Jeff Himler stories, Page 4
Favorite foods, hunt for gifts, history on display draw crowds to Fort Ligonier Days
There’s too much going on during Fort Ligonier Days for the Kuhns family of Derry Township to take it all in during one visit. Ian and Amber Kuhns and Ian’s mother, Stacey Kuhns of Greensburg, focused on browsing among the 200 vendors to purchase gifts and sample food Friday, the...
Fort Ligonier Days festival provides economic boost for the town and beyond
Fort Ligonier Days is one of the most successful annual festivals in Westmoreland County. It’s also a powerful economic engine. “The foot traffic into our store is tenfold, maybe even more,” said Jan Mikan, owner of The Cat’s Meow gift boutique and Hidden Valley Antiques on Ligonier’s West Main Street....
Team spirit high at Southmoreland with Scotties on track for banner year
Southmoreland’s Russ Grimm Field is brighter this year, with new LED lights and artificial turf, and so are the prospects of the Scotties football team. With a 7-0 record heading into Friday night’s showdown with visiting rival Mt. Pleasant Area, the team is riding high on a new wave of...
Fort Ligonier Days to feature return of fireworks, new history-themed games
As many as 60,000 people are expected to pack Ligonier’s Main Street on Saturday morning to watch the parade that is a central feature of the town’s Fort Ligonier Days festival. Those who remain on hand later that day, after more than 200 crafter and food vendor booths close, will...
Penn Township dental office plans free care day for veterans, service members
A Penn Township dental office is joining ranks with similar practices in multiple states this week to provide free care to military veterans and service members. It’s the first year for the Pearl Dentistry office to participate in Freedom Day USA, a program founded in 2013 by a West Virginia...
Man found dead along Route 28 near Chesnut Street
The Pittsburgh police’s Collision Investigation Unit responded Tuesday night to the city’s East Allegheny neighborhood after a man was found dead along Route 28. Police said they received reports at about 7:30 p.m. of a man who may have fallen in the road near the Chestnut Street exit. First responders...
Derry Township OKs solar farm permit over objections by neighbors
The Derry Township Supervisors on Tuesday approved a permit for a proposed solar farm along Newhouse Road after hearing objections to the project from several neighboring residents. The supervisors indicated they aren’t any more pleased about the proposed 27-acre solar array than residents are. But they said they are issuing...
Otter, eagle sightings along Loyalhanna bode well for healthy creek habitat
Hempfield photographer Kyle Rose enjoyed a double dose of excitement on the Fourth of July. On a trip to the Ligonier area with his family to see a later fireworks display, he came upon another amazing sight: an otter swimming in nearby Loyalhanna Creek. “It was awesome,” said Rose, who...
Detours prompted by I-70 ramp patching in Hempfield, weight limit in Allegheny Township
Westbound motorists on Interstate 70 will encounter a lane restriction and a ramp closure and detour beginning Monday in Hempfield. Meanwhile, vehicles that exceed a new weight limit on a bridge in Allegheny Township also are being directed to follow a detour, according to PennDOT. Westbound I-70 drivers will not...
Ghost hunters investigate paranormal tales at house on Pitt-Greensburg campus
Joyce Eger, assistant director of admissions at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, had a spooky experience involving a light with an apparent mind of its own at the Hempfield campus building where she works. “I reached in and totally overshot the light switch, wasn’t anywhere near it, and the...
Heritage, heart — and a good offer — lead folks back to family homesteads
Editor’s note: This is the second in an occasional series on real estate market trends in Western Pennsylvania. Across Western Pennsylvania, families are finding their way back to houses that once belonged to parents and grandparents, drawn by a mix of nostalgia, practicality and economics. Whether it’s the comfort of...
Unity fire departments to host safety event at plaza
Visitors to the Latrobe 30 Shoppes plaza in Unity will have an opportunity Saturday to learn about fire prevention while meeting local first responders and checking out their emergency vehicles. The Unity Township Bureau of Fire is hosting a Safety Saturday event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the...
Missing pilot found dead with crashed ultralight aircraft after search in Indiana County
A Blair County man was found dead Thursday morning after an ultralight aircraft he was piloting crashed in an Indiana County corn field. The body of David Edward Wittmer, 75, of Logan Township and his aircraft were found after 10:30 a.m. Indiana County Coroner Jerry L. Overman Jr. said the...
