Jeff Himler stories, Page 26
Johnstown woman gets life sentence in Indiana County kidnapping, murder
A Johnstown woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 murder of a man in Indiana County. Taylyn Edwards, 20, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Hayden Robert Garreffa, 19, of Ebensburg. As part of the mandatory life...
Thousands in Southwestern Pa. could be in dark through the weekend, utility companies say
More than 9,000 area utility customers remained without power Wednesday morning, as crews continued to repair damage from storms that swept through the region Monday evening. Duquesne Light estimated that all its affected customers could have power restored by 1 p.m. on Sunday, with many expected to be restored sooner....
Morning Roundup: 1 hospitalized after Wilkinsburg shooting; heat moves weekend Stage AE concerts indoors
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Wilkinsburg shooting sends 1 to hospital A man was taken to an area hospital Tuesday evening in critical condition following a shooting in Wilkinsburg. Officials didn’t release the name of the 34-year-old man, who was...
Morning Roundup: 1 flown from Washington Township crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. 1 flown from Washington Township crash One person was injured in a crash involving a tri-axle truck and a sedan Tuesday morning in Washington Township. According to township police, an occupant in the sedan was...
Unity OKs animal clinic expansion, reviews plan for new Burger King site
A growing veterinary practice is looking to expand into a larger space on Unity’s Monastery Drive. Meanwhile, subdivision of property near the Mountain Laurel Plaza could provide a home for an updated, relocated Burger King restaurant on Route 30. Unity supervisors at their June meeting approved a final site plan...
Pittsburgh tops list as most affordable housing market in U.S. — but there’s a catch
Pittsburgh’s housing market is the most affordable in the United States, according to a study by a university in California. However, the report’s authors say, the ‘Burgh still falls just short of true affordability. Issued by the Center for Demographics and Policy at Chapman University and the Frontier Centre for...
Morning roundup: Fire causes damage at Champion Lakes Golf Course
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, June 17, 2024. Fire damages building at Champion Lakes Golf Course Champion Lakes Golf Course was expected to be open for business Monday after firefighters doused a blaze Sunday evening in a building at the Fairfield Township course....
Road projects to trigger detours in Salem, St. Clair; roadwork to start on Route 981, I-70
Motorists will encounter detours in Salem and St. Clair townships beginning Monday because of road and bridge projects. Traffic restrictions are slated the same week in PennDOT work zones on Interstate 70 and Route 981. • In Salem, Athena Drive is expected to be closed through late July between Lauffer...
Can the pool at Ligonier Beach be saved? Township spending $100K to find out
Is it feasible to reopen Ligonier Beach as a swimming pool? Ligonier Township officials may know before Mackin Engineers & Consultants finishes a master plan for the former resort. The Pittsburgh-based consultant indicated it should be able to advise the township before the plan is done whether it’s feasible to...
Bigfoot gains supporters in Derry as Sasquatch sightings surge on Chestnut Ridge
Bigfoot could be the next big thing in Derry. The town annually has celebrated its historic association with Pennsylvania Railroad trains and engine houses. But what about the looming presence of Bigfoot? Council members this week floated the idea of creating an installation that could draw visitors interested in the...
Derry Borough appoints Eikenburg to fill vacant council seat
Derry Borough resident Rich Eikenburg enlisted in the Army National Guard last year and now has added a civilian service stint to his plate. Borough council this week voted 4-1 to appoint Eikenburg to join the seven-member panel, filling a vacancy resulting from the recent death of council President Al...
Indiana County crash kills 1, sends 2 to Pittsburgh hospitals
A two-car crash Wednesday morning in Indiana County killed one motorist and injured two others. State police said a woman who was driving a Volkswagen sedan was pronounced dead at the scene near Shelocta by Indiana County Coroner Jerry Overman. She was identified as Erma Karen Devivo, 80, of Armstrong...
Tractor-trailer loses load, tying up westbound turnpike traffic near Donegal
Westbound traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike was backed up for about a mile near the Donegal exit Tuesday night after a tractor-trailer lost its load. The resulting debris apparently hit another vehicle, according to turnpike spokesman Crispin Havener. No injuries were reported, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher indicated. The traffic...
