Westmoreland category, Page 552
Derry district judge to retire in August
Derry Township’s longtime district judge will not seek reelection, marking the end of his three decades on the bench, according to an announcement. Mark J. Bilik, 65, of New Alexandria plans to retire in August, said Chris Haidze, magisterial district court administrator. He was appointed to the post in August...
Rebecca Calisti Tyburski announces run for Penn Township district judge seat
Westmoreland County Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Calisti Tyburski announced she plans to run for the soon-to-be vacated district justice seat in Penn Township. Tyburski, 44, lives in the township and has served as a county prosecutor since 2002, specializing in sexual and child abuse cases. “I want to continue with...
Murrysville upgrades its information system for code enforcement
Murrysville’s new code enforcement officer is taking the lead in helping the municipality upgrade the system it uses to track information about properties. Code enforcement officer Josh Steele said the system, bought in the 1990s, has reached the end of its usefulness. “It works really well for what it does,...
Southmoreland School District investigating teacher in connection with racist post
Southmoreland School District officials confirmed Thursday they are investigating a racist Facebook message purportedly made through a middle school teacher’s account. Superintendent Vincent Mascia confirmed that the district and its solicitor, David Petonic, are investigating the post allegedly made Wednesday by teacher Richard Love. The message appeared as a comment...
Kline to resign as Clerk of Courts on Feb. 19, begin new job as jail wardenVideo
When Bryan Kline became the Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts more than a decade ago, he was the first Republican elected to a courthouse row office job in more than a half-century. After serving 11 years, Kline will step down Feb. 19 to become warden at the Westmoreland County Prison....
Westmoreland Sheriff’s Office, Park Police receive covid vaccines at courthouse clinic
About 40 members of the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office and a dozen Park Police officers received their first covid-19 vaccine doses Thursday at the courthouse. “We looked and looked and looked for doses, and finally we heard about this pharmacy in Washington County that had some,” Sheriff James Albert said....
Covid cases in Westmoreland County continue to decline
Westmoreland County on Thursday added 88 additional covid cases and 7 deaths, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported. The newly-reported deaths now bring the county’s death toll to 586. Of the 88 new cases reported, 58 are confirmed and 30 are probable. The total number of cases in Westmoreland County...
Westmoreland-based Derek Woods Band wins national music awardVideo
“I really didn’t see that coming,” said musician Derek Woods about winning an award at Wednesday’s Hollywood Music in Media Awards. The Westmoreland-based Derek Woods Band took honors for Americana/Folk/Singer Songwriter Song of the Year for “Unforgiving Tree” during a livestreamed program that Woods and his band mates watched from...
Greasepaint Players’ ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’ plans livestream, live audience
Greensburg Civic Theatre’s Greasepaint Players are working on a production of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” to play for both livestream and in-person audiences. About having a live audience, director Becky Ziegler Koch said, “People might say, ‘Why are you doing this now?’ But we thought it was important to...
Next round of bids eyed for Keystone State Park sewer line, trail project
The Derry Township Municipal Authority has inked easement and lease agreements and is seeking a second round of bids for a project to update sewage facilities serving Keystone State Park and install a recreational trail. The trail would follow the path of a sewer line connecting the park to the...
Unity to update comprehensive plan, considers easing billboard restriction
It’s time for Unity officials to update the township’s comprehensive plan and supervisors say they want to look at ways to support business development and encourage modern signage along Route 30 while improving infrastructure and access to recreational facilities. This will be the third review of the plan, which assesses...
Excela Health sees drop in covid hospitalization, keeps eye on new variants
Hospitalizations of covid patients at Excela Health facilities are decreasing and Westmoreland County appears to have missed any potential surge in coronavirus cases from the holiday season. But now the system’s chief medical officer has something else to worry about — more infectious variants of the virus that are making...
1 hurt in Derry Township blaze that destroyed home
A Derry Township man was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment of burns after escaping a house fire early Thursday, according to Bradenville Fire Chief Mark Piantine. Firefighters were called to the home near the intersection of Pizza Barn Road and Toms Lane at 2:40 a.m, according to Westmoreland...
