Jeff Himler stories, Page 60
Toy drive, craft show planned at South Greensburg event center
Patrons can browse among craft vendors while participating in a Stuff A Truck toy drive Sunday in South Greensburg. The drive is set for noon to 4 p.m. at the recently opened Greensburg Event Center, 1700 Washington St. It is hosted by employees of the local office of Certasite, a...
PennDOT to install signals on Route 30, shift southbound Route 119 lanes in Youngwood
PennDOT hopes to improve safety at key intersections along Route 30 in Westmoreland County by installing lighted signs to alert motorists about upcoming traffic signals. The work by contractor Bruce Merrilees Electric Co. is expected to trigger single-lane restrictions on the highway between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays, beginning...
Greensburg Rotary gives town clock face-lift during courthouse garage reconstruction
Greensburg’s town clock is getting a face-lift and update while the site it occupied since 1991 outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse is under construction. The four-sided clock had to be removed from the corner of Courthouse Square to make way for ongoing reconstruction of a county parking garage underneath the...
Greensburg rec department accepts Santa letters, entries for holiday decorating contest
Greensburg’s recreation department is initiating a holiday decorating contest for residents, with entries due by 4 p.m. next Friday, Dec. 16. “If you live in the city, you can send in a picture of your house or apartment that you have decorated,” said Lydia Kinkaid, recreation program manager. Photos of...
Police say Saxonburg man used Christmas tree in assault on woman
An argument near Saxonburg led to a blow delivered with a Christmas tree, according to state police. Michael Bandi, 35, of Saxonburg, is charged with harassment and simple assault in the altercation reported at 10:15 p.m. Tuesday on Oak Leaf Drive in Jefferson Township. Police say Bandi had an argument...
Missing Armstrong County teen found safe at friend’s house, police say
A missing Armstrong County teenager was found “safe and sound” Friday morning, Manor police Chief Chris Robbins said. The teen, 13, of East Franklin was at a friend’s house in West Kittanning and had spent the night there, Robbins said. The teen had last been seen about 4 p.m. Thursday...
2 Greensburg area churches prep for food outreach on Dec. 10, Christmas Day
Donations of money, time, transportation — and cakes — will come together Dec. 25 to provide holiday ham meals for hundreds of Greensburg residents. Continuing a tradition of about two decades, volunteers will be needed beginning Dec. 23 at First Presbyterian Church of Greensburg to prepare free dinners for pickup...
Greensburg Salem School Board names meeting room for longtime solicitor
Greensburg Salem School District had some surprises in store Monday evening for longtime solicitor John Scales. Shortly before the school board meeting, the district threw a 90th birthday party for Scales. Afterward, the board further honored him by naming its meeting location the John N. Scales Legislative Meeting Room. “It’s...
Pleas issued for blood donations as supply suffers holiday season shortage
Regular blood donor Kayani Hull had an extra incentive to roll up her sleeve for a donation drive last week at the University of Pittsburgh’s Greensburg campus. “I found out that B-type blood is pretty rare, and I have B blood,” said the Pitt-Greensburg sophomore from Verona. “It makes me...
W.Pa. LGBTQ community, allies share hope, reservations on Respect for Marriage Act
Steve Clark and Scott Smith of Scottdale traveled to Massachusetts in 2008 to be married. Hempfield spouses Patricia and Kimberly Elliott-Rentler tied the knot in 2016, after same-sex marriages were permitted in Pennsylvania. They and others in the area’s LGBTQ community see the expected passage of the federal Respect for...
Civic Empathy exhibits reveal Westmoreland history of slavery, racial justice
Pennsylvania was a haven in the decades preceding the Civil War for people seeking to escape enslavement in the South. But that wasn’t the case in Pennsylvania’s earlier years, when enslaved people and those who claimed ownership of them were part of the local population, including in Westmoreland County. The...
Visit with Santa, goats on Pleasant Unity farm to raise money for groups benefiting kids
Santa Claus will be greeting two types of kids this weekend at a holiday charity event in Pleasant Unity — the kind with shoes and the kind with hooves. Lou and Emily Surace are inviting local families and children to their farm to meet the couple’s baby goats and to...
