Westmoreland category, Page 6
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 28-30
Don’t let the post-Thanksgiving lull last all weekend! It’s time to get fully into the Christmas swing of things with a whole treasure trove of events this weekend. Here are a few. Light Up Ligonier Even if you aren’t putting up your Christmas tree and lights this weekend, the town...
Westmoreland happenings: Christmas house tour, meetings, more
Fundraisers • St. Stephen Orthodox Church, Unity, is accepting orders for its Christmas kolaci roll sale. Varieties: nut, apricot and poppyseed. Cost: $15. Order deadline: Dec. 3. Pickup: 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 13 and 20 at the church, 1520 Susan Drive. Orders: Cathy, 724-537-7238, or Brigette, 724-836-0930. • Westmoreland...
Crash on Route 30 in North Huntingdon occurred after undercover drug buy
A crash on Route 30 in North Huntingdon on Monday evening apparently was connected to an attempt by police to arrest a man who they say sold drugs to an undercover officer, according to court papers. The undercover officer requested 10 “bricks” of heroin/fentanyl from Demiyr T. Johnson, 27, in...
Chipotle eyes Irwin site for new restaurant
Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle plans to open a new eatery in Irwin. The Irwin Planning Commission is scheduled to review a land development plan at 6 p.m. Dec. 15 that Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has filed with the borough for a restaurant at 9174 Route 30 where Denny’s is currently...
Man charged in Latrobe slaying has history of violence against womenVideo
A man with a history of violence toward women was arrested Wednesday on police accusations that he killed a Latrobe woman in her apartment. Latrobe police and Westmoreland County detectives believe Glenn James Whittier, 54, stabbed Pamela Puskar in her Loyalhanna Apartments home and left her to bleed to death...
Leechburg Area among 4 districts suing state’s largest cyber school for tuition costs
Leechburg Area is among four school districts that have filed a lawsuit against the state’s largest cyber charter school asking that tuition be dropped for local students. The suit claims Commonwealth Charter Academy, as well as the state Department of Education through lack of sufficient oversight, fails to provide students...
Westmoreland County Housing Authority plans to lease former state prison property for solar power project
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority is hoping to save millions of dollars in energy costs over the next 25 years with two solar power projects that would benefit Hempfield Towers and a warehouse, officials said. The housing authority plans to have a $2.28 million solar power array on as many...
21 new police officers graduate from WCCC’s Municipal Police Officers’ Training Academy
Twenty-one cadets graduated from Westmoreland County Community College’s Municipal Police Officers’ Training Academy during a ceremony Tuesday. Graduates are Jordan Brasile and Grace Revitsky, both of Latrobe; Damiyan Davis of West Newton; Andrew Evans of North Huntingdon; Bradey Jackson of Allegheny Township; Jonathan Preece of White Oak; Charles Sciore of...
Westmoreland judge considers new trial for convicted murderer of mother, sister and aunt
A New Kensington man who was a juror in the trial of a man accused of a triple murder in Loyalhanna testified Tuesday in Westmoreland County Court that he heard a fellow juror comment on why the suspect did not join the judge, attorneys and jurors when they toured the...
Gas odor causes evacuation at Murrysville shopping plaza
An odor of gas caused an evacuation Tuesday afternoon at a Murrysville shopping plaza and sickened several people. Six people were taken to a local hospital as a precaution when they reported feeling ill at the Walnut Hollow plaza on Route 22, TribLive news partner WTAE reported. An official told...
PennDOT opens all lanes of ‘diverging diamond’ interchange along I-70 in Rostraver
PennDOT on Tuesday completed work to fully open a new “diverging diamond” interchange at the junction of Interstate 70 and Route 51 in Rostraver. The newly formatted interchange and nearby improvements on the two roadways have been under construction for three years. The I-70/51 diamond configuration has replaced a previous...
‘I know what it’s like to be hungry’: Greensburg church to donate 400 Thanksgiving dinners to local families
Kim Colosimo remembers what it’s like to be hungry. “I went through a divorce many, many years ago,” said Colosimo, who moved to Latrobe from Johnstown two years ago. “I had two small children. I was ‘this close’ from not having a home.” The church she attended in Johnstown is...
