Westmoreland category, Page 23
Westmoreland students get hands-on environmental lesson at Lowber’s mine treatment center
Greater Latrobe High School senior Anderson Schafer peered into the viewing panels of a small colorimeter Friday. The device measures the iron content in a test tube of clear water, first collected from an abandoned mine and then cleaned as it passed through seven settling ponds at a treatment system...
Prostitution alleged in Murrysville massage parlor
A Murrysville massage parlor was raided by police Thursday and one woman arrested on prostitution charges, according to court papers. Municipal police had been investigating Asian Garden Spa on Route 22 since May after reading several online reviews of the establishment that indicated sexual acts were being performed by employees....
Pavement work triggers I-70 ramp closure, lane restriction in Rostraver, North Belle Vernon
Eastbound motorists on Interstate 70 in Rostraver and North Belle Vernon will encounter a ramp closure and detour as well as a single-lane restriction from 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 through 6 a.m. Monday. During closure of the eastbound on-ramp from Route 906, motorists headed north on Route 906 will...
CNX pursues new permits for 2 Penn Township gas wells, Protect PT prepares for response
Environmental nonprofit Protect PT may have to start over in its decade-long effort to shut down a Marcellus shale gas well development along First Street in Penn Township. The state Environmental Hearing Board ruled in June against Protect PT, which two years ago appealed permit renewals for unconventional natural gas...
Irwin man pleads guilty to possession of child porn, sentenced to at least 4 years in prison
An Irwin man was ordered to serve at least 4 years in prison for possession of child pornography. Joshua David Ward, 34, pleaded guilty this week to three felony counts in connection with allegations he distributed and possessed more than 100 images that depicted child sexual assaults, police said. According...
Is Bigfoot on Chestnut Ridge? Derry’s Railroad Days offers sightings tour
Bill Rigby believes he had a face-to-face encounter with Bigfoot several years ago in Ohio. On Saturday, he’ll guide passengers on a Derry bus tour of sightings of the legendary creature closer to home — on portions of Chestnut Ridge overlooking the town. Offered five times throughout the day, the...
Realtors, experts weigh in on Pittsburgh housing market for median income earners
Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series on real estate market trends in Western Pennsylvania. Ashlea Lee was tired of hunting for pet-friendly rental apartments for Reese, her 5-year-old golden retriever. The Westmoreland County native and Greensburg Central Catholic alumna knew what she wanted: a modest ranch,...
Franklin Regional community remembers creativity of senior found dead outside schoolVideo
Schoolmates and friends said Tayson Foltz always left them smiling. About 300 candles were lit Thursday evening in memory of the Franklin Regional student, who was found dead outside the school last weekend. Those who shared memories of the high school senior at the vigil at Murrysville’s Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church...
Westmoreland County to furlough staff, partially close parks as Pa. budget impasse continues
Westmoreland commissioners said employees will be furloughed in two weeks and the county parks will partially close in early October as a result of the ongoing state budget impasse. Commissioners on Thursday instructed department heads to make recommendations for a temporary job reduction plan as part of continued cost-savings efforts....
Artists think big, paint small at ’24 Minis’ exhibit in Tarentum
Even if you’re painting a life-size depiction of baby birds, you don’t need a huge canvas. That’s part of the reason why Murrysville artist Betty Trout decided to focus on multiple families of robins in her backyard as the subject of her entry in the “24 Minis” exhibit at the...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Sept. 19-21
The last official weekend of summer is upon us. Fall is coming Monday, so plan your next few days around these events to enjoy the last moments of the season. Rod Stewart tribute Singer Rod Stewart has enjoyed a decades-long music career, performing rock to adult contemporary and beyond. This...
‘A beacon of hope:’ Sewickley Township unveils plans for new library
Sewickley Township Public Library unveiled plans Wednesday for a new facility next to the H.W. Good Elementary School near Herminie — a $1.9 million project that will give the library a home of its own. “It’s been a dream of the board and director for many years. We’ve been talking...
