Westmoreland category, Page 845
Suspects in Monessen shooting reject plea deals
Two men awaiting a retrial in connection with a shooting nearly two years ago in Monessen rejected plea bargains on Monday and said they want a jury to decide their fates. Joseph “Jo Jo” Heath and Rashawn Ford, both of Monessen, have disputed charges that they were involved in the...
Trial to begin for third defendant in fatal drug dealer robbery in Latrobe
Opening statements will begin Tuesday in the second-degree murder trial of a Latrobe man accused of participating in a plot to rob a Pittsburgh-area drug dealer. The plan went awry, according to investigators, and 20-year-old Daniel McNerny of Latrobe was shot and killed. A jury was seated on Monday to...
Greensburg Council retroactively OKs firing of planning director
Greensburg Council Monday unanimously ratified its decision last month to fire longtime Planning Director Barbara Ciampini. Though Mayor Robert Bell and city Solicitor Bernard McArdle declined to comment on the retroactive vote, it was seen as a “cure” for what could be a violation of the state’s Sunshine Act, since...
Greensburg guitarist releases solo instrumental album, ‘Bold Horizon’Video
Drew Bentley of Greensburg is a self-confessed “tone freak” when it comes to guitars. “I think it took me a lot of time to find a voice that is unique and worthy of being recorded,” he said of the sounds on his first full-length solo outing, “Bold Horizon.” Bentley, 50,...
Hempfield man accused of cruelty after humane agents seize two dogs
A 70-year-old Hempfield man was arraigned on multiple animal cruelty complaints Monday after a Westmoreland County humane agent reported authorities seized two malnourished dogs off his property since December. Humane agent Andrea Palmer of the All but Furgotten animal rescue and city police Lt. Rob Jones allege that authorities received...
Police: 2 arrested on drug charges when heroin found during search
Latrobe police arrested two city residents over the weekend on multiple heroin-possession charges after confiscating nearly three bundles of heroin and suspected drug paraphernalia inside an apartment, according to court records. Marcus J. Grasmick, 26, and Kathy L. Runyon, 45, are charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance,...
Irwin Male Chorus member John Jeffries still singing after 56 yearsVideo
The Rolling Stones have seemingly been around forever. But Mick Jagger, 75, has nothing on 81-year-old John Jeffries when it comes to longevity with the same musical group. In 1962, the same year Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards joined the late Brian Jones to form the legendary British rock band,...
For Western Pa. high school musicals, big crowds and big expectations
Transporting the audience with the storyline of a high school musical isn’t enough for student casts these days. It’s also got to send them to Broadway — or at least the Benedum. Like students at Belle Vernon Area High School, most of these young performers want each year’s show to...
Greensburg police looking for man who robbed Sunoco
Greensburg police are looking for a man who robbed a convenience store Sunday. The suspect entered the Sunoco store on West Otterman Street just before 8 p.m. and asked the clerk to open the cash register, according to police Capt. Robert Stafford. The suspect kept his hand in his pocket...
Murrysville police make 1st arrests using drone to track suspects
Murrysville police used a drone outfitted with an infrared camera to track two suspects who crashed a stolen car early Monday and fled into the woods. Zymire Wilson, 20, of Springdale crashed about 4 a.m. along the westbound lanes of Route 22 near Rick’s Sports Bar, police said. Passenger Michael...
Defendant in Greensburg drug death case to be released from jail after completing treatment
An Irwin man jailed last week along with two others in connection with a fatal overdose of a man in Greensburg will be released from jail as he awaits his trial. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani on Monday modified the bond that held Francesco Ziegler, 28, in...
2 injured in Hempfield motorcycle crash
Two people were taken to the hospital for injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash on Eisaman Road in Hempfield on Sunday afternoon, according to Westmoreland 911 Dispatch. The injuries were described as serious, but no further details were available. Responding to the scene shortly after 2:15 p.m. Sunday were fire...
