Jeff Himler stories, Page 23
Train, auto arteries play central role in Youngwood’s 125-year history
During much of the 20th century, most Youngwood residents worked either for the Pennsylvania Railroad, which gave rise to the town, or the Robertshaw thermostat plant. Native resident Eleanor Hamrock’s family was represented in both camps. Her father, Joseph Hamrock, was a railroad engineer while she and her three older...
National Night Out returns to Latrobe with safety simulations, first responder displays
Safety simulations, first responder vehicles and activities for kids await visitors to Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium Thursday during the community’s National Night Out event. Set for 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., the event is returning to the city for the first time since the arrival of the covid pandemic in 2020....
Cold temperatures cause Westmoreland Fair exhibitors to bundle up while bunking with animals
There is strength in numbers — and also warmth. That’s something Sophia Bankosh is grateful for this week as she and a handful of friends are camping out overnight together in a horse barn during unseasonably low temperatures at the Westmoreland Fair. Overnight temperatures are expected to dip into the...
Inpatient rehabilitation center to close at Latrobe Hospital
An inpatient rehabilitation unit at Latrobe Hospital is set to close, prompting patients to look for other health care options in the area. The EPIC (Excela Physical Improvement Center) unit is set to close on Tuesday, according to a person who answered the phone at the center on Monday. But...
Mt. Pleasant Township expands ball field parking with help from PennDOT contractor
Use of a playground and ball field in Mt. Pleasant Township is on the rise, prompting expansion of a parking lot for the recreational site. Township Supervisor Frank Puskar said there had been space for about 50 vehicles to park at the Norvelt ball field, at Route 981 and Kecksburg...
Annual Slickville Community Days inspired by town’s centennial celebration
The northern end of Salem Township switches into high gear on the second weekend in August, as visitors join with local residents to celebrate the annual Slickville Community Days festival. The event began in 2017, when the small community celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding as a coal mining...
Diocese board to review employee background concerns at Irwin-area parishes
Westmoreland County detectives have found no evidence of criminal activity at two Irwin-area Catholic parishes after looking into the Greensburg Diocese’s concerns about a possible cover-up of a former employee’s criminal record. But the diocese, which went public with its concerns at the end of May, is continuing its own...
Police arrest man in body armor after vehicle chase, carjacking attempt in Pittsburgh
A McKeesport man who was wearing body armor is charged with fleeing from law enforcement, attempted carjacking and causing a traffic crash after he led an Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputy on a chase Wednesday night. Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus said the chase went from Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood to Banksville...
2 charged in fatal shooting in Wilmerding during marijuana buy
Allegheny County Police have arrested two suspects in the fatal shooting of a man Wednesday in Wilmerding. Jackiel Young, 19, of Pittsburgh and Lynell Wilson-Smith, 18, of Wilmerding are each charged with criminal homicide, robbery and conspiracy in the death that investigators say occurred during a marijuana purchase. Police in...
Parents urge Greater Latrobe to settle contract with teachers as new school year nears
Greater Latrobe teachers are slated to return to school Monday for in-service duty, but they’ll be working under the terms of an expired contract until a new one is settled. Teachers and their supporters packed this week’s school board meeting following the July 31 expiration of the Greater Latrobe Education...
Retired Ligonier Valley teacher calls for investigation into how incident with special needs student was handled
It’s been a year and a half since Linda O’Sullivan had a life-changing encounter with a special needs student while she was working as an art teacher at Ligonier Valley High School. Now retired, the 60-year-old Ligonier Borough woman is still recovering from face, head and neck injuries resulting from...
Harris, Walz announce Pennsylvania bus tour to launch in Pittsburgh
Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are set to kick off a Pennsylvania bus tour Sunday in Pittsburgh. In their bid to keep a Democratic administration in the White House, the pair plans to make multiple stops in the state over the course...
2 injured when bus crashes into house in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood during police chase
Two injuries were reported Tuesday afternoon when a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus crashed into a home in the city’s Homewood neighborhood. PRT said in a social media post that the bus driver and another person were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not thought to be...
