Jeff Himler stories, Page 52
Greensburg Salem Middle School students back in class after water break; damaged areas sealed off
Greensburg Salem Middle School students were scheduled to return to the school for in-person instruction on Friday, for the first time since a water break closed the building on Monday. District officials had been waiting on results from air quality testing before having students return to the school. “Air quality...
Greensburg Y offers games, take-home plants at Family Fun Night
“Learn, Grow & Thrive @ the Y” will be the theme Friday during the Greensburg YMCA’s final Family Fun Night of the season. Those attending from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. can play lawn games. With support from a local store, the Y also will offer crafts and flowers, including pansies,...
Seton Hill University’s Kindness Day will celebrate late Greensburg pediatrician
Greensburg pediatrician Dr. Pascal Spino devoted himself to generations of young patients during a career that spanned more than 60 years. That commitment included long hours at the office, a calm, caring bedside manner and a readiness to waive fees for those who couldn’t afford health care. His work earned...
Greensburg business group schedules forum for city mayoral, council candidates
Greensburg Business and Professional Association is organizing its first ever candidates’ forum for those running for mayor or council seats in the city. According to the business group, all candidates for the city’s open elected positions in the May 16 primary have been invited to participate in the public forum,...
Nonprofit honors Greensburg native, more than 500 others lost in German attack on WWII troop ship
Joel Eugene Paulson, known as Pete to his friends in the Greensburg High School Class of 1942, wanted to be a forest ranger, according to his senior yearbook entry. That ambition came to an unexpected and violent end nearly 80 years ago today, when a German torpedo bomber plane attacked...
Five Star Trail section in South Greensburg to close for repairs
A section of the Five Star Trail in South Greensburg will be closed to walkers and bicyclists during daylight hours Monday through April 27 as crews make needed repairs. The closure will be in effect between Huff and Fairview avenues as contractor Adam Eidemiller completes the work. “This is just...
PennDOT bridge work to restrict traffic on 2 Jeannette streets
Traffic will be restricted to a single lane on sections of South Fourth Street and Chambers Avenue in Jeannette this week while crews work on bridges that carry the streets over local creeks. According to PennDOT, the daytime restrictions are scheduled for 7 a.m to 5 p.m. each of two...
Water break closes Greensburg Salem Middle School; classes to resume online Tuesday
Classes will be held online Tuesday for students at Greensburg Salem Middle School as the Greensburg school recovers from a water break that closed the building Monday and canceled classes. All other district schools were operating normally. The water break involved a problem with a water fountain on the school’s...
Dinner to benefit 2nd phase of Hannastown playground improvements
Organizers are planning an April 29 dinner to raise funds for a second phase of improvements at a community playground in the Hempfield village of Hannastown. The inaugural fundraising dinner will feature an Italian menu including salad, bread and dessert. It will be served from 1 to 5 p.m. at...
25 artifacts in new Westmoreland exhibit illuminate county’s diverse 250-year history
A key to a landmark Greensburg mansion and an 800-pound tower bell are among items that will help unlock Westmoreland County’s past for those who view a new county historical society exhibit. “Westmoreland 250! Celebrating our Story with 25 Objects” had its official debut Saturday at the society’s Westmoreland Education...
Westmoreland holds photo contest to mark county’s 250th anniversary
Westmoreland County is inviting amateur photographers to focus on images that help tell the county’s story as Westmoreland celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. Oct. 27 is the deadline for submitting entries in the county’s anniversary photo contest, which offers cash prizes for the top three images in each of...
Greensburg Y swimmer, gymnasts capture titles in state, regional competitions
A Greensburg YMCA swimmer captured a top title at the organization’s recent Pennsylvania championship meet while Greensburg Y gymnasts placed at a regional event. Kaitlyn Stetchock, a sixth grade student in Hempfield Area School District, claimed a state title in the 11-12-year-old division 200-meter breaststroke at the YMCA state championships...
5K, family races, mindfulness-aligned activities slated in event at Hempfield Park
Interactive activities for all ages and two types of races will be featured during the inaugural Dr. Spino Kids Day on April 29 in Hempfield Park. Slated from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the event is organized by G. Domenic Spino, a former family therapist, and will include area human...
