Jeff Himler stories, Page 34
Uniontown house fire displaces pair, man suffers burns
A man and woman in Uniontown were displaced by an early morning house fire, and the man suffered burns while escaping the flames, according to firefighters. The man was treated at the scene by medics and declined transport for further treatment, according to Uniontown fire Chief Scott Conn. The man...
Monroeville OKs worker pay hikes, anticipates do-over of cracked rec courts
Several categories of Monroeville municipal workers will see pay raises this year under labor agreements approved by council members in February. A new four-year contract running through 2027 will result in annual salary hikes for about 25 employees represented by Pennsylvania Social Services Union, Service Employees International Union Local 668....
New Latrobe police captain is retired state trooper, liaison to school district police force
Latrobe has expanded its police force to include a new captain position and has turned to a nine-year veteran of the department to take on the role. Rob Daerr, who has served as the city’s liaison to the Greater Latrobe School District police force, will be promoted to captain effective...
Vehicle restrictions slated for Pennsylvania routes as Tuesday snowstorm approaches
A section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike east of New Stanton is among major state roadways that will be subject to traffic restrictions as transportation officials prepare for a winter snowstorm set to pass through the region beginning early on Tuesday. PennDOT and the Turnpike Commission announced restrictions that will go...
Demolition underway at Mt. Pleasant’s fire-gutted McCali Manor; owner regrouping for arts program
A landmark building soon will be gone from Mt. Pleasant Borough’s diamond. Minniefield Demolition Services has begun to raze the historic McCali Manor building that last housed apartments and a former restaurant at Main and Diamond streets. Part of the building is said to date to before the American Revolution,...
Mt. Pleasant, Franklin Regional, Butler seniors score scholarships in annual Saint Vincent competition
High school senior Eli Duvall’s post-secondary plans recently got a boost when he learned he’d earned a full-ride scholarship to attend Saint Vincent College in Unity. Duvall, who attends Mt. Pleasant Area Senior High, has been awarded a scholarship covering four years of tuition, room and board, as the top...
Gibsonia man charged in fatal hit-and-run in McCandless last March
A Gibsonia man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 78-year-old pedestrian last year in McCandless. Karl Vincent Scott, 36, was arraigned Wednesday, Feb. 7, charged by McCandless police with causing an accident involving death or injury. Police say Scott struck Donald Leach of Wexford at about...
Police investigate crash in Washington County that killed McMurray man, Venetia woman
A McMurray man and a Venetia woman died when their vehicles collided Thursday afternoon in Washington County. The motorists were dead at the scene on Route 837 in Carroll Township, according to a report from the county coroner’s office. That office has identified one of the crash victims as Michael...
Longtime staffer named new Ligonier Valley YMCA CEO
New Ligonier Valley YMCA CEO Mike Marinchak has been associated with the organization for more than three decades. “The YMCA has made a tremendous impact on my family and is one of the many reasons I make Ligonier my home,” said Marinchak. “I want to make certain the opportunities provided...
Proposed power line route triggers concerns for residents in Derry, Ligonier townships
Gene Giernacky fears he may lose use of part of his rural 15-acre retirement property in Derry Township, while Mike Adams could face the prospect of seeing the timber he intends to use as a heat source for his neighboring home toppled by a utility company. They were among more...
Derry to consider 2-year pause before revisiting future of disbanded K-9 program
Derry council is expected to consider a two-year moratorium on any revival of the borough’s police dog program, which was disbanded in October following the August euthanization of its police dog, Smoke. In addition to the moratorium, council Tuesday will consider allowing a privately funded memorial stone for Smoke at...
Greater Latrobe student business creates apparel and signs, from design to delivery
Isabella DiCecca has a super-tight deadline on an order to create a T-shirt for a fellow Taylor Swift fan. The Greater Latrobe junior began her week using a laptop to piece together design elements for a shirt celebrating the Feb. 11 Super Bowl appearance of Swift’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs...
Starbucks planned in East Huntingdon
The Starbucks coffee chain is preparing to open a drive-through location in East Huntingdon. Earth-moving has begun at the site along Bessemer Road, between Route 119 and a GetGo convenience store. “Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers,” a company spokesperson said....
