Westmoreland category, Page 347
Out & About: Derby-themed event benefits Redstone Highlands benevolent care
It almost looked like Kentucky Derby day as more than 300 guests in stylish headgear filed into Stratigos Banquet Center in North Huntingdon on Saturday evening. In a way, that’s what it was. Derby Dreams was the theme for the signature Highlands Fling fundraiser held annually for Redstone Highlands Seniorcare....
Murrysville duck race benefits boat racing team of breast-cancer survivorsVideo
Ducks swimming in Turtle Creek are not that uncommon. More than 700 of them all in one group, though? That doesn’t happen much. Members of the Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel breast cancer support group and boat-racing team were hosting a duck-race fundraiser Sunday afternoon at Duff Park in Murrysville. “It’s...
Community festivals, events increase exposure for local merchants
Mary Wilmes usually closes up her Greensburg gift shop, Penelope’s, at 5 p.m. But when there’s a Greensburg Night Market event, she is open until 9. It makes for a long day, but she says it’s worth it. “It’s been very, very good. It brings a lot of people to town,”...
Witches ride bicycle broomsticks for Ligonier animal-charity eventVideo
There were witches dancing in the woods in Ligonier on Sunday afternoon. But there was no need to call the police. In fact, a couple of local officers were already there, taking photos with “witches” arriving at the sixth Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade. The event draws hundreds of participants dressed...
No nails in this 18th century Windsor-style chair
One thing is missing from a Windsor-style chair that is on display at the Westmoreland Historical Society’s education center. “This is really very primitive. There’s no nails,” said Joanna T. Moyar, collections manager. The wooden chair, made in the late 18th century, is connected to Fort Walthour in North Huntingdon...
After ‘America’s Got Talent’ run, singer Aubrey Burchell settles into life after the limelightVideo
After spending the summer performing under Hollywood’s bright lights, Aubrey Burchell quietly finds herself back in the fluorescent glow of the North Huntingdon Target store. The 2019 Norwin High School graduate who wowed national NBC audiences on “America’s Got Talent” and prompted Simon Cowell to crow, “We are just witnessing...
Political organizer, write-in candidate vie for 55th District seat
In the redrawn 55th District, voters in the Nov. 8 midterm election will choose between a longtime Republican political organizer and a Democratic candidate who earned a spot on the ballot through a write-in campaign. Scott Gauss, a retired human resources director for Boeing, will go up against former Westmoreland...
Greensburg Hempfield library celebrates renovation with Children’s Pumpkin Patch Walk, food trucks
The Greensburg Hempfield Area Library held its first official public celebration since the start of renovations with a Children’s Pumpkin Patch Walk and a food truck fundraiser on Saturday afternoon. Library officials hosted crafts and activities, raffled baskets, held a used book sale and offered self-guided tours of the renovations....
‘Lick or Treat’ for dogs in downtown Irwin
Downtown Irwin was filled with costumed canines Saturday afternoon during the “Lick or Treat” celebration sponsored by PETals Boutique. The day included treats for pets at local businesses and prizes for the best dog costumes....
‘Breast Saturday Ever’: A colorful name for a colorful morningVideo
When Val Tressler of Mt. Pleasant started decorating the borough’s Diamond Street gazebo for Breast Cancer Awareness Month more than a decade ago and collecting donations for a regional charity, it didn’t take long for fellow downtown business owner Denise DeSabato to join in. The decorations — and the events...
Ex-teacher brings retro classroom vibe to new School House Bakery in Unity
Shoppers have a new option for sweet treats in Unity, with the Oct. 7 opening of the School House Bakery in the Latrobe 30 Plaza. Display cases are filled with grab-and-go cookies, brownies, scones, cupcakes, small cakes, muffins, seasonally flavored cinnamon rolls and more, all baked on site. Young patrons...
Hempfield book challenge policy could mirror one used for websites
The process for reevaluating challenged books and materials in Hempfield Area School District libraries could soon become more stringent after board members indicated they would like to model the policy after one used for Chromebooks. Rather than going through a process of informal and formal challenges, board members are hoping...
