Megan Swift stories, Page 33
Boil water advisory lifted for Ligonier area following repair, testing
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County water customers in the Ligonier area no longer have to boil or conserve their water. The water advisory was lifted as of 6 p.m. Thursday. A water main break Sunday near Waterford caused the disruption, specifically along the transmission line from the Greater Johnstown Water...
Commission: Jeannette City school board member, former president fined for violating Ethics Act
A Jeannette City school board member was fined $500 for violating the state Ethics Act, the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission said. Mark Gogolsky violated the state’s Ethics Act when he filed deficient statements of financial interests between 2016 and 2020 by failing to disclose all reportable sources of income, according...
Unity supervisors express concern over Greater Latrobe’s multimillion-dollar revitalization project, planned tax hikes
When Mike O’Barto learned of Greater Latrobe school board’s multimillion-dollar revitalization plan that will raise taxes through 2039, he said he thought it was “ludicrous.” The district will proceed with the plan after 19 months of study, review and public comment, with an expected cost between $182 million and $198...
Arnold Palmer airport celebrates 3 millionth passenger, looks toward expansion
When Steve Smith arrived at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on Monday for a flight to Myrtle Beach, he became the 3 millionth passenger to leave there on a Spirit Airlines flight. “I didn’t even look at my ticket,” said Smith, 66, of Saltlick. “Usually, my wife’s the lucky one.”...
‘Sky’s the limit’: 2 flying club members receive Wright Brothers awards for 50 years of flight
Ever since they were children, John Dyke and Ed Patrick have been fascinated by airplanes. “I could spend hours on the observation deck watching planes take off and land,” said Dyke, 75, of Carnegie. For Patrick, 81, of Murrysville, the first ride he took in a smaller plane was the...
Motorcyclist found 30 feet over embankment in Bell Township after collision with deer
A motorcyclist was found about 30 feet over an embankment Thursday after a collision with a deer in Bell Township. According to Westmoreland County 911, police received a call at 5:48 p.m., and the male driver was conscious with “numerous head injuries.” The collision occurred at the intersection of Pine...
2 injured after pickup, tractor trailer collide on Route 22 in Derry Township
The driver and a passenger in a pickup truck were injured Thursday afternoon when the truck collided with a tractor trailer traveling westbound on Route 22 in Derry Township. The crash was reported at 1:50 p.m. near the Rushwood Road intersection, east of New Alexandria. According to fire Capt. Justin...
6 candidates compete for 5 seats on Greater Latrobe school board
On the heels of Greater Latrobe school board’s passage of a multi-million dollar revitalization plan that will raise taxes through 2039 is the Nov. 7 general election. Six candidates are vying for five, four-year seats on the board. The incumbents include: Susan Mains, who is seeking a ninth term, Michael...
Operation Santa Claus will provide holiday dinners to local families for 40th year
Operation Santa Claus is back for its 40th year — with the goal of feeding 2,500 families in eight counties. The campaign is an annual cooperative effort by Trib Total Media, Shop ’n Save and the Salvation Army to provide holiday dinners to local families. This year, the campaign had...
Laurel Highlands ‘Bonfires, Barrels & Brews’ event will feature variety of craft beverages
Go Laurel Highlands is offering a “Bonfires, Barrels & Brews” event for the first time this fall — featuring a fire, food and craft beverages. Part of the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour, the event will be held rain or shine from noon until 5 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Yinzer...
Latrobe trust will honor Southern Alleghenies Museum during annual gala
This year’s Art Gala hosted by the Greater Latrobe School District Art Conservation Trust will honor the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Ligonier Township. The annual event supports the trust’s work to oversee and care for Greater Latrobe’s art collections, which were generated by two teachers: James Beatty and...
Coroner identifies 2nd person who died in Washington County house fire
The second victim in a Washington County structure fire Tuesday has been identified. Coroner S. Timothy Warco identified the second victim as Kimberly Montes DeOca, 39. Warco said the coroner’s office has “exhausted all attempts to locate and notify” DeOca’s family. Warco is asking anyone who may have information about...
