Patrick Varine stories, Page 106
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers declares state of emergency along Monongahela River
Late Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers declared a state of emergency because of flooding conditions along the Monongahela River and its tributaries. The emergency declaration empowers the Corps to undertake support and actions in response to the heavy rainfall that has spilled over the banks of waterways...
Penn State Extension in Hempfield plans ‘Fall Frolic’ gardening programs
Gardeners across Westmoreland County are invited to the Sept. 18 “Family Frolic” at the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Demonstration Gardens in Hempfield. Children can learn about garden concepts at programs like “Compost Pizza,” “Growing Food from Scraps” and “Planting Fall Peas.” Their parents can learn about fall soil testing,...
Pittsburgh Youth Chorus creates new BIPOC artist-in-residence position, institutes sliding tuition scale
The Pittsburgh Youth Chorus will kick off its 2021-‘22 season with a return to in-person rehearsals, an income-based sliding scale for tuition, and a new artist-in-residence program for Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). “PYC’s conducting staff is comprised of white women and men whose musical training is rooted...
Monessen joins Westmoreland Land Bank, features in upcoming ‘Cheap Old Houses’ showVideo
Monessen is the 25th town to join the Westmoreland Land Bank, which offers partners the tools to repurpose vacant and tax-delinquent properties. And what better way to draw attention to those properties than to have one featured on a national TV show? A home on the 700 block of Second...
Franklin Regional, teachers’ union ratify new 6-year contract
The Franklin Regional School District and its teachers’ union ratified a new contract covering the next six years. “I think it’s a fair deal,” said Mike Landsberg, president of the Franklin Regional Education Association. “I think both sides can look at it and say, given the circumstances where we are...
State police locate missing Hempfield man
State police safely located a Hempfield man missing from his home since Wednesday night. Police from Troop A in Greensburg were joined by the Westmoreland County Rough Terrain Fire & Rescue team, Hempfield firefighters and Murrysville Medic One personnel on Thursday morning, as a state police helicopter made several passes...
Murrysville happenings: Recycling, ESAL among upcoming programs
Glass recycling, food pantry event set Murrysville and trash hauler Republic Services will once again partner for a glass recycling “pop-up” event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 18. It will be at the Veterans Field parking lot, 4200 Sardis Road in Murrysville. All colors of glass bottles,...
‘Real Men Wear Pink’ concert fundraiser set for Saturday in Salem
Chris Guido didn’t know that real men wear pink. To be more accurate, he did not know about the American Cancer Society’s “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign, in which community leaders are nominated to spearhead fundraising drives for the society to raise awareness and help fund research to battle breast...
Reporter David Kaplan leaving WTAE after 6 years
Reporter David Kaplan is leaving WTAE after six years as a journalist in Pittsburgh. Kaplan made the announcement on his verified Twitter account. “This town cares deeply about the neighborhood, (and) it was always a priority for me to capture that,” Kaplan wrote Wednesday evening. “Not quite ready to say...
Rep. Mike Doyle announces positive coronavirus test despite being vaccinated
Congressman Mike Doyle has tested positive for coronavirus, the U.S. representative announced Wednesday evening via his Twitter feed. “I’m feeling okay and only have mild symptoms, but I’ll be quarantining in DC (sic) for a 10-day period, as the District of Columbia requires,” wrote Doyle, D-Forest Hills. Doyle added he...
Flash flood warning in effect for central Allegheny, Washington counties
The National Weather Service has issued a flash-flood warning for central Allegheny County and central Washington County until 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain had already fallen in those areas as of 6 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, with another 1 to...
Orders up: Greensburg Restaurant Week dishing up summer meal deals
Greensburg Restaurant Week is underway and will run through the weekend. The summer lineup features 21 restaurants offering specially priced menus through Sunday. And though its name cites Greensburg, the eateries are located around Westmoreland County. Local restaurants promote lunch and/or dinner specials offering reduced prices for a fixed-price menu....
