Jeff Himler stories, Page 22
Pittsburgh mother charged with carjacking, holding her children at knifepoint
A Pittsburgh mother is accused of holding her two children at knifepoint Thursday when city police tried to arrest her on charges related to a carjacking. Police said they found Gwendolyn Gilmore, 48, holding a small dagger — with her 4-year-old son on her back and her 10-year-old daughter sitting...
Unity supervisors give solicitor ‘clean slate’ to address ATV use, reject resident’s proposal
A debate in Unity Township about how residents should be able to use all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes on their property remains unresolved after the township supervisors on Thursday rejected a resident’s proposal that would have eased restrictions. The supervisors voted 2-1 to nix a proposed ordinance amendment submitted by...
Ligonier Township posts emergency closure of bridge near Wilpen
A problem discovered during an inspection prompted an emergency closure Wednesday of the Ramsey Road bridge near the Ligonier Township community of Wilpen. Township manager Michael Strelic said township road crews had been keeping an eye on the decades-old steel grate span across Hannas Run and patched the bridge deck...
Piping seminars, sheepherding demo join Ligonier Highland Games
Scottish dogs will have their day at the Ligonier Highland Games, back for the 65th year on Saturday. After an absence of some years, a popular sheepherding event will return to the Idlewild & Soak Zone grounds. There are plenty of other returning favorites, including traditional Celtic dances, a national...
Ligonier Valley School Board members accused of interfering in special education investigation
Ligonier Valley School Board President Don Gilbert has accused four fellow board members of interfering in a district investigation into a 2023 incident that left a high school teacher with severe injuries. The teacher was injured in an encounter with a special needs student. Authorities did not file charges in...
Westmoreland air show drew about 30K each day to Unity airport
The Westmoreland County Airport Authority is still flying high three weeks after the annual air show that attracted massive crowds to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity. While the net revenue from the two-day event has yet to be calculated, Gabe Monzo, the authority’s executive director, told members Tuesday that...
Greensburg Restaurant Week returns with expanded menu options
Diners will be able to select from some new and expanded choices in the semiannual Greensburg Restaurant Week, running through Sunday. There are 17 restaurants taking part this week, up from 14 that were on board for the last two events, this past January and a year ago. First-time participants...
Youngwood centennial time capsule yields mystery VHS, sparks school memories
The first step will be finding a working VHS player. Then the question is: Will the 25-year-old videocassette still play? Most of the items pulled Friday from Youngwood’s 1999 centennial time capsule were souvenirs from that celebration or from earlier town milestones. Some paper items, including a centennial cookbook, were...
Crews work to clean up hydrochloric acid spill on Toll 66
A southbound lane restriction was in place Friday afternoon on the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Toll 66 Amos K. Hutchinson bypass as emergency crews worked to mop up a hazardous material leak. Minor slowdowns were reported in traffic getting by the closed right lane near mile marker 7, between Routes 130 and...
Latrobe Italian Festival returns with parade, food, music ranging from rock to opera
A new diverse mix of musical entertainment and food is slated for the third annual Latrobe Italian Festival, returning this weekend to the city’s First Ward neighborhood. Organized by Michael Ciotti, owner of 512 Coffee and Ice Cream, and his father, Paul, the festival will offer more than 50 food...
West Newton youth center to pilot workforce development program for 6 interns
Six interns will get experience introducing and operating a new food truck business as part of a yearlong workforce development program set to begin this fall. The program is being conducted through the Waypoint Youth and Community Center in West Newton. The Economic Discoveries and Growth through Experiential Education (EDGEE)...
Saint Vincent coverlet exhibit to spotlight bird patterns
Saint Vincent College’s Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery fall exhibit will open Thursday. An opening reception for “Flights of Fancy: A Menagerie of Handwoven Birds” will be held 4 to 6 p.m. on the ground floor of the Fred M. Rogers Center in Unity. The exhibit will run through...
