Westmoreland category, Page 559
Westmoreland County surpasses 500 covid deaths
Westmoreland County topped 500 deaths related to the coronavirus Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The state added 11 new deaths to the county’s total, bringing it to 502. Westmoreland became the 12th county in the state to reach 500 deaths. The county’s death rate per 100,000 residents...
Greater Latrobe to consider 3.11-mill cap on potential 2021-22 tax hike
Greater Latrobe School Board on Tuesday will consider capping any potential 2021-22 property tax increase at 3.11 mills. If the district agrees to stay within that maximum number, it can forgo approving an early preliminary budget for the coming fiscal year, in accordance with Pennsylvania’s Act 1 of 2006, also...
Tylers Bakery & Cafe brings bubble tea, kombucha on tap to LigonierVideo
Have you ever strolled the streets of Ligonier, thinking, “I could really go for a bubble tea right now”? Until recently, you might have been out of luck — but now you can stroll up East Main Street to Tylers Bakery & Cafe to satisfy your craving. The eatery specializes...
Greater Latrobe continues remote learning through Jan. 22
All Greater Latrobe students will continue to receive full-time remote instruction at least through Jan. 22, as district officials review covid-19 infection levels in Westmoreland County. Whether the district changes that instructional model to include any in-person learning for students will depend on the school board’s decision at its meeting...
Developer seeks to construct homes on closed golf course at Unity-Hempfield border
Unity officials have set in motion a proposed zoning change for the former Valley Green Golf & Country Club that would set the stage for a new housing development. Meanwhile, neighboring residents are concerned about the effect the development might have on Township Line Run, a stream that flows toward...
Franklin Regional students sign petition requesting more support from district
Franklin Regional school officials are asking for feedback from students about this year’s educational model, a few days after a Change.org petition titled “Franklin Regional Students Need Support” garnered more than 1,000 signatures online. High school Principal Ron Suvak said students would receive a form on Tuesday “seeking feedback on...
Westmoreland events include art exhibit, meeting
Art • The Greensburg Art Center new free exhibit, “Vision,” the annual members’ show, will open Jan. 24 and run through Feb. 27. A free opening reception will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 24 at the center, 230 Todd School Road, Hempfield. The exhibit will include paintings, sculpture,...
Westmoreland Democrats call for GOP congressmen to step down
Westmoreland County’s Democratic Committee called on two local Republican congressmen to resign in response to their votes last week objecting to Pennsylvania’s presidential election results following the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol. Committee chairwoman Tara Yokopenic said in a statement released late Monday that Reps. Guy Reschenthaler and John...
Democratic Women to collect for food bank, family shelter
Like so many other activitities and events over the past 10 months, the covid pandemic has affected volunteer opportunities at the National Day of Service on Monday, the national holiday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Colleges and universities in the region that might have volunteer opportunities for students and...
Special election set to fill Mike Reese’s state House seat
A special election to fill the vacancy in the state House 59th District left by the sudden death of Rep. Mike Reese will be conducted May 18. Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, announced Tuesday the special election will be held along with the regularly scheduled primary the same day....
Man accused of threatening woman with gun in Unity also charged with drug possession
State police say they seized a handgun from a hidden safe and numerous bags of heroin and methamphetamine Monday from a Unity apartment. Jerome W. Thorton II, 30, of Wilkinsburg, was arraigned on charges of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, terroristic threats, possession of a firearm...
Spirit Airlines holds off on resuming flights from Arnold Palmer airport to Ft. Myers
Passengers flying from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport may be limited to Orlando as a destination for the immediate future, part of the continuing hit air travel is taking from the covid-19 pandemic. While Spirit Airlines flights from the Unity airport to Myrtle Beach, S.C., are expected to resume Feb. 12,...
Ligonier Ice Fest to celebrate ’30 years of cool fun’
This year’s Ligonier Ice Fest will celebrate “30 years of cool fun,” said event chair Cindy Purnell. The frozen festivities are scheduled for Jan. 23-24 in Ligonier Diamond Park and the surrounding downtown area. Whether it’s 7 degrees or 70, Purnell said, the event will have all the visitor favorite...
