Jeff Himler stories, Page 66
‘Justice and Recovery’ to be addressed at Unity in the Community event in Greensburg
A Unity in the Community event slated Friday in Greensburg will promote “justice and recovery.” Those attending from 4 to 7 p.m. at the YWCA, at 424 N. Main St., will have the opportunity to learn about resources available in Westmoreland County from community leaders and organizations. Organizer and Greensburg...
Monessen man charged with assaulting police who responded to trespassing complaint
A Monessen man is charged with resisting arrest, assaulting police and using feces to vandalize a city holding cell. Charles Turman, 39, was placed in the Westmoreland County jail after the incident that began at about 10 a.m. on Friday in Monessen. Monessen police said they stopped Turman on Schoonmaker...
Grant funds app to support mental wellness for Seton Hill athletes
Seton Hill University is partnering with digital platform The Zone to help student-athletes connect to mental health services. Supported by a $25,000 grant from the Staunton Farm Foundation of Pittsburgh, the university will offer a mobile app to Seton Hill athletes, allowing them to request tele-help for mental health issues...
Pittsburgh police seek gun-wielding suspect in Downtown robbery
Pittsburgh police are looking for a male suspect they say threatened to shoot an employee while robbing a Downtown retailer. The robbery was reported shortly after 11 a.m. Aug. 29 at the Burlington Coat Factory, 339 Sixth Ave. When a female employee spotted the suspect stuffing clothes into his backpack...
Pittsburgh police officer injured while breaking up fighting juveniles in Squirrel Hill
A Pittsburgh police officer was injured as police used stun guns to subdue juveniles who were fighting Tuesday afternoon in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. City police responded to the fight shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the 2300 block of Murray Avenue. One of the youths became combative when an...
Coroner: Charleroi dirt bike rider killed in train collision in Washington County
A Charleroi man was killed Tuesday when the dirt bike he was riding was struck by a train in Charleroi. James Gaito, 36, was the sole person riding the bike, according to Washington County Coroner S. Timothy Warco. Gaito was not wearing a helmet when the collision occurred at about...
Greensburg’s second annual College Connect event to include comprehensive plan display
Greensburg leaders hope to bring together local college students and community residents and stakeholders for a dual purpose on Sept. 23. The second annual College Connect event will repeat last year’s effort to familiarize students with what Greensburg’s downtown business district and organizations have to offer while also giving the...
Seton Hill faculty member receives Black Educators’ Excellence Lifetime Award
A member of the Seton Hill University faculty has been recognized by the Pittsburgh-based State of Black Learning organization for her career achievements. Tricia Shelton, an assistant professor of education at Seton Hill, recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s Black Educators’ Excellence Awards. The ceremony was held...
Indie duo closes Greensburg concert season expected to match previous high attendance
Couples of all ages and families, too, turned out Friday evening to enjoy the guitar stylings and harmonized vocals of indie folk-pop duo The Sea, The Sea — the final act in this season’s SummerSounds weekly concert series at Greensburg’s St. Clair Park. Regular attendee Lynne Roth of Hempfield came...
1 flown to hospital after crash in Mt. Pleasant Township
One person was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after a wreck Friday evening in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. First responders had to free the motorist from the vehicle after it crashed into a tree along Clay Pike Road near Stairs Road, the dispatcher said....
Police probe death of 14-year-old girl fatally shot inside car in Duquesne
Police are investigating a shooting Friday evening that left a teenage girl dead in Duquesne. Lajaponis Roberts, 14, died at the scene, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Allegheny County Homicide detectives said they learned Roberts was a passenger in a burgundy-colored Chevy Cruze when the shooting occurred. The...
Derry Township street to close; traffic restrictions extended on I-70
A Derry Township street is set to close beginning Tuesday as PennDOT extends detours and traffic restrictions for other work areas in Westmoreland County — including a stretch of Interstate 70. A section of Hickory Avenue, also know as North Valley Street, is scheduled to close at 7 a.m. Tuesday...
