Westmoreland category, Page 846
Jeannette woman rescinds murder plea, will head to trial
A Jeannette woman accused of violently beating her boyfriend to death on Thursday withdrew her guilty plea to third-degree murder. Crystal Belle, 39, pleaded guilty in September for the June 11, 2016, beating death of 19-year-old Khalil Parker, of Brentwood, Allegheny County, in her South Seventh Street home. The deal...
U.S. Rep. Reschenthaler opens district offices in Hempfield, Washington, Pa.
U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, the region’s newest congressman, on Thursday said he has opened district offices in Hempfield and Washington, Pa. Both offices will be open for constituent services from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Hempfield office is at 700 Pellis Road, Suite 1, fronting...
Rostraver man accused of faking drug test
A 45-year-old Rostraver man was accused this week of submitting an altered urine sample to the Westmoreland County Probation office after a probation officer noticed a white tube protruding from the man’s underwear as he was performing the court-mandated drug test. Brett Michael Toman was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge...
Cops accuse ex-employee of Greensburg convenience store with burglary, theft
City police accused a former employee of a Greensburg convenience store of entering the business after hours and stealing hundreds of dollars. Aaron P. Payne, 43, of Hempfield, is charged with burglary, theft and receiving stolen property in connection with entering the CoGo’s store at 219 East Pittsburgh St. at...
Hundreds turn out for Greensburg Open bowling tournament’s 30th year
Close to 430 bowlers crowded the lanes at Main Bowling Center in Greensburg on Sunday, competing for a tournament championship that is worth $1,500 to the winner. The 30th Greensburg Open bowling tournament resumed Sunday at the center, attracting bowlers from throughout Western Pennsylvania, as well as Ohio, West Virginia...
GOP confident about electionsVideo
Buoyed by voter registration figures that give Republicans a slight edge over Democrats in Westmoreland County, GOP officials are confident that a strong turnout will bode well for the party this year. “We should see a higher turnout than in 2015. There’s a lot of people on the ballot, and...
Annual Race for Grace gearing up at Norwin
The 12th annual Race for Grace, which has raised more than $1 million for the fight against childhood brain cancer, will be held April 6 at Norwin High School. The event is in honor of Grace Ekis of North Huntingdon. She died in 2008 at age 5 from a terminal...
Pa. attorney general files lawsuit against Scottdale contractor
The state Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is asking a judge to bar a Scottdale contractor from doing home improvement work because of repeated consumer complaints dating back to 2009. The 25-page complaint was filed in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court against Jeffrey D. Bollinger, 43, and businesses he...
Officials probe why so little of $4.3M Westmoreland firefighter grant has been used
Hardly any of a $4.3 million firefighter grant aimed at benefiting Westmoreland County fire departments has been spent since it was awarded in 2017. Awarded Sept. 1, 2017, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant gives departments the ability to...
Westmoreland farmers interested in growing hemp to get help with planting, harvesting equipment
Farmers interested in growing hemp will get some help with the necessary equipment under an agreement approved by the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. “Farms are turning now to other commodities that may bring more income to them,” said Greg Phillips, manager and chief executive officer of the Westmoreland Conservation...
Youngwood man appealing summary conviction he yelled at sheriff’s deputies
A Youngwood man who was convicted this month of summary disorderly conduct for yelling at Westmoreland County sheriff’s deputies is appealing the decision. Fredrick G. Brandt, 61, filed an appeal this week in the county Court of Common Pleas. He was found guilty of the offense during a Feb. 6...
Groups call for end to deep well activity near Beaver Run Reservoir
As state officials investigate a January pressure drop at a Washington Township deep gas well that affected other shallow wells near Beaver Run Reservoir, local environmental advocacy groups are calling for an end to all well drilling and fracking near the public water source in northern Westmoreland County. The groups...
One injury reported when vehicle crashes into Murrysville home
One person reportedly was injured Wednesday afternoon when a vehicle left a Murrysville road and slammed into the foundation of a house, pushing into its basement. The accident occurred at about 2:30 p.m in the 3800 block of Meadowbrook Road, south of Route 22, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said....
