Westmoreland category, Page 93
Rosendahl’s owner looking for options as Irwin leaders defend eviction to make way for renovations
A week after he was told Irwin chose not to renew its lease of the Main Street building where the borough’s offices are on the second floor, Rosendahl’s Appliance Center owner Gary Proctor said he’s still trying to figure out what he’s going to do. Rosendahl’s is a fixture in...
Westmoreland juvenile detention center eyes expansion in 2025
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center could double its capacity this spring, officials said Monday. Eight juveniles were housed at the Hempfield facility, filling every available bed. It reopened in March after a series of issues included staffing shortages and critical state inspections that prompted county officials to temporarily shut down...
New guards hired at Westmoreland jail as inmate population rises
Westmoreland County’s Prison Board on Monday approved the hiring of nine new corrections officers to ensure the facility remains fully staffed heading into 2025. Warden Steve Pelesky said the additional guards were needed to rebound from several resignations and retirements of staff in recent months. The facility employs more than...
Former state trooper charged with stealing from Home Depot stores
A former state trooper was arrested Friday on police accusations that he stole $2,000 worth of merchandise from two Home Depot stores. Investigators said John Robert Tamewitz, 59, of Penn Township removed stickers from online orders he picked up in-store, put the stickers on other merchandise and took the items...
Line upgrades impact November sewage overflow in Delmont, Salem
Delmont officials made the next partial payment last week on the borough’s large-scale, state-mandated sewage project, putting just more than $267,000 toward an collection point on Christy Road and the relocation of a sewage line in Salem. The pressurized sewage line along with a gravity sewage line runs through the...
Herminie man charged with arson in September fire at his residence
State police believe a Herminie man set the house where he was living on fire during an argument, according to court papers. Timothy James Gillin, 50, was arrested last week on arson and related charges. In court papers, a state police fire marshal said witnesses reported Gillin left the house...
‘Anything you want’: Granddaughter of Elizabeth Pollard, troopers connect again for toy spree
Serenity Pollard had a big smile on her face when she dropped two Barbie dolls into her shopping cart. She beamed when she grabbed toys featuring cartoon character Bluey off a shelf at the Hempfield Walmart Monday. The 5-year-old girl’s grin was contagious as she pedaled a bicycle around the...
Unregulated Delta 8 remains a concern amid marijuana legalization talk, as teens and toddlers gain access to it
As the debate over recreational marijuana continues, a related issue medical and legal experts say poses a threat to children is a growing concern. Delta 8 edibles look like the kind of sugary, fruit-flavored gummy candy toddlers devour by the handful. But pediatricians say these products — packaged almost identically...
Laurel Mountain Ski Resort ready for season opening
Laurel Mountain Ski Resort is set to open for the season Friday. The skiing venue atop Laurel Ridge then will be open every day through New Year’s Day, except for Dec. 23, according to Vail Resorts, which operates the site. According to the site’s Facebook page, regular operating hours will...
Westmoreland happenings: Breakfast with Santa, community blood drive, bingo, more
Fundraisers • Greensburg Masonic Center will sponsor a Breakfast with Santa from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 21 at the center, 349 Donohoe Road, Hempfield. Menu: pancakes, waffles, sausage, fruit cup and beverage. Cost: $10; children, $5; younger than 5, free. Bring a camera for photo ops with Santa. •...
Westmoreland Register of Wills Office rebounds from year of disarray
On a quiet Friday afternoon, Westmoreland County register of wills staffers worked as usual to process court filings and waited on customers. It was like any other day at the courthouse — but a far cry from the disorganization and disarray that plagued the court-filing office for more than a...
Area wreath ceremonies bear witness to legacy of military service, families’ sacrifices
When 6-year-old Jason McClary placed a memorial wreath Saturday morning at Murrysville Cemetery, he represented all those who lost a loved one in military service — just as he lost the father whose name he shares. The Washington Township boy was less than a year old, and his older brother,...