Parks foundation raising money for sensory pathway at Murrysville Community Park
The Murrysville Recreation Department is seeking ways to keep the public engaged during the winter, through exercise promotional programs and other activities. It also is making sure those efforts are inclusive, working with its nonprofit foundation on a fundraiser to create a sensory pathway along one of its park trails....
Ligonier Valley police officer seeks GOP nod for House 59th District seat
Ligonier Valley police officer Shawn Knepper is seeking the Republican nomination to fill Pennsylvania’s 59th District House seat, which was left vacant by the unexpected death of Mike Reese. A special election is set for May 18 to select a successor to Reese, 42, a Republican from Mt. Pleasant. Reese...
Amendment to limit governor’s disaster powers passes Pa. Senate a 2nd time
A constitutional amendment designed to limit the governor’s powers to extend emergency disaster declarations could make its way to a voter referendum as early as this spring. State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, a Hempfield Republican and one of Gov. Tom Wolf’s harshest critics, sponsored the proposed amendment that would...
Pittsburgh man accused of threats against New Kensington police to serve probation for trashing jail cell
A Pittsburgh man was sentenced Wednesday to serve a year on probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of escape and that he vandalized a holding cell following his arrest last summer in New Kensington. Daevar Lamont Stevens, 21, will remain behind bars, though, to answer a new set of...
Pleasant Unity man charged with threatening Gov. Wolf pleads guilty to reduced charge
A 29-year-old Pleasant Unity man accused of threatening Gov. Tom Wolf over business closures because of the coronavirus pandemic pleaded guilty to a reduced summary charge of harassment in York County, according to court officials. Rocco Anthony Naples was facing a third-degree felony charge of threats and other improper influence...
Western Pa. schools receive grants to improve cafeterias
Eight local school districts are among those awarded more than $875,000 in grant money to help upgrade food service equipment in their cafeterias. In all, 59 elementary, middle and high schools will benefit from the funds, awarded to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program, a federally assisted meal...
Penn-Trafford’s Warrior Stadium reopens following closure
Almost a week after Penn-Trafford closed its stadium to the public, the facility has reopened. According to a release from the district, Warrior Stadium reopened Wednesday after being shuttered due to recent incidents in which visitors took snow shovels to the field, which can potentially damage the turf by ripping...
Penn Township man sentenced to probation for role in fatal North Huntingdon crash
A Penn Township man will serve two years on probation for his role in a fatal crash last year on Route 30. Chad Gregorini, 45, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment and two summary traffic citations in connection with the Jan. 21, 2020, crash that resulted...
Westmoreland pension fund hits record value of more than $500M
Westmoreland County’s pension fund exceeded $500 million for the first time, officials announced Wednesday. The fund, which pays benefits to more than 1,300 retired county workers, was valued at $521 million at the end of December, finishing a roller coaster year that saw the account lose about $68 million through...
Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban gives business advice to Penn-Trafford students
Students at Penn-Trafford High School got a little celebrity business advice this week thanks to a video chat visit with Mark Cuban. The Mt. Lebanon native, Dallas Mavericks owner and “Shark Tank” investor met virtually with students Tuesday in the school’s administration and management class. “It’s the chatter of the...
Richard King Mellon Foundation to award $1.2B in Pittsburgh region over 10 years, seeks public input
The Richard King Mellon Foundation, the region’s largest philanthropic organization, plans to give away $1.2 billion over the next decade, its director announced Wednesday. And it will continue a new practice in doling out the old money by soliciting public input on where it will do the most good. The...
Excela planning for vaccine distribution when supplies become available
Excela Health plans to open coronavirus vaccination appointments to community members meeting the state’s guidelines when the health system has enough vaccine to go around. But not just yet. Dr. Carol Fox, the system’s chief medical officer, said health care workers at Excela’s three hospitals and other independent community providers...
