Westmoreland category, Page 7
2 years after Jeannette fire claimed 5, family works to give back with nonprofit
The 5 Angels Memorial Fund serves several purposes. At its core, the nonprofit is a vehicle to remember the five lives lost March 20, 2024, in a Jeannette house fire. Tyler J. King, 27, and four of his children — Kyson, 7; Kinzleigh, 6; Keagan, 3; and Korbyn, 1 month...
4 dead after fiery crash in Sewickley Township; coroner says victims’ identities being determined
The Westmoreland County Coroner on Sunday released the names of four teens killed in a fiery car crash in Sewickley Township early Saturday morning. The coroner identified them as Brady D. Hunker, 15, of Herminie; Rocco A. Zugai, 18, of West Newton; Felicity M. Martini, 15, of Yukon; and Kylee...
‘Art in Bloom’ returns to Westmoreland Museum of American Art
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is ushering in spring with one of its most popular annual programs, “Art in Bloom,” which tasks floral designers with creating displays inspired by artworks in the museum’s collections. The exhibit will be on display March 25-29 along with several special events. “Visitors can...
Combating youth suicide tilts increasingly toward early intervention
A suicidal child or teenager may never talk of taking their life. Parents, peers and teachers might not even know they’re living with mental illness. Despite younger generations showing greater openness to discussing mental health struggles, fears of punishment or social exclusion remain, experts say. Even at medical appointments, minors...
Franklin Regional teen’s suicide leaves family seeking answers and raising awareness
When Jeremy Foltz opened his front door and saw the police chief and county coroner, his mind began to race. There were plenty of reasons the chief might be there. There was only one reason the coroner would be. On the morning of Sept. 14, 2025, the Foltz family’s world...
Westmoreland happenings: Egg hunt, Easter dinner, Race for Grace, more
Easter events • Community Easter dinner, 4 to 7 p.m. March 24 at Cook Township Community Center, 1698 Route 711. Sponsored by Stahlstown Trinity Community Church. Donations will be accepted. • Egg hunt for children and dogs, noon to 3 p.m. March 28 at Yinzer Valley Farms, 681 Mulberry Road,...
Legendary Hempfield softball coach Bob Kalp dies at age 80
“Let’s go to work.” Bob Kalp would say those words when an inning turned over, and his Hempfield softball teams took the field to play defense. No matter the opponent, score or situation, he would clap his hands, set his fielders and nestle into the coaching box at third base...
Ligonier Valley ex-police chief John Berger headed to trial on bribery, drug charges
The man Westmoreland County prosecutors said bribed former Ligonier Valley police Chief John Berger with pain pills and an award is now cooperating with authorities. Michael Hootman, 43, of Ligonier Township served as a key witness for prosecutors during a preliminary hearing for Berger on Friday. Prosecutors accuse Berger of...
High school students explore careers at Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital
Students from Greensburg Central Catholic, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield Area, Penn Trafford and Jeannette City school districts participated in a career fair at Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital on Friday, Feb, 27, 2026. It was the first of two career fairs the hospital is hosting for students this year; the next...
Penn-Trafford hockey team gets championship send-off from classmates, familyVideo
The Penguins Cup champion Penn-Trafford High School hockey team is headed east to compete against North Penn in the Class 2A state finals, and their classmates cheered the players on Friday afternoon as they boarded the bus for West Chester. The Warriors won their first Pens Cup title on Monday...
Hempfield Area superintendent vows to ‘support kids and our staff’ after PTO treasurer charged with theft
Hempfield Area Superintendent Mark Holtzman said the district will financially support Fort Allen Elementary School’s students and staff after Westmoreland County detectives accused a parent of taking $46,000 from the school’s parent-teacher organization. Darshanna L. Truss, 35, of Hempfield, a treasurer of the PTO, was charged this week with two...
EPA to conduct water testing around South Huntingdon landfill siteVideo
When U.S. Rep. Summer Lee visited South Huntingdon’s Yukon neighborhood last summer, she sat with families to hear their concerns about decades of potentially toxic pollution from the nearby Max Environmental Technologies landfill. On March 19, Lee, D-Swissvale, announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would begin sampling residential drinking...
Murrysville burglary suspects charged with additional attempt in Penn TownshipVideo
Two men charged with attempted burglaries in Murrysville this month are facing additional charges related to a third attempted burglary the same day in neighboring Penn Township. Sebastian M. Montano 24, of Chicago, and Kevin D. Piza-Alzate, 24, of Reading, were initially both charged with burglary and criminal conspiracy for...
Westmoreland municipal authority extends contract with private manager
The Johnstown company that has served as the private manager for the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County since the early 1990s will remain on the job for the next 10 years. Authority board members on Thursday approved a five-year contract extension with Resource Development and Management Inc. (RDM) that will...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: March 20-22
We’ll officially welcome spring this weekend, and while the temperature may be see-sawing, there are lots of events to put an extra spring in your step at the end of a long week. Here are just a few. ‘Dirty Dancing’ in concert Have the time of your life at this...
Loyalhanna Watershed: Communication breakdown, different viewpoints led to split with Country MarketVideo
The dispute between the Ligonier Country Market’s organizers and the owners of the property where the popular farmers market has been held for decades resulted from a failure to communicate and differing views on how the market should be operated. That’s how watershed officials and Ligonier residents described the breakup...
Man charged in Salem road rage crash pleads guilty
A man state police said rammed a vehicle during a road rage incident last year in Salem was ordered to serve up to five years in prison. Cody Salensky, 27, formerly of Latrobe, pleaded guilty this week to aggravated assault by vehicle, aggravated assault and making terroristic threats in connection...
Installation of fort walls underway at Historic Hanna’s TownVideo
Work is underway to replace the fort walls at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield. The new wall will be a replica of the current 27-year-old structure, but with fresh logs and 21st-century methods. The current log structure, erected in 1998, has taken a beating from the elements over nearly three...
Treasurer of Hempfield Area PTO accused of pocketing $46K of group’s funds; police detail their accusations
A Hempfield Area parent is accused of taking $46,000 from a parent-teacher organization’s bank account, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. Darshanna L. Truss, 35, of Hempfield, who has been the treasurer of Fort Allen Elementary School’s PTO since 2023, was charged Thursday with two counts of theft....
Penn township, borough to gather residents’ feedback on potential merger
Penn Township and Penn Borough residents will have answers next month to questions regarding a merger of the two communities, a move proposed about three years ago. Officials from Penn Borough, a 0.2-square-mile area containing about 435 residents, approached neighboring Penn Township in March 2023 about merging the municipalities. This...
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...
