Jeff Himler stories, Page 54
Greensburg Salem Mini-THON dance, auction to benefit pediatric cancer battle
Greensburg Salem community members are invited to visit the high school gym Saturday, March 25, to help the school’s students kick off their Mini-THON dance marathon. It’s part of an annual student-led campaign that supports the battle against pediatric cancer. Those who attend the all-ages community portion of the event,...
$1M instant lottery ticket winner sold in North Huntingdon
A frequent scratch-off lottery ticket buyer at a North Huntingdon pharmacy parlayed his hobby of purchasing a $20 Millionaire Maker chance into a $1 million winner. “I was in disbelief when I scratched it off. I saw that (winning ticket) and thought ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ ” said...
At least 60 venomous snakes removed from Aliquippa home; resident found dead
A man was found dead Tuesday in an Aliquippa home where more than 200 snakes were being kept. City code enforcement officer Jim Bologna said the man was found in a bathroom and appeared to have puncture marks on his wrist, but he could not say if they were the...
Pitt-Greensburg students build bonds, outfit Tennessee homes on Habitat for Humanity trip
Measure twice and cut once is the sage advice long applied to working with wood. But first you have to know how to use a tape measure. That’s among the home improvement skills Pitt-Greensburg student volunteers picked up during the school’s recent spring break. They headed to Tennessee for a...
Morning Roundup: Air quality advisory issued for Liberty-Clairton area
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, March 22, 2023: Air quality advisory issued for Liberty-Clairton area The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declared Wednesday a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day in the Liberty-Clairton area of Allegheny County. A temperature inversion in the morning...
Westmoreland Transit open house attendees want longer hours, shorter waits for bus trips
More frequent bus trips available at later hours and with shorter wait times were among the top requests passengers had for the Westmoreland Transit Authority at a public input session Tuesday afternoon. Eliot Rivera of Greensburg said he’d like to see the authority restore its level of service to pre-pandemic...
Truck strikes, closes bridge over I-70 in Rostraver
The Crawford Lane Bridge in Rostraver was closed to traffic Tuesday afternoon after it was struck earlier in the day by a truck driving below on Interstate 70. Inspectors were evaluating damage to the bridge Tuesday. The driver of the truck stopped at the scene, and no injuries were reported,...
Greensburg Salem consultant tackles truancy; survey notes concern for bullying, substance abuse
Greensburg Salem School District is using a consultant to curb high school truancy. School officials also release results of a survey of families that revealed mixed feelings from parents about the district. Statistics indicate just under 76% of students at the high school had regular attendance during the 2021-22 school...
Peoples pays city $351K to repave Greensburg streets after gas line work
Greensburg’s public works department will take charge of repaving portions of 15 streets this spring and summer after Peoples completes work on its natural gas utility lines. Peoples is paying the city $351,782 for the paving work under an agreement approved this month. “It lets us pave the streets instead...
Excela CEO, Ohio entrepreneur join honored Greensburg Salem alumni; late coach gets new award
A hospital executive and an entrepreneur with an engineering background this year will join distinguished alumni honored at Greensburg Salem School District. John Sphon of Greensburg, a member of the graduating class of 1975, and Bill Lendl, a 1980 graduate who lives in West Chester, Ohio, will be recognized on...
Greensburg veteran of D-Day, Battle of the Bulge enjoyed creating art, model train layouts
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes. The program honors local military and non-military heroes by displaying photos on decorative banners in area communities. Elmer Klingler Greensburg Elmer Klingler didn’t talk much about his service in the Army...
Backyard workshop slated at Mammoth Park
Troublesome pests, pollinator-friendly plantings and low-maintenance gardening are among topics that will be explored during a free Sustainable Backyard Workshop April 22 at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant Township. Organized by the Lauglintown-based staff of Forbes State Forest, the event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Pavilions...
Pitt fans pack Hempfield casino to watch tournament, hope for March Madness momentum
Green shirts and a few plaid kilts were on view Friday afternoon during St. Patrick’s Day at the upstairs restaurant and bar of Live Casino Pittsburgh. But gold and blue were the preferred colors for the Pitt Panthers fans who packed the Hempfield venue to watch their team defeat Iowa...
