Westmoreland category, Page 874
Diocese of Greensburg will use National Catholic School week to recruit for its 13 schools
Karen and Jake Stilley weren’t planning on sending their children to Catholic school. In fact, they moved to the area intending to send Julia, 10, and Tommy, 7, to public school. But they really liked the preschool Julia attended at Aquinas Academy Parochial School, and the Hempfield family has stuck...
Westmoreland hopes to have third-party rental sites collect occupancy tax
Pennsylvania lawmakers are working to make taxes on sites such as Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway easier to collect by putting the pressure on companies rather than property owners. But it’s an issue Westmoreland County is still trying to solve. Between the state and county, people who rent out their homes,...
Elderly Westmoreland woman scammed out of $58K
An elderly Westmoreland County woman was scammed out of $58,000 this month after handing over prepaid gift cards and cash to a person she knew only as “Dave” in Hempfield Township, according to state police. Troopers said the suspect identified himself as a Publishers Clearing House executive when he contacted...
Gina Cerilli to seek another term as Westmoreland County commissioner
Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli announced Monday she will seek a second term in office. The Democrat from Hempfield was the top vote-getter in 2015 when she won in her inaugural attempt for public office and became the first woman in four decades to serve as chairwoman of the board...
Western Pennsylvania’s craft beer market grows with the flowVideo
John Titus and Tim Molinari are taking the plunge into the competitive world of craft beer brewing, after toiling for months to open their New Crescent Brewing Co. taproom in a converted storefront in downtown Irwin. Although craft brewers dot Route 30 in North Huntingdon and others are planned for...
Ice artists create more than 70 sculptures for Ligonier Ice Fest, continues SundayVideo
Ernie DiMartino’s ice carvers have been working behind the scenes for weeks. And they’re not done yet — nine workers are transforming blocks of ice into beautiful sculptures at Ligonier’s Diamond Park. “There’s a lot going on, the weather’s perfect,” said Cindy Purnell, chairwoman of the 28th annual Ligonier Ice...
Registered sex offender in Greensburg accused of asking girl, 16, for sex
A Greensburg man who is a registered sex offender is accused of repeatedly asking a 16-year-old girl for sex, according to court papers. Henry Lee Bailey Jr., 31, is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $125,000 bail on charges of corruption of minors and harassment. The girl reported...
Trafford home gets new furnace thanks to charity program
A home in Trafford will be heated well this winter after a new furnace was installed for free Saturday morning through a charity program. TUDI Mechanical Systems and Dollar Bank provided 20 furnaces to Pittsburgh-area families through the annual Heat For The Needy program, according to a news release. Employees...
Jeannette couple sentenced in 2016 North Huntingdon armed robbery case
A Jeannette couple pleaded guilty Friday to charges they shot a man during an armed robbery more than two years ago in North Huntingdon. Romel Crosby and Brittany Kruel, according to police, lured their victim, 32-year-old Ronald Hines Jr. of Penn Township, to an alley in the Westmoreland City section...
Norwin World Color Guard show includes former ‘American Idol’ contestant
The Norwin World Color Guard ensemble is making its 2019 show a little more interesting with the help of a former “American Idol” contestant. The show, titled “Out of My Mind,” features Aubrey Burchell, a Norwin senior who competed in “American Idol” in March, making it to the top 70...
Jack’s Run bridge replacement will detour Hempfield motorists
A detour is ahead for motorists in Hempfield as PennDOT plans to replace a bridge on Keystone Avenue. The bridge over Jack’s Run will be closed beginning Feb. 7, shutting down traffic on a section of Keystone between Route 119 South and Club Way, according to PennDOT. The posted detour,...
Deputy running for Westmoreland sheriff’s post
A Hempfield man who has served as a Westmoreland County deputy sheriff for eight years now wants to run the office. Sam Pilato, 56, announced he will be a Republican candidate in the May primary seeking the job as county sheriff. “If elected (my) mission is to return the sheriff’s...
Hours weighed as rec board takes over Latrobe Farmers Market
The Latrobe Farmers Market will be under new management this summer, but patrons may not notice much change. Organizers intend to meet Monday to discuss dates and times for the market, now that Latrobe-Greater Latrobe Parks & Recreation has taken over operation of the popular event from the Latrobe Community...
