Jeff Himler stories, Page 103
Fort Ligonier offers virtual 12th Night celebration
The band will play on for Fort Ligonier’s Twelfth Night celebration, just not in person. One of the most popular programs at Ligonier’s reconstructed 18th-century fort, the fourth-annual Twelfth Night event will be held virtually on Jan. 9 because of covid-19 pandemic restrictions. “It’s one of our most favorite events,”...
Latrobe eyes 2% hike in residential garbage rates
Latrobe residents could pay higher garbage fees next year, as officials consider passing on a 2% increase in the city’s contract with hauler Republic Services. City Manager Michael Gray is proposing the rate hikes as part of a revised schedule of various fees being reviewed by council. The new fees...
Pennsylvania State Police seek donated horses for mounted patrol unit
Maverick spent the last decade of his life in public service, ranging from ceremonial duties in the nation’s capital to watching over World Series attendees in Philadelphia. The Percheron crossbreed horse was about 6 when owners Dave and Pat Miller of Youngwood donated him as a recruit for the Pennsylvania...
Checkpoint shields installed to boost covid-19 protection at Arnold Palmer airport
Acrylic shields are in place at the security checkpoint at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport as an added measure to help prevent the spread of covid-19. Installed the week of Dec. 18, the shields are meant to provide enhanced protection for passengers boarding Spirit Airlines flights and Transportation Security Administration officers...
Manor World War II veteran survived little-known Christmas Eve disaster off French coast
Carl Monk, like many World War II veterans, didn’t talk much about his experiences serving with the Army in Europe. He had a small shrapnel scar on his left elbow, received as his infantry unit fought in France in early 1945, and a brief tale of surviving a German submarine...
Pittsburgh man accused of attempted homicide in Mt. Washington shooting
A Pittsburgh man is charged with attempted homicide in connection with an Oct. 16 shooting in the city’s Mt. Washington neighborhood. Ramon White Jr., 19, was arrested Monday, Dec. 21 by the Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force at a house in McKees Rocks. Pittsburgh police said they found two gunshot...
Power restored after wreck shears pole, closes road in Penn Hills
A multi-vehicle crash sheared a utility pole and brought down wires Wednesday night, closing a section of Universal Road in Penn Hills. The wreck was reported at about 8:45 p.m. and closed Universal between Stotler Road and North Joslyn Drive, according to Allegheny County officials. Penn Hills: Multi-vehicle crash with...
Police: McKeesport man accused of robbing, shooting motorist on Pittsburgh’s South Side
Pittsburgh police have arrested a man on charges that include attempted homicide stemming from a Dec. 15 vehicle crash and shooting on East Carson Street. Ralph Omar Williams, 36, of McKeesport, also is charged with aggravated assault, robbery, reckless endangerment and gun violations. He’s awaiting a preliminary hearing. According to...
Rewards for suspect in McKeesport police shooting total $15K
A combined $15,000 in reward money has been offered for information leading to the apprehension of Koby Lee Francis, the man wanted in the Sunday afternoon shooting of a McKeesport police officer. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Wednesday it is offering a $10,000 reward for...
Wagging tails join ringing bells for Salvation Army kettle drive in HempfieldVideo
Area owners let the dogs out Wednesday to help attract attention to the Greensburg Salvation Army’s annual red kettle donation drive. Members of the Youngwood Dog Club, accompanied by their public-friendly therapy dogs, volunteered to augment the efforts of kettle bell-ringers at several Hempfield retail locations including Walmart and Macy’s...
Pandemic drives Pittsburgh region’s food insecurity to new heights, reshapes assistance efforts
Food insecurity is an ongoing problem in the Pittsburgh region, made much worse by the covid-19 pandemic. Area food banks have responded by redoubling their efforts while facing new challenges. With pandemic restrictions putting many American breadwinners out of work or reducing their hours, food banks this year have been...
Unity could expand rec program to upgraded playground eyed at Mountain View Elementary
Unity could expand its summer recreation sites to include the Mountain View Elementary playground under an agreement approved Tuesday by the Greater Latrobe School Board. The agreement was made in consideration of the township serving as applicant for a state grant to upgrade play apparatus at the elementary school and...
