Westmoreland category, Page 850
Third suspect in Sutersville shooting arrested
A third person is under arrest in connection with a November shooting in Sutersville that left two injured, according to court records. Aaron Devaugntae Brown, 26, of Jeannette, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond. He was picked up on an arrest warrant Wednesday after state police...
Renovated Lamp diner set for ‘soft’ opening in AprilVideo
Two years after being hauled from a parking lot in Pittsburgh and deposited next to The Lamp Theatre in Irwin, a 68-year-old stainless-steel diner is scheduled for a “soft” opening in late April. Rainy weather and some bitterly cold temperatures this winter slowed work. “The weather has really dogged us,”...
Deputies serving warrant on accused heroin dealer find marijuana operation in YoungwoodVideo
As Westmoreland County sheriff’s deputies served an arrest warrant Thursday to a suspected heroin dealer in Youngwood, they reported stumbling upon a marijuana growing and distribution operation as well. Justin Bialowis, 31, was wanted by Greensburg police following a heroin distribution and drug paraphernalia arrest last month, Sheriff Jon Held...
Hempfield’s amphitheater to open May 18
After months of planning and debates over the price tag, Hempfield’s amphitheater officially has an opening date. Hempfield officials will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 18 with speeches from township supervisors at Hempfield Park, along with performances and food trucks, Director of Parks and Recreation Aaron Siko said...
Crash along Route 30 knocks out power in North Huntingdon
A car snapped a utility pole along Route 30 in North Huntingdon on Wednesday afternoon, knocking out power in the area. The crash, near the corner of Colonial Manor Road, was reported around 4:30 p.m. Multiple utility companies worked on repairs. Drivers in the area are urged to treat disabled...
South Huntingdon officials responding to structure fire
Five people were displaced from their Jacobs Creek house after a fire broke out Wednesday, Turkeytown Fire Chief Larry Nemec said. Crews from several area departments responded to the Main Street fire shortly after 4 p.m., which started in the kitchen and spread into the rest of the home. “The...
Seton Hill names new dean to School of Education and Applied Sciences
Seton Hill University officials have appointed Kathleen Harris, an association professor of early childhood education, Dean of the School of Education and Applied Sciences. Harris joined the faculty at Seton Hill University in 2010 as an assistant professor of education. She received her undergraduate degree in early childhood education and...
Man gets probation, house arrest for wreck that killed Norwin student
The North Huntingdon man charged with causing a car crash in 2017 that killed a Norwin High School senior will serve five years on probation and 18 months of house arrest. Victor Playso Jr., 33, pleaded guilty Wednesday to vehicular homicide in connection with the crash on Route 993 in...
Judge rejects claim by attorneys for former Franklin Regional student charged in cyberattack
Evidence collected against a former high school student charged with launching a series of cyber attacks in 2016 that disabled computer systems throughout Westmoreland County can be used at her trial, a judge ruled on Wednesday. Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger rejected a defense claim that the computers and internet...
Twin Lakes nature center getting upgrade for Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival officials hope to have a newly-renovated hub at Twin Lakes Park this summer to use during their annual event. Bids for improvements at the county’s John F. Laudadio Sr. Environmental and Nature Center are due March 12. Festival officials use the small building on the...
Westmoreland firefighters to distribute 9-volt batteries to communities
About 50 Westmoreland County fire departments will give out 9-volt batteries to households as part of a grant from Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling. The organization got 18,480 batteries through a 2018 Duracell/Keep America Beautiful grant. The departments will each get a case of batteries to distribute around daylight savings time...
Kennywood, Sandcastle and Idlewild looking for 2,700 summer workers
The dead of winter is upon us, but here’s a reason to think about sun, swimming and roller coasters. Kennywood, Sandcastle Waterpark and Idlewild & SoakZone, family fun attractions in Western Pennsylvania, are accepting applications for the summer operating season. They’re looking to fill 2,700 jobs. The new employees could...
