Westmoreland category, Page 6
Ohio woman charged in Murrysville bank fraud scheme
An Ohio woman police believe is part of an organized crime group is accused of involvement in a check cashing scheme in Murrysville, according to authorities. State police released surveillance photos of the suspect last month, seeking help identifying her in connection with the theft of $5,400 in a fraud...
Jeannette police to patrol highrise
City police will begin patrolling Jeannette Manor after council approved an agreement with the Westmoreland County Housing Authority. Jeannette Police Chief Derek Manley said he thinks the move will boost relationships with residents and deter crime. “I feel that it’s a big benefit for the department and the residents both,”...
Researchers zero in on site where George Washington had brush with friendly fire, unveil artifacts
Four years of digging for artifacts in the Ligonier area have shed new light on a little-known “friendly fire” incident in George Washington’s military career and have put what turned out to be a pivotal episode in the French and Indian War on firmer ground. “We found it. I’m confident...
Dick’s Diner in Murrysville to be featured as 1 of ‘America’s Best Restaurants’
Jim Fox III remembers sitting down to a table at Dick’s Diner as a child with his father, even though his dad was the founder of the popular Fox’s Pizza chain. The family recognized the appeal of a small-town diner like Dick’s. Today, Fox owns the restaurant, which will be...
A general’s defeat: Anniversary will be observed in North Braddock
At the eastern edge of Westmoreland County’s Route 30 corridor lies one of the state’s best example of a colonial fort — Fort Ligonier, the site of the October 1758 battle where British and Colonial forces repulsed an attack by French and Native Americans. But it may not have been...
Monessen man appeals life prison term for rape, child murders
A judge abused his discretion by reimposing a life prison sentence for a Monessen man convicted of raping of a young mother and murdering her children in 1973, his attorney claims in court papers. Defense attorney Mark Shire argued in an appeal filed Friday that his client, John Veltre Jr.,...
Struggling Strawpump station to receive half its fire tax fund allocation from township
North Huntingdon has given the Strawpump Volunteer Fire Department an incentive to continue work to regain its place in the community. That would mean an acceptable fire insurance rating that would allow it to reclaim its service territory. The township would help the effort by agreeing to provide one-half of...
Derry’s Fulton House gets a ‘new’ floor that’s older than the building itself
Visitors who step inside Derry Township’s restored 1817 Fulton House will be walking on a piece of history that is old, but also new. When the floor of the former inn’s rear room started to deteriorate, the Derry Area Historical Society that is headquartered there was able to replace it...
Safe to splash? State parks, watershed associations monitor rivers for E. coli contamination
When it rains, it pours E. coli. That’s what water quality testers across Western Pennsylvania might tell you right now. Every week during the summer months, volunteers and employees monitor the region’s public waterways for E. coli, which can flow into lakes and streams from agricultural and sewer systems overwhelmed...
Judge halts demolition of Homer City plant over contract dispute
Demolition at the site of a planned $10 billion project with a 4.5-gigawatt natural gas-fired plant near Homer City that would power a data processing center has been halted. Frontier Industrial Corp. of Buffalo, N.Y., was granted a preliminary injunction by Allegheny County Judge Philip A. Ignelzi. It prevents Homer...
Time’s up for lengthy public comments at Westmoreland commissioners meetings
The Westmoreland County commissioners have no time for excessive talk. Responding to what they said was a growing level of belligerency in political speech, the county commissioners, before the start of Thursday’s public meeting, announced a heightened enforcement of time constraints placed on public comments. Commissioners Chairman Sean Kertes told...
Westmoreland County OKs settlement of racial discrimination lawsuit
The Westmoreland County commissioners have approved a $12,000 payout to settle a lawsuit filed by a former jail guard who claimed she was improperly fired after she raised allegations of racial discrimination. According to the lawsuit filed in 2019, Bonita Hughey of Jeannette contended she was fired from her job...
