Westmoreland category, Page 676
Landslide closure of Route 906 near Monessen will continue until Friday
A section of Route 906 between Interstate 70 in Rostraver and Monessen that was closed for landslide repairs will remain closed until Friday. The highway stretch is expected to reopen at approximately 3 p.m. Friday, according to PennDOT District 12 community relations coordinator Valerie Petersen. The road was closed 2...
‘Priceless’: 97-year-old Latrobe woman’s Facebook baking sessions go viral
It started with a live Facebook baking session as a way to connect with some socially distanced friends. Like a yeast dough left untended, it grew and grew and grew. Suddenly, Lucy Pollock, a 97-year-old home baker from Latrobe, became a social media sensation. A couple of weeks ago, Mary...
Hempfield bicyclist with history of petty crimes charged with throwing traffic cone into creek
A Hempfield man who spent nearly two years in jail awaiting trial for obstructing traffic on his bicycle has been arrested again, this time for allegedly throwing a traffic cone into a flooded creek in Greensburg. City police said security footage showed David Smith, 60, riding his bike at Lynch...
Adapting: The ‘second first day of school’
Editor’s note: Adapting is a regular series spotlighting the ways the global coronavirus pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. On Monday, students in many areas across Pennsylvania had their “second first day of school,” in the form of school districts’ online learning plan going into...
6 residents, 1 staff at Ligonier Gardens nursing home test positive for coronavirus
Six residents and a staff member of Ligonier Gardens Personal Care Home have tested positive for coronavirus, according to Bethlen Communities, the nonprofit organization that operates the home. Two other Bethlen employees who don’t work at Ligonier Gardens also have tested positive. One works in transportation, the other in home...
Sen. Kim Ward seeks state law change to provide covid-19 info to first responders
A Westmoreland County lawmaker wants to amend state law to require the Pennsylvania Department of Health to release the general location of covid-19 cases to first responders. State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, is seeking co-sponsors for an amendment to require state health officials to release information about coronavirus cases by...
Westmoreland DA opposes county-paid expert for Penn Township murder appeal
Westmoreland taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for an expert to testify on behalf of Greensburg woman appealing her 2006 murder conviction, according to the county’s top prosecutor. In court documents filed Wednesday, District Attorney John Peck said expert testimony is irrelevant in the pending appeal of Jennifer...
Cost savings of postponed primary in Westmoreland could be eaten up by mail-in ballots
The five-week postponement of Pennsylvania’s primary could save Westmoreland County taxpayers up to $84,000. Commissioners said they will rescind the deal to rent ballot scanners that are no longer needed for the primary but that additional costs still could be accrued to pay for an unanticipated increase in mail-in ballots...
Adapting: Greensburg nursing home staffer helps residents adjust
Editor’s note: Adapting is a regular series spotlighting the ways a global pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. Excitement fills the halls of Greensburg Care Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays as bingo numbers are called over the loudspeakers, residents checking their cards while sitting in...
6 new cases in Westmoreland County, 14 more deaths statewide
Westmoreland County reported six new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday as the statewide death total jumped by 14 and new cases by more than 750, state officials said. The county total now stands at 61. The first cases were diagnosed March 19. The 756 new cases diagnosed across the state...
Mt. Pleasant man killed in East Huntingdon hit-and-runVideo
State police in Greensburg are trying to identify a motorist who struck and killed a pedestrian early Tuesday in East Huntingdon and then fled. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s office and state police remained at the scene along Mt. Pleasant Connellsville Road. Trooper Stephen Limani said Robert “Bobby” Sheele, 64, of...
Youngwood man jailed after allegedly assaulting, choking girlfriend
A 34-year-old Youngwood man was arrested Saturday, accused of assaulting and choking his girlfriend during an argument. Brandon Sticca was arraigned on charges of harassment, simple assault, strangulation and unlawful restraint after the incident in his apartment on South Fourth Street. Troopers said Sticca and the 20-year-old victim got into...
