Jeff Himler stories, Page 127
Historical society show will honor Latrobe-area veterans
A new slide show, “Honoring Our Veterans,” will share the stories of Latrobe-area residents who served in American military campaigns from the French and Indian War through modern conflicts. Leading up to local Veterans Day observances, the slide presentation is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday at the Latrobe...
Airport director: Arnold Palmer runway upgrades will support more frequent flights
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport hope work to widen and strengthen the runway will not only improve conditions for existing flights, but also open the door for increased frequency of flights and additional destinations for passengers. “The primary reason is safety,” Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo...
Latrobe Turkey Trot 5K turns 25, adds ‘virtual’ race division
Dedicated competitors, as well as those who enjoy the sociable holiday atmosphere, are expected to show up Thanksgiving morning for Latrobe’s 25th anniversary Turkey Trot foot race. Craig Shevchik, director of Latrobe-GLSD Parks & Recreation, which organizes the race, is hoping to mark the silver anniversary by attracting more than...
Driver fired after taking Shaler Area bus over flooded roadVideo
A driver has been fired after driving a Shaler Area school bus over a flooded road Thursday in Shaler Township. School district transportation provider ABC Transit told WPXI-TV the driver was terminated after video footage captured the incident Thursday afternoon on Seavey Road, in the aftermath of heavy rainstorms. Three...
Bridge work will detour PA Turnpike traffic between Monroeville, Harmar
The westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed early Sunday between the Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley exits to allow crews to work on the Saltsburg Road bridge. Weather permitting, the closure will begin at 11:59 p.m. Saturday and is expected to last until 5 a.m. Sunday, turnpike officials...
Frozen berries sold at Aldi recalled for possible Hepatitis A contamination
Wawona Frozen Foods has recalled frozen berries sold at Aldi and Raley’s Family of Fine Stores because the products might be contaminated with Hepatitis A. The company announced the voluntary recall this week for frozen berries imported from Chile. Recalled items include: 12-ounce bags of Season’s Choice raspberries with 2021...
Man, woman flown to Pittsburgh after 2-car crash on Route 217 in Derry Township
Two motorists were flown to Pittsburgh trauma centers for treatment after a two-car collision early Friday evening at Route 217 and Industrial Boulevard in Derry Township. Bradenville Fire Chief Mark Piantine said a man was freed from one of the cars and a woman was extricated from the other following...
4 incumbents, 3 newcomers in race for 5 Greater Latrobe School Board seats
Seven candidates are vying for five seats on the Greater Latrobe School Board in Tuesday’s election. Those seeking to join the board include retired state police trooper Paul McCommons, chiropractic assistant and former Greater Latrobe employee Cathy Sarraf, and Plum Borough School District business teacher David Vitula. Incumbents hoping to...
Ligonier Salvation Army accepts kids’ wish lists, seeks bell-ringers
The Salvation Army last year provided holiday gifts to 180 Ligonier Valley children in financial need. The need continues this year, and eligible area families who want to make sure their kids ages 13 or younger have something special in their stockings are encouraged to submit wish lists at the...
Route 31 ramps reopen amid I-70 interchange update
Motorists traveling east on Interstate 70 once more can exit and enter at Route 31, with the opening of ramps that were closed for construction. The ramps opened to traffic on Tuesday as work progressed on revamping the interchange in South Huntingdon from a cloverleaf to a diamond configuration. “If...
Opening celebration set for bike trail extension in IndianaVideo
Local officials and trail advocates next week will celebrate the “soft opening” of a new extension of Indiana County’s Hoodlebug Trail that brings the hiking and bicycling route through the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus and into downtown Indiana. The event is set for noon on Nov. 8 at the...
School director, restaurant owner vie for Unity supervisor post
Michael O’Barto has spent two years on the Greater Latrobe School Board, but he hopes Unity voters will return him to his previous longtime role of township supervisor. Doug Murphy, who fell short in a 2017 bid to join the three-member board of supervisors, is vying again for the position....