Police seek owner of valuables found in Sheetz restroom in Indiana County
Pennsylvania State Police are seeking the owner of several valuable items found Monday at an Indiana County Sheetz. Several antique coins, including U.S. Indian Head pennies, and pieces of jewelry, including a diamond ring, were among contents of a camera case found in the men’s restroom of a Sheetz gas...
Work to close roads in Ligonier, Fairfield, Mt. Pleasant townships, county covered bridge
Road closures are slated to begin Monday in the Ligonier Valley and in Mt. Pleasant Township as state road and bridge projects get underway. PennDOT announced traffic restrictions also will be enforced as work begins on bridges in several Westmoreland County communities. The closures will affect sections of Route 271...
Greensburg Salem parent calls for change after teacher caught reading racial slur aloud in classroom
A Greensburg Salem High School parent is calling for change after a substitute teacher voiced a racial slur while reading aloud to her classroom from the 1937 John Steinbeck novella “Of Mice and Men.” The incident happened March 24 in a 10th-grade language arts class. According to parents, the moment...
Tractor-trailer flips, injures 1 on I-79 in Washington County
One person was injured Wednesday afternoon when a tractor-trailer carrying cardboard overturned on Interstate 79 near the I-70 interchange in Washington County. State police said the rig was traveling north on I-79 around 3:45 p.m. when the driver lost control around a bend in the road near mile marker 34...
PBS documentary producer Rick Sebak to conclude Pitt-Greensburg Writers Festival
Pitt-Greensburg has tapped public television documentary producer and narrator Rick Sebak to deliver the keynote speech Friday to conclude the school’s Writers Festival. Sebak’s presentation, set for 8 p.m. in Ferguson Theater, is free and open to the public, as are all festival activities. Pitt-Greensburg digital storytelling students Caitlin Cruser,...
Pennsylvania Turnpike lanes reopen after eastbound crash near New Stanton
Eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike reopened Wednesday evening more than two hours after a tractor-trailer overturned just east of the New Stanton interchange. The crash occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. According to New Stanton fire Chief Rob Cammarata, no one was injured when...
Volunteer ‘victims’ needed for disaster drill at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport are in need of volunteers to serve as “victims” in a disaster drill planned for May 10 at the Unity airport. The 6:30 p.m. drill will be held on the airport’s old runway and will simulate an aircraft crash, according to airport manager Moe...
Vee Neal Aviation proposes growth with flight school, aircraft hangar at Unity airport
Vee Neal Aviation is looking to grow its commercial aviation operations at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, with expanded aircraft hangar space and a flight school. The Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates the airport in Unity, on Tuesday granted Vee Neal development partner Jodaron Realty an exclusive two-year option to...
Greensburg councilman: Utility work to disrupt traffic near GetGo construction site
Motorists in Greensburg should be prepared for traffic disruptions Tuesday and Wednesday, on a section of South Main Street, according to city Councilman Donnie Zappone Jr. Zappone said flaggers will be controlling traffic on Main Street, at the intersections of Euclid Avenue and Mt. Pleasant Street, as West Penn Power...
Greensburg hires new police chief, looks to rebuild trust after former chief’s arrest
Charles Irvin said one of his tasks as Greensburg’s new police chief will be to restore the community’s trust in the department following the January arrest of his predecessor on federal drug charges. City council on Monday unanimously approved promotion of Irvin, an 18-year veteran of the force, from detective...
2 Greensburg traffic signals targeted for improvements
Greensburg will upgrade two of the city’s oldest traffic signals at Main and Clopper streets and at Fourth Street and Westminster Avenue. “These signals are some of the oldest and most inefficient in the city,” Greensburg planning director Jeff Raykes told city council at its April agenda meeting. Public works...
Preliminary Greensburg Salem School District budget keeps tax rate steady
Greensburg Salem School Board had a first look Wednesday at a proposed 2023-24 district budget based on holding the school real estate tax at its current level. That initial budget includes estimated expenses of nearly $49.5 million and revenue of $48.8 million, for a shortfall of $612,420, equal to the...
