Jeff Himler stories, Page 127
Saltsburg’s new Boggs Day will honor town’s founder
Saltsburg will celebrate its founding more than two centuries ago with a ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the Saltsburg Area Historical Society’s Rebecca B. Hadden Stone House Museum. Karen Cumberledge, the borough mayor, will proclaim the first Andrew Boggs Day, honoring the man who established the town on his property. The...
$600K state equipment loan OK’d for expanding Unity testing firm
A low-interest state loan will help Product Evaluation Systems enhance its equipment as it completes an expansion of its plant in Unity. Announced this week, the loan of almost $600,000 was approved by the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority and will be drawn from its Machinery and Equipment Loan Fund. Product...
Latrobe Veterans Day observance ‘isn’t just for veterans’Video
Patriotic-minded residents from preschoolers to older adults on scooters turned out at Latrobe’s Memorial Plaza Monday morning to help honor those who have served in the nation’s military. “Veterans Day isn’t just for veterans,” said Latrobe Police Chief John Sleasman, who was the keynote speaker at the community’s annual observance....
Mt. Pleasant Township veteran part of dwindling ‘Greatest Generation’Video
When Army veteran Frank Emanuel injured his back, a physician feared the worst. “He thought I had cancer,” Emanuel, 95, recalled of his hospital visit more than 45 years ago. The Mt. Pleasant Township man set the doctor’s mind at ease. What showed up as white spots on the X-ray...
Mt. Pleasant Navy veteran, 102, to be honored at Penguins game
Melva Dolan Simon has been listening to Pittsburgh Penguins hockey games on the radio for years. But, in all of her 102 years of life, she’s never been to a game. That will change Saturday, when the Mt. Pleasant Township native, who served in the Navy WAVES during World War...
Unity obstacle course preps PennDOT plow operators for tight spacesVideo
Maneuvering a snow plow that is more than 15 feet wide is a tight squeeze on a road surface that’s only about 18 feet wide — or less. About 75 area PennDOT drivers this week are being challenged to do just that on a half-mile obstacle course in Unity meant...
ROTC cadet from Mt. Pleasant surprised with Saint Vincent scholarship at Steelers gameVideo
Mt. Pleasant Area graduate Noah Lynch was honored to escort his ROTC commander at Saint Vincent College onto Heinz Field for a special presentation during Sunday’s game between the Steelers and the visiting Colts. He was stunned to realize the third-quarter presentation before more than 62,000 football fans included full...
Fire damages Jeannette house where aspiring rapper was fatally shotVideo
Officials are investigating a Monday night fire that heavily damaged a home on Jeanette’s Cuyler Avenue where a deadly shooting occurred a week earlier. Jeannette fire Chief Bill Frye said flames were coming out of a side window of the two-story wood-frame home but quick action by firefighters, who are...
Historical society show will honor Latrobe-area veterans
A new slide show, “Honoring Our Veterans,” will share the stories of Latrobe-area residents who served in American military campaigns from the French and Indian War through modern conflicts. Leading up to local Veterans Day observances, the slide presentation is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday at the Latrobe...
Airport director: Arnold Palmer runway upgrades will support more frequent flights
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport hope work to widen and strengthen the runway will not only improve conditions for existing flights, but also open the door for increased frequency of flights and additional destinations for passengers. “The primary reason is safety,” Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo...
Latrobe Turkey Trot 5K turns 25, adds ‘virtual’ race division
Dedicated competitors, as well as those who enjoy the sociable holiday atmosphere, are expected to show up Thanksgiving morning for Latrobe’s 25th anniversary Turkey Trot foot race. Craig Shevchik, director of Latrobe-GLSD Parks & Recreation, which organizes the race, is hoping to mark the silver anniversary by attracting more than...
Driver fired after taking Shaler Area bus over flooded roadVideo
A driver has been fired after driving a Shaler Area school bus over a flooded road Thursday in Shaler Township. School district transportation provider ABC Transit told WPXI-TV the driver was terminated after video footage captured the incident Thursday afternoon on Seavey Road, in the aftermath of heavy rainstorms. Three...
