Westmoreland category, Page 807
Westmoreland Republicans nominate Kertes, Chew for commissioner
Biochemist Doug Chew and Sean Kertes, chief of staff to retiring Westmoreland County Commissioner Charles Anderson, were nominated Tuesday as the Republican candidates who will seek to reclaim the GOP majority at the courthouse. Kertes and Chew finished atop the Republican primary for county commissioner, besting a field of seven...
Westmoreland County Airshow set to take flightVideo
It’s not easy for Gabe Monzo to choose which one of the featured aircraft at the Shop ‘n Save Westmoreland County Airshow May 25-26 is the main attraction. “The main attraction is aviation,” says Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates the Unity airport and stages...
Greater Latrobe citizens want superintendent with long-term commitment
Larger elementary class sizes and inadequate communication with the public are some of the issues Greater Latrobe School District’s next superintendent should address, according to comments made this week at a public focus group discussion. But most of the 18 people who attended the discussion in the senior high Center...
Greensburg woman seeks damages after tuxedo-draped mannequin falls on her
A tuxedo-draped mannequin toppled onto the head of a Greensburg woman shopping with her son at a men’s clothing store in Westmoreland Mall last year, causing her ongoing head and vision injuries, according to a two-count lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County. Melinda Scalzo alleges in court papers the weight from...
Family of Jeannette man sues Excela Health, doctor, alleging wrongful death
The family of a Jeannette man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Excela Health and one of its doctors claiming he died from an allergic reaction to medication given during a heart procedure in 2017. According to the lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County, the five children of John P....
Bail reduced for ex-Derry mayor accused of pointing gun at kids in park
Derry Borough’s former mayor, who is awaiting trial on charges he brandished a gun at four teens in a local park, will be refunded $18,000 after a judge on Monday reduced his bond. Kevin Gross, 38, claimed he needed the cash to help pay living expenses and legal fees related...
Greensburg banquet honors firefighters
The Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department on Saturday paid tribute to three recently deceased firefighters at its 112th annual Firemen’s Memorial Service. The service honors firefighters who have died in the last year: • Joseph T. Suarez, 70, served with Greensburg Hose Company No. 6 for 45 years, until his death...
Westmoreland GOP commissioner candidate apologizes for late-night robocalls
A Republican candidate for Westmoreland County commissioner apologized Monday for automated campaign telephone calls sent out after midnight. About 33,000 calls on behalf of John Ventre were expected to be made Sunday afternoon, but some were not received until well after bed-time and into early Monday. “It obviously didn’t go...
Troopers need help identifying suspect in Hempfield video game thefts
State police in Greensburg are trying to identify a man who wandered into the backroom of a Hempfield video game store May 11 and made off with a package containing several hand-held video games. Trooper Riley Giaquinto said the man entered the GameStop store at 2200 Greengate Center Circle about...
Monessen man accused of assaulting relative, jailed on $100K bail
A 21-year-old Monessen man remained in the Westmoreland County Prison on $100,000 bail after being accused over the weekend of assaulting of a female relative and cutting her hands. City police arrested Stephen Matinsky just before 7 a.m. Sunday after finding him hiding in the basement of his Dennis Avenue...
State police on lookout for intoxicated drivers over Memorial Day weekend
State troopers will be on the lookout for intoxicated drivers during Memorial Day weekend. Troopers based out of Greensburg, Belle Vernon and Uniontown are warning motorists in advance of the holiday that they will be conducting sobriety checkpoints around the area. But they aren’t saying when or where the checkpoints...
Nothing scary about Ligonier Country Market mascot
In recent years, a young woman dressed as a friendly scarecrow has helped keep little ones busy, and educate them, as they visit Ligonier Country Market. Katie Andrews, aka Daisy Mae, is a 14-year-old freshman in the Ligonier Valley School District. From mid-May, when the market opens, until it closes...
