Jeff Himler stories, Page 71
Readers share photos of Thursday’s eye-catching clouds
People watching the skies above Allegheny County and surrounding areas Thursday evening for signs of potential thunderstorms instead were treated to vistas of clouds resembling fluffy cotton balls. Known as mammatus clouds, they are a rare example of clouds that form in sinking air instead of rising air, according to...
Westmoreland group plans Juneteenth programs in 3 communities
Greensburg’s Unity in the Community group has added Jeannette as a third Westmoreland County venue for its second annual weekend of programs celebrating the Juneteenth holiday. The Celebrating Freedom events begin Friday in Greensburg, with speakers and activities scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Westmoreland County YWCA headquarters,...
Greensburg Craft Beer Week shifts to summer, debuts 1-day festival
Organizers of the annual Greensburg Craft Beer Week are shaking things up this year, moving the event forward from fall to early summer and adding a one-day festival in St. Clair Park. The nine-day schedule offers more than 30 opportunities to sample area specialty brews, edibles and entertainment. During Friday’s...
Navy veterans reconnect across a continent, 4 decades to begin married life in Irwin
Romantic flames that were first sparked more than four decades ago and half a world away recently rekindled between an Irwin woman and a fellow Navy veteran. Picking up where they left off, Beverly Detofsky and Doug Reichman aren’t wasting any more time. They’re scheduled to exchange wedding vows Monday...
Pipe replacement will trigger Route 982 detour in Unity
A pipe replacement is set to detour traffic around a section of Route 982 in Unity. The project will close a stretch of the road between Route 130 and Kecksburg Road, beginning on Monday and continuing through mid-July, according to PennDOT officials. Crews will replace a large cross-pipe, with the...
Paving to disrupt traffic on Routes 819, 981 in Mt. Pleasant area
Motorists driving in the Mt. Pleasant area should be prepared for lane restrictions next week as PennDOT resurfaces routes 819 and 981 in the community. According to PennDOT project manager Rick Cutia, contractor Tresco Paving is expected to work on sections of Route 819 beginning Tuesday, with repairs to the...
Blight woes, park upgrades focus of Greensburg plan update
Blight mitigation and enhancement of parks and recreation are two areas that have generated public interest as Greensburg updates the city’s comprehensive plan. A series of three public workshops generated more than 500 written comments. “People have expressed a desire for more public green space and improvements to park and...
Prospective school bus drivers get trial run as DMJ looks to boost staff by 30 peopleVideo
Tiffany Miller wants to supplement her family’s income while being able to spend time at home with her young daughters. John Malik, who suffers from knee pain, is looking for a job that won’t require him to stand for an extended time. Both think the right place for them is...
Lower fees cited in recommended switch of Greensburg city worker savings plan
Greensburg could see lower costs if the city switches to a new provider for its employee retirement savings plan. Financial adviser Ed Gaskey this week recommended city council change the company offering the voluntary 457 tax-deferred employee savings plan from Nationwide to OneAmerica, based on proposals from four companies. Mayor...
Humanitarian award bestowed by Greensburg Fire Department
A longtime member of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department who died April 14 is being remembered for the legacy of service he left behind. Dennis A. Johnson, 75, of Greensburg, was posthumously recognized with the “Commemorative Axe” Humanitarian of the Year Award during the fire department’s recent 65th annual banquet....
West Overton Museums presents exhibit on Industrial RevolutionVideo
John Lloyd Shallenberger was one of the lucky ones among the 19th-century laborers at West Overton. In about 1860, when the founding Overholt family purchased a Buckeye Mower and Reaper machine, workers such as Shallenberger no longer were needed to harvest grain crops with hand tools for the family’s mill...
New library box near Ligonier will honor late social worker, conservationist
People searching for a good summer read and tips on outdoor activities soon will find a new resource just outside Ligonier. Derry resident Kristy Mathews, with help from family and friends, plans on Sunday to install a Little Free Library on the grounds of the Loyalhanna Watershed Farm, 6 Old...
