Westmoreland category, Page 154
Jill Cooper scores decisive win in GOP primary for 55th District House seat
First-term state Rep. Jill Cooper cruised to a commanding victory Tuesday night over challenger Jamie Lingg in the Republican primary race for the 55th District in northern Westmoreland County. Cooper, 62, garnered nearly 78% of 7,576 votes cast, according to the unofficial tally, with all 54 of the district’s precincts...
Students from former Soviet republics get taste of democracy
Aleksis Ratenieks stood outside a polling site in Hempfield on Tuesday morning, working with fellow Hempfield Area students to greet voters and see democracy in action during the primary election in Pennsylvania. “It really does make me appreciate democracy. It makes me appreciate democracy, with all that horrible stuff that...
Latrobe condemns 2 Ligonier Street rental properties
Latrobe officials have condemned two renter-occupied houses on Ligonier Street they say pose a health and safety hazard. City code enforcement officer Dan Weimer said Tuesday he’d learned that occupants of two apartments at 1207 Ligonier St. and of a three-story home at 1522 Ligonier St. have made arrangements to...
Murrysville homeowners’ association wants dredged sediment cleared away
One of the main reasons homeowners associations exist is to ensure the neighborhoods they govern remain clean and tidy. It’s little wonder, then, that members of the Lyons Run Estates Homeowners Association are not pleased they’ve had several tons of dredged sediment sitting on their property for nearly two years....
Greensburg nonprofit hosts workplace diversity conference to boost Westmoreland businesses, create welcoming community
Carlotta Paige wants people to feel welcome in Westmoreland County. Paige of Unity grew up in Greensburg. Apart from a 20-year stint in New York, she has lived in Westmoreland County her entire life. When Paige heard complaints from Westmoreland residents and business owners about population decline, she took action....
Franklin Regional approves summer artificial intelligence program
Franklin Regional school board members ultimately approved a summer program focused on artificial intelligence after members of its curriculum committee spoke with program organizers about their concerns. Inspirit AI is an eight-session summer program developed and taught by graduates of Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Students will...
Rick Sebak to stir ‘Kennywood Memories’ for Greater Latrobe audience in benefit
Whether it was the thrill of riding the Thunderbolt roller coaster or the tasty treat of gobbling down Potato Patch french fries, many area residents can recall favorite moments of their childhood spent at Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh. Rick Sebak, longtime producer of documentaries for WQED and PBS, will revive...
Fire at Unity shopping plaza damages multiple businesses
Jackie Tustin was treated like family when she worked once a week at Roadman’s Country Living Shoppe in Unity. “This isn’t my full-time job. It’s my fun job,” she said. But she and a few other employees are out of work, at least for now, after a fire Tuesday severely...
Election primer: What to know heading into the 2024 primary
There’s no way around it: This year’s Pennsylvania primary lacks much intrigue. The presidential contenders from both major parties clinched their nominations weeks ago. The state’s U.S. Senate race also has only one nominee for each party: incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick, a former hedge fund...
Regional surveillance system will record license plate images on major roads
Five years after toddler Nalani Johnson was kidnapped and murdered, license plate readers that law enforcement officials say could have saved her will be installed in numerous municipalities across Westmoreland County. The readers will be part of a multicounty surveillance network spearheaded by district attorneys and local law enforcement officials....
After hiring new architect, Hempfield ‘moving forward with a stronger team’ for renovation project
A new architect was hired Monday to work on Hempfield Area School District’s long-stalled high school renovation project. The school board hired Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates of Mechanicsburg to replace Bellevue-based Core Architects, which resigned from the district’s high school renovation project in February. The district’s solicitor and administration will...
Texas trucker returns home after hit-and-run guilty plea
A Texas truck driver was scheduled to jet home Monday night to Dallas after serving nearly 16 months in the Westmoreland County Prison for a hit-and-run crash in the parking lot of a Hempfield auto parts store. Quantae M. Beavers, 26, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault, simple assault,...
