Communities reap millions from Pennsylvania casino revenue
State-mandated distribution of revenue from the state’s casinos has paid off for Western Pennsylvania municipalities. More than $60 million in grants was distributed in 2025 to municipalities through a state program that allocates tax revenue collected from casinos to pay for economic development projects, infrastructure upgrades, public safety and equipment...
Westmoreland judge rejects battered woman appeal in decades-old murder case
A Westmoreland County judge has rejected a claim that a battered woman defense should have been used in the trial of a woman serving life in prison for a murder in Manor nearly two decades ago. Jennifer Vinsek, 44, of Greensburg, was one of five people convicted in the 2006...
Judges swap dockets in Westmoreland court shuffle
Two Westmoreland County judges will swap dockets in January as part of a shakeup of the county’s court system. President Judge Christopher Feliciani will return to criminal court after a year presiding over civil cases. He will take over the criminal caseload handled by Judge Scott Mears, while Mears will...
Conviction in 2019 Arnold fatal shooting upheld
The conviction of a Pittsburgh man serving a 40-year prison sentence for a fatal shooting six years ago in an Arnold alley will stand, a Westmoreland County judge ruled. Shawden Ross, 39, argued his conviction should be overturned because evidence presented against him during a 2022 trial did not prove...
Judge rules guilty plea stands for man convicted in fatal shooting at Jeannette football game
A Westmoreland County judge on Wednesday rejected an attempt by a Jeannette man to withdraw his guilty plea in connection with a 2019 fatal shooting outside a Jeannette High School football game. Greg A. Harper, 46, contended he was not properly represented when his former defense lawyer advised him to...
Judge orders New Kensington Elks Lodge to remain closed after fatal shooting
The New Kensington Elks Lodge will remain closed until at least February, a Westmoreland County judge ruled Monday. The club was temporarily shuttered last week in accordance with a preliminary injunction issued by Common Pleas Judge Chris Scherer. The injunction stems from nuisance-bar claims raised in a court filing by...
Westmoreland inmate charged with assault in courthouse holding cell
An Arnold man was charged Friday for an assault of another inmate in a Westmoreland County Courthouse holding cell, according to the county sheriff’s department. Officials said Brian Rebold, 39, was taken to a hospital after what officials described as an unprovoked attack in which Rebold was struck at least...
DA objects to sentence imposed for Easter egg hunt assault of teen in New Kensington
Westmoreland County prosecutors said Friday they will appeal what they contend is a too lenient sentence imposed on a New Kensington man convicted in October for the assault of an autistic teen during a neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Stacey Oneal Jr., 36, was ordered to serve two to five years...
Future raises for Westmoreland elected officials under review
The Westmoreland County commissioners signaled Thursday they might soon overhaul the decades-old method used to calculate annual pay increases for the county’s elected officials. A policy enacted in 1996 ties raises for elected officers to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Under this formula, these officials are slated for a 3.25%...
Westmoreland commissioners pass budget, look to assign blame for ‘precarious’ finances
The Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday passed a $466 million budget for 2026 that holds the line on property taxes despite a nearly $15 million deficit. The shortfall will be offset by surplus funds. To reach the final figure, commissioners slashed an anticipated $30 million deficit in half through personnel...
Westmoreland jury donation program raises over $100K for local nonprofits
Westmoreland County jurors have donated more than $100,000 to local charities over the past decade. It’s a program first implemented in 2016 that allows jurors to forgo their daily pay, which in turn is donated to local charities. Jurors are paid $9 a day for their first three days of...
2 Westmoreland water authority workers awarded Carnegie Medal for lifesaving rescue
Pete Dunegan was repairing an underground water tank in Mt. Pleasant Borough last year when a pipe inside the tank broke loose. It dislodged from a support and pinned him, nearly severing his leg and at the same time releasing water into the enclosed vault. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County...
