Westmoreland category, Page 563
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art extends closure into early February
Citing “an abundance of caution and with the health and safety of staff and visitors as the top priority,” The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is extending its temporary closure. The Greensburg museum is now scheduled to reopen to the public on Feb. 7, with resumption of operating hours from...
Latrobe police warn of scam calls using department’s phone number
The phone number for the Latrobe Police Department is being used in a scam targeting community members, according to authorities. Police reported receiving several calls Monday about the scam. The caller used the police department’s phone number as the caller ID and claimed that a Social Security number was compromised...
First responders recall fatal Pennsylvania Turnpike crash in Mt. Pleasant Township 1 year later
Mention the morning of Jan. 5, 2020, to Jerry Lucia, and the Mt. Pleasant fire chief automatically responds, “Milepost 85.5 Pennsylvania Turnpike.” Lucia, a borough firefighter for 45 years, has responded to hundreds of crashes along the toll road in Westmoreland County during that time. But a deadly tour bus...
Harrison City centenarian to get covid vaccine when available
Joseph Cocco of Harrison City plans to get the coronavirus vaccine when it is his time. While Westmoreland County is replete with senior citizens — the U.S. Census says 23% of the population is older than 65 — Cocco is among a select group. He will be 100 when he...
New engine added to Hempfield’s fire service fleet
Another fire truck was added to Hempfield Fire Department’s fleet of vehicles. The engine, owned by the township, was assigned to the Hempfield #2 Fire Station. The vehicle is capable of pumping 2,000 gallons of water per minute and carries necessary tools to perform at a high level, township officials...
Latrobe mayor says she won’t run for a third term
Latrobe Mayor Rosie Wolford doesn’t intend to seek a third term in the office. “It’s been 10 years on council and eight years as mayor for me,” Wolford said Monday, her 60th birthday, during the city council’s annual reorganization meeting. “I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it, but it’s time...
Covid case trend continues to drop in Norwin area
For the second consecutive week, the spread of new covid cases in four ZIP codes in the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area has slowed, falling to 5.1% for the week ending Jan. 4, according to data from the state Department of Health. The state said there were 2,121 confirmed covid cases...
Former jail warden hired to consult in pending legal issues
Former Westmoreland County Prison Warden John Walton could earn nearly $51,000 this year to testify in pending lawsuits and other court hearings under a contract approved by the county’s salary board. Walton resigned in October after serving 18 years as the jail’s top administrator. Commissioners Doug Chew and Gina Cerilli...
Delmont neighborhood’s decorating fundraiser nets more than $15K for library, Project Bundle UpVideo
After the first night of their holiday decorating fundraiser — one that jammed up traffic along Route 66 for hours last month — the residents of Delmont’s Monticello neighborhood started texting one another to see how the night went. “The sheer total of cars let us know (the total) was...
Unity ponders bond issue for infrastructure, recreation upgrades
Unity’s supervisors are considering what could be the township’s first-ever bond issue to help finance infrastructure and recreational upgrades. Supervisor Michael O’Barto stressed that township officials, at this point, are just looking into the feasibility of issuing one or more series of tax-exempt bonds. At their reorganization meeting on Monday,...
Uncounted ballots discovered among Westmoreland County voting equipment
Westmoreland County elections officials disclosed Monday that 21 uncounted provisional ballots submitted at a North Huntingdon voting precinct on Election Day were discovered last week among computer equipment used at the polls in November. Elections bureau staffers found the unopened ballots during a routine inspection of voting machines stored at...
Neighbors, friends show signs of support for the late Rep. Mike Reese
Mike Reese was thrilled that his small Mt. Pleasant Township community supported his goal of serving in the Legislature. During his initial run for office in 2008, the village of Brinkerton was full of his campaign signs. “The first time he went through, he thought that was so cool that...
