Westmoreland category, Page 750
Jeannette religious groups protest abortion despite national decline
Black-and-white placards with a jagged red EKG line running through the center to a red heart have cropped up in yards and roadsides across Jeannette and Greensburg. The message emblazoned on the signs: Unborn Lives Matter. In smaller print along the bottom are the names Knights of Columbus — a...
Rostraver learning center owner charged with forging records
A West Newton woman is accused of forging documents related to child clearances and training certificates for herself and other employees at the now-closed Bright Start Learning Care Center in Rostraver, according to court papers. Diane J. Mesiarik, 52, was arrested Thursday on numerous charges of forgery and tampering with...
Norwin elementary school given Blue Ribbon AwardVideo
A Norwin elementary school was given the National Blue Ribbon Award for academic excellence, becoming the first school in the district to win the award. Students at Sunset Valley in kindergarten through fourth grade erupted into cheers Friday morning as Principal Jason Cendroski announced the achievement, which was given to...
Police pull crack cocaine from Jeannette toilet during drug raid
Nearly 10 grams of crack cocaine was pulled from a Jeannette toilet Thursday by police during a raid at a North Third Street home, according to court papers. As police entered the home, four people were seen near the second-floor bathroom and the toilet was running. Arrested on drug, conspiracy...
Police: Suspect in Jeannette standoff had guns, drugs
Police found guns, ammunition and drugs in a Jeannette apartment after a man was involved in a standoff with investigators Thursday on Gaskill Avenue, according to court papers. Taylor Eliard Foster, 26, was being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $250,000 bail Friday. Jeannette police and agents from the...
Orthodox churches in New Kensington, South Greensburg offer Arabic servicesVideo
The Rev. Meletios Zafaran is preaching on the birth of John the Baptist. He’s speaking in Arabic, so not everyone in the congregation understands what he’s saying. During the Sunday evening sermon, he touches his temple and then brings his hand down and points to his heart — a gesture...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Sept. 27-29Video
It looks to be a fabulous fall weekend, and early leaf peeping, long hikes in the cooler temperatures and grilling dinner or assembling s’mores around the bonfire might be in order. And, of course, if it’s autumn in Westmoreland County, festivals and outdoor markets are getting ready for their last...
‘Scottie Pride’ returns as community relishes Southmoreland’s undefeated football seasonVideo
The last time the Southmoreland Scotties made the WPIAL playoffs, the Pittsburgh Pirates were World Series champions. That was in 1979. Today, the Scotties (5-0) are the highest-scoring team in the WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference — and they’ve already clinched their first playoff berth in four decades. “Everyone’s really...
Bradenville fire chief: Fund drive phone calls are bogus
Phone solicitations Derry Township residents have received from callers claiming to represent the local volunteer fire department are bogus, according to Bradenville Fire Chief Mark Piantine. “Some people have been getting phone calls soliciting for the fire department for a fund drive, and we do not solicit on the phone,”...
‘Yappy Hour’ dog-friendly event at Craft Beer Week event raises money for … cats?
A dog-friendly “Yappy Hour” was held Thursday at Petagogy in Hempfield as part of Greensburg Craft Beer Week, which runs through Sept. 28. The nine-day, multi-venue event showcases breweries, restaurants, local businesses and more through craft beer-centric events and community involvement throughout the Greensburg area. Thursday’s event featured beverages from...
Son of Lower Burrell judge sentenced to 6 to 23 months in jail for part in drug ring
The son of a Lower Burrell district judge and a nephew of Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck will serve up to 23 months in jail for what prosecutors said was his role in a million-dollar marijuana distribution ring. Stephen Yakopec III, 29, of Lower Burrell told a Westmoreland County...
Jeannette residents: Hemp-drying warehouse stinks
A new hemp-drying facility delivered jobs to Jeannette, but neighbors are unhappy with the odor that emanates from a large warehouse on Thomas Avenue. City officials said Patriot Shield Security failed to get an occupancy permit prior to opening a few weeks ago. Solicitor Tim Witt said Thursday that the...
