Jeff Himler stories, Page 51
2 Greensburg Council members face challenger in Democratic primary
Greensburg voters will have a choice among two incumbents, Randal Finfrock and Sheila Brumley, and challenger Gabrielle Stewart when nominating candidates for two open City Council seats in the May 16 Democratic Party primary. Finfrock, 72, is seeking his fifth term on council, where he serves as director of accounts...
Volunteers needed to raise flags honoring veterans at West Newton Cemetery
Volunteers are needed on May 13 to help raise 385 U.S. flags honoring local deceased military veterans at West Newton Cemetery. The full-sized flags, donated by families of the veterans, are part of a West Newton Avenue of Flags display lining the roads of the cemetery. This 29th edition of...
Greensburg ice arena renovation on track for late summer completion
A $3 million overhaul of Greensburg’s Kirk S. Nevin Arena is on track for completion by mid-August, in time for a new season of skating at the arena’s ice rink. The project includes installation of an updated, more efficient refrigerant system and reconstruction of the rink floor. Parks and Recreation...
Route 981 traffic reduced to a single lane in Mt. Pleasant Township through mid-June
Traffic will be restricted to a single lane beginning Thursday on a section of Route 981 in Mt. Pleasant Township as crews continue work on the first phase of PennDOT’s Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project. The lane restriction will be in place through mid-June, between Kecksburg and Boyer roads, as...
Greensburg eyes contract for repaving streets
Greensburg plans to draw upon federal Community Development Block Grant funding to resurface three city streets during this year’s construction season. The city also is looking to tap liquid fuels dollars it receives through the state gasoline tax to update the pavement on several additional streets. City council next week...
2 people sought after Braddock Hills KFC robbery
Allegheny County police are searching for two people after an armed robbery Monday evening at a KFC restaurant in Braddock Hills. No injuries were reported in the incident logged by Allegheny County 911 dispatchers at about 6 p.m. on Yost Boulevard and Brinton Road, near the Braddock Hills Shopping Center....
With bees swarming earlier this year, here’s what you should know
Jim Blackburn experiences serenity in a situation few others would. “I find that it’s very calm in the middle of a swarm of bees,“ he said. Fascinated by bees for many years, the Hempfield man has been keeping the winged insects and corralling swarms of them for others for two...
Woman dead after rollover crash in Churchill
Update: The woman killed in the crash was identified on Monday as Charmaine Lee Sewell, 62, of Wilkinsburg. A passenger was pronounced dead following a rollover crash Sunday morning in Churchill, according to Allegheny County police. First responders were called at about 6:30 a.m. to the single-vehicle crash in the...
Fire at Ross Township Chili’s diverts customers, workers to restaurant’s other sites
Those looking to dine at Chili’s Grill and Bar were unable to visit the restaurant chain’s location in Ross Township after firefighting crews battled a roof blaze at the business Sunday morning. Units were dispatched at about 9 a.m. and cleared the scene in the 7400 block of McKnight Road...
Indiana County man jailed, accused of firing shotgun toward others
An Indiana County man was arrested Saturday night, charged with firing a shotgun toward others outside his Green Township home. State police charged Shane Turenchalk, 37, of Dixonville with misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct and a summary count of public drunkenness. No injuries were reported...
2 injured in Manor when vehicle overturns on railroad tracks
Two Irwin residents were taken to area trauma centers for treatment after a vehicle overturned on train tracks early Sunday in Manor, according to emergency responders. The crash happened about 1:30 a.m. and caused a closure of the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks until about 4 a.m., said a Westmoreland County...
Grant will support students completing college education through Seton Hill online program
Between 18 and 20 Pennsylvania residents who have fallen short of fulfilling their college goals will have a chance to finish their education through a grant-supported program at Seton Hill University. Seton Hill is partnering with the Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board to identify potential students for a Near Completer program....
Greensburg Salem students to present French, Spanish performances for Culture Day
Those attending Greensburg Salem High School’s annual Culture Day may hear students singing a French chanson or see them dancing a Latin salsa. “Students from the world language classes create cultural acts,” explained Tammy Lyons, a Spanish teacher at the school who chairs its world language department. The students will...
