Westmoreland category, Page 15
Jeannette struggles to fill 2 openings on police force
Jeannette is looking at financial incentives and other options to encourage more applicants to two openings on the police force. As of Tuesday afternoon, no one had applied for the positions, police Chief Derek Manley said. The application period closes Oct. 31. During a meeting Monday to prepare for the...
Judge upholds life sentences for Monessen man in 1973 rape, double murder case
A judge has rejected an appeal from a Monessen man who has spent 50 years in prison for the 1973 murders of two young children and the rape of their mother. Attorneys for John Veltre Jr., 69, claimed that Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart II abused his...
PennDOT work restricts traffic on Rostraver bridge over I-70
Traffic has been reduced to a single lane on Crawford Lane Bridge in Rostraver. Temporary traffic signals have been installed at each end of the bridge, on Crawford Lane and Finley Road, to guide traffic over the span that crosses above Interstate 70. The lane restriction is slated to continue...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Oct. 24-26
This pre-Halloween weekend is packed with scary good activities for all ages throughout Westmoreland. Don your costume and get ready to haunt the town with these events. Halloween tales tours The Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown will host a fascinating and spine-tingling event with real ghostly tales from the Ligonier...
Irwin to hold Halloween parade Saturday
Youngsters in Irwin Borough will have a chance to don their Halloween costumes and go to businesses in downtown Irwin for a trick-or-treat from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, followed by a parade along Main Street. Registration for the parade will be held 1 to 3 p.m. at the S&T...
Hempfield Township hauls in $180K from auction after 66,000 people browsed
Hempfield raked in $180,500 in proceeds from an online auction of 116 pieces of surplus equipment. More than 66,000 people looked at what Hempfield had for sale through Anderson Auctioneers, including trucks, firefighting equipment, traffic signals, kitchen appliances, chairs and reflector lamps. “That’s impressive,” said township Supervisor Jay Anderson. “There’s...
6 vie for 4 seats on Youngwood council
Six people are running for four spots on Youngwood council — including three incumbents, two newcomers and one who has filled in for a vacant seat on the board for about four months. Managing borough finances, replacing public works equipment, updating stormwater infrastructure, fostering community and addressing blighted properties are...
Penn-Trafford freshman installs ‘Kindness Rock Garden’ at Children’s Home
The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh holds a special place in Penn-Trafford freshman Amelia Montenary’s heart. Her 8-year-old sister, Lucy, diagnosed with Trisomy 18 as a baby, has spent much of her life in the Bloomfield care facility. Also known as Edwards Syndrome, Trisomy 18 is a rare genetic condition that...
Judge laments crimes he claims are linked to Hempfield casino as blackjack player is sentenced for having loaded gun
A Jeannette man will serve two years of probation for illegally possessing a loaded handgun while playing blackjack in a Westmoreland County casino. Kenneth J. Czarnecki, 26, pleaded guilty to one felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license while gambling at Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall in...
Hempfield man sentenced to probation, house arrest for stalking teen at school bus stop
A Hempfield man was ordered to serve seven years on probation after he pleaded guilty to charges related to claims he propositioned a teenager last year at a school bus stop. Police claimed Michael D. Thomas, 72, made sexual comments to a 13-year-old Wendover Middle School student as she waited...
Judge rejects bail request of Jeannette man awaiting retrial for 1993 fatal fire
A judge on Wednesday denied bail for a former Jeannette man awaiting retrial on charges he set a fire three decades ago that killed his wife and two young children. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart III ruled that state law prohibits bail for defendants who face a...
Murrysville has few options to protect traffic light control boxes
Murrysville officials have had problems in recent years with crashes on Route 22 causing damage to the electrical boxes that control several traffic lights along the highway. The municipality plans to replace the current light-control system. But in the meantime, they don’t have a lot of options to protect the...
City manager expects 2026 Jeannette budget to balance without tax increase
Property taxes are expected to remain steady in Jeannette’s 2026 budget. “I do not see a need for a tax increase unless something disastrous happens between now and the November council meeting,” City Manager Ethan Keedy said. There is more work to be done on the proposed spending plan, but...