Ligonier endowment grants boost festival, fort, fitness programs
The Ligonier Valley Endowment has awarded four grants totaling $33,250 for the first quarter of 2019, including money to help mark the anniversary of the annual Fort Ligonier Days festival next fall. A $25,000 grant will help Fort Ligonier Days Inc. prepare a special project to celebrate the 60th anniversary...
AHN postpones ceremonial ‘topping off’ of new Hempfield hospital
Construction crews at Allegheny Health Network’s Hempfield hospital postponed a “topping off” ceremony Wednesday because of the snowy weather, so the lifting of the final steel beam at the site of the almost 79,000-square-foot hospital along Route 30 west of Greensburg will have to wait. AHN Hempfild-Neighborhood Hospital is expected...
Hempfield man will attempt to reclaim Recorder of Deeds post
Republican Frank Schiefer will attempt to reclaim the Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds post, a job he lost in 2015. Schiefer, 38, of Hempfield served as Recorder of Deeds from 2012 through 2015, when he was defeated by the man he originally beat four years earlier to win the office....
Rafferty announces run for Westmoreland judge
Jessica L. Rafferty, a lawyer from Unity, has announced she will be a candidate for one of two vacant seats on the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. Rafferty, 38, works as a lawyer with the Greensburg firm of Quatrini Rafferty and focuses her practice on family law and civil...
Westmoreland judge denies bid to have Monessen man’s case dismissed
A Westmoreland County judge Tuesday rejected a defense bid to have the case dismissed against a Monessen man charged with conspiracy in connection with a 2017 shooting. Defense attorney Ryan Tutera argued intentional misconduct by prosecutors caused the premature ending to the attempted murder and conspiracy trial last month of...
I-70 cleared after disabled vehicle snarls traffic
A disabled delivery truck caused major traffic backups on I-70 westbound near the 56 mile marker near New Stanton Tuesday night, according to Westmoreland County 911. The disabled vehicle was originally reported as a crash around 7 p.m., but first responders were unable to find any evidence of one, instead...
I-70 reopens after crash in Hempfield
I-70 westbound was closed for about an hour near the Smithton exit in Hempfield Township after a crash involving a tractor-trailer Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911. Dispatchers said a tractor-trailer lost its load around 5:30 p.m., and two other vehicles hit the debris. Nobody was hurt. State police reopened...
Irwin joins other towns in granting tax credits for firefighters, EMS
Irwin has joined the growing list of municipalities giving active volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel a tax break as an incentive to volunteer. Council approved an ordinance last week providing borough residents active in either the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department or EMS the opportunity for a 20 percent...
Greensburg fires longtime city planning director
Barbara Ciampini, who has run Greensburg’s planning and development department for decades, has been fired. Greensburg City Council met Monday in a special session to handle the matter, Mayor Robert Bell confirmed. Council’s decision was unanimous, he said. Bell said he could not immediately discuss the reason for the firing,...
Westmoreland sheriff staffer suspended, accused of working on political campaign at work
An assistant office manager in the Westmoreland County sheriff’s department has been suspended indefinitely without pay based on allegations she worked on a campaign while on the job, according to the county controller’s office. Officials would not publicly comment on the suspension of Tiffany Schomer, but sources at the courthouse...
Hunker-based Bella Terra Vineyards to host grand opening celebration in May
Bella Terra Vineyards is opening a new facility, and to celebrate they have an entire weekend filled with events. Running from May 3-5, the Hunker business is inviting guests to check out their new tasting room, winery and event space, according to a Facebook event. “The new building will be...
Police: 3 charged in robbery plot sought to raise money
An apparent plot to raise money by robbing drug dealers led to the recent arrests of two men in connection with a November shooting in Sutersville that left two injured, according to court documents. Curtis Thomas Everett, 26, of Glassport, and Chad William Wolfe, 34, listed as homeless, are being...
Greensburg man ordered to jail after 3rd drug arrest in 13 months
A third arrest for delivery and possession of a controlled substance in just over a year resulted in a Greensburg man being ordered held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond this week. When acting District Judge Charles Conway saw on a state police complaint filed Monday that Malcolm Massay,...