Singer/actress Reneé Rapp puts on ethereal show for sold-out crowd in Pittsburgh
Wednesday night’s Snow Hard Feelings tour performance at Stage AE wasn’t Reneé Rapp’s first time in Pittsburgh. “It’s so good to be here,” Rapp said to the sellout crowd. “I used to come here all the time growing up.” She opened her show with “Talk Too Much,” followed by “Poison...
Alumni group raises $500,000 in push against admission of girls at The Kiski School
Some alumni of The Kiski School have been raising money in an attempt to get the all-boys boarding school in Loyalhanna Township to reverse course on welcoming girls in fall 2024 — ending a storied 136-year tradition. Joseph Garcia, a 1985 alumnus, is the chairman of the Friends of Kiski...
Witches ‘cackle’ through Ligonier during annual bike brigade fundraiserVideo
Carla Arnone and her fellow witches could be spotted bicycling around downtown Ligonier on Sunday, cackling as they went. The Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade began in 2016 with 70 people, and now, Arnone, 53, of Ligonier, said it’s grown to more than 1,100 registered participants, with as many as 5,000...
Freeze watch issued for greater Pittsburgh region
A freeze watch will be in effect from late Sunday night through Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 degrees will be possible, the NWS said. The watch will affect both Allegheny and Westmoreland counties as well as the surrounding areas....
Tenants speak out about conditions inside, outside Latrobe apartment building
Kara McAdams doesn’t want to come home after work — instead she wants to cry, she said, because of the cockroaches and bedbugs she’s battling there. McAdams, 33, is living in the apartment building at 333 Main St. in Latrobe, where 100 violations of the property maintenance code were found...
$4M county contribution bumps Palmer airport terminal expansion project into high gear
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport’s $22 million terminal expansion project is underway thanks to a $4 million commitment from Westmoreland County commissioners. Planning for the renovation, which will add 32,000 square feet at the Unity airport, began around five or six years ago out of necessity, according to airport Executive Director...
Unity prohibits burning of leaves, grass within township, residents could face fines
Residents of Unity are no longer able to burn leaves and grass on their property after an ordinance was amended during Thursday’s Supervisors meeting. Code Enforcement Officer Greg Fumea said the township had been receiving complaints of people burning grass in their yards and leaving it “smoldering for two or...
Latrobe uncovers over 100 property maintenance code violations during investigation of Main Street apartment building
After receiving multiple complaints about the condition of the six-story apartment building at 333 Main St. in Latrobe, it was the city’s duty to investigate. “We did what I call a blitz” Sept. 21, City Manager Terry Carcella said. “We looked at four apartment buildings.” The one on Main Street...
Pittsburgh area school directors say career, technical education centers lack funds to meet modern needs
With 16 career and technical education programs offered in the Pittsburgh Public School District comes the weight of providing quality education in the face of rising expenses. For Angela Mike, executive director of CTE for Pittsburgh Public Schools since 2010, challenges arise when pursuing the results students need to meet...
Off-campus shooting near IUP the latest for university community to endure
The shooting at a party near the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus early Sunday morning marked the latest in a string of incidents involving IUP students in the past decade. IUP spokeswoman Michelle Fryling confirmed that the party at the Chevy Chase Community Center was not affiliated with the university,...
Seton Hill students target Greensburg’s empty storefronts as part of regional initiative
If Greensburg eventually finds a way to fill vacant storefronts in downtown, the city may have three Seton Hill students to thank. Jake Starek, 20, of Harrison City is one of the trio at Seton Hill University participating in an initiative designed to study the potential for a health care...
Firefighters honored with lifesaver awards in Unity
Russell Withrow Jr. said his adrenaline was pumping when he jumped into flood waters — saving a local citizen who was swept away. Withrow Jr., assistant fire chief at Mutual Volunteer Fire Department, was pulling his car into Dryridge Volunteer Fire Department’s parking lot during a major flooding event on...
The Kiski School will welcome girls after 136 years of all-boys boarding school education
For the first time in its 136-year history, The Kiski School — an all-boys private boarding school in Loyalhanna Township, near Saltsburg — will welcome girls in fall 2024. Head of School Christopher Brueningsen said the decision was an emotional one, but he believes it is the right one when...
