Westmoreland category, Page 607
Missing Lower Burrell boy found after 3-hour search
A missing Lower Burrell boy was found unharmed Tuesday night following a three-hour search by the Lower Burrell police department and firefighters. Lower Burrell police officer Aaron Rodgers said the boy was found near Stewart Elementary School at about 7:45 p.m. The boy’s parents called police after he ran off...
Community to rally for Hempfield man diagnosed with amyloidosis
Growing up, Emma and Carly Coletta knew their dad would always be there for them. Eddie Coletta, a 43-year-old Hempfield resident, always makes it a point to put his family first. That’s why he waited for hours at Red Lobster on Mother’s Day knowing that’s the one meal his wife,...
More coronavirus cases found at Westmoreland Manor
Westmoreland officials said Tuesday another 12 residents and an additional staffer at the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield tested positive for coronavirus. The latest test results means that 9.5% of the Westmoreland Manor’s 336 residents are infected. Federally mandated baseline testing for the virus started last week at the facility....
‘Bad blood between them’: Friend remembers victim killed in East Huntingdon shooting
Shane Starr and Andrew Pristas were just starting to rekindle their friendship that dates back to their middle school days in the Montour School District. They had been talking about hanging out for awhile after Starr returned to the Pittsburgh area from out of state and they finally did a...
Latrobe Elks grows membership while downsizing lodge building
The Latrobe Elks has grown its membership over the past two years — at a time when it is building a new, more compact lodge. Located just outside Latrobe in Derry Township, the local chapter of the fraternal and charitable organization put an emphasis on attracting new members with young...
Use of force at issue in former Westmoreland prison guard’s trial
A prosecutor said a former Westmoreland County Prison guard crossed the line when he allegedly threatened and assaulted an inmate at the conclusion of a physical altercation at the lockup. “The use of force, how much is enough when he crosses the line, that’s what this case is about,” Assistant...
Hempfield lays out alternatives if homecoming parade cannot be held
Despite the homecoming dance being canceled, Hempfield Area school leaders are hoping to make the fall event as normal as possible. Plans are in place to hold the traditional parade, said high school Principal Kathy Charlton. The parade typically travels Route 136 with permission from the township supervisors and the...
Spectators will be at Hempfield home football, volleyball games
Hempfield Area school leaders are allowing two sporting teams to exceed suggested gathering limits by allowing spectators at events. Girls volleyball and varsity football will be allowed two spectators per participating athlete, equating to between 175 and 200 people at volleyball events and between 1,000 and 1,100 at football events,...
Trafford Road in Murrysville reopens after tractor-trailer crashVideo
Trafford Road reopened near the Murrysville/Penn Township border after a tractor-trailer crash forced a closure late Tuesday morning, emergency officials said. Initial reports indicated the trailer’s load — steel ingots to be smelted — shifted around 11:15 a.m. as it was headed south along Trafford Road near Lyons Run Road,...
Westmoreland County has new covid-19 death for 2nd day in a row
Westmoreland County has a new coronavirus-related death, the second in two days, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county also has 12 new covid-19 cases Tuesday The new figures bring the death total to 52 and cases total to 2,096. Westmoreland County coronavirus by dayInfogram In the county,...
Jeannette couple raising money to adorn veterans’ graves through Wreaths Across America
March wasn’t exactly the best time to start a fundraiser. But Frank and Linda Drury of Jeannette decided to forge ahead with raising about $9,000 to purchase 600 wreaths through Wreaths Across America for veterans who are buried at Jeannette Memorial Park. The couple knows honoring veterans is important, no...
Penn-Trafford graduates are bringing ‘Broadway to the Burgh’Video
Penn-Trafford High School grads Lindsey Brett Carothers and Jarrett Reiche know what it takes to make it on New York City’s famed Broadway. Carothers is an actress who has been in the Broadway musical “Bring it On” and starred as Glinda in the national tour of “Wicked.” Casting professional Reiche...
