Jeff Himler stories, Page 33
Westmoreland DA: fatal officer-involved shooting justified in North Huntingdon drug buy
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli has ruled that use of deadly force was justified in an officer-involved shooting Sept. 5 that resulted in the death of a suspect in an undercover narcotics investigation in North Huntingdon. Dontae D. Warner, 30, of McKeesport was found dead in his vehicle...
Derry Township to tackle bridge repairs, stormwater
The supervisors in Derry Township are adding repairs to bridges on three roads and improvement of storm drainage on a section of Keeling Avenue to their to-do list. New Alexandria contractor Curry & Kepple submitted the apparent low price of $66,120 for repairs to bridges on Pittsburgh Street, Seger Road...
Westmoreland County exits drought watch; conservation continues for Beaver Run water users
State officials on Tuesday lifted a drought watch for Westmoreland County that had been in place since early December. Still, the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County is continuing a voluntary water conservation directive for more than 56,000 of its customers who are served from the Beaver Run Reservoir. The state...
Split invention, festival garner Latrobe inaugural spot in Dole Banana Hall of Fame
The City of Latrobe is no second banana — particularly when it comes to the yellow fruit that is the main ingredient in the town’s original frozen treat. The city on Monday was named one of three inaugural inductees in the Dole Banana Hall of Fame. Dole officials said they...
HVAC, lighting upgrades could cost Latrobe $425K
It could cost $425,000 for Latrobe to replace outdated HVAC equipment at city hall and its solid waste transfer station while also installing updated LED lighting at the transfer station and the city parking garage. City officials expect this month to learn the fate of their application for a share...
Latrobe Presbyterians mark 250th anniversary of Unity Cemetery
Those who have found a final resting place at Unity Cemetery range from veterans of the Revolutionary War to iconic children’s television host Fred Rogers, who grew up just a few miles away in Latrobe. “A walk through Unity Cemetery is a walk through history, not only the history of...
Greater Latrobe alumna honoree cites benefits of sports, outdoors, support of Flight 93 Memorial
Dawna Joyce Richards Bates is most at home when she can apply her skills to help others. When she wasn’t working at her alma mater — Greater Latrobe School District — teaching elementary students the importance of physical fitness or junior high girls the value of sportsmanship on the basketball...
Latrobe 4th of July activities to return to park; Murrysville consultant on board as director
The Latrobe 4th of July Celebration is moving back to Legion Keener Park with a new two-day schedule of activities. Steph Mihleder, a Murrysville consultant who has worked with businesses and nonprofits, is on board as the new director of the celebration. Mihleder was chosen in mid-January by a group...
1 ejected, flown to hospital in fiery Washington County crash
A motorist was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh-area hospital after a fiery single-vehicle crash Thursday evening in Washington County. The occupant was ejected from the vehicle, which rolled over and caught fire shortly after 7 p.m. in the 300 block of Welsh Road in Chartiers Township, according to...
Latrobe police propose new handguns, cite improved sighting, cheaper ammo
Latrobe police are considering a switch to new handguns with advanced sighting optics, citing expected benefits in targeting and accuracy. The department is proposing to buy Glock 9mm pistols — enough to equip its 14 officers, with a few additional weapons to spare. Latrobe police would trade in the .40-caliber...
Ligonier Township road to remain closed until late summer
A section of a Ligonier Township road that has been closed for about five years will remain off-limits to traffic for several more months. After hearing concerns about traffic safety, township supervisors voted this week to extend the closure of Myers School Road until late summer, after it has been...
Blair County woman injured in Pennsylvania Turnpike crash near New Stanton
A Blair County woman was injured in a multi-vehicle crash that temporarily blocked one lane of eastbound traffic Wednesday afternoon on the Pennsylvania Turnpike just past the New Stanton interchange. State police said Linda Closson, 64, of Martinsburg was taken by Mutual Aid Ambulance to Independence Health Frick Hospital in...