Murrysville Boy Scout creates ‘scent wall’ for search-and-rescue dog groupVideo
Eagle Scout projects fall into a wide variety of categories, but many are aimed at beautifying the towns in which they take place, or fixing up a feature that has fallen into disrepair. Liam Rhea of Murrysville jumped at the chance to take on a project that could potentially help...
Greater Latrobe changes meal schedule, grading system during coronavirus closure
Greater Latrobe School District has changed its student meal distribution schedule and grading process as the statewide coronavirus-driven closure of schools continues indefinitely. The district consolidated distribution of Grab-and-Go meals for students from every weekday to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while schools remain closed. Multiple meals will be provided from...
Franklin Regional to explore waiver request for Sloan construction project
Given the fluid situation at the state level regarding coronavirus-related business restrictions, Franklin Regional School District officials aren’t certain if they will need waivers to resume construction on the Sloan “elementary campus” project. But if they do, and decide to move forward with construction, their solicitor would like to have...
Charley Family Shop’n Save stores extend senior hours, add protective barriersVideo
Charley Family Shop’n Save stores in Greensburg and Murrysville expanded their senior shopping hours and took additional measures to put shoppers’ minds at ease amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We expanded senior hours on Monday from 6 to 9 a.m., and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 to 7 a.m.,” said...
Westmoreland jail population declines; Allegheny jail serves as model during pandemic
The number of adults and juveniles incarcerated in Westmoreland County corrections facilities continued to drop over the past week as the jail and juvenile detention center saw fewer new commitments while the public deals with the coronavirus pandemic. The jail had 519 inmates Monday, a decrease of more than 40...
Nail shop owners donate masks to North Huntingdon first responders
Two owners of a Monroeville nail salon donated 150 surgical masks last week for use by North Huntingdon’s fire, police and emergency medical services personnel, shop. North Huntingdon residents Thu Tran and her sister, Landai Bui, who own T&T Nails of Broadway Boulevard, Monroeville, made the donation last week, said...
Solitary scenes from Mt. Pleasant amid coronavirus pandemic
Mt. Pleasant Borough, like all of the small towns across the region, has seen a marked decrease in activity since Gov. Tom Wolf issued stay-at-home orders for Westmoreland County as part of the state’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The order mandates that people may leave their...
Westmoreland officials say first responders are running out of personal protection equipment
Westmoreland County’s first responders could run out of personal protective equipment by next week, public safety officials said Monday. Public Safety Director Roland Mertz said the county’s stockpile of masks, gloves, medical gowns and other equipment used by first responders is quickly drying up, a situation made worse by the...
Woman arrested after Jeannette police try to disperse group involved in fight
Jeannette police tried to avoid arresting a group of girls who were yelling about a fight in the street Sunday, but took one into custody after several residents started exiting their homes, according to court papers. Four to five females were walking in and out of traffic at the intersection...
8 new coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County, state total tops 4,000
Westmoreland County reported eight new coronavirus cases between Sunday and Monday, according to state health officials. The total number of cases rose to 55, up from from 47. The state recorded 693 new cases of covid-19 and now has 4,087. Eleven more people have died from the virus, bringing that...
North Huntingdon closes park playgrounds
North Huntingdon has closed playgrounds in township parks because of the concern over the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19, officials announced Monday. Parks will remain open for non-organized recreation. Dan Miller, director of the township’s parks and recreation department, could not be reached for comment. The township has...
Landslide shuts Route 906 between I-70 and Monessen
A landslide forced the closure of a section of Route 906 between Rostraver and Monessen on Monday. The road, which runs along the Monongahela River, will be closed until Thursday, weather permitting, while debris is cleared, according to a PennDOT spokeswoman. The road was closed at 2 a.m. Monday between...
Scottdale expands existing curfew to anyone under 18
Scottdale extended its normal 9 p.m. curfew for children during the school year to include anyone under 18, according to borough manager Angelo Pallone. The altered curfew will remain in effect as long as the coronavirus pandemic continues, he said. “It’s going to be enforced as long as the emergency...