Cupid’s Chase 5K set for Latrobe, benefits area adults with disabilities
Participants will have their hearts into running a 5K race set for Saturday in Latrobe. The annual Cupid’s Chase will kick off at 10 a.m. at Memorial Stadium, raising funds for Community Options, a nonprofit that provides support and services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Westmoreland and...
Latrobe merchants plan ‘Sweet Night’ as monthly Shop Hop events resume
Several Latrobe merchants are planning “A Sweet Night Out” for visitors Wednesday evening as the city’s downtown business community begins another year of monthly Shop Hop Night events. Given the relatively mild weather forecast for this first full week of February, with daytime highs moving into the 50s, organizer Emily...
Ligonier Valley police officer to provide security at Ligonier power line meeting
An officer from the Ligonier Valley Police Department will provide security at a public meeting FirstEnergy has set for Wednesday in Ligonier Township. The meeting concerns the utility company’s proposed new power line between Derry and Ligonier. The Ligonier Valley Police Commission on Monday approved an agreement with FirstEnergy to...
Latrobe’s former G.C. Murphy discount store undergoes renovation, poised for rebirth
A central retail space in downtown Latrobe where shoppers used to head decades ago in search of bargains from G.C. Murphy is primed for a new lease on life, thanks to restoration work completed inside and out by a local nonprofit. The unusual L-shaped building, with storefronts on Ligonier and...
Latrobe police say Erie man solicited sex with woman, underage daughter
An Erie man is in Westmoreland County Prison, accused of asking to have sex with a woman and her daughter, who is now 9 years old. Timothy James Colcombe, 36, is accused of sending multiple messages to the girl’s mother’s cellphone between August 2021 and November 2022 that included sexual...
West Overton party to kick off Scottdale’s year-long 150th anniversary celebration
Scottdale Borough turns 150 on Monday, and the community is celebrating a day early, with a free party at nearby West Overton Village. The event is set for 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the historic site off Route 819 in East Huntingdon. The party is among a series of...
Kids encouraged to explore Westmoreland libraries during annual Saturday event
Scavenger hunts, crafts and robotics are among activities planned at several Westmoreland County libraries to attract young patrons Saturday during Take Your Child to the Library Day. Families can stop in any time during designated hours to explore fun and educational resources at their local library. A maker space at...
High water in Westmoreland closes Loyalhanna Creek causeway, Conemaugh River bridge
The Sleepy Hollow Causeway across the Loyalhanna Creek east of Ligonier was closed Tuesday afternoon because of flooding. The causeway connects the eastbound lanes of Route 30 in Unity with the westbound lanes in Derry Township. PennDOT officials also announced closure of a portion of Bairdstown Road/West Market Street in...
Plans for new Derry-Ligonier power line spark property owner concerns over potential impacts
An idyllic Ligonier Township homestead where a young couple are living the life bucolic by raising exotic fowl and keeping honeybees could be bisected by a high voltage power line proposed by FirstEnergy. The proposed power line “would slice directly through the center” of the eight-acre property on Orme Road...
Derry Area to teach students use of advanced drones to analyze agricultural acreage
A Westmoreland County school district is doubling down on using drones for its agriculture and horticulture program. Derry Area already has a drone that students use to gather data during flyovers of farmland, and it plans to buy a second one. “You can look from above the Earth at areas...
‘At 5 o’clock, Latrobe is a ghost town,’ councilwoman laments as city looks to enliven downtown
As Latrobe’s leaders discuss ways to improve the city, one of the issues they’re trying to address is the lack of nightlife downtown. “I think the big problem is at 5 o’clock, Latrobe is a ghost town,” said City Councilwoman Dawn Vavick. “Everybody leaves. There’s nobody downtown. “Shops close very...
What does the future hold for Ligonier Beach? Consultant sought to come up with development plan
Ligonier Beach supporters and township officials are poised to figure out what the future of the former Lincoln Highway landmark could be. They are looking for a consultant to help them create a new plan for redeveloping the former resort as a site for public recreation. The township bought the...
