Dirk Kaufman
@dirkwkaufman.bsky.social
Small-town news editor @triblive.bsky.social. Begrudging rails-to-trails rider. Missing the best dog ever.
TribLive Taste Test: Thanksgiving-themed Cup Noodles triblive.com/lifestyles/f...
TribLive Taste Test: Thanksgiving-themed Cup Noodles
As those who’ve watched these videos will recall, Thanksgiving has brought us some uniquely horrible opportunities here at the TribLive Taste Test. Witness the apocalyptic horror of Brach’...
triblive.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:34 PM
TribLive Taste Test: Thanksgiving-themed Cup Noodles triblive.com/lifestyles/f...
Overly's light display — and Santa — return to Westmoreland Fairgrounds triblive.com/local/westmo...
Overly's light display — and Santa — return to Westmoreland Fairgrounds
The Overly’s Country Christmas annual holiday lights display is open for the season, ready to host old and new traditions for area families. The lights are accompanied by a Christmas village, mo...
triblive.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Overly's light display — and Santa — return to Westmoreland Fairgrounds triblive.com/local/westmo...
Westmoreland transit authority cuts ties with state lobbyists triblive.com/local/westmo...
Westmoreland transit authority cuts ties with state lobbyists
A divided Westmoreland County Transit Authority board fired the agency’s state lobbyists this week. Four of the board’s seven members voted against retaining the Harrisburg-based firm, Mal...
triblive.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Westmoreland transit authority cuts ties with state lobbyists triblive.com/local/westmo...
'Woot!': Westmoreland volunteers enjoy their good deeds for those less fortunate triblive.com/local/westmo...
'Woot!': Westmoreland volunteers enjoy their good deeds for those less fortunate
Sporadic hooting and hollering was coming from inside the Murrysville Christian Concern’s new community building in Export early Saturday, as a group of more than 200 volunteers adorned in blue ...
triblive.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:47 PM
'Woot!': Westmoreland volunteers enjoy their good deeds for those less fortunate triblive.com/local/westmo...
Free parking offer generates 3 truckloads of food donations from visitors to downtown Greensburg triblive.com/local/westmo...
Free parking offer generates 3 truckloads of food donations from visitors to downtown Greensburg
Eight days of free meter parking in Greensburg resulted in at least three truckloads of food donations for the nonprofit Feeding the Spirit. City administrator Kelsye Milliron said three truckloads we...
triblive.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Free parking offer generates 3 truckloads of food donations from visitors to downtown Greensburg triblive.com/local/westmo...
How one Southwestern Pa. school district is trying to improve test scores — while on a budget triblive.com/local/westmo...
How one Southwestern Pa. school district is trying to improve test scores — while on a budget
Monessen City School Superintendent Robert Motte is faced with a dilemma. Motte admits the district’s state test scores could use some improvement. On the 2024 Keystone Exams, 3% of the district...
triblive.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:46 PM
How one Southwestern Pa. school district is trying to improve test scores — while on a budget triblive.com/local/westmo...
Increased school funding could lead to higher test scores — but it's often more complicated than that triblive.com/local/westmo...
Increased school funding could lead to higher test scores — but it's often more complicated than that
When it comes to education spending, more isn’t always better. At least that’s what the numbers — standardized test scores and per-student spending — suggest about Southwestern...
triblive.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Increased school funding could lead to higher test scores — but it's often more complicated than that triblive.com/local/westmo...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 21-23 triblive.com/local/westmo...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 21-23
Before the Thanksgiving meal — and then the post-turkey nap — takes hold, you’ve got a free weekend to do something for you. Relax, grab yourself a treat and head to these events. Gr...
triblive.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 21-23 triblive.com/local/westmo...
Delmont police will host collection drive to benefit Westmoreland Food Bank triblive.com/local/westmo...
Delmont police will host collection drive to benefit Westmoreland Food Bank
The Westmoreland Food Bank was still feeling pressure from food insecurity during the covid pandemic when the federal government shutdown this fall created additional strain. “We didn’t fe...
triblive.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Delmont police will host collection drive to benefit Westmoreland Food Bank triblive.com/local/westmo...
Hempfield business owner gives back with 50 turkey donations this Thanksgiving triblive.com/local/westmo...
Hempfield business owner gives back with 50 turkey donations this Thanksgiving
When Hempfield business owner Kris Wilkins was a child, holidays were a financially stressful time of year for his family. That’s why Wilkins, owner of Beautiful Kitchens along North Greengate R...
triblive.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Hempfield business owner gives back with 50 turkey donations this Thanksgiving triblive.com/local/westmo...
Lucky numbers: Westmoreland County breaks more than 200 election ties with blue pills triblive.com/local/westmo...
Lucky numbers: Westmoreland County breaks more than 200 election ties with blue pills
Brian Carnahan didn’t even know he’d be a candidate for public office until he cast a write-in vote for himself on Election Day. That single vote was enough to put him into a five-way tie ...
triblive.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Lucky numbers: Westmoreland County breaks more than 200 election ties with blue pills triblive.com/local/westmo...
Independence hospital staffers 'trying to piece everything together' in aftermath of merger announcement triblive.com/local/westmo...
Independence hospital staffers 'trying to piece everything together' in aftermath of merger announcement
Butler Memorial Hospital staffer Tara Erskine is ready for change. Erskine, 30, of Kittanning has worked as a CT scan technologist at the Butler hospital for eight years. A member of the hospital&rsqu...
triblive.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Independence hospital staffers 'trying to piece everything together' in aftermath of merger announcement triblive.com/local/westmo...
