Jeff Himler stories, Page 120
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport preps for coronavirus risk
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport are preparing for the potential arrival of coronavirus by offering protective measures to workers and arranging for more intensive cleansing of the terminal building. As cases of infection with the potentially deadly virus have expanded from China to Europe, the United States and other...
Arnold Palmer stamp sales off to brisk start at Latrobe post officeVideo
The Latrobe post office on Wednesday served as an unofficial outpost for “Arnie’s Army,” as area fans filed in to buy newly released Forever stamps issued to honor late local native and golfing legend Arnold Palmer. By lunchtime, more than 200 of the 20-stamp sheets had been snapped up, at...
Unity planners OK Airpark lot addition, set stage for proposed new building
The Westmoreland Airpark could soon gain another large steel building. The Unity Township Planning Commission approved extra acreage for one lot in the 210-acre industrial park. The commission on Tuesday approved a subdivision that will allow lot along Bayhill Road, near Route 981, to be expanded from 6.5 acres to...
Unity takes comment on proposed anti-blight effort, eyes street resurfacing in WhitneyVideo
Unity plans to target blight by taking a new tack in efforts to get owners to clean up junk and trim high grass on their properties. One resident pointed out this week at a related hearing that keeping streets in repair is another way to promote good property maintenance in...
Belle Vernon Area teachers issue strike notice over unresolved contract
Belle Vernon Area teachers put the district on notice that they intend to strike beginning March 13 if officials haven’t agreed on a new labor contract by then. According to President Daneen Watson, a Spanish teacher with 20 years of service, the Belle Vernon Area Education Association has been in...
Roaring ’20s-themed dance to benefit Westmoreland County Food Bank
The Roaring ’20s of a century past will meet the 2020s during a retro dinner dance March 7 at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield. Those attending are encouraged to dress in Prohibition-era attire while enjoying a buffet dinner and dancing to the sounds of the Wally Gingers Orchestra. The event is...
Arnold Palmer stamp to debut in Florida, disappointing some in his native Latrobe
Wednesday will be a banner day for fans of professional golf and for those who have a connection to Latrobe. One of the town’s favorite sons — the late Arnold Palmer, known as “The King” of the Game of Kings — will be recognized with a “Forever” First Class U.S....
Late doctor, advocates for veterans, disabled to receive Greensburg Salem alumni honors
Editor’s note: Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Greensburg Salem Distinguished Alumni banquet has been tentatively rescheduled for June 18, 2020. A Vietnam veteran who assists today’s wounded warriors, a consultant for nonprofits who advocates for people with physical challenges and a late Greensburg pediatrician who cared for young patients...
Duquesne woman accused of stealing $500K worth of opioid-addiction remedy
A Duquesne woman is accused of stealing from her former employer more than $500,000 worth of a drug used to treat opioid addiction. Rena Lynne Schleehauf, 33, is charged with delivery and possession of a controlled substance, theft and theft by deception. Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Schleehauf has admitted...
Duquesne University to bring Rome campus students back to U.S.
Duquesne University is making plans for students at its Rome campus to return to the United States after the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention on Friday evening raised the caution level against travel to Italy because of the growing coronavirus threat there. None of the 59 American students at...
Police look for suspects in $1K purchase using stolen Home Depot gift card
State police are asking for help in identifying a man and a woman who are suspected of using a stolen gift card to buy $1,000 worth of items at the West Mifflin Home Depot . Police say the pair was caught on surveillance cameras making the purchase on Sunday. According...
Walmart looks to expand alcohol sales in Western Pa.
Walmart wants to expand its sales of alcoholic beverages in Pennsylvania to its store in Unity and two other stores in Beaver and Clearfield counties. Unity supervisors are scheduled a March 12public hearing in March on the retail giant’s plan to transfer to the store at 100 Colony Lane an...
State grant boosts substance-abuse therapy using horses at Cook center
Cook Township-based Southern Tier Alternative Therapies (STAT) is stepping up the nonprofit’s work using horses to help people struggling with substance abuse, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The grant should help cover the costs of 30 or more two-hour sessions, in which...
