Westmoreland category, Page 2
‘We just kept going’: Westmoreland County road crews battle large snowstorm
Johan Ebbit, 24, of Madison, a tiny Westmoreland County borough southwest of Greensburg, has been on the North Huntingdon road crew for the last 18 months. Starting late Saturday, Ebbitt and 16 other plow operators worked nearly around-the-clock to clear snow in Westmoreland County’s second largest municipality. “We just kept...
Heavy snowfall in Pittsburgh to be followed by extreme cold
Sunday’s monster snowfall was one for the books. Pittsburgh set a daily record for Jan. 25 with 11.2 inches of snow falling, National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Craven said Monday. The prior record for that date, set in 2014, was 5.2 inches. The storm is tied for the 13th highest...
Hempfield offering senior tax rebate for 1st time
Educational sessions for eligible residents are being planned this year as the Hempfield supervisors on Monday enacted a senior tax rebate program. Township Manager Aaron Siko said the sessions will include information about the program and offer help filling out applications. “We have strategy in place to disseminate information into...
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County in state of emergency as extra snowplows called inVideo
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor on Monday declared a state of emergency as the city struggled to clear its streets of roughly a foot of snow with dozens of snowplows out of commission. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato followed suit several hours later, issuing her own disaster declaration. The declarations allow...
Fire damages Derry Township tavern
A Derry Township restaurant and tavern sustained significant damage from a fire late Sunday, said Mark Piantine, Bradenville fire chief. Employees of Lucky B’s American Bar and Grille at 2120 Lincoln Road, who lived in two second-floor apartments above the restaurant, were able to escape the fire without injury, said...
Hempfield Area High School air quality safe from mold, superintendent says
Hempfield Area High School’s air quality is safe despite visible water leaks and ceiling damage, according to Superintendent Mark Holtzman, who cited a third-party assessment conducted four months ago. While photos and videos of water-stained tiles and collection buckets have circulated on social media, Holtzman said a report finalized in...
How to become a National Weather Service reporter in Western Pa.Video
If you have a flat, elevated surface and a ruler, you can help the National Weather Service gather data and refine its forecasts this winter. “When we get snowfall reports, it helps us understand what’s going on and better predict weather in the future,” said NWS meteorologist Jason Frazier. He...
Bushy Run to temporarily close museum while searching for new manager
Bushy Run Battlefield will temporarily close its museum while its board searches for a new manager. Museum manager Matt Adams will leave his post Sunday after about three years at the Penn Township historical site, which commemorates the 1763 clash between the British and Native Americans during Pontiac’s War. On...
Westmoreland happenings: Senior citizen news, free movie, more
Senior citizen news Irwin Senior Activity Center, 310 Oak St., will have grocery bingo and the monthly birthday celebration Jan. 27. National Blueberry Pancake Day on Jan. 28 will feature breakfast for lunch. A healthy cooking demonstration will be at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 29. Registration for events and lunch required...
Judge rules theft case against former Westmoreland purchasing head can proceed
The theft case against Westmoreland County’s former purchasing director will proceed to trial, a judge ruled Friday. Common Pleas Judge Michael Stewart II, in a one-paragraph order, rejected a defense attorney who sought dismissal of the case against Kristopher Cardiff, who prosecutors contend was behind a yearlong payroll scheme to...
Woman sentenced for shooting Penn Township roommate with century-old shotgun
More than three years after Erik Allison was shot in the throat by a woman prosecutors claimed was a jealous roommate, he still carries approximately 100 shotgun pellets in his body. “It is still very painful,” Allison said Friday during a sentencing hearing for Leah H. Gillis, who fired a...
‘It shook the entire house’: Neighbors describe rescue after Delmont apartment explosion
Shaken residents were cleared to stay in their Delmont apartments after an apparent explosion damaged one of them, said police Chief T.J. Klobucar. Eva Arraujo and Tyler Fissella said Friday morning that one of the many officials who responded to the strip of six apartments the previous day checked out...
