Westmoreland category, Page 658
Greensburg Central Catholic seniors receive cap, gown deliveries
More than 60 Greensburg Central Catholic seniors on Thursday received signs, caps and gowns and other congratulatory items from teachers and staff. School officials delivered the items to the seniors’ homes, titling the project #drivinmiles4seniorSMILES. The event followed an April announcement that graduation was postponed until July 21. A backup...
Products from Somerset’s Moo Echo Dairy should be discarded, state says
Several products from a Somerset County dairy farm should be discarded because they were not properly pasteurized, the state Department of Agriculture said. Products from Moo Echo Dairy were sold at several Westmoreland and Somerset county stores including Lapp’s Family Market in Unity Township, Dormina’s Kitchen Cupboard in Jenner Township,...
Pair plead guilty to drug charges stemming from Salem traffic stop
Two Allegheny County residents pleaded guilty to conspiracy, drug and other charges in connection with their September 2018 arrest in Salem Township. Police said Joseph J. Baughman, 38, of Green Tree, and Samantina Maria Perri, 31, of Crafton, were passengers in a car that was stopped for a traffic violation...
Andy Davis Band will livestream charity concert to benefit Westmoreland County Food BankVideo
Country-rock group the Andy Davis Band will perform a livestreamed show Friday night, the proceeds from which will benefit the Westmoreland County Food Bank and two local theaters. “It’s going to be a live show with six different camera angles,” said Davis’ wife Victoria. “We’re following all the guidelines by...
Newlonsburg reconfigures year-end celebration for fifth graders
Fifth graders at Newlonsburg Elementary in Murrysville typically get a warm send-off as they leave for summer vacation and prepare to enter the middle school. “On the last day of school, we do sort of an indoor parade,” Principal Tina Gillen said. “Students and staff line the hallways, and fifth...
Forbes State Forest cave closures to continue
With no direct knowledge of whether the coronavirus can infect or sicken North American wildlife, including bats, the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will continue the ongoing closure of three caves in the Forbes State Forest. Lemon Hole and Coon caves in Westmoreland County, and Barton Cave in...
Police search Unity property in Cassandra Gross disappearanceVideo
State police investigators equipped with an excavator, searched a Unity township property Wednesday possibly connected to the 2018 disappearance of Cassandra Gross. Just after 8 a.m., multiple marked and unmarked police cruisers drove down White Fence Lane, adjacent to Unity Cemetery, to serve a search warrant on Almira F. Stanko....
Athletic director steps in to head troubled Latrobe wrestling programVideo
Greater Latrobe School Board went to the top of its athletic staff to set a new course for the district’s troubled wrestling program. The board this week named its athletic director Mark Mears to also serve as wrestling coach, taking leadership of a program rocked in January by hazing allegations...
Greater Latrobe eyes worst-case 2.7-mill tax hike
Property owners in the Greater Latrobe School District could see a 2.7-mill increase in real estate taxes under a tentative 2020-2021 budget of nearly $57.2 million approved this week by the school board. District business administrator Dan Watson said the potential hike to 84.95 mills would add $73 to the...
As Pa. fairs are canceled, communities miss out on tradition, social engagement
Rural communities across Pennsylvania are feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic as local fairs, often social epicenters during the summer, are canceled in accordance with state regulations. So far, 16 of the 108 fairs across the state have been called off, said Sally Nolt, president of the Pennsylvania State...
Belle Vernon Area School District, teachers’ union ratify new five-year deal
Belle Vernon Area School District and its teachers’ union have ratified a new five-year contract after more than a year of negotiations, including two eight-hour sessions mere days before schools statewide were shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. The new contract is retroactive to July 1, 2019, and runs through...
Penn-Trafford video students snag awards, adjust to producing amid pandemicVideo
The students who create Penn-Trafford TV, the school district’s in-house television broadcasts, brought home 16 nominations and six awards from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Mid-Atlantic Region High School Production Awards. Both are school records. But there was barely any time to enjoy their success before schools...
