Boys Of Summer

Gage Burekes (right),reacts while he and friend, Jason Cramer, and Brayden Caccin, all of Mt.Pleasant, play on the tire swing at Frick Park in Mt.Pleasant -photo illustration

Quality Time

Gracie gets a big push by her dad Dalton Gallentine at Yough Park in Connellsville

Hit Parade

Connellsville's Austin Puskar (right) collides with Colonial's Connor DeMoss during the second inning.

Civil War Festival

Civil War re-enactor Kenneth Serfass during the Civil War Festival at Connellsville Area Junior High School. He portrays a band director here.He also portrayed Gen. Ulysses S. Grant during the festival.

Geranium Festival

Joanne Leary of Dawson,chooses geraniums at Connellsville Area Garden Club annual Geranium Festival.The Garden Club sold 3500 geranium this year at the Festival.

National Road Festival

Howdy VanSickle (right), Head scout of Markleysburg, leads the train through Uniontown the historic National Pike through Uniontown along Route 40 during National Road Festival

Special Delivery

Members of Southmoreland soft team celebrate after defeating Beaver in a WPIAL Class AAA first-round playoff game at Fairhaven Park

Connected For Life

Jim and Kelley Sheinberg of Greensburg hold their daughters Haddie (left) and Zeldi while surrogate mother Heidi Marko (right) of Connellsville, holds her daughter Mersadie. Click To Read Story

Drug Problem Discussed

A recovering drug addict holds onto a very important part of his sobriety, the book "Life Application Study Bible" during the House Democratic Policy Committee hearing at Uniontown City Hall

Spring Cleanup

Volunteer Dan Martucci of Connellsville picks up trash and a car tire along the Yough River during clean up day in Connellsville

'Heartwarmimg' Easter Service

Beth Smaligo 28, a student in the diaconal ministry program at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, lead the Easter Service at Harrold Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greensburg , where her father John Samaligo, is pastor. Beth is blind and lead the service by reading braille on Sunday, April 5, 2015

Beth Smaligo (left) walks with father pastor John Smaligo, arm in arm to the altar for the beginning of Easter Service

Beth Smaligo,passe out Communion wafers during Easter Service to the congregation

Beth, stands with her father Pastor John Smaligo, as they greet the congregation as they exit the church

Palm Sunday Celebration

Lenny Stefl holds his arms up in prayer during Palm Sunday service held at Lions Square in Connellsville

Inspiring Talk

TLC's Little People Big World reality TV star and motivational speaker Matt Roloff shares his personal story with 500-plus high school students and the public at Penn State Fayette

Reaching High and Hanging On

Lena Steffen, working her way through the monkey bars at Austin Field Park in South Connellsville

Flood Levels

The Youghiogheny River flooded a portion of the Yough River Park in Connellsville

Skiing Along

Joan Gottlieb, explores the trails on her cross country skis at Laurel Ridge State in Rockwood

Big Loss

Fraziers #23, Emily Marshall, comforts teammate #3, Hannah Kline, as the final seconds to their dreams slip away with a WPIAL loss against Carlynton at Cannon-McMillian High School.

White Out

Weather conditions make it hard for Southmoreland School District crossing guard Douglas Thomas Jr. as he stops traffic for students and school buses at Southmoreland Elementary and Middle Schools on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015.

Campus Stroll

A student walking to class on the campus of Penn State Fayette in North Union

Snow Day

Tracey Fiesta,Kelsey Primus and Anthony Domina, enjoys sled riding behind Zachariah Connell Elementary School in Connellsville

Biding Time

James Bloom of Scottdale waits patiently for a fish to bite while ice fishing at Virgin Run Lake in Vanderbilt

Taking A Shot

Connellsville's Avery White looks for a shot while Albert Gallatin's Nick Groover (right) and David Knox defend during a game.

8 Lives Left

Abraham Sullivan holds his cat Nella, who surviver a fire in the Sullivan family home.

Snow Angel

Brian DeMichelis,gives a hand with shoveling the snow at their home.

First Dawn Of A New Year

Silhouette of a man crosses the Office Robb McCray Memorial Bridge on West Crawford Avenue at dawn.

Holiday Lights

Merry go around at Kenndywood Amusement Park during their Holiday light up night.

Building Towards Something

Tim Layman with Frontier Environmental Services of Donegal builds a pavilion in Mountz Creek Park in Connellsville. The pavilion is to be dedicated in memory of Kylie Sage Hamborsky, who died last year.

' In Full Mode '

John Cellurale, with Cellurale Garden Center in Lemont Furnace, gets trees ready to sell for the Christmas season.

Structure Fire

Firefighter Daniel Thomas with Morrell VFD helps to battle a structure fire at JLE Industries, located in the ICMI Industrial Park in Dunbar Township

Celebrating 'Mr. Trombone'

Harold Betters,86, dazzles crowds at the Porter Theater on day honoring his life, music.