N.Y. teen seeks to christen unnamed Westmoreland County streams after ancestors
A tiny stream — barely more than a ditch, really — trickles past homes in Greensburg’s Northmont neighborhood. Another flows along Ashbaugh Road in Penn Township. In the 247 years since the founding of Westmoreland County, nobody considered these diminutive waterways significant enough to merit an official name. Until now....
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport runway on track for reopening Friday
Crews are wrapping up work this week on widening the runway at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Meanwhile, construction has begun on an addition to the airport terminal. “We’re right on track,” for scheduled reopening of the improved runway on Friday, according to Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County...
Franklin Regional officials examine attendance policies in light of new education model
Franklin Regional officials are taking a deeper look at how excused absences will be recorded amid the coronavirus pandemic, after receiving several comments and questions from parents during the first weeks of school. The district is asking parents to keep children home if they exhibit any of the 13 general...
Norwin rejects efforts to ask controversial director to resign; Censure move fails
The Norwin School Board on Monday refused to ask for the immediate resignation of a member whose statements on a private conservative Facebook page were deemed offensive by some members. An attempt at censure failed as well. By identical 6-3 votes, the majority of the board turned back attempts at...
Quad rider flown to UPMC Presbyterian after Hunker crash
An off-road vehicle driver was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital on Monday night after a crash just outside Hunker, county emergency officials said. A male patient was riding his quad in the woods off South Center Avenue and was injured when the vehicle rolled. The call was reported around 4:45...
20 residents at Westmoreland Manor test positive for coronavirus; more cases expected
Nearly two dozen people at Westmoreland Manor tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend, and county officials said the number of those infected could increase in the coming days. Routine testing conducted last week identified the cases among 20 residents and two staffers, of which many appeared to be...
West Newton man pleads guilty to sex assault of young girl
A West Newton man will serve up to seven years in prison for sex crimes against a 4-year-old girl. David L. Hresko, 34, pleaded guilty Monday to the aggravated indecent assault of a child, corruption of minors and child endangerment in connection with allegations made by a now 10-year-old girl....
North Huntingdon man recognized for helping keep Linn Run park trout stream cleanVideo
On a warm September morning atop a wooded ridge where only insects and a small stream break the silence in Linn Run State Park, Dennis “Denny” Hess shoveled pure limestone into the water to neutralize acid rain in the water so the insects that trout thrive upon can populate the...
North Huntingdon emergency management coordinator resigns
North Huntingdon is searching for a new emergency management coordinator after the man who held the position for 13 years resigned. Township commissioners accepted the resignation of Gene Komondor, who agreed to remain in the post until a replacement is selected, said Commissioner Zachary Haigis, board president. “I’m hopeful he’ll...
Penn Township man meant to kill himself, not police, attorney says
A Penn Township man meant to kill himself, not a police officer, when he fired shots during a 2016 standoff, his attorney told jurors Monday. Defense lawyer Jeff Monzo said Jody Martz, 56, was suffering from four bulging discs in his back, a recent knee replacement and high blood pressure...
Public to get October tour of updated Ligonier Heritage United Methodist community building
Several organizations that use the community building at Ligonier’s Heritage United Methodist Church have returned since the two-story structure received a $1.4 million update over the summer. In October, the public will get to see the revamped 1961 building. To avoid large gatherings during the covid-19 pandemic, the formal dedication...
2 Ohio men arrested on Pa. Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township with stolen gun
Two Ohio men were arrested early Friday after state police said a stolen firearm was found in the back seat of the car they were traveling in eastbound on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township. Paul Milton Hobbs, 24, and Andre Marquon Turner, 25, both of Toledo, are convicted...
Greensburg Catholic Charities to launch virtual fundraising appeal
When the global pandemic forced them to cancel their largest annual fundraiser, officials with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg decided to look online for support. A diocesan spokesman said a $50,000 goal has been set for the virtual fund drive, dubbed the Heroes of Hope Guardian Angel Appeal....
