Westmoreland category, Page 630
Hempfield looking to implement solar farm feeVideo
Hempfield officials are looking to implement a solar farm fee. The fee would make the township more attractive to solar farm projects by putting permit costs in line with other municipalities, said Patrick Karnash, director of planning and zoning. As it stands now, those wanting to build a solar farm...
Grants tapped to improve Seward boat access to Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh Valley Conservancy is planning to make a river access site it owns in Seward more user-friendly. The nonprofit has tapped grant funding for improvements at the property off Fifth Street. It intends to enhance a pathway to the Conemaugh River, establish parking areas and install signage to illustrate...
Hempfield hosting special meeting, town hall session before vote on reopening plans
The Hempfield Area School Board is hosting a number of meetings to discuss reopening plans prior to an August vote. A vote on the plans, originally scheduled for this month, was delayed when new guidance was released by the state Department of Education. Officials are taking time to tweak plans...
Penn-Trafford Drama Guild will stream showcase of spring musical tunesVideo
In early March, just a couple of weeks before the curtain was set to rise on the Penn-Trafford Drama Guild’s production of “Footloose,” musical sponsor Jen Haberberger wasn’t thinking about the coronavirus. She certainly wasn’t thinking about using pool noodles to properly social-distance students at rehearsals. “We would’ve started technical...
Westmoreland County covid-19 new case counts trending downward
For the fourth time in the past week, Westmoreland County’s count of new covid-19 cases was under 20. The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s latest report adds 18 new cases to the county’s total, with one additional death being reported. Of those new positive cases, all have been confirmed. The total...
Greensburg church, donors ensuring nobody goes hungry during pandemicVideo
Otterbein United Methodist Church was trying to create a program to feed hungry kids, then the coronavirus pandemic came along and changed everything. “We had been planning on doing this program but, because of covid, we were worried it was going to be canceled,” said the Rev. Dawn Check. Instead,...
Norwin student named to environmental ambassador program
A rising Norwin High School sophomore with a passion for science and the environment was selected as one of 31 students in the nation for a program to protect and preserve local water resources through monitoring, restoration and educational outreach. Abrielle Brown, 14, will participate in the EarthEcho Water Challenge...
Drug court graduates celebrate accomplishment despite covid-19 restrictions
John Panucci was in the home stretch of his path through Westmoreland County’s Drug Court when the coronavirus erupted in March. Drug court — a two-year program that mixes court supervision, counseling and treatment in exchange for reduced or alternative jail sentences — was not exempt from the pandemic, which...
Police: Derry Township woman slain in revenge shooting into wrong houseVideo
A Derry Township woman was killed Monday by a bullet shot into the wrong house in apparent retaliation over a drug deal gone wrong, state police said. Police on Thursday charged Nathan Joseph Quidetto, 20, last known to reside in the Hostetter area of Unity Township, in the shooting death...
Pandemic increases need for foster families for animal rescues in Western Pa.
A few weeks before the pandemic hit hard in March, Allie Christoforetti and her husband lost their dog. The Greensburg couple decided they weren’t ready to adopt a new dog but were ready to foster through Helping Heart and Healing Tails Animal Rescue, based in the Ligonier area. Christoforetti was...
Butterflies are free for Greensburg Garden Center release
Butterflies are now free for Greensburg Garden Center’s annual release. Thanks to funding from Dominion Energy, remaining monarch butterflies can be reserved at no charge, says garden center president Carla Rusnica. The Aug. 8 event will include two separate release sessions, to accommodate social distancing concerns. Release times will be...
Westmoreland County adds 20 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Westmoreland County on Thursday saw 20 new coronavirus cases, bringing the county’s running total to 1,234, according to data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. With no reports of any new deaths related to covid-19 in Westmoreland County, the count remains at 41. Westmoreland County coronavirus by dayInfogram Of...
Apple Hill Playhouse is closing, leaving theater group seeking new home
The Apple Hill Playhouse in Delmont is going dark. “The time has come” to permanently close the historic stage, executive artistic director Pat Beyer said. “I’m just too old to be in this game anymore. This is my 38th year,” said Beyer, 79. However, it’s just the barn that’s closing,...