Home improvement: Residential owners get assist as Latrobe looks to check blight
Mark Durkay put a new front porch and steps on his Latrobe home a few years ago, but his family wasn’t able to fit a replacement for their weathered front door and broken storm door into their budget. “We had a new porch made with bricks, but the door was...
Derry Borough eyes addition of pool pavilion, slide
Winter isn’t over yet, but Derry Borough officials are looking ahead to summer and proposed upgrades at the community swimming pool. The borough is planning to add a second pavilion at the East Third Street recreational facility. It also hopes to replace a water slide that was no longer in...
Pittsburgh police say missing 11-year-old girl has been found
Pittsburgh police say an 11-year-old girl who went missing from the city’s Homewood North neighborhood has been found. Alayna Hines was last seen at about 3:30 p.m. Friday at her home, police said. Pittsburgh police issued an update Saturday reporting that she had been found safely but offered no further...
Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center sets open house for prospective students
Students at Derry Area, Greater Latrobe and Ligonier Valley school districts who are considering enrolling in career-oriented programs will have the chance to check out local offerings Monday at Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center. Students currently in grades 8-11 at any of the three member districts are invited to...
Interstate 70 lane restrictions extended for work on Rostraver interchange project
Lane restrictions in both directions on Interstate 70 in Rostraver that were to have ended this week are being extended through March 1, according to PennDOT. Both eastbound and westbound traffic is limited to a single lane each day between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The eastbound restriction is in...
Forbes Road Career and Technology Center to add arboretum
Horticulture students at Forbes Road Career and Technology Center soon will have a living laboratory where they can learn about plants and how to care for them. The Monroeville school, which accepts students from nine area districts, plans to develop an arboretum and botanical garden featuring more than a dozen...
Former Penn Hills man sentenced to more than 24 years for fentanyl trafficking; witness intimidation noted in sentencing
A former Penn Hills man who prosecutors say was involved with a gang trafficking in fentanyl has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the 293-month sentence Tuesday on Jamal Knox, 29, in federal court...
Latrobe exhibit to focus on Fred Rogers’ role as helper
Latrobe native Fred Rogers’ efforts to help others is the focus of a month-long exhibit that begins Saturday at the Latrobe Art Center. Presented in partnership with the Fred Rogers Institute at nearby Saint Vincent College, “Fred Rogers: Celebrating A Lifelong Helper” will kick off with an opening event from...
Mainline Pharmacy to close 9 stores, including Harrison City site
Mainline Pharmacy has announced nine of its 11 locations will close in March, including stores in Harrison City and Blairsville. Mainline is among area independent pharmacies that contend payments they receive for many prescription drugs, as determined by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), are far less than the cost of the...
Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee names grand marshal, sets contest deadline
A tradition that began more than 150 years ago will continue on March 16 when Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day parade kicks off at 10 a.m. The parade committee has announced Robert Tierney, a native of County Dublin, Ireland, will serve as grand marshal of this year’s event. Tierney first came...
Greater Latrobe grad takes surgical skills to underserved areas overseas
There was a time, before Dr. Marla Sacks received her 2009 high school diploma from Greater Latrobe, when she was considering a career as a veterinarian. Patients in several countries are grateful that she instead earned a medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine, in the island nation...
Murrysville-based car club charged up about switch to electric cars
Jonathan Belak estimates it costs him about $3 per week to get around in his Tesla Model S. That’s based on the small fraction of his utility bill that results when the retiree plugs in the 2013 model electric vehicle to recharge at his Murrysville home. Belak is president of...
Winter storm dumps 6 or more inches of snow in parts of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Some areas of Southwestern Pennsylvania saw 6 or more inches of snow from Friday evening through Saturday morning, exceeding by a few inches what forecasters had predicted for the winter storm. The heaviest band of snow pushed through southern Allegheny County, after dumping up to 11 inches in areas of...