Nobody hurt in Monessen crash involving pregnant woman
First responders shut down part of Grand Boulevard in Monessen following a two-car crash that left a pregnant woman trapped inside her vehicle, according to Westmoreland County 911. Nobody was hurt in in the crash, which was reported around 7:30 p.m. Thursday dispatchers said. People were trapped inside both vehicles...
Pittsburgh Pirates spend day at Painting With a Twist, prepare for PiratesFest
Several members of the Pittsburgh Pirates put down their bats, stepped off the field and picked up a paint brush Thursday afternoon. Working with Passavant Memorial Homes children’s programs, the players and coaches helped kids with intellectual disabilities, autism and behavioral health issues paint a picture at Greensburg’s Painting With...
Hempfield High student to face charges after allegedly issuing threat
A Hempfield Area High School student will face charges after allegedly using social media to threaten students at the school, Principal Kathleen Charlton said in a letter posted on the school’s website. According to the letter, the student sent a message Thursday to friends that threatened the safety of students...
Mt. Pleasant man convicted in cousin’s fatal overdose seeks new trial
The first man convicted in Westmoreland County of violating a 2011 law allowing prosecution of drug dealers in connection with fatal overdoses was in court Thursday to ask for a new trial. Michael Ulysses Peterson, 45, of Mt. Pleasant, is seeking to overturn a verdict against him following a 2016...
Judge refuses to dismiss murder charge in crash that killed East Huntingdon pedestrian
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday rejected a request from a New Stanton man to dismiss a charge of third-degree murder in connection with the death of a pedestrian killed when he was hit by a car on Christmas Eve 2016. Prosecutors contend Matthew Ramsay, 31, was under the influence...
Rivertowne liquor licenses sold at bankruptcy auction
A Monroeville real estate owner bought the closed Rivertowne Pub & Grille’s restaurant liquor license in North Huntingdon and the tavern’s inventory of equipment and supplies for $107,500 in a bankruptcy court auction in Pittsburgh Thursday. Sheldon Klasfeld of Monroeville Properties LLC, which rents houses, purchased the license and inventory...
Historic Westmoreland County covered bridge damaged in hit-and-run
Part of Bells Mills Road was closed this week after a portion of Westmoreland County’s last covered bridge was damaged in a hit-and-run. County engineer Vaughn Neill said a state trooper reported the damage on Bells Mills Bridge. “Somebody struck this, we don’t know who, we don’t know when,” Neill...
Retired teacher’s book aims to preserve a snapshot of Westmoreland’s natural areas
Dick Byers of Stahlstown loves nature. The 81-year-old retired biology teacher has enjoyed the natural areas of Westmoreland County and the surrounding region for decades. While there are plenty of publications exploring the trails that crisscross the area, Byers was more interested in preserving a snapshot of what nature looks...
PennDOT crews respond to large crack in Penn Township road
Drivers headed through Penn Township should avoid Paintertown Road between Route 130 and Simpson Road, until PennDOT crews are able to address a slide that took place on Thursday morning. Police chief John Otto said police were notified about the road by a motorist shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday morning....
2 cold weather shelters open in Westmoreland County
Two cold weather shelters are open in Westmoreland County when the temperatures dip below 25 degrees at night. The shelters — in Greensburg and Latrobe — will be open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. through March 31 for those who are homeless or others whose homes aren’t adequately heated...
$15,000 allegedly stolen from Hempfield man, sweepstakes company warning against fraud
A sweepstakes company is warning people to watch out for a scam that caused a local man to have $15,000 taken from his bank account, police said. Scammers claiming to be from the United States Sweepstakes and Fulfillment Co. allegedly sent a mailer to a Hempfield Township man saying he...
Unloaded school bus involved in Murrysville crash
An unloaded school bus was involved in a crash Thursday morning in Murrysville, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The crash between the bus and a passenger vehicle on School Road North happened at 7:15 a.m. Traffic was being affected in the area while emergency responders worked to clear the...
