Westmoreland category, Page 640
Westmoreland fairgrounds will host drive-in fireworks display Saturday
Independence Day revelers will be treated to nearly 30 minutes of fireworks Saturday in Mt. Pleasant Township thanks to a local business owner. “They should expect a really nice show,” Marcus Wisneski said. Parking at the “drive-in fireworks show” will start at 7 p.m. at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds, three hours...
Wet spring, hot start to summer has corn farmers concernedVideo
Farmer John Greenawalt of Sewickley Township just saved his early sweet corn crop, and he’s hoping the recent hot, dry weather will move on so he can get the most from his current one. “This corn that we just picked, it went through five frosts,” Greenawalt said. “It really wasn’t...
Westmoreland inmate files federal lawsuit over jail beating
A 33-year-old Westmoreland County Prison inmate who claims he was violently beaten by six guards earlier this year at the Hempfield lockup is seeking $225,000 in a federal lawsuit alleging his civil rights were violated. James Mapp, 33, of Roswell, N.M, filed the three-count civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court...
Westmoreland County sees 5th double-digit spike in covid-19 cases in 6 days
For the fifth time in six days, Westmoreland County’s new coronavirus case count is in the double digits. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 33 new covid-19 cases and no additional deaths in Westmoreland County on Friday. This brings the case total to 744 and death total to 38 in...
Murrysville officials look at updating zoning to promote growth
Murrysville officials may look at updating their zoning laws to promote growth and provide housing opportunities for older residents looking to downsize. “I think that, generally, the philosophy in the past has been to have developers extend utility lines, have bigger lots, and I don’t want to say we were...
Derry Township couple charged with trying to elude police
A Derry Township man is in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond after state police said he fled from troopers trying to arrest him on a parole warrant. Justin James Jones, 35, is charged with flight to avoid apprehension and disorderly conduct. Police said they saw Jill Cherie Kratzer, 37,...
Greensburg Fire Department to host milk giveaway
Need milk? Schneider’s Dairy, the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department and the American Dairy Association North East have a truckload to give away. The organizations will host a drive-through milk giveaway Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Robert F. Nicely Elementary School in Greensburg. There...
Hempfield road to close for work on railroad crossing
A section of Keystone Road in Hempfield will close beginning Wednesday for maintenance of a railroad crossing. Crews from Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad are scheduled to begin work at 8:30 a.m. The closure, between Eckman Way and Huff Avenue, is expected to continue until 3:30 p.m. Aug. 3. PennDOT has designated...
Graffiti on Beam Rocks in Forbes State Forest set to be cleaned up
Popular overlook Beam Rocks, which was defaced with graffiti in April, will return to its natural state later this summer. Fifteen volunteers were tapped to help clean the sandstone outcroppings on the border of Westmoreland and Somerset counties in Forbes State Forest. Bureau of Forestry environmental education specialist Rachael Mahony...
2 pedestrians hit by vehicle in Mt. Pleasant Township, firefighters say
Two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle early Friday morning in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to firefighters who responded to the scene. The incident happened shortly after 2:30 a.m. along East Main Street near the intersections with Yoder Avenue and Maple Street, according to a state police dispatcher. One victim,...
Idlewild & SoakZone set to reopen July 11
While Kennywood and Sandcastle park officials postponed reopenings due to the rise in positive coronavirus cases in Allegheny County, Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier Township will open its gates to the general public as scheduled on July 11. Jeff Croushore, director of marketing at Idlewild and SoakZone, said the park’s...
Levin to reopen some Western Pennsylvania stores Friday
Levin Furniture stores in Hempfield, Monroeville, Wexford, Curry Hollow and 13 other locations around Pittsburgh and Cleveland will reopen at 11 a.m. Friday with former owner Robert Levin at the helm. Levin sold his family’s chain of stores in 2017 to Art Van Furniture but later structured a $25.7 million...
