Westmoreland category, Page 7
Though not uncommon, hoarding ‘multiplies’ danger for fire crews
When New Kensington Fire Chief Ed Saliba responded Wednesday to a house fire on Richdale Drive, he said, he’d never seen so much packed into a structure in his more than 40 years as a firefighter. “I’ve never seen anything like that — in that amount — before,” Saliba said....
Community, routine spur gym-goers to work out after the holiday
Judy Sproat of Buffalo Township is no stranger to working hard during the holiday season. “I worked as a nurse all my life. I always worked holidays and the day after,” she said. “I don’t take a day off.” Sproat, 75, brought the post-holiday habit into her retirement as she...
Restitution, prison time set for North Huntingdon Aldi break-in
A man accused of breaking into a North Huntingdon Aldi grocery store was sentenced this week to seven months to four years in a state prison, according to a court order. Angel E. Ortega-Yanez, 32, pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal mischief, theft, possession of an instrument of crime and propelling...
Charges dismissed for man with ‘severe mental health issues’
A judge dismissed charges against a Jeannette man accused of breaking into a county detective’s home last year and assaulting him. Judge Timothy Krieger ruled earlier this month that “there’s no probability that the defendant can be restored to competency at now or at any time in the future,” according...
Hempfield man receives prison time for spitting on EMTs
A Hempfield man was sentenced to state prison for spitting on two emergency medical technicians as they tried to take him to a hospital for treatment. Anthony Michael Flowers, 33, was sentenced earlier this month to two to five years behind bars, according to a court order. Flowers was convicted...
Mall traffic sees boost as shoppers turn out for traditional Black Friday
NEW YORK — Black Friday bargains no longer tempt people to leave Thanksgiving tables for midnight mall runs. Brawls in store aisles over toys and TVs with limited-time discounts are spectacles of holidays past. Online shopping and retailers launching discounts weeks before the turkey feast subdued that kind of fervor....
Ligonier Township expects to hold line on property tax by dipping into healthy reserve
The Ligonier Township supervisors are considering a proposed $2.7 million budget for 2026 that could have a funding shortfall of about $282,000. That’s the equivalent of revenue generated by 2.87 mills worth of real estate tax in the township. But a tentative budget, posted on the township website, calls for...
Cold does not deter 2,000 from Greensburg Turkey Trot
With blustery weather more fit for Christmas than Thanksgiving, more than 2,000 runners and walkers braved the 3.1 miles up and down hills in the annual Greensburg Turkey Trot. Since its inception 34 years ago, the race has attracted those who make it part of their holiday, getting some exercise...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 28-30
Don’t let the post-Thanksgiving lull last all weekend! It’s time to get fully into the Christmas swing of things with a whole treasure trove of events this weekend. Here are a few. Light Up Ligonier Even if you aren’t putting up your Christmas tree and lights this weekend, the town...
Westmoreland happenings: Christmas house tour, meetings, more
Fundraisers • St. Stephen Orthodox Church, Unity, is accepting orders for its Christmas kolaci roll sale. Varieties: nut, apricot and poppyseed. Cost: $15. Order deadline: Dec. 3. Pickup: 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 13 and 20 at the church, 1520 Susan Drive. Orders: Cathy, 724-537-7238, or Brigette, 724-836-0930. • Westmoreland...
Crash on Route 30 in North Huntingdon occurred after undercover drug buy
A crash on Route 30 in North Huntingdon on Monday evening apparently was connected to an attempt by police to arrest a man who they say sold drugs to an undercover officer, according to court papers. The undercover officer requested 10 “bricks” of heroin/fentanyl from Demiyr T. Johnson, 27, in...
Chipotle eyes Irwin site for new restaurant
Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle plans to open a new eatery in Irwin. The Irwin Planning Commission is scheduled to review a land development plan at 6 p.m. Dec. 15 that Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has filed with the borough for a restaurant at 9174 Route 30 where Denny’s is currently...
Man charged in Latrobe slaying has history of violence against womenVideo
A man with a history of violence toward women was arrested Wednesday on police accusations that he killed a Latrobe woman in her apartment. Latrobe police and Westmoreland County detectives believe Glenn James Whittier, 54, stabbed Pamela Puskar in her Loyalhanna Apartments home and left her to bleed to death...