Pittsburgh serves as research site for new test to detect Lyme disease
The difficulty of diagnosing early acute Lyme disease makes things doubly frustrating for Pennsylvanians, who live in a state that has consistently ranked highest in the nation for Lyme cases. But Seattle-based Adaptive Biotechnologies is working with clinical researchers across the country — including in the Pittsburgh area — to...
Man wounded in Hill District shooting
A man was shot in the arm Friday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, according to Pittsburgh police. Zone 2 officers responded to the 200 block of Dinwiddie Street in the Hill’s Crawford-Roberts neighborhood around 3:25 p.m. Friday, and applied a tourniquet to a man who’d suffered a gunshot wound to...
Youngwood park dedicated to former Mayor Joan DercoVideo
Diane Schaefer couldn’t think of a better place to pay tribute to her mother, former Youngwood Mayor Joan Derco, than at the Youngwood Borough Complex and park on South Sixth Street. “Every night, she’d stop on that landing,” Schaefer said, gesturing to a nearby red brick home. “She’d look out...
Masking debate continues in Franklin Regional as school year nears
The divide among those in favor of universal masking and those against it was on stark display again this week, with a sizable contingent this time asking that the Franklin Regional school board reconsider its stance that masking be optional in the coming school year. “Other local school districts are...
On the move in the Murrysville area for the week of Aug. 19, 2021
Murrysville window screen company FlexScreen was named to Inc Magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the nation. FlexScreen, with locations in Murrysville, Michigan, Georgia, South Dakota and Canada, ranked 2,321 of 5,000 companies. • • • The Murrysville Woman’s Club honored the 2021 recipients of the Marielle Bartolomucci...
Fall bazaar among several upcoming events in Murrysville area
Here’s some news and events happening in the Star’s coverage area in the coming weeks. To submit news briefs, email pvarine@triblive.com. Delmont library to host fall bazaar The Delmont Public Library will host a Sept. 11 fall bazaar from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the library’s community room. It...
Franklin Regional prepares to open doors to new primary, intermediate elementary schoolsVideo
Teacher, administrator and staff comments about Franklin Regional’s new elementary campus largely center around a similar theme: possibilities. From new large-group instruction areas to creative media centers to little “pocket” areas where small groups can meet, collaborate or receive additional learning support, new educational opportunities are scattered throughout both the...
Community Church of Harrison City will hold belated open house for renovations, additionsVideo
In the coming weeks, Pastor Seth McPherson will baptize the youngest child of a local family at Community Church of Harrison City in the same font where the family’s eldest child was baptized a few short years ago. But what a difference a little time can make. “Here’s where that...
Jigger’s Pub owners plan new restaurant across the street in Export
Jigger’s Pub owners Tony and Brenda DeCesare are planning to open a new restaurant directly across the street from their business, and took a big step in that direction Tuesday with the approval of a liquor license transfer. Export council members unanimously approved the transfer of the license by a...
Isolated storms, heavy wind gusts in Friday’s forecast following stormy night, damage
As recovery continues from a night of pounding rain, power outages and flash flooding, National Weather Service officials are forecasting the potential for more storms in southwestern Pennsylvania into Friday evening. The National Weather Service’s hazardous weather outlook for the region forecasts isolated severe storms, with the main threat coming...
1 taken to hospital following Homewood shooting
Pittsburgh Police are investigating an early-morning shooting in the city’s Homewood neighborhood. Police responded to the 7000 block of Race Street around 3:30 a.m. for a report of someone who had been shot in the chest, according to an Allegheny County 911 supervisor. The victim was taken to a local...
Rostraver woman charged with embezzlement, setting credit union fire
A Westmoreland County woman is charged with embezzling money from a Monessen credit union and setting a fire in an attempt to conceal the theft, federal officials announced. Patty L. Mavrakis, 63, of Rostraver was indicted on charges of embezzlement, wire fraud and use of fire to commit a federal...
Motorcyclists head to Murrysville for Freedom Fest
Less than three hours into Freedom Fest 2021 — the second annual fundraiser and campout hosted by the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education’s Westmoreland County Chapter — it was 92 degrees and shade was already at a premium. Late Thursday afternoon, the shady treeline along the edges of Murrysville’s...
