Jeff Himler stories, Page 47

Dennis Conway sifted through a box holding dozens of vintage salt-and-pepper shakers and selected three pairs to purchase from Greensburg antiques dealer John Mickinak. One of 30 vendors set up in Ligonier Borough at Saturday’s semi-annual Antiques on the Diamond Antique, Vintage & Retro Faire, Mickinak displayed some of the...

Officials are investigating an early Saturday fire that damaged four buildings and displaced two residents in West Aliquippa. Ten fire departments responded to the three-alarm fire reported at about 4 a.m. in a cluster of buildings between Erie and Main avenues, according to Dave Foringer, chief of the Aliquippa Fire...

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has added to its primate family with the healthy arrival of a second baby gorilla this year. Zoo officials on Friday announced the May 11 arrival of Bo, a boy, born to mom, Moka. According to the zoo, both are doing well as Bo joins Charlotte,...

An Etna man was killed in a dirt bike crash Friday morning in West Deer. Peter Carricato, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene in the 500 block of Bairdford Road, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The crash was reported at about 7 a.m. Police told Tribune-Review...

Students from the Greensburg Salem and Jeannette City school districts explored career fields during an array of workshops Thursday at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus. The students were placed in career-focused groups based on their interests and participated in morning workshops organized by the campus’ newly established Office...

Heavy equipment completed demolition Tuesday of a former South Greensburg restaurant at Route 119 and Huff Avenue. Crews began clearing debris from the site to make way for development of a new business. The restaurant was shared by the Rax and Subway chain eateries. In years past, it was the...

The Pittsburgh Police Special Victims Unit is seeking the public’s help in its search for a man who has been missing for more than a month and is considered at risk because of medical issues. Curtis Anthony Howard, 62, is 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighs 215 pounds, has black/gray...

The Tribune-Review captured eight Golden Quill Awards and was a finalist for more than a dozen others at the 59th annual awards dinner Tuesday night at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania announced the winners of the Golden Quills, a competition that honors professional and student...

Greensburg Community Development Corp. is partnering with city officials and others to create a master plan for revitalizing the downtown business district. The plan will incorporate the results of an analysis by national commercial real estate experts of seven key downtown properties ripe for redevelopment — including the lot at...

Editor’s note: This is the second of two parts on the impact of isolation and loneliness. Michele Wentzel can tell when one of her three children is troubled. “They kind of isolate themselves and are very moody,” she said. “I can tell something’s going on.” Wentzel keeps the lines of...

Volunteers are being sought to help distribute baby supplies to those in need June 5 in Greensburg. The distribution is part of the first Generous Hearts Family Resource Fair, a free event set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of...

Runners will take to the streets of Greensburg on Monday for the inaugural Steve Snider “It’s A Beautiful Day” 5K race. The event honoring the late longtime Greensburg Salem track and cross country coach is being presented by the Greensburg YMCA. The race begins at 8:30 a.m. on Urania Avenue,...

Greensburg Salem School District plans to have three middle school classrooms with water-damaged carpeting back in use in time for fall instruction. But it’s expected to take longer to restore the district administration offices that also were soaked in mid-April when a water fountain on the school’s second floor started...

Editor’s note: This is the first of two stories on loneliness and its impact on mental health. Part 2: The negative impacts of too much screen time. Greensburg resident John Herrmann has a suppertime appointment each Thursday at the city’s Otterbein United Methodist Church. Helping to hand out meals to...

Westmoreland County Department of Veterans Affairs will hold a free benefits presentation June 15 at the Norwin Elks lodge. The 3:30 p.m. event will be held at 135 Elks Lane, Irwin (in Manor), but space is limited in the lodge’s upper dining room. The presentation will consist of an overview...

Two drivers were injured in a three-vehicle crash involving a Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus Monday afternoon on Route 66 in Washington Township. The bus, which was not a full-size model, was empty of passengers when it was rear-ended in a chain-reaction collision shortly before 5 p.m., according to Clayton...

An informational Mental Wellness and Recovery event is slated for 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday in South Greensburg. Presented by the Greensburg-based Unity in the Community organization, the free program will take place at the Greensburg Event Center, 1700 Washington St. Timed to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month, it...

Live music, food and kids’ games will be featured on Saturday when the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department kicks off the Memorial Day holiday weekend by hosting a Party in the Park. Admission is free for the event at Greensburg’s St. Clair Park. It’s intended as an alternative to the usual...

A North Huntingdon man has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and other charges stemming from a July 28 standoff with authorities, triggered when police said he fired 15 to 20 gunshots inside his home. Westmoreland County Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio on Friday sentenced 42-year-old Adam Plecenik to up to...

Single-lane restrictions are set to begin Monday on sections of Route 119 in Youngwood and Interstate 70 in South Huntingdon as work progresses on improvements to the highways. Nighttime lane restrictions are expected to get underway the same day to accommodate bridge preservation work on several other roads in Westmoreland...

Greensburg Salem School Board has proposed a $49.4 million budget that would keep the district property tax steady at 89.72 mills. That represents an increase of about $325,000 from the current year’s spending plan, with a deficit of about $543,500 to be bridged by drawing on the district’s fund balance....

Veterans who want to share their military experiences and others who want to hear those stories of service are invited to a meeting of the Veterans Breakfast Club from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Set for the Hempfield Room of Chambers Hall, it’s...

Incumbent Diane Bailey captured the Democratic nomination for mayor of Mt. Pleasant Tuesday, according to unofficial results from all three precincts. Bailey garnered 48.5% of the vote, followed by Paul Wagner, with 35.5%, and Richard Cholock, with nearly 13%. Write-ins accounted for about 3% of the Democratic vote. Nicholas Lucia,...

In one of two contested council races in the Mt. Pleasant primary, Andy Davis captured the Republican nomination for a First Ward seat. He posted nearly 68% of the unofficial tally, compared to about 30% for Tim Bauer. In the GOP battle for two Second Ward seats, incumbent Linda L....

Incumbent Robert L. “Robb” Bell won a two-way race Tuesday for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Greensburg, receiving about 60% of the vote with all 15 precincts reporting. Challenger Jerry Vernail captured 38% of the vote. About 1% of the Democratic votes cast were write-ins, according to the unofficial...