Jeff Himler stories, Page 100
Lincoln Highway museum to have free admission Friday, seeks donations for new roof
The Lincoln Highway Experience is celebrating Lincoln’s birthday with free admission on Friday. At the same time, the nonprofit that runs the transportation-oriented Route 30 museum is seeking contributions toward a roof replacement for the oldest section, a stone house dating from 1815. It’s time to update the Unity museum’s...
Latrobe eyes signs to help keep brewery traffic on course
Latrobe city officials are working with City Brewing to curb off-course truck traffic headed to and from the company’s Latrobe plant. It’s unclear how that traffic could be affected by the recent announced loss of Iron City Beer production at the plant. Latrobe Public Works Director Scott Wajdic told city...
Arnold Palmer airport 5-year plan envisions possible terminal expansion, added fire truck
A five-year plan for continued development of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport proposes additions to firefighting and snow removal equipment and renovation of the control tower. Officials also envision a further expansion of the terminal building — a move that could be justified if the Unity airport were to land a...
Latrobe looks to soften bite of new stormwater fee in cases of hardship
After fielding an outpouring of calls from residents, Latrobe officials are looking for ways to soften the impact a new stormwater management fee might have on property owners experiencing hardships. “We’ve received a lot of calls from people who have either lost their job or are on a fixed income,”...
Latrobe considers county offer to inventory blighted propertiesVideo
Latrobe is considering a partnership with Westmoreland County to inventory blighted properties, if city officials can get assistance in paying for the project. According to Mayor Rosie Wolford, county staff would walk areas of the city to note dilapidated buildings, assess the extent of deterioration and determine what might be...
Property tax assessment cut of 28% eyed in proposed Unity Plaza settlement
Greater Latrobe School Board is considering a settlement that would reduce the property tax assessment for Unity Plaza. The settlement would cut the proposed tax assessment for the retail center by 28%, from $600,000 to $432,000, for 2020 and 2021. The plaza, located at routes 30 and 981 in Unity,...
Derry Area School Board probes member Sean Kemmerer’s compliance with policy
A Derry Area school board member is under scrutiny by his elected colleagues. The board voted 8-1 this week to have its solicitor investigate whether Sean Kemmerer has violated board policy and confidentiality. The board moved to have solicitor Ned Nakles investigate Kemmerer’s conduct “to collect information bearing on the...
2nd gun spotted this year at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint
A Beaver County man with a loaded handgun was stopped Thursday at the main security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport, but Allegheny County police determined he’d inadvertently left the weapon in an inner coat pocket. County police said they don’t expect to charge the Aliquippa man, who had a concealed...
Air, water concerns voiced over proposed South Huntingdon coal refuse reclamation
Nearby residents and environmentalists are worried a proposed project to reclaim coal refuse in South Huntingdon could negatively impact local water and air quality. They aired their concerns this week at a virtual meeting about Robindale Energy Services’ plan to remove usable fuel from the Soberdash coal refuse pile on...
Mushers, dog teams make the most of Laurel Mountain snowVideo
Ari Allen doesn’t particularly like being out in the freezing cold on a winter’s day. But her team of Siberian huskies and one Alaskan husky does. “I love my dogs. That’s probably the only motivation that would get me outside in this kind of weather,” the Hempfield resident said this...
Greater Latrobe to welcome secondary students back to full-time classroom instructionVideo
Greater Latrobe School District will expand in-person instruction on Monday , opening classrooms five days per week to secondary students as well as to elementary students, who already have that option. The school board approved the move 7-2 Tuesday after administrators cited declining covid-19 cases locally and the fact that...
VA Pittsburgh Health Care sets covid vaccine clinic for senior veterans
The VA Pittsburgh Health Care System is offering a walk-in covid-19 vaccine clinic for eligible senior veterans Saturday at its University Drive campus in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but requested arrival times are broken up based on the first letter of each veteran’s last...
