Jeff Himler stories, Page 115
Latrobe eyes summer start for rehab of 3 railroad underpasses
Latrobe hopes to move forward this summer with improvement of its three railroad underpasses. City Council on June 8 will consider authorizing consultant Gibson-Thomas Engineering to prepare bid specifications for proposed upgrades where Jefferson, Ligonier and Alexandria streets pass underneath the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks. The project calls for repairing...
Westmoreland tire recycling event meant to help control mosquito numbers
Recycling of old tires is more important than ever now that warm weather has arrived. The rubber rings could become filled with water and serve as a breeding area for disease-carrying mosquitoes. That’s why the Westmoreland Conservation District, which monitors mosquitoes for West Nile Virus infection, is co-sponsoring a tire...
Food box delivery to bring U.S. agriculture secretary to Westmoreland Fairgrounds
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will visit the Westmoreland Fairgrounds on Wednesday morning as pantry staples are delivered to area food banks in response to the covid-19 pandemic. Perdue will be on hand as part of the federal Farmers to Families Food Box Program. The program is purchasing up...
Virtual meetings set to review Southwestern Pa.’s proposed 2021-24 transportation projects
Virtual public meetings are planned to allow citizens to learn about and comment on transportation improvements proposed in Southwestern Pennsylvania through 2024. Since large gatherings are on hold during the covid-19 pandemic, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will instead livestream public input sessions on the draft 2021-24 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)....
In person and on the web, local Memorial Day services honor fallen warriors’ sacrificesVideo
Social distancing held in-person attendance at Monday morning’s Sutersville Memorial Day service to little more than 20. But others were able to pay their respects to the town’s service members, past and present, from afar by viewing a livestream of the annual ceremony at the honor roll next to the...
3 taken into custody after alleged assault on Pittsburgh cop
Pittsburgh police used pepper spray to subdue three people accused of assaulting an officer early Sunday in Homewood South. A woman and two boys were arrested following the confrontation that happened before 2:30 a.m. on Collier Street. No one was seriously injured when the woman punched the officer in the...
Fayette County man charged in fatal shooting outside restaurant
A Fairchance man is accused of fatally shooting another man Sunday afternoon at a Fayette County restaurant. State police charged Justin D. Rittacco, 21, with criminal homicide in connection to the shooting that happened before 4:30 p.m. at the Long John Silver’s restaurant on Morgantown Road in South Union. Police...
Derry Area students pen notes of support for residents, staff at care centers
Seventh-graders at Derry Area Middle School missed out on a trip to Cleveland’s Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame because of covid-19 pandemic restrictions. But, as they completed an inter-disciplinary, music-related lesson unit at their homes, they found time between the musical notes to pen written notes to residents and...
Greater Latrobe sets graduation options, plans survey to prep for fall instruction
Greater Latrobe School District is holding out hope for a belated commencement ceremony for the high school Class of 2020. But district officials note those plans, and options for instructing remaining students next fall, will depend on the status of the covid-19 pandemic. A survey is planned to solicit district...
Athletic director steps in to head troubled Latrobe wrestling programVideo
Greater Latrobe School Board went to the top of its athletic staff to set a new course for the district’s troubled wrestling program. The board this week named its athletic director Mark Mears to also serve as wrestling coach, taking leadership of a program rocked in January by hazing allegations...
Greater Latrobe eyes worst-case 2.7-mill tax hike
Property owners in the Greater Latrobe School District could see a 2.7-mill increase in real estate taxes under a tentative 2020-2021 budget of nearly $57.2 million approved this week by the school board. District business administrator Dan Watson said the potential hike to 84.95 mills would add $73 to the...
Western Pa. task force intent on training dogs to sniff out covid-19Video
More than 100 dogs and handlers from throughout the region were put through their paces this month as they vied for the opportunity to join in the battle against the covid-19 pandemic. During sessions in Youngwood and Imperial, a panel of trainers evaluated the dogs’ ability to sniff out hidden...
Derry Area to bid seniors farewell with lunch, parade
Derry Area School District’s traditional breakfast for graduating high school seniors couldn’t be held this year because of social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, members of the Class of 2020 are invited to a drive-through farewell luncheon on Friday. It will be followed by a parade through the...
