Jeff Himler stories, Page 27
Road projects to trigger detours in Salem, St. Clair; roadwork to start on Route 981, I-70
Motorists will encounter detours in Salem and St. Clair townships beginning Monday because of road and bridge projects. Traffic restrictions are slated the same week in PennDOT work zones on Interstate 70 and Route 981. • In Salem, Athena Drive is expected to be closed through late July between Lauffer...
Can the pool at Ligonier Beach be saved? Township spending $100K to find out
Is it feasible to reopen Ligonier Beach as a swimming pool? Ligonier Township officials may know before Mackin Engineers & Consultants finishes a master plan for the former resort. The Pittsburgh-based consultant indicated it should be able to advise the township before the plan is done whether it’s feasible to...
Bigfoot gains supporters in Derry as Sasquatch sightings surge on Chestnut Ridge
Bigfoot could be the next big thing in Derry. The town annually has celebrated its historic association with Pennsylvania Railroad trains and engine houses. But what about the looming presence of Bigfoot? Council members this week floated the idea of creating an installation that could draw visitors interested in the...
Derry Borough appoints Eikenburg to fill vacant council seat
Derry Borough resident Rich Eikenburg enlisted in the Army National Guard last year and now has added a civilian service stint to his plate. Borough council this week voted 4-1 to appoint Eikenburg to join the seven-member panel, filling a vacancy resulting from the recent death of council President Al...
Indiana County crash kills 1, sends 2 to Pittsburgh hospitals
A two-car crash Wednesday morning in Indiana County killed one motorist and injured two others. State police said a woman who was driving a Volkswagen sedan was pronounced dead at the scene near Shelocta by Indiana County Coroner Jerry Overman. She was identified as Erma Karen Devivo, 80, of Armstrong...
Tractor-trailer loses load, tying up westbound turnpike traffic near Donegal
Westbound traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike was backed up for about a mile near the Donegal exit Tuesday night after a tractor-trailer lost its load. The resulting debris apparently hit another vehicle, according to turnpike spokesman Crispin Havener. No injuries were reported, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher indicated. The traffic...
2 shootings in Uniontown leave 1 dead, 2 injured
Police are investigating two shootings Tuesday afternoon in Uniontown that left one man dead and injured two other people. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker ruled the death of Joshua Stevens, 33, of Uniontown a homicide, resulting from gunshot wounds. Baker said Stevens was pronounced at WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital....
Drone to give Latrobe eye in the sky for police, firefighters
A new eye in the sky soon will be assisting Latrobe police in their pursuit of suspects or search for missing citizens. City council approved the purchase of a $14,000 drone. “I’m excited about the drone program,” city manager Terry Carcella said. “This is the future of policing. It will...
Bridge work slated for 2026 will hinder emergency access to Latrobe-area nursing home and care center
Repairs to four Westmoreland County-owned bridges crossing sections of the Loyalhanna Creek are expected to be under construction in 2026, resulting in proposed road closures and detours, according to PennDOT planners. The closures will also affect how emergency vehicles respond to some areas of Derry and Ligonier townships, but local...
Greensburg park packed with fans for Elton John tribute concert
Elton Rohn’s tribute to an almost identically named British rock superstar packed thousands of music fans into Greensburg’s St. Clair Park Friday evening. Among that audience for the first SummerSounds concert of the year were a Greensburg man and woman with a tribute of their own. Friends Derek Rinchuse and...
Bridge replacement to close section of Route 119 north of Greensburg
Motorists on Route 119, one of three major traffic arteries leading into Greensburg from points north, will have to detour for several weeks as PennDOT replaces a bridge. PennDOT has announced that Route 119 will be closed between Hannastown Road and Cameo Lane in Hempfield beginning Monday to allow contractor...
Westmoreland County seeks federal funding for New Kensington, Irwin projects
The Westmoreland County commissioners are seeking a total of $3.5 million in federal money for projects in New Kensington and Irwin. At their Thursday meeting, held in the evening at Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township, the commissioners agreed to seek a little more than $1 million to help remediate acid...
