Patrick Varine stories, Page 109
Laurel Highlands baseball coach DeBerry dies following stomach cancer diagnosis
A few years ago, Scott DeBerry of Uniontown needed a French drain around his home, but there really wasn’t room to bring a backhoe in to do the digging. “He hand-dug the whole perimeter. That was an incredible amount of work for one person,” said Shawn Bernarding of Dormont. “He’s...
PA CareerLink will host an outdoor job fair Aug. 12 in Hempfield
With employers across a variety of industries in search of workers, PA CareerLink Westmoreland County will host an Aug. 12 job fair. “Employers in this region are really in need of workers,” said Janice Albright, administrator for PA Career Link Westmoreland County. “We’ve been open for quite a while, but...
Murrysville woman hosts pop-up American Sign Language classes
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
News and briefs in the Murrysville area for the week of Aug. 5, 2021
Pittsburgh ballet dancers come to Delmont library The Delmont Public Library will host an Aug. 20 “Alice in Wonderland” program by members of the Pittsburgh Ballet. The interactive dance program is for children in preschool through fifth grade. There is no cost, but registration is required. There is a limit...
YWCA Westmoreland’s new executive director hits the ground running
When Carol Palcic of Southwest Greensburg met her new co-workers at the YWCA, she felt like she’d hit the jackpot. “The volunteers, the board and staff have all been tremendous,” said Palcic, who came on board as executive director for the YWCA Westmoreland County in early June and was officially...
Butcher’s block from burned-down Spaghetti & Steak House gets new lifeVideo
When the Spaghetti & Steak House in Murrysville burned down in mid-May, owner Monica Meehan was fairly certain there was nothing left. “One of our waitresses called in the middle of the night, because her boyfriend had a scanner and heard it was happening,” Meehan said. But, as she began...
Murrysville native returns from Broadway for Civic Light Opera’s 75th anniversary performance
Singing and performing have been part of Manu Narayan’s life since he was 5 years old, taking singing lessons from Greensburg instructor Nancy Burke. That led the Murrysville native to be part of local children’s performing groups, roles at Apple Hill Playhouse and Greensburg Civic Theater, and then auditions at...
TribLive Taste Test: Limited-Edition Kit KatsVideo
Are Kit Kats our first choice when stealing from our children’s Halloween stash? Not usually. But perhaps some of these limited-edition flavors will change our minds! In addition to the traditional chocolate Kit Kat (always have to have a baseline), we tried two of the Duo flavors (mint-and-chocolate and mocha-and-chocolate)...
Mixed-breed owners celebrate doggie diversity for National Mutt Day
Growing up on a Wisconsin farm, Kate Manka of Murrysville said her family always preferred mutts. “They just have an overall better disposition,” Manka said. “I had a mutt in Chicago from my brother’s farm – the mother was a springer spaniel-Labrador mix and the father was a border collie....
Pittsburgh Technology Council, nonprofit will offer session on local tech apprenticeships
Members of the Pittsburgh Technology Council and nonprofit partner FortyX80 will host an informational session Friday in Monessen to discuss a new apprenticeship program focused on information technology. The session will introduce attendees to Apprenti PGH, which is modeled on a program first launched in Seattle by the Washington Technology...
News and events in the greater Murrysville area for the week of July 28
Here are just some of the news and events taking place in the Star’s coverage area in the coming weeks. To submit items, email pvarine@triblive.com. Murrysville drug take-back yields 82 pounds of pills Nineteen police departments from across the county — including Murrysville — recently took prescription pills gathered over...
Franklin Regional hosts meet-and-greets, open houses for incoming students
As part of the Franklin Regional transition program for community preschoolers, district officials held an outdoor StoryWalk, featuring the beloved storybook character, Pete the Cat. The event was held on three evenings at the newly renovated Franklin Regional Primary School, the former Sloan Elementary, to accommodate all registered students and...
