Westmoreland category, Page 823
Cops: Greensburg man accused of endangerment after 10-year-old fires loaded shotgun
A Greensburg man who left a loaded shotgun in a corner of his bedroom where it was picked up and accidentally fired by a 10-year-old boy earlier this month is charged by city police with endangering the welfare of children. Robert D. Stevens, 33, was charged this week with District...
Convicted Greensburg sex offender fails to have designation lifted
The appeal of a convicted sex offender seeking to invalidate a ruling issued a decade ago that classified him as a sexually violent predator was dismissed. Bilaal Abdulbadi Hale, 43, of Greensburg, contended he should no longer carry the sex offender designation and its accompanying requirement that he register his...
Judge tosses drug charges against Latrobe man
A Westmoreland County judge ruled Wednesday there is not enough evidence to prosecute a Latrobe man jailed since last summer on drug possession charges. Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger said a drug-filled backpack found unattended on a Latrobe street could not be adequately linked to Christopher Twigger, who had...
New George Washington painting at Fort Ligonier will depict ‘friendly fire incident’
Ligonier native and renowned sculptor Chas Fagan will unveil a new commission on George Washington at Fort Ligonier on Friday. The unveiling of the painting “Flash Point,” about Washington’s “friendly fire incident” during the French and Indian War, will be held at the Fort Ligonier Association’s Annual Meeting at 5:30...
Indiana man accused of beating mother to death charged with assaulting hospital patient
An Indiana County man accused in the 2015 beating death of his mother allegedly choked another patient at Torrance State Hospital in Derry Township this month. Todd Royce Walters, 40, is charged with strangulation, simple assault and harassment in connection with an April 18 incident. Walters has been undergoing treatment...
Girl testifies she feared ‘getting shot’ by Derry mayorVideo
A 15-year-old boy testified Wednesday that he was involved in a scuffle at a Derry park this month with two younger boys when he heard someone yelling. “‘Get on the ground, put your hands up’ … with a lot more profanity,” the boy said he heard. The person yelling was...
Belle Vernon to host second Kentucky Derby fundraiser for schools
a cash prize giveaway, food trucks and “photo opps” in front of a bronze statue of a horse blanketed in red roses. “By supporting BVA Derby Day, people are helping provide a well-rounded education for our young people,” Svrcek said. “They also are assuring that our community continues to thrive...
Mt. Pleasant Township crash cuts power; responding medic unit damagedVideo
A woman reportedly was injured and power was knocked out in a section of Mt. Pleasant Township Wednesday after a car split a utility pole in the 7600 block of Route 819 south of Armbrust. The woman, who was not identified by authorities, was taken to an area hospital for...
West Penn Power spending $43 million to trim, remove trees along power lines
West Penn Power plans to spend $43 million this year to trim and remove trees that could pose problems for power lines in an effort to minimize outages across its 24-county service area. Six contractors for the Greensburg-based utility company have trimmed more than 600 circuit miles of electric lines...
Agents again raid Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office
Turmoil continues at the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office as state police investigators on Wednesday served another search warrant and departed with boxes of potential evidence. Details remain secret, but Sheriff Jonathan Held made one thing clear: “It’s not about me, this time.” He delivered that message when he briefly emerged...
Wedding fundraising for young Westmoreland couple tops goal
Once the news of Brady Hunker and Mollie Landman’s engagement broke, it didn’t take long for the young couple to exceed their wedding fundraising goal on GoFundMe. As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, the amount raised was $17,673. The goal was $15,000. Offers of assistance with the wedding also are coming...
Hempfield eyes creating one fire chief for its 12 departments
More than 30 days after Hempfield supervisors acknowledged potential issues in the fire department, changes could be coming to the command structure. The goal is to have the township’s 12 volunteer fire departments report to one fire chief. Each station now has is own chief who reports to the Bureau...
Storm water fee proposed for Latrobe property owners
Latrobe is the latest area municipality to consider charging property owners to help meet tougher storm water management mandates. Michael Gray, the interim city manager, wants council members to consider establishing a user fee. A first step, he said, would be an aerial survey to determine an “equivalent residential unit”...
