Westmoreland category, Page 7
Greensburg questions traffic flow for proposed Sheetz site on East Pittsburgh Street
Greensburg Mayor Robb Bell and Councilman Randy Finfrock have traffic-related safety concerns about an updated plan for a long-awaited Sheetz gas station and convenience store on the eastern edge of the city. Those concerns center around traffic going in and out of the proposed location at East Pittsburgh Street and...
Delmont will accept letters of interest for mayor’s seat
Borough reorganization meetings — where the council swears in new members and handles a few appointments — don’t generally draw much of a crowd. But it was nearly standing-room-only at Delmont’s reorganization meeting Monday night, as a sizable number of residents came out to see what would happen with the...
Steelers fans revel in ‘nail-biter’ victory over Ravens, berth in NFL playoffs
Knicky Nelson was dressed head to toe in Pittsburgh Steelers gear, but that didn’t stop her from perusing the merchandise at Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Waterworks on Monday in search of a deal. Nelson was still smiling from the Steelers’ improbable, heart-stopping 26-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on...
Westmoreland slashes benefits for retired workers
Westmoreland County’s salary board on Monday rescinded a policy that allowed nonunion employees to receive health benefits after retirement, a move officials said could save taxpayers up to $3.5 million annually. The three commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer voted unanimously to eliminate the program, which allowed retirees to buy into...
North Huntingdon police cruiser rammed head on during pursuit of stolen vehicle
A North Huntingdon police cruiser was damaged in a pursuit Saturday after authorities said a fleeing suspect rammed it head on, according to court papers. Police attempted to stop a stolen Hyundai Elantra they said was driven by Julian Jamar Johnson, 39, of Pittsburgh, on Route 30 in the township...
Westmoreland developments: Manor restaurant revived, Hempfield welcomes secondhand clothing store
It’s safe to say Julia Gutkowski was born into the restaurant industry. The 19-year-old Irwin resident made her debut in the food business as an eighth grade student in the Penn-Trafford School District while waitressing at Manor Grille — the restaurant her parents, Derek and Megan Gutkowski, operated for more...
Derry plans to spotlight Bigfoot at proposed new borough park
Derry is planning to make a new home for its resident Bigfoot before the tall creature gets too attached to its setting at the town’s Mossback Park. The carved-wood rendering celebrates the legendary hairy biped said to frequent nearby Chestnut Ridge. It made its debut in September 2024 as a...
Latrobe nonprofit makes bid for former movie house as theater company undergoes bankruptcy
The fate of Latrobe’s former Manos Theatre building has been in limbo for years. It could enter a new chapter as a result of an ongoing bankruptcy proceeding and a purchase offer from the nonprofit Latrobe Community Revitalization Program. The one-time movie house at 227 Main St. most recently was...
Incoming Scottdale mayor embraces chance to ‘help in the best way possible’
Before entering the race for Scottdale mayor, Lindy House said she never saw herself as a leader. But as she prepared to officially assume her role Monday, Jan. 5, the mayor-elect said she has one goal: to build a stronger link between the community and its government. “Our best leaders...
Franklin Regional Marching Band dons Disney costumes for trip fundraiser
Disney princesses and Mickey and Minnie took over the Murrysville area Saturday morning for “A Royal Pancake Feast,” a fundraiser benefitting the Franklin Regional marching band. Members are set to travel to Walt Disney World in Florida in March, a trip the band takes once every four years. Nick Nutter,...
WVU Health System’s takeover of Independence Health reflects aggressive expansion spree
Every hospital bought by West Virginia University Health System is photographed, framed and hung on a Mountaineer Blue wall at the nonprofit’s headquarters. The effect is a visual timeline of the system’s rapid growth since its founding in 1996 as a partnership between two of the state’s premier hospitals. WVU...
Ligonier Township native winds up 45 years of trimming hair in BlairsvilleVideo
Butch Rabic still gives his customers a trim in the same early 20th-century chair he inherited from his predecessor when he took over a Blairsville barber shop in 1980. Though he doesn’t ring up bills on it, he also uses a vintage cash register that can key in a top...
