Westmoreland category, Page 569
No injuries as SUV goes over hillside near Murrysville-Plum borderVideo
Roads continued to prove slippery in the wake of heavy snowfall across the region, but no one was injured when an SUV went over an embankment near the Murrysville-Plum border on Thursday evening. Murrysville police said the SUV’s driver went off the roadway near the intersection of Saltsburg Road (Route...
Excela Health receives covid vaccine, set to start administering to workers on Friday
A record-breaking storm that left parts of the region under 9 inches of snow did not stop Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine from making it into Excela Health’s hands. Officials received it Thursday, as expected. They anticipate administering it to the first employees on Friday. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox said...
Covid-relief grants available to Westmoreland emergency medical services
Twenty-one nonprofit emergency medical service departments are in line to receive $15,000 covid-relief grants as part of a new round of awards unveiled Thursday by Westmoreland County commissioners. Officials said nearly $400,000 remaining from grants earmarked for nonprofit agencies will be used to fund the program. “We are under a...
Westmoreland department heads earn raises for pandemic-related work
A handful of Westmoreland County government department heads were handed substantial raises Thursday, a move commissioners said was related to their work during ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The biggest pay hike was given to Solicitor Melissa Guiddy, who has seen her salary increase by about 70% since she was hired in...
Mt. Oliver man wanted in connection with North Huntingdon woman’s fatal shooting
Police are seeking a Mt. Oliver man wanted in connection with the Dec. 5 shooting death of a North Huntingdon woman. An arrest warrant has been obtained for Jerrel Marquis Ingram, 32, of Mt. Oliver. Allegheny County detectives said 22-year-old Madison Gilroy of North Huntingdon died of injuries sustained during...
Gov. Wolf grants 5th extension to renew firearms carry permits
Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to grant a fifth consecutive extension to renew firearms carry permits through March 31 couldn’t have been more timely, according to Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert. The previous extension was set to expire Dec. 31 and Albert said his two deputies assigned the “appointment only” permit...
Westmoreland commissioners approve budget with no tax hike
The coronavirus has been good for Westmoreland County’s bottom line. Commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved a $339.7 million budget for 2021 that does not raise property taxes in part because federal covid relief money held back to pay for personnel and other expenses related to the ongoing pandemic. Property taxes...
West Newton woman accused of coughing on liquor store workers, bottles
A 69-year-old West Newton woman is facing multiple criminal charges after police said she removed her mask inside a Rostraver liquor store and deliberately coughed on employees and liquor bottles, claiming she had covid-19. Township police charged Leona V. Warman with four counts each of reckless endangerment and simple assault...
Westmoreland County adds 397 new covid cases, 9 deaths
Westmoreland County added 397 additional covid cases and 9 new deaths Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported. The additional deaths bring the county’s death toll to 326. There have been 122 deaths attributed to the disease this month in the county. The county ranks as the 12th-highest death toll...
The Palace Theatre staff adapts to pandemic-induced world of livestreamingVideo
“Pivot” is a word that’s been used a lot during the pandemic, as businesses, organizations and individuals adapt to ever-changing conditions. Westmoreland Cultural Trust CEO April Kopas used it to describe what’s been going on at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg, where a new livestream video system has allowed the...
East Huntingdon couple crafts Christmas village, spreads cheerVideo
An East Huntingdon couple put this spring’s stay-at-home orders to good use — greatly expanding their wooden Christmas yard display. Robert and Marilyn Greenawalt used the extra time to design, cut and paint a gingerbread house village that now sits in their yard and an adjacent property on Route 31...
Pandemic drives Pittsburgh region’s food insecurity to new heights, reshapes assistance efforts
Food insecurity is an ongoing problem in the Pittsburgh region, made much worse by the covid-19 pandemic. Area food banks have responded by redoubling their efforts while facing new challenges. With pandemic restrictions putting many American breadwinners out of work or reducing their hours, food banks this year have been...
