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Westmoreland category, Page 37

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Legislation aims to address post-traumatic stress among first responders
In February 2023, Sardis Volunteer Fire Company Chief Joe Paiano Jr. entered a burning house in Salem Township to rescue an 11-year-old boy. The boy was among three people pulled from the fire, but he died of his injuries a few days later. The incident affected Paiano in a way...
About 600 children paired with police officers for $75K Christmas shopping spree
Serenitie Johnston basked in the makeup aisles at Unity Walmart Wednesday, gathering up a lip plumper, red lipstick and brightly colored eye shadow palette. “This way!” the 11-year-old girl exclaimed as state police Lt. Lauren Spallone followed behind with a full shopping cart. While Serenitie was in her element, Spallone...
Greensburg approves $13M budget that includes 3.3% property tax hike
Property tax bills will increase 3.3% to fund a 2025 Greensburg budget that was approved this week by a divided city council. Aside from a 1-mill tax approved by voters in 2017 that is designated for the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library and a 1-mill charge that since 2022 is designated...
Lawyer says attempted murder charges against East Huntingdon man a result of police cover-up
The lawyer for an East Huntingdon man wounded in a shootout with police said Wednesday attempted murder charges filed against her client are nothing more than an attempt by officers to cover up what she called a botched investigation. Defense attorney Jill Devine said James R. Miller Jr., 62, rejected...
Murrysville Medic One, Mutual Aid to assist in aftermath of Saltsburg-based ambulance service closure
Two Westmoreland County ambulance services are helping to pick up the slack after Saltsburg-based Lifestat EMS abruptly closed its doors this week. Citing financial constraints, the Indiana County ambulance station terminated its services after 36 years Saturday night, according to a statement it released Tuesday. “This difficult decision comes as...
Jeannette puts wheels in motion to replace 21-year-old dump truck
Jeannette council is expected to vote Thursday on the purchase of a new dump truck, but it likely won’t be available until next winter. “The need for replacing this 5-ton truck is a necessity now,” said city manager Ethan Keedy. Mayor Curtis Antoniak said the truck is 21 years old....
Latrobe OKs hikes for real estate transfer tax, gaming device fee
Latrobe has agreed to increase its real estate transfer tax and the annual fee it charges for some mechanical devices as city officials continue to fine-tune the proposed $7.4 million 2025 budget. Council members this week unanimously backed City Manager Terry Carcella’s proposal to double the realty transfer tax to...
Westmoreland happenings: Cookie walk, lunch with Santa, Advent Mass, more
Christmas Events • Charter Oak Church, 100 S. Second St., Jeannette, will host a free open house and Christmas Family Fest from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at church. There will be music, refreshments, an outdoor firepit, games and prizes. Details: Cindy, 724-527-3639. • A free Lunch with Santa...
Major upgrades to be completed next year at Jeannette’s Ebara Elliot Energy, company says
Ebara Elliot Energy is undergoing major electrical upgrades at its U.S. headquarters in Jeannette. Once work is completed next year, Ebara Elliott Energy will be able to test compressors and electrical equipment up to 100 megawatts, placing its testing capacity among the largest in the world, said company spokeswoman Meagan...
Hempfield Area police chief set to retire, former Jeannette police chief to take his place
After a decade serving as police chief for Hempfield Area School District, Len Lander will retire from his post. Former Jeannette police Chief Shannon Binda will take the reins in the new year, following a vote by the school board Monday. Lander was a state police trooper from 1991 to...
Monday’s Union Restaurant reopens after playing ‘vital’ role in Elizabeth Pollard search
At 3 p.m. Tuesday, the atmosphere in Monday’s Union Restaurant in Unity was positively serene compared with the same hour last week. A handful of customers chatted at the bar while two others sat in the restaurant waiting for one of Monday’s popular pizzas. The previous Tuesday, the main downstairs...
Palmer airport expansion project begins 
After several years of planning for expanding the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport terminal, work has begun on the foundation for what is expected to be a $22 million project. A former hangar that was used as a warehouse adjacent to the Unity airport terminal has been demolished, and construction workers...