2 shootings in Uniontown leave 1 dead, 2 injured
Police are investigating two shootings Tuesday afternoon in Uniontown that left one man dead and injured two other people. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker ruled the death of Joshua Stevens, 33, of Uniontown a homicide, resulting from gunshot wounds. Baker said Stevens was pronounced at WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital....
Drone to give Latrobe eye in the sky for police, firefighters
A new eye in the sky soon will be assisting Latrobe police in their pursuit of suspects or search for missing citizens. City council approved the purchase of a $14,000 drone. “I’m excited about the drone program,” city manager Terry Carcella said. “This is the future of policing. It will...
Bridge work slated for 2026 will hinder emergency access to Latrobe-area nursing home and care center
Repairs to four Westmoreland County-owned bridges crossing sections of the Loyalhanna Creek are expected to be under construction in 2026, resulting in proposed road closures and detours, according to PennDOT planners. The closures will also affect how emergency vehicles respond to some areas of Derry and Ligonier townships, but local...
Greensburg park packed with fans for Elton John tribute concert
Elton Rohn’s tribute to an almost identically named British rock superstar packed thousands of music fans into Greensburg’s St. Clair Park Friday evening. Among that audience for the first SummerSounds concert of the year were a Greensburg man and woman with a tribute of their own. Friends Derek Rinchuse and...
Bridge replacement to close section of Route 119 north of Greensburg
Motorists on Route 119, one of three major traffic arteries leading into Greensburg from points north, will have to detour for several weeks as PennDOT replaces a bridge. PennDOT has announced that Route 119 will be closed between Hannastown Road and Cameo Lane in Hempfield beginning Monday to allow contractor...
Westmoreland County seeks federal funding for New Kensington, Irwin projects
The Westmoreland County commissioners are seeking a total of $3.5 million in federal money for projects in New Kensington and Irwin. At their Thursday meeting, held in the evening at Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township, the commissioners agreed to seek a little more than $1 million to help remediate acid...
Westmoreland commissioners OK $25K settlement of inmate’s suit
The Westmoreland County Commissioners have approved a $25,000 settlement of a federal civil suit brought by an county prison inmate over alleged mistreatment and denial of his constitutional rights in 2019. Keith Rosario accused prison staff of assaulting him, withholding his legal materials and denying him access to a grievance...
Engine trouble in Greensburg interrupts cross-country Model T tour; crew vows to return
Engine trouble sidelined a 1924 Model T on Monday night in Greensburg, two days into a planned 19-day trip from New York to San Francisco. A crew of three volunteer drivers and mechanics affiliated with Nebraska’s Museum of American Speed realized they’d have to haul the antique car by trailer...
Fred Rogers Institute picks items from archives for open house, Latrobe festival
Fans of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” who attended an open house Monday on the campus of Saint Vincent College were afforded a glimpse of some colorful items selected for display from the archives of the iconic TV show’s host and creator, Latrobe native Fred Rogers. Among the items displayed for the...
Model T stops in Greensburg as part of 3rd coast-to-coast trek
A 100-year-old Model T chugs along at about 25 mph when climbing Pennsylvania’s steep hills. Still, “It has a strong engine; it runs really well. We can do the hills,” said Mike Vaughn of Lincoln, Neb., one of three volunteers with that city’s Museum of American Speed who are taking...
Latrobe merchants, vendors join forces for combined Shop Hop & Night Market
Visitors to Latrobe who are looking to shop local will find their opportunities doubled on Wednesday, when the town’s year-old Night Market joins with the monthly Shop Hop merchant event. “The merger of the two has created a much bigger and fuller event that businesses can be a part of,”...
Artist who served in National Guard adds mural to Mt. Pleasant’s Veterans Wall
More than 2,700 names of those who have served in the military in various eras are etched in granite slabs on Mt. Pleasant Borough’s Veterans Wall. Soon, those who visit that patriotic landmark will have another way to reflect on the local legacy of service, by viewing a mural added...