Assault complaints withdrawn against Unity man
Simple assault and related charges filed last year against a Unity man have been withdrawn prior to a scheduled preliminary hearing. Aaron M. Klingensmith, 37, was arrested by state police after an alleged incident at his home June 30 on Bethel Church Road. Klingensmith had denied the allegations. According to...
Westmoreland commissioners extend courthouse restrictions
Most services at the Westmoreland County Courthouse will continue to operate by appointment as coronavirus cases continue to surge. County commissioners announced Monday that modified operations, originally set to expire earlier today, will remain in place indefinitely. “The cases aren’t slowing down,” said Commissioner Gina Cerilli. She returned to the...
Westmoreland County reaches 20K covid-19 case mark
Westmoreland County reached a grim milestone on Monday, with the announcement it has now surpassed 20,000 cases of the coronavirus. With 359 more covid-19 cases over the past two days, health officials with the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Westmoreland County has now amassed a total of 20,165 cases in...
Troopers accuse Unity man of screwing doors shut to keep woman from fleeing after fight
A Unity man is accused of screwing doors shut at his home to keep a woman he allegedly assaulted on New Year’s Day from leaving, state police reported. Irvin Scott Achhammer, 27, is accused of pushing a woman into a banister and hitting her with a cigarette lighter during an...
Delmont man accused of sexually assaulting 2 teen girls
A Delmont man is free on bond after police accused him of sexually assaulting two teenage girls and asking them to not report the incidents because of their ages, according to court papers. William Jonathan Seibert, 20, is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors...
California man being held without bail after Hempfield incident
A California man is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail after state police accused him of taking a vehicle from a relative in North Carolina and was found in Hempfield Thursday. Lorenzo Watson, 39, of Oakland, Calif., is charged with receiving stolen property and drug possession. Troopers...
Mt. Pleasant Township girl’s drawing depicts drug-free message in 2021 state calendar
A Mt. Pleasant Township girl’s love of animals inspired her drawing with a message that won a spot in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s 2021 Drug-Free Calendar. Aubrey Wadsworth’s winning entry in the 24th annual calendar contest illustrates the month of July. In a play on words, her slogan, “You Toucan...
Covid claims life of Yough School Board member
A Yough School Board member and longtime Herminie business owner who had contracted covid, died last week. Sandy Mireles-Dull, 68, who was elected to the school board in November 2019, died Dec. 30, at Excela Westmoreland Hospital, Greensburg. She had been struggling with covid for a month, according to her...
Food bank student volunteer organizes collection drives of his own in Murrysville
Garrett Deller of Murrysville was volunteering with the Westmoreland County Food Bank through his membership in the Franklin Regional National Honor Society, but the high school junior decided he wanted to take it a step farther. “One of the older volunteers mentioned that donations were down because of the covid...
Ziccarelli asks state Senate to overturn Brewster victory
New Kensington lawyer Nicole Ziccarelli will ask the Republican-controlled state Senate to reject state certification and overturn the re-election of incumbent Democrat Jim Brewster in the 45th District. The district includes parts of Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, and that fact is central to the disputed election results. According to official,...
Westmoreland County closes in on 20,000 covid cases, adds 6 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported 473 new cases of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County during the past 48 hours, as cases continue to dip in the area. The numbers represent 118 new cases reported New Year’s Day and 355 on Saturday. The county’s total cases are at...
State Rep. Mike Reese of Mt. Pleasant Township dead at 42
State Rep. Mike Reese, elected in November to his seventh term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, died Saturday at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg following an apparent brain aneurysm. Reese, 42, of Mt. Pleasant Township, was a 12-year House veteran representing Westmoreland and Somerset county residents in the...
The clock will strike midnight later in 2021 for the Cinderella BallVideo
The daughters and dads dance will have to wait. The 95th annual Cinderella Ball has been moved because of the pandemic. Traditionally held in January at the historic Omni William Penn Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh, the committee decided to host it on June 26 at the Allegheny Country Club in...