2 people escape fire at Greensburg homeVideo
The cause of a fire that ripped through a Greensburg home Thursday afternoon is under investigation. Responding to 307 Seminary Ave. shortly after 4 p.m., firefighters found the fire started in a second-floor bathroom, said Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Chief Thomas Bell. According to Bell, two people were sitting in...
Standoff ends in Jeannette, man in custody
One person was taken into custody Thursday after a brief standoff when Jeannette police and agents from the state Attorney General’s Office attempted to serve an arrest warrant, police said. Investigators shut down a block of Gaskill Avenue after the suspect hid in an apartment of a quadplex in the...
Jeannette couple accused of trying to get drugs to jail through court bathroom
A Jeannette couple is accused of trying to get drugs from a city district court bathroom into the Westmoreland County Prison, according to court papers. Takeya Shantail Woods and Maurice Williams, both 24, were arrested Thursday after authorities found a piece of paper with suspected K2, or synthetic marijuana, sprayed...
Red Sand public art project represents human traffickingVideo
Volunteers gathered at Excela Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant this week for this year’s final local installation of the Red Sand Project. Snipping open small bags, they poured the brightly colored sand into sidewalk cracks outside the hospital’s emergency entrance. The Blackburn Center is sponsoring the public art installation, which...
Greensburg’s Friday Evening Music Club celebrates 75th year
Greensburg’s Friday Evening Music Club has been making music for 75 years. The club will celebrate the anniversary Friday at the first recital of the season. “There’s really no other venue like it,” said member and pianist Matt Klumpp. “It allows you to make connections, it allows you to meet...
Hempfield supervisor ‘upset’ at changes to school homecoming parade
A Hempfield supervisor seeking re-election became “upset” after receiving a letter stating political candidates and signs are no longer permitted in the Hempfield Area School District’s homecoming parade, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said. Doug Weimer, a township supervisor, said he was “surprised by the change in direction by the school district”...
CROP Walk marks 40 years in Murrysville, helping feed the hungry
Roger Schneider moved to Murrysville in 2000 from Pittsburgh, where he previously helped organize an annual CROP Walk, an acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. When he arrived, he found a local CROP Walk had been established for more than two decades, dedicated to raising money for the less...
Ramsay Elementary in Mt. Pleasant closed after water main break
A water main break in Mt. Pleasant forced the closure of Ramsay Elementary on Thursday. The leak was repaired at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, but the school was still experiencing issues early Thursday, according to Matt Junker, a spokesman for the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. Mt. Pleasant Area officials said...
Sewickley Township honors first woman supervisor for service, 100th birthdayVideo
Herminie native Mary Zakutney was a groundbreaker in Sewickley Township, where 62 years ago she took a position no woman had held in that rural community. At a time when the township’s top elected officials were expected to fix roads and operate snow plows, Zakutney became the first woman to...
West Newton woman pleads guilty to arson
A West Newton woman will serve up to two years in prison for setting fire to her boyfriend’s pickup truck. Marian Warman, 19, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of arson, terroristic threats and simple assault in connection with the April 6 incident. Police said Warman and Brian L. Palamara argued...
Jeannette man charged in deadly stadium shooting ‘acted in self-defense,’ attorney saysVideo
The lawyer for a Jeannette man charged with the shooting death of another man this month outside McKee Stadium in the city said his client acted in self-defense. At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Jeannette District Judge Joseph DeMarchis ordered Greg Harper, 40, held for court on charges of criminal homicide...
Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez held without bail on child sex charges in Westmoreland CountyVideo
Suspended Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez arrived at a Westmoreland County courtroom Wednesday and shook hands with a district judge before being arraigned on child sex allegations. The Venezuela native wore dark frame glasses, a blue jail uniform and had his hands cuffed in front of him. An interpreter translated...
International priests now make up 25% of those serving in Greensburg diocese
A quarter of the Catholic priests serving in the Diocese of Greensburg now come from outside the United States, mostly from the Philippines. Five new international priests arrived over the summer, bringing the number to 20, according to the diocese. Four are Filipinos awaiting pastoral assignments after completing a time...
