Jeff Himler stories, Page 19
Westmoreland mail-in vote numbers down from 2020
There were fewer people voting by mail this year in Westmoreland County, compared to the last presidential election. Westmoreland elections bureau Director Greg McCloskey said more than 55,100 mail-in packets were received from voters as of 8 p.m. Tuesday. There were about 59,500 mail-ins in 2020. Still, McCloskey said, because...
Taxes would jump 11.4% under proposed Mt. Pleasant budget
Mt. Pleasant council is proposing an 11.4% property tax hike but still will need to draw money from the borough’s reserve fund to help support a tentative 2025 budget of about $1.5 million. With the 2 mill hike, to 19.5 mills, the borough would plan to draw almost $9,500 from...
Controversial Mt. Pleasant Halloween parade entry not a hate crime, officials say
An entry in Mt. Pleasant’s annual Halloween parade that disturbed many people with an apparent depiction of Democratic Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris handcuffed and tethered to a golf cart did not rise to the legal definition of a hate crime, according to borough officials. Borough Solicitor Leslie...
Derry Township bridge rated in ‘poor’ condition, slated for PennDOT deck repairs
A bridge that is rated in “poor” condition is scheduled for repairs next year near the northern Derry Township community of Torrance. PennDOT said plans for fixing the bridge that carries Torrance Road over McGee Run are nearing completion, with bids for the project to be let in December. According...
Southwest Greensburg voters to consider repeal of 1-mill library tax upheld in 2022 referendum
Southwest Greensburg residents on Tuesday will decide whether 1 mill of the borough’s real estate tax will continue to help fund the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library. Southwest Greensburg Council says the roughly $15,000 generated by 1 mill of the town’s 28-mill tax can be better spent on borough needs. The...
Fort Ligonier DAR marks site of little-known Fort Preservation
The nation’s 250th birthday is less than two years away, and the Fort Ligonier chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is ready for the major milestone. As its commitment to the America250 celebration campaign, the Ligonier-based DAR group has drawn public attention to the little-known Fort Preservation, a...
Car crashes into Greensburg supermarket’s mural-adorned wall
A wall decorated with a large mural was damaged Thursday afternoon when a car crashed into the Charley Brothers Shop ‘n Save supermarket on East Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg. The woman driving the car was checked out by medics and did not require treatment, according to Greensburg fire Chief Tom...
Greensburg cafe owner recalls ‘really cool’ meeting with Bill Clinton at campaign event and his shop
Earlier this week, former President Bill Clinton departed Greensburg leaving behind praise for the homemade apricot scones at the town’s White Rabbit Cafe. Owner Tommy Medley had a half-hour’s notice before Clinton stopped at the Main Street eatery about 1 p.m. Tuesday to grab a treat and talk with the...
Nikki Haley stumps for Dave McCormick in Allegheny County, says his fate at polls tied to Trump’s
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told a packed crowd at a northern Allegheny County music venue that former President Donald Trump will need to be re-elected in order for Dave McCormick to be successful in his bid to unseat Pennsylvania’s veteran U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. Haley spoke in support...
As Latrobe hires patrolman, council eyes early retirement incentive for senior officers
Latrobe has expanded its police force to 16 officers with the hiring of Patrolman Andrew Ong. The 11-year veteran of law enforcement was recognized for a lifesaving rescue during his previous stint with the Blairsville Police Department. Ong, who was sworn in at Latrobe council’s Monday meeting, is credited with...
Latrobe considers doubling real estate transfer tax, adding assistant public works director
Latrobe officials are considering doubling the city’s real estate transfer tax, to 1%, increasing revenue from that source to an estimated $155,000 for the pending 2025 budget. While the budget remains under development, city manager Terry Carcella said he anticipates the city will be able to hold the property tax...
Nature focus of artwork featured in Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s 40th annual auction
The works of 18 artists reflecting on the theme “Water is the Mirror of Nature” will be spotlighted in the Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s 40th annual art auction benefit. The largest fundraising effort for the Ligonier Township-based watershed group, this year’s auction will be held Saturday at the Latrobe Country Club...
Latrobe Hospital fundraiser features remembrance ceremony, holiday tree lightingVideo
Residents can shine a light on loved ones by participating in an annual holiday display and fundraiser organized by the Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society. Now in its 37th year, the Lights of Love program illuminates an evergreen tree outside the main entrance of Independence Health Latrobe Hospital, with each...
