Jeff Himler stories, Page 65
2 injured in Shaler house fire
Two people were taken by ambulance for medical treatment from the scene of a house fire early Thursday in Shaler, according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatch supervisor. The fire was reported shortly after 2:30 a.m. in the 600 block of Spencer Lane. First responders remained at the scene after...
Greensburg OKs 5-year union contract, code enforcement retirement and hiring
Union members of Greensburg’s recreation and public works and operations staffs will see annual pay hikes under a new five-year contract. City council this week approved the contract with Teamsters Local 30 that runs from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2027. The 21 workers included in the bargaining unit...
Thieves target cars at Westmoreland County parks
Westmoreland County Park Police are investigating a rash of thefts from cars at county parks, including one apparently linked to a fraudulent transaction at a Hempfield financial institution. Daylight thefts have occurred throughout the county park system, according to Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers, and have included purses and other items stolen...
Man critically injured in Turtle Creek shooting
A man was critically injured in a shooting late Tuesday in Turtle Creek, according to Allegheny County Police. First responders found the man when they were dispatched to a shooting reported shortly before 11:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of Airbrake Avenue. The victim, who suffered a gunshot wound to...
Former McKeesport teacher faces new sex charges as 8th child comes forward
A former McKeesport Area middle school teacher accused of sexually assaulting several children faces additional charges as an eighth alleged victim has come forward, police said. Allegheny County police on Tuesday charged Eric Vincent Fairman, 26, of Pleasant Hills, with corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor under the...
West Mifflin police seek missing teen
West Mifflin police said they are asking for the public’s help in their search for a missing teen. D’nyla Kennedy-Smith, 16, was last seen on Monday in the area of Midway Drive in West Mifflin. She was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and brown Air Force shoes. She is...
Navy veteran, retired insurance broker known for work ethic, volunteerism
Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes. Bill Tuscano didn’t look forward to idle time. He retired in 1992, leaving the Greensburg insurance brokerage firm he’d built to the next generation of his family. But, at...
Pitt-Greensburg, Diversity Coalition present series on bias, hate crimes, marginalization
The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition are presenting a virtual speaker series to shed light on the ways different people have been marginalized and subjected to biases and hate crimes. The third annual Growth Through Knowledge and Understanding series begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday with...
Washington County couple charged with providing liquor to minors
A Washington County couple is charged with endangering the welfare of four juveniles by providing them alcohol and allowing them to play with a handgun. California Borough police filed charges against Jeremy Jackson, 44, and Trisha Jackson, 40, after responding to their Pennsylvania Avenue home Saturday, based on a complaint...
1 taken to hospital after Route 30 crash in Derry Township
A man was taken to a local hospital following a one-car crash Tuesday morning on Route 30 in Derry Township. The car crashed into and damaged a 70-foot section of guardrail along the westbound lanes of Route 30, about a half mile before the Route 217 intersection, according to Bradenville...
Child finds loaded gun on playground at McKeesport day care
Police are investigating after a child found a loaded handgun on a playground at a McKeesport day care center. No one was injured in the incident that happened sometime last week, according to Jasmine Smith, a teacher at the McKeesport Child Development Center. She said McKeesport police were notified. The...
Crews battle fire at vacant house in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover
Firefighters battled a house fire early Tuesday in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood. Crews responded to the fire in the 200 block of Industry Street around 4:45 a.m., according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatch supervisor. No injuries were reported. The house was vacant, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV....
PennDOT sets job fairs for Westmoreland, 3 neighboring counties
PennDOT has scheduled four career fairs as it looks to hire winter maintenance workers in as many counties and to fill permanent commercial driver’s license operator and maintenance positions in Westmoreland and Washington counties. Each fair is slated for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the respective county’s PennDOT maintenance...
Shots fired, 2 wounded in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill City View
Two people were wounded Monday morning in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill City View neighborhood. City police responded at about 6 a.m. to reports of five or six shots fired in the 130 block of Rhine Place. Two female victims were taken to a local hospital by private means,...
McKeesport crash sends 1 to hospital
At least one person was taken to a local hospital following a wreck late Sunday in McKeesport. Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV reported the crash happened at about 11 p.m. at the intersection of 12th and Walnut streets. Emergency crews had cleared the scene shortly before midnight. Additional details were not...
Medical examiner lists cause of death in infant’s fall from Plum window
A 1-year-old boy who fell from a Plum window on Aug. 30 died of blunt force head trauma, according to an updated report from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Henry Witucki’s death was an accident, the medical examiner indicated. The boy fell from the window around 6:30 p.m. along...
Fire heavily damages Donegal restaurant, tavern
A Donegal Borough landmark may be gone after it was heavily damaged by fire over the weekend. Firefighters from three counties responded to the blaze at the Tall Cedars Restaurant and Tavern shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday. The dozen departments on hand included units from Chestnut Ridge, Ligonier and Darlington...
Man taken to hospital after shooting, crash in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville
A man was taken to a local hospital after a shooting Saturday night in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood. City police, responding to a Shotspotter alert, found the man with a grazing gunshot wound at about 9:45 p.m. in the 200 block of Charles Street. Police believe a car the man was...
Greensburg VFD T-shirt sales benefit breast cancer patients
Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department is encouraging area residents to add some pink to their wardrobe. The department has fewer than 100 pink — or gray — T-shirts available for purchase in its annual sale supporting Westmoreland County families affected by breast cancer. “Cancer has touched a bunch of our lives,”...
Fort Ligonier offers items for bid online and at the Cannon Ball; Forbes Road Rum to be released
A dinner with “George Washington” and a VIP tour of Mount Vernon are among choice items that will be awarded during in-person bidding Friday at Fort Ligonier’s annual Cannon Ball. Dress is “smart casual” for the event, which will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. under tents in the...
Pitt looks to recruit Southwestern Pa. families for childhood cancer study
Several thousand parents across eight Southwestern Pennsylvania counties are being asked to participate in a University of Pittsburgh study examining a possible link between fracking — or other environmental risk factors — and childhood cancer. Researchers from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health are hoping for a response from more...
Vandals damage historic camp at Laurel Hill State Park, ‘persons of interest’ sought
Vandals caused extensive damage last month at an historic camp at Somerset County’s Laurel Hill State Park, where officials are hoping to talk to a group of people who were seen at the site. The damage at Group Camp No. 5 was discovered and reported by the park maintenance staff...
Greensburg Salem focuses on failed cooling units at high school, two elementary schools
Greensburg Salem School District has faulty air-conditioning and cooling equipment at the high school and two of its three elementary schools. The school board is expected at its meeting Wednesday to seek bids to update the most critical units while district administrators have recommended a feasibility study to take a...
Saint Vincent College to break ground for new recreation and athletic center
Saint Vincent College is set to break ground Friday for its new Dunlap Family Recreation and Athletic Center. The new 72,000-square-foot building will be located near the Fred Rogers Center on the college’s campus in Unity. It will include facilities for recreation and exercise, intramural athletic competition and varsity athletic...
Music, storytelling, Vietnam ‘wall,’ Walk of Fame featured at Indiana festival
Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers will headline the musical entertainment this weekend at the 10th annual Northern Appalachian Folk Festival in Indiana County. The Pittsburgh-based band will take to the festival stage at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, bringing to a close two days of free activities focused in the 500 block...

