Westmoreland category, Page 749

A Beaver County woman is accused of keeping $3,255 in pet adoption fees from a Hempfield-based animal rescue for which she volunteered as a foster home. Jenessa R. Tolejko, 33, of Brighton Township, is charged with forgery, theft and access device fraud. State police said in court papers that Tolejko...

Mt. Pleasant Area School District teachers who have been working without a contract for the last year issued a strike notice this week after failing to reach an agreement during their 15th negotiating session. The Mt. Pleasant Area Education Association, which represents 143 teachers, counselors, nurses and school psychologists, said...

A Jeannette man charged with setting two fires, including one that killed an elderly woman, wants separate trials for the alleged arsons. Brian Rendon, 34, is scheduled for trial next month on two cases — one in which he is charged with setting fire to a couch in front of...

Residents who violate Latrobe’s fire pit ordinance will face a $50 fine under an amended version of the law approved at council’s Monday meeting. The fine and related penalty provisions provide some teeth for city police, the city manager or code enforcement officer Ann Powell to enforce restrictions on small...

Local chefs are inviting diners to “be our guest” during the inaugural Greensburg Restaurant Week on Aug. 19-25. Seventeen restaurants and cafés in downtown Greensburg and along Route 30 in Hempfield are following the lead of other U.S. cities — including Pittsburgh — that roll out incentives during August, one...

Two Hempfield addiction treatment centers are teaming up for an event that will bring dozens of community resource agencies to one spot. The Community Advocacy Resource Exchange (CARE) Community Event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at 1037 Compass Circle, just off of Roseytown Road near Lynch...

The lawyer for a Laurel Mountain man awaiting trial on charges of bludgeoning to death his live-in girlfriend in 2014 said Monday his client suffers from a mental condition preventing him from forming an intent to kill. Defense attorney Brian Aston said a brain injury sustained by Gregory R. Randall...

Westmoreland County prosecutors on Monday challenged a judge’s ruling allocating up to $2,500 in taxpayer money for defense lawyers to hire a ballistics expert to help craft an appeal for a death row inmate. Kevin Murphy, 58, of Loyalhanna, is seeking to overturn his conviction to three counts of first-degree...

Norwin School District may hire a swimming pool consultant from Lancaster to outline it options and cost estimates for repairing and updating the high school pool to bring it up to modern standards. The school board could vote to hire Wallover Architects Inc. on Aug. 19 to provide the cost...

A former Westmoreland County Prison corrections officer claims she was the victim of racial discrimination when she was subjected to derogatory statements from co-workers and inmates, unwarranted discipline and erroneously blamed for an unnecessary inspection of cells. Bonita Hughey, 53, of Jeannette, in a lawsuit filed in Greensburg, said her...

Greensburg police Monday afternoon announced they were looking for three women charged with supplying a fatal dose of heroin that killed a city woman May 16. By evening, all three had been arrested — including one more than 600 miles away. Police allege Janae M. Brown, 41, of Scottdale; Britnee...

A Derry Township man was clocked driving more than 100 mph after passing a state trooper in a marked patrol car early Sunday along rural Route 217, according to police. Mark J. Wherry, 58, was arrested a short time later at his home along Tannery Hollow Road, where troopers tracked...

“Going solar” — that is to say, creating a solar-powered method for generating a home’s electricity — can be a daunting prospect for the average homeowner. But what if a bunch of the people in your neighborhood were doing it at the same time? That was the driving force behind...

Westmoreland County is planning a job fair to help fill as many as 50 positions at the courthouse, nursing home, jail and other government and human service offices. The day-long event will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Ramada Inn in Hempfield. It’s the...

An Indiana County woman is accused of transferring nearly $63,000 from a Murrysville real estate agency into her personal bank accounts, according to court papers. Angelica S. Botti, 40, of Robinson, was working as a bookkeeper for Re/Max Heritage when police said the thefts occurred. She is charged with unlawful...

Authorities have identified a man who was found dead in an Irwin creek Saturday afternoon. Authorities were called to Tinker Run Creek near the amphitheater in Irwin Park at 3 p.m. after someone spotted the body in the water, according to police. The Westmoreland County coroner said there was “no...

A Delmont man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Saturday as police were attempting to search his home in connection with a sexual assault investigation, said Police Chief T.J. Klobucar. Investigators intended to look for weapons that 56-year-old Richard Franco was to have used during an alleged rape there on...

The Westmoreland Heritage Trail offers cyclists a chance to see the county’s natural beauty and rich history, all while getting some exercise. While a section connecting Export and Delmont has yet to be completed — that section presents the difficult problem of how to safely cross Route 66 — with...

Westmoreland County is looking to hire a company to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and be available to go anywhere in the county for a pickup. On the surface, it appears to be just another job for a transportation company. But it is highly...

A boil water advisory was lifted Saturday morning for about 3,500 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers in the Jeannette, Penn Township and Irwin areas. Authority officials said an issue with drinking water has been corrected after crews this week repaired a waterline break in Jeannette. The break happened sometime...