Jeff Himler stories, Page 89
Masks remain optional at Greater Latrobe after elementary mandate fails by slim margin
When Greater Latrobe parents send their elementary students back to the classroom beginning Monday, they will have the option of deciding whether their children should wear a mask upon entering their school building. The school board this week was just one vote away from amending its July 27 mask-optional policy,...
Damage contained, no one injured in Loyalhanna bedroom fire
Firefighters quickly knocked down a bedroom fire and were able to contain damage to one room Monday night at a modular home in Loyalhanna Township. Crews were dispatched before 10 p.m. to the dwelling along Moween Road in Loyalhanna Township. “We had a pretty good knockdown,” Saltsburg Fire Chief John...
2 taken to hospital after car-pickup collision in Unity
Two motorists were taken by ambulance to Excela Latrobe Hospital for treatment following a two-vehicle crash Monday night in Unity. Firefighters responded just before 9:30 p.m. after a car and pickup truck collided on Marguerite Road, between Marguerite Lake Road and Kimberly Drive. All occupants were able to free themselves...
Pedestrian struck by motorcycle, critically injured near Shadyside
A female pedestrian was taken to a local hospital in critical condition Monday after being struck by a motorcycle near Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood, according to a city public safety spokeswoman. The male driver of the motorcycle also was taken to a hospital, in stable condition with injuries to his jaw,...
Latrobe eyes technology, paving upgrades with pandemic recovery funding
Latrobe Council on Monday voted to amend the city’s $6.5 million 2021 budget to include more than $409,000 the city expects to receive in an installment of federal pandemic recovery funding. City Manager Michael Gray also proposed a series of projects and other expenditures where the money could be applied....
Westmoreland County free of West Nile virus as 2021 season nears end; Allegheny spraying set
No cases of West Nile virus have been found so far this year in Westmoreland County, which means officials haven’t had to apply spray to combat the mosquitoes that can transmit the disease. The Westmoreland Conservation District, which traps mosquitoes to be tested for signs of the disease, reports that...
Volunteers needed to pick surplus corn for Westmoreland food bank
Ideal growing conditions have led to an overabundance of sweet corn at the Greenawalt Farm in Sewickley Township. Thanks to the a relationship between the farm and the Westmoreland County Food Bank, those extra ears won’t go to waste. The food bank is seeking volunteers to pick corn from 9...
Latrobe festival kicks off 2-day celebration of city’s banana split legacyVideo
Six-year-old Adler Ulrich giggled with delight Friday when she helped comedic magician Steve Haberman turn a rabbit figurine into a whole family of smaller toy bunnies. The magic show behind Adams Memorial Library was just the beginning of a day out with her brother, Charlie, 3, and their Unity Township...
Revolutionary War reenactors to fire up Living History Weekend at Compass Inn
Proctor’s Militia, a local Revolutionary War reenactment group, is returning to Laughlintown’s Compass Inn Saturday and Sunday for the site’s final Living History Weekend of the summer. Activities will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Scott Henry of Greensburg, captain of the unit,...
Tree falls on house in Murrysville
Firefighters responded Thursday night to Windgate Drive in Murrysville, where a tree fell on a house. There were no injuries reported, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. Crews responded at about 9:15 p.m. near the intersection of Stonecroft Street. Murrysville Volunteer Fire Co. 1 reported in a social media...
Man shot multiple times in Clairton
Allegheny County police are investigating a shooting Thursday evening in Clairton that sent a man to a local hospital with multiple wounds. The shooting was reported to county 911 dispatchers at about 6:45 p.m. in the 400 block of Halcomb Avenue. First responders found a man had been shot multiple...
Greater Latrobe increases pay to compete for substitute teachers
Greater Latrobe School Board this week approved a list of 76 substitute teachers and also increased their pay rate to stay competitive with neighboring districts. The board bumped daily pay for day-to-day substitutes from $90 to $110. Greater Latrobe business administrator Dan Watson said many other area districts already have...
