Portrayals from the past will bring history to life at Unity Cemetery and Chapel
The history of Unity Cemetery and Chapel will come alive on Saturday as presenters portray four citizens of earlier eras, each with a connection to the site near Latrobe. The free program is set for 4 p.m. in the chapel at 130 Chapel Lane, off Unity Cemetery Road in Unity...
Deputy director hired for Westmoreland election bureau
For the first time in five years, Westmoreland County has a deputy director of the election bureau. The county commissioners on Thursday announced the hiring of Hannah Lindley, 31, of Bentleyville, Washington County, to serve as second in command of the office that oversees elections in Westmoreland County. Lindley served...
Rabbi enlisted to assess faith of Westmoreland jail inmate
A Pittsburgh rabbi was brought in to assess claims that a county jail inmate’s religious convictions qualify him to receive kosher meals while incarcerated, the Westmoreland County commissioners said. The lawyer for Kort Noel Eckman, who is awaiting trial in the attempted murder of his mother, said jail officials have...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Aug. 1-3
Whew, it’s been a hot week. Hopefully this weekend will be a better time to explore the outdoors and enjoy some of these events. With so many great options, it’s worth the sweat. August Fun Fest Cedar Creek Park in Rostraver is the site of this year’s August Fun Fest,...
Derry Township man charged in 2007 slaying accused of having drugs at prison
A Derry Township man awaiting trial in a 2007 homicide was arraigned Thursday on new police accusations that he had drugs at the Westmoreland County Prison. Charles Earl Ream, 55, was charged by county detectives this week with possession of contraband and conspiracy. Authorities said in court papers that June...
Franklin Regional grad works on to address cardiovascular illness, healthcare literacy in Tanzania
While working on his undergraduate degree at Duke University, Faraan Rahim had the chance to travel to Ghana in west Africa for a summer project, and the 2019 Franklin Regional graduate fell in love with the challenges and rewards of global health care. Today, Rahim is on the opposite side...
Westmoreland happenings: Butterfly release, Fun Fest, Hawaiian luau, more
Festival • The August Fun Fest will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, at Cedar Creek Park, 453 Evergreen Drive, Rostraver. Magic Moments will perform doo-wop music and oldies at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the amphitheater, and local bands will perform at noon, 2,...
Trafford resident leads charge in replacing steps in Veterans Memorial Park
When Trafford native Donna Morocco walked to elementary school as a child, she always took the small set of stone steps leading up to Edgewood Avenue. Morocco, who grew up on parallel Duquesne Avenue, walked the concrete ramp through Trafford Veterans Memorial Park to get to school each day —...
DA says New Kensington murder arrest 1st to come from Westmoreland grand jury
Criminal homicide charges filed in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in New Kensington more than two years ago was the first to result from a Westmoreland County investigating grand jury seated early last year, prosecutors said Wednesday. Larry Osborn Nix II, 41, of West Brownsville, Washington County,...
Salem road closure to trigger detour over Routes 819, 66, 22
PennDOT road work is slated to close a portion of Trees Mill Road in Salem beginning Thursday morning. Scheduled to begin at 7 a.m., the closure will be in effect between Church Street and Athena Drive and is expected to last through late August. A posted detour will divert traffic...
JCPenney stores in Westmoreland and Robinson malls to be sold but will remain open
Two JCPenney stores in Western Pennsylvania will be sold to a private equity firm near Boston about five years after the retailer filed for bankruptcy, but those stores will remain open. JCPenney’s locations in Westmoreland Mall and the Mall at Robinson will be among 119 stores sold to Onyx Partners...
Exotic animals, Super Bowl team members will greet fans at Latrobe’s Steelers Fest
Visitors to Friday’s annual Steelers Fest in Latrobe will have the opportunity for close encounters with members of past Super Bowl teams and with a few members of some exotic species. A new feature at the free event, set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Legion Keener Park, will...
Hempfield Park set to get additional bathrooms and concession stand
The Hempfield supervisors have approved the $277,000 purchase of a prefabricated building that will be installed at Hempfield Park. The building will house bathrooms and a concession stand, said Marissa Haynes, director of parks and recreation. The supervisors on Monday approved buying the building from CXT in a 4-1 vote...
