Westmoreland category, Page 382
I-70 work at Yukon, Madison exits triggers detours; Route 22 rehab to continue in Salem
Motorists who are heading east on Interstate 70 and intend to use the Yukon or Madison exits in Westmoreland County can expect to encounter detours this week as crews from contractor Trumbull Corp. work on improving the two interchanges. Closures of eastbound ramps at the exits, and resulting detours, were...
Unity man convicted of child rape, sexual assaults
A Unity man was convicted Tuesday of the rape of one child and sexual assault of another. Following a four-day trial, a Westmoreland County jury found Steven M. Cope Jr. guilty of 10 counts including rape of a child and multiple charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault...
Westmoreland Community Action plans outdoor, interactive mystery event
Local banker JR Greenback is found slain in Greensburg’s St. Clair Park, victim of an apparent blow to the head. Evidence scattered around the body includes a crumpled paper listing names of business leaders and other prominent citizens. The miserly banker was not well-liked — perhaps not even by his...
State police seeking help in identifying 3 who tried to break into Mt. Pleasant Township home
State police investigating an attempted burglary in Mt. Pleasant Township are trying to identify a woman and two men who tried to break into a home. Investigators released a surveillance image Tuesday of a tan minivan in which the suspects fled. Trooper Steve Limani said the incident was concerning because...
Arona man accused of burglary, false imprisonment
A 44-year-old Arona man was arrested by state police Monday after he was accused of breaking into a woman’s residence in Derry Township and carrying her outside before she was able to break free, according to court records. Shawn E. Grbach was arrested at the scene after the woman called...
2Broke Country Girls planning farewell show at Irwin’s Lamp Theatre
It’s not a personality conflict or creative differences breaking up the 2Broke Country Girls act, it’s something even worse: Western Pennsylvania winters. Diana Lynn of North Huntingdon, the duo’s comedic half, is moving to Florida with her husband. Lynn and her performing partner, Lois Scott of White Oak, will bid...
Virginia artist’s Big Head Brigade to invade Greensburg ArtsWalk
Virginia artist Megan Marlatt is taking the Greensburg ArtsWalk literally. Her Big Head Brigade of wearable sculptures will parade through the city as part of the Saturday festivities. Presented by Westmoreland Cultural Trust, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art and Seton Hill University, the annual event showcases the local arts...
Hempfield 9th graders may consolidate under 1 roof
Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District are proposing to move ninth grade students to a middle school building beginning in fall 2023 as the district prepares for its high school construction project. The proposal would permanently consolidate sixth, seventh and eighth grade students into Wendover and West Hempfield middle...
Trump to rally with Dr. Oz at Westmoreland Fairgrounds
Former President Donald Trump is slated to return to Westmoreland County on May 6 for a rally where he is expected to share the spotlight with Republican senatorial candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz. Earlier in April, Trump endorsed Oz in the latter’s bid to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate. Trump has...
Westmoreland deputy sheriff suspended after out-of-state arrest
A veteran Westmoreland County deputy sheriff was suspended with pay on Monday after he was charged with crimes following an incident last week in another state. Police in Louisville, Ky., charged Samuel D. Pilato, 59, of Hempfield with public intoxication and disorderly conduct in connection with a incident outside of...
Mt. Pleasant Township woman accused of hitting man with SUV
A Mt. Pleasant Township woman was jailed over the weekend after police said she struck a man with her SUV, sending him to the hospital for treatment of arm injuries. Cynthia M. Janos, 33, was released from the county prison Sunday on $10,000 recognizance bond. She is charged with aggravated...
Westmoreland commissioners say costs, not politics, behind regional drop box cuts
Republican commissioners in Westmoreland County said it is money, not politics, that’s behind a decision to eliminate regional drop boxes for mail-in ballots in next month’s primary election. Commissioners Doug Chew and Sean Kertes voted Monday to install one drop box at the lower park Pennsylvania Avenue entrance to the...
No injuries reported in kitchen fire in Greensburg
Greensburg firefighters responded to a kitchen fire Monday afternoon on Arch Avenue in the city, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatch supervisor. The fire was reported about 2:40 p.m., the dispatcher said. First responders at the scene said there were no apparent injuries as firefighters worked to quickly douse...
