Jeff Himler stories, Page 30
Latrobe Municipal Authority preps for electrical overhaul of sewage plant as rate hike takes effect
Latrobe Municipal Authority is poised to update electrical systems at its sewage treatment plant as an unrelated sewage rate hike takes effect. Many of the electrical components at the Lattanzio Road plant, including the utility service entrance and related circuits, date from the 1980s, authority manager Terri Hauser noted. “They’ve...
Historical program, hike will explore former Laurel Mountain railroad line
Where hiking trails now welcome visitors to explore the slopes of Laurel Mountain, at the border of Westmoreland and Somerset counties, locomotives once pulled carloads of timber and quarried stone over the lofty ridge. Participants in a May 2 program organized by the Ligonier Valley Historical Society and the Forbes...
Ligonier Valley students test waters of fly fishing in Trout Unlimited program
Thirteen-year-old Blake Rensko left behind the confines of his seventh grade classroom at Ligonier Valley Middle School on a recent Wednesday to spend some time angling in a nearby stretch of the Loyalhanna Creek. He didn’t catch anything during his fly-fishing excursion, but he hooked a 20-inch rainbow trout and...
Hibernians group celebrates Irish culture, looks to expand local membership
Mixed in with Jim Ramsay’s mostly Scottish heritage there’s a wee bit of an Irish bloodline. “My grandmother was a Callahan,” Ramsay said. That’s enough to qualify the Unity man for membership in the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He recently was elected vice president of the American organization’s St. Brendan...
Clairton man wanted in connection with Mount Oliver shooting, victim critical
Allegheny County Police are searching for a Clairton man who is wanted in connection with a robbery and shooting Tuesday in Mount Oliver that critically wounded another man. The suspect, 29-year-old Dorian Ingram, should be treated as potentially armed and dangerous, police said. Described as 6 feet, 1 inch tall...
Growing Greensburg Night Market boosts foot traffic, profile for downtown retail district
Greensburg’s Night Market kicked off its sixth season of vendor browsing and live music Thursday evening, as the city’s civic and business leaders looked forward to the spotlight the monthly event shines on the downtown retail area. Mayor Robb Bell said he’s been amazed by the event’s growth along several...
Mt. Pleasant native looks to give former Cook’s Lumber, salvage store new life as an auction house
A Mt. Pleasant native is investing in her hometown, with plans to repurpose a closed resale business. Dee Ankney, who sells home improvement goods in Canonsburg, has purchased the former nonprofit American Architectural Salvage store along Mt. Pleasant’s Main Street. She intends to turn it into an auction house specializing...
Jill Cooper scores decisive win in GOP primary for 55th District House seat
First-term state Rep. Jill Cooper cruised to a commanding victory Tuesday night over challenger Jamie Lingg in the Republican primary race for the 55th District in northern Westmoreland County. Cooper, 62, garnered nearly 78% of 7,576 votes cast, according to the unofficial tally, with all 54 of the district’s precincts...
Latrobe condemns 2 Ligonier Street rental properties
Latrobe officials have condemned two renter-occupied houses on Ligonier Street they say pose a health and safety hazard. City code enforcement officer Dan Weimer said Tuesday he’d learned that occupants of two apartments at 1207 Ligonier St. and of a three-story home at 1522 Ligonier St. have made arrangements to...
Rick Sebak to stir ‘Kennywood Memories’ for Greater Latrobe audience in benefit
Whether it was the thrill of riding the Thunderbolt roller coaster or the tasty treat of gobbling down Potato Patch french fries, many area residents can recall favorite moments of their childhood spent at Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh. Rick Sebak, longtime producer of documentaries for WQED and PBS, will revive...
Greater Latrobe logs on with esports club program
It’s game on at Greater Latrobe Senior High. “I’ve been playing since I was old enough to remember,” Jesse Simonovitch said of the Super Smash Bros. video game he plays competitively as part of a new esports club organized this year at the school in Unity. The senior wants to...
Road projects to trigger monthlong detour in Mt. Pleasant Township, lane restrictions near Donegal
Road projects set to begin on Monday, April 22 will result in a detour on Boyer Road in Mt. Pleasant Township and lane restrictions on Route 711 in the Donegal and Stahlstown areas, according to PennDOT. Boyer Road is scheduled to close at 7 a.m. Monday between Hecla Road and...