Greater Latrobe forms health committee amid covid-prompted remote instruction
Greater Latrobe School Board is gaining a health and safety committee as it copes with the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. The board, at a Tuesday meeting that was held virtually, also moved to bolster its school police force while offering an early retirement incentive for veteran instructors. Board member...
Westmoreland Commissioner Gina Cerilli tests positive for covid-19
Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli has tested positive for covid-19, county officials said Tuesday. Cerilli informed the county of her positive test results Tuesday and is following isolation recommendations. Cerilli told the Tribune-Review Tuesday was the second day she experienced symptoms including a “terrible headache” and an elevated temperature. She...
Landmark Unity farmhouse opens as home furnishings storeVideo
A landmark of Westmoreland County’s farming tradition is entering a new chapter as a home furnishings store. Just in time for Christmas shopping and, unfortunately, new pandemic-related restrictions on retailers, Frye Farm Place had a soft opening last week on Frye Farm Road in Unity. Operated by Unity residents Dave...
Latrobe holds line on taxes, eyes shared code enforcement officer
Latrobe Council adopted a $6.5 million budget for 2021 that holds the line on real estate taxes. Though the tax will remain at 21.5 mills, property owners will begin paying a new stormwater management fee. The fee, assessed at $90 per equivalent dwelling unit, is meant to help cover the...
Inmate gets 50-to-100-year sentence for attempted murder of troopers in Indiana County
A 21-year-old man will serve 50 to 100 years in prison for the attempted murder of two state troopers last year while they were driving him back to the state prison in Indiana County. Indiana County President Judge William J. Martin imposed the sentence Monday on Simere Maurice Alford. In...
Penn-Trafford closes middle school, Harrison Park Elementary for the week
Penn Middle School and Harrison Park Elementary in the Penn-Trafford School District will be closed through Friday after students at each school tested positive for the coronavirus. Students will receive remote instruction during that time. Penn-Trafford Superintendent Matthew Harris said Monday the closures are in keeping with covid-19 pandemic guidelines...
Official: Weather may be factor in dip in demand for state heating assistance
Fewer Pennsylvanians have applied so far this year to the state’s home heating assistance program than last year, but the need is still there. As of Wednesday, close to 230,000 people had sought assistance with heating bills through the 2020-21 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. That’s down from the roughly...
Hundreds turn out for Unity’s drive-thru visit with Santa
The Unity supervisors have hosted a community holiday celebration near the township municipal building, complete with a Christmas tree, since 2009. This year, in keeping with pandemic precautions, those attending stayed in their cars, greeted with a wave from Santa before dropping off letters to the jolly old elf and...
Air Force Raptor joins 2021 Westmoreland air show lineup
The Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet demonstration team is slated to return to Unity for next year’s air show at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va., the Raptor previously participated in the Shop ’n Save Westmoreland County Airshow in 2016. The Raptor provides...
Westmoreland County Blind Association adding kitchen, sensory room for adult clients
Financial contributions leveraged by a state tax credit program will help the Westmoreland County Blind Association renovate part of its South Greensburg center to better meet the needs of the disabled adults it serves. The organization this week was awarded $46,500 through Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Assistance Program. Three area financial institutions...
Man charged with homicide, robbery in November shooting in Wilkinsburg
Allegheny County Police have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with a fatal November shooting in Wilkinsburg. Elyzah Cecil King-Bradley is charged with criminal homicide in the death of Emanuel Deshawn Johnson, 35, who was found dead inside a vehicle after county police responded to the shooting shortly before 8...
Donora company provides holiday warmth for Elizabeth Township veteranVideo
An act of generosity has left an Elizabeth Township veteran and his family with a warm feeling this holiday season. When the electronic controls failed in Austin Large’s 11-year-old gas furnace, he had to make repeated trips down to the cold basement to manually turn on the vital appliance. He...
Penn Township, Penn Hills will use state grants to update key traffic signals
State grants will help to upgrade traffic signals at intersections in Penn Township and in Penn Hills. PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement program has awarded $325,000 to Penn Township, to replace an obsolete traffic light at Route 130 and Route 993 (Walnut Street). Penn Hills will use its grant of...
