Westmoreland category, Page 21
Jeannette officials take key step toward getting 19 blighted buildings razed
A few property owners pleaded their cases Friday as Jeannette officials seek to have their blighted buildings torn down. But most did not show for a demolition hearing, leaving code enforcement officer Bill Whetzel to deem them public nuisances in need of razing. There were 19 properties addressed during a...
Drivers frustrated with improvements at intersection of Golden Mile Highway, Saltsburg Road
The new traffic layout where Route 380 and Golden Mile Highway meet in Murrysville was intended to ease passage for trucks that must cross the highway on their way to a fracking well pad just up the road. And while it might be more accommodating to truck traffic, it appears...
‘A sad day’: 125 Westmoreland County workers get layoff notices, furloughs start Oct. 13
Furlough notices started going out Friday to 125 Westmoreland County employees as leaders seek to reduce spending amid the ongoing state budget impasse. The furloughs will go into effect Oct. 13. Commissioner Ted Kopas said they are expected to save the county $100,000 weekly. “This is a sad day for...
Delmont the latest community to start deer-culling program
Four deer hunters will get a chance to wait for their quarry in the confines of Delmont’s Shields Farm this fall. Council voted to begin a deer management program on the Shields Farm property, 145 acres that belongs to the borough but is technically in Salem. “A couple members of...
Southmoreland Middle School recognized by state for academic performance
Southmoreland Middle School was one of 13 Pennsylvania schools recognized by the state education department this week for academic performance. The initiative, Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools, was launched by the state after President Donald Trump ended the 40-year-old federal version of the program in August. Schools are recognized for their...
Penn-Trafford Hockey Club disbands junior varsity team, cites low participation
Three weeks into the season, Penn-Trafford’s junior varsity hockey team disbanded because of low participation. Following tryouts in April, about 10 players were placed on the junior varsity roster, according to parent Michael Broker of Penn Township. “Having that few of kids, it’s really not ideal, because there’s injury, people...
Morning Roundup: Officials seek whoever dumped trash on Pa. game lands; shooting in Lawrenceville
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Sept. 26: Officials search for game lands trash maker The Pennsylvania Game Commission is trying to figure out who dumped garbage in Westmoreland County game lands earlier this week. Operation Game Thief reported that drywall and building materials...
Budget impasse leaves school districts in limbo over $4 billion in funding
The state’s nearly three-month budget impasse has cost Pennsylvania school districts almost $4 billion. That’s how much districts, technical schools and intermediate units should have received in state funding since July 1 — the day a new budget was supposed to take effect. Without a budget, the state isn’t making...
Irwin council members debate electronic sign
A proposal to replace the 4-foot-by-8-foot message board on the “Irwin Inc. 1864” welcome sign with a new electronic version sparked a heated debate among Irwin Council members, with one member calling the proposed sign a “total eyesore.” At a recent council meeting, Councilman Tyler Baum was the sole dissenter...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Sept. 26-28
Autumn is upon us — are you ready to enjoy cooler temperatures, spooky vibes and hot drinks? Here are a few fun events to kick back and enjoy this weekend. Mt. Pleasant Glass and Ethnic Festival The Mt. Pleasant Glass and Ethnic Festival celebrates the borough’s glass making tradition all...
New Kensington man charged, accused of providing fentanyl that killed 2 people
A New Kensington man was charged Thursday with providing fatal doses of drugs investigators said killed two people two days apart: his girlfriend and a man who was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison. Davi J. Roman, 29, was denied bail. The case was investigated by a grand jury...
Medicare educational seminar slated for Irwin
A free medicare educational seminar informing people how to enroll in Medicare, who needs to enroll and what Medicare Parts A and B cost and cover will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin. The Norwin Rotary is sponsoring the event. For more...
Students visit Seton Hill for dedication of Anne Frank tree
Students from two area schools visited Seton Hill University and its National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education on Thursday for the dedication of the Anne Frank tree at the university. Christ the Divine Teacher School in Latrobe and St. Therese School in Munhall were represented for a reading of excerpts...
