Westmoreland category, Page 89
Bird count helps mark the impact of a changing climate
Walking along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail on Saturday morning, counting the birds flying around the woods of the Saltsburg and Slickville areas, Alex Busato said the tally serves a larger purpose than just counting birds one day in the winter. The Christmas Day bird counts in some sections of Westmoreland...
Christmas tree, string light recycling benefits environment, coats for kids project
Live Christmas trees can serve a new purpose when the holiday season is over through recycling at one of several drop-off locations in Westmoreland County. The trees are typically chipped into mulch and returned to nature and used to beautify community parks, said Michael Skapura, executive director of the Westmoreland...
North Irwin seeks to join county SWAT
Like its neighbors of Irwin and North Huntingdon, North Irwin wants to join Westmoreland County’s Special Weapons and Tactics team to provide quicker response in times of emergencies, a borough official said. “If there is ever an emergency requiring SWAT services, it would make sense to have that offered locally,...
Latrobe father in ‘prison of grief’ after son’s drug overdose, he tells judge at drug dealer’s sentencing
Robert J. Verscharen helped his mother pick out flowers every spring and summer and hang suet cakes for birds in the fall. Now, Carole and Robert S. Verscharen mourn their son daily, after he died from a drug overdose nearly four years ago. “I continue to talk with him now...
Extending a life story: Westmoreland coroner’s office joins effort to encourage organ donation
Even though her father isn’t a phone call away anymore, Cassidy Gamble knows his kind nature is still making an impact on others. James Forish became a tissue donor after his Aug. 1 death, allowing his life to continue on in a different sort of way, helping to heal others....
Strong business community, ‘entertailing’ help downtown Irwin thrive
When Irwin native Camille Kovach was looking to move her bookstore from its location in Murrysville this year, she said she never considered moving anywhere but downtown Irwin. Such was her desire to place Completely Booked in downtown Irwin that Kovach leased a storefront on Western Avenue at the bottom...
Taekwondo instructor, federal land specialist considers himself a lifelong student
By day, Jeff Horneman helps protect federal land against encroachment as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers. By night, he helps young people learn to protect themselves as a taekwondo instructor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Brackenridge. “We’re teaching kids discipline and how to grow mentally,” Horneman...
Monessen native hosts peace conference as Rotary International president
Smile. You’re promoting peace. “It is such a simple thing that we can all do,” Monessen native Stephanie Urchick said. “When you smile at somebody, you acknowledge they exist. You’re recognizing their humanity.” Plus you’re likely to receive one in return. As the 2024-25 president of Rotary International, leading 1.4...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Dec. 27-29
We’re in that weird inter-holiday period where time has no meaning and everything is snacks. So maybe it’s a good idea to get out of the house for a few hours. Try out some of these events to brighten up your weekend. Eaglemania Dedicated Eagles fans will appreciate this dedicated...
Westmoreland happenings: AARP tax services, meeting, more
Meeting • Westmoreland Garden Council, formerly known as the Greensburg Garden Center, will meet at 11 a.m. Jan. 7 at the center, 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg. A light lunch will be served. Public welcome. Bring a friend. Officers will be installed and a drawing for a week in Williamsburg...
From triumph to tragedy: What a year it was in Westmoreland County
The happenings of the last 12 months in Westmoreland County will be relegated to history and some of them are touchstones that will be long remembered. About 60 miles northwest of Greensburg in Butler County, soon-to-be President Donald J. Trump was grazed by a bullet at the start of a...
Greensburg church volunteers dish out, deliver hundreds of Christmas meals to those in need
Lisa Reynolds didn’t think twice when asked by a family friends to give up her Christmas morning make sure those in need had a holiday meal. Reynolds, of Bell Township, was among the dozens of volunteers at the First Presbyterian Church in Greensburg who cooked the food, packed boxes and...
Police, coroner say weekend deaths of Manor couple was murder-suicide
A husband and wife died Sunday evening in a murder-suicide in Manor, police said. The wife, Theresa Day, 51, was found dead inside her Frederick Drive residence around 6:20 p.m. as a result of a gunshot wound and her husband, Jeffrey Day, 62, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said...