PennDOT plans to upgrade Route 30 bridge in Ligonier Township, replace Rostraver foot bridge
The bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Route 30 over the Loyalhanna Creek in Ligonier Township is due for a roughly $2 million upgrade next year, including deck repairs and drainage improvements. Near the western edge of Westmoreland County, PennDOT is also set to replace a foot bridge that...
Derry Township couple hopes to expand annual free pumpkin patch for kids
Carter Bollinger and his younger sister, Saddie, don’t see eye-to-eye on what makes a perfect pumpkin. “It’s the size of it,” said 6-year-old Saddie. Her brother, who is 9, begged to differ: “It’s the color of it.” In the end, the pair and two of their Derry Township siblings —...
206-year-old bridge a sight to see for visitors to depleted Yough River Lake
Karen Wolfe did something this week that few others have done over the past 80 years. She walked the main street of Somerfield and its 206-year-old Great Crossings Bridge, landmarks that are normally about 50 feet underwater at Youghiogheny River Lake in southwestern Somerset County. “We had to come up...
Greensburg DAR chapter shines light on female patriot, rededicates St. Clair monument
Phoebe Bayard, described as an “American princess” in her youth, was born in 1743 in Boston to parents from two prominent and wealthy families. When she died 75 years later, she was living in a log home on Westmoreland County’s Chestnut Ridge, after sacrificing her fortune and enduring long separations...
11-year-old gorilla Ivan dies during medical procedure at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announced the death of one of its lifelong residents, 11-year-old gorilla Djembe. Known to the public as Ivan, the Western lowland silver-back gorilla suffered cardiac arrest Wednesday while undergoing a medical procedure at the zoo, officials reported. Zoo officials said Ivan showed no pre-existing conditions,...
McKeesport carjacking suspect arrested after crashing in North Versailles
A suspect in a McKeesport assault and carjacking crashed on Route 30 in North Versailles on Thursday afternoon after failing to stop for an Allegheny County sheriff’s deputy, according to the sheriff’s office. The deputy took the man into custody after he crashed into a utility pole near Grandview Cemetery,...
Unity zoning panel OKs fourth session for solar farm hearing; size requirement in contention
Debate about a proposed solar farm in Unity will continue for a fourth session before the township zoning hearing board. Township officials and the developer have hit a hurdle in determining whether the facility will meet requirements that apply to agricultural property. Township Solicitor Gary Falatovich said during Tuesday’s third...
Steelers’ Friday Night Lights practice in Latrobe generated $121K
Dry skies, a higher admission price and a more efficient online ticketing system all contributed to $121,000 in revenue being collected from the Steelers’ Friday Night Lights practice held Aug. 2 in Greater Latrobe School District’s Memorial Stadium. That figure was a $40,000 increase from the previous year’s popular annual...
Area’s unseasonably warm temperatures just shy of record
Temperatures reached an unofficial high of 82 degrees Tuesday at two area airports, about 20 degrees above the normal high but just shy of breaking the record. The 82-degree mark was recorded at both Pittsburgh International Airport and at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity, according to Jason Frazier, a...
Greater Latrobe replaces water-damaged gym floor in time for volleyball Senior Night
Greater Latrobe School District has completed replacement of its water-damaged senior high school gym floor about a month earlier than expected. The floor was damaged on a Sunday night in late June when water overflowed from the school’s nearby swimming pool, running under connecting doors and into the gym. Superintendent...
Flight 93 exhibit focuses on continuing physical, mental toll on 9/11 survivors, responders
It took years for Ginny Barnett to come to emotional terms with scenes of trauma she encountered in Shanksville and New York City when she responded as a Red Cross volunteer in the wake of 9/11. “The first time I looked at the crash site here, I started to break...
Unity Cemetery to host Revolutionary War reenactor, is subject of art exhibit
Unity Cemetery’s 250th anniversary is being celebrated this month through artistic impressions and a historical program. There are 32 Revolutionary War veterans buried at the cemetery in Unity. On Saturday, an historical reenactor will be on hand to bring to life the experiences of such local soldiers. Tom Klingensmith, who...
