Westmoreland category, Page 52
Mentally ill Greensburg mother to serve prison sentence for daughter’s attempted murder
A Greensburg woman told a Westmoreland County judge she believed her best option to protect herself and her then-6-year-old daughter from an imagined serial killer with whom she believed she had been romantically involved was to end their lives in her own way. Skye C. Naggy, 32, on Friday insisted...
Judge rejects defense call to dismiss death penalty case in New Kensington son’s slaying
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday rejected claims from a Brackenridge father facing a potential death penalty that prosecutors are biased and have insufficient evidence to prove he killed his 9-year-old son three years ago in New Kensington. Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio in a 19-page ruling found there was...
Hempfield plans work to improve safety along Route 66
Improved safety measures are coming for two sections of Business Route 66 in Hempfield, as well as a park in the north end of the township. Supervisors on Wednesday awarded a contract to Penn Line Service, Inc. for $125,000. Hempfield received $140,000 in funding from PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement...
MAWC details uninterrupted service amid storm power outages
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials said Wednesday the agency continued to serve its more than 123,000 customers even as late April’s violent storms shut off power to hundreds of thousands of residents. “Nobody noticed we kept the water flowing,” said authority business manager Brian Hohman as administrators briefed authority...
Pension payments top $100K for ex-Greensburg police officer awaiting sentencing in drug case
A retired Greensburg police officer who has collected more than $100,000 in pension payments is set to learn her sentence Tuesday in a federal drug conspiracy case involving the city’s former police chief. Attorney Lee Demosky, solicitor for Greensburg’s police pension committee, said he plans to attend the sentencing hearing...
Trafford Historical Society has new name for borough’s veterans memorial
Towns often want to honor native sons and daughters who served in the armed forces, whether it’s through a banner, a veterans memorial or something similar. But it’s not always easy to get a complete list of names. “A lot of times, there isn’t an official record, especially the farther...
Work to nudge Five Star Trail away from rail line to begin this fall
A 1-mile section of the Five Star Trail will gain some distance from an active rail line under a project that could start later this year. Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation planning coordinator Jeff Richards said the extra few feet of space is needed because the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad is...
Faces of the Valley: The Rev. Angelique Edmonds a ‘gifted and spirit-filled’ pastor
From prayer hikes to women’s brunches to painting with parables, the Rev. Angelique Edmonds has used her gifts to help strengthen convictions at Faith United Methodist Church in Fox Chapel and its outreach ministry, Roots of Faith in Sharpsburg. Appointed associate pastor in 2021, the Beltzhoover native feels as though...
Greater Latrobe selects Hempfield Area administrator as new school superintendent
Greater Latrobe School Board has looked to a neighboring school system to find the district’s next superintendent. The board voted Thursday to hire as its top administrator Kim Rieffannacht, currently assistant superintendent for elementary education at Hempfield Area School District. Greater Latrobe approved a five-year contract with Rieffannacht, with an...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: May 23-26
Happy Memorial Day weekend. For many, that means an extra day to relax and recharge — but it also means extra time for some fun events around Westmoreland. Here are a handful. Yinzer Valley Spring Wine Fest Yinzer Valley Farms is having its first Spring Wine Festival on Saturday. This...
Pennsylvania legislators vow no tax increases to cover federal funding cuts
With about five weeks remaining before the deadline to pass a state budget, legislators are in the dark as to how the proposed cutbacks in federal spending will impact Pennsylvania’s fiscal planning. But one thing is certain: No new taxes, the top Senate leader said Thursday. “We’re certainly not going...
Stanwood Elementary student wins Greensburg Rotary’s annual spelling bee on a tough word
Riley Beckett, a third grader at Stanwood Elementary School, has been relentlessly practicing her older brother Luke’s spelling list since she was in first grade. “She could spell any word since she was 6,” said her mother, Joanna Beckett. Combining her hours of practice with her love for reading, Riley...
