Westmoreland category, Page 7
Westmoreland happenings: Egg hunt, health screenings, pancake breakfast, more
Egg hunt Pantalone Funeral Home Inc. will sponsor its free annual Easter egg hunt at 2 p.m. March 28 at the Pantalone Pavilion, 110 Hannastown Road, Hempfield. Children 12 and younger are welcome and will be divided into age groups. Rain or shine. There will be refreshments, treat bags and...
Does your Westmoreland County home have lead paint? This free program provides repairsVideo
When the Porters moved into their new three-story Mulberry Street home in Scottdale in January, they knew they would have to do some repairs. The century-old home needed new windows, and its third floor required significant work to make it habitable. What they did not count on was that the...
Westmoreland judge rules trial error didn’t impact verdict in Loyalhanna murders
Death row inmate Kevin Murphy will not receive a new trial for the 2009 murders of three family members, despite a judge’s ruling Wednesday that it was improper for him to be absent from a crime scene visit during his original 2013 trial. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik- DeFazio...
Suspect free on $25K bail after alleged robbery of activist in GreensburgVideo
Greg Powers was back outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon, one day after police said the activist was robbed by a man while Powers was peacefully protesting. Powers has been a daily fixture at the spot for months, holding an upside-down American flag and a sign that says...
Greensburg Bloodhound Team adds new member
Lou Battistella, commander of the Greensburg Bloodhound Team, had no intention of bringing another dog on board after the death of Darcy, a 10-year-old canine who worked more than a decade with the team. “Sometimes, things happen for a reason,” Battistella said via email. Battistella took in Demi, a 10-week-old...
Jeannette American Legion to host fundraiser in honor of father, 4 children killed in 2024 fire
Two years after five Jeannette residents were killed in a house fire on Guy Street, a fundraiser will be held to support a foundation created in memory of the victims. Tyler J. King, 27, and four of his children — Kyson, 7; Kinzleigh, 6; Keagan, 3; and Korbyn, 1 month...
Westmoreland Sale for Kids approaches 2 decades under Hunker owner
With a 9-month-old and another baby on the way, Gen Mellott was looking for deals to outfit her children when she first attended the Westmoreland Sale for Kids in 2005. At the time, the consignment sale was housed in one building on the Westmoreland Fairgrounds. The sale — next slated...
Police: Toxic breast milk likely killed 15-month-old toddler in Mt. Pleasant Township
A 15-month-old boy who died from a methamphetamine overdose last year likely ingested the drug through breast milk, according to state police. “His only form of survival was to consume breast milk that was toxic,” Trooper Steve Limani said. An investigation into the Feb. 12, 2025, death of Thomas Blaesser...
Norwin paraprofessionals get contract, pay raise
Norwin’s paraprofessionals and teachers’ aides won their first contract with the school district, one that provides them annual raises over the next four school years. The Norwin School Board on Monday approved a four-year contract with the Norwin Paraprofessional Education Support Professionals, which provides union members with annual wage increases...
Pizzaiolo Primo opens largest location yet at former Atria’s in Murrysville
Regional restaurant Pizzaiolo Primo opened the doors of its newest location this week in the former Atria’s on Route 22 in Murrysville. Restaurant officials noted that they had been waiting for their authentic pizza oven to arrive from Italy to join an array of fresh ingredients also imported from the...
Former South Greensburg fire chief accused of theft seeks evaluation for disorders including gambling addiction
The former South Greensburg fire chief will be evaluated by a psychiatrist while he awaits the outcome of a felony theft case against him. A motion for the evaluation filed by defense attorney Brian Aston indicates Matthew White, 49, of Hempfield needs a forensic evaluation to determine his mental health...
New mental health diagnosis could impact guilty plea in St. Clair murder-for-hire case
A new mental health diagnosis could impact the planned guilty plea of a 20-year-old man who admitted to killing a St. Clair woman in her home at the request of her daughter. Robert Jack, 20, was the key witness during a weeklong trial in Westmoreland County court in February. His...
Playing it safe: Chimney sweeps say annual cleanings are a necessityVideo
It’s a dirty job. But if you don’t want to risk a chimney fire, someone’s got to do it. For anyone over the age of 40, the phrase “chimney sweep” probably conjures up memories of Dick Van Dyke’s sooty face, derby cap and famously terrible Cockney accent in “Mary Poppins.”...