County considers pulling $30K grant from North Huntingdon for defying state public health mandates
North Huntingdon could lose its $30,000 grant for covid-related expenses because township officials are thumbing their noses at state public health mandates designed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. County Commissioner Doug Chew said Wednesday during an online forum that the county is bound by contract to distribute federal CARES...
Covid curtails blood donations, Western Pa. collection groups sayVideo
It was day of firsts on Thursday for Shari Vislosky of Penn Township and her two oldest teenagers, who joined about 50 donors at the American Red Cross’ blood drive at Hempfield Park. It was the first time that Vislosky has donated since the covid-19 pandemic hit Western Pennsylvania in...
North Huntingdon holds line on property taxes for 2021
North Huntingdon property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes in 2021. The commissioners on Wednesday approved setting the tax rate at 11.55 mills for the $14.7 million general fund budget. Commissioner Jason Atwood was the lone opposition to setting the tax rate at 11.55 mills;...
Greensburg man pleads guilty to September attack of girlfriend
A Greensburg man will be paroled from the county jail next month after he pleaded guilty to the strangulation and assault of his live-in girlfriend. Kevin M. Reese, 29, was charged in September in connection with the attack at his Eastmont Estates apartment in which police said he injured his...
As covid-19 surges, Pennsylvania colleges urged to delay students’ return
Citing “an alarming increase in covid-19 cases” and yet another surge expected to peak in January, Pennsylvania acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega on Wednesday urged colleges and universities to delay the start of their spring semester. Ortega also suggested colleges and universities use virtual instruction as much as possible....
Westmoreland County to settle lawsuit against Recorder of Deeds
Westmoreland County commissioners are expected to settle a federal lawsuit filed earlier this year by a former employee claiming she was fired by new Republican Recorder of Deeds Frank Schiefer after he took office in January. The $27,500 settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing, officials said Wednesday. The lawsuit was...
East Huntingdon 3D printing company gets high-tech upgrade through Army partnership
A small 3D printing company in East Huntingdon got some high-tech upgrades this year thanks to the U.S. Army. Tronix3D equipped its machines with cloud-connected sensors, allowing the company to collect and share precise data about its manufacturing processes. The company was one of the first to test the new...
Westmoreland covid hospitalizations up but Excela officials say they can handle it
The number of patients hospitalized in Westmoreland County because of the coronavirus jumped 27% in the last few days — from 131 patients on Saturday to 166 on Wednesday, according to state data. That’s a 55% increase from Nov. 30, when the county reported its first triple-digit patient count. Excela...
Hempfield students clinch top spot in science center competitionVideo
Hempfield students took a page from the history books to help them clinch the top spot for the second consecutive year at the Carnegie Science Center’s STEM competition. The Chain Reaction Contraption Contest, held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, brought together 12 teams from schools across the...
Downtown Greensburg Project sets up virtual tip jar for food service workers
We’ve all heard of ways to help food and beverage industry workers through the second round of pandemic shutdowns: order takeout, buy gift cards and post positive reviews on social media. That’s good as far as it goes, said Downtown Greensburg Project founder Jessica Hickey, but it doesn’t help everyone....
2 men arrested after multiple altercations at Jeannette home
Two Jeannette men were arrested by city police on multiple criminal charges after, police say, they got into two altercations Monday with residents on the 400 block of Guy Street. Caleb N. Hall and Jaiden Crosby-Anderson, both 18, were arrested on multiple counts of simple assault and disorderly conduct and...
Unity could expand rec program to upgraded playground eyed at Mountain View Elementary
Unity could expand its summer recreation sites to include the Mountain View Elementary playground under an agreement approved Tuesday by the Greater Latrobe School Board. The agreement was made in consideration of the township serving as applicant for a state grant to upgrade play apparatus at the elementary school and...
Westmoreland County surpasses 15K coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County became the state’s 11th county to reach 15,000 coronavirus cases on Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 346 new cases, bringing the county’s total to 15,148. Of those new cases, 210 are confirmed and 136 are probable. In the past month, coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County have...
