Westmoreland category, Page 599
North Huntingdon Citizens Police Academy gives residents glimpse of cop’s dutiesVideo
Decked out in an armored vest, utility belt, helmet with visor and an AR-15 rifle slung over her shoulder, Nicky O’Bryon felt the weight and strain experienced by police officers when they are outfitted to handle crises. The North Huntingdon mother of two boys and a girl was surrounded by...
North Belle Vernon man cited for having 27 songbirds in cages
A North Belle Vernon man was cited for having 27 songbirds in cages at his home last month, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Warden Douglas Bergman. Canh M. Truong, 43, faces 27 counts of unlawful taking and possession of protected birds, a summary offense. Game wardens found the songbirds, including...
Fayette County woman accused of leaving 2 mentally challenged men in SUV while she played video poker
A Fayette County woman caring for two mentally challenged men is accused of leaving them in her SUV for more than an hour while she played video poker inside a Westmoreland County store. Samantha Kay White, 46, of Dawson, was charged Thursday with neglect of a dependent care person and...
‘Miracle baby’: Greensburg boy receives heart transplantVideo
For years, Gene Salvio had two suitcases sitting in his Greensburg home — one filled with summer clothes, the other with winter clothes — in case he got the call that his now 11-year-old son, Nico, would need to go to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for a heart transplant....
Marijuana leads 2020 drug seizures by Pennsylvania State Police
State police seized $19.4 million worth of processed marijuana so far in 2020, according to troopers. Nearly 3 tons of processed marijuana were confiscated by troopers across the state during the first nine months of the year, with some big seizures recently in Westmoreland County. Statistics released this week showed,...
Pandemic relief money awarded to fire departments, EMS agencies
Millions of dollars soon will be in the coffers of local fire departments, rescue and ambulance services to help offset the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on fundraising. About 90 Westmoreland County fire departments are getting more than $2 million. Fourteen EMS agencies in the county are set to...
Unity man steps down as township auditor, takes on code enforcement post
Unity Township is looking for a replacement auditor after a member of that elected board resigned and took on a new role as the township’s part-time code enforcement officer. The township supervisors on Thursday accepted the resignation of Greg Fumea from the three-member board of auditors and hired him to...
Western Pa. scare attractions will still bring Halloween screams despite covid
Sad to say, but Halloween might be the least-scary thing about 2020. Still, area scare attractions are doing their best to bring the heebie-jeebies to the masked masses, even in the midst of covid-19 restrictions. “Halloween seems like one of the few things you can do this year, because everyone’s...
Westmoreland County confirms that mail-in ballots were not sent out as planned
Mail-in ballots that were to be sent out last week to voters in Westmoreland County remained missing-in-action Thursday as officials scrambled to correct what has become a weeklong delay in the start of voting for the general election. Voters who called the elections bureau Thursday were told ballots were mailed...
Penn-Trafford coronavirus outbreak continues
Another Penn-Trafford elementary school will close, joining two others, after more cases of coronavirus were reported to the district Thursday. Two staff members at Sunrise, one staff member at Harrison Park and one Level Green student notified the district they tested positive, the district said. Harrison Park now has had...
Shapiro preparing for additional court battles as election nears
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said he has teams preparing for any election law challenges that may be filed between now and after polls close Nov. 3, even as he awaits court rulings on several GOP challenges. With 26 days remaining until the election and about 2.5 million mail and...
Witness in trial of New Kensington man admits to buying drugs that killed his friend
A former Oklahoma Borough man told a Westmoreland County jury he knew he couldn’t stick around after he and another man left their unconscious friend across the front seats of his pickup parked in the New Kensington Taco Bell parking lot two years ago. Keith Klingensmith testified he didn’t know...
Belle Vernon man jailed on $50K bond for allegedly possessing child pornography
A tip to the state Attorney General’s child predator unit from Twitter resulted in the arrest Thursday of a Belle Vernon man on child pornography charges. Benjamin D. Powell, 37, was arraigned on three counts of possessing child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility filed...
