Westmoreland category, Page 702
Westmoreland County court cancels hearings, alters procedures
Criminal court proceedings in Westmoreland County scheduled from Wednesday to March 27 have been canceled under a judicial emergency order issued Tuesday. Special courts administrator Don Heagy said preliminary hearings for defendants who are incarcerated are still going on at the county’s 17 district court offices as scheduled. Some other...
Coronavirus challenges affecting all religious denominations
Fears about the spread of the coronavirus are testing the faith of religious bodies and congregations throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Some, including the Diocese of Greensburg and the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, canceled worship services. Others are issuing guidance on everything from responsible behavior in church to alternatives to church attendance....
Southwest Greensburg stabbing may have been in defense, cops say
Southwest Borough police are continuing to investigate a stabbing late Saturday that resulted in a man being airlifted to an undisclosed Pittsburgh hospital for treatment. Chief Christopher J. Kent said the injured man was walking in an alley between the 600 block of South Main and Sidney streets about 10...
City Cribs’ Greensburg revitalization efforts continue with more buildings
City Cribs is continuing its revitalization of South Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg one building at a time. The development group recently purchased a former art supply store for $200,000 with plans to renovate the building, add upper floors and create several spaces for tenants, said company co-owner Suzanne Ward. Hempfield...
North Huntingdon sewer line project meeting canceled
A public meeting to discuss the Five Pines phase one sewer line replacement project has been cancelled for Thursday at the North Huntingdon Town House, the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority said. The authority does not have plans at this time to reschedule the meeting, said Michael Branthoover, authority manager....
Westmoreland County Community College classes go online
Westmoreland County Community College classes will resume via “remote teaching” Wednesday, college officials tweeted Tuesday. The school previously cancelled classes Monday and Tuesday to comply with the governor’s orders on social distancing. All classes, including those conducted at its Advanced Technology Center, will be conducted from off site locations for...
Coronavirus derails Penn-Trafford student’s dreams of competing in Irish dancing world championshipVideo
A Penn Township teenager’s dreams of competing in the World Irish Dancing Championships in Ireland next month were dashed when the U.S. government imposed a 30-day ban on travel to the Republic of Ireland in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19. “I was pretty devastated....
‘Nonessential’ business owners grin and bear state-ordered closure
Owner Melanie McCoy hopes she’ll be able to bounce back from closing her Hempfield beauty salon for two weeks, beginning Tuesday. But, she admits, she’s scared as she joins other area “nonessential” establishments that will be idled as part of a statewide closure of such businesses Gov. Tom Wolf ordered...
Greensburg Diocese suspends Mass, cancels fish fries amid coronavirus spread
The Diocese of Greensburg has suspended public Masses, canceled Lenten fish fries and modified other church events due to the spread of coronavirus in the region. “Tuesday will be our final day of public Masses until further notice,” diocese officials write in a news release Monday. “Where possible, churches will...
‘Riding the storm’: Westmoreland shops add delivery to bolster business
Some local businesses are finding ways to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic by venturing into new territory — delivery. Orders have exploded for Greenhouse Winery, based in Sewickley Township, since starting a wine delivery service last week, said general manager Steve Helinski. They saw 12 orders the first day...
Westmoreland County first responders safeguard against coronavirus
The coronavirus may be relatively new, but Penn Township Ambulance’s director of operations believes anyone calling for help will notice very little, if any, change in response from emergency workers. “The term coronavirus is certainly new, but we’ve responded to contagious diseases before … hepatitis, tuberculosis cases to name a...
Westmoreland County Food Bank desperate for volunteers
Food banks are feeling the pinch from the coronavirus. The Westmoreland County Food Bank put out a call for volunteers Monday. “Some of our food partners are experiencing very low volunteer turnout,” CEO Jennifer Miller said. “We’re really in desperate need of volunteers.” Miller said one primary source of volunteers...
Gun and ammunition sales soar; permits issued more than double in Western Pa.