2 hospitalized after Route 30 crash in North Huntingdon
Two people were taken by ambulance after being injured in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday night in North Huntingdon, according to county emergency officials. Eastbound Route 30 was partially closed for just under an hour after the crash, which was reported at 8:48 p.m. A Westmoreland County 911 supervisor said two...
Body of missing Stowe woman found
The death of a 64-year-old Stowe Township woman, reported missing July 28 after family members had not seen or heard from her in three days, is under investigation by the county coroner. Allegheny County Police were seeking information last week on the whereabouts of Patricia Moran, 64. She was last...
Brackenridge man pleads guilty to $101,000 federal credit union robbery
A Brackenridge man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a July 2019 robbery of more than $100,000 from the Allegheny-Ludlum Brackenridge Federal Credit Union. Thomas George, 66, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery, according to acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Kaufman. According to court records, on July 10, 2019,...
Delmont Recreation Board reschedules Family Fun Night for July 31
The Delmont Recreation Board will host another Family Fun Night beginning at 5 p.m., July 31 at Newhouse Park. The evening will begin with live music by the Phisbins, with food from the Premiere Pizza and refreshments from Yellow Bridge and White Valley Distillery. Guests are asked to bring a...
Route 136 bridge reopens in West Newton following 2-car crash
The Route 136 bridge over the Youghiogheny River was closed for a little over an hour Tuesday night, following a head-on collision between two vehicles in West Newton, according to emergency officials. A Westmoreland County 911 supervisor said occupants of both vehicles were trapped following the crash, which was reported...
Pa. law enforcement, lawyers, legislators try to raise awareness of human trafficking
A 22-year-old man from Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. A 46-year-old Chinese national from Mt. Pleasant. A 26-year-old man from Buffalo, N.Y. All three face charges of human trafficking in cases connected to the greater Pittsburgh area. And, on Monday, state police announced charges against three people accused of running a human...
Concert in the Park returns to Murrysville following pandemic hiatusVideo
After being forced to take a year off because of covid concerns, Murrysville recreation officials will bring back the annual Concert in the Park, which has taken the place of Murrysville Community Day in recent years. In a nod to continuing covid-19 developments both locally and nationally, special events and...
Pa. Supreme Court: Money from state-forest drilling cannot prop up state budget
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that state officials cannot transfer money from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Oil and Gas Fund — derived from natural gas drilling on state forest land — to the state’s general fund to help balance the annual budget. The PA Environmental Defense Foundation...
Murrysville authorizes emergency work on collapsing storm sewer at Heritage Estates
Murrysville officials will contract emergency repairs to a storm sewer line that is collapsing in the Villas at Heritage Estates, the second time they encountered the issue in the housing plan off Sardis Road. “The work is beyond the ability of public works,” Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said. “The engineer...
‘On the move’ in the Murrysville area for the week of July 29, 2021
Jordan Humes of Export graduated from Lock Haven University at its spring 2021 commencement ceremony at Charlotte Smith Field. Humes graduated summa cum laude with a degree in health sciences • • • Anthony Massetto was among 1,200 students to graduate in May from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va. •...
News and briefs in the Murrysville area for the week of July 20, 2021
Calendar, conservation kits will benefit Rotary As part of its role in Rotary International’s “End Plastic Soup” campaign — which is aimed at preventing plastics from entering local, state and national waterways where it ultimately ends up in the ocean — the Murrysville-Export Rotary Club will sell calendars featuring artwork...
Motorcycle ride in Washington Township man’s memory will raise money to help scleroderma sufferers
In less than two years, Kody Churma went from a healthy young man to one who was unable to hold a fishing pole, and couldn’t draw because he wasn’t able to hold onto a pencil. Kody died from complications related to scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that attacks skin tissue and...
Alle-Kiski Valley rockers Sourmash nominated for multiple independent music awardsVideo
Independent musicians from Western Pennsylvania are representing the region in a strong way when it comes to the annual Josie Music Awards. Alle-Kiski Valley hard rockers Sourmash have received three nominations from the country’s largest independent music awards organization. The group, whose repertoire pays homage to classic and Southern rock,...