Volunteers plant 256 trees at Hempfield Park on Earth Day
West Penn Power Green Team volunteers planted 256 trees at Hempfield Park on Monday — Earth Day. The volunteers also distributed free trees in Jeannette last Friday. The tree giveaway and planting are part of West Penn Power parent company FirstEnergy’s effort to plant trees in its service area, said...
Game commission plans insecticide spraying on state land
The Pennsylvania Game Commission plans to spray insecticide on game lands in the southwestern part of the state in an effort to control invasive insect the spongy moth. Statewide, more than 123,000 acres of game lands will be targeted in late April and May, just as egg masses hatch. Spraying...
Greensburg police seek information about abandoned dog
Greensburg police are looking for the owner of a dog that was found Sunday night chained to a fence or railing at Rohrer Street and Westminster Avenue. The canine was found just after 9 p.m. and no neighbors recognized it, said Police Chief Charles Irvin. It was abandoned sometime during...
‘It’s life-changing’: Collegiate, high school esports programs on the rise
Brayden Seech has been playing video games since he was in elementary school. He started with Nintendo’s Wii and DS devices, shifting into Xbox and PC games as he got older. Now, as a 17-year-old senior at Penn-Trafford High School, Seech has earned a college scholarship to continue his hobby...
Westmoreland transit launches real time bus tracking
The Westmoreland County Transit Authority this month launched a mobile phone application that provides riders with real-time tracking of local buses. The MyStop app allows passengers to receive updates on bus locations and estimated arrival times along the agency’s route system that includes commuter service to Pittsburgh and local service...
Greater Latrobe logs on with esports club program
It’s game on at Greater Latrobe Senior High. “I’ve been playing since I was old enough to remember,” Jesse Simonovitch said of the Super Smash Bros. video game he plays competitively as part of a new esports club organized this year at the school in Unity. The senior wants to...
‘It means everything to me’: Penn-Trafford track athlete raises money for elementary school playground
After breaking Penn-Trafford’s discus record and placing third in the state last year, Matthew Sarnowski returns to the throwing circle this track and field season with lofty goals. But that is not Sarnwoski’s only reason for throwing well this spring. The Penn-Trafford senior’s performance is driving a fundraiser for his...
Westmoreland happenings: Bingo for Babies, food drive, color run, more
Fundraisers • Manor Lions Club will collect nonperishable food and monetary donations for the Manor Food Pantry while polls are open April 23 at the borough polling place. Those who vote by mail and wish to contribute can email Joy Clontz at jrare4@comcast.net. • Community Revitalization of West Newton will...
It’s personal for many: UPG Relay For Life raises $7K in battle against cancer
Dennis Rosatti of Hempfield and his son, Bryan Rosatti of Irwin, share a lot in common, not the least of which is both being cancer survivors. The elder Rosatti, 66, was diagnosed as a teenager with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — a cancer that starts in the lymphatic system, which is part...
Voting precincts remain inaccessible to some disabled voters in Westmoreland County
Adam Halfill’s job description doesn’t include heavy lifting. But when Halfill reports to work Tuesday as the judge of elections at Greensburg Hose Company No. 3, he understands the job could involve the use of a little muscle. “Voters have to come down four or five steps to get into...
Hempfield Project 18 civics class honored by local, state government for 50th anniversary
Students and leadership with Hempfield Area School District’s hands-on civics class, Project 18, were honored with proclamations from state and local government officials at a school board meeting this month. The elective class is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It was originally spearheaded by the state after 18-year-olds were...
Greensburg Salem students recognized for work at leadership conference
A group of Greensburg Salem juniors brought home the gold at a state leadership and career organization conference. The Greensburg Salem chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America competed in leadership project presentation events at the March 19 competition in Lancaster. Students Lisa Leeman, Brenna Kohl and Karma...
Hempfield Mini-THON raises more than $61K for childhood cancer research
Hempfield Area students raised more than $61,500 for the Four Diamonds nonprofit through their 2023-2024 Mini-THON fundraisers that culminated in a 12-hour event on April 5. Mini-THON, a high school version of the popular Penn State fundraiser that raises money for pediatric cancer patients and families, raised $57,600 last year...
