Jeff Himler stories, Page 54
Peoples pays city $351K to repave Greensburg streets after gas line work
Greensburg’s public works department will take charge of repaving portions of 15 streets this spring and summer after Peoples completes work on its natural gas utility lines. Peoples is paying the city $351,782 for the paving work under an agreement approved this month. “It lets us pave the streets instead...
Excela CEO, Ohio entrepreneur join honored Greensburg Salem alumni; late coach gets new award
A hospital executive and an entrepreneur with an engineering background this year will join distinguished alumni honored at Greensburg Salem School District. John Sphon of Greensburg, a member of the graduating class of 1975, and Bill Lendl, a 1980 graduate who lives in West Chester, Ohio, will be recognized on...
Greensburg veteran of D-Day, Battle of the Bulge enjoyed creating art, model train layouts
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes. The program honors local military and non-military heroes by displaying photos on decorative banners in area communities. Elmer Klingler Greensburg Elmer Klingler didn’t talk much about his service in the Army...
Backyard workshop slated at Mammoth Park
Troublesome pests, pollinator-friendly plantings and low-maintenance gardening are among topics that will be explored during a free Sustainable Backyard Workshop April 22 at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant Township. Organized by the Lauglintown-based staff of Forbes State Forest, the event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Pavilions...
Pitt fans pack Hempfield casino to watch tournament, hope for March Madness momentum
Green shirts and a few plaid kilts were on view Friday afternoon during St. Patrick’s Day at the upstairs restaurant and bar of Live Casino Pittsburgh. But gold and blue were the preferred colors for the Pitt Panthers fans who packed the Hempfield venue to watch their team defeat Iowa...
Derry Township man convicted of soliciting ‘minor’ for sex in undercover operation
A Derry Township man has been found guilty of soliciting a minor for sex, where the underage “girl” actually was an agent with the Attorney General’s Office. Mark A. Garris, 47, recently was found guilty by a Butler County jury of felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor, attempt...
Veteran Greensburg councilman Finfrock seeks 5th term
Veteran Greensburg Councilman Randy Finfrock is seeking another term on the board in this year’s municipal election. Finfrock, 72, is completing his fourth term on council, all but one of which have been consecutive. He has served for 14 years as council’s director of accounts and finance. He said the...
Bidding begins Friday in Project Bundle-Up Auction
Autographed Pittsburgh sports collectibles and electronics are among items that will be available for online bidding beginning Friday , during WTAE-TV’s 36th annual Project Bundle-Up Auction. The auction raises money to provide cold-weather outerwear for area children and senior citizens in need, through a partnership with the Salvation Army of...
Greensburg bloodhound team loses 9-year-old canine to cancer
The Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department bloodhound team saw its ranks dwindle to five dogs Tuesday with the death of 9-year-old Sadie. Sadie was pulled from field duties nearly a year ago, when she became lame, and then she developed an aggressive form of cancer that spread, according to Lou Battistella,...
Greensburg enlists state association to help select new police chief, hires 2 patrolmen
Greensburg officials are enlisting outside help as the city looks for a new police chief. Its former chief, Shawn Denning, 41, of Delmont, resigned Jan. 24 when he was arrested on drug charges. “We were all blindsided by this,” Mayor Robb Bell said of Denning’s arrest on federal charges of...
Greensburg Salem grads honored for work at Export plant; student firefighter praised for rescue effort
Two recent Greensburg Salem High School graduates have been recognized for their work at a local manufacturing company, prompting additional plaudits from the school board. The board also praised a high school senior who, as a member of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department, helped rescue a victim of a Jan....
Inspection report recommends repairs to Greensburg alley bridge over Jack’s Run
Greensburg officials are looking to repair and resurface a small bridge over Jack’s Run, based on recommendations in a recent inspection report. Public works director Tom Bell told city council this week that the report by Gibson-Thomas Engineering suggests repairs be made within one year — before the next inspection...
