Jeff Himler stories, Page 134
Westmoreland churches plan Night of Worship at Palace Theatre
Leaders and musicians from several area churches are combining efforts for an inaugural Westmoreland Night of Worship Sept. 27 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. The event, scheduled from 7 to about 8:30 p.m., will feature modern Christian music and worship in the theater at 21 W. Otterman St. “The...
Proposed Unity Sheetz elicits traffic, runoff concerns from neighbors
People who live near the site of a proposed Sheetz convenience store in Unity told township supervisors Tuesday they’re concerned about the impact the development would have on traffic and storm water runoff. Township Solicitor Gary Falatovich said the supervisors will wait until their Aug. 8 meeting to vote on...
Southwest Greensburg Meals on Wheels gets Fresh Paint Days grant
An organization that delivers midday meals to the elderly and disabled in central Westmoreland County will be able to improve the exterior of its headquarters thanks to Greensburg-based Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Tri-City Meals on Wheels is among eight grant recipients chosen from across the state for the 2019 Fresh Paint...
Latrobe fire pit owners could face fine under amended ordinance
Latrobe residents could face fines for violating the city’s fire pit ordinance under a proposed revision that would give city officials more enforcement power. Council on Aug. 12 is expected to consider the amended ordinance that would add a $50 fine for each violation and would allow the city, after...
I-70 traffic restrictions will allow PennDOT to install permanent data collector
Traffic patterns will be disrupted beginning Wednesday on a section of eastbound Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County, as PennDOT installs permanent devices for counting vehicles. Lane and shoulder restrictions will be in place from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 5 a.m. Friday as crews install Continuous Automatic Vehicle Classification devices below...
Arnold Palmer airport to introduce second passenger boarding bridge in August
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport plans in August to put into service a new $1.5 million passenger boarding bridge designed for use with Spirit Airlines’ Airbus planes. On Monday, airport employees were trained to use the bridge and other new equipment — including two baggage tugs, four baggage carts, a belt...
Greensburg woman honored for decades as foster parentVideo
When people ask Sandra Barnaby when she’s planning to retire, they’re not necessarily referring to the time she splits between serving as a nanny and cleaning houses. For more than 30 years, Barnaby, 74, has welcomed children into her Greensburg home as a foster parent and guardian. She plans to...
K-9s, helicopter to be featured at Latrobe Police National Night Out
The Latrobe Police Department will present a free evening of family fun, demonstrations and information during a National Night Out event Aug. 6 at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium. Those attending the Night Out, which will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m., will have an opportunity to speak with drug and...
Greater Latrobe School District finds next superintendent within its ranks: Georgia Teppert
Greater Latrobe School Board found the district’s new superintendent close to home, promoting Assistant Superintendent Georgia Teppert on Friday to take on the top administrative post beginning Aug. 1. Teppert has filled several administrative roles since joining the district 20 years ago as assistant senior high principal. “I’ve had the...
Unity garage construction gears up as township revises work flow
Unity Township is moving forward with a new game plan for construction of its public works garage while officials await a revised timeline for completion of the delayed project. Work on the building, which will replace one destroyed in a 2017 arson, came to a halt when 42 wooden roof...
Latrobe authority proceeds with sewage rate hikes
Latrobe Municipal Authority sewer customers will see an increase in their bills this fall as the authority moves forward with planned rate revisions that were put on hold by a legal dispute with the Unity Township Municipal Authority. According to information posted on the authority website, the billing changes include...
Unity supervisors propose upgrade, wider access at Charter Oak playground
Kids in Unity could gain another place to have summertime fun if the township receives a state grant to update a deteriorating playground in the Charter Oak housing plan. Unity supervisors this week agreed to cooperate with the Charter Oak Civic Association to apply for the project grant and to...
Unity board OKs GetGo relocation, to consider new Sheetz
Giant Eagle’s plan to relocate and expand its Unity GetGo store moved a step forward this week. Township supervisors declared the convenience store and gas station an approved conditional use at the new site at Route 30 and Giffin Drive. At a 4 p.m. hearing Tuesday , the supervisors will...
