Maddie Aiken stories, Page 7
Greensburg teen charged with attempted homicide will be tried in juvenile court
A Greensburg teen charged with the attempted homicide of three people will be prosecuted as a juvenile, a judge ruled this week. Anthony Shook, 17, originally was charged as an adult with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and other offenses after he was arrested in June 2021 in connection with a...
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to host 2022 Pa. Aviation Conference on airport grounds
After four decades, the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania will hold its annual conference at an airport for the first time. The Arnold Palmer Regional Airport will host the 42nd conference, which kicks off Sunday, Sept. 18 and concludes Tuesday, Sept. 20. The Unity airport has hosted the conference previously, but...
Greensburg woman sentenced for rape of 5-year-old boy
A Greensburg woman was ordered to serve up to 110 years in prison for the repeated rapes of a 5-year-old boy. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani imposed a series of consecutive sentences against Corby Jo Kinzey on Thursday, but fell short of the maximum penalty of 534 years...
No-cost pre-K program to accept more children in Greensburg, Mt. Pleasant areas thanks to state funding
Since Frock Childcare Learning Center began offering a free pre-K program, the center has served a “broader range” of local children and families, Frock teacher Lauren Markiewicz said. Two years ago, the Mt. Pleasant center partnered with the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette to offer Pre-K Counts, a division of...
Latrobe youth football association enters 1-season merger with Jeannette program
Youth football players with the Greater Latrobe Area Midget Football Association have the opportunity to play in 2022 after all. GLAMFA and the Jeannette Midget Athletic Association have merged for one season after leaders of the Latrobe association determined it didn’t have enough players to safely continue with its season....
Derry Township church hosting car hop to repair roof
McChesneytown-Loyalhanna church is in “desperate need” of roof repairs, and to help raise money the church will host a car hop Saturday. This is the first car hop that Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church will hold, said Sandi Balik, church fundraising and finance director. The church...
Pine-Richland officials taking ‘appropriate next steps’ to address racist Homecoming sign
Pine-Richland School District officials say that they are taking the “appropriate next steps” to address a picture of a high school student holding a racist sign. In a Snapchat screenshot making rounds on social media, a high school boy holds a Homecoming promposal sign that reads, “If I was black...
Latrobe Shop Hop night to feature wine and cider tasting, art walk
Fans of wine, cider, painting or jazz are in for a treat during Latrobe’s September Shop Hop night. On Wednesday, Shop Hop Nights will host “Sip n’ Stroll Art Walk,” a night filled with live music, local artists and samples from local wineries and cideries. Festivities will kick off at...
How will student loan relief impact the economy, higher education? Western Pa. professors weigh in
People are talking about the Biden administration’s student loan relief plan “as if these loans will magically disappear,” according to Antony Davies, economics professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. The problem is, they won’t. On Aug. 24, the administration announced its plans to cancel up to $10,000 of student debt...
Latrobe’s inaugural Italian festival to honor city’s history
Latrobe’s First Ward is known for its Italian roots and this month, community members can spend a weekend celebrating that rich history. On Sept. 10 and 11, 512 Coffee and Ice Cream will host the city’s first Italian festival. Michael Ciotti, the coffee shop’s owner, sees the event as a...
Monkeypox: University of Pittsburgh reports first known case
The University of Pittsburgh has confirmed its first reported case of monkeypox. In a Wednesday email sent to students and families, Pitt said a student tested positive on Monday. The student is isolating and recovering. Pitt has notified close contacts of the student, the email says. The university’s Student Health...
Latrobe antique car show gears up for Labor Day festivities, food bank drive
Car enthusiasts in the Latrobe area can enjoy antique automobiles, fellowship and giving back this Labor Day weekend. On Sunday, Sept. 4, the Western PA Region Antique Automobile Club of America will host its 58th annual Paul P. Bell Memorial Antique Auto, Custom and Street Rod Show in Legion Keener...
In-state Pitt students to receive grants from Pa. covid-19 relief money
The University of Pittsburgh will use all of its state covid-19 relief money to provide grants for its in-state students. About 20,000 students will benefit from the $7.5 million one-time state allocation granted to Pitt by Gov. Tom Wolf’s office, according to the university. Wolf quietly granted $40 million in...
