Westmoreland category, Page 31
Detours ahead on Hunker Waltz Mill Road, I-70 ramps at North Belle Vernon
Detours are expected beginning Monday for motorists driving on Hunker-Waltz Mill Road just outside Hunker and for those intending to use westbound on- and off-ramps on Interstate 70 at the North Belle Vernon exit. Hunker-Waltz Mill Road will be closed between Penn Valley and New Stanton-Ruffs Dale roads in Hempfield...
Man accused of trafficking teen girl for sex in Greensburg arrested, jailed
Authorities have apprehended a man accused of trafficking a teen girl for sex in Greensburg. City police say Samuel Daquinn Oglesby, 30, exchanged explicit photos and videos with the girl through Snapchat before they had sex in November at a home in Greensburg, according to court documents. The girl, who...
Monroeville artist featured at Murrysville library art gallery
Cathy Kernan’s paintings, made with pastels and watercolors, showcase the beauty of landscapes, from sweeping snow-covered mountain vistas to intimate woodlands. Kernan, 72, of Monroeville is a member of the East Suburban Artists League and joins fellow ESAL member Fred Threlfall as the featured artists in ESAL’s gallery at the...
Westmoreland happenings: Band concert, book sale, class reunion, more
Fundraiser • West Newton Public Library will sell children’s books from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the library parking lot, 124 N. Water St. Cost: one bag, $5; get two bags free. Details: 724-633-0798. Music • Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 301 E. Pittsburgh St., Delmont, will have an...
Greater Latrobe grad captures crown with 2nd entry in Westmoreland Fair queen competition
The second time was the charm for Ella Ciesielski when she donned the Westmoreland Fair Queen crown on opening day of the annual agricultural exhibition in Mt. Pleasant Township. It didn’t hurt to have some experience in competing for the title — and performing the duties that go with it,...
Police say Greensburg man broke into a Unity home and assaulted a mom and her son
Pennsylvania State Police are searching for a Greensburg man who is accused of breaking in and assaulting a woman and her son in their Unity home. Police said Seth Michael Vanderella, 33, forced his way into the home in the middle of the night on July 27 and attacked the...
Norwin officials: Schools safe to open after mold remediation
Classes at Norwin will begin Wednesday as scheduled as the district has been working to remediate mold problems discovered at Norwin High School, the Knights Stadium and other buildings in the district, the school superintendent said. Superintendent Natalie McCracken told the school board this week that the facilities are ready...
North Huntingdon man accused of disrupting township meeting
A North Huntingdon man who has verbally lashed out at township commissioners, administrators and the police department is charged with disrupting a public meeting last month. Nicholas A. Carrozza, 35, is charged with one misdemeanor count of disrupting a commissioners’ meeting July 16, according to the affidavit filed by township...
Jeannette set to rebuild bumpy Sellers Avenue
Work is expected to start next month to resurface a Jeannette road that Mayor Curtis Antoniak referred to as “washboard boulevard.” Engineer Ed Antonacci said officials are pushing to get the work on Sellers Avenue done by the end of 2025. “It’s a pretty extensive project,” he said. Council on...
Westmoreland Fair opens for a week of exhibits, events, attractions
The Westmoreland Fair opened Friday with judging of inside exhibits and a motocross event at the grandstand arena. The fair will be open to the public through Saturday, Aug. 23. Highlights include a demolition derby on Sunday, rodeo Monday, monster truck show Tuesday, tractor and truck pull Wednesday and drag...
Penn Township examines parking along Rowe Road following house fire on nearby street
Penn Township officials might prohibit street parking on a road after emergency services ran into complications when responding to a house fire last week. Fire and EMS services extinguished flames that erupted Aug. 4 near the rear deck of a home along Timber Ridge Court in Penn Township. The home...
Steady rise in need for meals keeps Feeding the Spirit volunteers busy in Greensburg
Wendy Smith was first in line Thursday, waiting for the OK under a hot August sun to pick up dinner. Finances are tight for the Greensburg woman and her son, who get $100 a month in government food assistance. It’s not enough, she said. Like dozens of others who come...
