Westmoreland category, Page 96
Judge to decide if ex-girlfriend’s texts are bullying or free speech in Hempfield man’s suicide
A Westmoreland County judge will determine if text messages sent by a woman were a criminal attempt to bully her boyfriend into killing himself, or a form of free speech. Defense attorneys for Mandie Reusch, 36, of South Greensburg, claim charges of aiding suicide and involuntary manslaughter should be dismissed,...
Western Pa. communities use Facebook as integral tool to connect with residents
Tom Bell starts his shift at 4:30 a.m. each day as Greensburg’s streets superintendent. While most people take the same route to work, Bell takes a different way almost daily. Instead of listening to music or the morning news, he logs onto the public works department’s Facebook page to record...
Westmoreland County expands, refocuses veterans affairs office
Westmoreland County’s veterans affairs department will be expanding to provide additional access to services for former military members and their families. The five-person office will be renamed the Division of Veterans Affairs and Services and is expected to enhance service coordination, improve transportation to clinics in the Pittsburgh region and...
Drought to blame for murky Latrobe water, authority says. It remains safe to drink
Many Latrobe Municipal Authority customers are coping with discolored water while authority officials try to compensate for elevated sediment levels resulting from drought conditions in the region. Authority chairperson Ellen Keefe said Monday the yellow- or brown-tinged water may not be appealing but remains drinkable. “The water is still potable,”...
John McCain, Tom Hanks and Taylor Swift get votes for president in Westmoreland County’s official election results
The Westmoreland County Election Board on Monday unanimously approved the final certification of the Nov. 5 election results. “It’s a wrap,” Election Bureau Director Greg McCloskey said. The certification included all races that appeared on the ballot, including the closely contested election that saw Republican Dave McCormick oust three-term incumbent...
Defense says police ruse invalidates confession in sex assault case
The lawyer for an Erie man accused of sex offenses claimed his client’s confession should be barred from evidence at an upcoming trial because police lied about the circumstances of the interrogation. Timothy Colcombe, 37, was charged in January with felony counts in connection to allegations that he attempted to...
More than 100 veterans receive Thanksgiving meal through Norwin Elks program
Duane Myers of Hempfield was beaming Monday morning as he held pumpkin pies as part of the distribution of a Thanksgiving meal for veterans. Myers was among those who received the food at the Norwin Elks in Manor. The 94-year-old Myers was a Navy frogman during the Korean War. He...
Southwest Greensburg fire department gives college students free housing in exchange for service
Some of Michael Meyer’s fondest memories of his time at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg were spent at the Southwest Greensburg Volunteer Fire Station. Meyer, 28, grew up in Green Tree, just outside of Pittsburgh, and started serving the Green Tree Volunteer Fire Company in 2014. He joined the...
Downtown Greensburg stores to offer incentives to shoppers on Small Business Saturday
Elsie Lampl wants to see crowded sidewalks in downtown Greensburg on Saturday, filled with residents ready to support small businesses. Created 15 years ago by American Express, Small Business Saturday is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving to generate support for locally owned stores. Downtown Greensburg shoppers will receive parking discounts...
Westmoreland park pavilion rental rates set to rise in January
Fees for reserving pavilions at Westmoreland County parks are slated for a hefty increase Jan. 1 to help support costs of operating the recreational sites. The rental fees will go up anywhere from $25 to $100, according to Dante DeCario, assistant director of county public works. He said the fee...
Penn Township swears in new police dog, named after longtime resident, business owner
The name of Penn Township’s new police dog may sound familiar to residents. That’s no coincidence. The canine shares the last name of resident and business owner Janet Whirlow, who donated $15,000 to help the police department purchase its next police dog. Officer Blake Danowski led Whirlow into the municipal...
‘I’m not going to continue what I’m doing forever’: Penn borough, township consider merger
When residents stumble upon a tree blocking a roadway in Penn Borough, Randy Dreistadt is the first person they call. He’s also the person who handles parking issues, clogged storm drains and rentals of the town’s park pavilion. When snow coats the borough’s roads in the winter, chances are Dreistadt...