Comcast workers to volunteer at Westmoreland food bank
Local Comcast NBCUniversal employees will volunteer at the Westmoreland County Food Bank in Delmont this weekend in advance of the company’s annual “Comcast Cares Day.” Comcast and Westmoreland County Food Bank volunteers will work together on April 27 to sort food, prepare it for distribution and pack senior boxes, among...
PennDOT schedules road maintenance in Westmoreland County
PennDOT officials on Tuesday said numerous maintenance projectshave been scheduled for Westmoreland County this week. Crack or joint sealing will take on Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell, Bushy Run Road in Penn Township and Belle Vernon Monessen Road in Rostraver Township. Shoulder repairs will take place on Baker School Road...
Mt. Pleasant Twp. teen races to marry sweetheart after rare cancer returns
The way Brady Hunker figures it, he doesn’t have any time to lose. On Thursday, he asked his high school sweetheart, Mollie Landman, 18, of West Newton to marry him. She said — yes. Although they’re as happy as any newly engaged couple could be, they face an uncertain future....
Latrobe woman sentenced up to five years in prison on drug-related crimes
A Latrobe woman was sentenced Tuesday to serve up to five years in prison on two drug-related crimes. Fallon Handlin, 34, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs last September in Latrobe. According to court records, Handlin was pulled over for a traffic stop when police suspected she...
Westmoreland approves multiple polling location changes for primary
Westmoreland County Elections Board members on Tuesday approved changes to some polling locations for the May 21 primary. Officials moved several polls back into the proper voting districts, allowed for expanded parking and handicapped accessibility and in some instances approved changes in response to requests from landlords who no longer...
Westmoreland County Transit Authority launches mobile ticketing ability
Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus riders can now pay fares via smart phones. Authority officials announced Tuesday a mobile ticketing app has been launched to expand the agency’s ability to accept cashless fares. The app, WestMore Tix, can be downloaded through Google Play or the Apple App Store. Passengers who...
Belle Vernon School District seeks judge’s OK to sell former WCCC building to church
The Belle Vernon Area school officials want permission from a Westmoreland County judge to sell the former community college building in Rostraver to the Monongahela Valley C&M Alliance Church. Attorney Victor Kustra notified the court this week in a petition that Howard Hanna, the school district’s real estate agent, has...
North Huntingdon, Penn Township police to collect unwanted meds
Residents can get rid of old or unwanted prescription drugs at collection points set up Saturday by the North Huntingdon and Penn Township police departments as part of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. North Huntingdon police will have a collection bin at the police station at the Town...
Police: Slickville man fondled 9-year-old girl
A Slickville man was arrested Tuesday on police accusations that he inappropriately touched a girl on two occasions about four years ago. Sean Rugh, 34, was being held at the Westmoreland Count Prison on $15,000 bail. Mt. Pleasant police said the victim’s grandmother reported the assault in December. The girl...
Police: Unity man fired rifle inside home while 2 girls were there
A Unity man is facing aggravated assault and related charges after state police said he fired a rifle inside his home while two girls were there. Mark William Slagle, 41, was arraigned Monday afternoon and is free on $5,000 unsecured bond. Troopers said they were called to Puriton Avenue at...
Keynote Café owner celebrates its ‘community of creative people’ as closing nearsVideo
Jill Sorrels just wanted to hear live music again when she made the decision to open Keynote Cafe on Jeannette’s Clay Avenue in 2007. “I missed the music,” Sorrels said of get-togethers at her home where friends would regularly play and sing. “I had enough money for about six months,...
Penn Township commissioner resigns; replacement sought
Penn Township is seeking a replacement for Commissioner Grant Pence, who recently resigned from the board. Pence’s resignation was accepted at the April 17 meeting. Pence, who could not be reached for comment, has more than two years remaining on the four-year term he won in November 2017. Pence represented...