Former FedEx driver charged with theft after Greensburg-area deliveries go missing
A Greensburg man is charged with stealing a phone that he was supposed to deliver while working for FedEx. State police filed theft-related misdemeanor charges against 29-year-old Mohammad Hat Alshamasin following a sting operation they set up after several Greensburg-area residents reported they didn’t receive electronics Alshamasin was expected to...
Westmoreland DA doles out drug forfeiture cash for enforcement efforts
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli announced Friday that her office has allocated $82,700 to bolster education, training and enforcement of drug laws. Those funds were forfeited to the District Attorney’s Office as a result of criminal prosecutions of drug offenses. “By allocating this money back into the hands of...
Overwhelming demand for rental assistance exhausts Westmoreland County funds
Westmoreland County’s rental assistance program will stop accepting new applications to help low-income tenants pay monthly bills and housing costs, officials announced Monday. In November, the county said it would use about $80,000 in leftover funds and another $727,000 earned through bank interest over the past three years to resume...
Towering tree returns for Christmas Eve Masses at Saint Vincent Basilica
A 26-foot-tall green-and-white addition to the Saint Vincent Basilica awaits members of the local Catholic parish when they arrive Tuesday evening for 5 p.m. and midnight Christmas Eve Masses. For the first time in several years, a single towering Christmas tree once again will provide a backdrop for the holiday...
Volunteer shortage compels Kecksburg ambulance service to close
Kecksburg Rescue Ambulance Service is set to answer its final call. The volunteer-based ambulance service, believed to be the last of its kind in Westmoreland County, will cease operations in Mt. Pleasant Township. Its last day in service will be Dec. 31. Longtime chief Maureen Hutter said it has been...
Open access: Push for election transparency plays out in Pa. courts
A battle for election transparency is being waged across Pennsylvania’s court system. Against a backdrop of the “stop the steal” movement and persistent accusations of a broken electoral system, an unlikely alliance of GOP lawyers and grassroots democracy advocates is pushing to open elections to greater public scrutiny. Their goal:...
Art therapist finds home in Greensburg’s historic Jamison Building
The Jamison Building on North Main Street in downtown Greensburg dates to the late 19th century, built in the 1890s. Vestiges of the era remain, from some of the decorative touches inside to the three heavy-duty vault doors remaining from the building’s time as a bank. Art therapist and licensed...
Greensburg’s Nevin ice arena seeing more skaters than ever since its renovation
A record number of skaters has been hitting the ice in the 16 months since Greensburg completed a $3 million renovation of its Kirk S. Nevin ice arena. Parks and recreation superintendent Glenn Moyer said there are more teams than ever competing with the Westmoreland Hockey Association. “We’ve seen outstanding...
‘It makes their spirits’: Norwin middle school basketball team brings holiday cheer to Ligonier Township care home residents
Members of a Norwin middle school basketball team took their final day of Thanksgiving break to bring holiday cheer to residents in the Bethlen Home assisted living facility in Ligonier Township. Ava Reichl, one of nine players on the team, came up with the idea. She wanted to do something...
Pitt-Greensburg hosts American Society of Microbiology’s Allegheny branch
The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in Hempfield recently welcomed participants from more than 15 universities and colleges for the annual meeting of the American Society of Microbiology’s Allegheny branch. Two days of professional development included networking and poster presentations based on participants’ research. Several entries were recognized including: •...
Steepest slope in Pa. draws skiers, snowboarders to Laurel Mountain Ski Resort for opening day
For Marnie Golden, having the steepest ski slope in the state just 20 minutes away from her house is a point of hometown pride. Golden, 17, of Ligonier Township was 9 when she started skiing at Laurel Mountain. Lower Wildcat, the steepest slope in Pennsylvania, is her favorite there. “I...
‘My goodness, where’s the justice?’: Latrobe fire chief asks of Biden’s move to commute Podlucky’s sentence
North Huntingdon carpentry company owner Dave Jackel can’t understand how President Joe Biden would commute the 20-year prison sentence of former Le-Nature’s Inc. CEO Gregory J. Podlucky. Prosecutors said Podlucky, a certified public accountant, masterminded a fraud and money laundering scheme which bankrupted the Latrobe soft drink bottler and left...