Filling the void: major mine subsidence project set for Belle Vernon area
When Tom Wilson was growing up in North Belle Vernon some 60 years ago, he and his friends would sometimes sneak into the opening of an abandoned mine, searching for fossils or some buried treasure. Fast forward six decades, and Wilson has signed up for a state project to fill...
Greater Latrobe School Board divided over plans for roof, future of junior high
Some Greater Latrobe School Board members want to move forward with seeking proposals for replacing the junior high roof. Others first want to see an updated district facilities presentation from consultant SHP. It remains to be seen what opportunities the public may have to hear that presentation after it was...
Police looking for suspect in Hempfield Walmart wallet theft
State police are looking for help from the public to identify a man who they say took a woman’s wallet from the Hempfield Walmart store and lied to her that he had it. Troopers said the woman used the self checkout at 10 p.m. Nov. 13 when she forgot her...
Police: West Newton garage applied inspection stickers without examining vehicles
A West Newton auto shop is facing criminal charges after state police said employees there were putting inspection stickers on vehicles they didn’t actually inspect, according to court papers. When a state trooper visited Martinelli Auto Service in August for an audit, he reported seeing two vehicles with new inspection...
Chicago woman declines plea bargain in catalytic converter theft ring case
A Chicago woman who cooperated with Westmoreland County prosecutors in relation to charges stemming from an organized catalytic converter theft ring believed the case against her was going to be dropped, her attorney said Friday. But when Maria Padilla, 39, arrived for a hearing, she learned otherwise, said attorney Samir...
Westmoreland County Transit Authority accepts commuter bus from River Valley
The Westmoreland County Transit Authority will add another commuter bus to its lineup. The River Valley Transit Authority, based in Williamsport, reached out about transferring a 2015 commuter bus it purchased with the help of grant funding, Westmoreland County Transit Authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec said. The vehicle seats 53...
Derry Township woman killed in Route 119 collision in Salem
A Derry Township woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash Friday morning on Route 119 in Salem. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said Melissa S. Dustin, 37, of Torrance died of blunt force injuries in the collision. The crash was reported at 8:41 a.m. just south of the Route 22...
Westmoreland happenings: Story time with Mrs. Claus, photos with Santa, seminar, more
Christmas event • A story time with Mrs. Claus will be at 4 p.m. Nov. 30 at Keystone Railhouse Event Center, next to Gary’s Chuckwagon, 115 S Second St., West Newton. Sponsored by West Newton Public Library as part of the borough’s light up celebration. Church News • Greensburg Church...
Jay Leno visited Hempfield restaurant after fall
The show must go on. And, so too, must lunch. Celebrity talk show host Jay Leno reportedly visited Hempfield’s The Boulevard restaurant after injuring himself in a fall last week. The Boulevard owner Bobbi Lynn Frye in an email told TribLive Leno had lunch at the restaurant after his fall...
Opus 2 Orchestra marks 70th anniversary with music from its founder
Next month, Evan Reichenfeld will continue a musical tradition that began in the late 1930s, when his great-grandfather Eugene emigrated to the United States from his native Hungary. Reichenfeld, 28, a middle school music teacher in the Woodland Hills School District, took over a few years ago as conductor for...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 22-24
Before the craziness of Thanksgiving preparations and family visits, this weekend is a great time to infuse some holiday cheer — or enjoy a little calm and delay the “most wonderful time of the year” just a little longer. Here are a few things to get out and experience this...
Murrysville family revives father’s homemade haunted house tradition
Anna Moore loves Halloween. The 16-year-old Murrysville resident’s family has thrown large Halloween parties since she was small. But what really interested her were stories about the homemade haunted house her father Michael used to build when he was her age. “I’d seen the old pictures and it was really...
Greater Latrobe superintendent to step down, cites need to focus on health, family
Superintendent Mike Porembka is preparing to step away from Greater Latrobe, the school district where he has worked for more than 25 years. Porembka announced his plan to resign to school board members during an executive session after the board’s Tuesday meeting and followed that with a letter to the...
