Westmoreland category, Page 453
Monster bash: Jeannette readies for another Halloween parade
Green-hued monsters, even those of the meticulously constructed paper-craft kind, will be on display and in the running for cash prizes next week in the Jeannette Halloween Parade. “It was always a really nice parade,” said co-organizer Nancy Peters, who has joined forces with fellow Jeannette Councilwoman Robin Mozley. The...
Westmoreland district attorney race sees challenger Ziccarelli outspend Peck 9-to-1
Nicole Ziccarelli, the Republican candidate with designs on unseating six-term Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck, holds a substantial edge in campaign fundraising and spending heading into the Nov. 2 election. The lastest campaign finance reports, filed Friday, show Ziccarelli since June has spent more than $141,000 — an amount...
$10K reward offered in Cassandra Gross disappearance
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information that helps investigators solve the disappearance of Cassandra Gross. Anyone with tips for police can remain anonymous. Gross, 51, was last seen April 7, 2018. She called her mother while driving on Route 30 to her home in Unity after having...
Murrysville couple charged with bilking CARES Act of $220K via rental relief money-laundering scheme
A Murrysville couple arrested Friday morning is accused of bilking the federal government of more than $220,000 in coronavirus-related relief money by filing false claims for rental assistance — including for units that were unoccupied and uninhabitable in the name of fake renters in need, police said. Devon Lane, 29,...
Monessen man to serve 10 to 20 years in prison for rape of a child
A Monessen man will serve up to 20 years in prison for the rape of a preteen. Quentin Timothy Simpson, 24, pleaded guilty Friday to charges of rape, indecent assault and other offenses in connection with a sexual assault last year. According to court records, police said Simpson showed pornographic...
Halloween happenings around Westmoreland County
Irwin The Irwin Halloween Costume Par-tay for adults age 21 and older will feature food, music provided by AJ Entertainment and karaoke singing from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the Masonic Hall, 415 Main St., Irwin. The event is BYOB. Tickets are $12 per person plus fees through Eventbrite,...
Police: Road rage leads to confrontation at Latrobe gas station
Latrobe police are investigating a road rage incident involving two motorists who drove into town Thursday evening. Police Chief John Sleasman said it isn’t clear what started the conflict, which began as the two vehicles were on Route 981, heading south into the city from Derry Township. “They got angry...
Officials toast Jeannette Glass site’s transformation to cryogenic testing facility
Friday will be one of the memorable days in Jason Rigone’s career. He has seen the former Jeannette Glass site transform into Elliott Group’s $60 million cryogenic pump test stand and experienced the behind-the-scenes work to make it happen for years as a member of the Westmoreland County planning department...
Covid-19 vaccinations lag at Westmoreland County Transit Authority
Covid-19 vaccinations among Westmoreland County Transit Authority drivers, mechanics and administrative staff continue to lag. Executive Director Alan Blahovec said just 57% of the agency’s nearly 140-person workforce has been vaccinated and little progress to increase that number is expected in the coming months. “The noes we’ve gotten are pretty...
6 battle for 4 seats on Irwin council; 2 vie for mayor’s seat
Irwin voters will decide Nov. 2 whether to give a younger generation a say in borough government. Republican council members Ronald Romeo, 62; Frank Rossi Jr., 64; and Leslie Savage, 52, are running for reelection on the GOP ticket, along with Tyler Baum, 23, who won a spot on the...
5 candidates vie for 4 open seats on Delmont council
Five candidates will compete for four open seats on Delmont Council in the Nov. 2 election, each with their own ideas for the future of the borough. “With input from the citizens of Delmont, council needs to identify issues and plan to correct them as we move into the future,”...
Greensburg man accused of inappropriately touching 2nd girl
A Greenburg man who was arrested in June in connection with an alleged sexual assault on a 9-year-old girl was arraigned Thursday on similar charges involving a 13-year-old girl, according to court papers. John Harry Patak III, 30, was arraigned Thursday on charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors and...