North Huntingdon man involved in Salem vehicle crash has died
A North Huntingdon man died Friday following a vehicle crash along Route 22 in Salem. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified the driver as 47-year-old Scott W. Sellitto. According to the coroner, Sellitto was traveling west along in a GMC Acadia SUV Route 22 when the vehicle left the roadway...
Stocking up: Residents race to get supplies ahead of winter storm
The rush for milk and bread is well underway. Residents across the region are heading to grocery and hardware stores in advance of what could be the biggest snowfall the area has seen in more than 15 years. Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Moon Township predict the region...
Former Jeannette woman pleads guilty to animal cruelty
A woman who was charged after an infant ingested cocaine in Jeannette in 2022 has pleaded guilty to an unrelated animal cruelty charge. Shelly Kemerer, 55, of Washington County, was ordered to serve two years on probation in connection with allegations she neglected to properly care for a cat at...
Greensburg man pleads guilty in hit-and-run crash
A Greensburg man was ordered to serve up to 23 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to charges related to a two-vehicle crash last summer that left another man injured. Collin Hays, 35, pleaded guilty this week to drunken driving, reckless endangerment, hit-and-run driving and the illegal possession of...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Jan. 23-25
We’re trudging through the doldrums of winter, with short days, freezing temperatures and a perpetual blanket of snow. Warm up this weekend with some fun events around Westmoreland County. Red Light and Blue Celebration This year will mark America’s 250th anniversary, and Westmoreland County will be doing it up in...
Westmoreland County kicks off America’s 250th with courthouse light-up ceremony
Westmoreland County will launch its celebration of America’s 250th birthday this weekend with a symbolic light-up ceremony at the heart of the county seat. On Saturday afternoon, officials will illuminate the “Westmoreland” sign in front of the courthouse in Greensburg. The event serves as the official kickoff for a yearlong...
Crews brace for snow: Here’s how roads are prioritized during snowstorms
In the borough of Export, Stephen Opsitnick Jr. spent much of Wednesday leaning over the open hood of a public works truck, checking oil and hydraulic fluid levels with the deliberate focus of a man preparing for a long siege. As the head of public works, Opsitnick and his single...
Man flown to hospital following apparent explosion at Delmont apartmentVideo
Ed Smith bolted out of his house in Delmont when he heard a loud explosion, followed shortly by a second blast on Thursday afternoon. “I found a gentleman (lying) in the snow outside the garage with no clothes. Half his clothes were burnt,” Smith said. “The second explosion blew the...
Hempfield Area School Board reopens bidding for $150M high school projectVideo
Hempfield Area School District is soliciting new bids for its high school renovation, a massive undertaking now carrying an estimated $150 million price tag. The move marks a formal restart for the project, which has been stalled for about 30 months after initial bids exceeded the district’s projections. Superintendent Mark...
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County approves new budget that keeps water, sewer rates level
Water and sewer rates for Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers will remain unchanged for at least the next year. Authority board members this week approved a $129.7 million budget for the multi-county agency that keeps its current rate structure in place after two straight years of increases. “We always...
Chilly forecast a boon for Ligonier Ice Fest sculptorsVideo
Even in the dead of winter, nature is the biggest challenge Jared McAlister faces when working with ice. “Rain will melt it. Sunlight will actually heat the ice from the inside and turn it an opaque white color, which we don’t want,” said McAlister, owner of Glacial Ice Works. On...
Westmoreland happenings: Soup sale, comedy night, preschool expo
Fundraisers • A night of comedy to benefit Sardis Volunteer Fire Department will be Jan. 31 at the fire company social hall, 5205 Rocky Hill Lane, Murrysville. Doors open at 5 p.m. Performers will include headliner Larry XL and Trey McDonough. Admission: $25, includes beer. BYOB. Must be 21. Food...
Greensburg native, a federal judge in Va., questioned legitimacy of Trump-appointed prosecutor
A federal district judge, who excoriated a former Justice Department prosecutor for pursuing indictments against political adversaries of President Donald Trump, grew up in Greensburg and earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Vincent College. David Novak, a Trump-appointed district judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, is one of two...
