Westmoreland category, Page 832
Community grapples with tragic death of Connellsville boy in turnpike crash
Minutes after leaving a Pennsylvania Turnpike maintenance shed Thursday with his young son as part of a take-your-child-to-work day, a Fayette County man drove his truck into the back of a tractor trailer along the toll road in Mt. Pleasant Township. Hayden M. Field, 11, of Connellsville Township died at...
Hempfield 8-year-old raises awareness about celiac disease
Morgan Shondelmyer is hoping to make a difference in celiac disease research. So far, the 8-year-old who was diagnosed with the immune disease that prevents people from eating gluten in 2015 has done just that. Raising over $800 in five days on her fundraising page named Morgan’s Mission, Shondelmyer is...
Latrobe police looking for car involved in hit-and-run
Latrobe police are looking for a white or silver car that was involved in a hit-and-run Friday morning that left a city woman’s vehicle severely damaged. The hit-and-run happened at 6:15 a.m. in the 400 block of Miller Street. The Dodge Caravan was parked on the street when it was...
Adelphoi to highlight success stories at ‘Showcase of Stars’
Adelphoi will celebrate existing programs and new facilities at its second annual Showcase of Stars event at its main campus in Latrobe May 16. The organization houses and provides other services for at-risk youth. This year’s event will highlight the Adelphoi Promise program, which helps place Adelphoi alumni into community...
Greensburg Diocese awards honor local, international charitable works
This year’s recipients of the Greensburg Diocese’s Catholic Charities’ Salt and Light Awards are being recognized for helping those in need at home and abroad. Barbara Zucconi of Rostraver, who received the Humanitarian honor Thursday at the 21st annual Communities of Salt and Light Award Dinner, organizes the Christmas Angel...
Derry Township woman convicted of hatchet attack on neighbor after clothesline dispute
A Derry Township woman was convicted Thursday for assaulting her next-door neighbor with a hatchet. Denise Nichols, 51, claimed she acted in self-defense after being tackled by her neighbor in the yard behind her home on Nov. 2, 2016. But police said Nichols was the instigator. She twice slashed her...
Yukon crash victim’s parents sue bars, driver for wrongful death
Parents of a Hempfield woman killed in a car crash in Yukon this year filed a wrongful death lawsuit against two local bars claiming they served too much alcohol to the male driver of the car. The lawsuit, filed this week, contends staff at Johnny’s Wife’s Place in Jeannette and...
Westmoreland labor council endorses Democrats seeking local political office
The Greater Westmoreland County Labor Council announced it has endorsed a slate of candidates seeking county office this year. The organization, which is affiliated with the AFL-CIO labor unions, announced it will support lawyers Mike Stewart and Jessica Rafferty in their bids to fill two vacancies on the Westmoreland County...
Pre-prom programs emphasize good decision-making
There was no need to shush students at Franklin Regional Senior High School on Thursday morning, when officials from the Westmoreland County coroner’s office were showing the graphic results of what can happen when an impaired driver is in a crash. “It was very impactful,” said Elissa DeLuca, 17, co-president...
Former treasurer of Derry church accused of stealing $20K
A Salem Township woman was arrested Thursday on allegations that she stole $20,000 from a Derry Borough church where she worked. Teri E. Sauers, 35, was arraigned on charges of theft and receiving stolen property filed by Westmoreland County Detective Will Brown. District Judge Mark Bilik released Sauers on recognizance...
Fayette County boy, 11, killed in turnpike crash near New Stanton
An 11-year-old Fayette County boy was killed Thursday afternoon when the pickup that his father was driving collided with a tractor-trailer between the New Stanton and Donegal exits of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, officials said. Westmoreland County Coroner Kenneth A. Bacha identified the victim as Hayden M. Field of Connellsville Township....
Police quell rumor of chinchillas on loose at Monessen park
Reports of a chinchilla infestation at Monessen City Park turned out to be false, despite social media claims that a local breeder set 60 of the exotic rodents loose in the Monongahela River town, according to police Chief Jim Smith. “To the best of our knowledge, that didn’t happen,” Smith...