West Nile, Jamestown Canyon viruses found in Westmoreland mosquitoes; Lyme risk high
Westmoreland Conservation District is urging residents to take precautions against tick and mosquito bites as samples of the pests collected in the county have tested positive for Lyme disease, West Nile virus and a less familiar new threat — Jamestown Canyon virus. Chrissy Edwards-McCune, West Nile Virus coordinator for the...
Paying more for groceries? Here’s how prices have moved — or not — over the past year
Donald Trump campaigned, in part, on the promise to bring down grocery prices, but seven months into his second term, the result is a mixed bag. Coffee and beef prices are up. Baby formula, eggs and Cheerios are down. Toilet paper and diapers have held steady. “The obvious one is...
Philadelphia men sentenced for drug bust on PA Turnpike
Two Philadelphia men arrested for possession of an estimated $140,000 in fentanyl-laced heroin during a 2023 traffic stop along the Pennsylvania Turnpike were sentenced Tuesday to serve lengthy prison terms. Mario Antonio Caba, 39, and Elvis Luis Holguin Ventura, 29, were convicted of one felony and misdemeanor drug counts following...
Charges dropped after Kentucky woman pays restitution in Donegal Township B&B case
A Kentucky woman is no longer facing criminal charges after authorities said she paid restitution to the owners of a Donegal Township bed-and-breakfast. Samantha Nicole Brown, 35, of Louisville, had been accused of stealing an antique wooden bar from Baneberry Meadows Bed & Breakfast. Felony charges of theft and receiving...
Greensburg teen, 17, sentenced as adult for Hempfield armed robbery
A Greensburg teen has been ordered to serve up to 40 months in prison for his role in an armed robbery last year in Hempfield. Cayden Essway, 17, was prosecuted as an adult and pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of robbery and a misdemeanor weapons offense. Essway’s...
Westmoreland tax office director being let go after just 1 year on the job
The Westmoreland County commissioners on Tuesday confirmed that they are firing the director of the county’s tax office after just one year on the job. According to payroll records released by the county controller’s office, Sarah Minnick, who had served as director of the office that processes property tax payments...
Clock is ticking on Menards site plan approval in Hempfield
Home improvement store chain Menards has been put on notice — the site plan for a new store Hempfield supervisors approved almost five years ago is nearing its expiration date. Township officials this month sent a letter to the company’s properties division warning the plan will expire if construction doesn’t...
Coroner releases identity of man who died by suicide during Ligonier Township traffic stop
A Ligonier Township man died by suicide Saturday during a traffic stop, according to the Westmoreland County coroner. Jeffrey J. Sierocky, 52, had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to information released Tuesday, three days after the incident along Route 30 near Baywood Road in Ligonier Township. Ligonier Valley Police initiated...
Citing cultural concerns, Bushy Run to update name of hill during reenactment
Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township is using its upcoming reenactment as an opportunity to right a wrong — giving a more culturally appropriate name to a hill on its 218-acre property. The reenactment, slated for Saturday and Sunday, is a staple event in the township. It portrays a 1763...
Delmont man expected to blame wife for son’s torture slaying
A Delmont man charged along with his wife for the alleged torture and murder of their adopted son wants a separate trial, his lawyer said during a court hearing on Monday. Defense attorney Ken Noga told a county judge that evidence suggests that Lauren Maloberti was the person who beat...
Westmoreland inmate accused of stabbing mother should have kosher meals, she says
Although her son stands accused of trying to kill her, the mother of a Westmoreland County Prison inmate wants him to receive a special kosher diet based upon his religious beliefs. Rose Eckman asked members of the county’s prison board on Monday to allow her son — jailed for the...
Officials remain mum on details of traffic stop suicide in Ligonier Township
Authorities have yet to release the identity of a man who they said shot and killed himself during a traffic stop in Ligonier Township on Saturday. Ligonier Valley Police initiated a traffic stop around 5 p.m. near the intersection of Route 30 and Baywood Road, said Melanie Jones, spokesperson for...
