Jeff Himler stories, Page 46
Pitt-Greensburg hosts veterans benefits fair as deadline nears for toxic exposure claims
Veterans and their survivors are invited to attend a claims and enrollment fair Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, to learn about benefits that have been expanded to cover more people who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System is sponsoring...
Residential reuse of First Commonwealth building among consultants’ ideas for downtown Greensburg
The First Commonwealth building at the southeast corner of Greensburg’s Pittsburgh and Main streets could be filled with a mix of 60 apartments and Airbnb units while the Barclay Building just to the north might house an entertainment or event venue. A neighboring three-story building to the south once occupied...
Late West Point softball coach honored with tournament, memorial bench
West Point Little League defeated visiting Latrobe 11-6 in the inaugural Ray Mello Classic softball game. The Mello Classic honors one of the local Hempfield-based league’s founding fathers and, fittingly, will be held annually on Father’s Day weekend. Organizers hope to expand next year’s event into a tournament involving multiple...
Greensburg Salem moves forward with middle school basketball court, new Offutt Field fence
Greensburg Salem residents should see exterior improvements underway at the district middle school and at Offutt Field at about the time students are returning to classes for the fall semester. The school board this week awarded contracts to Hempfield-based C. H. & D. Enterprises for constructing a new outdoor basketball...
Road closures planned in Mt. Pleasant Township for work on Route 981 roundabout
State Street will close Friday at Route 981 in Mt. Pleasant Township as construction continues on a new roundabout at that intersection. State Street is expected to remain closed through late July as crews from Walsh Construction Company complete a connection between the street and the roundabout that is set...
Real estate consultants kick off Greensburg visit with tour of downtown properties
Reimagining the potential of downtown Greensburg took another step forward Monday. A group of national commercial real estate experts toured prominent vacant properties that long have bedeviled economic growth in the city’s business district. “They had some very general questions,” said Greensburg Councilman Randy Finfrock, who met with the group...
Greensburg student attends gathering of future medical leaders, sets sights on career as vet
Shelby Frick, at 17, has witnessed doctors performing a rotator cuff surgery and she’s heard about ground-breaking medical research directly from the lips of Nobel laureates. The rising senior at Greensburg Salem High School had those experiences in June while attending a three-day Congress of Future Medical Leaders near Boston....
Jeannette EMS closure underlines funding concerns for area ambulance services
Ambulance crews that provide life-saving intervention are themselves in need of life support, industry officials said. Insufficient funding is one of the primary factors that prompted the abrupt closure of the Jeannette EMS ambulance service a week ago, said Randy Highlands, director of operations. It’s an outcome he fears other...
Extended time proposed for parking at select downtown Greensburg meters
Some visitors to downtown Greensburg could gain a few extra minutes of metered parking without the risk of an overtime ticket, if the city pursues a councilman’s suggestion. Councilman Randy Finfrock on Wednesday, July 5 proposed buying software that would allow the city to add a grace period of a...
Route 30, Route 22 lane restrictions, Cook Township road closure to begin Monday
Various PennDOT road projects beginning Monday are set to trigger nighttime single-lane restrictions on sections of Route 30 in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties and on Route 22 in Murrysville, as well as closure of part of Four Mile Run Road in Cook Township. • Lane restrictions will be in place...
Greensburg survey will provide input as real estate consultants weigh in on downtown sites
People who live, work, pursue an education or operate a business or organization in Greensburg are being invited to offer input concerning the city’s downtown. Their responses to an online survey will provide feedback to a six-member team of consultants who will be visiting the community through Friday, to provide...
Acts add Wild West appeal to Derry Township Agricultural Fair
A taste of the Wild West will greet visitors to this year’s Derry Township Agricultural Fair, which is slated Sunday through July 15 along Route 982 north of New Derry. One of the fair’s featured attractions will be Cowboy Andy Rotz. “He does knife-throwing and lassoing, and he has a...
