Jeff Himler stories, Page 11
PennDOT plans stop warning at Jeannette intersection; nearby pipe work triggers detour
PennDOT is looking to improve traffic safety in Jeannette by providing motorists advance warning to stop at the intersection of Lewis Avenue and Park Street. Plans call for crews to install a flashing beacon to alert approaching drivers of an all-way stop at the intersection. Work is expected to take...
Blooms, bright skies bring mothers out to browse Greensburg shops ahead of holiday
Molly Clayton of Latrobe and her mother, JoAnn Ridilla, a Unity resident, don’t get to downtown Greensburg very often. With clear skies, temperatures in the 70s and retail promotions, conditions were ideal for a trip there on Saturday — during an inaugural “Blooms & Sips: Mother’s Day Stroll” shopping event....
Greensburg driver killed in car-truck collision on Route 22
A Greensburg man was killed early Saturday when his car collided with a dump truck on Route 22 in Murrysville. Thomas Edward Peer, 71, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. The rear-end type crash was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. near the intersection...
Giant Eagle set to close store at former Parkway Center Mall site
A Giant Eagle supermarket in Pittsburgh, near the shuttered Parkway Center Mall, is set to close. The store is scheduled to close its doors on June 28 while the pharmacy at that location will end operations on May 21, according to company spokesman Dan Donovan. “This was not an easy...
15-year-old girl shot in East Pittsburgh; woman in custody
Allegheny County police took a 19-year-old woman into custody after a 15-year-old girl was shot in the hand late Friday in East Pittsburgh. Police said the shooting was reported to county 911 dispatchers at about midnight in the 500 block of Franklin Street. The wounded girl’s condition wasn’t immediately available....
New sapling at Seton Hill University helps spread legacy of Holocaust diarist Anne Frank
Saplings grown from a chestnut tree that inspired Holocaust victim Anne Frank have taken root at places around the globe — including at Greensburg’s Seton Hill University, where officials believe it can provide the same hope Frank expressed in her famous diary. The university on Wednesday planted a sapling donated...
Latrobe Council begins effort to take over condemned North Side dwelling
Latrobe is looking to take over ownership of a blighted residential property in the town’s North Side that the city initially condemned last year. Now vacant, according to the city, the mobile home at 219 E. Second Ave. has overgrown trees bordering its walls. City Council recently moved to confirm...
Westmoreland County, nonprofit team up to spread crisis response teams into 5 communities
About 40% of Westmoreland County residents are living with a mental health diagnosis, while only about half of those who are affected by mental illness receive treatment — in part because of access issues. Those are among alarming statistics cited in a June 2024 report by county consultant Recovery Innovations....
Ligonier Valley School Board member Joseph Vella dies suddenly at home
The Ligonier Valley School District community was shocked this week by the unexpected death of school board member Joseph Vella. Vella, 54, who was midway through his first term on the board, died Tuesday at his Ligonier Township home. The cause of death has yet to be determined, according to...
Ligonier Country Market gets township OK of permit change, set to open 50th season
Ligonier Country Market will open its regular season as planned May 17, with the approval of Ligonier Township. Township Supervisors Dan Resenic, John Beaufort and John Fraser this week approved a modification of the market’s conditional-use permit, allowing the market to begin its season this year and going forward on...
Kids are focus of Latrobe 4th of July festival, among performers at Friday showcase
Organizers of the Latrobe Fourth of July Celebration are planning to focus on children at this year’s two-day event, set for July 3 and 4. There will be added attractions for attendees younger than 18, in keeping with the theme for the town’s festival and its popular parade — “Building...
Washington, Pa. man dies after shooting; no injuries reported at nearby school
A Washington, Pa., man died after he was shot in the city on Monday morning. Nasstylejah Wilkerson, 28, was pronounced dead in the emergency department of UPMC Washington Hospital following the shooting reported at about 11:45 a.m. near the intersection of West Walnut and North Franklin streets, according to Washington...
Police check report of inappropriate conduct by Indiana County school staffer
State police are investigating a report of inappropriate conduct involving an employee of a school district in southeastern Indiana County. No charges had been filed as of Monday and there was no threat to students or staff at United School District. The incident involved a district staff member and was...