Former Latrobe CEO’s 20-year sentence commuted by Biden
President Joe Biden on Thursday commuted the sentence of Gregory J. Podlucky, former chairman and CEO of a now defunct Latrobe beverage and bottling company who was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2011 for his role in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme. Podlucky’s commutation was part of a...
Father, son arrested in Mt. Pleasant Township shooting; preliminary hearing set
A father and son were arrested in Mt. Pleasant Township for firing multiple shots at a man in a moving truck, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. Paul Caletri Jr., 70, and Paul Caletri III, 30, were arrested by state police. They are each charged with aggravated assault,...
It’s beginning to look — and sound — like Christmas in Greensburg Salem School District
People in the Greensburg Salem School District got to enjoy some of the sounds of the season Friday to get them into the holiday spirit. The Amos K. Hutchinson Elementary School band performed during Community Light Up Night on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 at the school in Southwest Greensburg. Also...
More homeowners sought for North Belle Vernon mine subsidence work
State environmental officials intend next week to canvass the section of North Belle Vernon targeted for a major mine subsidence prevention project next year. They aim to get property owners who have yet to register to participate in the project meant to stabilize the mined ground underneath their homes. The...
Pa. AG charges Allegheny County residents in vehicle ‘smash-and-grab’ spree
State authorities have accused four Allegheny County residents of breaking into dozens of vehicles last year throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania, stealing checkbooks, credit, debit and ID cards, and then draining victims’ bank accounts. On Dec. 6, the state Attorney General’s Office charged Ahmed Henderson, Theresa Imel, Elizabeth Madden and Shaquan Moore...
Crews work to pump grout to stabilize area above Marguerite mine in Unity after sinkhole tragedy
A cement-like grout is being pumped into strategically placed borings and down into the former Marguerite mine beneath Monday’s Union restaurant in Unity. Starting around 8 a.m. Friday a steady stream of cement mixer trucks emptied their contents every five to seven minutes into a machine that pumps it far...
Donations are lagging as deadline approaches for Unity restaurant’s holiday dinner drive
As the deadline approaches for the Sharky’s Café holiday dinner drive donations are less than they were in previous years, the co-owner of the Unity restaurant said. “The community always seems to pull through,” Sharky’s co-owner Jamie Huemme said. The deadline for the 5th annual drive is Dec. 18. As...
Rosendahl’s owner upset Irwin officials won’t renew lease in order to make borough offices accessible
A fixture in downtown Irwin for nearly a century is being booted from its Main Street building to make way for municipal offices accessible for those with disabilities. Borough council this week decided not to renew the lease of Rosendahl’s Appliance Center when it expires March 31 so the administrative...
Yough teacher uses love of running to raise money for drug prevention
A Yough High School teacher who recently ran in the New York City Marathon has not only used her sport to stay healthy, but to raise money for drug prevention programs — a cause that hits home for her. Jessica George, 44, of Unity began running in 2017 as a...
East Huntingdon man to serve up to 20 years in prison for sexual assault of child
A former custodian and janitor at the Mt. Pleasant Area School District will serve at least eight years in prison after being sentenced this week for repeated sexual assaults of a child over a 10-year period. Jeffrey D. Miller Jr., 50, of East Huntingdon was charged last year with eight...
Randy Glick retires as Derry police chief; borough seeks talks for school policing contract
Derry Borough is searching for a new police chief after the town council this week accepted Randy Glick’s retirement resignation. The borough also is entering negotiations with officials at Derry Area School District in an attempt to reach a new agreement for the police to provide coverage at the school...
Crafted vintage beaded ornaments bring bling to Christmas for local collector
He calls them Fauxberge. They’re blinged-out Christmas ornaments that had their height of popularity half a century ago and have become a passion of collector Patrick Hubert of Mt. Pleasant Township. Hubert employs the punny term to describe the holiday decorations because some of the finest examples pay tribute, in...
MAWC says inventory finds 3% of water system has lead service lines
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials said they suspect just 3% of its water system contains lead service lines and have started to notify impacted home and business owners of its findings. An inventory of the system’s more than 123,000 customers revealed more than 4,000 properties could be serviced by...
