Westmoreland category, Page 707
County commissioners leaning toward reopening Westmoreland’s 2020 budget
Westmoreland County commissioners said Monday they still plan to reopen the county’s 2020 budget in hopes of nixing a 2.4% property tax increase, but they concede there isn’t much time left to do so. State law allows a newly constituted board of commissioners to recast budgets approved by the previous...
Solar co-op schedules Westmoreland meetings, seeks members
A nonprofit that organized solar power co-ops in Allegheny and more than a half dozen other Western Pennsylvania counties scheduled three informational sessions for prospective members of a similar co-op that is forming in Westmoreland County. Solar United Neighbors of Pennsylvania set the first meeting for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at...
Scottdale man given house arrest in fatal crash involving crane truck in Pine
A 72-year-old Scottdale man accused of texting on a cellphone minutes before the 43,500-pound crane truck he was driving crashed into three other vehicles on Route 910 in Pine, killing a Sewickley man, reached a plea deal Monday. Charles Hunter will be on house arrest and probation for causing the...
Police seek man accused of removing welder, equipment from Unity store
State police in Greensburg are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who entered a farm supply store in Unity and left without paying for several hundred dollars worth of welding equipment. Troopers said the theft occurred Dec. 28 when a white male, wearing a denim shirt and...
Jeannette man accused of choking cop serving him with mental health warrant
A Jeannette man who spent time in jail for unlawfully restraining his mother is accused by police of choking an officer who was taking him into custody on a mental health warrant, according to court papers. Neal M. Hubish, 39, also tried to grab a Taser from a Jeannette officer,...
Police: Charges pending after 2-year-old seen using vaping device on video in St. Clair
Charges of child endangerment are pending against two people who police said allowed a 2-year-old boy to use a vaping device while they were baby-sitting him in St. Clair Township. A video of the New Florence boy using the device was recorded Thursday and posted to Snapchat, Trooper Cliff Greenfield...
Police: Delmont man claimed to be a firefighter as he tried to rob house
A Delmont man remained in jail Monday after police say he tried to rob a house over the weekend while identifying himself as a firefighter and medical personnel. Charles Beiter, 33, is accused of forcibly entering a Mt. Pleasant home Saturday evening. He admitted to police that his plan was...
Latrobe runner knows it’s never too late to get moving
Darlene Upson was 53 years old the first time she ran in a footrace. After crossing the finish line five miles later, she swore she’d never do it again. “I couldn’t walk for three days,” the Latrobe resident said. “I said to myself, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me —...
State police investigate video of child with vaping device
Charges are pending against two people who appeared in a video giving a 2-year-old a vaping device, according to state police in Indiana County. Police reported that two suspects and the child have been identified. The Troop A, Indiana Criminal Investigation Unit is aware of a video and is investigating...
Fire damages home in Jeannette
Firefighters were called Sunday afternoon to a blaze at a building in Jeannette, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The fire was reported at 4:28 p.m. on the second floor of a home along South 12th Street. No injuries were reported....
Truck flips on railroad tracks in South Huntingdon, 2 people inside
A truck apparently flipped over on a set of CSX railroad tracks on Sunday afternoon in South Huntingdon Township, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The incident was reported at 4:35 p.m. along Sutersville Road. Rail traffic was being affected in that area. Two people who were inside the truck...
Pro, amateur skiers take to rails, ramps in Seven Springs competition
Skiers known for competing in the Olympics and X Games took to the rails this weekend at Seven Springs in a competition organized by Pittsburgh native and professional freeskier Tom Wallisch. The Steel City Showdown pit the professional and amateur competitors against each other on rails and ramps built at...
Wind advisory expires for part of region, unseasonably warm temperatures to remain
A wind advisory expired Sunday morning, but the area will continue to see unseasonably high temperatures throughout the week, according to the National Weather Service in Moon Township. The highest wind gust was reported at Butler County Airport with 56 mph, according to the weather service. Meteorologist Jenna Lake said...
Final cause of fatal Pennsylvania Turnpike crash could be years awayVideo
Families could have to wait up to two years before they know what caused a fatal tour bus crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike — a slow process prolonged because the National Transportation Safety Board has other crashes under investigation and only a single laboratory to process evidence for incidents across...
Highway deaths continue to mount, though U.S. roadways are safer than everVideo
A horrific crash that killed five people on the Pennsylvania Turnpike last Sunday represents only a fraction of a percentage point of the annual death toll on the nation’s highways. Highway design has advanced dramatically and features such as seat belts, airbags and stability controls have made vehicles safer than...
Orthodox Christians enjoy balmy weather for lakeside blessing serviceVideo
They didn’t need winter coats this year. Instead, parishioners at St. Michael’s Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in South Greensburg on Saturday wore light jackets and had gloveless hands as they tossed ice crosses into the upper lake at Twin Lakes Park. “This is a treat for me,” said Jim Laffin,...
Family mourns man killed in crash near Westmoreland Mall
A Latrobe family is mourning the loss of Justin Bibel, 29, who was killed in a crash on Route 30 near the Westmoreland Mall. Bibel died Thursday in UPMC Presbyterian hospital, according to his wife, Monica Lea Bibel. “He was a good guy, he was funny, he was laid back,...
Getaway driver in 2018 robbery spree gets 2 to 6 years in prison
The getaway driver who participated in three armed robberies in late 2018 in East Huntingdon and Scottdale will serve up to six years in prison. William Nathan Lint, 36, of Connellsville, pleaded guilty Friday to robbery and other offenses in connection with heists at three local business over a five-day...
Westmoreland water, sewage rates to remain unchanged
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members on Friday unanimously approved a new $105.2 million budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year that keeps water and sewer rates at their current levels. The budget year, which begins in April, will be the second consecutive year the authority has held the line...
New senior living facility coming to Hempfield
Construction has begun on a new 119-unit senior living facility in Hempfield. Towne Square Senior Apartments, at 1043 Towne Square Drive, will offer one- and two-bedroom units and amenities including an on-site beauty salon and barber shop, a community room with planned activities and trips, a lounge and fitness center,...
Rostraver West Newton paramedic Matthew Smelser laid to rest in MonongahelaVideo
More than 300 emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters and police officers gathered under a steady rain Friday in Monongahela to honor Matthew C. Smelser. They stood shoulder to shoulder and stretched two blocks down Chess Street for a finale salute to the Rostraver West Newton paramedic supervisor who was killed...
North Huntingdon residents upset over trash collection problems
Facing complaints about failing to pick up trash, North Huntingdon’s new garbage collector promised it will be caught up with residential stops on Saturday, a township official said. The transition from Waste Management to County Hauling of Rostraver “has gone a lot harder” than expected, township manager Jeff Silka said....
Hempfield students hope to plant 2,020 trees this year
Science National Honor Society students at Hempfield Area High School already are thinking about the legacy they’ll leave behind after graduation. And, for soon-to-be graduates, that legacy will be in the form of 2,020 trees students plan to plant in the community starting this spring. “Our graduating year is kind...
2 companies competing for Greensburg code permits, inspections
Greensburg now has contracts with two third-party companies to handle building permits and inspections. The city is asking developers to choose which they’d prefer working with — Millvale-based Code.sys, which has handled inspections since 2015, or the newly contracted Code Enforcement Agency (CEA) of Jefferson Hills. “We’re shifting from bossing...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Jan. 10-12Video
Baby, it’s … well, warm outside. Along with the unseasonably warm temperatures, this weekend’s entertainment options include warming soup, hot music and heated drama. Full stomachs, warm (he)arts The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will hold “Art on Tap: Soup Du Jour” from 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 10 at...