Derry Township supervisors OK waterline extension, seek funds for culvert, mowers
About a dozen households on Derry Township’s Guthrie Road are set to gain municipal water service through a line extension approved by the township supervisors. Chairman Jim Prohaska said construction likely could begin in about a month after the supervisors on Tuesday awarded a contract totaling about $245,000 to Export-based...
Resident voices concern about potential solar farm in Derry Township
Derry Township resident Timothy Petro is concerned about the possibility of a solar farm locating on a field next to his home on Pandora Road. If large panels for generating solar power are constructed amid his neighborhood’s mix of residential and agricultural land, he’s hoping township officials can do something...
Condemned Latrobe apartment building listed for almost $280K
The owner of a six-story Latrobe apartment building that was condemned by city officials is looking to sell the vacant property. Irwin real estate agent Hunter Donnelly of Century 21 Fairways Real Estate listed the 24-unit building at 333 Main St. for $279,900. The apartments in the building have been...
Work underway to replace Greater Latrobe gym floor after pool maintenance mishap
Greater Latrobe Senior High’s main gym is getting an unplanned update of its floor after the wood surface was damaged by water during the summer. Work on the sub-floor was mostly complete before the Labor Day break and installation of a new maple floor surface was expected to begin this...
Wild species, spaces highlight Greensburg Salem students’ summer visit to Costa Rica
Just one of the highlights of Alaina Blend’s tropical summer excursion was snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean. The first-time experience for the 2024 Greensburg Salem High School graduate was a fitting finale to the 10-day trip to Costa Rica she shared with 39 schoolmates, many of them fellow members of...
Retired Latrobe police dog takes on volunteer work with Ligonier Township fire department
Former Ligonier Valley police dog Zeus is now a fire dog for Ligonier Township Fire Department No. 1. Zeus debuted as a fire dog Tuesday during a National Night Out community outreach event organized by the Ligonier Valley Police Department in Ligonier Borough. “He’s the first fire dog we’ve ever...
Memorial wall’s stop in Mt. Pleasant a moving tribute to fallen Vietnam veterans
Two days after New Year’s 1967, Dennis Kubic of Mt. Pleasant Township was wounded, and a friend and fellow infantryman was killed by enemy gunfire in Vietnam. That fateful encounter came back vividly to Kubic on Thursday morning as he located the name of his wartime buddy — Frederico Perez...
Latrobe eyes regulations, tax abatement to boost property values, curb blight
Latrobe officials are eyeing a registration system that could help hold owners accountable for vacant, abandoned properties in town. The city also is looking to offer a real estate tax abatement to encourage owners to make improvements to their properties. The dovetailing measures are meant to promote economic development while...
Traveling Vietnam wall brings tribute to fallen service members to Mt. Pleasant
At nearly 300 feet long and 6 feet tall, the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is a three-fifths scale replica of the original in Washington, D.C. Like the one that inspired it, the mobile wall destined for Mt. Pleasant lists the names of more than 58,000 Americans who gave their lives...
Watershed group opposes renewed permit for Donegal area mine discharge
A watershed group is lobbying against a renewed water discharge permit that mine operator LCT Energy is seeking for the Rustic Ridge coal mine. The Mountain Watershed Association claims the new version of the discharge permit would increase the risk of flooding and erosion in Champion and Indian creeks while...
West Nile virus infections reported in 7 Westmoreland communities
West Nile virus has been detected in five more Westmoreland County communities as high levels of the virus are being found across the state. Since Aug. 7, mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in Youngwood, Midway, Scottdale, Trafford and New Kensington — joining infected insects sampled earlier this season...
Greater Latrobe teacher introduces junior high students to drone career options
Future graduates of Greater Latrobe School District may one day be providing an eagle eye’s view of crop fields for a farmer, real estate for a surveying firm or power lines for a utility company. “There is a high demand for drone pilots in many different disciplines,” said Greater Latrobe...
Charges refiled against ex-Allegheny County detective accused of injecting son with testosterone
A former detective for the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office is once more charged with felony violations, accused of providing his minor son with testosterone and an amphetamine in Murrysville. Police allege Raymond Bonacci, 58, provided the drugs at the family home to enhance the boy’s athletic performance with the...