Acme pair charged with murder after toddler dies of methamphetamine overdose
Two Acme residents are facing third-degree murder charges after a 15-month-old child died from a methamphetamine overdose in a home investigators found was freezing and filled with waste. Michael Blasser, 34, and Ashley Makarsky, 31, were arraigned Monday on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. The charges stem...
Intoxicated truck driver accused of assaulting state trooper in South Huntingdon
A New York City man whose commercial truck became disabled Monday in South Huntingdon is accused of spitting on a state trooper and calling him a racial slur, according to court papers. Troopers said Enayet Hossain, 47, of the Richmond Hill section in Queens, is subject to removal from the...
Latrobe Poetry Neighborhood celebrates the art form in April
During the entire month of April, downtown Latrobe will once again be bursting at the seams with poetry. As part of National Poetry Month, Latrobe resident Bobbie Hineline and Saint Vincent College professor Jeannine Pitas organized Latrobe Poetry Neighborhood last year, putting together poetry readings, workshops and other events, and...
Jeannette parks to receive interactive signs encouraging activity
Interactive signs are expected to be installed at Jeannette parks under a Leadership Westmoreland project. Each sign will have a different activity for children that encourages them to learn about the environment around them and exercise their imaginations, said Kelli Gardner, Westmoreland County Community College director of development. City council...
Proposed Trolley Line Trail would connect Irwin, North Huntingdon
A Norwin-based trail group is seeking a feasibility study to transform a former trolley line into a 1.5-mile hiking and biking path connecting Irwin and North Huntingdon. Dan Korhnak, co-founder of the nonprofit Friends of Norwin Trails, told North Huntingdon commissioners that the group will commission an engineering firm to...
2 former Westmoreland coroners back on the county payroll
Westmoreland County’s last two elected coroners are back on the payroll. Former Coroner Tim Carson started this month in a newly created human services position to serve as coordinator of the county’s opioid prevention program. Meanwhile, current Coroner John Ackerman — who ousted Carson in last year’s Republican primary and...
1 dog dies, another rescued from Greensburg house fire
One dog died and a second was hurt in a fire that caused substantial damage Sunday to a Greensburg home. The fire at 208 Peterinelli Way, an alley between West Third and West Fourth streets, was reported shortly after 6 p.m. No one was at home at the time of...
With SATs optional for many colleges, are the tests still relevant?
Greater Latrobe senior Autumn Blozowich took the SAT three times before and during her junior year, yet when she applied to Pitt, Kent State and Penn State, she didn’t submit her scores once. “I wasn’t really happy with my scores,” she said of the standardized entrance exam. “If you don’t...
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport construction hits homestretch, new terminal set for June openingVideo
A shiny new $22 million expansion of the terminal at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport will be ready for passengers in late spring, officials said this week. The first phase of the project to double the terminal’s size is nearing completion as crews put finishing touches on the expanded two-story building....
Westmoreland happenings: Cupcake decorating class, egg hunt, bowl-a-thon, more
Class Free cupcake decorating class, 5:30 to 8 p.m. March 25 at Sage’s Army, 6044 Route 30, suite 400, Hempfield. Reservations required and materials are provided. Reservations: 724-863-5433. Easter • Egg hunt, noon to 3 p.m. March 28, at West Newton Lions Field, 507 Pittsburgh St. Sponsored by Community Revitalization...
High winds knock out power for more than 260,000 in Pittsburgh region; a slew of roads closed
About 260,000 West Penn Power and Duquesne Light customers in the Pittsburgh region were without power Friday night after high winds blew through the area Friday afternoon. As of 9 p.m., Duquesne Light reported about 151,000 outages in Allegheny County and 16,000 in Beaver County. West Penn Power reported roughly...
Philadelphia man arraigned in 2022 Rostraver shooting
A Philadelphia man accused in a 2022 Rostraver fatal shooting was arraigned Friday morning in Westmoreland County. Tuan M. Dang, 47, is in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail on homicide charges. He didn’t have an attorney listed in online court records. A preliminary hearing is set for March 27....
