Patrick Varine stories, Page 112
State police seek Altoona man who led them on a 130-mph chase down Route 22
State police from Ebensburg are seeking information on an Altoona man who fled a Route 22 traffic stop on Tuesday at speeds of almost 130 mph, according to police. An arrest warrant was issued for Johnnie Ray Weaver, 46, of Altoona, after police said he led them on a pursuit...
Delmont librarian interviewed on American Library Association podcast
The Delmont Public Library was among several subjects discussed on the American Library Association’s “Call Number with American Libraries” podcast on Tuesday. Librarian Denni Grassel was interviewed by host Phil Morehart about the library’s brand-new Outdoor Learning Center. Having hosted an open house for the center on June 7, Grassel...
3 more Western Pa. residents, including Scottdale man, charged in Capitol riots
A Westmoreland County man and two others from Beaver County are among the latest to face charges related to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Samuel C. Fox of Scottdale, Mitchell P. Vukich of New Brighton and Nicholas Perretta of Baden all face charges related to the incident,...
Mike Reese Memorial 5K will help establish foundation in late lawmaker’s memory
Before state Rep. Mike Reese died unexpectedly in January, it wasn’t unusual to see him out running with his friend David Keefer on Sundays near Mt. Pleasant Township’s Mammoth Park. “It wasn’t really about where we went,” said Keefer, who had been friends with Reese since high school. “We both...
Franklin Regional’s 2021-22 budget includes maximum allowed tax hike
Franklin Regional school directors approved a 2021-22 budget with a tax hike of just over 3 mills Monday night. The $63.6 million budget includes $375,000 from a district fund dedicated to state-mandated pension contributions, and just over $1 million from a fund being used to gradually phase in debt service...
Juneteenth celebrations roll right into Black Music Festival this week in Pittsburgh
For hip-hop music fans who have been around since the genre first got its start in the late 1970s, the WPA Juneteenth concert on June 19 was quite the event. The evening saw two icons of early hip-hop — Rakim and Big Daddy Kane — taking the same Steel City...
Devout Brewing in Penn Township expands outdoor seatingVideo
It doesn’t typically get loud and rowdy at Devout Brewing in Penn Township. But if it did, co-owner Matt Joseph wouldn’t have to worry about complaints from the neighbors. Situated in the Bushy Run Corporate Park off Mellon Road, all of Joseph’s neighbors are pretty well cleared out by 6...
Food, music fill the air at Westmoreland Fair grounds this weekendVideo
The smell of burgers and barbecue smoke was in the air Friday night at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds during the Food & Music Festival, the first time fair organizers have promoted their own food-truck event. “It’s great to be out serving food for the public,” said Jason Frye of Pleasant...
Donora man, 66, dies after jumping from Rostraver bridge
A man seen jumping from the Donora-Monessen bridge Friday afternoon died as a result of his injuries, according to the Washington County coroner. Thomas B. Matsick Jr., 66, of Donora was reportedle seen jumping from the eastbound side of the bridge, which carries traffic over the Monongahela River between Donora...
Covid forced Murrysville church to postpone bicentennial, will now celebrate 201 years
The congregation at Emmanuel Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ has plenty to celebrate, especially at a time when, according to Gallup polling, a majority of Americans say they do not belong to a church, synagogue or mosque. Results from the March survey marked the first time in...
Fayette undersea warfare systems company will expand in North Union, add 36 new jobs
A Fayette County manufacturer of undersea warfare systems will add more than 30,000 square feet to its North Union facility and add nearly 40 jobs, state officials announced Thursday. Advanced Acoustic Concepts, which provides undersea warfare, or USW, solutions for USW systems, sensors, weapons and trainers including the U.S. Navy,...
News and briefs in the greater Murrysville area for the week of June 17, 2021
Here are just some of the things happening in the Star’s coverage area in the coming weeks. To submit an event or a news brief, email pvarine@triblive.com. Murrysville enters into new trash contract Murrysville council voted 6-0 on June 16 to enter into a new five-year hauling and recycling contract...
