Jeff Himler stories, Page 98
Westmoreland women entrepreneurs take on challenges, find formula for successVideo
Dorothy McElwain found a new use for the skills she’d honed working for others. Lois Runzo responded to the challenge of transforming a financially troubled company. Faerie Grace reinvented the way she communicates with clients while staying true to her strengths. All three women found fulfillment heading their own businesses...
Jeannette native turns 100, recalls winter combat against German forces in 1945
Sam Joseph is celebrating his 100th birthday today at Weatherwood Manor in Hempfield. Seventy-six years ago, he was among Allied troops pushing into Germany’s Rhineland, battling to bring World War II to an end on Europe’s Western Front. The intervening decades melted away this past week as the Jeannette native...
3rd chick arrives in Hays bald eagle nest
A third eaglet has broken out of its shell in a bald eagle nest in Pittsburgh’s Hays neighborhood. The fluffy white chick joined its two older siblings before 6 a.m. Saturday, the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania announced. It’s the first time since 2014 that three chicks have been produced...
Latrobe council honors visually impaired teen for leadership, service to othersVideo
At 17, Adison Lemmon knows where she wants to go. On track to join the National Honor Society and to graduate from Greater Latrobe Senior High this semester, a year earlier than usual, the Unity teen wants to become an early childhood and special education teacher. Her choice of career...
Wildlife, habitat enthusiasts sought for Pennsylvania master naturalist training
Anyone interested in promoting pollinator habitats or tracking bird migrations might want to join the ranks of Pennsylvania’s master naturalists. Volunteers from Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties can sign up for 55 hours of training in the late summer and fall, which is the first step in becoming certified in...
Unity zoning hearing board OKs group home on Primrose Drive
Neighbors on Unity’s Primrose Drive are concerned about a new group home for three men with autism, its effect on parking and the people who may be staffing or visiting the residence. A local official in charge of the facility, owned by nonprofit Community Options, told the township zoning board...
Drive-thru Easter events, in-person 5K race planned in Latrobe area
Drive-thru Easter events are planned this year in the Latrobe area, as officials observe health precautions during the covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, runners will have the choice of participating in person or virtually in an annual Easter-themed race. Repeating the format of its successful drive-thru visit with Santa three months ago,...
Latrobe extends deadline for tax filing, authorizes stormwater fee payment plan
Latrobe residents who owe earned income tax to the city and property owners who can establish a financial hardship in meeting a new stormwater management bill will have more time to pay this year. City council on Monday moved back the deadline for paying the 2020 earned income tax, without...
Arona officials seek information on local veterans as they prepare to dedicate memorial
Arona officials plan to dedicate a new memorial later this year but first want to find more information about local veterans. Several years in the planning stages, the borough’s updated monument to veterans was installed on Veterans Day. A dedication ceremony was postponed because of concerns about gatherings during the...
Ellen Keefe to retire as head of Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling
Ellen Keefe is preparing to retire as executive director of Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling after 23 years of service with the nonprofit. Now that the organization has settled into its new recycling center near Pleasant Unity, in Unity Township, Keefe said, “It’s the right time for me to do it,...
Westmoreland discount tire recycling event meant to help curb West Nile virus
Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling is teaming with the Westmoreland Conservation District’s West Nile virus program to offer a discount on tire recycling. The program is meant to help clear away scrap tires before they collect water and become a potential warm-weather breeding ground for mosquitoes that can transmit the virus....
Latrobe athletic director to retire, will continue role as wrestling coachVideo
Mark Mears’ days as an administrator at Latrobe are nearing an end, but not his involvement with the district’s wrestling program. The school board this week accepted Mears’ retirement as the district’s athletic director, a post he has held for about 11 years. The resignation will take effect Aug. 6....
Regional impact of 1918 flu pandemic in Western Pennsylvania continued into following year
Closings of schools, taverns and movie theaters, along with warnings against large gatherings, aren’t new in Southwestern Pennsylvania. On Oct. 4, 1918, communities debated how to enforce statewide restrictions as the region was hit hard by a second wave of a global influenza pandemic that ultimately claimed about 2,000 lives...
