Westmoreland category, Page 725
Westmoreland Mall loyalists cling to Black Friday tradition, leery of its evolutionVideo
Westmoreland Mall isn’t the shopping center Bev Queer and Carol Gowatski remember. They used to gravitate toward the Bon-Ton department store. But then that closed in 2018. Sears was usually a good option, too, but that retailer closed its doors earlier this year. “Pretty soon there’s not going to be...
Top dog from Ligonier Township just a ‘goofy golden retriever’ outside the ring
One word — “golden” — from the judge, and the dog world knew that Daniel, a golden retriever from Ligonier Township, had won the best sporting dog title at the 2019 National Dog Show. Daniel’s breeder, Tammy Tomlinson of Hillock Golden Retrievers, said Friday that Daniel is the winningest golden...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 29-Dec. 1
Thanksgiving dinner is over, Black Friday is here and the race to celebrate the upcoming holiday season is on. The days grow dark more quickly, but lights, music and festivals will lend some brightness and cheer, throughout Westmoreland County. Hit the switch, Ligonier The annual Light-Up Ligonier event invites everyone...
Penn Township tattoo parlor will host Toys for Tots fundraiser
When Justin Schultz opened his first tattoo shop in downtown Jeannette in 2012, a Toys for Tots representative stopped by right around this time of year to drop off a donation box. “I thought, ‘It’s such a little box,’ so we had the idea to do an annual fundraiser and...
Greensburg Garden Center’s greens sale is a holiday traditionVideo
On the ground floor of the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, there’s a room stocked floor to ceiling with holiday decor items, from artificial trees and glittering bulbs to colorful ribbons and bows. From this work space, members of the Greensburg Garden Center craft one-of-a-kind items to sell at the...
Greensburg Kiwanis Club small but mighty after 100 years
Members of the Greensburg Kiwanis Club like to say they’ve given to charities and organizations covering every letter of the alphabet except V and X. Over the past century, beneficiaries of the club’s good works have included the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library, Clelian Heights School, Salvation Army, Blackburn Center, Adopt-a-Highway,...
Annual holiday Festival of Lights warms historic Mt. Pleasant mansionVideo
The Braddock Trail Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, will host its 30th annual Festival of Lights, offering 45 decorated trees for visitors to enjoy in the historic Samuel Warden Mansion in Mt. Pleasant. Upstairs and down throughout the 132-year-old Victorian house, guests can admire the trees and...
Local shops across Westmoreland County gear up for Small Business SaturdayVideo
Standing among about 250 guitars and keyboards in his downtown Irwin store, Kevin McDonald said he is gearing up for the post-Thanksgiving rush that will be Black Friday, followed by Small Business Saturday. “We are stocked and ready for the holiday. We love it,” McDonald said of the expected influx...
ATV operator in fatal Donegal Township crash identified
A 27-year-old man was killed Wednesday afternoon along Route 130 in Donegal Township when his all-terrain vehicle was hit by a Jeep, the Westmoreland County coroner said. The victim, Joshua H. Torrence, of 33rd Street, Cook Township, was driving the ATV east on Route 130 at about 4:40 p.m. when...
Greensburg Turkey Trot hosts largest race with more than 2,500 runners
More than 2,500 runners gathered outside of the Westmoreland County Courthouse Thursday for the 28th Annual Greensburg Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot. The yearly event was the largest in the history of the race, and race director Carol Palcic expected the runners to raise nearly $30,000 for local charities. This year...
Ligonier Township golden retriever Daniel wins group at National Dog ShowVideo
He could well be Ligonier Township’s most accomplished best friend. It’s doubtful many other dogs could claim the fame that Daniel has in the past couple years. The 5-year-old golden retriever, whose full name is Jack Daniels, racked up another feather in his cap by winning the best sporting dog...
Communities serve Thanksgiving meals ‘with love,’ fellowshipVideo
Westmoreland County residents who might otherwise spend the fourth Thursday in November alone or with a sparse menu can find a place at a communal table or a friendly knock at their door, thanks to volunteers who focus on the “giving” part of Thanksgiving Day. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in...
