Westmoreland category, Page 233
Hempfield high school project plan is millions of dollars over budget, must be revised
Contract bids for the first phase of the Hempfield Area Senior High School renovation project are millions of dollars over budget, and the project must be revised before construction can begin. That’s what architects from SitelogIQ told the Hempfield Area School Board at a public meeting Wednesday afternoon. The architects...
License plate replacement events planned in Westmoreland
Two free events being held by state Rep. George Dunbar this month will help Pennsylvania motorists who have peeling or hard to read license plates get a replacement. The representative is working with Penn Township police from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday in the green parking lot at Penn...
Derry Township man held for court in 16-year-old murder case
During one of their daily meetings to use drugs, Timothy Smartnick said Charles E. Ream told him a secret. They were at a hotel in Monroeville sometime in 2009 or 2010 when Ream said he went to Samantha Lang’s Derry Township home in 2007. Smartnick testified during Ream’s preliminary hearing...
Rankin man jailed in 2 Westmoreland drug cases
An Allegheny County man was arrested Monday because, authorities say, he sold 1,500 stamp bags of drugs to an undercover police officer in North Huntingdon, according to court papers. Damar D. Pearson, 21, of Rankin is being held at the Westmoreland County jail. Investigators with the Westmoreland County Drug Task...
Norwin board member sues superintendent, district over criticism of social media post
A Norwin School Board member is suing the district and its superintendent, claiming his First Amendment right to free speech was violated. Alex Detschelt of North Huntingdon claims Superintendent Jeffrey Taylor violated his rights Oct. 28, according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh. Taylor criticized Detschelt’s...
Hardware, electrical stores adapt to federal light bulb legislation
Jim Zink is not sure what to do with his remaining stock of incandescent light bulbs. Federal rules that took effect Aug. 1 prohibit the sale of most bulbs patented over a century ago by Thomas Edison. Now, Zink — owner of Hummell Brothers lighting store in Jeannette — is...
Westmoreland 250: 10 unique things in Latrobe
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...
Memorial ride/run/walk will benefit Westmoreland Heritage Trail
The third annual Ted Hayes Memorial Bike Ride/Run/Walk to benefit the Westmoreland Heritage Trail will be Aug. 26 at the Slickville Firefighters Pavilion. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the event kickoff at 10 a.m. Along with Bill O’Hara, Hayes oversaw development of the first section of trail, from Slickville...
Lower Burrell man denies sex assault, gun charges
A Lower Burrell man denied to a Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday that he had sexual contact with a preteen girl who claimed she was molested. “I did nothing close to anything like that,” Edgar Lee Williams testified during the second day of his trial in which a now teen-age...
Two Indiana area men to face drug charges
Tips from the public helped police in investigations that led to the arrest of two men for allegedly selling drugs in Indiana County, the Indiana County district attorney said. Richard Shaffer, 38, and Sterling Friel, 25, both of Indiana, are accused of selling drugs to informants, said District Attorney Robert...
Body cam footage shows Ligonier Township man was shot with handgun, stun gun nearly simultaneouslyVideo
Ligonier Valley police officers who responded to a domestic call fired a stun gun and a handgun nearly simultaneously when confronted last month by a man wielding a machete, body camera footage obtained by the Tribune-Review shows. The man, Robbie Thomas Saunders, 59, died later July 2 at Conemaugh Memorial...
Third state probe of Westmoreland juvenile center finds potential riot averted despite inadequate staff training
A state agency Tuesday disclosed findings from a third investigation of operations at Westmoreland County’s temporarily closed juvenile detention center. The investigation resulted in an additional violation related to a physical altercation this year between a staff member and a teen that officials feared created a potential for a riot...
New Aldi store to open next month in Hempfield
The new Aldi store in Hempfield Plaza is expected to open in September. The store is taking over a former Staples location at 6207 Route 30 in Hempfield. The office supply retailer closed March 10. “We are excited to provide local shoppers a revamped and refreshed Aldi store designed to...
Overgrown plants a concern for traffic in Greensburg alleys; summer paving continues
Property owners in Greensburg are responsible for keeping vegetation from spreading beyond their yards and interfering with traffic, and city officials are underlining that fact in black and white. Public works director Tom Bell said the city has begun issuing letters to those who need to trim back growth that...
Norwin board to hold special meeting for those seeking to fill vacancy
The Norwin School Board is seeking candidates who want to fill the remainder of the term of a school director who died last week. The school board Monday authorized an advertisement seeking candidates interested in serving the remainder of Joanna Jordan’s term, which was to end the first Monday of...
Garbage truck worker jumps out of path of speeding pickup before collision, police say
Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries Friday after a crash involving a garbage truck in Hempfield. State police said a Ford Ranger being driven on Arona Road at 9:30 a.m. by Franklin Klavora, 87, of Irwin was speeding as it approached the garbage truck from behind. A worker on...
Hempfield Area to review 1st round of high school renovation bids this week
Hempfield Area School Board members will discuss bids for the first phase of a $132 million high school revitalization project at a public meeting Wednesday. The special session will be at 3 p.m. in the administration board room at 4347 Route 136. In addition to identifying the lowest bidder, the...
Strong winds split massive park oak, topple other tree limbs in Greensburg
The worst of Monday’s windstorms bypassed Westmoreland County, but strong morning gusts brought down limbs and damaged trees at several locations in Greensburg. The winds sheared in half a massive pin oak toward the eastern end of the city’s St. Clair Park, temporarily blocking part of a paved walking path....
Herminie man pleads guilty to finger gun threat
A Herminie man pleaded guilty Monday to allegations he made a gun-pointing gesture with his fingers at potential witnesses during a court hearing last year. Michael Wichelmann, 60, was sentenced to up to 23 months in jail in connection to the July 7, 2022, incident in a Westmoreland County courtroom....
State issues violations against closed Westmoreland juvenile detention center
State investigators issued multiple violations against Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center after two teens suffered injuries while incarcerated, officials confirmed Monday. Controller Jeffrey Balzer, who serves as chairman of the county’s Juvenile Detention Board, said the violations focused on staffing issues at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield. “It’s...
I-70 project in Westmoreland lauded for use of technology in site design
A $93 million project along Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County received a regional America’s Transportation Award for its use of technology. The reconstructed interchanges at the Yukon and Madison exits, and 4 miles of highway in between them, used aerial photography rather than traditional on-the-ground surveying and software that modeled...
Tub overflow damages apartments at Pershing Square in Greensburg
A Greensburg man was charged with causing catastrophe after police said he let the water in his bathtub run “for an extended period of time,” flooding his apartment and damaging three other units, according to court papers. Firefighters were called to Pershing Square on West Third Street at 7 a.m....
Murrysville council continues fine-tuning short-term rental ordinance
There is only one short-term rental unit currently listed in Murrysville on the AirBnB website. But municipal officials want to ensure that if that number grows, they have some local controls in place. Council continued working to hammer out the finer points of the ordinance at its Aug. 2 meeting,...
Westmoreland summit participants share tales of homelessness, ideas for addressing problem
Anthony Taylor was homeless several years ago, which meant sleeping on an older brother’s couch. In addition to stable housing, he lacked medical benefits and a car. Now, the Latrobe man has a driver’s license and works as a facility attendant at the Union Mission, a Derry Township shelter for...
Families gather, enjoy August Fun Fest at Cedar Creek Park in Rostraver
Bright and warm summer weather Sunday morning brought crowds of Westmoreland County visitors to Cedar Creek Park in Rostraver for the annual August Fun Fest. The event, part of a summer series of monthly festivals held at Westmoreland County parks, was projected to bring between 8,000 and 10,000 visitors, according...
