Jeff Himler stories, Page 29
Gateway Clipper shuttle out of service for weekend Pirates games
Fans have one less way to get to Pittsburgh Pirates games this weekend. The Gateway Clipper Fleet announced its shuttle boat ride from Station Square to PNC Park is out of service for games Saturday and Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. The shuttle service also was unavailable on Friday, after...
PennDOT bridge replacements to affect traffic in Rostraver, Murrysville
PennDOT bridge replacement projects are scheduled to begin Monday, May 13, triggering detours in Rostraver and a lane restriction in Murrysville. Crews from Golden Triangle Construction Co. will install a precast box culvert to replace the bridge that carries northbound Route 906 (Second Street) over Webster Hollow Run in Rostraver....
Latrobe Art Center to host sampling of local cuisine, craft brews
Local cuisine and craft brewery and winery offerings will be in the spotlight when the Latrobe Art Center hosts “A Taste of the Neighborhood: Pizza, Brews & More.” The center’s annual event for participants age 21 or older is set for 6 p.m. on May 17 in downtown Latrobe, at...
Route 711 bridge to be named for 2 Ligonier-area Medal of Honor recipients
Two Ligonier-area soldiers from different centuries received the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in battle, and both will be recognized again when a local bridge is named for them. Officials will gather at 11 a.m. Saturday in Ligonier Township to dedicate the span that carries Route 711 over Loyalhanna...
Historical society program will explore Latrobe’s legacy of military service
The generations of Latrobe area residents who have provided military service to their country will be highlighted May 17 and 18 when the Latrobe Area Historical presents the program “Honoring Our Veterans.” The presentation is set for 9:30 a.m. each day at the society headquarters and museum, 416 Weldon St.,...
Tornadoes topple trees in Ligonier Township, tear off roof in Allegheny County
Keith Hood was up around 3 a.m. Wednesday because a storm had knocked out his power, struggling to close a bedroom window when he heard “the train” coming. “It scared me,” said the resident of Berkley Road in Ligonier Township. “It was loud and ferocious. We’ve lived here 27 years,...
Volunteers needed to raise flags in memory of West Newton veterans
Volunteers are needed Saturday morning in West Newton to help raise nearly 400 flags in honor of local deceased veterans. Now in its 30th year, the West Newton Avenue of Flags display will be on view until June 1 at the West Newton Cemetery, 210 Vernon Drive. The nonprofit program...
Wet spring greets seasonal hunt for disease-bearing mosquitoes, ticks
Beginning Monday, Chrissy Edwards-McCune will be out and about in Westmoreland County — setting traps to collect mosquitoes that might be infected with diseases and could bite humans and make them sick. “I’ll set traps at about 30 sites each week,” said Edwards-McCune, who is a West Nile virus technician...
Derry Area School Board holds tax line for 2024-2025, eyes $1.2 M in capital projects
Derry Area residents will see their school property taxes hold steady for the fourth year in a row under the district’s tentative $43.4 million 2024-25 budget. Approved at this past week’s school board meeting, the proposed budget calls for tapping the district’s fund balance to cover a $2.1 million gap...
Unity teen leads way as Greater Latrobe Senior High grows aviation course offerings, partnerships
Brayden Johnson soon will be taking off into the world of post-secondary studies, as he hopes to land a job as a commercial airline pilot. The senior at Greater Latrobe Senior High has a head start because he did initial flight training at the nearby Laurel Highlands Aeronautical Academy at...
Pressure cooking: Teams vie for top chef honors in inaugural competition at WCCC
The three members of the Sizzle Squad combined all the right ingredients to pull off a win in Westmoreland County Community College’s inaugural culinary competition. Brittany Martin of Belle Vernon drew upon her previous experience working in a restaurant and her love of food-based TV reality shows as she led...
PennDOT paving to begin Monday on 2 routes on outskirts of Greensburg
PennDOT paving work is scheduled to be underway beginning on Monday, May 6 on the outskirts of Greensburg, simultaneously restricting traffic for several days on two routes providing access to the city from the east. Depending on weather, crews from Tresco Paving Corp. are set to begin milling and resurfacing...
Derry Area set to update high school track, seeks funding for new roofing
Derry Area School District is spending some money this summer to help keep its student-athletes running smoothly. The school board this week awarded a contract to American Athletic Track and Turf to resurface the track at the high school stadium. The board meanwhile is hoping for state funding assistance to...
