Jeff Himler stories, Page 123
Cathy Sarraf joins Greater Latrobe School Board as appointee
Unity resident Cathy Sarraf finished just out of the running in November’s election of five Greater Latrobe school directors, but she joined the board this week as an appointed member. With Eric Hauser absent, the school board voted 6-1 Tuesday to appoint Sarraf to serve the two years remaining in...
Latrobe chamber offers group tour of Ireland
A journey of discovery from Westmoreland County to the Emerald Isle is less than a year away, in the first-ever foreign travel package offered by the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. There is no limit to the number of chamber and community members who can sign on for...
Game Commission honors Latrobe student for bringing help to entangled deer
A Greater Latrobe ninth-grader’s sharp eyes and caring response helped free a white-tailed deer trapped in Unity this past fall. Pennsylvania Game Commission officers surprised Parker Williams on Friday when they arrived at her school and presented her with a certificate, recognizing the initiative she took on Nov. 4 to...
Broadband connectivity study, survey eyed for Westmoreland, nearby countiesVideo
Officials from Westmoreland and seven neighboring counties are studying a proposal for local governing entities to step up and invest in infrastructure needed to expand or enhance broadband connectivity in underserved areas. Virginia-based consultant Design Nine is preparing a survey for the Regional Broadband Task Force to gauge how residents...
Passengers up 3% last year at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport saw a 3% increase in its passenger total last year while preparing for runway improvements that officials say could open the door for more commercial flights. The combined number of passengers boarding and disembarking from Spirit Airlines flights at the Unity airport in 2019 increased by...
Latrobe Historical Society to revisit centennial through archival film
Rock ‘n roll had its first major impact about 65 years ago, with the release of the Elvis Presley single “That’s All Right (Mama).” Also in 1954, doctors began a mass trial vaccination of children against polio and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. That...
Solar co-op schedules Westmoreland meetings, seeks members
A nonprofit that organized solar power co-ops in Allegheny and more than a half dozen other Western Pennsylvania counties scheduled three informational sessions for prospective members of a similar co-op that is forming in Westmoreland County. Solar United Neighbors of Pennsylvania set the first meeting for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at...
Westmoreland Cleanways eyes move to larger Unity recycling center
Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling in 2019 collected more than 2 million pounds of televisions and other electronics along with 6,000 tires. This year, the Unity Township-based nonprofit should be able to handle an even larger volume. A planned move to a new drop-off recycling center near Pleasant Unity will increase...
Ligonier Township committee to consider plan for reopening Ligonier Beach
The shuttered Ligonier Beach could open to the public once more this summer, but visitors shouldn’t plan on bringing their swim trunks just yet. Ligonier Township in November bought the landmark swimming pool and restaurant along Route 30 just east of Ligonier from Sherry and Steven Kozar, for $230,000. This...
Mayor: Grant documentation concerns triggered Latrobe fire company suspensionsVideo
Seven members of Latrobe Volunteer Fire Department’s Goodwill Hose Company 1, who were suspended in December, reportedly have been reinstated. But members of the company still had questions this week for city officials, who told them that the fire department — not Latrobe Council — needs to solve its internal...
Unity OKs 3% wage hike, seeks emergency coordinator
Unity Township supervisors approved a 3% wage hike for most township workers and are searching for a new emergency management coordinator. At their reorganization meeting this week, the supervisors approved the pay increase for two non-union employees. That hike matches the raise recently approved for 23 union members who work...
Borings for bridge project slated on Route 906 in Rostraver
Motorists may encounter changing traffic patterns in the Rostraver community of Webster beginning this week, while boring is under way on a section of Route 906. According to PennDOT, workers will be completing geotechnical borings between Mechanics and Kline streets to prepare for a bridge replacement. The work is expected...
3 female authors will discuss their writing, friendship in Seton Hill program
Three bestselling female authors who hail from the West Coast will discuss their writing and today’s publishing industry during a presentation Tuesday at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. “An Evening with Juliet Blackwell, Rachael Herron and Sophie Littlefield” is set for 7 p.m. in the Carol Reichgut Concert Hall at...