A less-deadly year: In 2025, Pittsburgh notched fewest killings in decades, mirroring national trend
The gunfire didn’t stop in 2025, but it quieted, more than it has in years. Pittsburgh recorded 35 homicides last year, the fewest since at least the turn of the century, part of a broader regional and national downturn in violent crime. From New York City and Los Angeles to...
Another turnpike toll hike takes effect. Here’s why and what it will cost you
John Brady can’t figure out why the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission keeps raising tolls. “It’s just hard to justify the hike every single year. You would think they would do it every other year,” said Brady, of Hampton, who travels with his wife, Deb, from the Butler Valley exit to the...
Former Greensburg man receives 2 years in probationary program for 2013 assault
A former Greensburg man was sentenced Friday to two years in a probationary program in connection with the 2013 sexual assault of a child in New Kensington. Nicholas Thomas Sales, 27, now of Connellsville, was accepted into the Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition program for first-time, nonviolent offenders on aggravated indecent assault...
2 guards injured in attack at Westmoreland jail
Two guards at the Westmoreland County Prison were hurt after authorities said they were attacked by a man being booked into the facility on terroristic threats charges filed by Greensburg police, according to court papers. Javaun M.A. Miller, 26, of Greensburg was arrested Sunday after witnesses at an East Pittsburgh...
Police: Bradenville man shot, killed as he ate New Year’s Eve dinner at Hempfield home
It appeared to be a first date — James Thomas picked up Chinese food on New Year’s Eve and took it to a Hempfield home where he planned to hang out with the woman living there. State police said Thomas, 47, was eating his meal when Robert D. Naugle Jr.,...
Export relocates helicopter pad, continues developing J.M. Hall property
The helipad used for emergency transport in Export will move to a new community park. A few years ago, community officials took the first steps to develop a plan for the future J.M. Hall Jr. Community Park, on a piece of property behind the PNA Polish Club and the former...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Jan. 2-4
As the new year begins, Westmoreland County offers a wealth of opportunities to pursue your resolutions or simply enjoy the season’s local offerings. Whether you are focused on personal growth or seeking meaningful weekend activities, the following community events provide a purposeful start to the year. Led Zeppelin tribute Experience...
Irwin family welcomes first New Year’s baby born at Allegheny Health Network
Rachel Solis was due to deliver a baby Jan. 5. She had experienced a few labor pains of late and had the family car packed and ready to go, just in case. Her family visited relatives for a New Year’s Eve dinner, but Rachel never finished her meal. Halfway through...
Temps in the teens? No problem for Connellsville Polar Bear Plunge participantsVideo
Everyone has their own strategy for the Connellsville Polar Plunge on New Year’s Day. For Dale Kooser and Geoffrey Bittner, it’s get in and get out. “My rule, though, is it doesn’t count if you don’t dunk your head. You’ve got to go underwater,” Bittner said, decked out head-to-toe in...
Hempfield man charged with fatal shooting on New Year’s Eve
A Hempfield man is charged with criminal homicide after police said he shot and killed a man late Wednesday night. Shortly before 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Westmoreland 911 officials received a call from a man identifying himself as Robert D. Naugle Jr., 30, of Hempfield. Naugle told emergency...
Snowstorm drops up to 5 inches of snow across region
The new year rang in with high winds and heavy snow overnight that put a damper on the First Night turnout in Pittsburgh and left a fresh blanket of white across the region. Pittsburgh police said there were no issues during the First Night celebration as there were light crowds,...
Unity supervisors agree to double property tax, increase fire tax by 50%
Unity Township’s supervisors agreed Wednesday to double the township’s general purpose property tax to 4.4 mills, expecting to raise an additional $600,000 in revenue to cover rising expenditures. Supervisor Mike O’Barto noted the increase in that tax is the first approved in more than 50 years. And the resulting millage...
Residents escape early morning duplex fire in Unity
Four people escaped unharmed early Wednesday from one side of a burning duplex in Unity, according to Lloydsville fire Chief Brian Schultheis. Firefighters arrived at the Beatty Village Road home, located just off Route 30, around 4:30 a.m. to find flames shooting from the rear of the structure. A neighbor...
