Westmoreland category, Page 423
Greensburg approves 5-year contract with Waste Management, rates to increase 32%
Greensburg officials approved a new five-year contract with Texas-based Waste Management that will increase residential rates. Council members approved the measure this month. According to the five-year contract, city residents will see collection costs rise from $17.45 per month per household to $23 per month per household. That’s a $5.55...
Bicyclist seriously injured in South Huntingdon, driver charged with DUI
A Sewickley Township woman is accused by state police of being under the influence of controlled substances when she hit a bicyclist, seriously injuring him, according to court papers filed last week. Kimberly Lynn Kustra, 46, is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and related...
Westmoreland County DA-elect Nicole Ziccarelli says transition team not getting cooperation from predecessor
Westmoreland County District Attorney-elect Nicole Ziccarelli said Wednesday she and her new administrative team are set to begin work Jan. 3 to replace outgoing prosecutor John Peck, who she said has so far refused to cooperate with the transition. “My predecessor is not interested in creating a transition team with...
Ligonier man’s Christmas story takes on new life
Carl Smith was a young father, worried about disappointing his children 50 years ago when he spun a Christmas tale that became a family tradition. At the time, he had no idea the tale would take on a life of its own, going so far as to be featured in...
Westmoreland County settles federal lawsuit alleging assault of inmate from New Kensington
A federal lawsuit filed by a former Westmoreland County Prison inmate who claimed he was beaten by a guard in 2018 has been settled. The county commissioners this month approved a $27,500 settlement to end the case filed by DaRob Wright of New Kensington. “It was completely unjustified,” attorney John...
Former Hempfield music teacher searching for student who gifted ‘Fragile Dad’ Christmas ornament
For decades, Leroy Ferri has proudly displayed a handmade Christmas ornament on his tree, a reminder of his 34-year career as a music teacher at Hempfield Area School District. Dubbed “Fragile Dad” because of the way it is packaged, the ornament depicts Ferri on a concert night as seen by...
Greensburg Salem Giving Tree blossoms in winter with gifts for students in need
If all goes as planned, Greensburg Salem students who receive holiday presents through the district’s Giving Tree program won’t realize how the gifts ended up under their trees. At the middle school, only coordinator Barb Garofola, who is the student council adviser, knows the identities of the 81 students who...
Export man arrested, charged with drug possession
An Export man is facing 12 drug-related charges because, state troopers allege, he tossed a bag of methamphetamine from his shirt pocket when they came to his home to serve him with a warrant. Ronald I. Askey, 49, was in the county jail without bond Wednesday after his arraignment. Cpl....
Family, friends, community say goodbye to ‘Mr. Mt. Pleasant’ Gerald Lucia
Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday celebrated the life and times of Gerald Lucia, the longtime Mt. Pleasant mayor and fire chief. Lucia died Dec. 17. He was 76. On Wednesday, there was a procession of fire trucks before and after his funeral. A volunteer firefighter for 46 years, Lucia served as...
Greensburg man dies after being hit by vehicle in Jeannette
A Greensburg man died Tuesday after being hit by a vehicle in Jeannette, according to police Chief Donald Johnston Jr. and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Ronald Momeyer, 65, was in a cross walk on Claridge-Elliott Road heading into work at Elliott Group at 6:15 a.m. Monday when he was...
Duquesne man jailed after 135 mph chase in Derry Township
A Duquesne man was jailed this week on fleeing and related charges filed by state police in connection with a 135 mph chase that started in Derry Township earlier this year. Bail for Nicholas D. Lomax, 28, was set at $100,000. Troopers said they were stationed on Route 22 in...
Greensburg man charged with directing woman to record video of sex act with child wants case dismissed
A Greensburg man awaiting trial on charges that he directed his ex-girlfriend to have sex with a child and record the act now contends the case is based on an improper police search of his cell phone. A new lawyer for Charles Jason Hunter, 35, in court documents made public...