Mt. Pleasant Area School Board OKs proposed $38.8M budget, potential 3-mill tax hike
Mt. Pleasant Area School District residents would face a 3-mill property tax hike under a proposed $38.8 million 2024-2025 budget based on a worst-case scenario. But district officials say they hope to trim that tax increase by June 26, when the school board is scheduled to vote on a final...
Spots limited for 10th annual sojourn on Loyalhanna Creek
Remaining spots are limited for the 10th annual Loyalhanna Sojourn, a paddling trip down the Loyalhanna Creek from Latrobe to New Alexandria. The Saturday, May 18 excursion will cover 9 miles, beginning with 8 a.m. registration at Latrobe’s Cardinal Park. It’s geared for people of all ages and experience levels...
Updated greenhouses will be dream come true for Derry Area agriculture teacher
After a decade leading Derry Area High School’s agriculture/horticulture program, Carly Rippole’s looking forward to summer. The school’s two greenhouses are slated to get an update that includes new panels and technology that will allow Rippole and her students to monitor and control the greenhouse environment remotely. “I’m excited to...
Ligonier area museums to offer free admission for living history, art, cricket, kids’ activities
French foes never succeeded in capturing Fort Ligonier from the British during the mid-18th century armed conflict between the two nations. But reenactors portraying French Marines will have the run of the recreated version of the fort Saturday and Sunday in Ligonier Borough. They’ll show visitors how troops would have...
Latrobe Municipal Authority preps for electrical overhaul of sewage plant as rate hike takes effect
Latrobe Municipal Authority is poised to update electrical systems at its sewage treatment plant as an unrelated sewage rate hike takes effect. Many of the electrical components at the Lattanzio Road plant, including the utility service entrance and related circuits, date from the 1980s, authority manager Terri Hauser noted. “They’ve...
Historical program, hike will explore former Laurel Mountain railroad line
Where hiking trails now welcome visitors to explore the slopes of Laurel Mountain, at the border of Westmoreland and Somerset counties, locomotives once pulled carloads of timber and quarried stone over the lofty ridge. Participants in a May 2 program organized by the Ligonier Valley Historical Society and the Forbes...
Ligonier Valley students test waters of fly fishing in Trout Unlimited program
Thirteen-year-old Blake Rensko left behind the confines of his seventh grade classroom at Ligonier Valley Middle School on a recent Wednesday to spend some time angling in a nearby stretch of the Loyalhanna Creek. He didn’t catch anything during his fly-fishing excursion, but he hooked a 20-inch rainbow trout and...
Hibernians group celebrates Irish culture, looks to expand local membership
Mixed in with Jim Ramsay’s mostly Scottish heritage there’s a wee bit of an Irish bloodline. “My grandmother was a Callahan,” Ramsay said. That’s enough to qualify the Unity man for membership in the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He recently was elected vice president of the American organization’s St. Brendan...
Clairton man wanted in connection with Mount Oliver shooting, victim critical
Allegheny County Police are searching for a Clairton man who is wanted in connection with a robbery and shooting Tuesday in Mount Oliver that critically wounded another man. The suspect, 29-year-old Dorian Ingram, should be treated as potentially armed and dangerous, police said. Described as 6 feet, 1 inch tall...
Growing Greensburg Night Market boosts foot traffic, profile for downtown retail district
Greensburg’s Night Market kicked off its sixth season of vendor browsing and live music Thursday evening, as the city’s civic and business leaders looked forward to the spotlight the monthly event shines on the downtown retail area. Mayor Robb Bell said he’s been amazed by the event’s growth along several...
Mt. Pleasant native looks to give former Cook’s Lumber, salvage store new life as an auction house
A Mt. Pleasant native is investing in her hometown, with plans to repurpose a closed resale business. Dee Ankney, who sells home improvement goods in Canonsburg, has purchased the former nonprofit American Architectural Salvage store along Mt. Pleasant’s Main Street. She intends to turn it into an auction house specializing...
Jill Cooper scores decisive win in GOP primary for 55th District House seat
First-term state Rep. Jill Cooper cruised to a commanding victory Tuesday night over challenger Jamie Lingg in the Republican primary race for the 55th District in northern Westmoreland County. Cooper, 62, garnered nearly 78% of 7,576 votes cast, according to the unofficial tally, with all 54 of the district’s precincts...