Derry police chief remains on leave nearly year after K-9 partner was euthanized
Derry police Chief Randy Glick remains on medical leave nearly a year after an Aug. 25 incident that resulted in the K-9 police dog he was partnered with being euthanized. Derry Borough Council has since disbanded its police department’s K-9 program. Area residents have criticized borough officials’ treatment of the...
‘It was too astronomical for us’ Latrobe manager says as city rejects garbage bids
Latrobe Council rejected as too costly a proposal by sole bidder County Hauling to collect garbage and recyclable items in the city from 2026 through 2030. With Monday’s vote, city officials indicated they will seek another round of bids through Oct. 28 for the collection services, noting that at least...
1 dead in Stowe shooting; police seek suspect
A man was killed in a shooting Monday afternoon in Stowe, police said. The man, identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office as James Nelson Jr., 42, was found by first responders and pronounced dead after he was taken to an area hospital, according to Allegheny County police. County...
Proposed new Derry-Ligonier power line to follow path of existing one
Rosslyn Kemerer is breathing a huge sigh of relief now that a proposed new high-voltage power line connecting Derry and Ligonier is set to bypass her family’s small Ligonier Township farm. Others who have property in the path of the utility line FirstEnergy expects will help minimize power outages may...
Creek inundates northern Indiana County town as Tropical Storm Debby pours on rain
As many as 200 people were evacuated from homes and businesses in the northern Indiana County town of Clymer on Friday when Tropical Storm Debby pounded the community with rain and Two Lick Creek overflowed its banks. The Clymer Fire Department on Friday evening was assessing damage to its social...
$21.5M in upgrades proposed at Greater Latrobe high school campus
Greater Latrobe School District is mulling over a consultant’s proposal for updating aging climate control systems, lighting and other equipment at the senior high and junior high at a projected cost of $21.5 million. Siemens representatives presented the proposal at this week’s school board meeting, citing an estimated $8.2 million...
Westmoreland Land Trust unveils preliminary plan for parking, trails at Unity preserve
An expanded network of trails, multiple parking areas and an enlarged farm stand space along Route 30 are elements of a preliminary master plan the Westmoreland Land Trust unveiled this week for its St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Unity. About 25 people turned out for a Wednesday afternoon gathering to...
East Huntingdon man battles rare liver cancer, raised money to help other patients
Corey Rhodes says focusing on helping other liver cancer patients has assisted him in his own tough battle against a rare form of the disease. The East Huntingdon man’s tumors have stabilized after nearly three years of trying multiple treatments for fibrolamellar carcinoma. With support of family, friends and his...
Running series attracts growing number of kids to Latrobe park
The nonprofit Healthy Kids Running Series is returning to Legion Keener Park in Latrobe for five weekly fall sessions, Sept. 15 through Oct. 13. Local enrollment in the national program has increased from about 50 to 60 boys and girls ages 2 to 14, according to community coordinator Ryan Thomas...
Sisters of Charity’s Greensburg harvest sends wheat on journey from field to mill to oven
When the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill give thanks for their daily bread, they’ll know every step of how it arrived on their plates. On Monday, the local community of 80 nuns harvested the first crop of wheat from the plantings near their Caritas Christi motherhouse in Greensburg. The...
Ligonier Valley Writers invite public to picnic at Unity farm
The Ligonier Valley Writers are setting a new scene for the organization’s annual picnic this year. On Aug. 11, attendees will gather under a pavilion at the Jamison Farm in Unity for a feast of potluck dishes and local literature. After holding the picnic for many years at St. Michael’s...
Birds, blooms prosper at Unity nature preserve; master site plan in the wings
At least two bluebird chicks have fledged and a sea of black-eyed Susan blooms have peaked at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve along Route 30 in Unity. They’re signs of the new life that has flourished on the 248 acres since the site of a former Catholic academy and convent...
