Westmoreland category, Page 81

It’s a holiday for the rest of us — and for the small businesses and local organizations of Greensburg. Representatives from both groups were among those gathered in the upper meeting room of the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library for a “Festivus”-themed networking mixer event on Dec. 13. The gathering was...

Rita Hathaway was a young mother and third grade teacher in 1983 when she suspected one of her students had been the victim of abuse. When her efforts to intervene on behalf of the child went unanswered, she decided she’d never again be in a position where she couldn’t help....

Jane Mattern decks out more than 40 Christmas trees, at least one for every day of the holiday season and for every room of her family’s expansive Ligonier Township home. The variously themed trees range from an 18-foot live Fraser fir that stretches toward the living room’s cathedral ceiling to...

Monica Meehan sat quietly in a Westmoreland County courtroom Friday to watch the man who burned down her business, the Spaghetti & Steakhouse and Hot Rod Lounge in Murrysville, receive a state prison sentence. “It’s pretty devastating and the land is for sale now,” Meehan said. “At the time, things...

Hidden Valley skiing fans can hit the slopes Friday, and those waiting for Laurel Mountain will be able to head downhill starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. Vail Resorts announced opening dates and holiday hour for ski and snowboard operations at its Laurel Highlands locations. Hidden Valley Hidden Valley Resort opened...

“Why was the tax hike so big?” That was the question asked by Westmoreland County residents and business owners who reacted to the commissioners’ decision to raise real estate taxes by 32.5% next year. It could have been done in smaller increments over the past few years, some people said....

Westmoreland Conservancy officials got decent weather but unfortunate cloud cover for their annual winter solstice walk on Thursday evening. The shortest day of the year saw the sun setting at 4:57 p.m. About 16 participants were hoping to see it in spectacular fashion from an observation deck built by a...

Westmoreland County will provide the final piece of financing needed to double the size of the terminal building at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe. The county’s airport authority will receive $4 million from Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. “We want to support our assets in our area. This is...

A Las Vegas man was sentenced Wednesday to one year of probation for using counterfeit credit cards with stolen bank account information to buy gift cards at Sam’s Club locations in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Hector Ofelio Podio Gutierrez, 31, was ordered by a federal judge in Pittsburgh to spend...

A sixth extension to file a potential indictment has been granted by a federal judge in the case against Shawn Denning, the former Greensburg police chief. Prosecutors said in a court filing that they continue to have discussions with Denning’s attorney in seeking an additional 60 days, pushing the deadline...

New boundaries for Penn Township’s five voting wards are set to go into effect Jan. 1. Judge Harry Smail on Thursday approved an order authorizing the Westmoreland County Elections Bureau to revise and alter the voting districts after a months long process to redraw the boundaries. His ruling came at...

A 32.5% property tax increase approved Thursday by Westmoreland County commissioners was necessary, they said, to balance the county’s 2024 budget while allowing the county to preserve some fiscal reserves. Commissioners cited spiraling costs to pay off existing debt, increases in the cost of health benefits for employees and added...

There are plenty of festive things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend to foster the holiday spirit as Christmas approaches. The Westmoreland Museum of American Art: Cantilever Tours The Westmoreland on North Main Street in Greensburg will continue its series of free tours from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday....

A battle continues in Colorado federal court over the estate of a woman murdered in 2016 on African safari by her husband, a former Greensburg-area dentist. Julian and AnaBianca Rudolph — the children of 57-year-old Bianca — are seeking their inheritance, claiming they are lawfully entitled to life insurance proceeds...

Westmoreland commissioners are expected to implement the largest county property tax increase in more than two decades when they meet Thursday morning to approve the 2024 operating budget. The proposal calls for taxpayers to see a 32.5% increase next year through two separate levies, one that will fund general government...

A man was killed Wednesday afternoon in a one-vehicle crash in Derry Township, the Westmoreland County coroner said. Derek W. Skillings, 40, of the township, died of blunt force injuries when his southbound Dodge Caliber hit a tree after leaving the right side of Pandora Road at 2:20 p.m., Coroner...

A Unity man who is to start serving a three-year prison sentence Jan. 2 after pleading guilty to being part of a California cryptocurrency theft ring, may need a new home when he gets out of jail. The federal government intends to sell the house he purchased for $942,500 in...

A Loyalhanna family of four was left homeless Wednesday afternoon by a fire that caused extensive damage to their two-story house, a fire official said. No one was injured in the accidental fire that appeared to start in the living room of the two-story Stewart Avenue home, Saltsburg Assistant Fire...

When Barb Daugherty drives on Story Road to and from her home in Slickville, she often glances over at the Beaver Run Reservoir. The water levels for the last few months have been concerning. “It has been the lowest I have ever seen it,” she said. Daugherty feels the pinch...

An Export man pleaded guilty Wednesday to shooting two men in a Jeannette home in October 2020. Khalil Myers, 19, was originally charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault in connection with a shooting that injured two men at a South Third Street home. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge...

Three teens charged in juvenile court were admonished by a judge Wednesday after they agreed to plead guilty to possessing guns at Hempfield Area High School in October. Earl Aughinbaugh, 15, pleaded guilty to nine criminal counts including multiple felony charges of theft, possessing a gun on school property, illegal...

Church news • Community Church of Hecla, 537 Hecla Road, Mt. Pleasant Township, will have a Christmas Eve candlelight service at 7 p.m. Dec. 24. Details: 724-396-8065 or 724-244-2586. Fundraiser • Lincoln Heights Civic Association will have bingo from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 21 at the center, 42 Millersdale...

The Westmoreland commissioners are expected to allocate more than $577,000 in revenue from the county’s opioid lawsuit settlement to pay for the expansion of a private drug rehabilitation center at Independence Health Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant. The money will help finance a portion of a $1.4 million project that...

The area’s first significant snowfall of the season Tuesday didn’t stop progress on reconstruction of the Route 51 interchange on Interstate 70. On Tuesday night, crews from contractors Golden Triangle and JC Lee set in place beams for a new bridge that will carry Route 51 over the interstate in...

A former Unity man was ordered to serve up to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the sexual assaults of three children. Shawn Waulk, 36, of St. Clair, was originally charged in 2021 with the rape of a child and earlier this year additional charges were filed...