Hempfield restaurant closed after mistaken covid-19 case, looks to reopen Friday
Rodney Yemc is at his wits’ end. His 25-year-old Hempfield business, Rodney’s Restaurant, has been closed for a week as he awaits coronavirus test results from as many as 25 employees who erroneously believed they were exposed to covid-19 by another worker. “This really puts you in a situation,” Yemc...
Hempfield cancels summer concert series, movies in the park
Hempfield’s new amphitheater will sit empty this summer after township officials canceled their annual concert and movie series. “We do not feel we could adequately meet the social distancing requirements and large group gatherings that are currently in play and we do not want any additional expenses on us at...
Ligonier Country Market, Bloomfield Saturday Market vie for top national spots
Ligonier Country Market is in the running for two top spots in a poll of America’s most essential farmers markets. The poll is being conducted by the American Farmland Trust, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmentally sound farming practices and conservation of farmland and ranchland. Currently, the Ligonier market tops...
Storm causes flooding in Derry basementsVideo
Jerris Weller stood in the storm water and sewer water that had flooded the finished basement of his Derry Borough home Thursday night, a sump pump pushing the water outside almost as fast as a shower drain and floor drain was filling it up again. “This is a repeated problem...
Franklin Regional plans 2-phase graduation ceremony for Friday
Franklin Regional seniors will get an opportunity to walk onto the Panther Stadium field as part of a two-phase graduation ceremony set for Friday evening in Murrysville. The first ceremony, scheduled to start at 5 p.m., will be for students whose last name begins with A through K. A second...
Officals: Pending closure of Penn Township district judge’s office is unwarranted
A proposal to close district justice offices in Penn Township and Mt. Pleasant remains unchanged as part of a revamped consolidation plan expected to be released in the coming weeks, officials said. Westmoreland County Court Administrator Amy DeMatt said officials reviewed about two dozen comments filed in the last month,...
$12.25M in state loans paying for wastewater, stormwater projects in Westmoreland County
About $12.25 million will be coming to Westmoreland County for wastewater and stormwater projects, the state announced Wednesday. The Western Westmoreland Municipal Authority and the City of Arnold got loans for wastewater projects, while Penn Township received a loan for a stormwater project. The money was part of $66 million...
Westmoreland water officials hope goats are solution to invasive weedsVideo
Goats could be a key factor in ridding Beaver Run Reservoir property of an invasive weed that is hindering tree growth around the drinking water source. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials, with the help of a Saint Vincent College student and professor, are studying how goats react to the...
High-speed police chase ends in Ligonier Township when suspect crashesVideo
A high-speed police chase spanning two counties ended Tuesday when a stolen vehicle the suspect was driving slammed into cars parked at a Ligonier Township restaurant, according to authorities. Gary Austin Blough, 18, of Johnstown nearly hit two vehicles head-on during the westbound pursuit on Route 30, according to court...
Mt. Lebanon, Greater Latrobe ranked top school districts in Pittsburgh area, Westmoreland
Greater Latrobe is tops in Westmoreland County and among the best school districts across the state, according to the latest rankings in several categories on Niche.com. The Pittsburgh-based site calculates its rankings based on reviews by students and parents and data from the U.S. Department of Education, along with factors...
Loyalhanna Watershed’s Harvest Dinner adopts outdoor dining, taps market vendors
The annual Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner at the Loyalhanna Watershed Farm is changing its format this summer, offering an al fresco and a la carte experience. Past dinners have been served family-style at the farm’s Nimick Family Education Center. Executive Director Susan Huba said covid-19 social distancing guidelines prompted the Loyalhanna...
Westmoreland County sees 21 new coronavirus cases, 1 new death
Westmoreland County saw 21 new coronavirus cases and one new death, according to data released Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The death toll attributed to covid-19 in Westmoreland County grew to 41. The county has seen 1,214 cases overall, with 1,180 confirmed and 34 probable. It’s the 22nd...
