Jeff Himler stories, Page 25
Ramp work at I-70 interchange to interrupt Route 51 traffic in Rostraver
Motorists can expect to be temporarily halted in their travels along Route 51 Thursday in Rostraver. PennDOT has advised that intermittent traffic stoppages are slated to occur between 6 a.m and 5 p.m. on the stretch of highway between Concord Lane and Route 981. As part of ongoing reconstruction of...
Families bond with animals, each other at Derry Township Agricultural Fair
Addison and Emma Heeter’s sisterly bond will be tested Thursday when they go head to head, showing their dairy and beef cattle at the Derry Township Agricultural Fair. It’s a test the 19-year-old identical twins have always passed since they began showing animals at local fairs when they were 4....
Indiana County health care lawyer to open luxury personal care home in Unity
A high-end personal care home model introduced seven years ago in Indiana County is coming to Unity, with the planned opening of The Fountains at Latrobe senior living complex by year’s end. Construction is underway on the first phase of the facility, which will include 22 assisted living rooms on...
6 people escape East Huntingdon mobile home fire unharmed
Three adults and three children escaped unharmed after fire broke out on the porch of their mobile home Friday night in East Huntingdon. Homeowner Janice Prolenski said all of the family members were inside the residence when a Holiday Court neighbor banged on the window to alert them that the...
Llamas are back at Derry Township fair, along with a new generation of handlers
This is the year for llamas and the local folks who love them. Count among them 2-year-old Rodeo and his handler, McKenna Gettemy, 15, of Unity. “I think he’s super-chill,” the teen said of her shaggy partner in local fair show rings. “He doesn’t kick when you touch his back...
Greater Latrobe considers adding lanes as part of Memorial Stadium track update
Greater Latrobe School District is considering widening its track at Memorial Stadium as part of a proposed update of the running surface. The school board has agreed to work with architectural consultant SHP on a plan that could include expanding the track in Latrobe from six lanes to eight lanes....
Ligonier Valley School District looks to upgrade baseball field for spring season
Ligonier Valley School District is in the home stretch of preparing for a major upgrade to its high school baseball field. The district wants to have the revamped field ready for batters to take their swings at a relocated home plate by spring. The direction of the field will be...
Latrobe’s lone police dog, Zeus, to retire as city opts to end K-9 program
Zeus’ crime-fighting days soon will be over. Latrobe Council voted this week to retire the city police department’s sole police dog and to terminate its K-9 program. City officials said the timing is right for both moves because the German shepherd is more than 8 years old and Latrobe’s police...
Penn Township teen killed in storm cleanup accident was Eagle Scout
The Penn Township teenager who died Thursday after a tree fell on him was an Eagle Scout known for his volunteerism, friends and family members said. Jacob Lazar, 18, was killed about 11:30 a.m. at the Trafford Sportsman’s Club along Winchester Road, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Lazar...
Motorcyclist flown from Hempfield crash on Route 136
A motorcyclist was flown to an area trauma center following a two-vehicle crash Friday morning in Hempfield. A passenger vehicle also was involved in the wreck reported shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Route 136 at Bus Garage Road, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. Route 136 was closed to...
Closures slated for road work in Mt. Pleasant Borough, Township
PennDOT on Monday, July 8 plans to close a section of Route 981 in Mt. Pleasant Township as work continues on the Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project. The closure — between Fox Run and Hecla roads — and a resulting detour are expected to be in place until late July....
Latrobe to honor veterans with concert at close of 4th celebration
Latrobe’s celebration of the nation’s birth will come to a close Friday with an appreciation of the men and women who have devoted themselves to protecting their country. The community’s two-day observance of the patriotic holiday will have a fitting finale, with a Warriors Rock concert honoring and benefiting military...
Damage to Westmoreland covered bridge minor; oversized trucks cause for concernVideo
Westmoreland County crews promptly repaired cosmetic damage caused this week when a flatbed trailer struck the entrance of the Bells Mills Bridge in South Huntingdon. Still, concerns remain about the ongoing problem of oversized vehicles squeezing through and damaging the historic wooden covered bridge, the last such span in the...
