Westmoreland category, Page 878
1 hurt when PennDOT truck, passenger vehicle crash on Route 30 in Ligonier Township
One person was hospitalized after a crash involving a passenger vehicle and a PennDOT plow Wednesday afternoon in Ligonier Township, according to PennDOT. Route 30 eastbound was closed for about 40 minutes as firefighters worked to free one person who was trapped in a vehicle, according to a Westmoreland 911...
Police: Ligonier Township homeowner admits to setting own house on fire
A Ligonier Township man told authorities he smoked methamphetamine before allegedly setting fire to his rented home, according to court papers. Brian W. McVicker, 54, had a lighter in his hand when authorities arrived after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at the house, located behind the Washington Furnace Inn along Route 30,...
Monessen shooting case begins despite defense claims of misconduct
A Westmoreland County judge refused to grant a mistrial or dismiss the cases against two men charged in connection with a shooting on a Monessen street despite defense attorneys alleging a clear case of prosecutorial misconduct. Testimony in the attempted murder and conspiracy case against Joseph Heath, 29, and Rashawn...
Joy Riders program will provide bike rides to people with limited mobilityVideo
As soon as Karen Primm of Smithton saw the video — about an Australian man who designed a tandem bicycle with a wheelchair in the front, so that his disabled wife could go out on rides with him — she knew she needed to bring something similar to Pittsburgh. Luckily...
Police: Driver was drunk during head-on crash in Murrysville that left man seriously injured
A Delmont woman is accused of being drunk at the time of a head-on crash Friday in Murrysville that left a man seriously injured. Lane J. Weiner, 56, had two cold 12-packs of Bud Light that had been opened in the back seat of her car at the time of...
Westmoreland happenings: Jan. 16 and beyond
Classes/programs • Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe has planned days of observances to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: — Mass of Celebration will be held 12:05 p.m. Monday in the Mary, Mother of Wisdom Chapel. Following the Mass, a dream center...
Westmoreland County seeking 30 participants for citizen workshop
The Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety is looking for 30 citizens to participate in a workshop aimed at mitigating hazards. The workshop will be held Feb. 19 and March 19 from 7-9 p.m. at the University of Pittsburgh’s Greensburg campus. Citizens will only be required to attend one of...
Severe weather in 2018 leads to increased Latrobe fire calls
Latrobe firefighters responded to a near record 1,018 alarms in 2018 — second only to a record 1,101 calls the volunteer department answered in 2004. “We got through it, but I hope it slows down a little,” fire Chief John Brasile said of last year’s emergency volume. In each of...
Greater Latrobe eyes 2.36-mill cap on potential tax hike
Greater Latrobe School Board is considering setting a 2.36-mill cap on a potential property tax increase for the 2019-20 school year. That maximum hike, which would raise an estimated $802,400 in additional revenue for the district, is in line with an adjusted 2.9 percent Act 1 index limit determined by...
Judge says Norwin school board member chosen without influence
A letter sent by a current Norwin school board member to the Westmoreland County judges did not influence their choice to fill a vacant seat on the panel, the president judge said Tuesday. President Judge Rita Hathaway said the nine judges did not consider the letter sent by a school...
Westmoreland drug court participants will receive life-saving kits
Westmoreland County’s drug court participants will receive a kit with a life-saving dose of naloxone as part of a grant received Monday. Tim Phillips, executive director of the county’s Drug Overdose Task Force, said the county received 65 doses of the drug as part of program from the pharmaceutical company...
Jeannette man gets up to 23 months in jail for stabbing man in chest
A Jeannette man will serve up to nearly two years in jail for assaulting another man on the porch of his home last spring. Marlon C. “Star” Williams, 40, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment for the stabbing. Police said Williams used a three-inch knife...
Police say former inmate was on drugs when he carjacked woman outside jail
Police say a Philadelphia man was under the influence of anxiety medication, marijuana and opioids on Dec. 4 when he carjacked a West Leechburg woman and sped away with her infant grandson in the backseat minutes after being released from Westmoreland County Prison, according to new court documents. County park...
