Megan Tomasic stories, Page 19
Woman’s body found in Beaver County, police investigating as homicide
Police have ruled a woman’s death a homicide after her body was found in a field in Beaver County Wednesday morning. The woman, identified as Sharon Benyo, 46, of Beaver Falls, was found in the 2400 block of Route 51, also know as Constitution Boulevard, in Chippewa Township around 8:15...
Penn Township siblings reunite neighbors with missing cat
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Hempfield to hold budget work sessions
Hempfield supervisors are hosting two budget work sessions this month in preparation of passing the 2022 budget. The meetings will take place Thursday and Oct. 13. During the sessions, department heads will present their operating budgets, discuss new hires that may be needed throughout the year, and any new initiatives...
2 people taken to hospital after early-morning fire in Wilkinsburg
Two people were taken to the hospital following a fire early Wednesday in Wilkinsburg, officials said. Crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 1200 block of Wood Street, near North Avenue, around 12:10 a.m. Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said first responders reported seeing heavy smoke coming...
Amazon series based on ‘A League of Their Own’ films in Greensburg
Parts of Greensburg are being transported to the 1940s as filming continues for an upcoming Amazon Prime series based on “A League of Their Own,” the 1992 movie. The Sony-Amazon Studios production began filming in June in areas across Western Pennsylvania. Crews recently have been spotted around Greensburg and have...
No injuries reported in Brighton Heights fire
No injuries were reported Monday morning after a fire broke out in a multi-family home in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood. Pittsburgh firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the home in the 1100 block of Flora Street shortly before 10 a.m., according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Amanda Mueller. Investigators...
Police: Armed man who took baby from East Hills apartment at gunpoint remains at large
Police are searching for a 29-year-old man who they said took his 6-week-old baby from an apartment in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood at gunpoint Monday night. Lester Jackson III is charged with robbery of a motor vehicle, endangering the welfare of children and making terroristic threats in connection with the...
‘Secret’ clubhouse in Greensburg teaches skills, offers support to those who seek assistance
Rhonda Wallace knows the importance of having a facility like West Place Clubhouse in the community. She sees its impact daily when members come in to learn skills that will help them find a job or are seeking additional support. “This keeps people out of the hospital because it is...
Braddock man charged in case of missing 2-year-old
A 36-year-old Braddock man is facing charges after a 2-year-old boy was reported missing early Sunday morning. Davon Xavier Brown is charged with interference with the custody of a child, concealing the whereabouts of a child and kidnapping, according to a release from Allegheny County police. Brown was also found...
Hempfield Area looking for business to participate in Student to Career Partnership initiative
Leaders in Hempfield Area School District want to bolster their Student to Career Partnership initiative after the program was impacted by the covid-19 pandemic. The district is accepting survey responses from businesses and organizations interested in participating in the initiative, which offers several programs to students to help prepare for...
Greensburg officials questioned over sale of parklet
Greensburg officials are facing push back from a former city mayor after they approved the sale of a parklet last year for $16,800 less than what the city paid for it in 1986. Scott Brown, who served as mayor in the 1980s, addressed council members in September, asking them to...
Hempfield propane terminal to begin testing alarm system next week
Neighbors of Enterprise Terminals & Storage in Hempfield are being advised the company will begin testing a new alarm system at its propane terminal next week. Along Route 136 near the former Shop ’n Save, the terminal’s alarm system will alert employees if there is a fire or gas release...
Rob Ritson stepping down as Hempfield supervisor
Hempfield Supervisor Rob Ritson submitted a letter of resignation this week after serving four years on the board, township officials confirmed. According to George Reese, board chairman, Ritson submitted the letter following Monday’s meeting, citing increased demands from his job as chief of staff for Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward,...
Hempfield receives 6 month extension for $4.3 million county-wide SAFER grantVideo
Hempfield leaders were granted a six month extension for a federal grant that benefits fire departments across Westmoreland County. According to James Shaw, Hempfield’s director of code and safety, the deadline for using the $4.3 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant, was moved from Nov....
