Jeff Himler stories, Page 34

Redevelopment of the former Art Tech building in downtown Greensburg is moving forward now that owner City Cribs 2 LLC has purchased an adjoining lot where the dilapidated Derby’s Delicatessen building was razed. Crews from Alpen Homes last week installed wooden trusses made by Punxsutawney-based Hillside Trusses for a new...

The shrinking pool of police officer candidates available to a city such as Greensburg compelled leaders to tweak the hiring timeline. “There used to be 120 or 140 people that applied to take the (civil service) test,” said Ken Bacha, a member of the city’s civil service commission. “They filled...

Lane restrictions during overnight hours are set to begin Sunday evening on Interstate 70 in Westmoreland and Washington counties. PennDOT said the rolling single-lane restrictions will affect both eastbound and westbound traffic. They’re scheduled to continue through the morning of Saturday, Aug. 26 while crews from Green Acres install raised...

A man was critically wounded in a shooting Thursday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood, a city Public Safety spokeswoman said. The man, who is in his early 20s, was found in a grassy area near a sidewalk when city police responded to the shooting reported at about 4 p.m. at...

A Murrysville business has stepped forward to help families recovering from Saturday’s deadly explosion and fire in Plum. Murrysville Cleaners is offering free cleaning services to residents of the affected Rustic Ridge neighborhood, including free pickup and delivery of clothing. The offer is good through the end of September. “We...

Motorists on Route 981 in Mt. Pleasant Township can expect traffic interruptions on Wednesday, followed by closure of a section of the road beginning on Thursday. PennDOT said the road will be closed from Boyer Road south to Fiedors Grove Road, just south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as construction continues...

A GetGo Cafe + Market opens this week in downtown Greensburg. The store and its six gas pumps will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday for continuing 24/7 operation. Located at 531 S. Main St., just north of Euclid Avenue, it is on a site formerly occupied by a shuttered Family...

The sounds of flintlock rifles firing in unison and hammering on a blacksmith’s anvil will greet visitors to the Compass Inn Museum on Saturday and Sunday. Reenactors from Proctor’s Independent Battalion of Westmoreland County and blacksmithing demonstrations will be featured at the historic Laughlintown site during its final Living History...

A construction worker with no known address is accused of setting a fire early Saturday at the Filly Gentlemen’s Club in South Huntingdon. Javier Santacruz Ramirez, who is in his early 40s, is charged with aggravated arson, risking a catastrophe, failing to prevent a catastrophe, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, criminal...

A man found unconscious Saturday morning in a Swissvale parking lot had been robbed and beaten earlier that morning, according to Allegheny County police. The man was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition, police said. A call to county 911 dispatchers at 8:15 a.m. Saturday alerted authorities...

No injuries were reported in a dwelling fire early Sunday in Pittsburgh’s Mt. Washington neighborhood. The house fire was reported shortly before 5 a.m. in the 100 block of Prospect Street, according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatch supervisor. Emergency crews cleared the scene by 7:30 a.m....

Brothers Tripp, 6, and Deekin Nolan, 5, hit the dek Saturday morning to brush up on their hockey skills. They were among about 20 area kids who got to try out the new Greater Latrobe Parks and Recreation dek hockey rink that had its grand opening at Legion Keener Park...

Greensburg and its volunteer fire department will be receiving some significant recognition in a few days. That’s when Tom Bell, chief of the department since November 2016, will be honored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs as the 2023 Volunteer Chief of the Year. “A lot more people will...

Volunteer fire departments are nearing a breaking point. About 37,000 firefighters suit up every day in Pennsylvania, according to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner. That’s down tenfold from the 1970s, when there were about 300,000 firefighters. “That’s close to a crisis in my mind,” said New Kensington fire...

Greensburg Salem School District is anticipating a big turnout at its second annual Back to School Bash and has lined up more food options for the Aug. 21 event. Admission is free for the family-friendly gathering, which is open to the community from 5 to 7 p.m. at Greensburg’s Offutt...

Both a tornado and flood watch have been issued Saturday for areas in Western Pennsylvania. The tornado watch will be in effect until 9 p.m. including Westmoreland, Armstrong and Allegheny counties. The flood watch has been issued though late Saturday for counties including Westmoreland, Allegheny and Washington. According to the...

No injuries were reported when fire broke out early Saturday at the Filly Gentlemen’s Club in South Huntingdon. Units from 10 firefighting companies, including Turkeytown Volunteer Fire Department, were dispatched at about 1:15 a.m. to the fire in the 100 block of Motordrome Road. Emergency crews cleared the scene shortly...

Fire officials are investigating the cause of a blaze Friday night at a Derry Borough home. The fire was reported shortly before 10 p.m. in the 700 block of East First Avenue. Flames spread from the home’s porch but were quickly brought under control, the Derry Borough Volunteer Fire Department...

Renovation of Greensburg’s Kirk S. Nevin ice arena is completed, but the planned reopening date for the facility at the city’s Lynch Field has been moved back a week, to Aug. 21. Parks and Recreation Superintendent Glenn Moyer said the later date resulted from the delayed arrival of some equipment...

Wheels and deals will be featured Saturday at the third annual car cruise and vendor show hosted by Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Hose Company No. 1. Up to 160 cars will be on display during the event at the Hose Company grounds at 6 McLaughlin Drive in Greensburg. The show...

Greensburg Salem School Board approved a salary increase for district Superintendent Ken Bissell Wednesday. The board registered its approval of Bissell’s work with a pay hike to $154,000, exceeding the minimum annual raise of $2,000 set forth when his contract and starting salary of $144,000 were approved in April 2022....

Part of Route 66 in Parks Township, also known in that stretch as River Road, has reopened to traffic following a road project. PennDOT announced on Wednesday that the section of the state road that follows the path of the Kiski River has opened after being closed for a pipe...

(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...

Property owners in Greensburg are responsible for keeping vegetation from spreading beyond their yards and interfering with traffic, and city officials are underlining that fact in black and white. Public works director Tom Bell said the city has begun issuing letters to those who need to trim back growth that...

The worst of Monday’s windstorms bypassed Westmoreland County, but strong morning gusts brought down limbs and damaged trees at several locations in Greensburg. The winds sheared in half a massive pin oak toward the eastern end of the city’s St. Clair Park, temporarily blocking part of a paved walking path....