Westmoreland category, Page 184
4-vehicle crash shuts down Washington Township road
Two people were taken to a hospital following a four-vehicle crash that shut down Greensburg Road for nearly two hours in Washington Township on Thursday morning. Washington Township police were dispatched to Greensburg Road near its intersection with Saddle Pack Trail, Chief Jason Montgomery said. A vehicle turning west onto...
Greensburg Salem moves to fire 3 employees amid ‘incidents from one of our elementary classrooms’
The Greensburg Salem School Board on Wednesday moved to dismiss three employees, although district officials declined to name the employees or discuss specifically what prompted the firings. However, school board President Jeff Metrosky confirmed the action is a result of “recently reported incidents from one of our elementary classrooms.” Last...
Morning Roundup: Fire damages Fairfield Township house; windstorms on hold until Friday
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Jan. 11. Fairfield Township house damaged by fire Parts of a Fairfield Township residence sustained damage following a chimney fire early Thursday morning. The Fairfield Township Volunteer Fire Company was dispatched to a home on Rabbit Ridge Drive...
Indoor simulator will extend golfing challenge at Greensburg’s Mt. Odin course
Greensburg-area golfers soon won’t need to travel far to experience the challenges of Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Teton Pines or the Old Course at St. Andrew’s. Those famous venues are among more than 35 golf courses from around the world that will be featured when Greensburg installs a new indoor...
Hempfield seeks solutions to High Park fire station staffing crisis
Hempfield’s High Park Volunteer Fire Department responded to just one of 53 emergency calls during the final three months of last year, according to township Manager Aaron Siko. A chartered station with Hempfield Fire Department, High Park has been on probation since June 2022 for failing to respond to calls....
Some Westmoreland power outages could last until Friday as new windstorm approaches
A winter storm that pummeled Western Pennsylvania with high winds and steady rain Tuesday left several flooded roads and more than 9,000 customers without power in Westmoreland County. The number of power outages was down to about 470 by 9 p.m. Wednesday as West Penn Power worked to restore service....
Jury acquits New Stanton man of rape, but finds him guilty of lesser offenses
A Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday found a New Stanton man not guilty of raping a woman at a Hempfield Halloween party in 2020 but they convicted him of a sexual assault charge. Anthony Lucas, 28, was accused of barging into a bathroom during the party in 2020 and forcing...
Man found in North Huntingdon motel with teen runaway convicted of drug, gun counts
A man was convicted Wednesday of charges that he illegally possessed a gun and drugs when he was found in a North Huntingdon motel with a runaway teenager from Beaver County. Robert Easley, 42, formerly of Ohio, claimed during a three-day trial in Westmoreland County that police planted a handgun...
Hempfield Area looks to other districts to research security upgrades
Hempfield Area School District’s security committee is still its weighing options to upgrade procedures and equipment. District leaders visited three Pennsylvania schools over the past several weeks to learn what security protocols and equipment work best to keep weapons off campus, interim Superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht said at a meeting of...
Westmoreland happenings: Computer classes, turkey dinner, senior citizen news, more
Classes YWCA Westmoreland, 424 N. Main St., Greensburg, will offer several technology classes during January at the center. They are: • A cyber security workshop, 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16. Cost: $15. • A computer basics class, 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Jan. 9, 10, 16 and 17. Cost:...
High winds leave thousands without power in Westmoreland County; more expected in Pittsburgh region
High winds Tuesday afternoon left more than 10,000 FirstEnergy customers without power in Westmoreland County. More high winds can be expected Wednesday in the Pittsburgh area, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts between 40 and 50 mph are forecast...
Murrysville library to host talk on Pittsburgh’s steel-making history
In the 1880s, the first steel mill was built in Pittsburgh. By the 1950s, the city’s top export had helped power the Industrial Revolution and supplied crucial materials during World War II. But why Pittsburgh? Susie Toman, a docent and educator with nonprofit Rivers of Steel, will explain at a...
