Westmoreland category, Page 733
IronRock Tap House proprietors promise ‘cool, hip’ vibe in HempfieldVideo
When IronRock Tap House goes “live” next month, diners can expect to enjoy food prepared in a “scratch” kitchen, sourced as locally as possible, along with superior customer service, its owners say. Proprietors Greg and Christina Cammerata of Murrysville believe the location in front of Westmoreland Mall is a prime...
Latrobe dance academy teens to perform in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Nineteen members of Latrobe’s Laurel Valley Academy of Dance will show off their moves next week before a national television audience watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The local teen dancers were among about 600 selected from studios and schools across the country to join the parade lineup as part of...
Greensburg cafe offers cat and kitten cuteness, with a coffee chaserVideo
On its second day of business, Greensburg’s new Cattfeinated Cat Cafe is quickly filling with customers, many of whom are immediately drawn to the cat “lounges.” The cafe offers baked goods from Peinetti’s in Jeannette and coffee drinks in three sizes — kitten, queen and tom. “Everything is made off-site,...
Norwin OKs pool renovation project
Norwin students could be swimming in an updated pool next fall. As expected, the Norwin School Board this week selected the least expensive proposal for updating the pool, estimated at about $1.2 million by Wallover Architects of Lancaster. A contractor has not been selected. Among the work being considered is...
Almost $3 million in upgrades expected for Westmoreland County’s 911 system
Westmoreland County commissioners are expected this week to approve more than $2.7 million in upgrades to the 911 emergency dispatch system. Public Safety Director Roland Mertz said Tuesday that plans call for replacement of aging computer-aided dispatch equipment and installation of a new transmission tower to provide better radio service...
First graduate of Westmoreland County’s Veterans Court says he’ll return as a mentor
Ryan Skuta was home about a year after his third tour of duty, a four-month stint as a freelance infantryman fighting with the Kurds against ISIS in 2016, when he was arrested in Jeannette and charged with drunk driving. On Tuesday, Skuta, 33, of Irwin, became the first graduate of...
Gunman, 2 accomplices ordered to stand trial in Export shooting
Most of the participants in a violent confrontation near an Export park during which a Monroeville man was shot twice were on a three-day methamphetamine binge, one of those charged told a judge Tuesday. The alleged gunman, Tyler Palandro, 19, of Murrysville and two accomplices, Sandra Lee Cline, 49, of...
Illinois man’s hacking conspiracy tied to 2016 Franklin Regional cyberattack
An Illinois man was sent to in prison last week for his role in providing access to illegal “booter” services, including one said to have been used in a 2016 hacking attack on the Franklin Regional School District and several other regional computer systems. Sergiy P. Usatyuk, 20, of Orland...
Shop and Share the Season benefits program for seniorsVideo
With an emphasis on shopping local, the United Way’s Westmoreland-Fayette Women’s Leadership Council and Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce’s Women of Westmoreland will co-host “Shop and Share the Season.” The Dec. 3 event kicks off at 3:30 p.m. in Ligonier, with about 15 specialty stores and boutiques extending their hours...
Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez faces 21 new child sex-related chargesVideo
Prosecutors filed 21 new charges Tuesday against suspended Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Felipe Vazquez after investigators found evidence of child pornography on devices they say he owned. Vazquez, 28, was ordered to stand trial Tuesday on 10 counts of child pornography, 10 counts of unlawful contact with a minor and...
Police: Father charged after 2-year-old shoots mom in Derry Township
A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot his mother in the leg this month as she tried to take a loaded weapon out of his hands in Derry Township. On Tuesday, state police charged the father, David Vincent Marghella Jr., 25. Trooper Steve Limani said the weapon was left unsecured Nov. 1...
Firefighters extinguish attic blaze in Salem
Firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze in the attic of a Salem Township home Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911. The residents evacuated, and nobody was hurt, a dispatcher said. The fire started on the 100 block of White Drive shortly before 4 a.m. It was extinguished within about 20 minutes....
