Westmoreland category, Page 705
Highway deaths continue to mount, though U.S. roadways are safer than everVideo
A horrific crash that killed five people on the Pennsylvania Turnpike last Sunday represents only a fraction of a percentage point of the annual death toll on the nation’s highways. Highway design has advanced dramatically and features such as seat belts, airbags and stability controls have made vehicles safer than...
Orthodox Christians enjoy balmy weather for lakeside blessing serviceVideo
They didn’t need winter coats this year. Instead, parishioners at St. Michael’s Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in South Greensburg on Saturday wore light jackets and had gloveless hands as they tossed ice crosses into the upper lake at Twin Lakes Park. “This is a treat for me,” said Jim Laffin,...
Family mourns man killed in crash near Westmoreland Mall
A Latrobe family is mourning the loss of Justin Bibel, 29, who was killed in a crash on Route 30 near the Westmoreland Mall. Bibel died Thursday in UPMC Presbyterian hospital, according to his wife, Monica Lea Bibel. “He was a good guy, he was funny, he was laid back,...
Getaway driver in 2018 robbery spree gets 2 to 6 years in prison
The getaway driver who participated in three armed robberies in late 2018 in East Huntingdon and Scottdale will serve up to six years in prison. William Nathan Lint, 36, of Connellsville, pleaded guilty Friday to robbery and other offenses in connection with heists at three local business over a five-day...
Westmoreland water, sewage rates to remain unchanged
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members on Friday unanimously approved a new $105.2 million budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year that keeps water and sewer rates at their current levels. The budget year, which begins in April, will be the second consecutive year the authority has held the line...
New senior living facility coming to Hempfield
Construction has begun on a new 119-unit senior living facility in Hempfield. Towne Square Senior Apartments, at 1043 Towne Square Drive, will offer one- and two-bedroom units and amenities including an on-site beauty salon and barber shop, a community room with planned activities and trips, a lounge and fitness center,...
Rostraver West Newton paramedic Matthew Smelser laid to rest in MonongahelaVideo
More than 300 emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters and police officers gathered under a steady rain Friday in Monongahela to honor Matthew C. Smelser. They stood shoulder to shoulder and stretched two blocks down Chess Street for a finale salute to the Rostraver West Newton paramedic supervisor who was killed...
North Huntingdon residents upset over trash collection problems
Facing complaints about failing to pick up trash, North Huntingdon’s new garbage collector promised it will be caught up with residential stops on Saturday, a township official said. The transition from Waste Management to County Hauling of Rostraver “has gone a lot harder” than expected, township manager Jeff Silka said....
Hempfield students hope to plant 2,020 trees this year
Science National Honor Society students at Hempfield Area High School already are thinking about the legacy they’ll leave behind after graduation. And, for soon-to-be graduates, that legacy will be in the form of 2,020 trees students plan to plant in the community starting this spring. “Our graduating year is kind...
2 companies competing for Greensburg code permits, inspections
Greensburg now has contracts with two third-party companies to handle building permits and inspections. The city is asking developers to choose which they’d prefer working with — Millvale-based Code.sys, which has handled inspections since 2015, or the newly contracted Code Enforcement Agency (CEA) of Jefferson Hills. “We’re shifting from bossing...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Jan. 10-12Video
Baby, it’s … well, warm outside. Along with the unseasonably warm temperatures, this weekend’s entertainment options include warming soup, hot music and heated drama. Full stomachs, warm (he)arts The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will hold “Art on Tap: Soup Du Jour” from 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 10 at...
New Westmoreland sheriff’s office solicitor will not get cut of property sales
The new part-time solicitor for the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s office will have a higher salary than his predecessor but still earn about $25,000 per year less under a restructuring approved Thursday. The county’s salary board, which includes all three commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer, voted to increase the salary for...
No bird feeder, no problem: Bluebirds live on feeder webcam in Murrysville
Not everyone can have a bird feeder, let alone one that attracts the pretty, prized birds like Eastern bluebirds. Without so much a kernel of corn or a sunflower seed, residents can take a nature break to watch all the action at a live webcam trained on six feeders and...
