Westmoreland category, Page 633
Mt. Pleasant man jailed after shooting handgun, driving lawn tractor while DUI, police say
A Mt. Pleasant man who allegedly fired a handgun outside his home after an argument with his wife and then rode a lawn tractor down Main Street while displaying the gun surrendered Wednesday to borough police. David T. Howland, 32, was arraigned Thursday on 23 criminal counts including driving under...
Peaceful Black Lives Matter march leads to Jeannette rallyVideo
Jeannette Jayhawks’ longtime equipment coordinator Dan Cooper had a message for young people at a Black Lives Matter march and rally Thursday: “Go get it.” He encouraged them to chase their dreams while telling their families to start getting involved in the community if they want to see change. “Anything...
The Westmoreland’s virtual Pride Week includes drag queen bingo, art critiqueVideo
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg is planning Virtual Pride Week Celebration programs, streaming on its Facebook page July 27-31. “Each day we will highlight the talents of LGBTQIAP+ artists (and) performers, with fun and creative programs,” the museum says. All events are free. Virtual Pride Celebration Week...
Westmoreland diversity group plans Zoom discussion of ‘Just Mercy’Video
Westmoreland Diversity Coalition will host a July 23 Zoom discussion of “Just Mercy,” a memoir about the Equal Justice Initiative by its founder Bryan Stevenson. The discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. The book covers the work of the Alabama-based nonprofit that provides legal representation to prisoners who may have...
Greensburg Community Development Corporation introduces grant program 5 years in the making
The Greensburg Community Development Corporation is rolling out a new grant initiative it hopes will spur more development projects in the city. The corporation this summer awarded a $15,000 G-Fund grant to City Cribs LLC for renovations made to 136 S. Pennsylvania Ave. It was the first G-Fund grant, and...
Westmoreland County adds 35 new coronavirus cases, 1 new death
Westmoreland County recorded double-digit coronavirus cases for the 16th straight day. The county added 35 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, bringing the total to 1,089. Of those, 1,057 are confirmed and 32 are listed as probable. One new death was attributed to covid-19,...
Murrysville Meals on Wheels seeking volunteers for kitchen, delivery service
The covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on Murrysville Meals on Wheels, though it has been out of precaution rather than infection. “Because of the crisis, we lost about a third of our volunteers,” said program coordinator Lynn Staab. Murrysville Meals on Wheels typically draws from a pool of about...
Motorcyclist killed in Stahlstown after hitting deer
A Fayette County man was killed in a motorcycle crash Wednesday night in Stahlstown, according to the Westmoreland County coroner. Randy C. Gowton, 50, of Bullskin , was driving south on Route 711 in Cook Township just before 10 p.m. when he hit a deer. The crash happened near Riggs...
Greensburg Bishop Malesic appointed leader of Cleveland diocese
Diocese of Greensburg Bishop Edward C. Malesic will serve as the next bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. The appointment by Pope Francis was announced Thursday. Malesic, 59, was introduced to the Diocese of Cleveland during a 10 a.m. press conference during which he said he was humbled by being...
Tennis nonprofit delays racket giveaway following regional covid-19 uptickVideo
Anup Nadesan and Joseph Bonfiglio started their tennis nonprofit, My Ground Strokes, about a year ago, and they were getting ready for a summer full of activity just as the covid-19 pandemic began ramping up. In April, Nadesan decided to bake nut bread and distribute it to front-line health care...
Greensburg man pleads in child endangerment, assault cases
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that he endangered three children when he left them alone for a week in a bug-infested home with little to eat and no heat. Ryan Mason, 40, was charged in three separate cases including two in which he was accused of leaving...
North Huntingdon woman accused of struggling with police, biting paramedic
A 41-year-old North Huntingdon woman who became combative with paramedics and police as they carried her to an ambulance early Wednesday was charged with aggravated assault and making terroristic threats. Tara S. Nehas was arraigned after her release from UPMC East Hospital in Monroeville, where she was treated for an...
