Jeff Himler stories, Page 114
Work on West Newton railroad crossing will cause detour
Traffic will be detoured around a section of West Newton’s Robertson Street next week so CSX crews can perform maintenance on a railroad crossing. Work is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and is expected to wrap up by 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The street will be closed...
Police: Missing Homewood man, 84, found safe
Pittsburgh police have found a man reported missing on Wednesday from the Homewood area. Peter Jackson, 84, was last seen Monday at the Erie Veterans Administration hospital. Jackson was found and is safe, according to police. UPDATE: Peter Jackson has been located and is safe. Thank you for your concerns...
Pittsburgh police look to ID suspect in vehicle damage during Downtown protests
Pittsburgh police on Wednesday released photos of a man suspected of damaging the window of a police tactical support vehicle during May 30 protests in Downtown Pittsburgh. The man is suspected of throwing a cinder block through the front passenger window of a Tactical Operations Support truck parked at Washington...
Police: Missing 2-year-old boy found safe
A missing 2-year-old boy was found safe and returned to Pittsburgh, police announced Saturday. Moor Bey had last been seen on June 1 when his father dropped him off to his mother, according to police. Police said they believed the mother, who had local addresses in the Beechview and McKees...
Westmoreland solar co-op extends membership deadline
Westmoreland County homeowners and business owners who are interested in going solar have until the end of June to join a local co-op. The deadline for signing on with the Westmoreland County Solar Co-op was extended to June 30 as the area emerges from restrictions related to the covid-19 pandemic....
Signal, curb upgrades at Latrobe intersections to begin next week
Work is set to begin Monday on improvements to nine intersections in downtown Latrobe. The $3.4 million PennDOT project will install updated traffic signals along Main and Depot streets where they intersect Jefferson, Ligonier and Alexandria streets, and along Ligonier at the intersections of Weldon, Spring and Chestnut streets. Contractor...
New Stanton couple’s dog to train for covid-19 detection task forceVideo
When Dan and Lisa Williams adopted Shep two years ago, they noticed he had a penchant for sniffing around cars. The New Stanton owners are hoping their 3-year-old Australian cattle dog soon will be using his olfactory skills to recognize people infected with the coronavirus, as part of the new...
Arnold Palmer airport sees rise in bookings, hopes to beef up September runway work
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport are hoping to work on runway improvements — widening and strengthening — simultaneously in September, if funding is approved in time. Meanwhile, Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo said Tuesday he’s pleased with how travel at the airport in Unity is taking...
Derry man arrested after handgun found in bag at Arnold Palmer airport
A Derry man was arrested after being caught with a 9 mm handgun in a carry-on bag Sunday at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Westmoreland County Park Police charged Brandon Edward Emeigh, 31, with prohibited possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a permit. He faces a preliminary hearing...
Housing authority to pay Latrobe police for extra coverage at apartments, townhouses
Latrobe police will begin extra patrols at Westmoreland County Housing Authority facilities in the city this week through an agreement with the authority. Under the agreement, approved Monday by city council, the authority will tap grant funding to pay for the extra coverage at two high-rise buildings on Jefferson Street...
Derry Area Middle School club receives Children’s Hospital fundraising award
Derry Area Middle School’s Farkleberry Club recently received the Youth Fundraiser Award from the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. The club’s annual campaign, during the fall 2019 semester, raised $5,649.73 for the hospital’s Free Care Fund. The fundraising effort has been a tradition at the school for more than four...
Smithton, Scottdale surveyed for non-motorized transportation plan
Online surveys will allow residents of Smithton and Scottdale to provide input for potential improvements to support walking, bicycling and other non-motorized modes of transportation in the communities. The surveys, available through June 30 at smithtonboro.us and scottdaleborough.com, will be used in developing an Active Transportation Plan and a Complete...
Latrobe opens rec facilities, sets start date for farmers market
Many Latrobe recreational facilities operated by the Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation are opening to the public today as the area moves into the relaxed “green” phase of covid-19 restrictions. The Latrobe Farmers Market season will open Tuesday at Legion Keener Park, with precautions in place against potential spread of the...
