Jeff Himler stories, Page 28
Unity soldier was killed in action in ‘forgotten’ Alaskan battle of World War II
The Battle of Attu, on one of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, is known by historians as the “Forgotten War” of World War II. A Derry Township man is making sure his great uncle, one of the 549 U.S. troops killed in that battle, isn’t forgotten. David W. Bates, a native of...
Joe Zelenak honored with Mt. Pleasant Citizen of the Year award
Mt. Pleasant VFW Commander Joe Zelenak was invited to speak at a recent mid-week luncheon meeting of the Mt. Pleasant Rotary Club. Instead of telling the service organization about his veterans group, Zelenak learned he was chosen as the Rotary club’s 2023 Citizen of the Year. “We all said the...
Mt. Pleasant Rotary marks century of service to community, for international causes
U.S. flags fly along the streets of downtown Mt. Pleasant Borough on Memorial Day and other national holidays. A clock keeps time at the town’s Veterans Park and local Little League players take a swing at a home run at restored Willows Park Field. The common denominator in those community...
‘Wonderettes’ brings back song hits of ’50s, ’60s for Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
A high school prom and reunion, set to a string of popular songs, will unfold on stage for those who purchase tickets for “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” the first production in Saint Vincent Summer Theatre’s upcoming season. This season marks Greggory Brandt’s 10th as producing artistic director of summer theater at...
Buffalo Township 13-year-old killed while riding bike; 2nd boy injured
A 13-year-old Buffalo Township boy bicycling home from a candy store with a friend died after being struck by a pickup Friday evening, police said. Dylan Tarbi died just before 8:30 p.m. after being flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. Township...
Rochester man drowns in Donegal Township pond
A Rochester man’s apparent drowning death Friday in Donegal Township is under investigation by state police and Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Carson said it appears that Glenn T. White, 58, was the victim of an accidental drowning when he jumped into a pond to retrieve an injured bird, went...
Hempfield crash involving 2 motorcycles sends 1 person to Pittsburgh hospital
One person was flown to a Pittsburgh trauma center after a crash involving two motorcycles Friday afternoon in Hempfield. The patient, who was in critical but stable condition, was flown to UMPC Presbyterian Hospital, according to Shawn Penzera, public information officer for Mutual Aid Ambulance Service. No other injuries were...
Fort Ligonier to host Prussian reenactors, offers free admission for military families
A Prussian invasion is anticipated this weekend at Fort Ligonier. Reenactors portraying Prussian soldiers who engaged in combat during the mid 18th century will take up residence for a historical military encampment Saturday and Sunday at the reconstructed fort. Based in the Midwest, the infantry brigade will be on hand...
Greater Latrobe School District revises revenue projections, expects to hold line on taxes
Greater Latrobe School Board this week unanimously approved a proposed $66.67 million budget for the 2024-25 school year that calls for no increase in the district real estate tax. Business administrator Dan Watson presented revised figures that allow for a balanced budget, wiping out a potential revenue shortfall of about...
Student project brings shuttered Mt. Pleasant glass plant back to virtual life
When Sandy Spence was a young girl, she would visit Mt. Pleasant’s L.E. Smith Glass plant, where her father, Cedric Spence Jr., began work as a foreman in 1946. On Monday evening, she traveled from her current home in Lewes, Del., to revisit the site virtually. Donning virtual reality goggles,...
Ex-Somerset County DA gets probation for no-contest plea to charge of assaulting wife
Former Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas will serve two years of probation after pleading no contest to a charge that he assaulted his wife in 2021. The probation period will run concurrently with the 2½ -to-7-year prison term Thomas is serving for the sexual assault of a Windber woman,...
Latrobe firefighters serve up haluski, rides, games at First Ward carnival
A week of games and amusement rides is set for 6 to 10 p.m. each day this week, Tuesday through Saturday, at the Latrobe Fire Department Carnival. Patrons can come early, at 5 p.m., to get a taste of carnival fare when the food stand opens at the town’s First...
