Jeff Himler stories, Page 110
Greensburg Salem cites limited space in ruling out full-time return to classrooms
Eighty percent of the 889 Greensburg Salem parents who responded to a recent district survey said they want their children to spend part of each week receiving in-person lessons from their teachers, once classes resume Aug. 26. The remainder said they would opt for full-time remote learning from home amid...
Crash injures 3, ties up traffic on Highland Park Bridge for over 2 hours
The Highland Park Bridge reopened to traffic in both directions shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday following a one-vehicle crash. At least three people were transported for treatment, according to an Allegheny County 911 supervisor. The wreck, on the O’Hara side of the bridge was reported at about 4:30 p.m. The...
Officials: Shooting claims boy in Uniontown
Uniontown police are searching for a suspect in a fatal shooting Wednesday night on the city’s Lenox Street. One person was confirmed dead, according to police. The victim was a male juvenile, according to a Fayette County 911 dispatch supervisor. The shooting was reported at about 9:30 p.m. Additional details...
Reschenthaler self-quarantines after House colleague tests positive for covid-19
U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, Washington County, announced Wednesday he’s self-quarantining for 14 days after coming into close contact with a colleague who tested positive for covid-19. The possible exposure occurred Tuesday at a House Judiciary Committee hearing, when Reschenthaler was in close proximity to Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas....
Man found in Gilpin river search taken to hospital; police investigating
A West Leechburg man who was the subject of a Kiski River search Tuesday night in Gilpin was taken to a hospital with an apparent unrelated medical condition, according to township police. Police Chief Chris Fabec did not identify the 39-year-old man, citing medical privacy issues. He said the man...
Medics treat person found following Kiski River search in Gilpin
A search of the Kiski River in Gilpin ended in less than two hours late Tuesday night as crews discovered a person in need of assistance. The person, whose name and condition weren’t immediately available, was being tended to by medics, according to an Armstrong County 911 dispatch supervisor. Crews...
Kennedy Township girl set to debut new song after ending run on ‘America’s Got Talent’Video
Ashley Marina Yankello’s run on “America’s Got Talent” came to an end Tuesday night when judge Howie Mandel delivered the news by video link that the Kennedy Township singer would not be advancing to the quarterfinals of the NBC-TV competition. According to Mandel, the decision to eliminate the youth from...
Loitering definition debated as Latrobe considers amending rules governing parks
Latrobe Council is considering changing the city’s parks ordinance to prohibit feeding of wildlife in recreational areas. But city officials aren’t so sure about language for addressing loitering. At the city’s agenda meeting Monday , councilman Jim Kelley questioned whether a prohibition against loitering might be interpreted to prevent a...
Sustainability grant helps Derry Area students revive Giving Garden
Recycled scraps from student meals will help grow fresh produce for local food bank recipients in a garden project at Derry Area High School. Spearheaded by members of the school’s Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, the project received a $10,000 sustainability innovation grant sponsored by Coca-Cola. Among close to 2,000 Chick-fil-A academies...
Latrobe eyes plaza update, fee reduction at parking garage
Officials in Latrobe are hoping for a funding assist so they can update aging, patched infrastructure in a small business plaza tucked away next to the municipal parking garage. City manager Michael Gray mentioned the need for renovation at the Courtyard Plaza more than a year ago. Now, he’s recommending...
Steelers camp cancellation hits Latrobe-area businesses in bottom lineVideo
Saint Vincent College’s Chuck Noll Field looks green and healthy, unlike many other grassy areas in a region still recovering from recent dry weather. One reason for such a prime condition is that no Bearcats athletes have been on the field since the college campus in Unity closed a few...
Idlewild & SoakZone curtails summer schedule to 3 days per week
Idlewild & SoakZone announced it will be open only three days per week for the remainder of the 2020 season. Beginning the final week of July, the Ligonier Township amusement park will be open only Fridays through Sundays. It also will be open on Labor Day, Sept. 7. After a...
Searchers find body of 13-year-old girl who went missing in Monongahela River in West Mifflin
The body of a 13-year-old girl who went missing in the Monongahela River on Friday has been found, West Mifflin police said Saturday. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified her as Kristina Rai. The search began at about 6 p.m. Friday when the girl was reported missing in the water...