Vandergrift woman’s murder trial ends with plea deal to lesser charge
A Vandergrift woman pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder, putting an end to her homicide trial during which prosecutors claimed she intentionally fired three shots, killing her cousin in 2018. Ashley Marie Croft, 38, will serve a 15- to 30-year prison sentence under terms of the plea deal. Croft did...
Detectives charge 2 more in Westmoreland prison drug smuggling scheme
A former inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison is back behind bars after being accused by county detectives of participating in a Suboxone smuggling scheme with another inmate. Brad M. Rentz, 43, of Indiana, was arrested Monday by county Detective James Williams and accused of conspiring with another inmate, Jamie...
Vehicle crashes through wall at Forest Hills hair salonVideo
Anthony Fazio woke Monday to a 2:30 a.m. call from Forest Hills police informing him that someone had crashed a truck into his salon, Fazio’s Hair Designs. “When they said a hole in the wall, I didn’t expect this,” Fazio said gesturing toward an opening as tall as him. “I...
Looking to protect Pa.’s natural heritage? Become a master naturalist volunteer
Westmoreland County residents hoping to get their hands dirty this summer while learning how to protect the state’s natural resources can participate in training to become a master naturalist volunteer. The courses — hosted by the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist and Brandywine Conservancy at Penguin Court, a preserve near Laughlintown —...
Wildfire firefighters train with controlled blazes in Parks Township
The crackling sound and the odor of burning weeds were unmistakable and necessary for a training exercise for wildfire firefighters from 15 volunteer fire companies in the region Sunday in Parks Township. These firefighters train every spring to prepare for wildfires during warm weather. Extinguishing wildfires demands a lot of...
Greensburg nuns invoke Native American prayer to renew peace garden
A peaceful spot at Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill’s Greensburg property was taken back to its Indigenous roots Saturday. The steady drumbeats and vocal calls transported dozens of sisters to the country’s Native American heritage. It was a way to recognize the land’s first inhabitants and, for Sister Edie...
Out & About: Greensburg, Latrobe artists join for ‘Art Neighbors’ show
They say fences make good neighbors — and apparently so does art. Or maybe it’s that neighbors make good art. Either way, there’s plenty of good art to be seen in “Art Neighbors,” the annual joint exhibition of the Greensburg and Latrobe art centers, which opened with a Saturday reception...
Boxing returns to SportZone with ‘Murrysville Madness II’ on May 7
When the next group of boxers organized by Monroeville promoter Derek Gionta enters the ring on May 7, it will include first women’s fights he has organized. That makes the venue – Murrysville SportZone on William Penn Highway – all the more appropriate. “It’s great because they have a women’s...
Penn-Trafford students bring home awards from digital media competitionVideo
Penn-Trafford students Conner Alexander, Amanda Bobish and Paul Mills were in the middle of a live broadcast, during the third quarter of the 2021 PIAA football semifinals, when a nightmare scenario for a first-time sportscaster began unfolding. “It was taking forever to get this call sorted out on the field,”...
George Washington reenactor will be featured in Fort Ligonier program
Philadelphia-area resident Dean Malissa has stepped back from serving as Mount Vernon’s principal portrayer of George Washington to emeritus status. It’s only natural that he is semi-retired from the living history role since, at 69, he’s lived two years beyond the age Washington reached. “When I was the sole portrayer...
Westmoreland transit garage construction costs $3 million under budget
Westmoreland County Transit Authority board members this week awarded more than $7.4 million in contracts to build a new bus storage facility in Hempfield. Officials said the price tag for the project came in more than $3 million below estimates. “We were planning for a higher number,” said Authority Executive...
From Korea to Greensburg, from mission translator to nun, life keeps evolving for Sister Hyeon Lee
When it came time to profess her vows Saturday morning, there was no doubt Sister Hyeon Lee was ready for the lifelong commitment. “I am so resolved,” she said with emphasis, to laughter of about 100 friends, family and fellow sisters who had gathered at Caritas Christi in Greensburg to...