Leechburg Area among 4 districts suing state’s largest cyber school for tuition costs
Leechburg Area is among four school districts that have filed a lawsuit against the state’s largest cyber charter school asking that tuition be dropped for local students. The suit claims Commonwealth Charter Academy, as well as the state Department of Education through lack of sufficient oversight, fails to provide students...
Westmoreland County Housing Authority plans to lease former state prison property for solar power project
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority is hoping to save millions of dollars in energy costs over the next 25 years with two solar power projects that would benefit Hempfield Towers and a warehouse, officials said. The housing authority plans to have a $2.28 million solar power array on as many...
21 new police officers graduate from WCCC’s Municipal Police Officers’ Training Academy
Twenty-one cadets graduated from Westmoreland County Community College’s Municipal Police Officers’ Training Academy during a ceremony Tuesday. Graduates are Jordan Brasile and Grace Revitsky, both of Latrobe; Damiyan Davis of West Newton; Andrew Evans of North Huntingdon; Bradey Jackson of Allegheny Township; Jonathan Preece of White Oak; Charles Sciore of...
Westmoreland judge considers new trial for convicted murderer of mother, sister and aunt
A New Kensington man who was a juror in the trial of a man accused of a triple murder in Loyalhanna testified Tuesday in Westmoreland County Court that he heard a fellow juror comment on why the suspect did not join the judge, attorneys and jurors when they toured the...
Gas odor causes evacuation at Murrysville shopping plaza
An odor of gas caused an evacuation Tuesday afternoon at a Murrysville shopping plaza and sickened several people. Six people were taken to a local hospital as a precaution when they reported feeling ill at the Walnut Hollow plaza on Route 22, TribLive news partner WTAE reported. An official told...
PennDOT opens all lanes of ‘diverging diamond’ interchange along I-70 in Rostraver
PennDOT on Tuesday completed work to fully open a new “diverging diamond” interchange at the junction of Interstate 70 and Route 51 in Rostraver. The newly formatted interchange and nearby improvements on the two roadways have been under construction for three years. The I-70/51 diamond configuration has replaced a previous...
‘I know what it’s like to be hungry’: Greensburg church to donate 400 Thanksgiving dinners to local families
Kim Colosimo remembers what it’s like to be hungry. “I went through a divorce many, many years ago,” said Colosimo, who moved to Latrobe from Johnstown two years ago. “I had two small children. I was ‘this close’ from not having a home.” The church she attended in Johnstown is...
Hempfield supervisors buy land for new fire station despite response time warnings
A majority of Hempfield supervisors approved a conditional sales agreement for a new fire station in the western part of the township this week over concerns from firefighters in that area who said the location would impact their response time. Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Department President Ken Wees said the current...
Training session will offer help on responding to those with mental health, substance abuse issues
The Laurel Highlands Workforce & Opportunity Center in Greensburg will host a Dec. 13 program on mental health first aid training. The training will provide attendees with a five-step action plan to guide them through the process of reaching out and offering support to someone experiencing mental health issues. “It’s...
Seton Hill ceremony offers thanks for donors of bodies studied in anatomy lab
Cole Stinebiser encountered at least one dead body — a deceased woman found in a home — during his brief career as a municipal police officer in Pennsylvania. As a graduate student in Seton Hill University’s physician assistant program, the Hempfield native has developed a more extended relationship with Gary...
Hempfield raises property taxes for 1st time in 30 years to fund fire department
Property taxes are going up in Hempfield for the first time in more than three decades. Township supervisors Monday approved doubling the millage rate to 6 mills for 2026 to create a 3-mill fire tax to fund the fire department. Supervisors voted 4-1 to give an initial OK to the...
Crash sends 1 to hospital, shuts down Route 30 in North Huntingdon
At least one person was injured in a two-vehicle crash Monday evening on Route 30 in North Huntingdon. The injured motorist was taken by ambulance to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. The crash was reported shortly before 7:15 p.m. near the intersection of Rocky...
