Jeff Himler stories, Page 96
Pittsburgh police release video of suspects in graffiti tagging at Andy Warhol MuseumVideo
Pittsburgh police have released a surveillance video as they search for two suspects who recently tagged the Andy Warhol Museum with graffiti. The suspects were captured on camera early on April 13 tagging the museum on Sandusky Street, on the city’s North Side. Detectives with the department’s Graffiti Squad said...
Ligonier brings back summer concerts, reuniting bands and music lovers
The return of Ligonier’s Sunday evening band concerts is music to trumpet player Jay Copenhaver’s ears. The New Stanton man is looking forward to performing twice this summer in Ligonier’s Diamond Park, after missing any appearance there after last season’s concerts were canceled. Copenhaver is set to play the Diamond...
Mt. Pleasant Area, Yough schools to host covid vaccine clinics following similar events in Greensburg, Hempfield
Hayden’s Pharmacy will conduct covid-19 vaccine clinics at additional Westmoreland County schools after administering doses of the Pfizer vaccine to several hundred recipients Tuesday at Greensburg Salem Senior High. A voluntary clinic on Thursday at Mt. Pleasant Area School District will be available only to students age 16 and older....
Paddling sojourn on Conemaugh, Kiski rivers returns after pandemic hiatusVideo
Paddlers will have an opportunity to explore the “Past, Present and Future” of a key local waterway when the Stony-Kiski-Conemaugh Rivers Sojourn returns on June 3-6, after last year’s cancellation because of covid-19 pandemic concerns. The 44-mile float downstream from Johnstown to Apollo, on mostly flat water, is appropriate for...
Covid case spike prompts remote instruction for Greensburg Salem Middle School students
Students at Greensburg Salem Middle School will receive remote instruction at least until Thursday following a recent spike in covid-19 cases. Superintendent Gary Peiffer said the decision was made after five positive cases were reported late last week. “We already had 49 students quarantining at the middle school who were...
Luxury auction firm hits local high of $5M with Ligonier Township home sale
An owner looking to unload a multimillion-dollar home, in an area where such properties are the exception, might consider holding an auction to avoid taking a major loss on the investment. Several such palatial estates in the Ligonier Valley recently changed hands through the services of Platinum Luxury Auctions, a...
Language long-haulers: Westmoreland men keep German skills fresh for trips abroadVideo
Benutze es oder verliere es. In other words, for those who don’t speak German: “Use it or lose it.” That truism applies to many things in life, including conversing in a foreign language. It’s what has kept two local men returning week after week, for decades, to practice their German...
Latrobe considers beefing up fire chief qualifications
Latrobe Council is looking to spell out training requirements for the fire chief position, as part of a review and update of various city ordinances. The ordinance currently mandates only that a chief candidate have at least 10 years of firefighting experience, including five years of continuous service with Latrobe’s...
Pittsburgh police: Male victim stable after shooting in Westwood
Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting that wounded a male victim Friday night in the city’s Westwood neighborhood. The victim was taken to a local hospital in stable condition with gunshot wounds to his leg, according to a Public Safety spokesman. The sound of shots in the 1600 block of...
Mask mandate for air travel, public transportation extended through Sept. 13
Travelers will be required to wear face masks inside airports and on planes, buses and trains through Sept. 13. The mask mandate, in place since the beginning of February, was set to expire May 11. Transportation Security Administration officials said Friday the new extended timeline is consistent with covid-19 guidance...
GO Laurel Highlands office marks Travel and Tourism Week with open houses, online prizes
The destination marketing organization for Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties, is spotlighting the “Power of Travel” during National Travel and Tourism Week, held during the first week of May. Ligonier-based GO Laurel Highlands also will welcome visitors during two open house events, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday...
Mental health advocacy group honors school club, officials with regional Innovations Awards
Students at Greater Latrobe Senior High received kisses when they entered the school on Valentine’s Day last year. Members of the school’s Aevidum Club handed out Hershey’s Kisses chocolate candies as a gesture of caring and inclusion for their fellow students. The holiday can be a sad one for some,...
Covid-19 cases prompt 2-day closure of Derry Area secondary schools
Derry Area School District on Tuesday began a two-day closure of its high school/middle school complex triggered by covid-19 cases. In a letter posted on the district website, Superintendent Eric Curry reported, as of Monday, there were six positive covid cases at the secondary building over the past 14 days....