Bell seeks third term as Greensburg mayor, cites improvements, work ahead
Democrat Robert “Robb” L. Bell is seeking a third term as mayor of Greensburg. Bell, 66, is a Greensburg native. He said the city has maintained services and made improvements without raising taxes since he took office in 2016. He said no tax increase is planned. “Even though we’ve made...
Seton Hill study will explore potential health care-education corridor in Greensburg
Officials at Seton Hill University believe the school’s growing programs in health-related fields, in combination with nearby Westmoreland Hospital and surrounding medical practices, could provide the basis for a potential health care-education corridor in Greensburg. The university calls the project “Growing Greensburg’s Economy: Healthcare/Education.” “What will be interesting is how...
Greensburg Salem School Board member O’Brien seeks Greensburg mayoral post
Jonathan O’Brien said he’s running for mayor of Greensburg to support business growth in the city while paying attention to the concerns of taxpayers. O’Brien, 52, who is completing the final year of his single term on the Greensburg Salem School Board, is a mayoral candidate on the Republican ticket....
Police say ‘rogue’ ex-employee made bomb threat that forced Rostraver Walmart evacuation
The Belle Vernon Walmart in Rostraver was open for business Thursday evening after the store was evacuated that afternoon following a bomb threat. Walmart employees heard a male voice give the proper code for a bomb threat over the store’s internal radio communications twice in a short period of time,...
1 flown from South Huntingdon after car crashes into tree
One person was airlifted by medical helicopter for treatment following a wreck Thursday afternoon in South Huntingdon, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. A car crashed into a tree at about 2:45 p.m. on Hodges Road, between Route 981 and Rolling Hills Road. Additional details weren’t immediately available....
‘Survivor’ theme chosen for latest Mr. GS pageant at Greensburg Salem High
The Greensburg Salem Student Council Association is taking a tip from reality TV for this year’s annual Mr. GS high school pageant. A “Survivor”-themed video will introduce the group of seniors competing for the title in this year’s event, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 9 in the high school...
Greensburg Y after-school students begin downtown field trips with Mediterranean meal
A trip next door to sample unfamiliar cuisine was an unexpected treat for some students attending an after-school program at the Greensburg YMCA. Digging into his bowl of chicken kebabs and rice Tuesday at Sittay’s Mediterranean Kitchen, Aiden Jackson noted, “I’m not used to eating spicy stuff, but this is...
Fewer than 500 homes still without power from weekend storms
Power has been restored for nearly all of the nearly 30,000 customers affected by heavy storms that passed through the area over the weekend, toppling trees and damaging buildings. West Penn Power reported that as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, 450 homes in Westmoreland County were still waiting for the power...
Set for this year, Bushy Run seeks long-term approval of battle reenactment
The Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society may have won permission to continue this year’s reenactment of a Colonial-era conflict, but members of the society’s board say their modern fight has just begun. Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission members unanimously voted to allow the historic Penn Township...
2 killed in head-on collision in Derry Township
A woman from Westmoreland County and a man from Allegheny County were killed when the cars they were driving collided head-on Saturday night in Derry Township. Sherry L. Shaffer, 61, of Derry Township, and Joseph M. Gshinsky, 35, of North Fayette Township, both were pronounced dead of blunt force injuries...
Greensburg veteran survived WWII trauma, shared outdoor activities with children
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes. The program honors local military and non- military heroes by displaying photos on decorative banners in area communities. Carl Smith Greensburg 1923-2019 Carl Smith thought nothing of bicycling from his Greensburg home...
Chairs adorned with art by Greensburg Salem students featured at stores, in auction
Chairs that once served a practical purpose in the Greensburg Salem High School library are now on display at several downtown Greensburg businesses, with a new artistic flair and a charitable end. The school and the Greensburg Business and Professional Association are collaborating on an exhibit and auction of nine...
Wedding resurgence draws vendors to inaugural expo at Hempfield casino venue
Tessa Spellman and her mother, Ramie O’Brien, have found their business fortunes waxing nicely — literally — as a post-pandemic resurgence in full-blown wedding ceremonies has fueled demand for their related products. “Wax seals are hot with the young people,” O’Brien said. The Forest Hills duo provide initialed wax seals...
