Jeff Himler stories, Page 11
4 incumbents, 6 challengers in running for Greater Latrobe School Board
A crowded field of 10 candidates is in the hunt for four seats on the Greater Latrobe School Board as the district seeks a new superintendent and decisions loom regarding proposed replacement of the junior high’s leak-prone roof and the future of several aging buildings. Of the four incumbents, a...
Terry Carcella departing as Latrobe’s city manager for similar post in Springdale
Latrobe officials will look to reassign administrative responsibilities temporarily as City Manager Terry Carcella departs this month to take on a similar post in Springdale Borough. Springdale Council voted Tuesday to hire Carcella, initially paying him a prorated salary of $85,000 through the end of the year. Carcella said his...
Owner of Janet’s Dance Studio in Irwin inspired generations of students
Janet Naughton had the spirit of a Broadway hoofer and the calling to share her talent with generations of younger aspiring dancers. Naughton, who died Thursday at 88, wasn’t tall enough to realize her dream of becoming a Radio City Rockette. But she was overjoyed when students at her Irwin...
‘You’re going to find it’ at Hanna’s Town antique sale, now in its 52nd season
Janie Hess-Gray’s favorite find at a past Hanna’s Town Antiques and Collectibles Sale was a green glass buoy, or fishing float. “It’s very beautiful,” she said. “We were just talking about putting it out on our porch for the season.” At Sunday’s season opener of monthly sales at the historic...
Teens from Trafford, North Versailles charged as adults in North Braddock shooting
Allegheny County police have charged two teens as adults, stemming from shots fired into an occupied car on May 4 in North Braddock. Nasir Williams, 15, of North Versailles, and Jmeire Estes, 17, of Trafford, are charged with gun violations, conspiracy and multiple counts of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering...
PennDOT plans stop warning at Jeannette intersection; nearby pipe work triggers detour
PennDOT is looking to improve traffic safety in Jeannette by providing motorists advance warning to stop at the intersection of Lewis Avenue and Park Street. Plans call for crews to install a flashing beacon to alert approaching drivers of an all-way stop at the intersection. Work is expected to take...
Blooms, bright skies bring mothers out to browse Greensburg shops ahead of holiday
Molly Clayton of Latrobe and her mother, JoAnn Ridilla, a Unity resident, don’t get to downtown Greensburg very often. With clear skies, temperatures in the 70s and retail promotions, conditions were ideal for a trip there on Saturday — during an inaugural “Blooms & Sips: Mother’s Day Stroll” shopping event....
Greensburg driver killed in car-truck collision on Route 22
A Greensburg man was killed early Saturday when his car collided with a dump truck on Route 22 in Murrysville. Thomas Edward Peer, 71, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. The rear-end type crash was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. near the intersection...
Giant Eagle set to close store at former Parkway Center Mall site
A Giant Eagle supermarket in Pittsburgh, near the shuttered Parkway Center Mall, is set to close. The store is scheduled to close its doors on June 28 while the pharmacy at that location will end operations on May 21, according to company spokesman Dan Donovan. “This was not an easy...
15-year-old girl shot in East Pittsburgh; woman in custody
Allegheny County police took a 19-year-old woman into custody after a 15-year-old girl was shot in the hand late Friday in East Pittsburgh. Police said the shooting was reported to county 911 dispatchers at about midnight in the 500 block of Franklin Street. The wounded girl’s condition wasn’t immediately available....
New sapling at Seton Hill University helps spread legacy of Holocaust diarist Anne Frank
Saplings grown from a chestnut tree that inspired Holocaust victim Anne Frank have taken root at places around the globe — including at Greensburg’s Seton Hill University, where officials believe it can provide the same hope Frank expressed in her famous diary. The university on Wednesday planted a sapling donated...
Latrobe Council begins effort to take over condemned North Side dwelling
Latrobe is looking to take over ownership of a blighted residential property in the town’s North Side that the city initially condemned last year. Now vacant, according to the city, the mobile home at 219 E. Second Ave. has overgrown trees bordering its walls. City Council recently moved to confirm...
