Westmoreland category, Page 4
Health care experts: Medicaid cuts threaten Pennsylvania’s nursing home industry
Zach Shamberg fears federal Medicaid adjustments approved in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will worsen a nursing home climate already strained by insufficient care reimbursements and staffing challenges. Shamberg, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, joined a chorus of health care experts speaking out against...
Women vie for skillet toss champion at Scottdale Ice Cream Festival
For Kelsey Casoni, throwing a skillet is similar to pitching a softball. On Sunday, she took home her fourth first-place ribbon during the Ladies Skillet Toss at the Ice Cream Summer Fun Festival in Scottdale — and she just started competing two years ago. Casoni, 35, of Hecla, has been...
Resurfacing slated for sections of routes 30, 130 in Westmoreland County
Road surface improvements will affect motorists traveling on five state routes in Westmoreland County during the coming months. The $11.3 million project will begin Monday — resulting in single-lane alternating traffic, where needed, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Depending on weather conditions, work on the project is expected...
School district tax increases beg the question: Is the system broken?
If you’re one of the Western Pennsylvania residents smarting over a looming school tax increase this year, you’re not alone. All but four school districts in Westmoreland County will enact higher taxes this fall, and 6 in 10 districts in Allegheny County will do the same — including all but...
Westmoreland happenings: Frog walk, blood drive, class reunion, more
Fundraisers • Westmoreland County Federation of SNPG Lodges will host a benefit polka dance from 2 to 6 p.m. July 27 at the Yukon Slovenian Hall, 137 Yukon Ave. Music will be by the Polka Classics. There will be food, beverages, a silent auction and door prizes. Proceeds will benefit...
Anti-Trump protesters make ‘Good Trouble’ in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse
Though Bob Schaefer was among a crowd of rally-goers Saturday in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg, his white cleric’s collar made him stand out — signaling his role as a pastor. It was the fourth rally in front of the courthouse organized by Abby Graham-Pardus, chairperson of...
Tip from messaging app leads to child porn charges against Irwin man, authorities say
A child porn tip from a messaging application lead to state police charging an Irwin man, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. Joshua David Ward, 34, faces 10 counts of dissemination of child sexual abuse material, possession of child sexual abuse material and criminal use of a communication...
Nonprofit’s ‘Frog Week’ a leap into education, improving habitat
AAron Capouellez wants people to know everything they can about how to create, maintain and foster nurturing habitats for Pennsylvania’s frogs and toads. But he doesn’t want them to know where those habitats are, necessarily. It’s one of the odd contradictions of amphibian conservation and a bit of a catch-22...
Avonmore man’s family thanks bystanders who tried to save him after fiery New Stanton crash
The family of an Avonmore man who died after a fiery crash in New Stanton thanked the bystanders who tried to save his life. Carl “Butch” Noonan Jr., 71, died Friday afternoon at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said. The crash happened Thursday in New...
Smithton lawmaker puts tax collection agency Berkheimer under scrutiny
An erroneous personal tax bill has turned into a political crusade of sorts for state Rep. Eric Davanzo, a Smithton Republican. It started in August 2024, when the representative for the 58th House district received a letter from Berkheimer Tax Innovations stating that he was delinquent on a local tax...
Windmill turbine blade accident prompts closer review of large loads on Route 982 in Derry Township
PennDOT says it will require a more extensive review before permitting any oversize load longer than 100 feet to travel through a sharp 90-degree curve in Derry Township. The change comes after a massive wind turbine blade recently damaged an adjacent business when a truck driver was unable to negotiate...
SummerSounds welcomes youngest-ever performer to open St. Clair Park show
If Laura Rullo was nervous to play in front of what was likely the 14-year-old musician’s largest audience Friday, she didn’t show it. She smiled, confidently strummed her guitar and added her own powerful vocal flair to songs that were popular long before she was born. Sprinkling in some of...
Lawsuit challenging Westmoreland vehicle tracking policy rolls on
Sheriff James Albert’s initial attempt to invalidate Westmoreland County’s vehicle tracking policy has been rejected by a judge. Common Pleas Judge Harry Smail Jr., in a ruling made public Friday, said more evidence is needed to determine whether the policy violates the sheriff’s ability to independently run his elected office....