Youngwood’s Hospaws merging with similar program for pet care during human medical emergencies
Hospaws is ending its operations, but the Youngwood-based organization’s mission of providing temporary foster homes or assistance to pets whose owners are in need of medical care will continue, president Valerie Hoegel said. Many of the nonprofit’s volunteers and foster homes are going to work with a similar program managed...
Norwin director objects to book on inclusion, diversity used in second grade classroom
A Norwin School Board member has criticized a children’s book read to some Norwin second graders because he claimed it celebrated sexuality while emphasizing diversity and inclusion, with drawings of same-sex couples with children, interracial couples and rainbow-colored items, which could symbolize gay and lesbian pride. “I feel it is...
Scarecrows vie for votes as decades-long fall tradition continues in Ligonier
“Halloweena the Ballerina“ strikes a demi-seconde pose in her purple-and-black tutu, with arms stretched out and downward as she greets people walking near Ligonier’s central Diamond intersection. Creating her as a figure to enter in the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual scarecrow contest was a natural for the staff...
Westmoreland transit halts drug testing of administrative staff
The Westmoreland County Transit Authority board has eliminated a requirement for members of the agency’s administrative team to be subjected to random drug testing. The board signed off on a request after officials said the requirement was unnecessary. Its elimination also could save money, officials said. “No one has ever...
North Huntingdon police make another arrest in undercover drug sting
North Huntingdon police made an arrest Thursday after an undercover drug buy of 1,000 stamp bags of suspected heroin/fentanyl, which was at least the second such arrest in eight days in the township. Keith E. Blackman, 30, who lists addresses in Jeannette and North Versailles, was being held at the...
Out & About: Seton Hill gallery shows artwork of area art students, educators
When she got the invitation, Shannon Pultz thought she was too busy to participate in a student-teacher art exhibition at Seton Hill University. It took a sixth-grader at Pittsburgh CAPA, where Pultz is chair of the visual art department, to change her mind. Their work is showing in “Cultivations: Art...
Single-lane southbound restrictions ahead on Route 119 in Youngwood
Traffic headed south on Route 119 in Youngwood will be restricted to a single lane beginning Monday as work continues on reconstructing the corridor. Lane restrictions are expected to be in place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays through mid-November as crews pave Fourth Street. The work zone will...
‘Break the Cycle’ awareness event in Greensburg targets violence, abuse
“Break the Cycle” is a Unity in the Community event slated Oct. 21 in Greensburg that is meant to raise awareness of problems of racial abuse and assault, as well as domestic violence and other types of abuse. Held during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the free event is set for...
Out & About: Westmoreland Historical Society presents annual preservation awards
At its 22nd annual Arthur St. Clair Historical Preservation Awards Dinner, the Westmoreland Historical Society recognized two groups that have been key to its mission of developing, managing and sharing the area’s abundant historical resources. Honorees at the event held Wednesday evening at Rizzo’s Banquet Hall in Crabtree were the...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Oct. 21-23
Spooky happy hour Art After Dark is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Friday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. The 21-and-over happy hour will feature seasonal beers from local breweries, craft cocktails, hot dog bar and Oktoberfest-themed light bites, pumpkin carver Brendan Conaway, a gallery...
Jeannette proposes complete tax exoneration for 2 Clay Avenue properties
Jeannette officials exonerated property taxes on two Clay Avenue properties, one of which was damaged in a fire in 2020, and are hoping two other governing bodies will follow suit. The owner of the neighboring parcels near the intersection of South Fifth Street — Minh Truong — is donating them...
Pay hike approved for Westmoreland DA spokesperson, finance department
A monthslong search for a public information officer for Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli is nearly over after commissioners agreed to a 50% salary increase before the job is even filled. The county’s salary board, which includes all three commissioners and Controller Jeff Balzer, approved raising the salary for...
New Kensington man convicted of first-degree murder in 2020 slaying of Brackenridge man
The sound of sniffling and crying filled the courtroom as jurors announced their verdict in the fatal shooting of Michael Coover Jr. The Westmoreland County jury found Mario Gatti of New Kensington guilty of criminal homicide charges following a five-hour deliberation Thursday. Judge Christopher Feliciani described the decision as “citizens...
