Jeff Himler stories, Page 20
Greater Latrobe moves ahead with $2.6M stadium project as teachers contract talks continue
Greater Latrobe School Board is moving forward with an estimated $2.6 million upgrade to the running track and other features at Memorial Stadium, but one board member and at least one parent think the district should delay that investment. Parent Josh Cunningham, who also is a teacher at the nearby...
Escalating medication errors pose grave risks for Pennsylvania patients
A Pittsburgh-area woman died after having an allergic reaction to an antibiotic she was given not once, but twice, during surgery to repair a hernia. During the first surgery, the procedure was halted because of the allergic reaction. The second time, the surgeon insisted she get the antibiotic because he...
Couple, pet rescued from house fire in Unity
A couple and their pet dog were rescued by a neighbor when fire broke out in their Unity home Tuesday night. A smoke alarm awakened the pair as they were sleeping on the first floor of their Dos Drive home, according to Tom Schultheis, township emergency management coordinator. Blocked by...
Lane restrictions set for I-70, Route 51 as interchange revamp proceeds, old bridge is razed
Overnight single-lane restrictions will be in place for several days on a section of Interstate 70 as crews demolish the bridge that used to carry Route 51 over the interstate in Rostraver. The bridge is being replaced by a more complex crossing as part of a $120.7 million project to...
Hay smolders days after Hempfield barn fire, sparks concern for residents
A fire that destroyed a storage barn Saturday afternoon at Westmoreland Equestrian Center in Hempfield left behind a field of hay that is continuing to smolder and smoke, sparking concerns from nearby respiratory-challenged residents. As of Tuesday, it wasn’t clear how much longer the smoldering may continue at the site...
Neighbors recall Scottdale fire victim as quiet, ‘eccentric’
Neighbors remember Thomas Zeller as a somewhat eccentric man who pursued a low-tech lifestyle. Zeller, 71, died Saturday when flames destroyed his Scottdale home. “It’s a sad thing,” Market Street resident Chuck Brownfield said Sunday. “He didn’t really associate with a lot of people, he never bothered anybody.” According to...
Vehicle crashes into Penn Hills 7-Eleven, flees
A vehicle crashed into a 7-Eleven store in Penn Hills early Sunday and then fled, according to first responders. Penn Hills Fire Company No. 7 reported it was among emergency units called to the scene at 600 Rodi Road shortly after 1 a.m. No one inside the store was injured...
Man dead after being struck by vehicle in Monroeville
Allegheny County Police are investigating a crash Saturday night in Monroeville that fatally injured a pedestrian. According to the County Medical Examiner’s Office, the victim, Thomas Tate, 48, died shortly after 9:30 p.m. at Forbes Hospital in Monroeville — about a half hour after the crash. Officials didn’t list a...
Penn Hills man dies days after shooting in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood
A Penn Hills man who was shot Oct. 6 in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood has died. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed late Saturday the death of Malcolm I. Nowlin, 26, in an area hospital following the incident in the 4100 block of Butler Street. The office listed the time...
Fort tours, battle reenactments offer chance to explore reason for Ligonier festival
Fort Ligonier Days pays tribute to the 18th century British outpost that lent its name to the modern town of Ligonier. But, full appreciation of the festival’s origin doesn’t appear to be widespread among those who are drawn to the event, judging from a random sampling Saturday of visitors who...
Firefighters battle barn blaze at Hempfield equestrian center, Business Route 66 shut down
No horses were harmed Saturday after a stubborn fire broke out about 3 p.m., then ravaged a storage barn at the Westmoreland Equestrian Center in Hempfield. The fire briefly closed a section of Business Route 66 in Hempfield, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. The roadway had reopened to traffic...
Wilkins home fire under investigation
The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of a fire that heavily damaged a home in Wilkins Township early Saturday morning. Officials told TribLive news partner WTAE the fire was reported at about 2:30 a.m. in the 700 block of Greensburg Pike, and there was no indication...