Latrobe church schedules free meal take-out
Holy Family Catholic Church in Latrobe will offer free take-out meals on Thursday. Dinners will be available from 5 p.m. until about 100 have been distributed at 1200 Ligonier St. The menu includes ham barbecue sandwiches, hobo beans, cole slaw and cake. Church volunteers wearing masks and practicing social distancing...
Surprise parade helps Hempfield teen mark milestone birthdayVideo
Kolby Liston is fascinated by fire trucks and loves parades. Those two elements came together Sunday afternoon to provide the Hempfield teen a memorable 18th birthday celebration. Arranged by his sister Katelyn Larsen of Youngwood, about 50 vehicles driven by first responders, friends or relatives delivered birthday wishes and gifts...
Pittsburgh police look for SUV that struck girl in Larimer
Pittsburgh police are looking for a sport utility vehicle that struck and injured a 14-year-old girl early Sunday in the city’s Larimer neighborhood. The driver of the white, four-door SUV didn’t stop after hitting the girl at about 12:10 a.m. in the 6400 block of Frankstown Avenue. Police said the...
Latrobe police to accept unwanted medications
Those who want to safely dispose of unwanted medications may bring them to a drug take-back collection Tuesday morning at the Latrobe City municipal building. Latrobe police will conduct the event from 9 to 11 a.m. at a table near the building’s front entrance, at 901 Jefferson St. Medications may...
Alcosan given OK for $2 billion plan to reduce sewage overflows into waterways
The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority is cleared to proceed with a $2 billion plan for reducing storm water and sewage overflows now that it has court approval of a related consent decree with federal and state environmental officials. Alcosan on Friday announced the U.S. District Court approval of the modified...
Figure in probe of teacher Rachael DelTondo’s homicide charged with killing Aliquippa man
A man linked to the investigation of an Aliquippa teacher’s unsolved homicide is charged with killing a man Friday in that Beaver County city. State police allege Sheldon Devant Jeter Jr., 22, of Aliquippa, is responsible for the shooting death of Tyric Pugh, 30, also of Aliquippa. State police were...
Unity rally participants want fewer covid-19 restrictions, more open businessesVideo
More than 100 people took part in a rally Saturday in Unity to express frustration with Gov. Tom Wolf’s remaining covid-19-related restrictions on businesses. Many, but not all, of the demonstrators wore face coverings, which are recommended by officials to control the spread of the coronavirus. Receiving honks from many...
Pittsburgh hospital flyover to salute those on front line of covid-19 pandemic
The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is planning a flyover of several Pittsburgh-area hospitals Tuesday afternoon in honor of covid-19 front-line responders. Two aircraft, piloted by airmen from the 171st Air Refueling Wing at Pittsburgh International Airport and the 193rd Special Operations Wing at Middletown, are slated to appear in formation...
1 critically wounded in shooting on Pittsburgh’s North Side
A male victim was in critical condition after he was shot early Saturday on Pittsburgh’s North Side, according to city police. The victim was found with multiple gunshot wounds after police responded to a ShotSpotter notification around 1:40 a.m. in the 300 block of West Burgess Street in Perry South....
Unity seeks grant for fishing pier, OKs extra work on restroom upgrade
Unity officials are seeking a state grant to pay for part of planned improvements at the lake next to the municipal building on Beatty County Road. Supervisors on Thursday agreed to apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program for about $54,000 to...
Restaurant owners take issue with covid-19 rules, but aren’t ready to break them
Area restaurant owners have seen their sales slashed while restricted to takeout or delivery service during the covid-19 pandemic. But several say they don’t intend to go beyond guidelines of the governor’s phased plan for restarting the economy, because of the risk of penalties and out of consideration for their...
Airport authority awards Arnold Palmer taxiway project, eyes terminal, parking expansions
The Westmoreland County Airport Authority has selected Derry Construction Co. to modify three taxiways as part of the runway widening project at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. The work won’t proceed until the authority receives approval of needed funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. The firm submitted the sole bid of...