Baltzer Meyer launches restoration work at 1881 schoolhouse
Robert Reintgen and his crew of contractors spent the better part of Friday removing eight large glass windows from the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society’s Hempfield schoolhouse. He had one goal in mind, maintaining the integrity of the 1881 structure. “You don’t want to embarrass the building,” said Reintgen, a Derry...
20th annual Kecksburg UFO Festival promises update on 1965 crash
Sixty years ago, a December day changed the course of history for Kecksburg, a small community in Mt. Pleasant Township. People in seven states and Canada reported seeing a fireball in the night sky on Dec. 9, 1965, according to an article that appeared in the Tribune-Review. “Back in ’65,...
MAWC pauses refinancing plan amid concerns over economic downturn
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will pause a plan to refinance more than $150 million in existing debt. The authority board of directors have concerns that deteriorating economic conditions could result in a reduction in potential savings for the water and sewer agency. Authority administrators and private financial advisers have...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: July 18-20
It’s a perfect weekend to enjoy the best things in life — nature, music, art and family. Here are a few ways to take your days off up a notch. Garden council tour Take a day to explore the thriving gardens of your Westmoreland County neighbors and learn about how...
Cowboy Andy’s quick-draw antics and more at the Derry Township Ag Fair
The Derry Township Agricultural Fair is being held this week on the fairgrounds in New Derry. Events include the traditional arts and crafts, baked goods and animal showmanship traditional to the fair. The fair continues through Saturday with events including horse showmanship and a tractor pull at 3 and 4...
Ligonier DUI crash that injured 3 motorcyclists nets Washington County man prison sentence
John Creasy has had a long road to recovery after he and two motorcycle riders traveling along Route 30 in Ligonier were hit by a drunk driver. “I’ll be handicapped for the rest of my life,” Creasy said Thursday following a sentencing hearing for a Washington County man who prosecutors...
Jayhawk Commons retail space planned at former Monsour Medical Center property along Route 30
Work on a commercial space at the former Monsour Medical Center property in Jeannette is expected to begin next year, officials said. The retail complex would be accompanied by more than 30 nearby town homes, a project city officials hope will spur additional development. Developer Don Tarosky Jr., chief operating...
Penn State Master Gardeners will host Hempfield open house
Penn State Master Gardeners invite the public to a free open house at their demonstration gardens in Hempfield. The open house will be 9 a.m. to noon July 19 at the Penn State Extension’s Donohoe Center, 214 Donohoe Road in Hempfield. Visitors can walk through more than a dozen demonstration...
Florida man sentenced for role in string of burglaries
A Florida man was sentenced to two-and-a-half to 20 years in a state prison this month in connection with a spree of distraction burglaries in the area, including two in Westmoreland County. Steve Nichols, 57, previously pleaded guilty to burglary, theft and related charges in connection with seven burglaries in...
Bat cam: Streaming video reveals secret life of colony at Land Trust site in Hempfield
They only come out at night. Still, the Westmoreland Land Trust has shed some light on the lives of close to 50 bats that inhabit an old barn at its Hempfield nature park — thanks to some flexible cameras and ultrasonic detectors provided by trust board member Bill Powers. For...
Triaxle crashes, catches fire along Route 66 near Youngwood
More than a dozen passersby stopped Thursday morning to rescue a man trapped in a burning triaxle truck after it crashed in New Stanton, according to fire Chief Rob Cammarata. Joe Schiavone and Steve Parsons were headed to a job for Perfect Industrial Cleaning when they came upon the ball...
Western Pa. storms impact power, roads in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties
Fire crews and power companies from around Western Pennsylvania were busy Thursday morning racing to address downed power lines and fallen trees blocking roadways, following Wednesday’s strong thunderstorms that rolled through the region. Wednesday’s storms produced at least an inch of rain throughout the Pittsburgh region, said Bill Modzelewski, meteorologist...