Grants tapped to improve Seward boat access to Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh Valley Conservancy is planning to make a river access site it owns in Seward more user-friendly. The nonprofit has tapped grant funding for improvements at the property off Fifth Street. It intends to enhance a pathway to the Conemaugh River, establish parking areas and install signage to illustrate...
Police: Derry Township woman slain in revenge shooting into wrong houseVideo
A Derry Township woman was killed Monday by a bullet shot into the wrong house in apparent retaliation over a drug deal gone wrong, state police said. Police on Thursday charged Nathan Joseph Quidetto, 20, last known to reside in the Hostetter area of Unity Township, in the shooting death...
Mt. Lebanon, Greater Latrobe ranked top school districts in Pittsburgh area, Westmoreland
Greater Latrobe is tops in Westmoreland County and among the best school districts across the state, according to the latest rankings in several categories on Niche.com. The Pittsburgh-based site calculates its rankings based on reviews by students and parents and data from the U.S. Department of Education, along with factors...
Loyalhanna Watershed’s Harvest Dinner adopts outdoor dining, taps market vendors
The annual Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner at the Loyalhanna Watershed Farm is changing its format this summer, offering an al fresco and a la carte experience. Past dinners have been served family-style at the farm’s Nimick Family Education Center. Executive Director Susan Huba said covid-19 social distancing guidelines prompted the Loyalhanna...
Greensburg chiropractor had passion for cooking, outdoors, serving others
Dr. Thomas Hower’s nearly 60-year career as a Greensburg chiropractor was a natural fit. He spent his childhood years upstairs from the Main Street office where his similarly named father, a second-generation chiropractor, worked — and where he also would see patients as an adult. “A gentlemen came into the...
Greater Latrobe proposes return to classrooms in green or yellow pandemic phasesVideo
Greater Latrobe School District reaffirmed its preference for returning to in-person instruction for all students and clarified mask-wearing requirements in an updated plan for reopening its schools this fall. The school board approved the plan Tuesday. It will be submitted to state officials and posted on the district’s website. Under...
State grants will expand alternative-fuel fleets in Western Pennsylvania
Companies in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties will collectively add 32 alternative-fuel vehicles to their fleets with the assistance of state grants. • Noble Environmental, which operates the Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill and County Hauling, received $600,000 from Pennsylvania’s Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant program. It will add eight compressed natural gas garbage...
State grant will help construct road to proposed Unity kayak launch
A state grant literally will help pave the way for a proposed kayak launch and athletic complex along Loyalhanna Creek in Unity. Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation was approved for a $299,200 grant from the state Multimodal Transportation Fund to help construct an access road from Center Drive to the launch...
Latrobe banana split fest goes virtual with pageant, race
As summer nears an end, Latrobe will feature entertainment and competitions as well as crown a princess as part of its annual Great American Banana Split Celebration. But this year, because of the covid-19 pandemic, people will visit online on Aug. 25 to enjoy a virtual version of the festival....
Greensburg bishop addresses flock ahead of September move to Cleveland Diocese
Barbara Piasecky of Hempfield was saddened by the news last week that Bishop Edward Malesic is slated to leave the Greensburg diocese to serve in the same role for the larger Catholic community in Cleveland. Initially, she said, “it was a gut punch.” But she was more at peace with...
Hempfield motorcyclist dies in Irwin crash
A Hempfield man died when his motorcycle collided with a sport utility vehicle Saturday night on Route 30 in Irwin. Irwin police said Glenn W. Hauliska Jr., 54, was killed upon impact when his westbound Harley-Davidson motorcycle struck the driver’s side of a Jeep Patriot at about 9 p.m., just...
Pittsburgh man killed, another man wounded in Sheraden shooting
A Pittsburgh man was killed and another man was wounded in a shooting Saturday night in the city’s Sheraden neighborhood. The slain man was Clarence Thomas IV, 18, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. He was pronounced dead by medics at the scene in the 500 block of...