Lawyer buys former Steelers player’s estate where retreat center had been planned
A 133-acre Ligonier Township estate owned by a former Pittsburgh Steelers player who wanted to operate a retreat center for clergy and pastors was sold to a former Pittsburgh attorney who said this week he plans to use it as a personal home. Antonio “Tony” and Amy Dias of Miami...
Trial begins for New Stanton man charged with bathroom rape at 2020 Halloween party
A Mt. Pleasant woman testified Monday that she intentionally kept quiet during an alleged rape in a bathroom because her daughter was sleeping in the next room. “I just left the bathroom and didn’t call out for help because my daughter was in the next room sleeping,” she said in...
Firefighters called to rescue motorist from Ligonier Township flooding; several roads closed
Flooding and downed utility lines caused the closure of several roads around Westmoreland County from Tuesday to Wednesday as a storm pounded the region with rain and high winds. Firefighters from Ligonier and Waterford were dispatched around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to assist a motorist from a vehicle in a flooded...
Strong wind topples utility poles, sparks fire in East Huntingdon
High winds Tuesday afternoon snapped three utility poles along Route 819 and caused an attic fire from the downed power lines, an East Huntingdon fire official said. The fire damaged a house adjacent to Smillie’s Family Restaurant, said Chris Brinker, an assistant fire chief for East Huntingdon. Brinker said he...
Latrobe consultant to create plan for possible walking, biking improvements in Greensburg
Gibson-Thomas Engineering will work with a steering committee to study Greensburg’s environment for walkers and bicyclists, among others. The city council on Monday selected the Latrobe firm as its consultant for developing an active transportation plan. Such a plan emphasizes forms of mobility including “walking, biking, using a wheelchair, connecting...
Survey seeks input from young adults with disabilities
Young adults who have disabilities are being asked to participate in a survey being conducted by the Westmoreland County Department of Human Services. The survey is aimed at finding out what resources are helpful and where additional assistance might be needed. Its target audience is for young adults who have...
Unity man arrested after robbery at Sugar Shack pizza shop
A Unity man is behind bars after state police said he robbed a pizza and pastry shop with a knife on Monday. Austin Miles Lewis, 23, had about $150 when troopers apprehended him near his home, according to court papers. Troopers were called to The Sugar Shack Pizza & Pastry...
Hempfield interim superintendent to remain in role for 3 more months
Hempfield Area Superintendent Tammy Wolicki will remain on a leave for another three months for unspecified reasons, school board members said Monday. The board approved interim superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht to remain in her role while Wolicki is off. Rieffannacht is the assistant superintendent for elementary education in the district. Her...
Penn-Trafford identifies buyer for former administration building
The former Penn-Trafford School District administration building on Harrison City-Export Road could be renovated for commercial or residential rental units. The district plans to finalize the sale of the building Feb. 6 to Rick Goga, owner of Artistic Pools on Route 130 in Penn Township, according to court documents. Since...
Scheme to collect false back taxes results in prison term for Jeannette man
A Jeannette man will spend 33 months in a federal prison in connection with his role in a scheme in which participants impersonated IRS officials who demanded immediate payment of fake back taxes. Ronnell Taylor, 41, of Jeannette, also was ordered to spend two years on supervised release after the...
2 tractor-trailers go over an embankment along Pa. Turnpike near Donegal
Two westbound tractor-trailers crashed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Somerset and Donegal exits Tuesday morning, with the vehicles rolling over a snow-covered embankment. The crash happened about 9:15 a.m. near milepost 95, state police said. The turnpike passes over Route 130 in the area. Police said one of the...
DA drops alleged rape case after accuser declines to testify
Westmoreland County prosecutors on Monday dismissed rape and related charges against a Blairsville man who police claimed was linked to alleged sexual assaults through DNA evidence. Felony counts of rape, sexual assault, possession of child pornography and other offenses were dropped as jury selection in the case against Lawrence Paul...
Greensburg man pleads guilty to Hempfield bank robbery
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Monday to the robbery of a Hempfield bank two years ago. Jonathan Smith Jr., 31, will remain free on $50,000 unsecured bond until he is sentenced in about three months. He pleaded guilty to charges of robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and making a terroristic...
