Westmoreland category, Page 538
Pie for The Palace a sweet ending for Westmoreland Cultural Trust gala
When the Westmoreland Cultural Trust throws its annual Party at The Palace, they go all out. So when organizers added a pie-in-the-face finale to this year’s event, they went all out for that, too. No chintzy shaving cream in a pie tin for this group. These pies had graham cracker...
Stimulus bill could bring money to expand high-speed internet in Westmoreland
Officials with the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland County say the region is on track for growth in the coming year, with the expansion of high-speed internet access a top priority. Connection President and CEO Jim Smith, addressing the economic development group’s annual meeting last week via Zoom, said events...
Unity supervisor: Proposed billboard rule changes fall shortVideo
Proposed amendments to Unity’s zoning ordinance are meant to make it easier to upgrade traditional billboards into electronic versions. But Supervisor Mike O’Barto argued the changes still would present too many barriers for businesses to take advantage of the outdoor advertising space. Area billboard owners also have expressed skepticism. The...
Life during covid: Westmoreland college professor helps students, families juggle demands
Editor’s note: This is an occasional series examining how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of members of our community. It might have been a matter of life experience or natural resiliency, but whatever it was, Cheryl Miller was positioned to thrive before the coronavirus sent the world spinning....
Volunteers gather for Seton Hill’s Take the Day On service eventVideo
For Jack Schechterly, getting his hands dirty on a farm is nothing new. So when Schechterly, 20, a sophomore at Seton Hill University, saw an opportunity to volunteer at Stoneybrook Foundation in Acme on Saturday morning, he took it. “We just wanted to give back to the community, and this...
Westmoreland County records 94 covid-19 cases
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported 94 new cases of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, marking the fifth time in two weeks the count neared triple digits. The county last saw a triple-digit count Feb. 3 and 12 of the 24 days since then have remained below 75...
Westmoreland County photos of the week, Feb. 22-28
Here are some of the photographs Tribune-Review photographers captured around Westmoreland County this week....
Fundraising efforts aim to help fix leaky Greensburg YMCA poolVideo
A group of local triathletes who have been training at the Greensburg YMCA to prepare for upcoming competitions have taken on a new challenge: raising money to help repair the leaky pool that is so critical to their success. A Greensburg YMCA Pool GoFundMe page, created by 35-year-old Jeremy Eshleman...
Westmoreland looks for ways to stop decades-long population decline
Cora Jean Black doesn’t question why her once-white sheers are stained a “grizzly gray” that take up to six washes to restore their natural color. The reason whirs by her daily in the form of big rigs and dump trucks either traveling along the sea of highways that snake through...
‘Shark Tank’ circles back to highlight Murrysville company’s success story
The home page for Murrysville-based company FlexScreen has a concise message: “The world’s first and only flexible window screen.” It seems like such a simple concept, even company founder Joe Altieri couldn’t believe no one had done it. And his execution of it was so effective that he had multiple...
Murrysville woman finds author’s voice during pandemic with message of inclusion
One evening during the pandemic, Vivian O’Hara of Murrysville went to sleep with a lot weighing on her mind. “On the news they’d showed a story about a little boy, seven years old, who rescued his younger sister from a vicious dog attack,” said O’Hara. “He suffered a lot of...
Delmont resident turns hunting passion into podcast for new sportsmen
George Konetes was looking for a hobby and tradition he could pass down to his kids, as well as a reason to go outside. “I never hunted, but I’d hear people talk about it and it was like this mystical thing I could never get close to,” said Konetes, 35,...
Greensburg businesses have 2nd shot at covid relief grants
Greensburg’s small businesses have a second shot at grant funding to help them recover from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The Greensburg Community Development Corporation soon will open applications for the second round of its Covid-19 Relief Main Street Jump-Start Program. City businesses that employ 10 or fewer...
Westmoreland Head Start programs expand scope during pandemic
Westmoreland Community Action’s Head Start and Early Head Start are geared to prepare young children for kindergarten. That involves a lot more than education — and the coronavirus pandemic has made it more complicated than ever. “The overall goal is to support families for self-sufficiency and help eliminate barriers like...
Westmoreland County gets fewer covid vaccine doses than smaller counties; talks begin about regional health department
Pennsylvania Department of Health officials confirmed that Westmoreland County was shortchanged in the number of covid-19 vaccine doses allocated since December as local and regional leaders continue to highlight mounting issues with the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. County Commissioner Doug Chew said analysis of state data found that...
Philips Respironics to cut jobs at East Huntingdon repair, service center
Officials at Philips Respironics, a medical equipment manufacturer that produces ventilators and sleeping equipment, confirmed Friday that the company plans to close the sleep and respiratory care services at its East Huntingdon facility. A spokeswoman for the international manufacturer said the shutdown is part of an ongoing effort to “enhance...
Westmoreland County Prison inmate accused of making threats against female guard
An inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison awaiting a hearing on assault and strangulation charges was arrested Friday on charges of threatening to sexually assault a female guard at the prison, according to court documents. Nicholas J. Grindle, 33, of Jeannette, was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, harassment and...
West Newton man charged with arson, insurance fraud after reporting car theft
A West Newton man who reported his car was stolen earlier this month in Mt. Pleasant now is charged with arson, insurance fraud and making false reports, according to court records. Donald E. Cassidy, 54, reported about 8 a.m. Feb. 15 that his vehicle was stolen from Rumbaugh Avenue in...
Derry Township woman, former police officer, running for district judge
A Derry Township woman who served as a police officer and deputy coroner in neighboring Indiana County hopes to succeed retiring District Judge Mark Bilik for the Derry area. Republican Janelle L. Hood, 51, is seeking both party nominations in her bid for the District Court 10-3-08 seat. “I would...
Hempfield man facing illegal gun charges now charged with sexual assault
Sexual assault charges were filed Friday against a Hempfield man arrested last week after state police said they confiscated 36 guns from his home. Dale Edward Kuhn, 73, is accused by troopers of inappropriately touching two girls and exposing himself to them, according to court papers. He is charged in...
Westmoreland County covid hospitalizations hold steady over past week
Over the past eight days, the number of covid hospitalizations in Westmoreland County appear to have stabilized, according to data from the state Department of Health. Current covid-19 hospitalizations in the county were 115 on Friday. Since Feb. 19, the number of hospitalizations has not surpassed its current level, dropping...
Westmoreland transit to offer free rides for covid vaccines
Westmoreland County Transit will provide free rides on its buses and paratransit vehicles to local covid-19 vaccine clinics. Anyone with a scheduled appointment to receive the vaccine is eligible for the service Mondays through Saturdays in the service area, including Westmoreland County and Downtown Pittsburgh. “We wanted to eliminate a...
1 hurt after pickup rear ends school bus in Hempfield
A pickup truck driver was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital Friday morning after apparently rear-ending a school bus in Hempfield. Township Fire Chief Anthony Kovacic said firefighters from Grapeville, North Hempfield and Jeannette worked together for about 25 minutes to free the driver. Nine students aboard the Hempfield...
No injuries reported when truck overturns on I-70 near Madison exit
Eastbound traffic on Interstate 70 was reduced to one lane early Friday after firefighters responded to an overturned truck near the Madison exit in Hempfield. No injuries were reported and those inside the truck needed no assistance to get out, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatch supervisor. Firefighters responded...
Westmoreland hospitality grants capped at $20,000
Westmoreland County will cap grants awarded this spring to local restaurants, taverns and hotels at $20,000. Grants were authorized as part of a $145 million state program approved last month to assist the hospitality industry. County commissioners said Thursday the grant application process is expected to begin within two weeks...