Medic One among ambulance companies providing vaccines to homebound residents
When Excela Health, the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety and the United Way began implementing a program to bring the coronavirus vaccine to homebound adults, Murrysville Medic One officials jumped in with both feet. “The medics have to be trained on how to do them and complete the paperwork,”...
History-buff dads can spend Father’s Day exploring Washington County museums for free
Does your dad like whiskey? If so, he can learn all about it — and the rebellion it engendered in Pennsylvania — for free on Father’s Day. The Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency and Washington County Heritage Alliance announced Free Museum Day on Sunday. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,...
Westmoreland County Food Bank doubles number of Summer Food Service program sites
The Westmoreland County Food Bank had a ground-level picture of how the covid-19 pandemic affected food security for families in the region. Its staff members worked food distribution centers where people waited hours lined-up in cars to receive a box of food. That is a big part of why the...
Philips issues voluntary recall for CPAP machines, ventilators
Medical equipment company Philips has issued a recall on some products to address possible health risks associated with a foam component meant to help reduce noise. The polyester-based polyurethane foam in its Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-Level PAP), Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), and mechanical ventilator devices could “degrade into...
Franklin Regional School Board to vote on 2021-22 budget next week
Franklin Regional School Board members will vote tonight on a 2021-22 budget with a bit less spending and a little more revenue, but not enough to stave off a proposed property tax hike to the state limit of just over 3 mills. As the board prepares for its final meeting...
Patient flown by medical helicopter following Hempfield crash
At least one patient was transported by medical helicopter from the scene of a single-vehicle crash Monday afternoon in Hempfield. Emergency officials responded to the intersection of Baltzer Meyer Pike and Hurst Road just before 4 p.m. for a report of a car that had gone off the roadway with...
Man in stable condition following Perry South shooting
A man was transported to a hospital in stable condition after being shot Saturday night in Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood, according to police. Zone 1 officers responded around 9:35 p.m. to the 500 block of Chautauqua Street for a report of a male shot. They arrived to find a man...
More storms pelt Pittsburgh area with rain, wind, hail
A line of thunderstorms clogged roadway drains, downed trees and left standing water on roadways throughout the region Sunday. The weather cleared for much of the day until about 6 p.m., when more storms blew through, bringing with them more rain, wind and hail that pelted Pittsburgh and its northern...
Old-school hip-hop icons Rakim, Big Daddy Kane to perform at WPA Juneteenth at Point State ParkVideo
For the man born William Griffin Jr., the art and thrill of live performance is why he’s spent most of his life making hip-hop records. Helping to change the genre, itself, was just a happy accident. Better known to hip-hop fans as Rakim Allah — the Long Island, N.Y., MC...
Murrysville Export Democratic Club presents first Biden-Harris Community Service ScholarshipsVideo
Community service is important enough to U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle and Conor Lamb that it brought the two Democrats into solidly Republican territory in Murrysville on Saturday afternoon. “Hey, Conor, is this your district?” Doyle, D-Forest Hills, joked during the Murrysville Export Democratic Club’s first Biden-Harris Community Scholarship presentation, held...
Police respond to 2 Friday-night shootings in Hazelwood
Pittsburgh Police responded to two shootings within a mile of one another Friday night in the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood. Police and EMS were called to the intersection of Second and Flowers avenues around 11:40 p.m., arriving to find a woman who had been shot Police said she was alert. While...
News and briefs in the greater Murrysville area for the week of June 10, 2021
Here are just some of the things happening in the Star’s coverage area in the coming weeks. To submit an event or a news brief, email pvarine@triblive.com. Delmont shifts council meetings back to borough building Delmont officials will move the monthly council meetings back to the borough building, after a...
‘Loki’ gets a rude awakening, reality check in series premiere
***SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BASICALLY THE ENTIRE MARVEL CINEMATIC/DISNEY+ UNIVERSE*** Let me start by saying I feel I can speak confidently for all of us Marvel fans with day jobs, in roundly denouncing Disney+’s decision to release its new series episodes early in the day. We’re now forced to avoid nearly...