Hempfield OKs $300K improvements at park near Old Route 66
KGD Contracting, Inc. will handle the construction of the third phase of improvements at Hempfield Park. The firm submitted the lowest bid for the work, coming in at $334,090. Township supervisors awarded them the contract this week. There were three other bids ranging from $366,038 to $412,370. “They came in...
Mt. Pleasant Area Historical Society to debut restored window from razed Catholic church at annual festival
Mt. Pleasant Area Historical Society will unveil a window into the past on Sunday, during the community’s annual Glass and Ethnic Festival. Visitors to the historical society’s headquarters at 422 Washington St. will be able to view a newly restored stained-glass window that hasn’t seen the light of day in...
Cranberry couple accused of perjury related to sale of Westmoreland home with water issues
A Cranberry couple is accused of lying under oath when they said they weren’t aware of water damage to their former Westmoreland County home they sold in September 2020. Westmoreland County detectives have charged Michael James Pierce, 57, and Carrie Ann Pierce, 54, with perjury in the case. The Pierces...
PT’s Pizza Palace marks more than 3 decades in Level Green
Jon Ledwich spent his high school years working at PT’s Pizza Palace along Murrysville Road in Penn Township — walking the quarter mile from his childhood home on Shady Drive to deliver pizzas and hand out fliers. The restaurant, one of a handful of small businesses in its Level Green...
Westmoreland happenings: Quilt show, fall fashion show, band concert, more
Art • You Are Here Art Gallery, 406 Clay Ave., Jeannette, will host a Halloween-themed exhibit Saturday, Sept. 27, to Nov. 15 at the gallery. An opening reception will be from 6 to 8 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 27. Light refreshments will be served. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m....
Ex-federal judge and ex-governor: attacking judiciary poses danger and threat to democracy
An ex-Pennsylvania governor and former U.S. District Court judge Wednesday warned against politicians’ increasing verbal attacks against the independent judiciary, which they say have threatened democracy and led to threats on the lives of judges. “This is the closest we’ve come to a constitutional crisis,” said former Gov. Tom Corbett,...
‘A lot of anxiety’: Westmoreland furlough plan could impact more than 100 staffers
As many as 100 Westmoreland County employees are expected to be furloughed as commissioners finalize plans to reduce spending amid the ongoing state budget impasse. Commissioner Ted Kopas said Wednesday administrators and human resource officials are expected to begin notifying nonunion staffers this week who will be temporarily removed from...
Southmoreland School Board censures director, adjusts livestream policy amid controversial comments
Southmoreland School Board voted this week to censure a member and stop livestreaming its meetings. The board removed comments made by School Director Catherine Fike from its Sept. 16 meeting recording. Fike, a retired school psychologist and veteran member of the school board, “disclosed confidential student information about a district...
Two charged in prostitution sting at massage parlors in Lower Burrell, Murrysville
Two women face criminal charges following police raids in Lower Burrell and Murrysville as part of a prostitution sting, according to authorities. Murrysville and Lower Burrell police and the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office cooperatively investigated Asian Massage in Lower Burrell and Asian Garden Spa in Murrysville. Both parlors are...
Hempfield policy requires 45-day notice before block parties
A new policy regulating block parties in Hempfield is going into effect. The measure township supervisors approved Monday will require 45-day notice of an event, replacing the previous seven days. Public works director Austin Erhard came up with the policy a couple months ago after supervisors questioned a couple block...
Hempfield OKs 20-acre solar array near intersection of routes 30 and 66
A solar array was approved in Hempfield on about 20 acres south of the Routes 66 and 30 interchange. The site, a 50-acre property along Everglade Road, is expected to generate about 3 megawatts of electricity and connect to a nearby West Penn Power substation, said township planning manager Matthew...
Carnegie Mellon’s CS Academy brings free coding education to students worldwide
The whiteboard in Professor Mark Stehlik’s office at Carnegie Mellon University still has the details of what turned into a computer science program for high school students. Stehlik and colleague David Kosbie co-founded CMU (Carnegie Mellon University) CS (Computer Science) Academy, offering online computer science courses in 2017. Since its...