Bridge work will detour PA Turnpike traffic between Monroeville, Harmar
The westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed early Sunday between the Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley exits to allow crews to work on the Saltsburg Road bridge. Weather permitting, the closure will begin at 11:59 p.m. Saturday and is expected to last until 5 a.m. Sunday, turnpike officials...
Frozen berries sold at Aldi recalled for possible Hepatitis A contamination
Wawona Frozen Foods has recalled frozen berries sold at Aldi and Raley’s Family of Fine Stores because the products might be contaminated with Hepatitis A. The company announced the voluntary recall this week for frozen berries imported from Chile. Recalled items include: 12-ounce bags of Season’s Choice raspberries with 2021...
Man, woman flown to Pittsburgh after 2-car crash on Route 217 in Derry Township
Two motorists were flown to Pittsburgh trauma centers for treatment after a two-car collision early Friday evening at Route 217 and Industrial Boulevard in Derry Township. Bradenville Fire Chief Mark Piantine said a man was freed from one of the cars and a woman was extricated from the other following...
4 incumbents, 3 newcomers in race for 5 Greater Latrobe School Board seats
Seven candidates are vying for five seats on the Greater Latrobe School Board in Tuesday’s election. Those seeking to join the board include retired state police trooper Paul McCommons, chiropractic assistant and former Greater Latrobe employee Cathy Sarraf, and Plum Borough School District business teacher David Vitula. Incumbents hoping to...
Ligonier Salvation Army accepts kids’ wish lists, seeks bell-ringers
The Salvation Army last year provided holiday gifts to 180 Ligonier Valley children in financial need. The need continues this year, and eligible area families who want to make sure their kids ages 13 or younger have something special in their stockings are encouraged to submit wish lists at the...
Route 31 ramps reopen amid I-70 interchange update
Motorists traveling east on Interstate 70 once more can exit and enter at Route 31, with the opening of ramps that were closed for construction. The ramps opened to traffic on Tuesday as work progressed on revamping the interchange in South Huntingdon from a cloverleaf to a diamond configuration. “If...
Opening celebration set for bike trail extension in IndianaVideo
Local officials and trail advocates next week will celebrate the “soft opening” of a new extension of Indiana County’s Hoodlebug Trail that brings the hiking and bicycling route through the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus and into downtown Indiana. The event is set for noon on Nov. 8 at the...
School director, restaurant owner vie for Unity supervisor post
Michael O’Barto has spent two years on the Greater Latrobe School Board, but he hopes Unity voters will return him to his previous longtime role of township supervisor. Doug Murphy, who fell short in a 2017 bid to join the three-member board of supervisors, is vying again for the position....
Concrete damage limits access to Latrobe parking garage while city looks for fix
The Weldon Street entrance to Latrobe’s municipal parking garage is temporarily closed while city officials and consultants weigh options for solving concrete problems that likely will add to the cost of ongoing repairs to the structure. Pullman Services has been working for several weeks on the first major repairs to...
North Huntingdon ironworker was drawn to high places, humor and music
Jerry Conrad wasn’t afraid of hard work or high places. A former ironworker with 30 years of experience, he used to ride up on a wrecking ball instead of an elevator to begin his shift on the upper levels of tall buildings. “He was just one of those guys; he...
Latrobe party scares up Halloween fun for kids
The Latrobe Art Center and Latrobe-Greater Latrobe School District Parks and Recreation are teaming up to host a creative Halloween party for kids. Set for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the art center, at 819 Ligonier St., the evening offers children ages 5-12 the opportunity to design their own...
Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Unity offers fire cider demo, sample
Fire cider isn’t a variation on the caramel-colored apple beverage found at fruit stands each fall. It’s a trendy health tonic, typically made with apple cider vinegar, and Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Unity is ready to reveal how to concoct the liquid. The free pop-up workshop for adults is...
Jeannette native, Vietnam POW offers inspiration for fellow veteransVideo
Dave Carey played a make-believe piano and recalled everything from Biblical passages to the early 20th-century poem “The Highwayman” to stay sane during more than five years as a prisoner of war held by North Vietnamese captors beginning in 1967. More than 300 people, including many fellow veterans, came to...