‘Pearl Jam’ hackers take over Greensburg Aerobics Center Facebook page
A Facebook page belonging to The Aerobic Center at Lynch Field in Greensburg has been hacked, apparently by a company hawking shirts featuring the rock band Pearl Jam. “We’re trying to get it straightened out,” said center general manager Marianne Anzovino. “I’m furious.” Anzovino’s personal page also was hacked, she...
Unity man accused of bilking wedding vendor out of $14K also charged with illegally possessing gunsVideo
While some parents rack up debt paying for weddings, police allege a Unity man pocketed $4,000 on his daughter’s nuptials last month — an alleged scheme that landed him in the county jail. Joseph A. Malago, 48, was arraigned last week on multiple charges of forgery, theft and writing worthless...
Westmoreland County sees highest single-day jump in new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County saw its highest single-day spike in cases on Thursday, adding 69 new cases, as well as two new deaths, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported. The county’s total cases are now 2,608 with 2,446 confirmed and 162 probable since the first cases were reported in March. There have...
State police still investigating Route 22 crash in Salem that killed man
A three-vehicle crash last month on Route 22 in Salem that killed an 81-year-old man remains under investigation, according to state police. John H. Meyer of Plum, who was a passenger in a Honda sport utility vehicle driven by his wife, Elinor, 79, was killed in the 10:29 a.m. Sept....
Penn-Trafford High School forms esports team
Penn-Trafford High School is getting into the burgeoning esports scene with the creation of one of the area’s first high school teams. “We understand esports is over a billion-dollar business right now, and is projected to go up to $2 billion,” said Dennis Kosoglow, who oversees the team with fellow...
Murrysville Council explores special tax levy for fire company equipment, repairs
Over the summer and at previous Murrysville Council meetings, Chief Administrator Jim Morrison noted that the municipality will need to identify new revenue sources to provide the same level of services residents now enjoy. That extends to emergency services as well, and council on Wednesday discussed a proposed ordinance to...
Mt. Pleasant gazebo decked out for breast cancer awareness fundraiserVideo
Not long after Val Tressler was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided she needed to get to work not only helping herself but others as well. “I was diagnosed at 43, and I have a mother I lost to breast cancer and an aunt who is also a survivor,” Tressler...
Hempfield residents asked to give input on 2 proposed township parks
Hempfield residents have an opportunity to give their input on two proposed parks for the township. A survey, posted on the township’s website and Facebook page, allows residents to give their opinion on conceptual plans for parks slated for Walden Court Drive and at a property along Route 136 near...
Allegheny, Westmoreland surpass 2010 census response rates
Despite months of uncertainty surrounding the end date for the census, self-response rates in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties have surpassed 2010 rates. According to a census map, about 72% of people have responded in Allegheny County compared to 71.3% of people a decade ago, while 73.1% of people in Westmoreland...
Hempfield Area kindergarten students return to full-day classes next week
Full-day kindergarten will resume next week as Hempfield Area School District leaders ease into the second phase of their reopening plans. During a committee of the whole meeting this week, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki announced kindergarten students will attend full-day sessions starting Oct. 13. Kindergarten students have been attending half days...
State awards $42K for Ligonier Beach redo; accessibility improvements proposed
Ligonier Township was awarded a $42,500 state grant toward the cost of renovating the former Ligonier Beach swimming pool and restaurant as a recreational site. “It’s nice that we got this funding, but it wasn’t the total amount we wanted,” said Terry Carcella, township manager. While township supervisors have yet...
Mt. Pleasant set to increase weekly in-person instruction from 2 days to 4
Mt. Pleasant Area students next month will be able to double the number of days they receive in-person instruction from district teachers. The school board voted at a special Wednesday meeting to modify the district’s hybrid instructional model, allowing students to report to classrooms four days per week instead of...