Greensburg Care Center starts music therapy program with state grant
Patients of Greensburg Care Center who have memory impairment are getting to listen to their favorite tunes thanks to a state grant. Officials at the Hempfield facility used a $12,650 grant from the state department of health to buy 30 iPods and pairs of headphones to start a music therapy...
Irwin reaches deal with new Cafe Supreme owner on $11,100 garbage bill
Robert Juliano moved a step closer to owning the Cafe Supreme restaurant in Irwin after reaching a tentative agreement with Irwin Borough to pay more than $11,000 in delinquent garbage bills that had piled up from the restaurant’s previous owner. Juliano paid Irwin council $3,000 toward the unpaid garbage bills...
Cops: Penn Township man with overdue book fees threatened to shoot up library
A Penn Township man remained in jail this week after police said he threatened to “shoot up” a library because unpaid fines for an overdue book prevented him from using any computers in the county’s library system. Greensburg police charged Boyd N. Klingensmith, 65, with making terroristic threats and possessing...
North Huntingdon approves policy limiting employees’ cellphone use while driving
North Huntingdon employees driving on township business have to pull off the highway and stop their vehicle if they want to make or take a call or text on their cellphone. Township commissioners recently approved the policy on a 3-2 vote with commissioners Brian Blasko, Darryl Bertani and Zachary Haigis...
Greensburg jewelry designer featured at pop-up in Pittsburgh
The name Splishy Splash Craft was inspired by Christina Krautz’s love of swimming. “I’ve been in a pool for as long as I can remember,” said Krautz, of Greensburg, who coaches swimming at Latrobe Aqua Club. “So, coming up with a name was easy because water is such a big...
Norwin student to build butterfly garden
With the monarch butterfly losing its habitat, a Norwin High School student wants to create a butterfly garden at the high school for the insects as they migrate from Mexico. “This could be a safe place for them,” junior Emily Jumba told Norwin School Board recently. She hopes to create...
Cops: Greensburg man accused of endangerment after 10-year-old fires loaded shotgun
A Greensburg man who left a loaded shotgun in a corner of his bedroom where it was picked up and accidentally fired by a 10-year-old boy earlier this month is charged by city police with endangering the welfare of children. Robert D. Stevens, 33, was charged this week with District...
Convicted Greensburg sex offender fails to have designation lifted
The appeal of a convicted sex offender seeking to invalidate a ruling issued a decade ago that classified him as a sexually violent predator was dismissed. Bilaal Abdulbadi Hale, 43, of Greensburg, contended he should no longer carry the sex offender designation and its accompanying requirement that he register his...
Judge tosses drug charges against Latrobe man
A Westmoreland County judge ruled Wednesday there is not enough evidence to prosecute a Latrobe man jailed since last summer on drug possession charges. Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger said a drug-filled backpack found unattended on a Latrobe street could not be adequately linked to Christopher Twigger, who had...
New George Washington painting at Fort Ligonier will depict ‘friendly fire incident’
Ligonier native and renowned sculptor Chas Fagan will unveil a new commission on George Washington at Fort Ligonier on Friday. The unveiling of the painting “Flash Point,” about Washington’s “friendly fire incident” during the French and Indian War, will be held at the Fort Ligonier Association’s Annual Meeting at 5:30...
Indiana man accused of beating mother to death charged with assaulting hospital patient
An Indiana County man accused in the 2015 beating death of his mother allegedly choked another patient at Torrance State Hospital in Derry Township this month. Todd Royce Walters, 40, is charged with strangulation, simple assault and harassment in connection with an April 18 incident. Walters has been undergoing treatment...
Girl testifies she feared ‘getting shot’ by Derry mayorVideo
A 15-year-old boy testified Wednesday that he was involved in a scuffle at a Derry park this month with two younger boys when he heard someone yelling. “‘Get on the ground, put your hands up’ … with a lot more profanity,” the boy said he heard. The person yelling was...
Belle Vernon to host second Kentucky Derby fundraiser for schools
a cash prize giveaway, food trucks and “photo opps” in front of a bronze statue of a horse blanketed in red roses. “By supporting BVA Derby Day, people are helping provide a well-rounded education for our young people,” Svrcek said. “They also are assuring that our community continues to thrive...