Indiana County man pleads guilty in sex assault of minor
A Smicksburg man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the sexual assault of a minor. Michael Stiles, 54, is charged with statutory sexual assault as well as involuntary deviant sexual intercourse with and indecent assault and aggravated indecent assault of a child under 16 years old. The victim reported...
Hannastown kids lead way in community-funded playground improvements
Kids in Hannastown staffed a stand selling lemonade, tea and cookies this summer, and the effort has paid off with new swings, climbing apparatus and other equipment at the community playground. Volunteers from the Hannastown Fire Department joined local families this week to help install the equipment, which was funded...
2 flown by medical helicopter after multi-vehicle crash in Fayette County
Two people were flown by medical helicopter for treatment at a trauma center as a result of a crash Thursday afternoon in Fayette County. The wreck involving four vehicles was reported shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Route 51, near Quaker Church Road in Perryopolis, according to a Fayette County 911...
Keystone State Park trail, spillway, scavengers spotlighted over Labor Day weekend
Butterflies, vultures and macroinvertebrates will be highlighted during free Labor Day weekend activities at Keystone State Park in Derry Township. Advance registration is not required for these family-friendly programs, led by park naturalist Jean H. Keene. Friday On Friday, from 4 to 6 p.m., Keene will lead a hike to...
Greensburg barber opts for retirement after more than 60 years in business
Ed DiOrio knows the long and the short of hair, and a related fact that’s kept him in business for more than 60 years: “Hair grows back.” At 85, the Greensburg man is retiring Thursday from his trade as a barber, along with the barber chair that has followed him...
Greensburg Salem looks to increase student engagement as kindergarten numbers drop
Greensburg Salem School District is looking to get students more engaged in learning as they returned to the classroom Tuesday for the fall semester. District Superintendent Ken Bissell said in a letter posted on the Greensburg Salem website that staff have been “busy all summer preparing for engagement in teaching...
Pitt-Greensburg campus store marks remodeling with discount, prizes
The bookstore at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg will mark its renovation Wednesday with deals and refreshments. Those visiting the store at 112 Chambers Hall will find fresh carpeting, campus-themed decor and a relocated checkout area, allowing a more spacious display of apparel. Throughout the day, the store will...
New Pitt-Greensburg Life Sciences building expected to open early next year
Crews are busy constructing a new Life Sciences building at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg that will provide expanded, updated facilities for growing programs. The two-story, 32,000-square-foot building is expected to cost about $19.5 million and is scheduled to open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony early next year. The Pitt-Greensburg...
Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill cited for leachate leak into Speers Run
The state Department of Environmental Protection has cited the Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill for leachate that leaked from the Rostraver facility on Wednesday and made its way into Speers Run. The DEP is investigating. It was unable to estimate the volume of contaminated liquid that escaped, resulting in discoloration of the...
Rottweiler-coon hound is top dog in Greensburg’s pet ambassador contest
El Guaje Villa is Greensburg’s first official pet ambassador. The 3 1/2-year-old Rottweiler-coon hound mix — Guaje for short — topped a field of more than 50 contenders in a competition for the title that ended at Thursday’s Greensburg Night Market. With 350 points out of about 2,000 cast by...
McKees Rocks woman arrested in infant grandson’s overdose
Police have arrested a McKees Rocks woman in connection with the July 31 overdose of her infant grandson. Robbie Elizabeth Boyer, 47, was taken into custody Thursday on two arrest warrants by police from Allegheny County and McKees Rocks. They say she is responsible for the 10-month-old boy’s overdose. First...
South Greensburg church will serve ethnic food, remember lives lost, on Sept. 11
St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in South Greensburg has a long tradition of highlighting ethnic cuisine at a festive meal on the Sunday following Labor Day. This year’s event, falling on the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, will include an additional memorial service. Beginning...
Offutt Field bash spotlights Greensburg Salem school spirit, marks return to classes Tuesday
It was time for the Golden Lions to roar Wednesday evening, as the Greensburg Salem School District welcomed the community for two hours of outdoor fun and school spirit activities at Offutt Field. Those attending were encouraged to show their support by wearing the school colors — brown, white and...