Operation Santa Claus gears up to help others enjoy the holidays
As it has for 35 years, Operation Santa Claus will make sure thousands of needy Western Pennsylvania families enjoy the gift of a holiday meal this year. Operation Santa Claus is a nonprofit organization and a cooperative effort by Trib Total Media, Shop ’n Save and the Salvation Army. This...
Norwin’s sensory hallways give students calming effectVideo
Kolton Kamauf walked through Norwin’s Hahntown Elementary School in North Huntingdon, where paintings and stickers on the hall floors and walls prompt him and other students to crab walk, touch images and do wall push-ups. ”I like it because it gives my brain a break and it relaxes me,” said...
Choose-and-cut growers attract traditionalists on quest for ideal Christmas tree
Artificial or real? It’s the classic debate at the start of the Christmas season, pitting those who want the convenience of a tree in a box against those who prefer the authenticity and scent of an actual evergreen. Dedicated traditionalists go even further, seeking a place where they can pick...
Garbage truck, car collide in Penn Township
No injuries were reported in connection with a crash involving a garbage truck and a car. Westmoreland County dispatchers said the wreck occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at College Avenue and Oak Hill Drive in Penn Township. Traffic was rerouted around the scene....
Coroner called to ATV-Jeep crash in Donegal Township
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office was called to a section of Route 130 in Donegal Township where an ATV collided with a Jeep on Wednesday evening. Rescuers reported a male patient was unresponsive at the scene of the crash near the intersection of Donegal Lake Road, a Westmoreland County 911...
Westmoreland board certifies county election results; Kopas shut-out official
The Westmoreland County Board of Elections on Wednesday certified results of Nov. 5 state, county and school races, with no change in winners from initial, unofficial returns. In the county commissioners’ race, each of the four candidates was credited with some additional votes, but incumbent Democrat Ted Kopas remained shut...
‘Miracle’ reunion leads to adoption for thankful Greensburg family, teen
Amanda Ferree reached forward and squeezed the girl’s shoulder as they walked, both dressed in plaid button-down shirts, into a Westmoreland County courtroom. Her husband, Ian, wiped tears from his face on the witness stand as he recounted the fateful steps that brought the girl into their lives. And Leesa...
Jeannette ready to ring in the holiday season
The holiday spirit will officially arrive in Jeannette on Saturday. The second annual Sparkle of Christmas parade starts at 6 p.m. on Clay Avenue, but festivities kick off on Fifth Street and inside the Jeannette American Legion at 4:30 p.m. “We turned it into an event,” said Laura Smith, organizing...
Greensburg’s Used Furniture Outlet to close by end of year
Some Like it Olde, the antique store better known to Greensburg residents as the Used Furniture Outlet, will close by the end of the year. Owners Frank and Marian Ernhart sold their three-story South Pennsylvania Avenue building for $155,000 to Southpaw Properties, a company based in Pittsburgh and Columbus. “We’re...
In Jeannette, taxes to drop but fees to increase
There will not be a property tax increase in Jeannette next year and residents will pay less in earned-income taxes under the city’s proposed 2020 budget. But, garbage service will cost a little more and the city plans to add fees for two services that currently are free. The proposed...
Suspects in Ligonier business break-ins arrested on more burglary charges
Eight days after being released for their alleged involvement in a series of break-ins at Ligonier businesses, two men were arrested again Tuesday and accused in another series of burglaries, including one at a church office. On Nov. 18, police arrested Hunter M. Fitchko, 26, at his apartment on the...
Mt. Pleasant Township farm’s desserts popular on many area Thanksgiving tablesVideo
While turkey usually grabs the most attention at the Thanksgiving table, the dessert pie isn’t far behind. For 23 years, pies from Sand Hill Berries farm off Route 819 in Mt. Pleasant Township have been stealing the show. The work for owners Susan and Richard Lynn begins several weeks ahead...
Ohio man accused in bizarre North Huntingdon bank heist attempt headed to trialVideo
The family of an Ohio man arrested in a bizarre Westmoreland County bank robbery scheme involving a mask and claim of bombs at two area high schools said Wednesday they still can’t understand his actions. Luke J. Dell, 35, of Beavercreek, Ohio, made his first court appearance Wednesday since his...