Sunday sale at Hanna’s Town offers antiques, collectibles
Treasures from the past will be available for browsing and buying Sunday during the latest Antiques & Collectibles Sale at Historic Hanna’s Town. The market is open from 7:30 a.m. through early afternoon on the grounds of the 18th century community that served as the first seat of Westmoreland County....
Greensburg Community Development Corp. selects new executive director
A Greensburg resident is set to take the reins of the Greensburg Community Development Corp. as the nonprofit takes key steps in its efforts to revitalize the city. The organization’s board recently selected Alec Italiano as its new executive director. He will succeed John Stafford, 23, who is set to...
Cruiser crash sends Pittsburgh police officer to hospital
A Pittsburgh police officer was taken to a hospital after a city cruiser was involved in a crash Thursday evening in the East Allegheny neighborhood. A city Public Safety spokeswoman said the crash happened at about 7:30 p.m., at Madison and Spring Garden avenues, while the officer was responding to...
Firefighters rescue worker from Hempfield roof
Local firefighters came to the rescue Thursday evening when a worker became stranded on the roof of a three-story building in Hempfield. The man, who was installing gutter guards, became dehydrated and was unable to descend from the roof by himself, according to Dave Vinkler, captain of the Hempfield No....
Man wanted for assault of girl in Indiana County
State police are seeking a man accused of indecent assault of a girl in Indiana County. A warrant has been issued for Mark Allen Juart, 36, who last had an Indiana address. He is charged with a felony count of indecent assault of a girl under age 13 at a...
4-year-old shot in Rostraver, flown to Pittsburgh hospital
A 4-year-old boy was shot in the head Thursday in Rostraver and was flown to a hospital for treatment, according to officials. Westmoreland County detectives and township police were investigating Thursday afternoon at the scene along Gaudio Drive, which intersects with Route 201. The child was flown to UPMC Children’s...
AAA clinics feature Yellow Dot emergency program for motorists
AAA East Central is hosting a series of area clinics to help motorists enroll in a program that provides potentially life-saving information to first responders arriving at a vehicle wreck. The Yellow Dot program provides vital information about motorists who may not be in a condition to communicate with emergency...
Five Star Trail Poker Run set to kick off in Greensburg
Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation invites people to hit the trail and try the luck of the draw on July 15, during the annual Five Star Trail Poker Run. The event is not a race, and it doesn’t require poker-playing skill. Participants may choose to complete a 4-mile walk or...
Westmoreland 250 map a little over halfway to goal in highlighting county’s community assets
Westmoreland County has its fair share of parks, schools, churches, nonprofits, historic sites and entertainment venues. Now, people are able to see at a glance how close they are to such points of interest through a county asset mapping project that is underway in conjunction with the county’s yearlong 250th...
Westmoreland 250: 10 unique things in Ligonier
Ligonier Borough is known for its central Diamond Park, a public space that is imbued with classic Americana charm. Like a diamond, the town’s appeal is multifaceted. History buffs can step back into the community’s origin story at Fort Ligonier, a reconstructed British outpost originally built near a Native American...
Officials stop in Greensburg to urge fireworks safety, burn prevention
Fireworks were blamed for causing a Memorial Day house fire in Penn Township, a scenario local officials are hoping won’t be repeated somewhere else over the Fourth of July holiday. “You can ruin what is supposed to be a happy occasion through the careless use of fireworks,” cautioned Greensburg Mayor...
July 14 deadline for Westmoreland Democrats to apply for commissioner vacancy
Qualified Westmoreland County Democrats who are interested in filling a pending vacancy on the county’s board of commissioners have until 4 p.m. on July 14 to submit an application. Westmoreland County’s 11 Common Pleas judges are scheduled to meet on July 17 in Courtroom 3 to hear oral presentations from...
Judge denies bond request by suspect in Jeannette stabbing death
Antwone Dupree Thurston II, 24, of Verona will remain behind bars as his criminal homicide case proceeds in Westmoreland County Court. Judge Timothy Krieger on Friday denied the defense request that he set bail for Thurston, who is accused of fatally stabbing William Osselburn, 62, of Jeannette, following an altercation...