A Little Horseplay

A pair of horses nuzzles on a farm along Hoke Road in Bullskin

Floating Leaves

Raindrops fall on autumn leaves floating in the Youghiogheny River,Connellsville

A Walk Among The Leaves

Cindy Tremba of Connellsville,takes her dog Cooney,for a walk through the fall colors at Yough River Park in Collellsville.

'Stop, Drop and Roll'

South Connellsville Fire Company Chief Jeremy Grubbs shows Karson Snyder,3,how to aim a fire hose during a fire prevention program at Creative Kidz Learning Center in South Connellsville.

Foggy Pasture

A horse grazes in a foggy pasture at a farm along Quarry Street in Mt. Pleasant.

Day At The Fair

 

Hannah Armel,7,of Greenburg,get a balloon hat from balloon Artist Dennie Huber of Altoona,at the Westmoreland Fair in Mt.Pleasant Township

 

 

Todd Phillips of Canton,Ga. riding a bull during the rodeo at the Westmoreland Fair in Mt.Pleasant Township.

Friday Night Game

A group of boys stand along a fence to watch the football game Charleroi vs. Southmoreland

Finley's Fight

Finley Pletcher (left),8, and her father Mathew of Littleton, MA., claps for runners during the 4th annual Finley’s Fighters 5K/10K race at Yough River Trail .This event supports the RDH12 Fund for Sight and research for a cure for blindness.Finley, was diagnosed with a rare genetic eye disorder called Lebers Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) in 2009. Yough River Park in Connellsville.

Benefiting From Berries

Blueberries are highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit.

If you’re like millions of Americans who are health conscious adding a variety of berries to your diet may be the ticket to a longer and healthier life. It has been reported that eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help improve your health. While all fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants nutrient-rich berries are some of the absolute best sources.Considering that some may choose to journey to far off lands looking for the fountain of youth, we in Southwestern Pennsylvania need only visit the family owned and operated Sand Hill Berries to find the answer to a higher quality of health.

Ricardo Perez, working the fields Sand Hill Berries Mt.Pleasant

In 1986 Susan and Rick Lynn along with Amy and Rob Schilling started a berry farm comprised of 7,500 raspberry plants. Since that time the business has literally grown specializing in red raspberries, red and black currents, gooseberries, yellow raspberries (I never knew they came in that color either), blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.

The Strawberry is called ‘the queen of fruits”.Strawberries are filled with biotin.

Sand Hill has made it easy for the consumer to partake in eating their produce by offering fully baked pies, pantry goods, jams and jellies and a variety of other baked goods such as cheesecake. Keep in mind that these berry delights are baked fresh daily and can be purchased at the farm market or ordered online.

Kyra Rottler, making balls of pie pastry into the correct size for rolling.

It has also been discovered that berries contain fiber and folate. Fiber is a contributing factor in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and folate may help protect against cardiovascular disease.

With all the benefits that berries provide it is no surprise that so many people in the area are making it a point to visit Sand Hill Berries.

Journey Deep Beneath The Surface

Guide Tray Heinke,

If you’re like me and are always searching for a new challenge and a bit of adventure.A visit to Laurel Caverns in nearby Farmington, PA just off Rout 40 East is just the ticket. Laurel Caverns is the ultimate underground experience for those willing to take a deep breath, collect themselves and discover the many aspects of cave exploration. The caverns offer educational field trips; cave repelling and spelunking ( upper cave and lower caver ) which is a seasoned adventurer’s way of saying cave exploring.

Ben Williams,guided leads vistors throw a narrow passages in the low cave at the Laurel Caves.

Laurel Caverns even offers an interesting gift shop which features souvenirs such as tee shirts and hoodies which can be worn like a badge of courage after you’ve completed your three hour journey deep beneath the surface.If you do decide to accept the challenge you can rest assured you won’t be going at it alone. After paying your admission you will be provided with a well qualified guide who will escort you throughout the tour and will be more than happy to provide safety instructions and explain the use of the required cave gear needed to navigate your way through the earthly wonder which at certain points descends in excess of forty five stories. Additional information regarding Laurel Caverns can be found by logging on to by calling 724-438-3003.The experience is not only beneficial to both mind and body, cave exploring can also foster new relationships with fellow explorers while on tour. It’s surprising what you can learn about someone after spending three hours with them underground to say nothing of your own state of mind.And take note that there are no elevators to bring you up to the surface. You must depend on yourself or your newfound friend’s strong backs to transport you to the world as you know it. The next time you’re thinking about finding something challenging and interesting to do, consider joining the underground movement at Laurel Caverns.

Water Dog

Bob Kashin, of Youngwood, and his pal Macie, navigates there way down the Youghiogheny River in a kayak from Connellsville to Dawson.