Mt. Pleasant borough manager gets 27% pay raise; council fires part-time cop
Mt. Pleasant Borough Manager Sharon Lesko’s duties have expanded once again, following her promotion from assistant borough manager shortly after the May 4, 2023, death of Jeff Landy. Her salary’s growing, too, after council this week approved a contract that gives her a 27% pay raise, from $55,000 to $70,000...
New Florence mosquito tests positive for virus similar to West Nile
A mosquito sample taken in New Florence has tested positive for a rare disease that first cropped up in Colorado in 1961 and has been known to cause severe conditions including infection of the brain and spinal cord. There haven’t been any reported cases of the Jamestown Canyon virus being...
When George Washington was a general, what was his tent like? Find out at Fort Ligonier
A traveling replica of George Washington’s headquarters and sleeping tent will be featured at Fort Ligonier fort Friday through Sunday. The large linen tent is filled with reproductions of period artifacts and equipment. Presented by Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution, the exhibit includes costumed interpreters who will assemble a...
Mt. Pleasant Area School Board OKs 1-mill property tax hike, $38.1M budget
Mt. Pleasant Area School District property owners will see 1 mill added to their tax bills to help support the district’s 2024-25 budget of more than $38.1 million. That final spending plan approved Wednesday, June 26, represents a decrease from the $38.8 million tentative budget total proposed in May, when...
Sunday market at Greensburg center features plants, gifts
Old Salem Farmers Market is held Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Oct. 20 in the rear parking lot at the Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg. The season for this new market began on June 9. Visitors could browse among 10 vendors during the...
Fire at McCandless apartment building displaces 11 families
A fire at a McCandless apartment building displaced 11 families Saturday night. Two residents were evaluated at the scene for smoke inhalation but weren’t transported for treatment, according to Matthew Williams, chief of the Peebles District Volunteer Fire Company. Peebles firefighters were among the first responders called at about 9:45...
Driver hurt as tractor-trailer plunges from I-279 in Ohio Township
The driver of a tractor-trailer was hurt early Sunday when his rig plunged from Interstate 279 onto Mt. Nebo Road below in Allegheny County. The crash was reported as a tractor-trailer rollover at about 3:30 a.m. in Ohio Township, according to state police. The driver, whom authorities didn’t name, was...
Equestrian therapy students display skills at Westmoreland Fairgrounds show
Saddling up has given Matthew Mitchell a new approach for tackling some of his personal challenges. The newly minted Southmoreland High School graduate claimed a prize on Saturday for the way he handled therapy horse Sid during the second annual horse show organized by Penn Township nonprofit, Making Strides. Mitchell,...
1 killed, 1 injured in 2-car crash in Ligonier Township
A South Huntingdon woman was killed and another motorist was injured when their cars collided Saturday morning on Route 30 in Ligonier Township. Wilma H. Bradish, 81, was taken from the scene to Independence Health Latrobe Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by an emergency room physician, according to Westmoreland...
Elvis’ blue suede shoes auctioned for $152K
Elvis Presley didn’t just sing about “Blue Suede Shoes,” he wore a pair during some of his 1950s appearances. On Friday, the footwear changed hands in a British auction, selling for nearly $152,000. The shoes were sold by auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire for £120,000 including fees, according...
Fayette coroner identifies man whose body was pulled from Monongahela River
Officials have released the identity of a man whose body was pulled from the Monongahela River on Thursday in Fayette County. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker said Larry Greene, 50, of Bobtown was reported as a potential drowning victim when his office was called to the scene in Point...
Unity residents speak out against proposed solar farm; zoning hearing to continue
A Unity supervisor and several other residents voiced concerns this week about a proposed solar farm’s potential negative impact on local property values, quality of life, and health and safety in the township. Ninemile Run Solar Master Tenant LLC and parent company GreenKey Solar are seeking a special exemption from...