Experts panel does not see U.S.-China relations improving any time soonVideo
With President Trump facing a re-election battle next year in the midst of the ongoing trade war with China, the state of relations between two of the world’s superpowers likely will not get much better in 2020, a panel of experts said Monday. “They (Chinese) don’t trust President Trump,” Yasheng...
Unity rings in holiday season with senior luncheon, tree-lighting
Unity Township will kick off the holiday season Dec. 6 with a luncheon for seniors and an evening tree-lighting ceremony. The luncheon, open to area residents age 50 or older and their guests, will be served at noon at Giannilli’s II restaurant on Route 30 westbound, just west of the...
Members sought for Westmoreland solar co-opVideo
A nonprofit that organized solar power co-ops in neighboring counties is looking to do the same in Westmoreland County. Solar United Neighbors initiated more than 200 solar co-ops across the country, including two in Allegheny County, one in Indiana County and another that operates in both Beaver and Butler counties....
Westmoreland County union workers reject proposed new contract
Members of Westmoreland County’s largest bargaining unit rejected the terms of a new labor contract for more than 600 government workers. The county’s existing four-year contract with the Service Employees International Union Local 668 and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania expires at the end of December. Negotiations on a new labor pact...
Former Jeannette doctor sentenced to house arrest for patient overdose deaths
A North Huntingdon doctor will serve two years on house arrest and five years on probation for over-prescribing drugs used by two patients who died of overdoses. Dr. Michel Toret, 73, of Jeannette, told a Westmoreland County judge that the practice of medicine has changed during his four decades as...
Jeannette hemp plant reopens, but employee pay issue remains
A hemp-drying facility in Jeannette reopened over the weekend after ventilation was added. Current and former employees, however, still say they have not been paid for weeks of work. Patriot Shield Security was permitted to reopen on a temporary basis after an inspection late Friday, said Bill Whetzel, the city’s...
Thousands of hats, gloves distributed around Greensburg to help homeless, those in need
Volunteers dispersed thousands of bags filled with hats, coats and gloves around Greensburg in an annual rite ahead of months of winter cold. The gear — affixed to telephone poles, fences and trees or left out in the open — won’t hang around long. In past years, most bags were...
Tube City Writers look to spin ‘Stories from the Mon Valley’
The Mon Valley is rich with stories to tell, and storytellers will share their personal tales at “Tube City Writers Live: An Evening of Stories from the Mon Valley.” The program will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Tube City Center, 409 Walnut St., McKeesport. A multi-use, co-working...
Cops: Ligonier drug bust leads to second arrest for burglaries
Undercover police officers watching a Ligonier apartment after complaints of suspected drug activity not only arrested a resident for allegedly selling Suboxone, but also solved two weekend break-ins. The resident, Hunter M. Fitchko, 26, was arrested inside his apartment on the 200 block of East Church Street by Ligonier Valley...
American Legion oratorical, essay contests open to high school students
Westmoreland County high school students looking for college scholarships might want to sharpen their public speaking and essay skills for the 2020 Pennsylvania American Legion oratorical and essay contests. The contests are open to all county students in grades 9-12, including home school and charter and private school pupils. Applications...
Voting open for PennDOT ‘Paint the Plow’ contest
Voting opened Monday for the best student-created design on PennDOT snowplow blades this winter. Eight finalists from high schools in the department’s four-county District 12 area are vying for votes in the Paint the Plow contest. The theme this year is “Don’t Rush in Ice and Slush.” Students from the...
2 people reported injured in head-on collision in Ligonier Township
Two people were reported injured in a head-on collision Sunday at the intersection of Routes 711 and 271 in Ligonier Township, according to a Westmoreland County dispatch supervisor. The accident occurred about 3:15 p.m. in the village of Waterford, the dispatcher said. The two people injured were expected to be...
Political signs waning in mid-November
From Labor Day through early November, most busy roadsides and intersections are awash in political campaign signs. The small placards emblazoned with a candidate’s name appear by the thousands as office seekers fight for name recognition and public awareness of their campaign efforts for the hundreds of political offices up...
