Westmoreland category, Page 496
Fallingwater’s artist in residence to showcase American dream through Black American lives
A portrait of longtime Fallingwater cook Elsie Henderson will be a highlight of a 2022 exhibition at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. “Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance,” scheduled for Jan. 30-April 24 at the Greensburg museum, will examine the American dream through the lives of Black Americans. Henderson, who...
Westmoreland Symphony plans Summer Sparklers, more outdoor concerts
After last year’s hiatus, Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Sparklers concert will return to St. Clair Park in Greensburg. The popular program of pops music and patriotic anthems is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 9. Admission is free. The symphony also will host a series of three Live on the Lawn...
Murrysville Community Park amphitheater concept proposes long-term vision
Murrysville officials got several different visions this month of what an amphitheater and recreation space in Murrysville Community Park could look like. Having delayed the project last year during the pandemic — and armed with a nearly $300,000 grant from the state — council hired a consultant earlier this year...
Dryridge fire department in Unity thinks out of the ‘basket’ when it comes to fundraising during pandemicVideo
Some things were borne out of the coronavirus pandemic. Take volunteer fire department fundraising as one example. Live raffle drawings for just about anything such as firearms and other merchandise including grilling equipment, porch furniture, Yeti coolers and vacations tip boards for cash. Lottery tickets and food orders are now...
Ligonier Township woman accused by police of stabbing father during argument
An 18-year-old woman was arrested Saturday by Ligonier Valley police, accused of stabbing her father twice in his left shoulder during an argument in their home. Mollie E. Fichet of Ligonier Township was arraigned Sunday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and simple assault in connection with...
Work underway to revive League of Women Voters in Westmoreland County
The hotly contested 2020 elections opened more than a few eyes to the importance of the ballot box. Rebecca Wyss, a recently retired metallurgical engineer, said, for her, it underscored the need for a nonpartisan conversation about the process. As she cast about for kindred souls, Wyss learned the League...
Hot housing market a boon for sellers in Westmoreland, Pittsburgh region
Record-low inventories of homes for sale in Western Pennsylvania have resulted in historically high sale prices as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the local housing market. Real estate experts said the seller’s market for existing homes in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties is likely to continue into next year, a...
PA Hero Walk in 13th year helping veterans holds event in Mt. PleasantVideo
Bad legs kept 70-year-old Vietnam War veteran Martin Majercak Jr. from taking part in the PA Hero Walk on Saturday through downtown Mt. Pleasant to Veterans Memorial Park, but he “made darn sure” he came out to VFW Post 3368 to support the organization. While most benefactors of the 13-year-old...
Johnstown native’s mob book chronicles ‘3 men from Greensburg’ in gambler’s death
What do “three men from Greensburg” have to do with a small-time Johnstown gambler whose body was found floating behind the Conemaugh River Dam in Derry Township some six decades ago? The three unidentified men were fingered by an aging Johnstown gangster — “Rip” Slowmason — as the possible murderers...
Allegheny, Westmoreland county projects among those hoping for state RACP funding
A wish list of 90 projects in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties are among hundreds across the state seeking funding in the latest round of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. They include $5 million to redevelop a former Alcoa site in New Kensington, $5 million for a health sciences center at...
Ligonier’s Bethlen Communities reopens wellness center, makes changes at 100 yearsVideo
A new chapter has begun in the 100-year history of Ligonier’s Bethlen Communities. Founded by the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, the nonprofit’s mission long ago shifted from caring for the orphans of miners killed in a 1907 explosion in Rostraver to serving the needs of more than 180 older...
Latrobe party supply shop set to expand with move to former church outreach center
Paper Heart Affairs, a Latrobe party supply shop, is preparing for expansion, with a move around the corner to a former church outreach center. Emily Pasqualino is planning a moving sale at the store’s current location, 337 Main St., from Wednesday through Saturday, June 12, during the town’s Mister Rogers...
