental programs operated by the county. That is expected to change later this year through $250,000 grant from the Richard...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: July 23-25
Musical interlude Westmoreland Winds will perform at 7 p.m. today at the amphitheater in Hempfield Park, as part of Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Live on the Lawn outdoor summer concert series. The ensemble is comprised of musicians Tom Godfrey, flute; Renate Sakins, oboe; Ryan Leonard, clarinet; Austin Sposato, horn; and Steve...
North Huntingdon sets fines for tobacco use in township parks
Smoking a cigarette, cigar, pipe or chewing tobacco at North Huntingdon’s parks and playgrounds could be an expensive vice, maybe as much as $1,000, for someone caught by township police. North Huntingdon commissioners voted unanimously this week to put some enforcement provisions into a June 2019 ordinance banning tobacco use...
Flames spread from truck to sun room of Murrysville hair salonVideo
A parked truck caught fire early Thursday evening in Murrysville, spreading flames to the rear corner of a hair salon along Route 22 in Murrysville. While the truck, an F-150, was totaled, damage inside the salon was minimal and was limited to a sun room, according to Sardis Fire Chief...
Classic car enthusiasts show off prized vehicles for residents of Penn Township care facility
About 25 classic and antique car enthusiasts brought their prized rides to the inaugural Car Show and Cruise Thursday at the William Penn Continuing Care Campus in Penn Township. “We were looking for something different, to be able to bring the community together,” said Lauren Houston, administrator of the facility’s...
Excela eyes covid vaccine mandate for hospital employees as delta variant spreads; nearly 40% of workers remain unvaccinated
Westmoreland County’s largest hospital system and employer is contemplating requiring health care workers to get vaccinated for covid-19 as concerns mount over the delta variant spreading rapidly among the unvaccinated. Excela Health, which employs about 4,300 across three hospitals and more than a dozen outpatient, testing and therapy providers, does...
Jury convicts Monessen man of sexual assault of a child
A Westmoreland County jury convicted a Monessen man of the sexual assault of a 7-year-old girl. Jurors heard testimony from six witnesses over two days and deliberated more than four hours on Wednesday before finding Damien R. Bryan, 20, guilty of two felony charges of indecent assault of a person...
Idlewild and Soak Zone welcomes back Daniel Tiger show, extends hours on 2 days
Idlewild and Soak Zone is extending park operating hours on remaining Fridays and Saturdays in July while welcoming the return of live shows for kids and families. The family-oriented park in Ligonier Township announced Thursday it will remain open an extra hour, until 8 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays for...
Greensburg doctor pleads guilty to taking kickbacks over fentanyl spray
A Greensburg doctor pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to taking kickbacks, health care fraud and conspiring to distribute controlled substances. Thomas Whitten, 71, will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV on Dec. 7. According to prosecutors, Whitten received kickbacks from Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics from May...
Air Supply brings love songs to The Palace TheatreVideo
There’s a common thread running through “Lost in Love,” “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” and “All Out of Love.” “Our songs are about love and romance,” said Russell Hitchcock, lead vocalist for the duo Air Supply in his Australian accent. “There is a fascination with our songs because...
State police seeking information on missing Ruffs Dale woman
State police in Belle Vernon are seeking information on a missing 73-year-old East Huntingdon woman who was last seen Tuesday. Trooper Robert Broadwater reported on social media that authorities are seeking Myrna Z. Montalvo, 73, of Ruffs Dale, who relatives say is endangered because she has a medical history of...
Murrysville authorizes emergency work on collapsing storm sewer at Heritage Estates
Murrysville officials will contract emergency repairs to a storm sewer line that is collapsing in the Villas at Heritage Estates, the second time they encountered the issue in the housing plan off Sardis Road. “The work is beyond the ability of public works,” Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said. “The engineer...
Only 11% of emergency rent money distributed in Westmoreland County
About 11% of nearly $13 million in emergency rental and utility bill funds has been disbursed to Westmoreland County residents who experienced hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic. Dan Carney, executive director of Union Mission of Latrobe, said about $1.5 million was directed to 270 applicants over the past three...
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North Huntingdon approves ending contract with trash hauler; new bids to be sought
North Huntingdon officials approved ending the township’s contract with its trash hauler at the end of the year. Township commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday on the separation agreement with County Hauling LLC of Rostraver. The contract had been a four-year agreement set to expire in 2024. The township now will advertise...
3 inmates charged with falsely accusing Westmoreland jail guard of threatening sex assault
Police said three men made false claims that a guard at the Westmoreland County Prison threatened to sexually assault one of them in March, according to court paperwork. Westmoreland County detectives this week charged Joshua James Robison, 25, of Irwin; Nicholas John Grindle, 34, of Jeannette; and Paul Andrew Pierce,...
Unity latest community to weigh shared-road access for ATVs
Motorists in Unity might soon share the road with all-terrain vehicles, if township supervisors give their approval. Jim Yokopenic, who lives on Bruno Road, has asked the township to allow ATV use on his road and three others nearby, in the vicinity of the village of Marguerite — Pond, Coke...
25-year-old bicyclist killed in Murrysville crash
A 25-year-old bicyclist was killed and three companions from a church group in Ohio were injured Thursday after they were struck by a car along Route 22 in Murrysville, police said. The crash occurred about 4 a.m. along Route 22 eastbound, east of Harrison City Road, Chief Thomas P. Seefeld...
