Jeff Himler stories, Page 53
Westmoreland 250: Centennial banquet, bicentennial week are among past milestones
As 2023 comes to a close — and with it, the 250th anniversary of the founding of Westmoreland County, it’s a good time to look back at previous events and recall some of the notable celebrations. The county marked its centennial by holding a banquet replete with champagne toasts and...
Work on Westmoreland bridges to restrict traffic in Penn, Oklahoma boroughs
Short-term lane restrictions will be in place next week for PennDOT bridge preservation projects in Penn and Oklahoma boroughs. Nighttime single-lane restrictions are slated between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday and Tuesday on Route 66 (First Street and Oklahoma-Apollo Bridge), between Sheridan Road and Kiski Avenue in Oklahoma. Traffic...
Power slowly restored after severe storms strike Western Pa.
Power is being restored for several thousand households affected by Wednesday night’s severe storms that rolled through the Western Pennsylvania. Duquesne Light said it has no outages to report as of 5:20 a.m. Thursday. Late Wednesday night, Duquesne Light reported about 2,500 customers were without power, with Ross and O’Hara...
Anonymous report of active shooter temporarily locks down Mt. Pleasant Area school
Mt. Pleasant Area Junior-Senior High School was locked down for more than an hour Wednesday morning as authorities responded to a report of an active shooter at the school. Superintendent Timothy Gabauer said school administrators received a Safe2Say message shortly after 10 a.m. indicating there was “an active shooting in...
May 29 a ‘beautiful day’ for inaugural charity 5K honoring late Greensburg Salem coach
Longtime Greensburg Salem track and cross country coach Steve Snider was known for his inspirational approach and positive outlook, viewing, in his own words, every day as “a beautiful day.” The beloved coach, who also taught physical education and health in the district for 36 years, will be remembered on...
Greensburg unveils design for Spring Avenue Park revamp
Greensburg resident Luis Sanchez and his family are eager to try out updated amenities planned at Spring Avenue Park, which faces the front door of their Menoher Way home. “It’s going to be really good for so many kids,” Sanchez said. That includes his 10-year-old daughter, Gianna, who has fun...
Sinkhole closes road in North Huntingdon; PennDOT announces detour
A sinkhole resulted in closure of a section of road in North Huntingdon Monday night. PennDOT officials said Paintertown Road is closed between Bickerstaff Road and Penn Woods Drive until further notice. Motorists are being directed along a detour following Station Street, Morris Avenue, Nike Site Road, Route 130 and...
April programs promote growth of backyard butterfly habitats in Westmoreland
Spring’s arrival brings two programs to Westmoreland County to guide backyard gardeners in selecting plants for their property that are attractive to the senses and to migrating butterflies. The staff of the Penguin Court preserve in Laughlintown on Tuesday will lead a virtual program on creating a “Monarch Waystation,” or...
Greensburg Salem Mini-THON exceeds goal, nets $71.5K for pediatric cancer charity
Greensburg Salem High School’s Mini-THON committee raised the bar for its fundraising goal during the 2022-23 school year. The student group hoped to generate $60,000 for the battle against pediatric cancer, an increase of more than $10,000 from the previous year’s campaign. Ultimately, the charitable effort sailed far over that...
Meteorologist: High winds a more frequent headache for Southwestern Pa.
Ill winds have been blowing with increased frequency through Southwestern Pennsylvania this year, felling trees, causing power outages and leaving behind debris and damaged buildings. With a high wind warning in effect for the region from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, on the tail of damaging winds the previous...
Roseytown Road section in Hempfield to close for reconstruction; paving set for other state routes
A section of Roseytown Road in Hempfield will close for reconstruction beginning Monday. The $1.5 million project will include replacement of 500 feet of concrete in the Norfolk Southern railroad underpass, where potholes have been an ongoing problem. The road will be closed to traffic between Route 119 and North...
PennDOT projects in Westmoreland, neighboring counties part of $585M construction budget
Replacement of the Route 356 bridge over Pine Run in Allegheny Township and resurfacing of an 8-mile stretch of Route 136 are set to get underway in Westmoreland County in the months ahead. They join 64 other highway and bridge construction projects PennDOT has awarded or intends to advertise for...