One injured in Salem Township crash involving car, quad
First responders on Sunday were sent to the scene of a crash involving a vehicle and a quad in Salem Township. A Westmoreland 911 dispatcher said the crash happened just after 3 p.m. in the 2600 block of Route 819. One person, an unknown aged female, was reported to be...
Motorcycle crash leaves person injured in Cook Township
A person was injured in a motorcycle crash Sunday afternoon, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher confirmed. The crash happened around 3:20 p.m. in the 700 block of Bethel Church Road in Cook Township. There were no other vehicles involved in the crash, the dispatcher said. No other information was immediately...
Westmoreland voters might be using current voting machines for the last time
Tuesday’s primary election might be the last that use the touch-screen voting system that has been in place in Westmoreland County since 2005. The county last week received proposals from four companies to sell new computerized machines that will allow for the generation of a verifiable paper trail to meet...
Westmoreland bus service keeps fares the same despite ridership, revenue drop
Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus fares will remain unchanged as the agency continues to deal with revenue declines related to state funding cuts and the ongoing loss of riders. Authority officials have approved a new $12.4 million operating budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year, balanced by the transfer of about...
Youngwood firefighter memorial 5K run raises funds for scholarships
Volunteer firefighter Lance Wentzel was a runner, so it’s only fitting that the Youngwood Hose Company No. 1 and Youngwood Area Business Association hold a 5K run/walk in his honor every year. On Sunday, 127 runners of all ages participated in the fifth annual Jeffrey “Lance” Wentzel 5K Run/Walk along...
9 candidates outline plans for Greensburg Salem School Board
A crowded race in Greensburg Salem School District will ensure at least a couple new faces on the school board next year. Nine candidates — including three incumbents — are vying for five open seats. Most are running on both the Republican and Democratic ballots, except Ronel Baccus, who is...
Latrobe’s Adelphoi celebrates success of former at-risk youths, opens centerVideo
Alex Yawitz, 21, is pursuing a two-year business degree at Westmoreland County Community College with plans to open his own small business. Aayla Beck, 20, is studying fine arts at the college and intends to pursue further university courses in animation or web design. Their futures didn’t seem so bright...
Fire hits house in Derry Borough
Fire was coming out the back of a house in Derry Borough at about 6 p.m. Saturday, according to Westmoreland County 911. By 6:25 p.m. fire units had the fire under control at 101 W. Sixth Ave., a dispatch supervisor said. Derry, Bradenville and Latrobe volunteer firefighters were opening up...
Friends, family of Cassandra Gross gather in remembrance of beloved missing woman
Melissa Moore became fast friends with Cassandra Gross in 1993. Their relationship progressed from working together in a mailroom to meeting up outside of work. Moore would, at first, introduce Gross to others as her coworker, until one day when Moore used the word friend, instead. “We moved from coworkers...
Ray Charley finishes cross-country ride, dips bike in Atlantic Ocean
Ray Charley has finished his cross-country bicycle ride for veterans. The 68-year-old owner of the Shop ’n Save stores in Greensburg and Murrysville posted to Facebook at about noon Saturday that he had completed his 3,058-mile benefit ride across the southern United States on behalf of Feherty’s Troops First Foundation....
Hempfield church .5K fundraiser aims for ‘all gain, no pain’Video
No training? No problem. The Greensburg Alliance Church in Hempfield held a race Saturday that was a twist on the traditional 5K — a .5K that required not even the equivalent of two laps around a regulation track. The theme of the day was “All Gain and No Pain.” “It’s...
Norwin grads killed in 9/11 attacks remembered with a plaqueVideo
Two Norwin High School graduates who were among the first victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, were remembered Saturday in a memorial ceremony at the Norwin High School Veterans Memorial. A plaque with the names of Brian Dale, class of 1976, and David Kovalcin,...
11 Hempfield School Board candidates vie for 5 open seats
Hempfield Area School Board candidates have one thought ahead of Tuesday’s primary — property taxes. With 11 people vying for five empty seats, candidates are looking to make changes to the board, increase security at schools and improve the budget that has sent property taxes on the rise over the...
