Westmoreland category, Page 568
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...
Westmoreland County covid cases continue downward climb
Westmoreland County has added triple-digit new coronavirus cases for all but four days this month, but cases are on an overall downward trend. The county had 141 coronavirus cases and three deaths added to its totals Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county has averaged 106 cases...
Hempfield schools preparing for possible staff vaccinations
Staff at Hempfield Area School District could be next in line to receive the covid-19 vaccine. According to a letter by Superintendent Tammy Wolicki, district leaders are working with Hayden’s Pharmacy in Youngwood to provide an opportunity for staff to receive the vaccine early next month. “We are supporting this...
Hempfield supervisors remove Jeannette EMS from service; area to be covered by Mutual Aid
Jeannette EMS will no longer cover parts of Hempfield after township supervisors chose to stop using the ambulance service. The area covered by Jeannette EMS, which includes parts of North Hempfield, High Park and Grapeville, now will be serviced by Greensburg-based Mutual Aid Ambulance Service. Mutual Aid already services parts...
Greensburg pavilion rentals open Feb. 1
Pavilion rental season has returned in Greensburg. Reservations are available on a first-come, first-serve basis starting Feb. 1. The city saw its income from pavilion rentals dip a bit in 2020 due to the pandemic, but many renters chose to hold their events anyway, particularly in late summer when case...
Annual Westmoreland prayer breakfast planned via FacebookLive
Prayer breakfast • The Westmoreland County Prayer Breakfast … for Dinner will be at 6:46 p.m. Jan. 28 online on FacebookLive. Phil Koch from the Pittsburgh Foundation/Community Foundation of Westmoreland County will be the speaker. For reservations, visit facebook.com/events/431696631344807. Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to...
Westmoreland creates website for vaccine info
Westmoreland County has created a page on its website with a list of vaccine providers, how to contact them and a link to the state health department’s interactive map of vaccine providers. Information on how to register for the covid vaccine and a quiz to determine when a person is...
Norwin High School to close Wednesday
Norwin High School will be closed Wednesday, as required by the state when a school has six confirmed covid cases within a 14-day period, the district said. Under the district’s hybrid education model, no students were scheduled to be in the building on Wednesday. From Jan. 18-26, Norwin reported that...
Saint Vincent College staff get covid-19 vaccine as spring semester nearsVideo
Many faculty and staff at Saint Vincent College received initial doses of the covid-19 vaccine about a week before students are set to return to campus for the spring semester. The college partnered with Mainline Pharmacy Group’s Blairsville Pharmacy on Tuesday to provide the Moderna vaccine to registered members of...
Youngwood man charged with possession of ‘large amount’ of methamphetamine
A 29-year-old Youngwood man accused of selling “large quantities of methamphetamine” out of his mobile home was hiding under a bed as state troopers raided his residence last week, according to court documents. Kyle A. Bumbalough was arraigned Saturday on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession and delivery...
Jeannette woman’s appeal of murder conviction rejected
A three-judge panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court rejected the appeal of a Jeannette woman sentenced last year to serve up to 30 years in prison for the third-degree murder of her 19-year-old boyfriend. Crystal Belle, 41, was convicted by a Westmoreland County jury for the June 2016 beating death...
Troopers accuse Mt. Pleasant man of stealing car, resisting arrest
State police accused a Mt. Pleasant man of fighting with troopers and resisting arrest as he was being taken into custody on car theft charges over the weekend, according to court documents. An area man drove to the Sherwin-Williams paint store in the Countryside Plaza in East Huntingdon around 10...
Penn-Trafford, Jeannette region sees 44 new covid cases
The Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area had 44 confirmed new covid cases in the last week, continuing a downward trend after the holiday surge, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Since the pandemic began in March, the six ZIP codes covering most of the three communities have seen a total of 1,593...
State Rep. George Dunbar elected caucus chair
A fellow Westmoreland County lawmaker has been elected to fill the Republican caucus leadership post left vancant by the death of state Rep. Mike Reese. Rep. George Dunbar, R-Penn Township, will serve as majority caucus chair for the 2021-22 legislative session, a caucus spokesman said Tuesday. Reese, 42, of Mt....
North Huntingdon police say traffic stop yielded same drug linked to overdoses
North Huntingdon police report that during a traffic stop this week they discovered stamp bags of drugs that have been linked to numerous overdoses and deaths in the area. Police arrested Moziah Sharron Harris, 29, of Jeannette after discovering 246 stamp bags — 11 of which had the specific “Chucky”...
Westmoreland County sees lowest number of new reported covid cases since October
There were 52 new covid-19 cases reported in Westmoreland County on Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. That number represents the lowest amount of new reported cases this month and the least since Oct. 11, when 52 cases were also reported. Tuesday’s figures bring the seven-day covid case...
Jeannette man posts bond after drug arrest
A man who police accuse of dealing crack and cocaine out of a Jeannette home posted $50,000 bond Monday, according to online court records. Michael Larrell Jackson, 29, of Jeannette, was arrested Friday on drug and related charges after, police say, they made an undercover drug purchase at a North...
