Jeff Himler stories, Page 110

Pat Farrell had a British accent, dual British and American citizenship and a universal appeal. Her husband, George “Sonny” Farrell, was attracted by the smile she maintained through most of her life. During their golden years, that smile opened the door for the Farrells to make friends while regularly visiting...

PennDOT this month will unveil its plan for reconstructing a large section of Route 906 paralleling the Monongahela River in Monessen. A display of plans for the project is set for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Monessen City Hall, 557 Donner Ave. The meeting will begin with...

A Westmoreland County woman is suing the makers of Juul electronic cigarettes, claiming she suffered two seizures and impairment after using the device earlier this year. The complaint, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, states that Kimberly Mays, a mother of two, suffered “catastrophic personal injuries” and is...

“The Wall That Heals,” a three-quarter-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be displayed next week in Indiana County. Located on the outskirts of Indiana at Mack Park, site of the Indiana County Fair, the display will be open to the public around the clock from...

Two residents of Westmoreland County are among 11 Saint Vincent College alumni who will be honored Friday during the Unity college’s Homecoming and Fall Family Weekend. Jason Winters, who resides in Hempfield and serves as that township’s manager, will receive Saint Vincent’s Recent Alumnus Achievement Award during a 7 p.m....

Unity Township’s planning commission approved a final site plan for a proposed GetGo convenience store at Route 30 and Giffin Drive. But the board this week put a hold on plans for a new Sheetz store a short distance to the east, after the township’s planning staff and solicitor said...

Greensburg’s Stage Right! theater company set a new Guinness World Record for fastest theatrical production. The company, which also operates a school for the performing arts, received an email Friday confirming that it successfully set a new world record by staging a production of “Children of Eden” — from auditions...

The Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 photo calendar is on sale beginning this week. “This year’s calendar showcases unique images of the Ligonier Valley as captured by some of our area’s most talented photographers,” said Scott Haines, executive director of the chamber. The calendar photos were selected through contest...

Varsity gridiron champions from six decades ago will be honored anew Oct. 5 at the Latrobe Wildcat Football Alumni Association’s Kick-Off Dinner in Unity. The second annual buffet dinner, set for 6:30 p.m. at Giannilli’s II Restaurant on Route 30, will recognize the 1959 and 1960 Latrobe Wildcats football squads....

Golfers on Friday will have an opportunity to help local pets in need of homes by trying their luck on the greens at the Ligonier Country Club. The club will play host that day to a golf outing benefiting Derry Township-based Action For Animals Humane Society. The cost of $125...

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved an $11.1 million grant that will allow Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to proceed with widening of its runway. The Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates the Unity airport, learned of the anticipated funding this week. The federal grant will cover the majority of the...

Phone solicitations Derry Township residents have received from callers claiming to represent the local volunteer fire department are bogus, according to Bradenville Fire Chief Mark Piantine. “Some people have been getting phone calls soliciting for the fire department for a fund drive, and we do not solicit on the phone,”...

The Ghost Town Trail, spanning Indiana and Cambria counties, has grown from 12 miles to 46 miles over the past 25 years and annually attracts 80,000 bicyclists and hikers. Organizations that develop, maintain and support the trail will celebrate that quarter-century of growth Friday with a bike ride and program...

When she was growing up in Latrobe, Dana Coyne made her mother stop the car because she’d spotted an elderly woman carrying a bag of groceries along the street. “She said, ‘I want to carry that lady’s groceries home,’ ” her mother, Marlene Carns, recalled. “Dana liked elderly people when she...

Latrobe’s 4th of July Celebration has provided patriotic fun for residents and visitors for half a century. This year, as the festival goes through a behind-the-scenes transition, its 30-member organizing committee is being recognized as Nonprofit of the Year by the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Latrobe...

Latrobe property owners can expect next year to begin paying a proposed stormwater management fee, but city officials have yet to pinpoint how much they will be charged. Council is expected in November to act on the proposed fee, which would be added to existing quarterly billing for other city...

Arnold Palmer Regional Airport boosts the local economy by $226 million annually, according to a state study. The 2019 state Bureau of Aviation update of its similar 2011 report shows the Unity airport’s impact has more than doubled since 2010 — when it pumped $97.5 million into the area, a...

Vietnam veteran Dave Carey endured 51⁄2 years as a prisoner of war by talking. Under the stress of torture, the Jeannette High School and Naval Academy graduate talked to his captors in Hanoi, feeding them invented information to end their interrogation and the physical punishment that accompanied it. “At times,...

Prospective airline passengers who want to fast-track their trip through airport security checkpoints will have the opportunity to sign up for the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program Sept. 23-27 at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. The program allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to skip some of the normal checkpoint requirements. Participants don’t...

Latrobe Area Historical Society will present a new program, “Sixth Ward Revisited,” at 9:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Designed by Pam Ferrero, this slide show of historic images has been a year in the making. Those attending will learn about the history of the “land over the bridge,” referring to...