Beaver County man charged in Pittsburgh shooting that sent man to hospital
A Beaver County man is charged with attempted homicide in a Friday morning shooting in Pittsburgh that sent another man to Allegheny General Hospital. City police used surveillance video to trace a white Nissan Armada involved in the shooting to Shane Terrance Phillips, 52, of Ambridge, according to a criminal...
Reenactors, artisans, parade bring diverse appeal to Fort Ligonier Days
The 18th and 21st centuries will intersect in Ligonier this weekend as the town hosts the annual Fort Ligonier Days. The festival’s historical appeal includes reenactors portraying French and Indian War combatants and one of the country’s founding fathers — no, not George Washington. Live entertainment, a parade and vendors...
Greensburg bishop calls Irwin pastor’s actions ‘an egregious failure’
An Irwin-area Catholic priest who resigned amid questions about how the parishes he led hired a man who had a criminal record has returned to ministry, Greensburg Catholic Bishop Larry J. Kulick said. But the Rev. John Moineau will be moving from his former post at Irwin’s Immaculate Conception and...
Man critically wounded in Baldwin shooting
A man was taken to a hospital in critical condition after he was shot Friday evening in Baldwin. First responders found the man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the 5400 block of Keeport Drive. The shooting was reported to Allegheny County 911 shortly before 6 p.m. County police detectives...
Airsoft gun confiscated from elementary student on Kiski Area school bus
Kiski Area administrators cautioned families about the disruption “lookalike” weapons can cause in school settings after an airsoft BB gun was confiscated during a Friday afternoon elementary bus run. A driver on a South Primary/Upper Elementary school bus was alerted that a student was in possession of the inoperable gun...
Latrobe church to host Air Force wind quintet concert
The Heritage Winds, a quintet of airmen-musicians, will visit Latrobe on Oct. 13 to present selections from the world of films and classical and military traditions. Tickets aren’t required to attend the free concert, set for 3 p.m. at Latrobe Presbyterian Church. The diverse program will include music from movies...
Germanic lore will be studied, celebrated during West Overton program
German immigrants and their descendants have left deep roots in Southwestern Pennsylvania, a heritage that will be explored Sunday at West Overton Village and Museum in East Huntingdon. The hour-long program “Germans to America” will be presented at 12:30 p.m. in partnership with the Heinz History Center and will be...
Barefoot Dutchman visits Westmoreland on trek to support men’s mental health
The Barefoot Dutchman made his way through eastern Westmoreland County on Thursday, carefully placing one unshod foot in front of the other. Anton Nootenboom, a native of the Netherlands and veteran of its army, has adopted the nickname as he nears completion of a shoeless eastward trek across the United...
Unity family’s organic dairy farm earns annual honor from conservation district
Todd Frescura has established a clear path for his cows to move through mud-prone areas of his family’s organic dairy farm in Unity. The cattle walkways help keep dirt out of the farm’s milking parlor and out of a stream on the 100-acre spread that is part of the Sewickley...
Some Latrobe officials question recommendation for city to add more staff
A consultant hired to assess government operations in Latrobe has recommended two new supervisory positions and a more focused role for the finance director. City council members questioned the potential impact of the suggestions on the budget. Dormont-based Grass Root Solutions is expected to complete a five-year strategic management plan...
Witches to cast spell on Latrobe Night Market, Shop Hop event
Downtown Latrobe will be under a friendly spell Wednesday evening when the town’s monthly Shop Hop and Night Market welcomes visitors for a Witches Night Out. Rain or shine, the event is set for 4 to 8 p.m., featuring more than 50 local artisans and food vendors along more than...
St. Xavier in Unity to host fall walk, road ramble, input on nature preserve plans
Fall’s arrival comes with an invitation from local organizations to explore the scenery and look to the future at St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Unity. On Oct. 2, the Westmoreland Land Trust, which owns the 248-acre preserve, will host the latest in a series of public meetings to solicit comments...
Latrobe council set to consider abandoned property registry, tax break to help fight blight
Latrobe council is expected to consider a carrot-and-stick combination of measures to help curb blight in the city. The carrot is a proposed real estate tax abatement meant to encourage owners to make improvements to blighted properties. The stick is a registration system, with fees and potential fines, that could...