Westmoreland County looks to streamline development with revisions to decade-old land development ordinance
Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday said they will support changes expected to encourage residential and land development. “These improvements and updates will ensure that we, as the county, have a robust modern tool to guide development and strengthen the county’s position as a development-friendly partner,” said Josh Spano, deputy director...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: July 11-13
Has this week felt extra long? Spend your Friday daydreaming about some of the ways you can savor your weekend with these five things happening throughout Westmoreland: Derry celebrates 250th Derry Township is 250 years old this year, and that’s certainly a cause for celebration. This Saturday, come out for...
Westmoreland plots program to shelter more homeless during cold winter
As the mercury continues to rise this summer, Westmoreland officials have started to explore how the county might keep its homeless residents warm this winter. The county’s Homeless Advisory Board met Wednesday at the courthouse in Greensburg to consider the expansion of a program that, since 2015, has helped to...
Western Pa. and state police combine efforts to address speeding, aggressive driving
Cresting the hill on Route 51 in Rostraver, some traffic appeared to be ignoring the 45 mph speed limit Tuesday morning near the Darr Road intersection. State trooper Bryan McKee sat in an unmarked patrol unit with the driver’s window down, checking speeds with a radar gun. Some motorists heading...
Sheetz plans reconstruction of 2 North Huntingdon stores
Sheetz Inc. plans to demolish its two convenience stores along Route 30 in North Huntingdon to update them. The Altoona-based convenience store chain plans to demolish stores at the intersection of Route 30 and North Thompson Lane and one at the intersection of Route 30 and Carpenter Lane. Sheetz will...
Massive turbine blade slices into Bradenville business, ties up traffic in Derry Township
A giant blade destined for a wind turbine pierced the wall of a Derry Township business Tuesday morning when the trucker hauling the oversize load was unable to navigate a sharp, 90-degree turn on Route 982. “I was standing there, and the next thing you know it was in my...
State police cite former Jeannette mayoral candidate for attaching signs to utility poles
It’s hard to miss them on a drive around Jeannette — the yellow signs with black lettering seem to be everywhere. But the signs’ campaign-related message is about 50 days beyond relevance, and, according to state police, a potential danger from the dozens of metal tacks and staples used to...
Westmoreland man charged with child sex assaults in Pa.’s Jehovah’s Witnesses probe
A Mt. Pleasant Township man and member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses was arrested Wednesday in connection with sex assault accusations involving two children decades ago in Unity, according to court papers. Timothy A. Willochell, 54, is accused of molesting the children on separate occasions between 1989 and 1997. The alleged...
Westmoreland happenings: Canine fundraiser, vacation Bible school, bingo, more
Church News • Mt. Olive Church, 363 Pleasant Valley Road, Bullskin, will have vacation Bible school for all members of the family from 6 to 8 p.m. July 20 to 24 at the church. The theme will be, “Meet God on the Mountain.” Those attending will receive T-shirts to wear...
Dee Jay’s Lounge Murrysville: Honoring the past, serving the future
Transitions can be challenging, especially when they involve a place that holds memories for so many. At Dee Jay’s Lounge Murrysville, we understand the connection this community has with the former North Park Lounge. We are grateful for your patience as we navigate this transition, honoring what made this location...
Police: Jeannette woman tried to hit trooper with her Jeep after fleeing traffic stop, kept going
A Jeannette woman was charged with a dozen counts of aggravated assault after state police said she fled a traffic stop, tried to drive into an officer and had to be forcibly removed from her vehicle. Amanda L. Nelson, 36, of Altman Road faces nearly 30 charges in connection with...
EQT buys Olympus for $1.8B, consolidates grip on Southwestern Pa. natural gas
Pittsburgh-based natural gas producer EQT Corp. has acquired local competitor Olympus Energy for $1.8 billion. The deal, which officially closed last week, consolidates EQT’s control over regional natural gas deposits at a time of rising demand. “This strategic transaction strengthens our position as the leading natural gas producer in the...
Palmer airport terminal expansion takes off with July arrival of steel beams
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on Tuesday marked the first milestone in construction of a $28 million terminal expansion, with about a third of the project’s initial phase in place. Completion of the first of three phases is slated for April of next year, according to Scott Kunselman, engineer...