Commentary: 4-H kids are the stars of the Westmoreland Fair
Movies and TV shows do a pretty good job of conveying the county fair experience. The bright rides, cheap prizes, cute animals and fried foods are perhaps the most eye-catching features of these community events. When I attended my first county fair this week, however, I realized something: Our entertainment...
Twins crowned Westmoreland Fair royalty
Ties to the Westmoreland Fair run deep in Emma and Addison Heeter’s family. The twins’ dad has been involved with the fair for years, their grandfather attended the first fair in 1954, and their mom was crowned fair princess twice. Perhaps it is only natural that Emma and Addison were...
Man robs bank in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood
A man robbed a bank on Friday in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood. At around 11:45 a.m., the man presented a note at the bank that demanded money, according to Pittsburgh Public Information Officer Amanda Mueller. He also threatened to use a gun, but no firearm was seen. The man left the...
4 men pass $2.5K in counterfeit money at Indiana County grocery store
State police are seeking the public’s assistance in finding four men who used 25 counterfeit $100 bills at a White Township grocery store on Thursday. The men, who are in their early 20s, left the store in a dark sedan after buying $2,500 of goods with the counterfeit money at...
Ligonier teen impresses judges in Westmoreland Fair horse shows
Horses have been a part of Laurel Daniels’ life forever. The 16-year-old began showing horses at age 6. Ten years later, she’s still showing them – and her hard work and dedication have paid off. During the Westmoreland Fair’s miniature horse halter class show on Thursday, Daniels and her mini...
Rabbit agility show at Westmoreland Fair hindered by loud music, youth handlers press on
Beating drums and songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads” might put pep in a human’s step, but those loud noises have the opposite effect on skittish rabbits. Spectators found that out the hard way during the Westmoreland Fair’s rabbit agility show, which was hindered by a band practicing its...
National sheep judge impressed by Westmoreland Fair lamb show contestants
Brian Barkley has judged sheep shows throughout the United States and Canada. He called the youth participants in the Westmoreland Fair’s market lamb show “exceptionally good.” “I was really pleased with how good they were,” said Barkley, from Bedford County. Dozens of spectators filled the fair’s Small Arena on Tuesday...
Avian flu concerns prompt atypical poultry show at Westmoreland Fair
The Westmoreland Fair’s poultry show was missing one thing: poultry. Birds were absent from Monday’s show because of the avian flu outbreak. Instead, exhibitors produced pictures of their chickens and turkeys, which were then judged. Judge Harvey Noel said he did his best to examine the birds, but it was...
Unity siblings find success in llama, alpaca show at Westmoreland Fair
A brother and sister from Unity showcased their llama-handling skills during Sunday’s llama and alpaca show at the Westmoreland Fair. Rian Gettemy, 12, earned the title of best in show with Cherry, his auburn-colored llama. Rian and his sister, McKenna, 13, also placed in showmanship and trail categories during the...
Glenshaw man dies in Butler County car accident
One man died and another was injured in a Butler County car accident Friday night. Norman Jacaszek of Glenshaw was driving on West Sunbury Road in Clay Township when he struck a car driving in the opposite direction about 11:30 p.m., according to state police. Jacaszek, 92, died at the...
Cellphones in schools: Some districts take steps to eliminate devices from class while others balance benefits
Wake up. Check your phone. Go to class. Check your phone. Start homework. Check your phone. Go to bed. Check your phone. For some high schoolers, cellphone use is almost on par with blinking, with the average teenager raking in up to nine hours of screen time each day, according...
Western Pa. amateur bakers make taking the cake look easy as pie at Westmoreland Fair contest
As she baked her chocolate cake for the Westmoreland Fair’s Cake and Pie Showdown Contest, Jennifer Lang had one person in mind: her mom. Lang’s mother has terminal cancer and couldn’t make it to the fairgrounds to watch her daughter take first prize in the Saturday morning cake contest. “I...