Trauger Fire Department adds interest to loan from relief association; audit catches shortage
Trauger Volunteer Fire Department didn’t pay enough interest on two loans from its affiliated relief association, and other procedural requirements for borrowing about $9,700 were missed, according to a state audit. Once alerted to the problems with the loans, the department corrected them, according to state Auditor General Timothy DeFoor....
Doctors petition Greater Latrobe to reconsider mask-optional plan for schools
About a dozen local physicians have asked the Greater Latrobe School Board to switch to a mask requirement for the coming fall semester. Parents remain divided over the district’s existing policy to make their use optional. Dr. Elizabeth Cutrell, a pediatrician with a practice in Unity who is the mother...
Penn-Trafford, support staff union divided over contract terms, fact-finder’s recommendations
Penn-Trafford School District and a union representing 83 support staffers remain at odds over contract terms after the district rejected recommendations in a fact-finding report. Wages are among the issues where the two sides differ. The Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ contends that its members who are charged with...
Penn-Trafford makes masks optional inside district schoolsVideo
Wearing face masks will be optional this school year for Penn-Trafford students, staff and visitors inside district buildings. The school board adopted its policy Monday after hearing from residents on opposing sides of the issue. Assistant Superintendent Scott Inglese said the district will look into the possibility of seating students...
Farmers market at Keystone State Park sees resurgence under new management
The Keystone Farmers Market at Keystone State Park is regrouping this season under new management, following a year in hiatus during the covid-19 pandemic. Samantha Matter, who manages the market for the Friends of Keystone State Park volunteer organization, said participation by vendors was spotty at the beginning of the...
Unity to display plans for Wimmerton intersection upgrade
Unity officials are planning a Sept. 20 meeting to get public input on potential improvement of the intersection of Route 30 and Wimmerton Boulevard. The open house meeting is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the township municipal building on Beatty County Road. Township Engineer Dan Schmitt said...
Latrobe historical society to screen film portraying community in 1937
In a two-part program, Latrobe Area Historical Society will present a documentary film produced in 1937 that depicts the people and places of the community in the period before World War II. Originally sponsored by Latrobe’s public school system, the silent black-and-white film includes images of local schoolchildren, businesses and...
Arnold Palmer airport gets $2.3M to offset covid-related costs
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is set to receive a federal grant of more than $2.3 million to help cover covid-19 mitigation costs. The money from the U.S. Department of Transportation may be used to reimburse pandemic-related expenses including staffing, cleaning costs and janitorial services, U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-Blair County)...
Greensburg Salem approves mask ‘recommendation’ for new school year
When Greensburg Salem students and staff head back to class for the fall semester, they’ll have a choice on whether to wear masks inside schools. Some school board members, however, are concerned parents won’t realize students have that flexibility. As several parents voiced their objections to governmental mask mandates, the...
Man ID’d in pedestrian-car crash in Monroeville
A Pitcairn man was identified as the victim of a pedestrian-vehicle accident Wednesday night in Monroeville. Thomas Risko, 32, was pronounced dead at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at an area hospital, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner said. Risko was struck just before 6 p.m. at the intersection of Broadway Boulevard and...
Driver killed when tree falls as his vehicle passes by in Washington County
A driver in Washington County was killed when a tree fell on his vehicle during a severe storm Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Floyd Gregory Stephen, 53, of Follansbee, W.Va., was dead at the scene in Canton Township. According to the Washington County Coroner’s Office, the wreck occurred shortly before 2:30...
Car charging stations, ramp equipment among electric additions eyed at Arnold Palmer airport
The Westmoreland County Airport Authority wants to reduce the carbon footprint at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport by replacing some diesel-powered aircraft ramp equipment with electric-powered models. The authority also wants to install charging stations for those who drive electric cars to the airport, at routes 981 and 30 in Unity....
Arnold Palmer airport director optimistic after Spirit flights remain cancel-free so far this week
After a week of mostly canceled and delayed flights, Spirit Airlines’ service improved dramatically this week at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Spirit, the sole commercial carrier at the Unity airport, “had definite issues,” said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority. But he expressed confidence at the...