In 100 years, the Army Navy & Indoor Pistol Range in Latrobe has seen just about everything, said owner Mark Boerio. But nothing like coronavirus. Boerio is not planning to close the store as the virus spreads across Western Pennsylvania. As of Tuesday, Allegheny County reported seven confirmed cases while...
These cleaning chemicals do not mix, warns Westmoreland hazmat team
As residents and businesses continue deep cleaning efforts, those attempting to eradicate germs as a part of battling coronavirus need to keep their own health and safety in mind. Mixing some cleansing agents and inhaling the vapors can be toxic, experts warn. The Westmoreland County Hazardous Materials Response Team 800...
Westmoreland County special election for House 58th District still scheduled Tuesday
Tuesday’s special election to fill the vacant 58th District state House seat is expected to be held as scheduled, despite widespread cancellations and shutdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic. The health scare has resulted in two polling locations, one in Rostraver and another in South Huntingdon, being moved at the...
Westmoreland County to limit courthouse business, close senior centers
A partial shutdown of the Westmoreland County Courthouse operations will start Wednesday, commissioners have ordered. Beginning mid-week only “essential” personnel will report to work to maintain government operations, Commissioners Chairman Sean Kertes said. “We don’t want people coming to the courthouse,” he said. The scaling back was delayed to accommodate...
Hempfield Sen. Ward postpones human trafficking forum
State Sen. Kim Ward has postponed a human trafficking discussion previously scheduled for March 26 at the Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. A spokeswoman for Ward said the event — which was to have featured spokesmen for the U.S. Justice Department, the Pennsylvania State Police and domestic and sexual...
Hempfield woman accused of sexually assaulting teen boys
A Hempfield woman is accused by state police of sexually assaulting two teenage boys over the summer, according to court papers. Police say Brandy Lynn Sturtz, 35, provided the boys with alcohol and marijuana. She was arrested Monday on charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and related offenses....
Excela, Western Pa. hospitals tighten visitation rules to slow spread of coronavirus
Allegheny Health Network, Excela Health and UPMC facilities have tightened their visitation policies to help prevent the spread of covid-19. Excela Health announced on Monday that visitors are limited to one adult per patient in the ER and other areas of the hospital. For obstetric patients (new or laboring mothers),...
Sewickley halts township-related activities; Manor and Penn Township close offices; Jeannette, Hempfield and North Huntingdon declare emergencies
In an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19, several municipalities in Westmoreland County are closing offices or municipal-related activities, while others are asking that residents interact with office personnel only when necessary. Sewickley Township canceled all activities, gatherings and events affiliated with the township, as...
Friends of Murrysville Parks founder has love of natureVideo
Every morning as a child, Pia van de Venne would look out the window of her home in Vught, Netherlands, and marvel at the trees. She does the same now in her Murrysville home — that is, when she is not spending her time working in the township’s parks. Van...
Firefighters practice rescues from confined spaces in JeannetteVideo
The victim: a 180-pound dummy dressed in firefighter gear trapped underneath Fifth Street in Jeannette. The mission: squeeze through a manhole and a few feet of old brick street for a rescue. “One patient down, unconscious,” Penn Township medical rescue technician Bobby Scott said through a radio after he touched...
Norwin School Board cancels meeting
The Norwin School Board has cancelled its meeting that was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, because the school district is closed for two weeks as a result of the governor’s orders to combat the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19. The school district has yet to reschedule the meeting,...
Western Pa. restaurants offer free lunches to schoolkids during hiatus over coronavirus fearsVideo
School lunches are getting an upgrade from restaurants around the area that are offering free mid-day meals to children in light of a two-week shutdown of schools amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Many owners said they felt the need to help after Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday ordered all...
Greensburg author, musician Karen Dietrich publishes ‘dark thriller’Video
Evelyn Gibson, the protagonist in Greensburg author Karen Dietrich’s novel “Girl at the Edge,” is a 16-year-old girl living in Florida with her loving, slightly unconventional family. “I’m into kind of dark stories, darker crime,” says Dietrich, 43. So the fact that Evelyn has always known her father was a...