PennDOT work to restrict southbound traffic at Route 51 and I-70
Motorists should be prepared for potential traffic delays Tuesday on Route 51 in Rostraver as crews complete preliminary field work for proposed reconstruction of the highway’s interchange with I-70. According to PennDOT, southbound traffic on Route 51, in the area near I-70 and Finley Road, will be restricted to one...
Brothers to address Westmoreland Woodlands group on Chestnut Ridge raptor count
Western Pennsylvania’s ridges can serve as superhighways for birds of prey migrating north each spring and south when fall arrives. Two Fayette County brothers have established that Chestnut Ridge, the western-most of those ridges, provides just such a route. At a Thursday presentation of the Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association, they’ll...
National Science Fiction Day celebrates Asimov, speculative literature
With “The Rise of Skywalker,” the latest “Star Wars” sequel, currently blasting the competition at the box office, science fiction films are enjoying as high a profile as ever since the original movie in the franchise debuted in 1977. Today, fans of the genre are encouraged to take a deeper...
Latrobe rec program’s Comedy Night to include catered meal
An evening of stand-up routines and catered edibles is planned for the 16th Annual Comedy Night presented by Latrobe-Greater Latrobe School District Parks & Recreation. Set for Jan. 25, the event will feature a lineup of Pittsburgh-area comedians, to be announced. Doors will open at 6 p.m. at Huber Hall,...
Business relations, cancer charity held personal meaning for Norwin civic leader
Margaree Pertle was strong in her commitment to causes that benefited others, including the fight against cancer. Pertle, who founded the Norwin Relay for Life 15 years ago, took part in the yearly fundraising walk around the Norwin Knights track in North Huntingdon to raise money for cancer research —...
Greensburg’s MedCare Equipment expands with new Somerset affiliation
Greensburg-based MedCare Equipment Company is expanding its service area and adding about 20 employees through a new affiliation with Somerset Med Services. On Wednesday, the Greensburg firm, which provides home medical equipment and respiratory therapy services in affiliation with the local Excela Health health care system, is set to conclude...
Church organist, music teacher left behind legacy of song
Frances Kintigh could play everything from a Bach cantata to a Scott Joplin rag on her baby grand piano, but the hymns she provided accompaniment for were her favorite form of musical expression. “She loved the songs of the church,” said her daughter, Patricia Kintigh. “Wonderful Words of Life” was...
Scottdale volunteer praised for efforts to boost local watershed, preserve architectureVideo
A discarded nail punctured Jonathan Fox’s foot in June, but the wince-inducing wound merely caused an intermission in the Scottdale man’s daylong efforts on behalf of the Jacobs Creek Watershed Association. Fox’s dedication to the group on that day and many others has earned him recognition as the nonprofit association’s...
Latrobe looks to turn up lights on town’s holiday displays
As the 2019 holiday season winds down, Latrobe officials are looking to add more sparkle to the city’s downtown displays next year. The city placed seasonally themed banners on decorative lamp posts recently installed along downtown streets in a cooperative effort with the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program. But Mayor Rosie...
Navy veteran survived Korean War attack, shared love of sports
Scottdale native Bill Bair frequently carried an attache case in the early 1950s, but the documents he bore weren’t business files. Often they were important military papers entrusted to him as an assistant to Korean War officers. Though he enlisted in the Navy in 1948, Bair usually traveled aboard airplanes...
Active Greensburg retiree set pace for her family
Sidonia Peruzzi had an independent spirit and a drive that was seemingly boundless. “She was a very energetic person,” said daughter Victoria Waugaman of Hempfield. “She had more stamina than I do.” In her 80s, Mrs. Peruzzi was no longer able to drive her yellow Volkswagen Beetle, but that didn’t...
Reorganized Westmoreland commissioners’ board to address ‘State of the County’
Those attending Westmoreland’s 2020 State of the County luncheon will have an opportunity to hear from and question the three county commissioners on issues of interest to the business community. The annual event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 9 at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference...