Unity center begins second year training union apprentices for in-demand HVAC service work
The price is right for Dane Dyson. When the 22-year-old Yough Senior High graduate realized it would cost him $22,000 to attend a career school to learn the tricks of the plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning trades, he opted instead to join a local union apprentice program. Dyson...
Here’s what’s on tap for ‘Week of Kindness’ at Latrobe Art Center
Latrobe Art Center on Monday will kick off its fourth annual Fred Rogers-inspired Week of Kindness by hosting an informational gathering for educators and child caregivers. Held in partnership with the Fred Rogers Institute and WQED Education, Monday’s session, set for 4 to 6 p.m., is titled “Educator Playground: Being...
Financial issues cited in pending closure of Latrobe personal care home
More than two dozen residents of a Latrobe personal care home will need to find other accommodations before July 8. Latrobe Manor administrator Kim Cecere said this week the home is working with families of its residents to find other placements for them. The 28 residents include elderly people and...
Mt. Pleasant Area school showcase to feature virtual view of closed glass plant
Visitors to an event Monday at Mt. Pleasant Area Junior-Senior High will gain a multi-faceted perspective on a mainstay of the community’s once-thriving glass industry. District students and staff, local historians and a technology consultant have combined efforts for a community showcase focusing on the former L.E. Smith Glass factory....
Greater Latrobe School District eyes potential $859K revenue shortfall for 2024-25
Greater Latrobe School District officials have proposed a 2024-2025 budget with $66.6 million in spending and a projected revenue shortfall of about $859,000. The school board is expected to vote on the tentative spending plan on Tuesday but administrators are biding their time on making any recommendation about a related...
Derry community mourns death of borough council president
Derry Borough this week is coping with the loss of one of its veteran public servants, with the unexpected death of council President Al Checca. Checca, 57, who survived three kidney transplants, died late Sunday, May 12, 2024, in Pittsburgh’s UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. He’d been recovering there for nearly a...
Utility rebate will help Latrobe update HVAC units, lighting
Latrobe Council has approved a proposal from Tudi Mechanical Systems to upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment at city hall and lighting at the municipal parking garage and solid waste transfer station. City manager Terry Carcella said the McKees Rocks contractor will install nine new air handlers at city...
Court names Greensburg attorney to oversee Westmoreland register of wills office
Greensburg attorney James Antoniono will oversee the Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office, effective May 28, according to a court order issued Monday. The county’s elected register of wills, Sherry Magretti Hamilton, “has forfeited her role as the sole and chief administrator of the office by being derelict in her...
PennDOT cites safety issues with Route 30 median barrier plan in North Huntingdon
North Huntingdon resident Tony Janczewski isn’t happy that the median barrier proposed for a stretch of Route 30 in the township could add two miles to his daily trip to work. According to Route 30 improvement plans displayed last week at the Hartford Heights fire station, Janczewski would have to...
Tornadoes confirmed in Washington, Fayette counties from weekend stormsVideo
The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday near Finleyville in Washington County. NWS confirmed the Finleyville tornado as an EF2, meaning it had winds between 111 to 135 mph. A church in adjacent Union Township was damaged while services were in progress,...
Officials dedicate renamed Ligonier Township bridge, honor legacy of 2 Congressional medal recipients
Officials and family members gathered Saturday at Ligonier Valley Cemetery to make sure future generations don’t forget the battlefield bravery displayed by two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who are buried there. While a local veterans honor guard provided a military salute, state officials dedicated the nearby Route 711 span...
Former employee accused of stealing $7K in items from Penn Hills School District field house
A former Penn Hills School District employee is charged with stealing nearly $7,000 worth of equipment from the high school field house. Patsy Seneca, 70, of Penn Hills was captured on surveillance video loading items from the field house into his pickup truck on the morning of May 1, according...
Northern lights’ colorful display dazzles skygazers in Western Pennsylvania
Residents from around Western Pennsylvania enjoyed a colorful sky show late Friday and early Saturday as a strong solar storm sparked a display of the northern lights in many areas around the United States. WTAE meteorologist Jill Szwed said it’s the strongest geomagnetic storm since Halloween 2003 and offered an...