Hempfield to recruit 3 assistant fire chiefs
Hempfield leaders are looking to recruit three new assistant chiefs for the townhip’s volunteer fire service. According to Chief Tony Kovacic, the assistant chiefs will be in charge of setting up command areas at fire and emergency scenes. “It’s a volunteer position but, when instances arise, they would be somebody...
Westmoreland 911: No injuries reported in St. Clair house fire
Nobody was injured after a house fire broke out in St. Clair Township Tuesday night, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. Crews responded to the 300 block of Spackman St. shortly after 10:30 p.m. The fire was out by 11:15 p.m. Further information was not immediately available....
Chad Amond receives lifetime achievement award as he prepares to step back as Westmoreland chamber’s leader
Chad Amond, the president and CEO of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, was honored Tuesday evening by leaders from across the county as he prepares to transition out of his longtime position. During a ceremony at Bella Terra Vineyards near New Stanton, Amond was awarded the first Economic Growth...
Police seek gun from FBI Pittsburgh vehicle stolen from Schenley Park
FBI agents and the Pittsburgh police are searching for a gun that was inside a vehicle owned by the FBI that was stolen Tuesday, officials said. An FBI vehicle was stolen from Schenley Park around 1:30 p.m., said FBI Pittsburgh spokeswoman Catherine Policicchio. Inside was a Glock 19M 9mm. Following...
Penn Township airport a ‘gem of the community’
Sitting on a hilltop surrounded by farmland and neighborhoods is a blacktop runway spanning more than 2,600 feet in length that has adorned the plateau for several decades. Located near the village of Boquet in Penn, the Greensburg-Jeannette Regional Airport is designated by a small sign placed along Bouquet Road....
Seton Hill nursing students honored during Stethoscope Ceremony
Sophomore nursing students at Seton Hill University were handed stethoscopes last week during a ceremony that welcomed them to the clinical stages of their education. Sixteen students wearing red and black scrubs were honored during the second Stethoscope Ceremony in Cecilian Hall. It was the first ceremony held in-person after...
Several new stores slated to open at Westmoreland Mall
Empty storefronts at Westmoreland Mall are filling up quickly, with several new businesses slated to open this year. Three stores — SpectroDolce Confectionery, Western Edge Seafood and Joseph Jacob Jewelers — are planning to open at the mall, officials with CBL Properties, the entity that owns Westmoreland and Monroeville malls,...
Pennsylvania school boards, including Hempfield, consider joining mask mandate lawsuits
Another year of traversing a landscape impacted by covid-19 has some school administrators seemingly gearing up to push back against pandemic-related mandates. A state-issued mask mandate for K-12 schools that went into effect early this month spurred several lawsuits that were filed across Pennsylvania by parents and lawmakers. The suits...
Hempfield Area to replace cooling towers at high school
Cooling towers at Hempfield Area High School are set to be replaced after school officials said the system is approaching failure. School board members unanimously approved a motion last week to have Franklin Park-based McClure Company install two Baltimore Aircoil Company cooling towers at a cost not to exceed $262,155....
Winning Match 6 ticket worth $750k sold at Belle Vernon grocery store
A jackpot Match 6 Lotto ticket worth $750,000 was sold at a Belle Vernon grocery store this week, according to Pennsylvania Lottery officials. Lottery officials said the ticket, purchased from Duritza’s Market at 735 Henry St., correctly matched all six winning numbers, 4-30-33-43-47-48, during Tuesday’s drawing. The store will earn...
More fun on tap for last half of Greensburg Craft Beer Week
Days into this year’s Greensburg Craft Beer Week, beer lovers are venturing out to get a taste of the latest local brews. The weeklong event, which began last Friday and runs through Sunday, has attracted “a pretty good turnout” so far, said organizer Jessica Hickey of the Downtown Greensburg Project....