Dollar General opens new store on Route 30 in Unity
Dollar General has opened a new store in Unity on Route 30 — becoming the retail chain’s third location along a 7-mile stretch of the highway. The new store, located at the intersection of Smith’s Hill Road, is situated between plaza-based Dollar General stores at the Latrobe 30 Shoppes, farther...
Nonperishables sought for Derry, Franklin Regional ‘souper bowl’ food collections
Derry churches and a Franklin Regional elementary school are among local organizations taking part in food drives timed in conjunction with the culminating contest of the NFL season. A Souper Bowl of Caring collection will take place noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Derry First United Methodist Church on...
Pandemic causes Catholic churches to modify Ash Wednesday services
Covid-19 pandemic precautions have prompted area Catholic parishes to modify procedures for Ash Wednesday. The Diocese of Greensburg announced celebrants at its churches in Westmoreland, Armstrong, Fayette and Indiana counties will eliminate direct contact with parishioners during the services, to help protect the health of those attending. Similar changes will...
Retired Larimer minister served church, community
Claudia Papenmeier grew up attending St. John’s United Church of Christ in Larimer, and she remained active in the church well into her 70s. Mrs. Papenmeier met her husband, Arthur, at the church, where he served as a pastor in the 1950s. It was a role that she herself took...
Lawrenceville crash sends driver, pedestrians to hospital
Pittsburgh police are investigating the cause of a vehicle-pedestrian crash Saturday evening in Lawrenceville that sent three people to the hospital. Reported at about 6 p.m. by Pittsburgh Public Safety officials, the crash happened on Stanton Avenue, near Butler Street, and involved two pedestrians. First responders found a female victim...
Charity work, horse competitions await retiring Hempfield pastorVideo
Members of the Westminster Presbyterian congregation made a special trip to the Hempfield church on Saturday, to present gifts and best wishes for their pastor’s pending retirement. In keeping with pandemic health precautions, some greeted the Rev. Donna Havrisko from their cars while others came inside the church social hall...
Pennsylvania proposes more species for Sunday hunting in November
The Pennsylvania Game Commission proposed three Sundays in November when licensed hunters will be able to harvest permitted game, repeating the Sunday hunting schedule introduced last fall. New this year, the commission plans to expand the species that hunters can target on two of those dates. During its January meeting,...
Next round of bids eyed for Keystone State Park sewer line, trail project
The Derry Township Municipal Authority has inked easement and lease agreements and is seeking a second round of bids for a project to update sewage facilities serving Keystone State Park and install a recreational trail. The trail would follow the path of a sewer line connecting the park to the...
Unity to update comprehensive plan, considers easing billboard restriction
It’s time for Unity officials to update the township’s comprehensive plan and supervisors say they want to look at ways to support business development and encourage modern signage along Route 30 while improving infrastructure and access to recreational facilities. This will be the third review of the plan, which assesses...
Pandemic concerns trigger postponement of Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Organizers are postponing this year’s Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade because of pandemic concerns regarding large gatherings. The decision to postpone the annual event, which would have been held on March 13, was made jointly with city officials. The parade committee is working with the city to identify a date...
Ligonier Valley police officer seeks GOP nod for House 59th District seat
Ligonier Valley police officer Shawn Knepper is seeking the Republican nomination to fill Pennsylvania’s 59th District House seat, which was left vacant by the unexpected death of Mike Reese. A special election is set for May 18 to select a successor to Reese, 42, a Republican from Mt. Pleasant. Reese...
Saint Vincent College staff get covid-19 vaccine as spring semester nearsVideo
Many faculty and staff at Saint Vincent College received initial doses of the covid-19 vaccine about a week before students are set to return to campus for the spring semester. The college partnered with Mainline Pharmacy Group’s Blairsville Pharmacy on Tuesday to provide the Moderna vaccine to registered members of...
New videos explain recycling at Westmoreland Cleanways center in Unity
If you’re not sure what electronics you can recycle at Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling, the Unity-based nonprofit has a video for you. As Westmoreland Cleanways Executive Director Ellen Keefe notes in one of four new informational videos posted on the organization’s website, among the most frequent calls received at its...