Westmoreland County reports 8 new covid deaths, most in a week
Westmoreland County reported eight new covid deaths Tuesday, tying the second largest daily total this month. The most coronavirus-related deaths thus far in January were reported Jan. 6, when 16 were reported. Eight deaths were also reported Jan. 5. Tuesday also saw 207 new covid cases reported in Westmoreland County....
Brothers accused of fighting, spitting on guards at Westmoreland County Prison
A man is accused of spitting on a jail guard after his brother threw punches at another guard at the Westmoreland County Prison last month, according to court papers. The brothers were arraigned Tuesday on charges filed by county detectives. Austin Levi Kimmick, 20, is charged with aggravated and simple...
Greensburg Restaurant Week will showcase dine-in, takeout options
Greensburg-area eateries are cooking up special menus for Greensburg Restaurant Week, scheduled for Jan. 25-31. About 20 restaurants are expected to participate, according to Ashley Kertes, executive director of Greensburg Community Development Corp., which organizes the semiannual event. During the week, local restaurants typically offer reduced or fixed price menus,...
Hempfield middle school students to remain with hybrid model of learning
Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District once again postponed a full return of middle school students as covid-19 cases remain high. Rather than returning to in-person classes five days a week starting Jan. 19, students will continue indefinitely with the hybrid model, or a mix of in-person and online...
Tractor-trailer crashes, falls down hill in DonegalVideo
A driver suffered minor injuries and was trapped in the cab of a tractor-trailer that tumbled over a hillside along Route 31 in Donegal Township Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911. The crash on Route 31 near the intersection of Route 381 happened just after 9:20 a.m. No other vehicles...
Southwest Greensburg woman accused of providing fatal dose in June drug OD death
Police arrested a Southwest Greensburg woman this week, accusing her of providing drugs to a man who later died of an overdose, according to court papers. Jennifer Lynn Gartland, 45, is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver and child endangerment. Southwest Greensburg police said...
Ignoring covid side effects could be deadly, doctors and patients are finding
Sean Kertes says he first began to notice a slight tightness in his chest two days before New Year’s Day. The 34-year-old Westmoreland County commissioner tried to brush off his concerns as he went about activities in his Greensburg home, like taking down the Christmas tree and putting away decorations....
Downward trends continue for North Huntingdon-Irwin covid case count
The increase in covid cases in four ZIP codes covering most of the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin areas remained below 10% for the third consecutive week, based on state Department of Health data released Monday. There was a 7.8% increase in the number of confirmed covid cases in the North Huntingdon-Irwin,...
Grant-funded retrofits allow stormwater ponds to ‘do more of the heavy lifting’
Getting the most bang for your buck is not just a good operating philosophy, but it also is a good way to attract interest from those doling out grant money. Boosting the efficiency of stormwater detention ponds has translated into nearly $375,000 in grants for the Westmoreland Conservation District, going...
Hyde Park man challenges murder charges in wife’s fatal beating
The lawyer for a Hyde Park man accused of the fatal beating of his estranged wife told a Westmoreland County judge on Monday there is insufficient evidence to support murder charges. Jeffrey Fondrk, 58, was charged with criminal homicide days after his wife, Patricia, was beaten to death in July...
Greensburg man pleads guilty to girlfriend’s drug overdose death
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Monday to providing the drugs that killed his longtime girlfriend at her Hempfield home in 2019. Stephanie Rae Johnson, 34, died March 19, 2019, after consuming fentanyl-laced heroin police said she got from her boyfriend, Christopher Patrick Showalter. Showalter pleaded guilty to a felony count...
After weeklong closure for ignoring covid restrictions, Tin Lizzy bar set to reopen
After a weeklong shutdown for defying Gov. Tom Wolf’s temporary restrictions on indoor dining during a surge in covid cases, the Tin Lizzy Tap Room and Restaurant in Youngstown will reopen 7 a.m. Tuesday. “A trooper from liquor control was in here (Monday) and gave us the OK to reopen,”...