Big plans for Westmoreland outlined at annual State of County luncheon
After a public squabble at their first voting meeting of the year, Westmoreland County commissioners got together for lunch Thursday to outline an ambitious agenda for 2020 that includes revitalizing the Mon Valley, potentially adding more flights to and from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport and increasing internet capability. Commissioners Sean...
Hempfield man charged with raping 2 girls he met via social mediaVideo
A 20-year-old Hempfield man was arrested Thursday on accusations that he raped two girls, ages 11 and 13, whom he met through a social media app. “They are trying to put me in jail for a long time for something I did not know. They were lying about their ages,”...
Rabbit ‘king’ from West Newton presided at Pa. Farm Show
As he wrapped up his week at the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show, Zach Farlow found himself on Thursday at AngoraPalooza. The event, one of many he’s attended this week as 2019 king of the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association, featured Angora rabbits and scarves made from Angora rabbit wool. “I...
Board appointment prompts Westmoreland commissioners’ first dust-up
Westmoreland County Commissioners Sean Kertes and Gina Cerilli on Thursday appointed a new member to the county’s housing authority board of directors, a move that resulted in the first disagreement among the county leaders. Commissioner Doug Chew voted against the appointment of former Monessen District Judge Joseph Dalfonso to serve...
Westmoreland sheriff doesn’t want investigation into office mess
Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert said he doesn’t want an investigation into who trashed his offices in the courthouse. “Let’s not prolong this. I want to stay positive and move forward,” Albert said Thursday after the offices were cleaned. Three deputies and two maintenance workers, Albert said, spent two full...
Dog rescued in South Greensburg mobile-home fireVideo
Firefighters rescued a dog in a fire that destroyed a mobile home Thursday in South Greensburg. The fire was reported at 12:10 p.m. in a mobile home that is located in an alley behind the 1500 block of Broad Street. “The doors were locked when we got here, so we...
Hempfield woman accused of tossing hot coffee on cop now charged with assaulting prison guardVideo
A Hempfield woman currently in the Westmoreland County Prison on charges that she threw a cup of hot coffee on a state trooper is now accused of spitting on a prison guard. Sonya R. Connors, 52, is accused of becoming “combative and verbally abusive” with a female prison guard on...
Irwin officials making plans for splash park
Area youngsters could have a place to frolic and beat the summer heat: a splash park at Irwin Park. Council on Wednesday authorized the park and recreation committee to research and develop plans for a splash park at the municipal park off of Pennsylvania Avenue. An estimated cost of the...
Hempfield buys 2 new fire trucks
Two new fire trucks were recently added to Hempfield Fire Department’s fleet of vehicles. Older trucks at fire stations in Adamsburg and Bovard were replaced by Sutphen SL75 Mid-Mount Aerial Ladder trucks, which can fight fires in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The trucks, which cost $860,000 each, bring an...
Greensburg residents ‘adopt’ nearly 350 fire hydrants
There are almost 350 fire hydrants in Greensburg, and they all have been “adopted” after a six-year campaign, according to Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department President Rick Steele. The department launched the “Adopt-A-Hydrant” program in 2014, asking residents to contribute to the cost of high-visibility markers, which stick up above hydrants...
East Huntingdon landscaper fined $74,290 over allegedly failing to pay Mexican workers overtime, back wages
An East Huntingdon landscaping company has paid nearly $75,000 in back wages and fines to settle allegations that it committed labor violations involving a foreign worker program, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Silvis Group, located on Schultz Road, signed a consent agreement with the Labor Department on June...
Unity woman gets probation in animal cruelty case
A Unity woman was ordered Wednesday to serve a year on probation for animal cruelty after leaving her pets alone in filthy conditions after she was evicted from her Cook Township home. Patricia Canton, 52, was permitted to enroll in the Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition program for first-time, nonviolent offenders. The...