Penn State Extension walk will provide tips on managing stormwater
Communities throughout Pennsylvania are stepping up efforts to control stormwater runoff that can contribute to erosion and can affect local streams. Property owners who attend a May 14 program in Hempfield will get tips on how they can do their part, by better managing the stormwater on their land. Hosted...
2 grants boost plans for Westmoreland County War on Terror memorial plaza
Two grants totaling $285,000 brought a local nonprofit closer to developing the Westmoreland County War on Terror Healing Garden and Memorial Plaza at Twin Lakes Park. Westmoreland County Veterans of the War on Terror Inc. announced Monday it received a $10,000 Green Gift to Celebrate Earth Day grant from Noble...
Latrobe considers restrictions on parking RVs on city streets
Residents’ complaints about recreational vehicles and trailers hogging on-street parking spaces prompted Latrobe Council to look at amending its parking regulations to prohibit the practice. At its May 10 meeting, council is expected to consider an ordinance change that would keep such vehicles from taking up street parking except for...
Mt. Pleasant walking route proposed under state health program, would be 1st in Westmoreland
The YMCA of Laurel Highlands is joining a state effort to get residents outside and walking on a regular basis. Located in East Huntingdon, the Y is planning to establish a designated walking route in adjacent Mt. Pleasant Borough as part of the state’s WalkWorks program. It would be the...
Rotary Club of Latrobe celebrates century of community service
Covid-19 pandemic restrictions prevented the Rotary Club of Latrobe from holding its annual projects fundraising dinner this year at Saint Vincent College’s Fred Rogers Center. But that’s not going to keep the organization from continuing the mission it has carried out for the past century: serving the needs of the...
Ligonier teen installs shelter on Loyalhanna Nature Trail in Eagle Scout projectVideo
Hikers or anglers who get caught in a rainstorm on the Loyalhanna Nature Trail can thank Tristan Glenn and fellow members of Boy Scout Troop 372 for a place to dry off. Glenn, 18, of Ligonier Borough, joined local Scouting officials and the Loyalhanna Watershed Association this week in unveiling...
1945 warplanes included in Westmoreland airshow, county flyover
Westmoreland County residents who look skyward over Memorial Day weekend may see a “Korean War Hero” passing overhead. That’s what Wexford native Jim Tobul dubbed his restored 1945 F4U Corsair fighter plane. It’s one of four aircraft to be featured in the 2021 Shop ’n Save Westmoreland Airshow that also...
Westmoreland Land Trust to spotlight nature, art at new Hempfield park
Outdoor art and the beauty of Mother Nature soon could share a scenic hilltop in Hempfield. The Westmoreland Land Trust proposes to establish a nature and art park on a 96-acre farm it acquired along Beech Hills Road, off Old Route 66, just 3 miles from downtown Greensburg. “The property...
Borrowing OK’d for renovation of Eastern Westmoreland technology center
Greater Latrobe School District agreed to pay its share for renovations at Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center, clearing the way for a bond issue of up to $6 million. The school board this week agreed to incur debt for the project up to $2.96 million as one of three...
Ligonier plans annual sampling of wine, sweets and spirits
Fans of Ligonier’s Wine, Whiskey & Sweets Walk may find the event’s appeal more potent than ever after a year’s wait. The third annual invitation to sip, stroll and shop in downtown Ligonier was postponed, and then canceled, last year — after the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic. Finally, the...
Greater Latrobe’s virtual ‘Bright Star’ musical inspired by true, emotion-filled tale
Flashbacks to a century ago, a baby’s miraculous survival and songs with banjo accompaniment are among ingredients in this spring’s Greater Latrobe Senior High musical. As was this past fall’s play, the musical “Bright Star” will be presented in a performance filmed in advance by the school’s drama club and...
Tax settlements for 2 apartment complexes cuts $77,000 from Greater Latrobe revenue
Greater Latrobe School District will lose more than $77,000 in property tax revenue in an assessment appeal settlement for two residential complexes in Unity. The school board on Tuesday approved the settlements for the Whitney South Townhomes, owned by Ronald and Lauren Raimondo, and the Briarwood Townhouses Apartments, owned by...