Ligonier Valley Historical Society doubles down on wildflowers for 2nd native plant sale
Butterflies are attracted to Virginia bluebells, the Royal Catchfly and rattlesnake master, and staff at the Ligonier Valley Historical Society believe area backyard gardeners also will like them. They’re just three of the 24 varieties of perennials the society is offering this year in its native plant sale, nearly doubling...
Unity expects bond issue to raise $8M for paving, public works equipment, playgrounds
Supervisors in Unity have authorized the township’s first-ever bond issue to help fund a variety of planned improvements and purchases, and they say the resulting debt service will be covered without raising taxes. The supervisors on Thursday authorized a maximum bond issue of about $10.7 million but said they don’t...
Ligonier Valley selects high school principal to succeed retiring superintendent
A veteran Ligonier Valley administrator is poised to take on the role of superintendent this summer. The school board this week chose high school Principal Tim Kantor to succeed Superintendent Christine Oldham, who is set to retire June 30. Terms of Kantor’s contract for the top administrative position have yet...
Westmoreland County added to Spotted Lanternfly quarantine zone
Westmoreland is among eight counties added to Pennsylvania’s Spotted Lanternfly quarantine zone. It’s part of an effort by state officials to slow the spread of this invasive pest. The insect can crop up in backyards, becoming a nuisance for those looking to enjoy outdoor activities. It also is a threat...
Greater Latrobe plans in-person prom with outdoor Grand March
Greater Latrobe Senior High School is planning an in-person prom at an entertainment complex that will allow for social distancing. The school board learned at its Tuesday meeting that the prom is scheduled for May 21 at Zone 28, a 50,000-square-foot entertainment venue in Harmarville. The complex offers such activities...
Latrobe eyes expansion of $2.7M bond issue, OKs blight inventory, sharing ordinance officer
Latrobe Council is expected this month to consider refinancing 2016 bonds while adding $550,000 to the issue to pay for capital projects. Bond consultants will present a proposal for council approval at a special meeting before the March 22 agenda session, according to Michael Gray, city manager. At this week’s...
Latrobe July 4th parade, canceled last year, doubtful this summer
Organizers hope to have a scaled-back Fourth of July celebration in Latrobe this summer, though it appears likely the key event, a parade in downtown Latrobe, may not occur for the second year in a row. Latrobe Fire Chief John Brasile, a co-chair of the celebration, told city council this...
2021 Westmoreland airshow to feature drive-in attendance, livestream, flyovers
This year’s airshow at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is moving to a new drive-in format, under tentative plans for complying with covid-19 pandemic restrictions. At the same time, organizers want to expand the show’s reach, with proposed livestreaming of the event and some civilian performers expected to fly over portions...
Latrobe hires patrolman, commends police, neighbors who rescued victims of house fireVideo
Latrobe bolstered its police force by hiring a new officer Monday while citing two other officers and a trio of civilians for heroism for rescuing residents and pets in a December house fire. Jacob Cholock, 27, of Greensburg is joining Latrobe’s department after serving five years with Delmont police. Police...
State loan will help Latrobe’s K Castings update furnace, retain jobs
K Castings, a Latrobe manufacturer of non-ferrous cast metal items for industrial, municipal and residential use, is set to update its furnace with the help of a state loan program. Gov. Tom Wolf this week announced approval of a loan of more than $123,000 for the company from the Pennsylvania...
Unity looks at rejoining rec program with Latrobe, Greater Latrobe School District
Six years after taking its ball and going home, Unity hopes to return to a regional Latrobe area recreation program. Negotiations are “on a fast track” for the township to return to the fold of the Latrobe- GLSD Parks and Recreation program, Supervisor Mike O’Barto said. The proposed move comes as...
State board in April to consider integration plan for California, Clarion, Edinboro universities
A mid-April presentation to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors is the next step in a proposed consolidation of California, Clarion and Edinboro universities as an integrated institution. If the plan receives affirmation from the board, “it will kick off a 60-day public comment period, and...