Penn Township crash results in multiple injuries
Emergency crews were dispatched to assist multiple patients in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday evening in Penn Township. The crash occurred shortly before 7 p.m. on Route 130 near Pine Hollow Road, in the Level Green area. A van and a sport utility vehicle were involved in the wreck, which was...
Hempfield officials find $125,000 union settlement agreement not done in public eye
A $125,000 settlement agreement made between Hempfield officials and a union in 2017 was not done in the public eye, a township review found. The agreement was put under review in January when Supervisor Rob Ritson called for a state audit. The deal was executed without a corresponding vote or...
Generators protect Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County from disruptions during power outages
Water continued to flow to the more than 120,000 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers, even as thousands of residents continued to deal with power outages caused by recent wind storms. Authority officials said Wednesday the water system is relying on generators at nine pump stations where power has been...
Loyalhanna Watershed Association farm preserved by state agriculture board
Bluebirds and foxes can call a Ligonier Township farm home for good now that the 120-acre tract has been preserved by the state. “It’s a huge thing for us and for, I think, our neighbors to know that” the farm was safeguarded, said Susan Huba, director of the Loyalhanna Watershed...
Cops: 2 men accused in South Huntingdon convenience store robbery fled with $33K
Two men accused by state police of robbing a South Huntingdon Township convenience store-gas station May 6 fled with more than $33,000 from the store’s safe, according to court documents. Curtis T. Everett, 26, who lists his address as the Westmoreland County Prison, and Dylan J. Kurucz, 26, of Glassport,...
Greensburg joins other Pa. Catholic dioceses in launching sexual abuse fund
Officials with the Greensburg Catholic Diocese on Wednesday announced the launch of a compensation fund for victims of clergy sexual abuse. The diocese, which includes Westmoreland, Fayette, Indiana and Armstrong counties, was the last of seven statewide to launch such a fund. Greensburg Bishop Edward C. Malesic said those who...
Tax credits will set pace of Latrobe’s Mary Street housing development
As officials move forward with a Hempfield housing project, funded in part through state tax credits, a proposed Latrobe housing development remains on deck — with word of its own hoped-for tax credits still pending. The nonprofit Homes Build Hope expects in May to hear if the Pennsylvania Housing Finance...
Ligonier Township supervisor accused of stealing gun from ex-wife
A Ligonier Township supervisor was arrested Wednesday for allegedly stealing a handgun from his ex-wife, according to court papers. Wade Edward Thomas, 57, is free on $100,000 unsecured bond on theft and receiving stolen property charges. Westmoreland County detectives said the gun was reported stolen Jan. 13 from the victim’s...
Westmoreland County officials stress how much 2020 census counts
More than a year ahead of the 2020 census, Westmoreland County officials are banding together to ensure every resident gets counted. The once-a-decade population count determines the amount of public funds local municipalities receive, the number of representatives each state has in Congress and what infrastructure projects get completed. Based...
Auction set for former district court offices in Washington Township
A vacant modular home owned by Westmoreland County will be auctioned off next month. The building previously housed the offices of District Judge Jason Buczak next to the Washington Township Fire Department. A new $1.25 million district court office opened in January on Beaver Run Road. The auction will take...
Unemployment rate drop leaves employers scrambling for workersVideo
In the not too distant past, Pace Analytical Services LLC did not have to scramble to find lab technicians for its analytical laboratory in Hempfield. But, with Westmoreland County’s unemployment rate down to 4.5 percent in December and the number of jobless at 8,300, those times have changed. “I never...
No injuries reported in Loyalhanna Township trailer fire
No injuries were reported when a fire broke out Tuesday evening in a mobile home in Loyalhanna Township. The fire was reported just before 7:30 p.m. along Mercer Hill Road when a resident returned home and discovered smoke in the dwelling, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. Firefighters from...
