Westmoreland category, Page 717
Former Leechburg police chief jailed again, accused of accessing porn website
A former Leechburg police chief — who was fired and prosecuted for seeking sex from what he thought was an underage girl — used his cellphone while meeting with a probation officer to access a website devoted to fetishes, bondage and sadomasochism, state investigators said in court. In doing so,...
Westmoreland County inmate, girlfriend accused in jailhouse drug smuggling scheme
Fearful that guards would find drugs hidden in his mail, a Westmoreland County Prison inmate asked someone in another jail cell to stash a pile of stamped envelopes — only to have that inmate share his secret with authorities, according to new criminal charges against a Greensburg man and his...
Man arrested in connection with Derry Township woman’s overdose death
An Indiana County man was arrested Monday in connection with a 2017 drug overdose death in Westmoreland County, according to court papers. Shawn Ray Jodon, 30, of Burrell Township, is accused of providing a fatal dose of fentanyl to his cousin Brittany Nicole Adamson, 22. State police said Adamson overdosed...
Cops: 71-year-old Hempfield man admitted sexually assaulting girl
A 71-year-old Hempfield man was ordered held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $25,000 bond after his arrest by state police for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl on multiple occasions over two years. Frank J. Celesnik was charged with aggravated indecent assault, aggravated assault on a child under 13 years...
‘MasterChef Junior Live!’ coming to Greensburg’s Palace Theatre
The “MasterChef Junior Live!” cooking competition is coming to The Palace Theatre on March 20. After a 16-city 2019 debut tour based on the Fox cooking show featuring kids ages 8-13, the extended seven-week tour will kick off March 3 in Rochester, N.Y., and visit 40 U.S. cities. “The stage...
Jeannette revamps junior firefighter program
Isaiah Derry remembers his first fire. The adrenaline started pumping when the Jeannette boy heard the call over his pager. He got to go inside a North Second Street home after flames were extinguished and then help his fellow firefighters clean up. Derry, 14, is one of three teenagers recently...
Elite athlete from Greensburg never thought she’d end up running for her lifeVideo
In the beginning, Cheryl Collins Gatons began running for fun. It was a great way to blow off stress after work. She never imagined she would end up as a two-time qualifier for the Olympic marathon trials, or that years later she would start running for her life. The 52-year-old...
Ligonier Town-Wide Open House focuses on holiday spirit
With apologies to the snowman that couldn’t make it, it really was beginning to look at lot like Christmas in Ligonier on Sunday. Despite a scarcity of the white stuff, the quaint Westmoreland County mountain community nestled in the Laurel Highlands managed to radiate holiday spirit during its Town-Wide Christmas...
30 years in: Pennsylvania’s heritage areas boost tourism, local economiesVideo
Over the past three decades, the Pennsylvania Heritage Area Program has grown to cover every corner of the state — and nearly all of the middle, too. It has also matured to pump billions of tourist dollars into local economies each year. Launched in 1989 after a decade of planning,...
Continuing issues at Jeannette plant highlight gaps in hemp regulation
Former employees at a Jeannette hemp-drying facility said they worked in unsafe conditions, dealing with thousands of pounds of mold-infested crops. Richard Wright said employers denied his request to shut down production long enough to address the problem. “I just don’t want my name associated with making anybody sick,” said...
From Belschnickel to Santa Claus, Westmoreland historians trace Christmas traditionsVideo
It’s hard to see how Belschnickel could have been mistaken for Santa Claus. But back in the days when Western Pennsylvania was the edge of the frontier and colonists were beginning to talk revolution, there’s a good chance children who never heard of Santa were more familiar with the ornery...
Law enforcement motorcycle club steps up to support Westmoreland County foster kids
It took a single afternoon to deliver and disperse about $7,000 worth of Christmas cheer that members of a local motorcycle club spent months collecting. “It’s just so heartwarming that any group would step forward out of the blue… and put so much effort and hard work into making sure...
