Jeff Himler stories, Page 129
Greater Latrobe faces 2.7-mill tax-hike cap for 2020-21
Greater Latrobe School Board in December is expected to decide whether it intends to keep any potential tax increase for the 2020-21 school year within a 2.71-mill cap set by the state. District Business Administrator Dan Watson told the board Tuesday that Greater Latrobe will be limited to a 3.3%...
Uniontown police eye charges against student in high school shooting threat
Uniontown City Police report charges are pending against a student at Uniontown Area High School, stemming from a shooting threat posted on social media. Police said they were notified Tuesday about the threatened shooting at the high school, which was reported by multiple students and parents. The juvenile student was...
Reduced police shifts approved to cut costs at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
Westmoreland County Park Police will roughly cut in half the hours they spend at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in a move that is expected to increase efficiency and save money. The police have officers assigned to the Unity airport for two 8-hour shifts per day, providing an extra layer of...
Westmoreland airport authority picks New York engineers
The Westmoreland County Airport Authority has set its sights beyond the region to select a new engineering consultant. The authority this week approved a five-year, non-exclusive agreement with McFarland Johnson, a Binghamton, N.Y.-based engineering firm that has a history of working on airport projects. “They are very much involved with...
Indiana County event explores Hoodlebug Trail, craft libations
Visitors to Indiana County can explore the Hoodlebug Trail Saturday as part of a tasting tour of three local businesses along the trail that create craft beers and spirits. The fourth annual Spirits Along the Hoodlebug event begins at noon at Noble Stein Brewing Company, 1170 Wayne Ave., Indiana, and...
Faith Forward open house to feature judge candidate, talk on opioid epidemic
Latrobe nonprofit Faith Forward Ministries will hold an open house Thursday at its Mozart Hall headquarters. The free event, set for 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 338 Main St., will offer the public an opportunity to learn about the organization’s services and plans while also meeting Hempfield attorney Michael...
Mt. Pleasant Township woman, 102, joined the first WAVES of Navy veteransVideo
Melva Simon met some initial resistance from her parents, John and Sadie Dolan, when she decided to sign up for military service. “My mother wasn’t too anxious for me to go,” she said. But, at age 25, “she couldn’t keep me at home forever.” Simon was quick to join the...
Author, veteran to discuss ‘Women in the Marines’ at Westmoreland libraries
Retired Marine Corps Col. Nancy Anderson will discuss her recently published book, “The Very Few, The Proud: Women in the Marines,” during programs at several Westmoreland County libraries. Anderson, who earlier this year served as interim CEO of the Westmoreland Cultural Trust, will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday in The...
Latrobe-area writer focuses on Fred Rogers’ kindness, hometown impactVideo
Beloved children’s television host Fred Rogers achieved his greatest effect on others by being “defiantly kind,” Latrobe-area writer Chris Rodell asserts. Rodell offers an example — a 1995 encounter with Latrobe native Rogers that lifted the spirits of a younger man — in his new book released this month, “Growing...
Smile erased borders for Manor woman with transatlantic ties
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...
Ligonier Valley students help plant arboretum at Forbes State Forest officeVideo
Students from Ligonier Valley Middle School got in some field work this past week — literally. The 25 students enrolled in horticulture and marketing classes in grades 6-8 helped plant several trees that will transform a Laughlintown field just west of the Forbes State Forest district office into a showcase...
PennDOT to display plans for Route 906 reconstruction in Rostraver, Monessen
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...
Coroner called to scene of shooting in West DerryVideo
Westmoreland County Coroner Kenneth Bacha confirmed his office was called to the scene of a shooting Thursday night in the West Derry section of Derry Township. A Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said state police were called to an incident on West Fourth Avenue (Route 217) just before 8 p.m. Additional...
Westmoreland woman’s suit links Juul use to seizures
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...
Indiana to welcome Vietnam memorial replica
“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...
Saint Vincent Homecoming alumni honorees include Westmoreland pair
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 GetGo site plan gets township OK, Sheetz proposal on hold
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...
Stage Right! clinches world record for fastest production
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...
Ligonier chamber 2020 photo calendar on sale
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...
Latrobe football alumni dinner will honor ’59, ’60 champion squads
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....
Ligonier golf outing will benefit Derry Township humane society
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...
In-town fields part of high school football tradition across Western PennsylvaniaVideo
Greensburg’s Offutt Field was thrust into the spotlight on Nov. 2, 1962, and on Sept. 9, 1988 — though for opposite reasons. Nestled in a dip between hills on the city’s eastern end, the field originally known as Athletic Park has played host to a variety of community events and...
$11M federal grant approved for Arnold Palmer runway widening
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...
Bradenville fire chief: Fund drive phone calls are bogus
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,”...
Ghost Town Trail marks 25th year with bike ride in Cambria County
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...