Memorial Day events slated for Norwin area
An honor guard will conduct ceremonies at four cemeteries in the Norwin area Sunday and the annual Memorial Day parade will be held in Irwin on Monday. The Manor American Legion Post 472 honor guard, in conjunction with the Norwin Historical Society, will conduct Memorial Day ceremonies at four cemeteries...
Boy found after walking away from Metzgar Elementary School in Salem
A boy was found Thursday after state police and Greensburg Salem School District officials said he walked away from James H. Metzgar Elementary School. Troopers and firefighters were called to the Salem school just before 2 p.m. to search for the child. First responders called for drones to help with...
Ligonier Valley deadlocks on proposed $36M school budget, eyes special session to revisit
The Ligonier Valley School Board plans to meet Wednesday, May 28, in an attempt to break a 4-4 tie over approval of a proposed 2025-26 district budget. At the special 10 a.m. session in the district administration building, the board also will consider applicants for a seat on its roster...
Demolition eyed for condemned Latrobe apartment building
A condemned apartment building on Latrobe’s Main Street, now under new ownership, is targeted for demolition. The timing of when the six-story building at 333 Main St. could face the wrecking ball will depend on the efforts of its owner, The Latrobe Foundation, to find funding for razing it, according...
Public information session planned for Northmont flood control project
A public information session is planned at Greensburg City Hall next week for property owners whose land would be affected by a proposed flood control project in the Northmont neighborhood. City officials are seeking easements on 20 properties, in addition to a few that are owned by Greensburg. So far,...
Cedar Street exit improvements planned to boost safety on Route 30 in Hempfield
PennDOT is planning to add signs, road markings and a high-friction road surface to improve safety for motorists exiting westbound Route 30 at Cedar Street in Hempfield. The improvements are designed to help prevent crashes by giving drivers advance warning to move into the correct lane and to slow down...
Penn Township Ambulance ‘overwhelmed, gratified’ by statewide EMS award
Overwhelming. Gratifying. Those were the words Operations Director Ed Grant used to quantify his emotions May 8 as Penn Township Ambulance was named the EMS Agency of the Year by a statewide organization. The Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council, an advisory board with more than 200 members, recognized the ambulance...
Federal court sets distribution of Jeannette EMS cash assets
The $25,000 in cash remaining in the Jeannette EMS bankruptcy case is being distributed to three unsecured creditors, attorneys and others, according to a federal court order filed this month. There was $9,700 designated for administrative expenses — fees for the bankruptcy trustee, two law firms and an accounting firm....
Duquesne Light, West Penn Power officials grilled at hearing over days-long power outages
Officials from Duquesne Light and West Penn Power said their crews, as well as those called in from other states, did the best they could to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers impacted by catastrophic storms late last month. Those same officials at a House Majority Policy Committee...
Newcomer earns Republican nomination for Scottdale mayor
Five years ago, Lindy House and her husband were looking for a permanent home and fell in love with the community of Scottdale. This year, she decided to give back to the borough in the biggest way she knew how: by running for mayor. “The big thing I want to...
Sheriff, county argue over Westmoreland vehicle tracking policy
A policy adopted last summer by Westmoreland County commissioners to implement GPS tracking on all county vehicles is executive overreach and a safety risk to law enforcement personnel, lawyers argued in court on Wednesday. Implementation of the policy was put on hold last fall after Sheriff James Albert filed a...
North Huntingdon church to sell pirohi
Pirohi will be for sale beginning at 10 a.m. Fridayat St. Stephen Byzantine Catholic Church, 90 Bethel Road, North Huntingdon. Potato and cheese, and sweet cabbage, are for sale at $14 a dozen. Sauerkraut pirohi is $15 a dozen; lekvar is $16; and cottage cheese is $17. Customers are encouraged...
Suspect in Rostraver homicide back in Pa.
The man suspected in a Rostraver woman’s shooting death is back in Pennsylvania after being extradited from Florida. Dorian C. Jeri-Greene, 39, was denied bail Wednesday. He is charged with homicide, robbery, burglary and three counts of theft in the April 11 death of Jennah M. Seibert, 24. A preliminary...
