Westmoreland category, Page 9
Layoffs possible as commissioners seek to reduce $30M deficit from 2026 budget
Westmoreland County commissioners said additional spending cuts and layoffs could be implemented to trim a nearly $30 million deficit from the proposed 2026 budget. Commissioners unveiled a preliminary spending plan Thursday that calls for more than $463 million in expenses, an $11 million increase over this year. About 30% of...
Latrobe man sentenced for child porn possession
A Latrobe man was sentenced Thursday to serve at least six years in prison for possession of child pornography. Joshua Allen Clawson, 46, pleaded guilty in August to 10 felony counts in connection to files police said were discovered on a computer he sold to a Hempfield pawn shop in...
3-mill tax hike to fund Hempfield fire departments under consideration
Hempfield supervisors are once again considering two budget versions for next year — one that keeps the property tax rate steady at 3 mills for the 36th straight time and another that would double tax bills to create a stream of funds for the fire department. It’s the same proposal...
Friendship for the Ages: Roommates embrace 50-year age difference
Part of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh’s campaign to spotlight friendships across generations. Kaylee Priddy and Pamela Handelman consider themselves kindred spirits. They’re both artists and activists and more than 50 years apart in age. After meeting at a dinner party, they not only became immediate friends, they went on to become...
Westmoreland happenings: Festival of Trees, poultry bingo, food drive, more
Fundraisers • St. James Lutheran Church, Youngstown, will have a Festival of Trees 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at the church, 4329 Route 982. More than 50 decorated trees will be auctioned. There will be food, drinks, a bake sale, free children’s crafts and photos with Santa...
Monessen American Legion burns more than 1,000 flags in retirement ceremonyVideo
Old Glory went up in flames hundreds of times over Wednesday during a flag retirement ceremony in Monessen. It’s an annual tradition for members of the American Legion post there, an autumn rite during which the group honors flags that are worn or in poor condition before tossing them in...
Community leaders anticipate economic boost from Independence-WVU Health merger
The proposed acquisition of Independence Health System by the West Virginia University Health System (WVU Medicine) could be a major benefit for the community, local leaders said Wednesday. Officials announced that Independence’s five hospitals — including facilities in Greensburg, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant, Butler, and Clarion counties — will join the...
Authorities: $100K in illegal drugs seized from Youngwood vape shop
More than $100,000 worth of illegal drug products were seized Wednesday from a Youngwood vape shop when several police agencies served a search warrant there, according to authorities. A man working in the Youngwood Tobacco & Vape store was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to...
Norwin director sues district again over 2nd censure
A Norwin School Board member has filed a second federal lawsuit against the district and fellow directors. Alex Detschelt, an attorney representing himself, claims he was retaliated against for exercising his First Amendment rights after the board censured him for sexually descriptive blog posts. Detschelt filed the three-count lawsuit Monday...
Franklin Regional to borrow $10 million for athletics upgrades
Franklin Regional officials will move ahead to borrow about $10 million in order to renovate their athletic fields, as well as create a multi-purpose field on the school district’s main campus in Murrysville. The school board voted unanimously Monday night to fund the project through a bond issue. It will...
Independence Health announces merger with WVU Health System
Independence Health System — with hospitals in Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant — announced Wednesday that it will join West Virginia University Health System beginning in fall 2026. The agreement includes an $800 million commitment from the WVU system over the next five years to strengthen Independence Health System’s five...
Norwin Works! program: preparing students for life’s work
Autumn Serembo, a Norwin High School senior, was busy Tuesday afternoon scraping off stickers that would identify books as being from Norwin Public Library, in preparation for the books to be sold at an upcoming book sale. She was one of about six students at the library who are in...
Westmoreland to break 200 election ties with draws from a jar
More than 200 races in this month’s municipal election in Westmoreland County ended in ties. The county election board Tuesday issued a precertification of the results of the hundreds of races that appeared on the Nov. 4 ballot after tallying more than 22,000 write-in votes, said Election Bureau Director Scott...
Jeannette man charged in hit-and-run that killed e-bike rider
A Jeannette man is now charged in connection with a hit-and-run that killed a man who was riding an e-bike in Hempfield. State police accused William Edward Sever, 37, of being behind the wheel of a borrowed Kia car when it collided with Jayden Lynch, 19, of Jeannette, late on...
Westmoreland officials refute claims of backdoor salary deal for former purchasing director
Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas on Tuesday refuted defense claims that the criminal prosecution of the county’s former purchasing director was an effort to cover up actions taken outside of official channels. Kopas, Controller Jeffrey Balzer and county finance director Meghan McCandless testified under defense subpoenas as part of an...
Police offer details on Derry Township fatal shooting
State police had been called to a Derry Township home that was the scene of a fatal shooting Saturday four times in less than a year for domestic-related complaints. None of them resulted in any criminal charges, said Trooper Steve Limani. “It’s not uncommon for us to go to a...
Hunter dies after fall in South Huntingdon
A hunter in Westmoreland County died after falling on Tuesday. A county 911 supervisor said first responders were called to South Huntingdon’s Mendon neighborhood just after 12:30 p.m. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said Michael Hinerman, 50, was found on his property in a wooded area along McCune Road in...
Latrobe prepares for health cost hike next year, looks to hold line on taxes
Latrobe officials plan to hold the line on taxes next year despite an increase in health benefit costs and moves to boost staff and equipment for a shift to in-house garbage hauling. City council voted last week to advertise a proposed 2026 budget with projected revenues of $7.52 million, which...
Westmoreland detention center passes state inspections
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center has been given a clean bill of health by state inspectors. Inspections conducted this month by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and over the summer by federal auditors found no deficiencies in operations of the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield. The facility serves...
Murrysville man sentenced to prison for sex videos with teens
A Murrysville man was ordered Monday to serve up to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession and dissemination of child pornography. Prosecutors said Kevin M. Hullenbaugh, 32, had a sexual relationship from October 2023 through mid July 2024 with two 16-year-old girls. According to court records...
Derry Township resident exchanged gunfire with police before he was fatally shot
State troopers and Latrobe police responding to a domestic violence call on a quiet Derry Township street over the weekend exchanged gunfire with a resident, who was fatally shot, Trooper Steve Limani said Monday. When police were called to James Street on Saturday evening, they were told someone in the...
Murrysville council axes proposal for vacant property registry
Murrysville council will not move ahead with a proposed ordinance establishing a registry for vacant properties. Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said a draft copy of the ordinance began circulating in early November, and the municipality received significant feedback about the proposal, which would have established a fee schedule for...
Murrysville hears pitch for stormwater fee to help fund state-mandated projects
The management and control of stormwater in Pennsylvania has become more heavily regulated in the past two decades. In towns with a municipal separate storm sewer system, known as MS4, compliance with those regulations has continued to increase in cost. State environmental officials require MS4 permit-holders to meet annual goals...
Murrysville rezones private property designated as ‘public lands’ in the ’80s
Murrysville officials voted this month to rezone a 3-acre, privately owned property near Hills Church Road and Carriage Circle after an investigation revealed the land had been incorrectly designated as public for decades. The rezoning brings the parcel in line with its residential surroundings. The effort began in early fall...
Westmoreland casino marks 5th anniversary as local officials tout community impact
It was not exactly a roll of the dice when Live Casino Pittsburgh opened five years ago at Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield. The small-scale casino was envisioned by state lawmakers to bring additional tax dollars into the state coffers. For county leaders, it was expected to enhance local tourism, and...