Some furloughed Westmoreland County workers recalled as commissioners weigh additional returns
More than a third of the Westmoreland County employees furloughed in October have returned to work, commissioners said Tuesday. “More are scheduled to come back next month,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. Cash flow issues that resulted from a four-month state budget impasse and a subsequent freeze on allocations for mandated...
Scottdale parents tell judge they struggle to balance child’s welfare with their own safety
A national news story this weekend reminded Mary and Raymond Holoman of the painful dilemma parents face when they become victims of their child’s violence and addiction. The Holomans told a Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday they would allow their 20-year-old son to return to their Scottdale home after he...
Westmoreland DA calls county grand jury a success; says another panel possible
Westmoreland County’s first investigating grand jury in more than three decades wrapped up its work with recommendations of criminal charges in three cases last week. The grand jury, which initially included 23 members and 15 alternates, recommended criminal charges be brought against four defendants, including former Ligonier Valley police Chief...
Westmoreland housing authority secures federal funding to build Mt. Pleasant townhouses
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority has announced that a portion of its $5.6 million project to build 20 townhouses in Mt. Pleasant Township will be paid for through a federal grant. Officials said the agency secured a
$1.25 million grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh through its...
Westmoreland County air show on hiatus for 2026 as authority seeks headliner amid facilities update
Westmoreland County’s annual air show could be grounded in 2026. Gabe Monzo, executive director of the county’s airport authority, on Friday reaffirmed a recommendation he made earlier this week to implement a one-year hiatus of the two-day event at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport that draws tens of thousands of spectators....
Dog licenses fees increase for 2026
Dog owners in Pennsylvania will pay more to license their pets in 2026. The state’s Department of Agriculture said dog license fees will increase $2 for the upcoming year and could rise another $1 in 2027 under legislation signed into law in 2023 by Gov. Josh Shapiro. That law set...
3rd trial results in guilty verdicts for New Kensington man charged with 2020 slaying
Felicia Williams and her family said justice was finally served after a Westmoreland County jury convicted a New Kensington man in the fatal shooting of her brother nearly six years ago. After three days of testimony and two hours of deliberations Wednesday, jurors found Letresse Tareke Williams guilty of second-degree...
Arnold man cleared of assault on inmate during sheriff transport
A Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday acquitted an Arnold man of assaulting a female inmate while the two were being taken to jail in the back seat of a sheriff’s car. Jurors deliberated one hour before returning not-guilty verdicts on charges of aggravated harassment by a prisoner and indecent assault...
Monzo to retire as head of Westmoreland airport authority
Gabe Monzo, who has seen plenty of takeoffs and landings during his more than four decades working for the Westmoreland County Airport Authority — including the last 17 as its executive director — announced Tuesday he will retire from that role at the end of April. “While the responsibilities seem...
Derry Township man gets prison for assault and strangulation of girlfriend
A Derry Township man was ordered to serve up to five years in prison for the assault and strangulation of his live-in girlfriend in early 2020. Wayne Nestler Jr., 36, pleaded guilty Monday to two felony counts of strangulation and one misdemeanor offense of simple assault in connection with allegations...
Third trial for man charged with 2020 New Kensington killing begins
For the third time in the last 18 months, a Westmoreland County jury is hearing evidence against a New Kensington man charged with the fatal shooting of an Arnold drug dealer nearly five years ago. Letresse Tareke Williams, 35, is charged with second-degree murder, robbery and other related offenses in...
Construction of driverless vehicle test track in East Huntingdon reaches the start line
Construction of a 2-mile track in East Huntingdon to test autonomous vehicles and train first responders is underway, with the facility expected to be in operation by late 2026. The project’s first phase, which includes the test track and supporting infrastructure, is expected to cost about $30 million. Work crews...
Greensburg man sentenced to jail for child porn possession
A Greensburg man was ordered to serve time in jail for possessing child pornography. Trent E. Sullivan, 26, formerly of Salem, pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts in March after police found multiple images of child pornography on his home computer and cell phone in March 2021. According to court...