Maintenance tasks will disrupt traffic on Liberty and Elizabeth bridges
Maintenance work will disrupt traffic patterns Friday morning on the Elizabeth Bridge and Pittsburgh’s Liberty Bridge, PennDOT said. Weather permitting, the Elizabeth Bridge that carries Route 51 across the Monongahela River will close at 9 a.m. so that crews can replace cables. Traffic will be detoured in both directions during...
Hanna’s Town education center, historic site welcome back public; antiques market slated
The Westmoreland Historical Society is reopening its education center Friday, with new health safeguards in place. Guided tours are set to resume Saturday at the society-operated Historic Hanna’s Town site — a re-creation of the county’s first seat of government and court proceedings, dating from 1773. The popular antiques and...
Saint Vincent camp cancellation a blow for local members of Steelers NationVideo
Disappointment, anger and understanding. Local Steelers fans expressed a range of emotions after learning the Steelers won’t hold training camp at Saint Vincent College this summer because of new NFL guidelines prompted by the covid-19 pandemic. Ron Monack, 25, is a 2017 alumnus of the college in Unity and a...
Jeannette firefighters free man pinned under SUV
A man was taken to an area hospital for treatment after he was pinned underneath a car Tuesday night in Jeannette. The man, who was not immediately identified, was working on the sport utility vehicle, on a slight grade, when the jack stand tipped over, according to Jeannette Fire Chief...
Fire official: Burning tires spark blaze that destroys Salem auto repair garageVideo
Flames sparked some tires at a Salem Township auto repair and salvage business Tuesday, destroying the business’ garage. No injuries were reported in the 3 p.m. blaze at Pytlak Auto Wreckers on Story Road. Rena Pytlak, wife of owner Bob Pytlak, said employees were working inside the garage at the...
Latrobe set to reopen municipal offices while following covid-19 precautions
Latrobe plans to reopen its municipal building to the public on June 8, with some restrictions in place to limit the potential spread of covid-19. Those entering the building to visit the administration or code enforcement departments, or the office of state Rep. Joseph Petrarca, will be required to wear...
Fountain, historical marker vandalized in Highland Park
Pittsburgh police are investigating spray-painted graffiti discovered Monday in Highland Park. Reported at about 1:30 p.m., the painted messages were found in and around the park’s fountain and a Highland Park historical marker. Messages also were painted at the intersection of Highland Park Drive and Bunker Hill Street. Arrangements were...
Police search for man who went missing on Pittsburgh’s North Side
Pittsburgh police are searching for a 28-year-old man last seen Sunday evening in the California-Kirkbride neighborhood. Dylan Yourkonis was last seen about 8 p.m. wearing a light blue zip-up jacket with wording on the back shoulders and gray jogging pants, police said. He is 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighs...
State corrections officer charged with planning sex with 14-year-old girl in Fayette
A state corrections officer from Camp Hill is charged with contacting a 14-year-old-girl in Fayette County to set up a sexual encounter. Calvin Hynson, 26, is suspended without pay while awaiting a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Nathan Henning. He is free after posting $100,000 bond. The State Attorney...
Friends group hopes $25K donation will help Dormont Pool open in 2020 season
The Friends of Dormont Pool organization is donating $25,000 to the borough in the hope the money can be used to open the community’s popular swimming pool this summer, which would mark its 100th anniversary. It remained unclear this week whether the financial contribution would prompt borough officials to reconsider...
Mt. Pleasant Fire Department looks for other fundraising efforts after canceling street fair
Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department has canceled its week-long June street fair out of concern about holding large gatherings during the covid-19 pandemic. It’s just the second time the annual tradition has been sidelined. The first time was in 1972, with the arrival of Hurricane Agnes. “It was a big...
‘Americans helping Americans’: U.S. Ag Sec. says at Westmoreland Farmers to Families food distribution
A thousand motorists left the Westmoreland Fairgrounds on Wednesday each with more than 20 pounds of fresh produce and a box of dairy products. It was the first of planned twice-monthly distributions of perishable food bought by the federal government. Joy Bryson of Irwin, who hasn’t worked at her job...