Youngwood water, sewer line work to begin in 2020
A $12 million construction project to relocate water and sewer lines in Youngwood is expected to begin next year. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has approved spending more than $5.1 million to move sewer lines under Route 119 as part of a PennDOT project to repair and resurface the three-mile...
Stage Right apparently sets record with ‘Children of Eden,’ awaits official word from Guinness
As the Palace Theatre house lights went down Saturday night and Tony Marino stepped into the spotlight, he sang, “I woke up from a curious dream.” How dreamlike the day must have been as Marino and his Stage Right theater company sought to break the Guinness record for the fastest...
Experts to gather at Saint Vincent College to explore hate crimes
Robin Valeri wasn’t surprised to learn that Robert Bowers, the man accused of gunning down 11 worshippers in Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue last fall, was active in online communities where hatred flowed freely. Valeri, a psychology professor at St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York, began studying cyber hate...
Women account for about a third of judges in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania courts
Women comprise 30 percent of the state’s judiciary, with the figure being slightly higher with the current makeup of the Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court bench. The county has three women judges — Rita Hathaway, Michele Bononi and Meagan Bilik-DeFazio — among the court’s nine working judges. There are two...
Hempfield engineering firm donates $4,215 to Habitat for Humanity
The employees of CME Engineering LP of Hempfield recently donated $4,215 to Central Westmoreland Habitat For Humanity in Hempfield. The donations were raised through CME Cares! — a program in which the CME employees come together to help others and give back to their communities. CME, a multi-faceted engineering consulting...
Stage Right selects ‘Children of Eden’ for record-setting attempt at the PalaceVideo
The Greensburg theater company Stage Right hopes that the controlled chaos of Saturday morning will transform into a complete production of the musical “Children of Eden” by Saturday night. If they want to break the Guinness record for the fastest staging of a musical production, they will have to cast,...
Harrold One Room Schoolhouse to open doors for events
It might not have a teacher standing in front of the chalkboard, but a historic school-turned-new event space promises to take guests back in time. The Harrold One Room Schoolhouse, which was built in 1881 and has recently been used by Hempfield Area School District students, is now opening its...
Judge: Hempfield woman accused of sharing child pornography can be released from jail
A Hempfield woman charged with disseminating a video that police said depicts another woman having sex with a 5-year-old boy can be released from prison, a judge ruled Friday. Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani ordered Amanda Smith to be released on nominal bond while she awaits trial next month, but...
Residents want gas drilling to stop at Beaver Run Reservoir
Environmentalists on Friday demanded board members of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County halt deep well gas drilling at the agency’s Beaver Run Reservoir property in Washington and Bell townships. The plea came nearly two months after a well at the reservoir property malfunctioned when a drop in pressure at...
Westmoreland pension fund reported in good shape
Westmoreland County’s pension fund lost more than $45 million in 2018 and for the first time in five years has been designated at a minimum distressed level. The account, which provides benefits to about 1,300 government retirees, has more than $415 million in assets after its value dipped by nearly...
Westmoreland Manor administrator out, replacement named
The private company that manages Westmoreland Manor has hired a new administrator to oversee day-to-day operations at the county-owned nursing home. Premier Healthcare Resources, the Penn Township-based firm that was paid more than $586,000 last year to run the 408-bed facility in Hempfield, replaced John Austin, the nursing home’s manager...
Guy Fieri could bring his Taco Joint to planned casino at Westmoreland Mall
Hempfield could land a little star power along with a mini casino planned for Westmoreland Mall. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s Taco Joint could be one of the options among entertainment options planned to go into the former Bon-Ton department store space. The Cordish Co., the Baltimore-based group heading the proposed...
Planned restaurant near Westmoreland Mall gets new name: IronRock Tap House
An upscale restaurant planned for outside Westmoreland Mall is getting a new name. Originally proposed as Sedona, the yet-to-open restaurant will now be called IronRock Tap House. This comes after its marketing team and owner Greg Cammerata decided the new name is a better fit for the vision and concept....