Concrete damage limits access to Latrobe parking garage while city looks for fix
The Weldon Street entrance to Latrobe’s municipal parking garage is temporarily closed while city officials and consultants weigh options for solving concrete problems that likely will add to the cost of ongoing repairs to the structure. Pullman Services has been working for several weeks on the first major repairs to...
North Huntingdon ironworker was drawn to high places, humor and music
Jerry Conrad wasn’t afraid of hard work or high places. A former ironworker with 30 years of experience, he used to ride up on a wrecking ball instead of an elevator to begin his shift on the upper levels of tall buildings. “He was just one of those guys; he...
Latrobe party scares up Halloween fun for kids
The Latrobe Art Center and Latrobe-Greater Latrobe School District Parks and Recreation are teaming up to host a creative Halloween party for kids. Set for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the art center, at 819 Ligonier St., the evening offers children ages 5-12 the opportunity to design their own...
Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Unity offers fire cider demo, sample
Fire cider isn’t a variation on the caramel-colored apple beverage found at fruit stands each fall. It’s a trendy health tonic, typically made with apple cider vinegar, and Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Unity is ready to reveal how to concoct the liquid. The free pop-up workshop for adults is...
Jeannette native, Vietnam POW offers inspiration for fellow veteransVideo
Dave Carey played a make-believe piano and recalled everything from Biblical passages to the early 20th-century poem “The Highwayman” to stay sane during more than five years as a prisoner of war held by North Vietnamese captors beginning in 1967. More than 300 people, including many fellow veterans, came to...
Donations sought to help Saint Vincent students deliver kids’ holiday wishes
Donations are being accepted to provide holiday gifts to local children as part of a community service project at Saint Vincent College in Unity. The SVC Wraps for Kids program has provided gifts for more than 1,250 underprivileged children over the past six years, with nearly 300 kids benefiting from...
Westmoreland Land Trust appointees include Allegheny Land Trust staff member
The Westmoreland Land Trust has three new board members, including a staff member of the neighboring Allegheny Land Trust. New Westmoreland trust board member Alyson Fearon, who plans to move from Monroeville to a new home across the county line in Murrysville, is the community conservation director for the Allegheny...
Expert: Large ‘mosquitoes’ are really disease-free crane flies
Homeowners who are concerned their backyards are being invaded by super-sized mosquitoes are really witnessing the annual emergence of harmless adult crane flies, according to the Westmoreland Conservation District’s Andrea Halfhill. She knows about mosquitoes, since she just finished monitoring the county’s population of the winged insects this year for...
Westmoreland Veterans Affairs director to be keynote speaker for Smithton dinner
Matt Zamosky, director of Westmoreland County Veterans Affairs, will address those attending an early Veterans Day dinner on Nov. 2. The program, including presentation of colors and recognition of Vietnam veterans, begins at 6 p.m. at the Smithton Volunteer Fire Department social hall, 609 Center St. It’s sponsored by the...
Police seek Jefferson Hills man charged with trying to rape boy
Authorities are searching for a registered sex offender from Jefferson Hills who is charged with attempted rape of a teen last month in Washington County. Russell Marycz, 43, is charged with attempted rape; kidnapping, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment and corruption of minors; criminal solicitation; simple assault; and interference with custody...
Unity zoning panel OKs small cell antennae in Whitney, HostetterVideo
Six small cellular antennae soon could be rising above the Unity villages of Hostetter and Whitney. The township zoning hearing board this week approved the devices meant to improve service for Verizon wireless customers. Chairman Matt Cavalier, Timothy Thomas, Dorothy Zello and Judge Jim Kelley granted a special exception allowing...
Postal Service to honor Arnold Palmer with ‘Forever’ stamp
Golfing legend Arnold Palmer next year will share another distinction with fellow iconic Latrobe native Fred Rogers. The U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday it will issue a stamp next year honoring Palmer. A stamp recognizing Rogers, beloved host of the children’s television program “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” was issued in 2018....
Study: Rail-trails inject $930M annually into Pa. economy
Walking and biking trails developed along railroad rights-of-way contribute $930 million annually to Pennsylvania’s economy, and the regional Great Allegheny Passage trail is an important part of that figure, the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy estimates. According to the conservancy’s methodology, that estimate is on the low end of spending along the state’s...