Westmoreland County, nonprofit team up to spread crisis response teams into 5 communities
About 40% of Westmoreland County residents are living with a mental health diagnosis, while only about half of those who are affected by mental illness receive treatment — in part because of access issues. Those are among alarming statistics cited in a June 2024 report by county consultant Recovery Innovations....
Ligonier Valley School Board member Joseph Vella dies suddenly at home
The Ligonier Valley School District community was shocked this week by the unexpected death of school board member Joseph Vella. Vella, 54, who was midway through his first term on the board, died Tuesday at his Ligonier Township home. The cause of death has yet to be determined, according to...
Ligonier Country Market gets township OK of permit change, set to open 50th season
Ligonier Country Market will open its regular season as planned May 17, with the approval of Ligonier Township. Township Supervisors Dan Resenic, John Beaufort and John Fraser this week approved a modification of the market’s conditional-use permit, allowing the market to begin its season this year and going forward on...
Kids are focus of Latrobe 4th of July festival, among performers at Friday showcase
Organizers of the Latrobe Fourth of July Celebration are planning to focus on children at this year’s two-day event, set for July 3 and 4. There will be added attractions for attendees younger than 18, in keeping with the theme for the town’s festival and its popular parade — “Building...
Washington, Pa. man dies after shooting; no injuries reported at nearby school
A Washington, Pa., man died after he was shot in the city on Monday morning. Nasstylejah Wilkerson, 28, was pronounced dead in the emergency department of UPMC Washington Hospital following the shooting reported at about 11:45 a.m. near the intersection of West Walnut and North Franklin streets, according to Washington...
Police check report of inappropriate conduct by Indiana County school staffer
State police are investigating a report of inappropriate conduct involving an employee of a school district in southeastern Indiana County. No charges had been filed as of Monday and there was no threat to students or staff at United School District. The incident involved a district staff member and was...
Westmoreland work zone crash numbers down, but risk remains high, say PennDOT, police
A PennDOT flagger had a close call with an inattentive driver on Route 66 in Westmoreland County while another state road worker was struck and injured by a driver who ignored a detour in Fayette County. Those are two instances of road work zone infractions and collisions that PennDOT and...
Ligonier Township planning board recommends allowing mid-May opening for Country Market
The Ligonier Township Planning Commission is recommending that township supervisors modify a conditional-use permit, which would allow the popular Ligonier Country Market to open as planned May 17. The supervisors will hear testimony on the matter at a formal hearing set for 7 p.m. Tuesday. The planning board unanimously agreed...
Retired attorney, Social Security judge selected to fill vacant Ligonier Township supervisor seat
A retired attorney and former administrative law judge has joined Ligonier Township’s board of supervisors to fill a vacancy through the end of the year. The remaining four supervisors voted 3-1 Tuesday to appoint John Fraser, 69, to a seat vacated by the recent abrupt resignation of D. Scott Matson....
Ligonier Country Market’s appeal of opening date rule heads to planning board, supervisors
The Ligonier Township planning commission on Thursday will consider an appeal by the Ligonier Country Market that could affect the seasonal venue’s opening date this year. The market is looking to modify a provision of a 2008 township conditional use permit that indicates it can’t open before Memorial Day, which...
New York City firm gets initial OK for solar farm on site of former Unity stone quarry
A New York City-based solar farm developer has passed the first hurdle in its plan to develop an array along a rural road in Unity. The township zoning hearing board on Tuesday unanimously approved a special exception that will allow CVE North America to pursue installation of a solar farm...
Work on Youghiogheny River bridge to restrict traffic on I-70
Motorists on Interstate 70 can expect to encounter daytime lane restrictions in Rostraver and South Huntingdon beginning Wednesday, as work continues on reconstruction of the Route 51 interchange and improvement of an adjoining section of the interstate. Single-lane restrictions for both eastbound and westbound traffic are planned between the Route...
Plans for Greensburg Amtrak station include new doors, restrooms for handicapped access
Amtrak is looking to make improvements to its station at Greensburg beginning in 2026, while upgrades at the Latrobe station are set to get underway this year. The station projects, which include improved features for handicapped accessibility, come as Amtrak is planning to expand its passenger service between Pittsburgh and...
