Patrick Varine stories

An Arnold man will find out next month when he will stand trial for the stabbing death of his mother outside her home in August 2024. Brian J. Rebold, 39, has been in jail since he was charged with criminal homicide and first-degree murder Aug. 4 in connection with the...

Six people were transported to local hospitals after a crash Sunday morning required multiple emergency crews and a hillside rescue in southern Allegheny County, firefighters said. First responders were called to Mahoney Road around 3 a.m. Sunday in North Fayette for a report of a single-vehicle crash. Three people who...

Evan McKenzie of Penn Hills was on his way back from dinner near Chicago with some U.S. Navy buddies on Nov. 11 when they noticed an overturned, smoking car on a nearby exit ramp. “You really don’t know what the situation is and how much time you have when you...

The Westmoreland Food Bank was still feeling pressure from food insecurity during the covid pandemic when the federal government shutdown this fall created additional strain. “We didn’t feel like we were fully dug out yet from the pandemic, let alone ready to start handling another crisis,” said food bank Executive...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Santa at Sardis The Murrysville Recreation Department will host its annual Santa at Sardis event from 1-4 p.m. Dec. 6 at Sardis Park. The afternoon will include a bonfire, children’s activities, s’mores and photos with Santa. The park is located at the...

A Florida company will take over management of the All American+ Field House in Monroeville, the region’s largest indoor volleyball facility. The Sports Facilities Companies has been selected to manage day-to-day operations at the field house. “Our focus will be on consistency and service — listening to the community, supporting...

Former Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas has been denied a judicial review for his 2023 conviction in the sexual assault of a Windber woman. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court this week declined to review Thomas’ case after the state Superior Court affirmed his conviction. “We’re pleased that the defendant’s latest...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Free Christmas concert open to all Judi Figel and David Crisci will perform a Christmas concert Nov. 29 in Monroeville. It will be at 6:30 p.m. in First Baptist Church of Monroeville, 3970 Monroeville Blvd. There is no cost to attend, and...

Franklin Regional officials will move ahead to borrow about $10 million in order to renovate their athletic fields, as well as create a multi-purpose field on the school district’s main campus in Murrysville. The school board voted unanimously Monday night to fund the project through a bond issue. It will...

A man is in critical condition after being shot Tuesday night in East McKeesport, according to Allegheny County Police. First responders were called to the 500 block of Woodmont Avenue around 4:45 p.m. and arrived to find a man who’d been shot in the abdomen. He was taken to the...

A hunter in Westmoreland County died after falling on Tuesday. A county 911 supervisor said first responders were called to South Huntingdon’s Mendon neighborhood just after 12:30 p.m. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said Michael Hinerman, 50, was found on his property in a wooded area along McCune Road in...

To address mounting concerns about housing affordability, President Donald Trump recently floated the prospect of a 50-year mortgage, days after several key election contests that centered on cost-of-living issues. “All it means is you pay less per month,” Trump said in an interview last week. Yet the president’s idea is...

Murrysville council will not move ahead with a proposed ordinance establishing a registry for vacant properties. Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said a draft copy of the ordinance began circulating in early November, and the municipality received significant feedback about the proposal, which would have established a fee schedule for...

The management and control of stormwater in Pennsylvania has become more heavily regulated in the past two decades. In towns with a municipal separate storm sewer system, known as MS4, compliance with those regulations has continued to increase in cost. State environmental officials require MS4 permit-holders to meet annual goals...

Murrysville officials voted this month to rezone a 3-acre, privately owned property near Hills Church Road and Carriage Circle after an investigation revealed the land had been incorrectly designated as public for decades. The rezoning brings the parcel in line with its residential surroundings. The effort began in early fall...

Murrysville officials have a proposed budget slightly smaller than this year’s edition. “We actually have a 4.1% decrease from the 2025 budget,” said finance director Jacie Milchak. She clarified that the decrease reflects the timing of major capital projects, not a reduction in staffing or services. “While the total budget...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Delmont police host food drive The Delmont Police Department will host a Nov. 23 food drive for the Westmoreland Food Bank. It will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Delmont Borough Garage, 30 Bierer St. Only nonperishable food items...

In the face of rising food insecurity, local governments, organizations and businesses are stepping up their efforts to collect food donations. Greensburg officials have announced they will host a citywide food drive beginning Tuesday through Nov. 19, offering free parking at metered spaces to encourage area residents to donate nonperishable...

Giant Eagle cut the ribbon Thursday on its newest Market District store in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood, the seventh location in the city for the upscale grocery store. The store, at 6310 Penn Ave., is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It offers curbside pick-up and delivery along...

The Senator John Heinz History Center has acquired the archives of one of the nation’s most beloved historians, Pittsburgh native David McCullough. “There would be no Heinz History Center without David McCullough,” Andy Masich, president and CEO of the history center, said in a statement Thursday announcing the acquisition. “It’s...