Westmoreland category, Page 860
Westmoreland County coroner reports highest caseload in department history in 2018
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s office responded to the highest caseload in the department’s history last year, according to Deputy Coroner Joshua Zappone. The coroner’s 2018 annual report — officially released Friday — shows about a 50-case increase since 2017, marking a gradual increase in cases since 2008. Of the 2,875...
Death penalty upheld for ‘Greensburg Six’ roommate Melvin Knight
A Westmoreland County judge has upheld the death penalty imposed against one of the six Greensburg roommates convicted in the 2010 torture slaying of a mentally disabled woman. Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway ruled evidence presented in a sentencing trial last November was sufficient to support a jury finding...
Western Pa. business owners finding right fit in downtown communitiesVideo
When considering where to open her new business several years ago, Jenifer Amundson says there was never any question on location. Greensburg is her hometown and where Amundson, 52, and her husband, Jon Amundson, 53, make their home. “We were looking for a building in downtown Greensburg. We were going...
Claridge event to give ailing Army veterans ‘Hope’
An upcoming veteran-focused event in Claridge will serve as a fundraiser for Army veterans dealing with medical issues. The “Veteran X Celebration of Hope” on March 20 at the Bushy Run American Legion is being planned by nonprofit group Devil Dogs. Veterans, their families and the public are invited, vice...
Greensburg diocese launches quarterly TV show and magazine
The Greensburg Catholic Diocese takes to the airwaves this weekend for the launch of a new multimedia outreach program, complete with a quarterly 30-minute Sunday morning television show. The program airs at 11:30 a.m. on WTAE-TV, Channel 4, the local station that once employed Jennifer Miele — the diocese’s chief...
Several hundred power customers remain without electricity in wake of Sunday’s winds
About 700 West Penn Power customers remained without electricity late Thursday, four days after high winds left hundreds of thousands in the dark and cold. As of 11:40 p.m Thursday., just eight Duquesne Light customers were in a similar situation. Duquesne Light was reporting four customers were without power on...
State appeals court upholds verdict in 2017 Excela stent cases; several others still pending in court system
A state appellate court affirmed a 2017 Westmoreland County jury verdict that cleared a doctor and Excela Health of wrongdoing for implanting cardiac stents into a patient who claimed they were unnecessary. The appeal involved a lawsuit filed by a North Huntingdon man who claimed five of the seven stents...
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,...