Santa, songs add sparkle to Greensburg’s Luminary Night; public ranks wreaths for raffle
A visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library was one of the highlights Thursday for children attending downtown Greensburg’s annual Luminary Night. The library served cookies and hot chocolate and offered games, music, crafts and other activities as part of its free Winter Wonderland party...
Police look for hit-and-run driver who injured bicyclist in Indiana County
State police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck and injured a bicyclist Wednesday morning in Indiana County. The cyclist, a 31-year-old Saltsburg man, was treated for moderate injuries at Indiana Regional Hospital. Police said he was riding in the area of Rose Street and Robertshaw Drive, near the...
Latrobe Holly Jolly days include tree lighting, Santa visit, Aubrey Burchell performance
Latrobe’s annual Holly Jolly festival is returning over three days this week, beginning with a revived holiday Light Up Night on Thursday. North Huntingdon singer Aubrey Burchell, who reached the semifinal round of “America’s Got Talent” this year, will be among those providing live entertainment Saturday in downtown Latrobe. After...
Greensburg Luminary Night returns with crafts, carols, Mr. and Mrs. Claus
Greensburg’s 53rd annual Luminary Night holiday celebration is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, with most activities taking place along Pennsylvania Avenue. Rows of luminaria will add a festive glow to downtown streets as visitors enjoy seasonal music, activities for kids and shopping at local stores. A Christmas tree...
3 people shot in McKeesport
McKeesport police are investigating an incident in which three people were shot Tuesday afternoon. The shooting was reported shortly before 1:45 p.m. in the 500 block of Pirl Street. McKeesport police told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV that the wounds suffered by all three victims are considered non-life-threatening. The grandmother of...
High school junior, football player, dies after shooting Tuesday in Monessen
Officials have identified a Monessen High School student who died after being shot Tuesday evening in Monessen. Amari Altomore, 16, of Monessen died in an area hospital following the shooting at 8:10 p.m. at 649 S. 14th St., Monessen, according to a report from the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. The...
Scottdale house tour will offer peek at Greystone Manor renovation
Participants taking Scottdale’s Christmas House Tour will get a peek inside a landmark residence dating back to the early 20th century that is in the midst of an extensive restoration. They’ll also have the chance to visit four other standout dwellings in the community as well as one of its...
New Pitt-Greensburg theater director brings varied background including improv, sci-fi plays
Chryss Allaback believes theater arts is one of the best fields of study to pursue at the college level. As an example, she points to the student actors and crew who recently staged a production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” in the Ferguson Theater at the University of Pittsburgh’s Greensburg...
Service, generosity were among pharmacist’s contributions to Greensburg community
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes. Pharmacist John E. “Joe” Fishell worked 13 out of every 14 days at his Greensburg drug store and was on call on holidays. “There were many times he was called out...
U.S.-England World Cup faceoff draws growing soccer fan base to local viewing
Friday’s scoreless draw in the World Cup soccer match between the United States and England cost Greensburg’s Scott Fidazzo $100. Fidazzo, 25, bet the United States would win. But, he said, “It’s a fun bet. It makes watching the game more interesting.” He was among area soccer fans who packed...
Voting challenges in 5 Westmoreland precincts to delay certification
Westmoreland County Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew have pre-certified results of midterm election voting in all of the county’s 307 precincts. But when they meet Monday to consider final certification of the Nov. 8 vote — in their capacity as county election board members — they’ll be limited to...
Blue Knights expand effort to feed area families for Thanksgiving
Westmoreland County law enforcement officers were out in force last week to round up the usual suspects: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, veggies and butter — the time-honored ingredients of a Thanksgiving dinner. For the second year in a row, local Chapter I of the Blue Knights motorcycle club for active...
Salem teen, her terrier earn honors at National Dog Show
Natalia Backos and her dog, Boozer, have much in common. That includes matching pajamas and major wins at this year’s National Dog Show in Philadelphia. The 15-year-old Salem girl captured $5,500 in scholarships when she was judged as the top junior handler at last weekend’s two-day show. Under her guidance,...