Trafford holds the line on taxes for 2020
Trafford property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes for the operation of the borough’s government in 2020. Trafford Council this week approved a general fund budget of $1.8 million for 2020, a 21% increase from the 2019 budget of $1.51 million. Most of the additional...
Oak Ridge Boys get in the holiday spirit during Palace Theatre show
The Oak Ridge Boys returned to Greensburg for their “Down Home Christmas” show Friday night. The show started with a number of the band’s massive country hits. The Oaks ushered in the season, wrapping up the concert with a slew of holiday classics and new favorites....
Border Patrol nabs Mexican man convicted of sex offense in Indiana County
A Mexican man deported four years ago after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a minor in Indiana County, was arrested this week for attempting to illegally enter the country along a desolate section of the Arizona border, the U.S. Border Patrol said. The suspect, Romualdo Gregorio Felipe, 48, was...
Greater Latrobe chooses DMJ Transportation to bus students
Greater Latrobe students who take the bus next school year will be transported by a new carrier, one that will save the district about $1 million. The Greater Latrobe School Board voted 7-0 Thursday to switch to DMJ Transportation Inc. of Mt. Pleasant Township, beginning July 1. Over the life...
River City Brass slated for holiday concert at Greater Latrobe
River City Brass will join forces with student musicians for a holiday concert Dec. 13 at Greater Latrobe Senior High School. Greater Latrobe band and choral students will perform along with members of the Pittsburgh brass band at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium for the Home for the...
Westmoreland County cashier resigns after being charged with bringing drugs into courthouseVideo
Westmoreland County’s Park Police typically arrest a person or two every month for bringing illegal drugs in to the downtown Greensburg courthouse. A recent arrest was the first time in recent memory that a county employee was the person who was charged, Chief Henry Fontana said Friday. “Everybody is subject...
Former Palace Theatre owner still loves Greensburg’s grand dameVideo
Judy Marinelli couldn’t help getting a little emotional at Thursday night’s show at The Palace Theatre in downtown Greensburg. Nostalgia was already in the air, as Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, the Drifters and the Platters performed favorites from the 1950s and ’60s. Marinelli’s thoughts invariably turned to her late husband, Carl....
Ambulance service closing worries rural Westmoreland County communitiesVideo
A rural ambulance company abruptly closed this week, catching many residents in northeastern Westmoreland County by surprise and leaving some on edge. Connellsville-based Fayette EMS operated the Laurel Valley Ambulance Service station in New Florence since 2007. It closed Monday, with the door now padlocked and posted with “No Trespassing”...
Westmoreland Museum plans benefit brunch for the food bank
A holiday brunch featuring a spiked hot chocolate bar is planned Dec. 15 at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. Presented in partnership with the Westmoreland County Food Bank, the event will provide information on the food bank’s mission to end hunger in the region. Following the meal,...
Grant money to help Hempfield school studentsVideo
The Hempfield Area School District was awarded a $5,000 grant to help with two programs that assist underserved children. Presented by the DMJ Transportation, funds will go toward the district’s Food 2 Go 4 Kids program and West Hempfield Middle School’s caring closet. Food 2 Go 4 Kids, a backpack...
Police locate pickup truck involved in Southwest Greensburg hit-and-runVideo
A paper grocery bag containing smashed vehicle parts and an anonymous tip helped Southwest Greensburg police on Friday find a pickup truck they believe was involved in a hit-and-run that injured a man this week. A state trooper who specializes in crash reconstruction determined from the “puzzle pieces” that investigators...
5 things to do in Westmoreland: Dec. 6-8Video
This week might be the best one of the holiday season. We’ve digested the Thanksgiving turkey and gotten the madness of Black Friday behind us. And all around us the parties are starting, the house tours are opening and the music is swelling. Nativities from round the globe The First...
Mad Scientist Beer celebrates grand opening in north Greensburg
Greensburg has a new beer distributor. Mad Scientist Beer, located at 990 N. Main St., followed a recent soft opening with an official grand opening Thursday. It’s located in the Route 66 Plaza, next to the Shop ’n Save. Greensburg has other beer distributors, but none on the north side...