Greensburg police getting SUV for its newest dog, Ace
The Greensburg Police Department is gearing up to buy a new Ford Explorer, which will be used for one of the city’s newest police dogs. Costs for the vehicle will largely be covered by a $46,696 donation from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, which council members voted to accept...
Westmoreland Conservancy marks winter solstice with nature hike in Murrysville
Technically speaking, “Tuesday night” began at 4:57 p.m. That was the official time for sundown at the winter solstice — the official start to winter, and the shortest amount of daytime sunlight the region will see in 2021. About 15 participants in the Westmoreland Conservancy’s Winter Solstice Walk, held Tuesday...
Hempfield passes budget without raising taxes for 32nd consecutive year
Hempfield property owners will continue to see steady tax rates after supervisors approved an almost $15.1 million budget that does not raise taxes for the 32nd consecutive year. Supervisors unanimously voted on the balanced budget Monday, keeping property taxes at 3 mills, a rate held since 1990. “We just spend...
Troopers: Derry Area student to be charged after social media post referencing school violence threats
A 14-year-old Derry Area High School student will be charged with making terroristic threats and disorderly conduct for a statement state police said she made Friday regarding a nationwide string of threats on social media made against school districts. The girl, who was not identified, allegedly made a statement on...
Westmoreland happenings: live Nativity, church services and New Year’s hike
Church events • Latrobe United Methodist Church, 440 Main St., will host a free live Nativity display from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at the church. There will be music and refreshments. Details: 724-537-8141. • Fairview Church of God will have a Christmas Eve worship service at 7...
C_Shoemaker Custom Clothier brings bespoke menswear to Ligonier
If clothes don’t make the man, they certainly make the first impression. And if the clothes look good, the wearer feels good, too. That’s the aesthetic Cindy Shoemaker is bringing to Ligonier with her recently opened business, C_Shoemaker Custom Clothier. The shop specializes in custom-made suits, tuxedos, sport coats, trousers,...
Fire damages commercial garage in North Huntingdon; cause under investigation
North Huntingdon firefighters and police are investigating the cause of a blaze that extensively damaged a commercial garage and destroyed a skid loader that was parked inside, firefighters said. The two-bay garage at 13421 Ardara Road was reported at 9:11 a.m. William Hardy, chief of the Larimer Volunteer Fire Department,...
Scottdale crash sends at least 1 to hospital
At least one person was flown to an area hospital following a two-vehicle crash Monday morning in Scottdale, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatch supervisor. The wreck was reported at about 11:45 a.m. on Porter Avenue. Additional details weren’t immediately available....
Man flown to hospital after being struck by car in Jeannette
A man was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after being struck by a car Monday morning in Jeannette. The crash occurred at about 6:15 a.m. on the Claridge-Elliott Road, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatch supervisor. The man, who is in his 50s, was struck near the Elliott Group...
Westmoreland jail sees coronavirus cases ease in recent days
Westmoreland County Prison Warden Bryan Kline said that as of Monday there are 21 current coronavirus infections at the jail but no additional cases have been reported since late last week. Kline said the last inmate to test positive for the virus was on Dec. 17. “It’s getting better,” Kline...
Westmoreland doles out retroactive pandemic hazard pay to top administrators
Nearly two years after the fact, Westmoreland County’s senior executives, department heads and other top administrators will receive bonuses for their work in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioners on Monday unanimously approved retroactive pandemic pay for about 60 county officials for 10 days of work between March...
Charges against Latrobe councilman, former firefighter to be dropped after deal reached
Moments before the start of a court hearing Monday for a Latrobe councilman and a former city firefighter accused of stealing department funds to pay private legal fees, defense attorneys met privately with the prosecutor and resolved the criminal case. Assistant District Attorney Leo J. Ciaramitaro emerged from the chamber...
Westmoreland County signs on to $26B settlement in opioid lawsuit
Westmoreland County on Monday signed up to be part of a proposed $26 billion national settlement with three major drugmakers to end a lawsuit over the ongoing opioid epidemic. The county and its 11 largest municipalities would receive up to $22 million over the next 18 years, commissioners said. “This...