Woman freed after being trapped under vehicle in Monessen
A woman was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment after she was freed after being pinned underneath a vehicle Saturday in Monessen, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. She reportedly was getting out of the vehicle when it moved and she became trapped under it, the dispatcher said....
Boy flown to Pittsburgh hospital after injury at Mt. Pleasant Township soccer field
A boy was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after suffering head and neck injuries Saturday at a Mt. Pleasant Township soccer field, according to a Hecla Volunteer Fire Department spokesman. A medical helicopter was summoned following the incident shortly after noon near Bridgeport Dam, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said....
UFO, Bigfoot research, stories shared at Westmoreland conference
Fifty years or more ago, Pat Desmond saw a ball of light moving low through the air near her Washington County home. Ever since, she’s been seeking information about such unexplained phenomena and sharing stories of sightings with like-minded folks. That was the case Saturday, April 29 at the 15th...
Visitors got to explore Greensburg’s art scene Saturday
Visitors to downtown Greensburg on Saturday were invited to explore the city’s arts scene during the annual Greensburg ArtsWalk. The Westmoreland Museum of American Art played host to a poetry reading by Greensburg Salem School District students. There also were art displays by students from the Central Westmoreland Career and...
Police: Man shot several times in drive-by shooting in Pittsburgh’s South Side
A man was shot several times in the drive-by shooting early Saturday in Pittsburgh’s South Side. Police heard gunshots in the 1500 block of East Carson Street at about 2:15 a.m. Officers then found the man, who had run to the intersection of South 16th and Bingham streets. He was...
Student-run trail cafe in West Newton opens 3rd season with expanded hours
The Outpost River’s Edge Eatery cafe in West Newton is back in business for its third season, with extended Saturday hours and a new hotline for ordering food. Located in a converted cargo container along the Great Allegheny Passage trail and the bank of the Youghiogheny River, the cafe is...
Nighttime traffic disruptions slated for East Pittsburgh Street bridge work in Hempfield
Nighttime single-lane restrictions and rolling traffic stoppages are slated to begin Thursday on a section of Route 30 in Hempfield as crews remove concrete and beams for replacement of the bridge that carries eastbound lanes of East Pittsburgh Street over the highway. The restrictions are expected to affect both eastbound...
Greensburg Night Market set to return with expanded food options
Visitors to Greensburg’s South Pennsylvania Avenue will find a mix of new and returning vendors when the fifth season of the Greensburg Night Market debuts from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday. New aspects of the popular event, held monthly through the end of the year, include more food options. Estimated...
4 firefighters honored for rescuing victims of Greensburg apartment fires
Four local volunteer firefighters have earned recognition for their efforts to rescue two men from recent apartment fires in Greensburg. Greensburg fire Chief Tom Bell and city Mayor Robb Bell honored the first responders at the April city council meeting. Tom Bell praised firefighters JP Maroney, of the Greensburg department,...
Devoted firefighter, Greensburg business owner, family man escaped WWII captors in bold move
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes. The program honors local military and non- military heroes by displaying photos on decorative banners in area communities. Joseph S. Schworer Jr. Hempfield 1916-2002 Joseph Schworer considered himself lucky to be...
Fire official: Murrysville volunteer suffers heat exhaustion while battling house fire
A Murrysville firefighter was taken by ambulance for treatment of heat exhaustion Friday while battling a blaze that caused minor damage to a home along Cole Road in Murrysville. That’s according to Cody Paiano, deputy chief with the neighboring Sardis Volunteer Fire Department. The Murrysville volunteer’s condition wasn’t immediately available....
Work on bridges will restrict traffic in Jeannette, North Huntingdon, Hempfield
Staggered daytime single-lane traffic restrictions will be in place beginning Monday on roads in Jeannette, North Huntingdon and Hempfield as PennDOT continues ongoing preservation of nearly two dozen bridges throughout Westmoreland County. Traffic will be affected between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. Restrictions are scheduled Monday on three...