Southmoreland reviews livestream policy, plans hearing regarding controversial director’s comments
The Southmoreland School Board is reviewing a policy that would end the livestreaming of its meetings in favor of posting a video recording after the meeting’s conclusion. The move comes a month after School Director Catherine Fike, a retired school psychologist, was accused by the school board of disclosing confidential...
Westmoreland commissioners OK loan to pay for human services amid state budget impasse
Westmoreland commissioners on Tuesday authorized the county’s finance department to apply for a $14.1 million state treasury loan to fund essential human services amid Pennsylvania’s ongoing budget stalemate. The commissioners said an infusion of cash is needed as county resources used to pay key service providers that care for children...
Injured No Kings protest participant calls on Westmoreland commissioners to condemn political violence
A Smithton woman injured during an altercation at Saturday’s No Kings protest in Greensburg is calling on the Westmoreland County commissioners to formally condemn political violence. Karen Primm, 70, said she sustained a gash to right arm when she was struck by pole of a flag waved by an apparent...
McKeesport man admits to stealing $5,370 from autistic co-worker
A McKeesport man is behind bars after state police said he stole $5,370 from a man who has autism while they worked together at a Hempfield car dealership. Troopers on Tuesday arrested Scott Andrew Soles, 48, on three counts of theft and a single charge of criminal use of a...
Carlow, Seton Hill instructor to lead new WCCC practical nursing program
Westmoreland County Community College has hired a lead instructor for its practical nursing program, set to launch this spring at its Latrobe campus. Christina Drnjevich, an adjunct clinical instructor at Carlow and Seton Hill universities, will lead the new program — coming to the college with more than two decades...
Westmoreland happenings: Halloween bingo, winter coat giveaway, chicken dinner, more
Fundraisers • Trinity United Church of Christ, 139 N. Main St., Greensburg, will sponsor a winter coat and clothing giveaway 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 25 in the church basement. Everyone is welcome. • A chicken and biscuit dinner to benefit Mon Valley Paws will be held 11 a.m....
Greensburg will pay N.J. woman $60K to settle false prosecution case
Greensburg is paying $60,000 to settle a federal lawsuit with a New Jersey woman whose criminal charges were dropped after her attorney produced evidence proving her innocence. City council this month unanimously approved the settlement with Alyssa Wright. Details of the settlement were obtained by the Trib under a request...
What’s cooking at WCCC? Culinary students serve meals at campus’ Chef’s Bistro
Fall aromas filled Westmoreland County Community College’s health and culinary center last week as students sauteed vegetables and piled fresh baked rolls with roast beef. Students and community members filed into The Chef’s Bistro — a restaurant tucked into the college’s Hempfield campus. About 25 culinary and baking students are...
Norwin stadium demo project set to begin in early November
The long-awaited $25.4 million demolition and rebuilding of the Norwin Knights stadium is scheduled to begin early next month, as long as the fall sports teams are no longer using the field, school officials said Monday. Norwin Superintendent Natalie McCracken said following the school board meeting that the contractors can...
Hempfield Area aims to add composting, hydroponics to STEM curriculum
Hempfield Area students will get to put their science lessons into action through the help of a donation of composting tools from Westmoreland Cleanways. The school board voted unanimously Monday evening to accept a donation from the Unity-based nonprofit. The district will receive three compost bins and two tools intended...
Murrysville man accused in beating of 2 people with baseball bat
A person accused of beating two people with a baseball bat at a Salem gas station last week, later directing slurs at one of them, was arrested Monday afternoon, according to state police. Both people were taken to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville for treatment after the 10 p.m. Thursday...
House arrest lifted as Bovard man awaits arson, burglary trial
A former Greensburg man was released from house arrest Monday as he awaits trial for setting fire to a Hempfield home in 2022. The blaze injured two firefighters and killed three family pets. Westmoreland County prosecutors claim Randy W. Bryner set fire to the house to cover up his theft...