Westmoreland work zone crash numbers down, but risk remains high, say PennDOT, police
A PennDOT flagger had a close call with an inattentive driver on Route 66 in Westmoreland County while another state road worker was struck and injured by a driver who ignored a detour in Fayette County. Those are two instances of road work zone infractions and collisions that PennDOT and...
Ligonier Township planning board recommends allowing mid-May opening for Country Market
The Ligonier Township Planning Commission is recommending that township supervisors modify a conditional-use permit, which would allow the popular Ligonier Country Market to open as planned May 17. The supervisors will hear testimony on the matter at a formal hearing set for 7 p.m. Tuesday. The planning board unanimously agreed...
Retired attorney, Social Security judge selected to fill vacant Ligonier Township supervisor seat
A retired attorney and former administrative law judge has joined Ligonier Township’s board of supervisors to fill a vacancy through the end of the year. The remaining four supervisors voted 3-1 Tuesday to appoint John Fraser, 69, to a seat vacated by the recent abrupt resignation of D. Scott Matson....
Ligonier Country Market’s appeal of opening date rule heads to planning board, supervisors
The Ligonier Township planning commission on Thursday will consider an appeal by the Ligonier Country Market that could affect the seasonal venue’s opening date this year. The market is looking to modify a provision of a 2008 township conditional use permit that indicates it can’t open before Memorial Day, which...
New York City firm gets initial OK for solar farm on site of former Unity stone quarry
A New York City-based solar farm developer has passed the first hurdle in its plan to develop an array along a rural road in Unity. The township zoning hearing board on Tuesday unanimously approved a special exception that will allow CVE North America to pursue installation of a solar farm...
Work on Youghiogheny River bridge to restrict traffic on I-70
Motorists on Interstate 70 can expect to encounter daytime lane restrictions in Rostraver and South Huntingdon beginning Wednesday, as work continues on reconstruction of the Route 51 interchange and improvement of an adjoining section of the interstate. Single-lane restrictions for both eastbound and westbound traffic are planned between the Route...
Plans for Greensburg Amtrak station include new doors, restrooms for handicapped access
Amtrak is looking to make improvements to its station at Greensburg beginning in 2026, while upgrades at the Latrobe station are set to get underway this year. The station projects, which include improved features for handicapped accessibility, come as Amtrak is planning to expand its passenger service between Pittsburgh and...
Penguin Court offers native plant sale, plans master naturalist course
Home gardeners looking to add some local color to their flower beds might choose the purple blossoms of tall larkspur or the broad yellow petals of the wood poppy. They’re two of the more than a dozen new species featured in this year’s native plant sale at the Brandywine Conservancy’s...
As plastics waste grows globally, Latrobe worshippers put faith in recycling efforts
Plastic waste is a weighty concern for members of Latrobe’s Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Since last May, the church has more than doubled its goal of recycling 1,000 pounds of shopping bags and similarly thin plastic items. More of the bags continue to accumulate weekly in a spare office room...
Supervisors eye 2nd vote in attempt to fill vacancy on Ligonier Township governing panel
The Ligonier Township Supervisors will have a second chance at their meeting Tuesday to fill a vacant seat on the township’s five-member governing panel. Eight people met the supervisors’ April 4 deadline to submit letters of interest for the appointment, but the supervisors were unable to reach an agreement on...
Latrobe fills new administrative slot, agrees to buy trash ‘toters’ for pending in-house collection
Latrobe is ramping up for its takeover of garbage hauling services in the city next year, with moves to fill a new administrative post and to strike a deal on used collection containers. City council this week promoted Melanie McGregor, an hourly sanitation department clerk, to the new salaried role...
Improvements on track for Latrobe’s Amtrak station
A long-awaited update of Latrobe’s Amtrak station is expected to get underway in the weeks ahead. City officials reported project representatives have been checking with the Pennsylvania One Call System to determine the location of underground utilities in preparation for beginning construction. “I’m thrilled it’s finally going to happen,” Jarod...
