Westmoreland category, Page 762
Couple charged with stealing guns in Sewickley Township
A couple was arrested for allegedly breaking into a Sewickley Township home and stealing three guns, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Shawn Michael Davison, 32, of West Newton and his girlfriend Melissa Sue Henderson, 39, of Greensburg allegedly broke into the Highland Avenue home through a side window and took...
Cops: Man arrested for impersonating officer to search for Ohio convict
Derry police arrested a man who allegedly dressed up like a police officer to search for an escaped convict. Matthew Joseph James, 19, of Derry, is charged with impersonating a public servant, flight to avoid apprehension and loitering at night. Police started investigating when an officer’s wife told her husband...
Westmoreland prison drug treatment program bid at $400K
The Westmoreland County Prison wants to offer medication-assisted treatment to inmates dealing with opioid addiction but needs a way to pay for the program. Warden John Walton told the county jail board on Monday that a quote from BayMark Health Services of Lewisville, Texas, was about double what the county...
Fairfield woman accepts plea deal in animal cruelty case
The owner of a former pet grooming boutique charged with more than 200 counts of animal cruelty avoided a possible 98-year jail sentence Monday by accepting a plea deal that will give her two years probation and require her to pay $5,000 in restitution to a humane organization. Alexsandria Klochak,...
New Murrysville voting precincts approvedVideo
Murrysville voters in the Newlonsburg and Sardis precincts will likely be standing in long lines on election day this November. The good news? It will be the last time. On Monday morning, Westmoreland County Judge Chris Scherer approved a redistricting plan that will split the massive precincts — which have...
Four Ohio prison escapees arrested in North Carolina after Westmoreland County scare
Four escaped inmates from an Ohio jail were apprehended in Nrth Carolina, according to Gallia County Sheriff Matt Champlin, including one who had been spotted twice in Westmoreland County. Brynn K. Martin, Christopher M. Clemente and Troy R. McDaniel Jr. were arrested in Cary, North Carolina, around 2 a.m. Monday,...
After a fading romance with the Democratic Party, Mt. Pleasant became Trump country in 2016Video
Pride, patriotism and service are literally at the heart of Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania . A towering obelisk, topped with a statue of a World War I doughboy, looms over the traffic diamond at the heart of Main Street. Off to the right, a fountain bubbles in the midst of a...
Westmoreland Mall evacuated while police searched for Ohio jail escapee
The Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield was evacuated Sunday afternoon for two hours as state police searched for a man who escaped from an Ohio jail. Troopers believe Christopher M. Clemente, 24, was in the area of the mall about 11 a.m. He and three other inmates escaped from the Gallia...
Greater Pittsburgh Jews hope High Holy Days foster healing from Tree of Life attackVideo
Jews of Western Pennsylvania are hoping that Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, will help them make a fresh start nearly a year after the Tree of Life massacre. The mass shooting doubtless will cast a shadow over the High Holy Days — a solemn time that normally is devoted...
Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival offers exhibits, food, music this weekendVideo
There are plenty of demonstrations by professional glass cutters at the annual Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival, but there are plenty other activities, too. And that’s not to mention the food — 25 ethnic food booths plus dessert booths — and music on three stages, too. Among the acts:...
Pugs and more pugs race, revel at PugtoberfestVideo
David Godin could not envision himself owning a dog — singular. That was before his wife, Kim, decided they needed a pug. On Saturday, the Somerset County man who never saw himself owning a dog found himself proudly introducing his family’s five pugs to a reporter who stumbled on the...
Latrobe football alumni dinner will honor ’59, ’60 champion squads
Varsity gridiron champions from six decades ago will be honored anew Oct. 5 at the Latrobe Wildcat Football Alumni Association’s Kick-Off Dinner in Unity. The second annual buffet dinner, set for 6:30 p.m. at Giannilli’s II Restaurant on Route 30, will recognize the 1959 and 1960 Latrobe Wildcats football squads....
In-town fields part of high school football tradition across Western PennsylvaniaVideo
Greensburg’s Offutt Field was thrust into the spotlight on Nov. 2, 1962, and on Sept. 9, 1988 — though for opposite reasons. Nestled in a dip between hills on the city’s eastern end, the field originally known as Athletic Park has played host to a variety of community events and...
Westmoreland Night of Worship unites area churchesVideo
An estimated 1,400 people came to Greensburg’s Palace Theatre on Friday night to worship. The inaugural Westmoreland Night of Worship was a free concert that brought together Christian groups from across the county. Tickets were free but needed to be reserved ahead of time, and all had been taken days...
Pirates give grants to 38 youth baseball programs
Pirates Charities has given grants to 38 youth baseball and softball programs in three states — including 13 in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. The “Fields for Kids” program is an annual initiative led by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ charity organization, which issues matching grants from $1,000 up. This grant money can...
Judge: Penn Township man cannot use drunkenness as defense for firing at police
A Penn Township man charged with firing a rifle at police will not be allowed to argue to jurors at his upcoming attempted murder trial that his actions are less serious because he was drunk. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger ruled during a hearing Friday that jurors...
$11M federal grant approved for Arnold Palmer runway widening
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved an $11.1 million grant that will allow Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to proceed with widening of its runway. The Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates the Unity airport, learned of the anticipated funding this week. The federal grant will cover the majority of the...
Greensburg man appeals rape conviction, wants new trial
A Greensburg man serving a 12-year prison sentence for the rape of an unconscious woman claims he should receive a new trial. Benjamin Melvin Davis, 22, in an appeal filed Friday, argued that evidence presented at his June trial did not support the guilty verdict. “… In particular, the credibility...
Penn Township man gets prison time for ax attack
A Penn Township man will serve up to 10 years in prison for attacking his former girlfriend and her boyfriend with an ax last year. Benson William Perry, 37, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and burglary in connection with a March 2018 incident in North Irwin. Police said...
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...
