Jeff Himler stories, Page 101
Charity work, horse competitions await retiring Hempfield pastorVideo
Members of the Westminster Presbyterian congregation made a special trip to the Hempfield church on Saturday, to present gifts and best wishes for their pastor’s pending retirement. In keeping with pandemic health precautions, some greeted the Rev. Donna Havrisko from their cars while others came inside the church social hall...
Pennsylvania proposes more species for Sunday hunting in November
The Pennsylvania Game Commission proposed three Sundays in November when licensed hunters will be able to harvest permitted game, repeating the Sunday hunting schedule introduced last fall. New this year, the commission plans to expand the species that hunters can target on two of those dates. During its January meeting,...
Next round of bids eyed for Keystone State Park sewer line, trail project
The Derry Township Municipal Authority has inked easement and lease agreements and is seeking a second round of bids for a project to update sewage facilities serving Keystone State Park and install a recreational trail. The trail would follow the path of a sewer line connecting the park to the...
Unity to update comprehensive plan, considers easing billboard restriction
It’s time for Unity officials to update the township’s comprehensive plan and supervisors say they want to look at ways to support business development and encourage modern signage along Route 30 while improving infrastructure and access to recreational facilities. This will be the third review of the plan, which assesses...
Pandemic concerns trigger postponement of Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Organizers are postponing this year’s Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade because of pandemic concerns regarding large gatherings. The decision to postpone the annual event, which would have been held on March 13, was made jointly with city officials. The parade committee is working with the city to identify a date...
Ligonier Valley police officer seeks GOP nod for House 59th District seat
Ligonier Valley police officer Shawn Knepper is seeking the Republican nomination to fill Pennsylvania’s 59th District House seat, which was left vacant by the unexpected death of Mike Reese. A special election is set for May 18 to select a successor to Reese, 42, a Republican from Mt. Pleasant. Reese...
Saint Vincent College staff get covid-19 vaccine as spring semester nearsVideo
Many faculty and staff at Saint Vincent College received initial doses of the covid-19 vaccine about a week before students are set to return to campus for the spring semester. The college partnered with Mainline Pharmacy Group’s Blairsville Pharmacy on Tuesday to provide the Moderna vaccine to registered members of...
New videos explain recycling at Westmoreland Cleanways center in Unity
If you’re not sure what electronics you can recycle at Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling, the Unity-based nonprofit has a video for you. As Westmoreland Cleanways Executive Director Ellen Keefe notes in one of four new informational videos posted on the organization’s website, among the most frequent calls received at its...
Latrobe officials debate fee for garbage bag stickers; quarterly collection rate set to rise
Latrobe Council is considering a 2% increase in residential rates for household trash collection, but city officials are divided on whether to also raise the cost of stickers required for garbage bags. Council is expected on Feb. 8 to vote on a revised schedule of various city fees, including the...
Latrobe bond refinancing could help repair parking garage, replace trash compactor
Latrobe is considering refinancing a 2016 bond issue to take advantage of low interest rates and possibly help pay for capital projects at the city’s parking garage and solid waste transfer station. City council is expected to begin the refinancing process by selecting a bond counsel and underwriter at a...
Pennsylvania sets early start, statewide schedule for trout season
Pennsylvania’s trout season will open earlier than usual this year, and statewide, on April 3. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission on Monday set the opening date and also approved a single statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day on March 27. As a result of the consolidation, separate regional mentored youth...
Ligonier Valley Historical Society’s first online auction features Valentine’s Day theme
Staff at the Ligonier Valley Historical Society are hoping bidders will love the organization’s “Spread the Love” online auction. The society’s first venture into online bidding, the Valentine’s Day-themed auction will run Jan. 30 to Feb. 13 and is meant to help make up for a traditional in-person Christmas fundraising...
Officials anticipate work on new Route 30 GetGo store in Unity
Work could begin soon on a new, expanded GetGo convenience store in Unity, according to local officials. Unity Township Municipal Authority has approved a developer’s agreement covering sewer construction related to the store planned at Route 30 and Giffin Drive. The project will include construction of a sewer line extending...
Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation delays Comedy Night, Daddy-Daughter Dance
Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation has pushed back dates for its annual Comedy Night and Daddy-Daughter Dance amid the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. The 17th annual Comedy Night, which had been slated for Saturday, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27 at Huber Hall in Latrobe. The second annual dance also has...
Volunteers to provide free tax prep for older, disabled residents in Westmoreland
Older residents and those who have a lower income or disability can turn to a program organized by Westmoreland County Community College if they need help preparing a simple income tax return. The free assistance will be available by appointment only, beginning Monday, Feb. 15, at five locations in the...
Latrobe sewage rate hike could add to Unity authority customer bills in 2022
Unity Township Municipal Authority will pay more for sewage it sends to Latrobe for treatment. The authority expects it will be able to handle that unanticipated expense this year, but it could affect a rate hike being eyed for Unity customers in 2022. Like other customers whose sewage is treated...
Unity zoning panel clears way for alignment shop, affirms U-Haul use of plaza lot
The Unity Township Zoning Hearing Board cleared the way for a proposed vehicle alignment shop in Pleasant Unity while upholding U-Haul’s use of its outdoor space at Mountain Laurel Plaza. The board on Wednesday approved owner Jason Mignogna’s request to use the former Pleasant Unity VFW social hall site for...
Greater Latrobe OKs 5-year compensation plan for administrators
Greater Latrobe School Board approved a five-year extension of its wage-and-benefit plan for most of the district’s administrators. The Act 93 compensation plan, passed at this week’s board meeting, runs through the 2025-26 school year and covers 15 administrators across various departments and schools. In accordance with state law, the...
Farm show provides latest win for youth rabbit competitor from AcmeVideo
Krista Skovira is having a “hoppy” new year with her win at the state farm show rabbit competition. The 14-year-old Acme girl topped the junior division this month in the rabbit skill-a-thon during the virtual show. Skovira showed rabbits with success at past regional, state and national events, sometimes competing...
Greater Latrobe students to return to classrooms beginning MondayVideo
Greater Latrobe students will be able to return to the classroom beginning Monday, after more than a month of full-time remote learning. The school board voted Tuesday to allow elementary students to return to school five days per week. Students in grades 7-11 may resume a hybrid model, with half...
Ligonier Valley school staff get covid vaccine; doses pending for Greater Latrobe teachers, staff
Greater Latrobe School District expects to have the majority of its staff receive the first dose of the Moderna covid-19 vaccine before the end of January. Meanwhile, neighboring Ligonier Valley School District confirmed the better part of its staff already has been vaccinated against the virus that has disrupted in-person...
Jamison Farm to close, ending 35-year run of supplying lamb to top restaurantsVideo
John and Sukey Jamison are bidding farewell to the business they’ve enjoyed for 35 years at their farm in Unity. The couple is phasing out their highly regarded Jamison Farm line of grass-fed lamb products, a decision prompted in part by the covid-19 pandemic. “We had been thinking about retirement...
Rankin shooting sends father, son to hospitals
Allegheny County Police are investigating a double shooting in Rankin on Thursday night that sent a father and son to area hospitals. The 55-year-old father was in stable condition, but the 17-year-old son was in critical condition, according to police. The shooting in Hawkins Village was reported to 911 at...
Boardman, Ohio man dies after being pulled from the Ohio River
An Ohio man died Thursday after initially being rescued from the Ohio River in Pittsburgh. The victim, Daniel Jacobsen, 35, of Boardman, was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. at Allegheny General Hospital, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. He was spotted in the river shortly after 1 p.m....
North Huntingdon restaurant defies closure ordered by state for covid-19 rule violation
A North Huntingdon restaurant was open for business Thursday despite an order to close over alleged violation of state rules meant to mitigate the spread of covid-19. “We’ve been reported because people don’t have the mask,” Cenacolo Restaurant owner Steve Salvi said, referring to the face coverings the state requires...