Hempfield supervisors buy land for new fire station despite response time warnings
A majority of Hempfield supervisors approved a conditional sales agreement for a new fire station in the western part of the township this week over concerns from firefighters in that area who said the location would impact their response time. Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Department President Ken Wees said the current...
Training session will offer help on responding to those with mental health, substance abuse issues
The Laurel Highlands Workforce & Opportunity Center in Greensburg will host a Dec. 13 program on mental health first aid training. The training will provide attendees with a five-step action plan to guide them through the process of reaching out and offering support to someone experiencing mental health issues. “It’s...
Seton Hill ceremony offers thanks for donors of bodies studied in anatomy lab
Cole Stinebiser encountered at least one dead body — a deceased woman found in a home — during his brief career as a municipal police officer in Pennsylvania. As a graduate student in Seton Hill University’s physician assistant program, the Hempfield native has developed a more extended relationship with Gary...
Hempfield raises property taxes for 1st time in 30 years to fund fire department
Property taxes are going up in Hempfield for the first time in more than three decades. Township supervisors Monday approved doubling the millage rate to 6 mills for 2026 to create a 3-mill fire tax to fund the fire department. Supervisors voted 4-1 to give an initial OK to the...
Crash sends 1 to hospital, shuts down Route 30 in North Huntingdon
At least one person was injured in a two-vehicle crash Monday evening on Route 30 in North Huntingdon. The injured motorist was taken by ambulance to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. The crash was reported shortly before 7:15 p.m. near the intersection of Rocky...
Colorado Rockies promote GCC grad Warren Schaeffer to full-time manager
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies announced Monday that they promoted Warren Schaeffer to full-time manager. Schaeffer, a Vandergrift native and Greensburg Central Catholic graduate, assumed the role on an interim basis after the Rockies fired Bud Black, the winningest manager in franchise history, in May following a 7-33 start. The...
Woman fatally stabbed in Latrobe apartment, image of ‘person of interest’ released
A woman was stabbed to death in her Latrobe apartment over the weekend, and investigators on Monday released a surveillance photo of a man they described as a person of interest. Latrobe police and Westmoreland County detectives are investigating the death of Pamela Puskar, 59. She was found dead inside...
Arnold man will stand trial for mother’s fatal stabbing
An Arnold man will find out next month when he will stand trial for the stabbing death of his mother outside her home in August 2024. Brian J. Rebold, 39, has been in jail since he was charged with criminal homicide and first-degree murder Aug. 4 in connection with the...
Westmoreland developments: 6 new businesses open doors
Aaron Allen could have opened his cigar business anywhere in Southwestern Pennsylvania. But in the Greensburg Salem graduate’s eyes, Humidor Cigars & Lounge only made sense in his hometown — Jeannette. “I truly believe in Jeannette and I truly believe in the people,” said Allen, 37. “By us in the...
Jeannette looking to begin school improvements
Jeannette City School District is planning three phases of renovations at McKee Elementary School that officials said will improve energy savings, safety and aesthetics. The school was opened in the mid-1990s, said Superintendent Matt Jones. “The building essentially looks the same as it did when it opened in 1994-95, so...
$500K invoice: Westmoreland awaits response from state over lost interest income
Westmoreland officials said the county has yet to receive a response to an invoice sent last month to the state, seeking money they claim is owed as a result of the state budget impasse. Controller Jeffrey Balzer in October sent a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro claiming the county is...
How Pennsylvania broke through 135 days of budget gridlock
Forty-four states approved their budgets on time this year. Not Pennsylvania. When Gov. Josh Shapiro finally signed the commonwealth’s $50.1 billion spending plan Nov. 12 — 135 days late, dead last in the nation — it marked the end of a high-stakes negotiating marathon. Playing key roles in the final...
How one Southwestern Pa. school district is trying to improve test scores — while on a budget
Monessen City School Superintendent Robert Motte is faced with a dilemma. Motte admits the district’s state test scores could use some improvement. On the 2024 Keystone Exams, 3% of the district’s students achieved a proficient or higher score in algebra 1. Students hitting that proficient or higher mark in biology...