Westmoreland planning department leader shifts to redevelopment authority, land bank
Brian Lawrence won’t move his belongings far when he assumes his new role as executive director of Westmoreland County’s redevelopment authority and land bank. The 37-year-old Greensburg resident, a 10-year veteran of the county’s planning department, will run the agencies that oversee community revitalization, programs to remove blight and improve...
Judge pushes Excela, doctors to resolve pending stent lawsuits
A Westmoreland County judge on Wednesday ordered Excela Health and two of its former cardiac doctors to engage in settlement talks and mediation to resolve 35 outstanding lawsuits filed by patients who contended they received unnecessary stents. Common Pleas Judge Rita Hathaway during a conference with lawyers for patients, the...
Idlewild to close on Tuesdays, Wednesdays for rest of summer
Idlewild Park and Soak Zone are scaling back their operating hours for the summer. The Ligonier Township amusement park announced Wednesday that the park would close on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the rest of the summer, effective next week. As we continue learning about how COVID-19 impacts us, we have...
West Jeannette will get spruced up, thanks to canceled mission trip
When a New York City mission trip for 30 area middle schoolers had to be canceled earlier this year, Cornerstone Ministries Pastor Joel Guinen looked closer to home to make a difference. The group will be embarking on a week-long “Mission Home” cleanup project in West Jeannette, targeting a playground,...
‘Friendly Fire’ rye whiskey on sale this weekend at Fort LigonierVideo
When Fort Ligonier Museum supporters were naming a special-edition rye whiskey to debut at a 2019 fundraiser, they looked no farther than the Ligonier museum’s own Washington Gallery. A painting there depicts a 26-year-old George Washington’s “friendly fire” incident in 1758 that nearly claimed the life of the then-Virginia colonel....
21 new covid-19 cases reported in Westmoreland County
There are 21 new coronavirus cases and no new deaths in Westmoreland County, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Wednesday. The new cases come from 527 tests, representing a 3.98% positivity rate for those cases. All of the new cases are confirmed. The county case total now stands at 1,054,...
Greensburg lifts limits on food trucks, hopes more business rolls into city
Speal’s on Wheels was one of the first food trucks to operate in Greensburg, with owner Terry Speal serving late-night grub to college crowds in the city since 2016. High registration fees and limited hours kept most food truck operators out, but that just meant less competition for Speal. “The...
The Westmoreland invites essential workers to reopening preview
Prior to reopening to the public on Aug. 5, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will welcome members and essential workers to an exclusive reopening weekend Aug. 1-2. The special hours at the Greensburg facility are “a way to say thanks to members for supporting the Museum during the temporary...
Forbes State Forest programs include snakes, hikes and more
These public programs will take place during July and August in Forbes State Forest: • Spruce Flats Bog Tour, 10-11 a.m. Saturday. Learn about the history of this unusual mountain wetland and its interesting plants. Come prepared for an easy, ½-mile, round-trip walk. Registration is limited to 5 participants. •...
New program for young Pennsylvania farmers aims to pump new blood into aging agriculture industry
Adam Mason and his wife, Katie, are in the process of buying a 106-acre farm in Allegheny Township, where they hope to raise chickens, turkeys, pigs and cattle. “It’s a dream come true,” Mason, a 35-year-old California native, said of his plans to own a farm. Mason, who is raising...
Jeannette City planning in-person learning, virtual academy for 2020-21 school year
Parents of Jeannette City School District students will get to decide whether their child has instruction in-person or virtually during the 2020-21 school year. School board members this week approved the district’s reopening plan, which includes daily temperature monitoring of students and staff upon entry to buildings as officials navigate...
Westmoreland community events: July 15
Sale St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Wilpen is holding an ethnic food sale. The event is take-out only and items may be ordered through Aug. 14. Pick-up date is Aug. 30. Items available are: halpuki, $25 for a dozen, $15 for a half dozen; $8 for ethnic platter...
Farmers markets adjusting covid-19 restrictions
In this time of covid-19 restrictions, farmers markets have joined other businesses in modifying their operations. “We’re following the state requirements for keeping social distance and asking everyone to wear masks,” said Randy Morris, a Sewickley Township farmer who organizes the Irwin Farmers Market. About 24 vendors sell fresh produce,...