TribLive Taste Test: Bardine’s candy corn bratwurstVideo
Bardine’s Country Smokehouse owner Gary Bardine likes to be different, experimenting with different ingredients. He’s certainly found a way to be different this fall — by offering candy corn bratwurst for a limited time at his Crabtree butcher shop. “A few years back, when the Seahawks were in the Super...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Oct. 22-24
Scary side of town Explore the dark history of West Newton during “Nightmare in West Newton” guided walking tours at 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m. Friday. Tours begin and end at Simeral Square and will feature chilling stories about Rebecca Greenawalt, John C. Plumer and more, all based on real...
6 candidates battle for 4 open seats on Franklin Regional school board
Six candidates will compete in November’s election for four open seats on the Franklin Regional school board, with a seventh candidate, Diana Altieri Hand, running unopposed for a two-year seat after the 2020 resignation of board member Gary English. All candidates are registered Republicans, but as is typical in school...
Quality assurance manager hired for Westmoreland elections, pay is $80K
Westmoreland County will pay $80,000 a year to the man hired to serve as the quality assurance manager for the election bureau. Commissioners created the position this year to serve as a backstop for potential problems in the department that oversees elections. This week, the commissioners — acting as the...
Pandemic bonuses approved for Westmoreland Manor staff
Nurses, administrators and support staff at Westmoreland Manor will receive bonuses for their work over the last 20 months during the coronavirus pandemic. County commissioners on Thursday voted to divert about $670,000 of the $1.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds awarded directly to the county-owned nursing home this...
Tricky displays offer treat for those who enjoy the Halloween season
They don’t call it spooky season for nothing. From skeletons to ghosts, and vampires to goblins, front yards across Westmoreland County are filled with creepy-crawlies this time of year. But some folks can’t help but go over the top when it comes to seasonal decorations. The National Retail Federation estimates...
Activists continue to protest gas wells in Penn TownshipVideo
A yearslong battle against fracking in Penn Township continued Thursday when a local environmental group asked the state to deny permits for two unconventional gas wells. Fifteen members of Protect PT protested outside the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s southwest regional office on Washington’s Landing in Pittsburgh. They expressed concerns...
North Huntingdon names acting manager, effective Nov. 1
North Huntingdon commissioners have promoted assistant manager Mike Turley to interim manager when Jeff Silka leaves the job Nov. 1. Turley will also serve as secretary, treasurer and right-to-know officer. Silka’s resignation was approved Wednesday. He submitted his resignation in late September to take a similar position in Cumberland, Md....
Youngwood man accused of taking $50K worth of guns, other items from 2 abandoned houses
A Youngwood man was charged Thursday after state police said he took $50,000 worth of guns, tools, coins and military collectibles from two abandoned houses, according to court papers. George Raymond Weightman III, 43, told investigators he broke into the houses in Adamsburg and Hempfield to fund a drug addiction....
North Huntingdon votes to condemn former Rivertowne Pub building
North Huntingdon officials voted this week to condemn the former Rivertowne Pub & Grille building on Route 30 so it can be demolished, though the saga might not be over. Commissioners voted 6-1 on Wednesday to condemn the closed tavern, following a hearing Oct. 14. The property is owned by...
Ballot in North Irwin remains empty
Serving on North Irwin’s government is a job that apparently none of the small borough’s voters want. Just like in the primary, no one is on the ballot for one of four two-year terms on borough council. Mayor John McIntyre is running for reelection on both the Democratic and Republican...
Poll workers needed in Westmoreland County for Nov. 2 election
Poll workers are needed for the Nov. 2 election in Westmoreland County. Officials said at least three judges of elections and 10 poll worker vacancies remain less than two weeks before the general election. Judges are needed to oversee polling locations in Arnold, Derry and New Kensington, while poll workers...
Greater Latrobe: Note from chiropractor won’t suffice for student mask exemption
Greater Latrobe students who seek a medical exemption from the state mandate requiring masks in schools must provide a valid doctor’s note. District officials told parents this week that an exemption request backed by another type of medical professional, such as a chiropractor, isn’t sufficient. “We’re being consistent with what...