Westmoreland County offices closed Friday
Westmoreland County government and court offices will be closed Friday in observance of the July 4 holiday. Federal and state offices are also closed on Friday. All courthouse operations and court proceedings will resume on Monday, July 6....
Riders of all ages enjoy new Giant Slide Complex at Mt. Pleasant Township’s Mammoth ParkVideo
Joe Theis, 67, proved Thursday he’s just a kid at heart. Theis, of New Stanton, arrived at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant Township at 9:20 a.m., expecting a line for the inaugural rides on the county park’s newly opened Giant Slide Complex. But he was shocked to learn he was...
Attorney: Hempfield man who fatally beat elderly father believed 92-year-old was a vampireVideo
Douglas Novak’s mental illness was so pronounced that he beat his father to death and believed the 92-year-old Hempfield man was a vampire who needed to be staked through the heart to kill him, his attorney told a judge Thursday. Novak was off his medication when he used the wooden...
Penn-Trafford School District announces school reopening plan
Penn-Trafford School District plans to reopen for all students when the school year begins, though distance learning will still be available for those who wish to stay home. The school board this week approved their reopening plan, though district leaders said they will remain flexible as the coronavirus pandemic continues....
Greensburg to launch grant program for local businesses hurt by coronavirus
Lisa Hegedus can’t wait to apply for a grant from the Greensburg Community Development Corporation’s new Covid-19 Relief Main Street Jump-Start Program. The new program, funded through a $150,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, is targeting small businesses in Greensburg that have suffered a financial hit from the...
Westmoreland has another double-digit spike in coronavirus cases, commissioners issue warning
For the fourth time in five days, Westmoreland County experienced a double-digit increase in the number of new coronavirus cases, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and officials say if the numbers continue to rise, the county risks additional restrictions. “We cannot stress the importance of being safe this...
Greater Latrobe approves 1-year contract extension for service employees
Greater Latrobe School Board approved a one-year contract extension with 67 service employees as the district sets a goal of returning to in-school instruction this fall. District business administrator Dan Watson said the extension continues terms in effect during the final year of a three-year labor agreement that expired on...
East Huntingdon couple accused of bilking $200K, house from Scottdale woman
An East Huntingdon couple is accused by police of bilking a relative out of $200,000 and her Scottdale home prior to her April 2019 death, according to court papers. Jane Ann Kiliany, 59, and John Eric Kiliany, 60, were arrested Wednesday by Westmoreland County detectives and released on their own...
2020 Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival canceled
Usually drawing crowds of more than 45,000 people, the 33rd annual Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival that was to be held the last full weekend of September is now canceled, the festival committee announced Thursday. Jerry Lucia, co-chairman of the festival, said the committee waited to see what other...
Organizers cancel Fort Ligonier Days, plan virtual version of festival
The Fort Ligonier Days Board canceled its traditional fall festival, but plans are underway to hold a virtual version. The annual festival, which was scheduled for Oct. 9-11, typically brings thousands of visitors to Ligonier to view a parade, enjoy food and music, browse among vendors and attend battle re-enactments...
Rostraver road to close Monday for slide repairs, remain closed through end of month
A section of Route 201 in Rostraver will be closed beginning Monday while PennDOT crews complete slide repairs. The road will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. between Route 136 and Pollack Run Road. A marked detour will be in place using Routes 136 and 51. Work is expected to...
Westmoreland Register of Wills will fully reopen to public July 6
The Westmoreland County Register of Wills will fully reopen to the public on Monday . The courthouse office, which oversees the filing of wills and estates and issues marriage licenses, has restricted public access since early April and has been operating by appointment only in response to the coronavirus pandemic....
Mt. Pleasant Lenox outlet to close after company cites pandemic-related struggles
The Lenox Factory Outlet store in Mt. Pleasant Township is shuttering, putting an end to a long history at the glass plant. Lenox, which sells tabletop and giftware items, announced Tuesday all outlet and warehouse stores will permanently close, citing difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic. A closing date was...