Riverview teacher recognized as 2025 Pennsylvania History Teacher of the Year
Kenneth Kubistek was surprised to be selected as the 2025 Pennsylvania History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. After all, he said, he’s just doing his job. “I was really surprised. Teaching to me is just something I do because I enjoy working with the kids,” Kubistek...
Mt. Pleasant, state police investigating skill game machine thefts
Mt. Pleasant borough police are investigating a string of thefts from skill game machines in the area. In the most recent theft, about $20,000 — primarily in fraudulent winning tickets — was obtained from machines that were broken into at Mt. Pleasant Express on West Main Street on Wednesday. Police...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Aug. 15-17
We may still be feeling the heat, but there’s a whisper of autumn in the air with back-to-school sales, Halloween decorations in stores and the return of football. But never fear, summer still has some good times to come. Here are a few events for the weekend. Westmoreland Fair Is...
Westmoreland convention center study revealed, casino area is preferred site
An $86 million hotel and conference center adjacent to Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall could infuse more than $720 million into the community in just 10 years. That was the conclusion of a six-month study commissioned by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce. Local leaders are hopeful the study...
Authorities identify 2nd person killed in Clairton Coke Works blast
A second Westmoreland County man was identified as the other victim who was killed Monday in an explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. Steven Menefee, 52, of the village of Tarrs in East Huntingdon, was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. at the scene of the blast, the Allegheny County...
Police investigate suspicious item along Route 30 exit to Turnpike in North Huntingdon
State police were investigating the Thursday morning discovery of what they described as a suspicious item in North Huntingdon. Troopers worked at Route 30 west and the entrance ramp to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Trooper Steve Limani said the item was found inside a broken wooden box by a PennDOT worker...
Latrobe man sues bar, driver over brother’s death in DUI crash
The brother of a motorcyclist killed in Jefferson Hills in March by an allegedly drunken driver is suing the motorist and the bar that served him that afternoon. John J. Wobrak, 69, of West Mifflin, was fatally struck in Jefferson Hills on March 14 — just three minutes after driver...
New Kensington man charged after inmate fight at Westmoreland prison
A New Kensington man awaiting trial in a shooting was charged by police Wednesday with beating a man at the Westmoreland County Prison. The injured inmate had to get multiple staples in the back of his head at a hospital, according to court papers. Amarion M. Michaux, 19, is charged...
Hempfield Area looks to bolster curriculum oversight at elementary schools
Hempfield Area School District is looking to add another layer of oversight to the curriculum at its five elementary schools. The school board will vote next week on assigning one chairperson per K-5 grade level. Each chairperson would help ensure continuity in learning at the district’s Fort Allen, West Point,...
Jeannette’s Smarto remembered for strong community ties, commitment to family
Janice Smarto made a name for herself in real estate and community service, but it was dedication to her family where she stood tall, her daughter said Wednesday. Smarto, 82, died Aug. 10 from injuries sustained in a fall two weeks earlier in her Jeannette home. “She was a spitfire...
Debate over marijuana intensifies as medical anxiety certifications soar
As the medical marijuana industry in Pennsylvania continues to grow, one entrepreneur says the state is missing out on a major revenue boost by not legalizing recreational use. Ari Raptis, founder and CEO of Talaria Transportation LLC and National Secure Transport, anticipates his businesses in Pennsylvania would grow fivefold if...
Website upgrade, visitor center proposed for Unity-based Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor
The Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor is looking to roll out an improved website and is considering setting aside a visitor information center at its museum headquarters in Unity. Those are two ways the nonprofit organization hopes to better promote sites farther east along its six-county corridor while partnering with other...
Westmoreland happenings: Dog Days of summer, Ancestry Day, more
Fundraisers • St. John United Church of Christ, 1230 Brownstown Road, Larimer, will have a Dog Days of Summer hot dog sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 16 at the church. Combo meals and drinks will be available. Proceeds will be donated to Chad Warhold and Laurie Kiss,...