Tube helps rescuers free ‘victim’ from mound of cornVideo
Members of the Bradenville Volunteer Fire Department came to the rescue this week when 15-year-old James Winklosky found himself sunk up to his waist in a bin of corn kernels. The rising sophomore and FFA treasurer at Derry Area High School volunteered for the role of “victim” in a mock...
State loan will help replace aging water lines in Latrobe
Latrobe Municipal Authority has been awarded a $2.69 million state loan to replace aging water lines in areas of downtown Latrobe where PennDOT plans to improve several intersections next year. The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority on Wednesday approved the loan for a 20-year term with a 1% interest rate. The...
Craft distilleries offer samples for homeless benefit at Greensburg eatery
Fans of locally crafted libations can enjoy samples of spirits Saturday in Greensburg while raising money to help the homeless. “Tasting the Spirits” will be held 4-7 p.m. at Major Stokes, 108 W. Pittsburgh St. Area craft distilleries — including Country Hammer Moonshine, which has a location in North Huntingdon,...
Bike run to honor fallen servicemen from Westmoreland, Beaver counties
Two Western Pennsylvania servicemen killed last year in Afghanistan will be honored during the second annual Fallen Heroes Run, set for Aug. 10 in Hempfield. Beginning at 8:15 a.m. at the Z&M Harley-Davidson dealership on Route 30, the motorcycle run will pay tribute to Army Sgt. Jason McClary, 24, an...
Pittsburgh rescue helps cat that lost leg after firecracker abuse
A cat named Pickles is being cared for by Pittsburgh’s Humane Animal Rescue after her leg was injured by firecrackers and had to be amputated. The rescue organization posted on Facebook Tuesday about the case of animal cruelty, which it discovered when good Samaritans brought the 3-year-old cat to the...
Zoning decision pending on Faith Forward’s plan for new Latrobe office space
Faith Forward Ministries, a Latrobe nonprofit that offers counseling services, will have to wait until August to see if city officials will allow it to expand its offices to a residential section of Depot Street. Martha Faust, who heads the faith-based organization’s board, told the city zoning hearing board Tuesday...
Retired nurse stayed calm, saved lives in emergencies
Sandy Schweikarth kept her cool and took charge during emergencies that would cause others to panic. Even when she wasn’t on duty as a licensed practical nurse, others benefited from her know-how and skills. When daughter Shana Hudson was young, Schweikarth, though in the late stages of pregnancy with a...
Civil War photography talk prelude to Hanna’s Town encampment
Local expert Eric Wible will discuss the history and significance of Civil War photography in a July 25 program at Historic Hanna’s Town. The presentation is set for 7 p.m. in the Westmoreland Historical Society’s History Education Center at 809 Forbes Trail Road, Hempfield. It is linked to an ongoing...
Great blue heron dazzles at Keystone State ParkVideo
Sightings of a pair of bald eagles have created the latest sensation among admirers of wildlife at Keystone State Park. An equally impressive and more frequently seen member of the Derry Township park’s winged denizens is a great blue heron that plucks daily meals from the stocked Keystone Lake. Regular...
Resurgent bald eagles spotted in Derry, Unity townships
Add Keystone State Park to the sites in Southwestern Pennsylvania occupied by the resurgent bald eagle. Park naturalist Jean H. Keene has seen two eagles in the Derry Township park since last year and recently led a group of 11 registered participants on a paddling excursion on the park’s central...
Summerfest will offer horse rides, music, kids’ carnival in Cook Township
Live music, a petting zoo and activities for kids are planned at the annual Summerfest, scheduled for Aug. 3 at an equine-assisted therapy center in Cook Township. The event is set to run from noon to 7 p.m. at the Ligonier Therapeutic Center, 24 Stom Road. Horse rides and hay...
French connections abound in Southwestern PennsylvaniaVideo
On Sunday, when France celebrates its day of independence, Bastille Day, it’s a good time to acknowledge the strong influence that country and its people have had on Westmoreland, Allegheny and surrounding counties — beginning before the United States existed. A number of Southwestern Pennsylvania communities have names that reflect...