Sewickley Township man to serve jail sentence for vehicle assault
A Sewickley Township man who pleaded guilty last year to running a down a man outside a Hempfield townhouse three years ago was ordered Tuesday to serve at least seven months in jail. Bradley A. Cook, 24, in August 2023 pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault by vehicle...
Suspect pleads guilty in credit card skimmer scam set up in grocery stores
One of two men charged last summer in a multicounty fraud scheme that employed skimmer devices on grocery store card readers pleaded guilty Tuesday in Westmoreland County. Thomas Fuchs, 34, whose last address was listed as in Pittsburgh, was ordered to serve one to two years in prison for his...
Greensburg police sell guns long held in storage at station
Greensburg police are selling four long guns that were seized in a criminal case years ago, said police Chief Charles Irvin. City council on Monday unanimously approved selling the firearms to Hufftown Highpower in South Greensburg for $1,660. Irvin said the guns were ordered by a judge to be used...
Hempfield Area to tackle 1 of 3 roof replacements, test pool ahead of high school renovation
As Hempfield Area moves forward with a nearly $281,000 roof repair at Fort Allen Elementary, the district also plans to address projected million dollar roof projects at two of its other schools next summer. The school board voted Monday to hire Garland Company Inc. to replace the roof covering Fort...
Historic North Huntingdon bridge in poor condition, slated for replacement
PennDOT is planning to replace a bridge on Leger Road in North Huntingdon that has historic significance but is in overall poor condition. The project is slated for construction in 2026. It will involve a 5-mile detour, sending traffic over sections of routes 30 and 993 and Brownstown Road. According...
Coroner: Unity woman died of head, torso injuries after fall into sinkhole
Elizabeth Pollard died of head and torso injuries, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson, who released the 64-year-old Unity resident’s preliminary autopsy report Monday. Pollard was searching for her cat Dec. 2 behind Monday’s Union Restaurant in Unity when he ground gave way beneath her, and she fell straight...
Deadline nears for registering for state health insurance coverage for 2025
The 430,000 Pennsylvanians who use Pennie, the state-operated marketplace for health insurance, must make a decision by Dec. 15 which plan they want in 2025. Pennie is an option for those meeting federal poverty income guidelines and it gives people the chance to be able to get affordable health care...
Greensburg man sentenced to jail for decades-old sex crimes against children
A Greensburg man was ordered to serve nearly one year in jail after he pleaded guilty to charges that he sexually assaulted two young girls two decades earlier at multiple locations around Westmoreland County. Morton William Thomson Jr., 66, was charged in December 2022, more than 20 years after his...
Former teacher avoids jail for possession of child porn
A former Indiana County high school teacher who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography this fall avoided a jail term Monday. Charles Kirkland, 33, of Derry Township was ordered to serve 14 years on probation even as a Westmoreland County prosecutor argued that he should spend at least three...
Tourism grants awarded to Westmoreland businesses, attractions
Since Julia Taneja and her husband opened a luxury boutique hotel at a renovated coal baron mansion in Greensburg nearly two years ago, they’ve attracted visitors from throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. A $19,000 grant from revenue generated by Westmoreland County’s 5% hotel room tax will...
Vote for local high school artists in ‘Paint the Plow’ contest
High school students across the state have decorated winter snow plows, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials want the public to vote on their local favorites. The annual Paint the Plow contest is part of PennDOT’s annual campaign drawing awareness to winter driving safety. Students were asked to create a...
‘I’m a wreck, but I’m alive’: North Huntingdon karate teacher hurt in crash focuses on recovery, is grateful for support
Elizabeth Lindsay opened her eyes and saw her brother sitting at her hospital bedside. She had been unconscious for about three weeks in August, recovering from a life-threatening motorcycle crash that month. “I think I wanted to understand what had happened,” said Lindsay, 39, of Greensburg. “I didn’t want to...
Forbes trauma program brings accessible care to patients
Forbes Hospital in Monroeville marked the 10th anniversary of its trauma program in October 2023. Prior to the program’s opening 11 years ago, patients in the eastern portion of Southwestern Pennsylvania who suffered severe injuries relied on medical helicopters to take them to the nearest trauma centers — stationed in...


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