Troopers: Former inmate was on drugs when he carjacked woman outside county jail
A Philadelphia man was under the influence of anxiety medication, marijuana and opioids on Dec. 4 when he carjacked a woman and sped away with her infant grandson in the backseat minutes after being released from the Westmoreland County Prison, according to new court documents. County park police already had...
Bon Journey to headline Norwin Relay for Life event
“Don’t Stop Believin’” will help ring in the first fundraiser of 2019 for the annual Relay for Life of Norwin. On Feb.1, Bon Journey, a Bon Jovi and Journey tribute band, will take the stage at Antonelli’s Event Center in Irwin, raising money for the fight against cancer. Safety Last,...
Murrysville, state forestry service will partner on backyard sustainability workshop
When state forestry officials piloted a 2018 workshop showing people how to maximize the natural use of their property, they were impressed with the results. “We had a great turnout with more than 200 people at Butler County Community College,” service forester Celine Colbert said. “The feedback we got was...
Man accused of leading police on nearly 10-mile chase in Sewickley Township
A Madison man is accused of leading police on a 9½-mile chase Saturday with an open bottle of vodka in his car, according to arrest papers. Brian Allen Smith, 47, allegedly caused at least $1,000 worth of damage to a state police cruiser during the incident. He was being held...
State police investigating pattern of thefts from construction sites
State police are investigating an ongoing pattern of thefts from construction sites in the New Stanton and Mt. Pleasant area. Troopers said they responded Thursday to a report of tools having been stolen from a construction site on Mt. Pleasant Connel Road in East Huntingdon, where someone broke into a...
Westmoreland’s Register of Wills to seek another term in office
Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton has announced she will seek a second term in office. Hamilton, 42, a Republican from Hempfield, was first elected in 2015 to run the courthouse office that oversees estate records, orphans court and marriage licenses. She served one year as the office’s...
Latrobe OKs 26 percent hike in garbage fees, hears union drivers’ concerns
Latrobe residents will see their quarterly garbage collection bills increase by $15, or an average of 26 percent, this year under a new five-year contract between the city and its refuse hauler, Republic Services. With Mayor Rosie Wolford absent, city council Monday voted 6-0 in favor of the agreement, which...
Anderson’s planned retirement to make it tough for GOP to regain power among Westmoreland commissioners
Westmoreland County Republicans expect the path to reclaim a majority on the board of commissioners will be more difficult this year with the impending retirement of popular incumbent Charles Anderson. Anderson announced last week he would not seek another term in office, leaving the local GOP with a huge hole...
Rostraver crash sends 3 to area hospitals
Three motorists were taken at area hospitals for treatment following a two-vehicle collision Sunday on Route 51 in Rostraver Township. The crash happened around 12:45 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the highway, near Willowbrook Plaza. Two patients were taken by ambulance to a local hospital. A third was taken...
Notre Dame Club to visit Greensburg synagogue for special Shabbat service
In the days after the Tree of Life Congregation shooting, Monsignor Roger Statnick thought about ways he and his fellow Catholics could show support for the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and Greensburg. Then he met Rabbi Stacy Petersohn of Congregation Emanu-El Israel in Greensburg. The introduction turned into an opportunity...
Hempfield Cub Scouts host Pinewood Derby races involving nearly 70 handmade cars
Cub Scout Pack 418 of Hempfield hosted their annual Pinewood Derby race on Saturday in the Maxwell Elementary School cafeteria. Along with neighboring Cub Scout Pack 211 of Delmont there were nearly 70 handmade wooden cars created by the scouts, who ranged in age from kindergarten through fifth grade. This...
North Huntingdon sky diving gold medalist champions sport for family, othersVideo
Some might say Randy Persi is fearless for making parachuting his passion and hobby. Others might consider him a little crazy for tempting fate almost 2,000 times by diving out of planes. But, all of them can call the North Huntingdon man a champion, as the 51-year-old father of two...