Derry Township man convicted of soliciting ‘minor’ for sex in undercover operation
A Derry Township man has been found guilty of soliciting a minor for sex, where the underage “girl” actually was an agent with the Attorney General’s Office. Mark A. Garris, 47, recently was found guilty by a Butler County jury of felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor, attempt...
Veteran Greensburg councilman Finfrock seeks 5th term
Veteran Greensburg Councilman Randy Finfrock is seeking another term on the board in this year’s municipal election. Finfrock, 72, is completing his fourth term on council, all but one of which have been consecutive. He has served for 14 years as council’s director of accounts and finance. He said the...
Bidding begins Friday in Project Bundle-Up Auction
Autographed Pittsburgh sports collectibles and electronics are among items that will be available for online bidding beginning Friday , during WTAE-TV’s 36th annual Project Bundle-Up Auction. The auction raises money to provide cold-weather outerwear for area children and senior citizens in need, through a partnership with the Salvation Army of...
Greensburg bloodhound team loses 9-year-old canine to cancer
The Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department bloodhound team saw its ranks dwindle to five dogs Tuesday with the death of 9-year-old Sadie. Sadie was pulled from field duties nearly a year ago, when she became lame, and then she developed an aggressive form of cancer that spread, according to Lou Battistella,...
Greensburg enlists state association to help select new police chief, hires 2 patrolmen
Greensburg officials are enlisting outside help as the city looks for a new police chief. Its former chief, Shawn Denning, 41, of Delmont, resigned Jan. 24 when he was arrested on drug charges. “We were all blindsided by this,” Mayor Robb Bell said of Denning’s arrest on federal charges of...
Greensburg Salem grads honored for work at Export plant; student firefighter praised for rescue effort
Two recent Greensburg Salem High School graduates have been recognized for their work at a local manufacturing company, prompting additional plaudits from the school board. The board also praised a high school senior who, as a member of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department, helped rescue a victim of a Jan....
Inspection report recommends repairs to Greensburg alley bridge over Jack’s Run
Greensburg officials are looking to repair and resurface a small bridge over Jack’s Run, based on recommendations in a recent inspection report. Public works director Tom Bell told city council this week that the report by Gibson-Thomas Engineering suggests repairs be made within one year — before the next inspection...
Bell seeks third term as Greensburg mayor, cites improvements, work ahead
Democrat Robert “Robb” L. Bell is seeking a third term as mayor of Greensburg. Bell, 66, is a Greensburg native. He said the city has maintained services and made improvements without raising taxes since he took office in 2016. He said no tax increase is planned. “Even though we’ve made...
Seton Hill study will explore potential health care-education corridor in Greensburg
Officials at Seton Hill University believe the school’s growing programs in health-related fields, in combination with nearby Westmoreland Hospital and surrounding medical practices, could provide the basis for a potential health care-education corridor in Greensburg. The university calls the project “Growing Greensburg’s Economy: Healthcare/Education.” “What will be interesting is how...
Greensburg Salem School Board member O’Brien seeks Greensburg mayoral post
Jonathan O’Brien said he’s running for mayor of Greensburg to support business growth in the city while paying attention to the concerns of taxpayers. O’Brien, 52, who is completing the final year of his single term on the Greensburg Salem School Board, is a mayoral candidate on the Republican ticket....
Police say ‘rogue’ ex-employee made bomb threat that forced Rostraver Walmart evacuation
The Belle Vernon Walmart in Rostraver was open for business Thursday evening after the store was evacuated that afternoon following a bomb threat. Walmart employees heard a male voice give the proper code for a bomb threat over the store’s internal radio communications twice in a short period of time,...
1 flown from South Huntingdon after car crashes into tree
One person was airlifted by medical helicopter for treatment following a wreck Thursday afternoon in South Huntingdon, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. A car crashed into a tree at about 2:45 p.m. on Hodges Road, between Route 981 and Rolling Hills Road. Additional details weren’t immediately available....
