Westmoreland category, Page 736
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 1-3Video
Oct. 31 may have come and gone, but seasonal celebrations continue. And if you enjoy music, your weekend options include both big brass and big hair. One brewery will celebrate the Day of the Dead, while a winery plans to drown your sorrows with laughs — and maybe a little...
North Huntingdon commissioners’ 7th ward race contested
At least three new commissioners will take office in North Huntingdon starting in December, and maybe fourth, depending upon whether the 7th Ward incumbent can beat his challenger. Commissioner Duane Kucera, 68, a Democrat representing the 7th Ward, is seeking his second term against Republican Eric Gass, 54, who lost...
Mascara challenges incumbent Squires for Westmoreland treasurer post
The race for Westmoreland County treasurer features a two-term incumbent and a newcomer with a political pedigree. Republican Treasurer Jared Squires, first elected in 2011, is running for reelection against Democratic challenger Matt Mascara. The treasurer’s office is responsible for overseeing money collected and disbursed by the county. The office...
State grant expected to bolster Westmoreland County’s drug court program
A state grant approved Thursday is expected to help expand Westmoreland County’s drug court program. Officials said the two-year $50,712 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will pay for enhanced drug testing of participants that will improve supervision and monitoring efforts of the four-year-old program. “This will...
Wind advisory in effect for Westmoreland, other parts of region for Halloween night
Wind and rain might be scarier than ghosts and ghouls for Halloween tricks-or-treaters. Westmoreland, along with Fayette and Indiana counties, are under a wind advisory until midnight Thursday. Wind gusts up to 55 mph are possible, according to the National Weather Service. The agency downgraded those areas from a tornado...
Ligonier Salvation Army accepts kids’ wish lists, seeks bell-ringers
The Salvation Army last year provided holiday gifts to 180 Ligonier Valley children in financial need. The need continues this year, and eligible area families who want to make sure their kids ages 13 or younger have something special in their stockings are encouraged to submit wish lists at the...
Cops: New York City man arrested in Hempfield after returning to crime scene
Returning to the scene of a crime was not a good idea for a New York City man charged with trying to use a man’s stolen identity to buy computers. Vaughn L. Lawhorn, 46, of Brooklyn, was arrested at Best Buy in Hempfield Wednesday as he attempted to purchase two...
Incumbents face newcomers for Hempfield supervisor seats
Issues within Hempfield will come to a head next week at the ballot box when a pair of challengers face two incumbents for seats on the township’s board of supervisors. Democrats Scott Graham, 51, and Daniel Kremer, 67, are vying for seats held by Tom Logan, 63, and Doug Weimer,...
Latrobe Art Center plans ‘Polka Dots & Plaid’ auction fundraiser
Attendees have the opportunity to don artful outfits for Latrobe Art Center’s annual signature fundraiser, “An Evening in The Neighborhood XII: Silent & Live Auction.” “Polka Dots & Plaid” is the theme for the semi-formal event, scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 13 at Latrobe Country Club. “This fundraiser helps us...
Penn-Trafford business class raises nearly $100,000 for charity
Students in a business class at Penn-Trafford High School raised almost $100,000 for charity since the class started 14 years ago, and they expect to pass the six-figure mark this year. Students in the “Introduction to Administration and Management” class sell T-shirts of their own design, with the profits going...
Westmoreland County Transit will bring bus and paratransit services in-house next yearVideo
Westmoreland County Transit Authority board members on Wednesday approved the takeover of all agency operations in a move that officials said will improve bus and paratransit services at a reduced cost. Board members during a specially scheduled meeting unanimously voted to operate the authority’s fixed-route bus service and operation of...
Route 31 ramps reopen amid I-70 interchange update
Motorists traveling east on Interstate 70 once more can exit and enter at Route 31, with the opening of ramps that were closed for construction. The ramps opened to traffic on Tuesday as work progressed on revamping the interchange in South Huntingdon from a cloverleaf to a diamond configuration. “If...
Former Hempfield student sues teacher over battery, emotional distress
Parents of a former Hempfield Area High School student filed a lawsuit this week, claiming their son was assaulted, intimidated and harassed by a teacher and, ultimately, forced to move to another school. According to the Westmoreland County court filing, the family contends John Testa Jr., a technology education teacher,...