Scottdale man sentenced to prison for role in robbery, shooting of Derry drug dealer
A Scottdale man was sentenced Friday to serve up to five years in prison for his role in the shooting and robbery of a Derry drug dealer last year. Brandon Eugene “Lil-Drizzy” Thomas, pleaded guilty to felony charges of robbery and conspiracy. Westmoreland County prosecutors agreed to dismiss attempted homicide,...
Southmoreland school official challenges primary results, claims county ballot error
Editor’s note: This story was amended on June 7, 2021, to correct the name of Southmoreland school board candidate Candice Raymond. A Southmoreland School Board member on Friday challenged the results of last month’s primary, claiming the Westmoreland County Election Bureau failed to include an open two-year seat on the...
Famed trial attorney F. Lee Bailey remembered for Greensburg trial
He came to town with a flourish. It was the late 1980s and word spread quickly through the Westmoreland County Courthouse that famed defense attorney F. Lee Bailey was in the building. He was due to appear before Judge Charles Loughran to defend his legal acumen. The dapper lawyer —...
Forensic anthropologist says Vandergrift woman’s remains burned for up to 10 hours
A forensic anthropologist testified Friday the body of a Vandergrift woman discovered in remote Derry Township in 2017 was likely burned in a fire for up to 10 hours. Dennis Dirkmaat, a professor at Mercyhurst University in Erie, told a Westmoreland County jury hundreds of small bone fragments along with...
Recovery trumps jail for former Greensburg man in fatal overdose caseVideo
An Indiana County man’s recovery from drug addiction won praise from a Westmoreland judge who sentenced him Friday to serve seven years on probation for his role in his girlfriend’s overdose death in her Greensburg apartment two years ago. In rejecting a recommended sentence of up to 13 years in...
Jeannette gallery invites public to help with MAD*LAB art project
Following the popularity of last year’s MAD*LAB, the public art-making project has returned to You Are Here gallery in downtown Jeannette. The first session resulted in three artist-designed benches made of upcycled materials and two murals painted by project participants. Those pieces all have been placed in publicly accessible spaces...
Murrysville officials will consider new hauling contract with Republic Services
While the cost of just about everything seems to have risen over the course of the covid-19 pandemic, the price Murrysville residents pay for trash hauling and recycling may stay the same, at least for the coming year. Three haulers provided bids for a combined Murrysville/Export hauling contract, with the...
Allegheny County hospitalizations drop to 10th of December’s peak
Covid-19 hospitalizations in Allegheny County dropped to 88 on Friday, just a tenth of the county’s peak total in December. On Dec. 16, 881 patients were hospitalized in the county. Just a month later, the county’s total had fallen by 50%, hitting 425 on Jan. 17. The total stood at...
Pole, guiderail repairs after tractor-trailer crash on I-70 temporarily closes eastbound lane
The right lane of Interstate 70 eastbound near the New Stanton exit is expected to reopen later today after a tractor-trailer crash damaged a light pole and guiderail. The Thursday morning crash affected traffic for hours as the truck was removed from an embankment near mile marker 56. The left...
‘Magic’ mushroom grow operation found at Rostraver home, police say
A suspected psychedelic mushroom grow operation was discovered in a Rostraver home Thursday while police said they were investigating threats made by the property owner, according to court papers. Authorities arrested Michael Jonathan McClain, 45, who is being held without bond at the Westmoreland County Prison. Township police were called...
Penn Area Library’s new director looks toward more public events, community outreachVideo
James Facer arrived at his new position — executive director for Penn Area Library in Penn Township — by an interesting route. The Tacoma, Wash., native was living in Chicago when his wife, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, got a job in Pittsburgh in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic....
Hempfield Area officials making plans for next school yearVideo
Students in the Hempfield Area School District will not have the option to participate in a hybrid model of learning during the 2021-22 school year, officials announced this week. Instead, much like in a typical year, students will choose between attending in-person classes five days a week, joining the Hempfield...
Greensburg YMCA set to reopen its doors
The Greensburg YMCA will reopen to members June 14. In late September, it closed most of its facilities because of covid-related restrictions and because fewer members returned after the facility reopened last summer. “Our reopening will be a slow process until we’re able to hire necessary staff,” said Suzanne Printz,...