Why a stream near Monroeville Mall is glowing bright blue
In the valley below Monroeville Mall, a small stream that starts in Penn Hills winds its way downhill alongside Stotler Road, before breaking southeast and following the road that bears its name, Thompson Run. As the stream nears a bridge carrying Thompson Run Road over top, the water has an...
Penn-Trafford launches youth cross country, track and field program
Basketball, soccer, flag football, wrestling — Greg Shogan’s 6-year-old son, Connor, has tried out almost every youth sport available to him. Wrestling has become a favorite. But when it came to the other sports, the part Connor enjoyed the most was not the game itself, Greg Shogan said. “When he...
DEP faces concerns about air pollution from proposed Homer City power plant
State environmental regulators were peppered with questions from Indiana-area residents Wednesday concerned about the air pollution that will be emitted from a proposed 4.5-gigawatt, natural gas-fired power plant outside Homer City and the potential for impacting their health. “We don’t feel they took any shortcuts on evaluating the (air pollution)...
Vigil for Franklin Regional student set at Murrysville church
A candlelight vigil is planned Thursday night in memory of Tayson Foltz, the Franklin Regional student who was found dead outside the senior high school last weekend. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church, 4600 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. Family members said in...
E-bike rider gets probation after police say he ignored order to avoid crash scene
A Greensburg e-bike rider pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of disorderly conduct after police said he stumbled into and refused to leave the scene of a fatal hit-and-run crash in Hempfield this summer. Jonathan V. Mezeivtch, 35, was sentenced to one year of probation. He was charged after police...
Former Jeannette man awaiting retrial for 1993 fatal fire seeks release from jail
A former Jeannette man jailed for more than three decades in connection with the deaths of his wife and two young children wants to be released from custody as his case moves through the court system. Lawyers for James Young, 58, contend his speedy trial rights have been violated. They...
Suspect in lawnmower explosion denied bail, ex-landlord says he feared volatile relationship
An observant off-duty state trooper helped end a nearly two-month manhunt Tuesday evening when he spotted a man accused of trying to kill his landlord with a pipe bomb. The suspect was riding a bicycle on a trail in Indiana County. Trooper Steve Limani said the trooper, who was on...
Kayaker who died during incident in Acme Lake, Mt. Pleasant Township, identifiedVideo
A Hempfield man died Wednesday during a kayaking incident at Acme Dam Lake. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson identified the victim as David Dirado, 67. Carson said in a brief statement that Dirado with friends and family when “it appeared he fell out of his kayak into the water.” He...
Westmoreland happenings: Soup and hot dog sale, Back to Church Sunday, spaghett dinner, more
Church News • First Baptist Church of Jeannette, 131 N. Second St., will host “Back to Church Sunday” at the 10:45 a.m. service on Sept. 21. The Rev. Jeffrey Johnson, former head of evangelism for American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware, will be the guest speaker. Cake and refreshments...
On the 3rd try, Jeannette school board selects member to fill vacancy
A new member was appointed to the Jeannette City School Board this week to fill the seat left behind after Janice Smarto’s death last month. The board voted 6-2 to appoint Susan McFarland to the vacant seat. She will serve until the board’s reorganization meeting in December. Smarto died Aug....
Morning Roundup: 18 arrested as guns, drugs seized in McKeesport; infections reported in Monessen school
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Sept. 17: 18 arrested as guns, drugs seized in McKeesport A joint operation between local and state authorities in the McKeesport area this summer yielded 18 arrests, 17 firearms and about $40,000 worth of cocaine, according to Attorney...
Southmoreland district, teachers in legal fight over weight-loss drugs
Southmoreland School District is in a legal battle with its teachers union over insurance coverage for prescription weight-loss drugs. The district has filed a lawsuit in Westmoreland County, asking a judge to overturn an arbiter’s decision that sided with the union. According to court filings, the district’s decision to stop...
Route 22 side streets in Murrysville will close for signal-control repairs
Drivers in Murrysville will be detoured briefly on Friday, as work crews repair a traffic signal control box that was damaged in a crash where Manor and Mellon roads meet Route 22. Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said crews will begin repairs around 7:30 a.m. Friday morning. The work is...