Groundbreaking set for Westmoreland Mall casino
More than a year since a new mini casino at Westmoreland Mall was proposed, construction crews will start work in Hempfield next month. Work on the the 100,000-square-foot casino dubbed “Live! Casino Pittsburgh” will begin Nov. 13, making room for 750 slot machines and 30 table games, a sportsbook area,...
Police: Man fired gun into the air in Southwest Greensburg after argument
A male pedestrian who was stopped by Southwest Greensburg police in a neighborhood where multiple gunshots were heard early Wednesday told officers he fired two shots in the air after an argument with his girlfriend. Edwardo Romero-Gross, 18, of Greensburg, was charged by police with reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, carrying...
Re-enactor, shoemaker plans Fort Ligonier presentation
Shoemaker and historian Brett Walker will return to Fort Ligonier, where he sometimes appears as a re-enactor and where he is working on a project to examine and catalog a large cache of mid-18th-century archaeological shoes. This time, at 6 p.m. on Nov. 8, Walker will present “St. Crispin’s Lance...
Wicked weather proves tricky, postpones Halloween treats in Westmoreland
While most local municipalities are not spooked by the possibility of rain and wind on Halloween, others are taking a more cautious route and postponing trick-or-treating this year. The National Weather Service is predicting an almost 100% chance of rain and wind gusts over 30 mph Thursday night. Lee Hendricks,...
Cops: 3 arrested in Jeannette after search finds cocaine, prescription pills
Three members of a Jeannette family were arrested Wednesday after a search of their home by police and state narcotics agents turned up a large amount of suspected cocaine, prescription pills and drug packaging materials, according to court documents. James W. Smith and Takeitha Smith, both 42, and Ronell L....
Delmont firefighters say criticism from council hurts fundraising, recruitmentVideo
Delmont firefighters say an ongoing rift between the department and borough council has stymied fundraising and recruitment efforts. “It’s completely unnecessary, but they keep bashing our fire department,” said Rich Balik, Delmont fire chief. “We’ve been trying to build this department back up for two years after the past problems...
Trafford taxpayers could be on the hook for cost of razing former Mellon Bank buildingVideo
Trafford taxpayers may have to pay for demolition of the dilapidated and condemned former Mellon Bank building, which could cost between $135,000 to $165,000, officials said. The borough is hoping to come to an agreement with the building’s owner, Lanalex Cloyd Inc. of Export, to share the costs of razing...
Westmoreland commissioner hopefuls tout their goals but offer few specifics at forum
The four candidates for Westmoreland County commissioner looked to the future Tuesday night during one of the last campaign events leading up to next week’s general election. Each candidate said the county needs to attract new residents and to promote jobs and tourism but offered few specific programs or policy...
Franklin Regional youth football teams will play for two championships this weekend
When Big East Youth Football League teams get together for four championship games this weekend in Vandergrift, squads from Franklin Regional will have a chance to win half of them. The Franklin Area Midget Football Association’s 7/8 and 11/12 teams will go up against Gateway and McKeesport, respectively, on Saturday...
Abuse survivor calls on Greensburg Diocese to support window of opportunity for clergy abuse claims
A clergy sexual abuse survivor whose testimony sent a Greensburg diocesan priest to prison stepped forward Tuesday to blast the church for opposing a law that would allow adults with old claims to sue the church. Josh Kiley, the 37 year-old man whose tale of sexual abuse as a 10-year-old...
Westmoreland Register of Wills race pits office holder against longtime office worker
The race for Westmoreland County register of wills pits the incumbent against one of the office’s longtime staff members. Democrat Katie Pecarchik, 51, is challenging Sherry Magretti Hamilton, 42, a Republican who is in her first four-year term. Pecarchik, a Hempfield resident, questions how much time Magretti Hamilton spends at...
Judge allows defense to get expert for appeal in Loyalhanna murder case
A Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday authorized defense attorneys for an Indiana man on death row for the shooting deaths of his mother, sister and aunt to use up to $2,500 of taxpayer money to help formulate another appeal of his murder convictions. Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio approved...