Ligonier Valley School Board taps McKeesport Area administrator as new superintendent
Matthew Mols, assistant superintendent at McKeesport Area School District, is set to take on the role of superintendent at Ligonier Valley School District. Ligonier Valley School Board at a special Wednesday meeting voted unanimously to hire Mols under a five-year contract, with a starting base salary of $160,000. Mols was...
Slide repairs, detours slated in North Huntingdon, Allegheny townships
PennDOT has unveiled online its plans for repairing slides along three roads in North Huntingdon and another in Allegheny Township. Work is expected to begin in December, with two of the slides in North Huntingdon — along Baker School and Leger roads — scheduled to receive attention first. PennDOT project...
PennDOT bridge projects, detours begin in Fairfield, continue near Hunker
A bridge preservation project and related detour are set to begin Monday in Fairfield while similar work continues just outside Hunker. The Fairfield project will close a section of Midget Camp Road, between Tantlinger Hollow and Beaufort roads, that crosses Tubmill Creek. According to PennDOT, the closure is expected to...
Derry Township mine refuse reclamation improves stream quality, earns industry nod
The view and stream quality along Derry Township’s Atlantic Road have improved now that three abandoned mine refuse piles have been removed. As part of a Pennsylvania program, Latrobe-based Robindale Energy Services cleared the piles at no cost to the state and renewed the 6.2-acre site with vegetation. Some of...
Proposed bridge for Ligonier Valley High School students gets added funding boost
Plans for a pedestrian bridge to improve safety for students who walk to Ligonier Valley High School moved a step closer this past week as the Ligonier Township supervisors accepted additional funding for the project. Township Manager Michael Strelic expressed hope the $588,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation,...
Mt. Pleasant Area Historical Society to debut restored window from razed Catholic church at annual festival
Mt. Pleasant Area Historical Society will unveil a window into the past on Sunday, during the community’s annual Glass and Ethnic Festival. Visitors to the historical society’s headquarters at 422 Washington St. will be able to view a newly restored stained-glass window that hasn’t seen the light of day in...
Cranberry couple accused of perjury related to sale of Westmoreland home with water issues
A Cranberry couple is accused of lying under oath when they said they weren’t aware of water damage to their former Westmoreland County home they sold in September 2020. Westmoreland County detectives have charged Michael James Pierce, 57, and Carrie Ann Pierce, 54, with perjury in the case. The Pierces...
Dental practices team up to provide free care to veterans during Greensburg event
Patients who will be arriving for appointments Friday at Modern Dental Associates in Greensburg may have a variety of oral care needs, but they all will share the status of military veteran. The dental practice at 1040 Towne Square is clearing its regular schedule to provide free care to veterans...
PennDOT to unveil plans for proposed Donohoe Road roundabout in Hempfield
Traffic at a key Donohoe Road intersection in Hempfield could go with the flow, instead of backing up twice a day, if the four-way stop there is transformed into a proposed roundabout. PennDOT will hold a public meeting on Wednesday to unveil its plans for a roundabout at Donohoe and...
Ligonier Valley officer joins few in local law enforcement able to draw blood of DUI suspects
When Ligonier Valley police Officer Shawn Knepper makes a traffic stop, he may end up taking the driver’s blood as well as his or her name, age and license number. Knepper recently became one of 19 municipal law enforcement officers in the state who have gained certification as a phlebotomist...
Jumonville cross to mark 75 years, funds sought for restoration
At 60 feet tall and 75 years old, Jumonville’s Great Cross of Christ is starting to show its age. As the Jumonville Camp and Retreat Center welcomes visitors to the North Union site for the landmark’s anniversary celebration today, leaders also are seeking donations to help restore and preserve the...
Pavement work triggers I-70 ramp closure, lane restriction in Rostraver, North Belle Vernon
Eastbound motorists on Interstate 70 in Rostraver and North Belle Vernon will encounter a ramp closure and detour as well as a single-lane restriction from 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 through 6 a.m. Monday. During closure of the eastbound on-ramp from Route 906, motorists headed north on Route 906 will...