Latrobe congregation invites members of partner parish for Mardi Gras galaVideo
Volunteers prepared enough pancakes and sausages to serve an expected 120 guests Tuesday at the fourth annual Mardi Gras dinner at St. John the Evangelist Church in Latrobe. This year, the Catholic congregation invited members of a partner parish, St. Rose of Derry Township, to partake of the pre-Lenten festivities....
Facade improvements contribute to revitalization of Latrobe’s Main StreetVideo
Rejuvenation of commercial buildings in the 300 block of Latrobe’s Main Street is set to continue as the nonprofit Latrobe Community Revitalization Program prepares to assist with a facade makeover of the two-story brick building that houses Hewitt Real Estate. According to LCRP Executive Director Jarod Trunzo, plans are to...
New recycling fees ruled out at Latrobe’s solid waste transfer station
Latrobe officials learned they cannot charge for accepting smaller recyclable items at the city’s solid waste transfer station and will have to look for another way to cover associated labor costs. City manager Michael Gray said this week that the state Department of Environmental Protection confirmed Latrobe must continue to...
Latrobe eyes netting to restore access to city garage, protection from falling concrete
Latrobe officials hope protective netting will allow the Weldon Street parking garage entrance to reopen after being closed for months because of crumbling concrete. That entrance and sidewalk were closed last fall after contractor Pullman Services ran into more concrete damage than expected while making major repairs. The garage is...
$285M Westmoreland transportation investment proposed for next 4 years
Advancing technology allows more people to bridge distances through electronic connections. But traveling from one point to another remains a fact of life for most when it comes to working, buying household essentials, receiving health care and pursuing recreation. That’s why plenty of resources continue to be devoted to improving...
Latrobe Lions Club cancels dementia presentation
Editor’s note: Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Latrobe Lions Club has announced that a presentation on dementia it was co-sponsoring with the Latrobe Area Historical Society has been cancelled. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia among older adults, is the sixth leading cause of death in the...
Laughlintown workshop to outline remedies for storm-damaged driveways
The past two water-logged years, when the Pittsburgh region experienced up to 20 inches more precipitation than the annual average of 37.66 inches, have left many unpaved driveways and lanes washed out and filled with ruts. The Westmoreland Conservation District and Brandywine Conservancy are joining forces to offer some solutions...
Unity supervisors retain former state senator Regola to lobby for grants
Unity officials are turning to a former Pennsylvania senator for help in landing state funding for proposed improvement projects. Supervisors this week hired Robert Regola of Hempfield to lobby on behalf of township grant requests in Harrisburg. Regola, who offers additional services in government affairs and business development through his...
Game Commission member, sportsmen rep clash over Saturday start to deer seasonVideo
Three months after deer hunters took to the woods on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for the first time in decades, many are still taking aim at a plan to make the change permanent. The Pennsylvania Game Commission on April 7 is expected to vote on finalizing the proposal. The public...
Educators invited to join Latrobe discussion of problems faced by children born into addiction
Latrobe-based Angel Arms, a program that offers support for children born into addiction and their families, is inviting area educators to take part in a roundtable discussion about the learning issues such children can face, and possible solutions. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 27 in the offices...
Latrobe elementary students get a kick out of Russian dance programVideo
Students at Latrobe Elementary School enjoyed the strains of the balalaika and high-kicking booted dancers as the Russian ensemble Barynya visited for two performances Wednesday afternoon. Founder and Moscow native Mikhail Smirnov brought along three other members of his New York City-based troupe to introduce the children to a sampling...
Agreements on 2 Unity property assessments add $38K to Greater Latrobe coffers
Greater Latrobe School Board has approved retroactive tax settlements for two commercial properties along Route 30 in Unity that will increase the district’s tax revenue by about $38,000. The board this week voted unanimously in favor of the settlements. One ends the district’s appeal of the assessed value of a...