Westmoreland commissioners OK $25K settlement of inmate’s suit
The Westmoreland County Commissioners have approved a $25,000 settlement of a federal civil suit brought by an county prison inmate over alleged mistreatment and denial of his constitutional rights in 2019. Keith Rosario accused prison staff of assaulting him, withholding his legal materials and denying him access to a grievance...
Engine trouble in Greensburg interrupts cross-country Model T tour; crew vows to return
Engine trouble sidelined a 1924 Model T on Monday night in Greensburg, two days into a planned 19-day trip from New York to San Francisco. A crew of three volunteer drivers and mechanics affiliated with Nebraska’s Museum of American Speed realized they’d have to haul the antique car by trailer...
Fred Rogers Institute picks items from archives for open house, Latrobe festival
Fans of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” who attended an open house Monday on the campus of Saint Vincent College were afforded a glimpse of some colorful items selected for display from the archives of the iconic TV show’s host and creator, Latrobe native Fred Rogers. Among the items displayed for the...
Model T stops in Greensburg as part of 3rd coast-to-coast trek
A 100-year-old Model T chugs along at about 25 mph when climbing Pennsylvania’s steep hills. Still, “It has a strong engine; it runs really well. We can do the hills,” said Mike Vaughn of Lincoln, Neb., one of three volunteers with that city’s Museum of American Speed who are taking...
Latrobe merchants, vendors join forces for combined Shop Hop & Night Market
Visitors to Latrobe who are looking to shop local will find their opportunities doubled on Wednesday, when the town’s year-old Night Market joins with the monthly Shop Hop merchant event. “The merger of the two has created a much bigger and fuller event that businesses can be a part of,”...
Artist who served in National Guard adds mural to Mt. Pleasant’s Veterans Wall
More than 2,700 names of those who have served in the military in various eras are etched in granite slabs on Mt. Pleasant Borough’s Veterans Wall. Soon, those who visit that patriotic landmark will have another way to reflect on the local legacy of service, by viewing a mural added...
10 Latrobe-area restaurants offer a week of specials
“A Delicious Week in the Neighborhood” is the theme of the latest edition of Latrobe Restaurant Week. Running Monday through Saturday, June 8, the event coincides with the town’s annual Mister Rogers Family Days celebration. Ten local eateries are offering dining specials during the week. Specials vary among the participating...
Fred Rogers exhibit tours to kick off Latrobe’s Family Days celebration of children’s TV host
An open house Monday at the Fred Rogers Institute in Unity Township will kick off the annual Mister Rogers Family Days celebration that continues through June 8 in neighboring Latrobe. Located on the campus of Saint Vincent College, the institute will offer free activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m....
Couple brings former Latrobe bakery back to life as farm-to-table restaurant
Hungry visitors who arrive at 335 Main St. in Latrobe are greeted by a familiar name, Mailey’s, spelled out on the tile flooring and an overhead sign. Inside they’ll find something new: a casual dining experience where there had been a bakery for many years and, more recently, a cafe....
Has Ligonier Country Market gotten too big?
The Ligonier Country Market has been a popular fixture in the Ligonier community for nearly 50 years, drawing visitors from throughout the area to shop for everything from fresh produce and baked goods to handwoven rugs and wood crafts. But Ligonier Township officials are wondering whether the seasonal Saturday morning...
What can former Ligonier Beach property become? Township to spend $100K for plan
Ligonier Township officials and residents have ideas to revive the decaying Ligonier Beach property. The township plans to spend about $100,000 to hire a consultant who will generate a plan for the property along Route 30. The township bought the property for $230,000 after the resort closed in 2018. The...
Nonprofit group forms to pursue rebirth of Derry theater
Joan Reynolds wants to bring the arts back to downtown Derry. She achieved the first part of her plan when she repurchased the former theater building she owned more than two decades ago. Local bands took to the stage of the Gem Theater in the 1990s while Reynolds operated a...
Some parishioners unhappy about Norwin pastor’s ouster; failed employee background procedure probed
Parishioners at Catholic churches in Irwin and North Huntingdon were upset Tuesday night when they learned of a popular priest’s resignation under fire. “It is difficult for us not to have emotions about this,” said Chris Peta, one of a few hundred parishioners who learned about the Rev. John Moineau’s...