Local Holocaust survivors’ stories counter rising trend in antisemitism
Voices from the past that keep alive the horrors of the 20th century Holocaust carry an urgency today. Those voices are demanding increased attention through programs based in Southwestern Pennsylvania and New York, even as the current tragedies of the Israel-Hamas conflict reverberate around the world and antisemitic incidents continue...
Hempfield man accused of seeking to pay to have his sister murdered
A Hempfield man is charged with attempting to hire someone to kill his sister, apparently motivated by a proposed change in the family estate. Westmoreland County detectives and sheriff’s deputies arrested Peter John Cute, 63, Friday afternoon after he met with a man that Cute allegedly offered to pay to...
Beaver County man gets 10-year prison term for severe abuse of disabled residents
A Beaver County man was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison Friday in Pittsburgh on federal hate crime charges stemming from severe abuse of disabled residents he was responsible for assisting at an in-patient health care facility in the county. U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the...
Car crashes into Washington County reservoir; McMurray driver killed
A McMurray woman was killed Friday morning when the vehicle she was driving crashed and sank into a reservoir in Washington County, officials said. Washington County Coroner Tim Warco identified the driver as 44-year-old Jessica L. Williams. Williams was driving South on Sherwood Drive in Peters Township after 12:30 a.m....
Fairfield farm to host 2nd Ag Appreciation Day
Extended evening hours will offer more time on Saturday for visitors to take in the animals, machinery and products at the second annual Agricultural Appreciation Day hosted by Matson Farm in Fairfield. “We expanded the hours to see if that suits more people,” said Connie Matson, who owns the beef...
Tours of Hempfield manufacturer can lead to jobs for area high school students
Seven of 11 area high school students who toured Hempfield’s General Carbide complex Wednesday are looking to come back to work there. “To see these kids coming in and getting excited about manufacturing is pretty amazing,” said Mona Pappafava-Ray, CEO of the maker of finished tooling, wear parts and components....
Federal investigators in Pittsburgh help shut down Russian-linked online scams that affected over 1 million people
Federal officials in Pittsburgh announced Thursday they’ve seized four web domains with Russian ties that were used to steal the personal information of more than 1 million victims in spoofing scams. Among the victims were two elderly Pittsburgh-area residents. According to court documents, one of those victims lost a total...
Westmoreland County OKs $244K for demolition projects in Arnold, Jeannette, Derry, Monessen
Westmoreland County is taking bites out of blight in five communities. The county commissioners this month approved spending up to $244,000 from Westmoreland’s Act 152 Demolition Fund to raze rundown buildings on four properties in Arnold, three in Jeannette, two in Derry Township and one each in Derry Borough and...
Derry Area weighs first renovations at high school complex in decades
It’s been more than 30 years since the last major renovation at the Derry Area high school complex. That may change in the next couple of years, but the question remains: How much work needs to be done? Most people who took a school district survey support heating, air conditioning...
Greater Latrobe School Board will lose $48K in annual tax revenue to settle assessment appeal with Latrobe Specialty Metals
Greater Latrobe School District will lose more than $48,000 in tax revenue each year because it agreed to reduce Latrobe Specialty Metals assessed property value. The school board this week approved the settlement of a 2021 assessment appeal filed by the company that makes specialty metals and alloys and is...
Harry Potter party, film screening in Irwin to benefit Latrobe 4th of July Celebration
The Lamp Theatre will be transformed into a local branch of Hogwarts on Sunday when the downtown Irwin venue plays host to a Harry Potter-themed party and film screening. Doors open at 1 p.m. for the family-friendly event, followed by a 2 p.m. showtime for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s...
Spring legacy exhibit set to open at Saint Vincent College’s McCarl Coverlet Gallery
Visitors to the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College will find a thread of creativity stretching back to an earlier era in American decorative arts. Located on the center’s first floor, the Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery will debut its new spring exhibit, “An American Legacy: The Brian...
3 medevac helicopters respond to crash near Twin Lakes Park; 4 people taken to hospitals
Four people were injured Sunday evening after the vehicle they were traveling in crashed into a tree and overturned along Twin Lakes Road in Unity. One motorist was thrown from their vehicle and three others had to be freed by emergency crews, according to Tom Schultheis, emergency management coordinator for...