Bridge replacement to affect I-70 traffic overnight in Speers, North Belle Vernon
A section of Interstate 70 in Washington County will be closed overnight Monday in both directions, and eastbound traffic will be reduced to a single lane nearby, in North Belle Vernon. Those traffic pattern changes, each related to a bridge replacement project, will be in place between 8 p.m. Monday...
Homer City man charged with raping child in Indiana County
A Homer City man is charged with rape of a child and more than a dozen related offenses in Indiana County. David Gene Crawford, Jr., 46, was arraigned Friday on 10 felony counts and four misdemeanor counts after he was taken into custody by state police. The charges in the...
Latrobe-area leaders upbeat about proposed merger of Excela, Butler health systems
Leaders in the Latrobe area expressed optimism about the future of health care in their community after an announcement that the local system of medical providers, Excela Health, is planning to merge with a similar organization in Butler and Clarion counties. Officials with Westmoreland County-based Excela have said the move...
Photo challenge focuses on busy bees and other Pennsylvania pollinators
Like bees to blossoms, photographers who like to focus on details of the natural world were drawn in large numbers to last year’s inaugural Pollinator Photo Challenge. Presented by Laughlintown’s Penguin Court nature preserve and the Westmoreland Pollinator Partners, the photo contest that is centered on images of bees, butterflies...
Trafford resident takes on local West Nile virus monitoring
Mosquito season has arrived in Westmoreland County and, just in time, so has a new staffer to oversee monitoring of those insects for the West Nile virus they can spread. Christina Edwards-McCune of Trafford came on board May 9 as the new West Nile virus program technician for the Hempfield-based...
Gold Star Mothers honored during Trafford Memorial Day program
Trafford resident Christine Fike marked Memorial Day by laying roses at the base of a hometown monument that is dedicated to Gold Star mothers. Fike is one of those mothers who has lost a child killed while serving in the U.S. armed forces. Her 38-year-old son, Sgt. First Class Robert...
Educator joins West Overton staff as whiskey distiller
The real potency of the whiskey being produced at West Overton Village is its ability to capture in barrels and bottles the history of the rural community’s 19th century industrial transformation. So it seems natural those in charge of the East Huntingdon museum complex turned to a home-brewing enthusiast with...
Police: Driver who crashed into Indiana County school bus suspected of DUI
A man behind the wheel of a sedan that crashed into a school bus Friday in Indiana County was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance. State police said no injuries were reported among the driver and 13 students who were aboard the bus when...
Westmoreland County Jail inmate charged with injuring officer, damaging tablet screen
A Westmoreland County Jail inmate is accused of assaulting a corrections officer and injuring him by throwing a computer tablet device at him. Nathan Baron, 42, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and institutional vandalism. A Florida native, his last known address was in Carson, Allegheny County. According to...
No injuries reported as Pittsburgh police, suspect exchange gunfire in Homewood
There were no injuries reported when a Hazelwood man exchanged gunfire with Pittsburgh police early Friday in Homewood. Police said they responded shortly after 2:40 a.m. after they received multiple Shotspotter alerts from the 7100 block of Hamilton Avenue. After meeting with a witness who saw the suspect firing shots,...
Demolition of North Belle Vernon bridge will interrupt evening traffic on I-70
Motorists on Interstate 70 will encounter periodic traffic slowdowns or stoppages near the North Belle Vernon exit as crews demolish the bridge carrying Fayette Street over the interstate. According to PennDOT, the traffic interruptions are slated to occur in 15-minute intervals between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., beginning Tuesday and...
Pa. Turnpike could see Memorial Day traffic exceed pre-pandemic volume
Officials expect to see this year’s Memorial Day holiday traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike exceed pre-pandemic levels. They’re projecting more than 2.2 million travelers will take to the toll road during the four days from Friday through Monday. That represents an increase of nearly 300,000, or 15%, from the same...
Police: Reward offered for info on malnourished dog abandoned in Crescent Township
Donations are being accepted to help a malnourished dog abandoned Tuesday in Crescent Township, while a $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the canine’s cruel treatment. According to township police, the female dog, who has received veterinary care through the Humane...