Several treated, released after apartment floor collapse near IUP; video shows packed party
An Indiana University of Pennsylvania student who is friends with several people injured when an apartment floor collapsed during an off-campus party was shaken by the severity of the incident. Reaction of other students have been mixed, said Corryn Miller, an IUP junior from Johnstown. “Some people are taking it...
WQED documentary, Pitt-Greensburg panel to explore isolation’s impacts, remedies
Isolation’s damaging effects, experienced by many during the covid-19 pandemic, can include declines in both physical health and mental health. It’s the topic of a recent WQED documentary and a free presentation Wednesday on the Pitt-Greensburg campus that will include a screening of “Alone: Isolation Hurts.” There will be a...
Early Ligonier Township farm yields trove of historic artifacts
Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series marking the 250th anniversary of Westmoreland County’s founding. Planting seeds for crops was the aim of many settlers who arrived in Westmoreland at the time of its formation as a county 250 years ago. Others were on a mission to plant...
Brumley seeks first full 4-year term on Greensburg Council
Sheila M. Brumley, who has served on Greensburg Council since September 2020, is seeking election to a full, four-year term. A lifelong Greensburg resident, Brumley, 52, was appointed to fill a spot on council vacated by the resignation of Cheryl Lennert. “Greensburg is a city I’m very proud of,” Brumley...
Former family therapist seeks GOP nomination for Greensburg mayor
G. Domenic Spino, a former family therapist and health care administrator, is seeking the Republican nomination for Greensburg mayor in the May 16 primary. Spino, 52, is the program director of Dr. Spino Kids, a charitable organization that operates in the area and is affiliated with Humanitarian Social Innovations, based...
Pittsburgh woman charged in neighbor’s stabbing
Police have accused a Pittsburgh woman of stabbing another woman Friday afternoon in the city’s Fineview neighborhood. City police charged Shamerea Wilson, 29, with aggravated assault, stemming from a reported altercation shortly before 1 p.m. in the 1700 block of Letsche Street. The stabbing victim told officers she had been...
Pittsburgh police charge man in connection with assault, robbery in The Bluff
A Pittsburgh man is in the Allegheny County Jail charged in a violent assault and armed robbery March 16 in The Bluff neighborhood of the city. Andre Charles Hall, 26, was holding a gun when he robbed and assaulted another man at Fifth Avenue and Moultrie Street, according to city...
Missing Ligonier man found safe
A Ligonier Borough man who had been reported missing was found safe in Texas, according to Westmoreland County authorities. Police on Friday enlisted the public’s help to find Michael Smidlein, 41, after he didn’t return home from work. He left his phone and wallet at home after going to work...
Route 30 bridge replacement in Hempfield to narrow traffic lanes on East Pittsburgh Street
Lane restrictions will begin for motorists Monday as PennDOT starts work to replace the East Pittsburgh Street bridge over Route 30 in Hempfield. Eastbound traffic headed over the bridge will be restricted to a 12-foot lane width, according to PennDOT officials. Westbound traffic exiting from Route 30 will be subject...
Flooding closes section of Route 381 in Ligonier Township
Part of Route 381 in Ligonier Township was closed Thursday night because of flooding. PennDOT announced the closure at 5:30 p.m. Thursday for a section of the road between Route 30 and Rolling Rock Lane. It remained closed as of 10 p.m. That stretch of road often is subject to...
Aliquippa man found dead in house filled with snakes had old bite wound, officials say
Officials say a man found dead Tuesday in an Aliquippa house where dozens of venomous snakes were kept had been bitten by a snake, but the bite was not what killed him. The Beaver County Coroner has not yet ruled on the cause of death for the man, whose identity...
Greensburg museum loans period firefighting equipment for county’s 250th anniversary exhibit
Hoses, helmets and vintage pumper trucks dating from as early as the 1800s bear witness to the legacy of volunteer firefighting in Greensburg. The equipment can be seen in the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum, behind City Hall on South Main Street. Select items from that collection will temporarily have...
Fundraising walk, ‘heritage family’ stories to be featured at Twin Lakes Park
Harry Louis Rugh, known by all as Lou, springs from roots that were planted locally in 1772. That’s the year his great-great-great-grandfather — John Jacob Rugh, then 11 — moved with his family from eastern Pennsylvania to a farm near the pioneering village of Hanna’s Town, soon to become the...