Layoffs possible as commissioners seek to reduce $30M deficit from 2026 budget triblive.com/local/westmo...
Layoffs possible as commissioners seek to reduce $30M deficit from 2026 budget
Westmoreland County commissioners said additional spending cuts and layoffs could be implemented to trim a nearly $30 million deficit from the proposed 2026 budget. Commissioners unveiled a preliminar...
triblive.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Layoffs possible as commissioners seek to reduce $30M deficit from 2026 budget triblive.com/local/westmo...
Inadequate payment for services nudges small health systems like Independence toward merger, officials say triblive.com/local/westmo...
Inadequate payment for services nudges small health systems like Independence toward merger, officials say
The merger of smaller regional hospital systems such as Independence Health with a larger health system — this one from West Virginia — is likely being driven, in part, by hospitals hurtin...
triblive.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Inadequate payment for services nudges small health systems like Independence toward merger, officials say triblive.com/local/westmo...
3-mill tax hike to fund Hempfield fire departments under consideration triblive.com/local/westmo...
3-mill tax hike to fund Hempfield fire departments under consideration
Hempfield supervisors are once again considering two budget versions for next year — one that keeps the property tax rate steady at 3 mills for the 36th straight time and another that would doub...
triblive.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:40 PM
3-mill tax hike to fund Hempfield fire departments under consideration triblive.com/local/westmo...
Monessen American Legion burns more than 1,000 flags in retirement ceremony triblive.com/local/westmo...
Monessen American Legion burns more than 1,000 flags in retirement ceremony
Old Glory went up in flames hundreds of times over Wednesday during a flag retirement ceremony in Monessen. It’s an annual tradition for members of the American Legion post there, an autumn rite...
triblive.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Monessen American Legion burns more than 1,000 flags in retirement ceremony triblive.com/local/westmo...
Community leaders anticipate economic boost from merger triblive.com/local/westmo...
Community leaders anticipate economic boost from merger
The proposed takeover by West Virginia Health System of the Independence Health could be a boon for the community, local leaders said. Officials on Wednesday announced Independence Health’s five...
triblive.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Community leaders anticipate economic boost from merger triblive.com/local/westmo...
Independence Health announces merger with WVU medicine triblive.com/local/westmo...
Independence Health announces merger with WVU medicine
Independence Health, with hospitals in Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant, announced that it will join WVU Health System beginning this fall. The hospital system said at an announcement at Westmorel...
triblive.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Independence Health announces merger with WVU medicine triblive.com/local/westmo...
Norwin Works! program: preparing students for life's work triblive.com/local/westmo...
Norwin Works! program: preparing students for life's work
Autumn Serembo, a Norwin High School senior, was busy Tuesday afternoon scraping off stickers that would identify books as being from Norwin Public Library, in preparation for the books to be sold at ...
triblive.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Norwin Works! program: preparing students for life's work triblive.com/local/westmo...
Latrobe prepares for health cost hike next year, looks to hold line on taxes triblive.com/local/westmo...
Latrobe prepares for health cost hike next year, looks to hold line on taxes
Latrobe officials plan to hold the line on taxes next year despite an increase in health benefit costs and moves to boost staff and equipment for a shift to in-house garbage hauling. City council vote...
triblive.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Latrobe prepares for health cost hike next year, looks to hold line on taxes triblive.com/local/westmo...
Westmoreland officials refute claims of backdoor salary deal for former purchasing director triblive.com/local/westmo...
Westmoreland officials refute claims of backdoor salary deal for former purchasing director
Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas on Tuesday refuted defense claims that the criminal prosecution of the county’s former purchasing director was an effort to cover up actions taken outs...
triblive.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Westmoreland officials refute claims of backdoor salary deal for former purchasing director triblive.com/local/westmo...
Jeannette man charged in hit-and-run that killed e-bike rider triblive.com/local/westmo...
Jeannette man charged in hit-and-run that killed e-bike rider
Charges were filed Tuesday against a Jeannette man in connection with a hit-and-run that killed a man who was riding an e-bike in Hempfield. State police accused William Edward Sever, 37, of being beh...
triblive.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Jeannette man charged in hit-and-run that killed e-bike rider triblive.com/local/westmo...
Police offer details on Derry Township fatal shooting triblive.com/local/westmo...
Police offer details on Derry Township fatal shooting
State police had been called to a Derry Township home that was the scene of a fatal shooting Saturday four times in less than a year for domestic-related complaints. None of them resulted in any crimi...
triblive.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Police offer details on Derry Township fatal shooting triblive.com/local/westmo...
Westmoreland to break 200 election ties with draws from a jar triblive.com/local/westmo...
Westmoreland to break 200 election ties with draws from a jar
More than 200 races in this month’s municipal election in Westmoreland County ended in ties. The county election board on Tuesday issued a precertification of the results of the hundreds of race...
triblive.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Westmoreland to break 200 election ties with draws from a jar triblive.com/local/westmo...
Expert says 50-year mortgage proposal would be a 'generational debt' trap triblive.com/local/region...
Expert says 50-year mortgage proposal would be a 'generational debt' trap
To address mounting concerns about housing affordability, President Donald Trump recently floated the prospect of a 50-year mortgage, days after several key election contests that centered on cost-of-...
triblive.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Expert says 50-year mortgage proposal would be a 'generational debt' trap triblive.com/local/region...