Westmoreland County aims for safe in-person voting June 2Video
Westmoreland County Elections Bureau Deputy Director Scott Sistek said additional measures will be implemented at each of the county’s 307 voting precincts to ensure a safe environment for poll workers and voters during the June 2 primary. Poll workers will wear masks in the precincts and, while voters will not...
Robert Levin makes 2nd bid to revive family furniture business
Robert Levin is back in the furniture business. Almost two months to the day after his deal fell through to repurchase the family-owned furniture chain he sold to Art Van Furniture in 2017, Levin has negotiated a deal in bankruptcy court to buy back the Levin brand. His $25.7 million...
Hempfield Area to extend cyber program to elementary grades
The Hempfield Area School District is making its cyber program available to all elementary grades. In a letter dated May 15, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said the program will be available to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The program currently is open to grades six through 12. She noted some...
Westmoreland County Prison guard charged with assaulting inmate
The alleged assault on an inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison at the hands of a guard last month was reported by Manor Police, who had just delivered the handcuffed prisoner to the jail, according to court records. Borough officers told county detectives they watched as James Mapp “was repeatedly...
Registered sex offender accused of assaulting girl in New Florence
A Cambria County man is accused of inappropriately touching a 7-year-old girl at a New Florence home in November, according to court papers. David Alan Heming, 57, of Johnstown, was arrested by Westmoreland County detectives Monday on charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors. The girl told investigators that,...
Coronavirus count in Westmoreland County falls by 1 as state refines data
The coronavirus case count dropped by one in Westmoreland County on Tuesday as the state continues to refine its numbers. The subtraction of one case brings the county total to 431, according to data from the Department of Health. Case and death counts by county have continued to fluctuate as...
Greensburg YMCA to host drive for Westmoreland County Food Bank
Greensburg YMCA will host a Trunk to Truck Food Drive to benefit the Westmoreland County Food Bank on Saturday. Employees of the Y will be present from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to handle donations at the gym doors at 101 S. Maple Ave. This event will follow non-contact protocols....
Cops: Man jailed after being cited for drug possession, later breaking into Hempfield car wash
A Philadelphia man found in Westmoreland County passed out inside a vehicle reeking of marijuana and subsequently charged with drug possession over the weekend was arrested about 12 hours later following an alleged burglary at a local business, state police reported. Troopers first encountered Naasir N. Boyd, 19, around 9...
Construction manager: Franklin Regional elementary project keeping pace despite delay
The general manager for Franklin Regional’s Sloan elementary campus construction and renovation is confident that contractors will be able to keep pace with the project’s original timeline, despite a roughly month-long setback at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. “The only areas we’re trying to keep a close eye on,...
Hempfield school district approves preliminary budget with no tax hike
Hempfield Area School District property owners will not see a tax hike this year after board officials unanimously passed a $97.67 million preliminary budget this week. This is the second budget in a row that has not raised taxes, following five years of gradual increases, setting taxes at 83.46 mills....
Western Pa. task force intent on training dogs to sniff out covid-19Video
More than 100 dogs and handlers from throughout the region were put through their paces this month as they vied for the opportunity to join in the battle against the covid-19 pandemic. During sessions in Youngwood and Imperial, a panel of trainers evaluated the dogs’ ability to sniff out hidden...
Greensburg diocese to begin in-person Mass on June 1
The seating and the passing of peace may look a little different but, beginning June 1, Catholic churches in the Diocese of Greensburg will celebrate Mass — in person. Diocesan officials announced Monday that parishes can once again begin public Mass. Parishioners will be required to wear masks and remain...
Westmoreland prison guard fired amid inmate assault investigation
A Westmoreland County Prison guard was fired Monday, less than a month after the launch of an investigation into allegations that an inmate was assaulted by staff at the jail. Warden John Walton declined to reveal details that led to the firing. Sheriff James Albert, who serves as a member...
