Patrick Varine stories, Page 113
Export relocates multi-ton war memorial closer to downtownVideo
It took most of the day on Thursday, but several regional contractors relocated the Export war memorial from the American Legion on Kennedy Avenue to spot near the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, closer to the borough’s downtown area. Work crews from Mangery & Suns and McColly Memorials in Greensburg — the...
Murrysville recreation department gears up for a busy summer
Following a summer full of postponements and cancellations — fueled by uncertainty over what type of events could be safely held amid the covid-19 pandemic — Murrysville recreation officials are ready to help the region’s children get out and about. “We just wanted to plan as many outdoor activities as...
Franklin Regional French teacher earns ‘Global Educator’ designation
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...
Murrysville recreation officials bring back revamped summer playground program
After taking last summer off due to covid-19 concerns, the Murrysville Recreation Department is hoping to bring back a revamped version of its annual summer playground program. The primary changes to the program — which has hosted children ages 6-12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at a rotating schedule...
Export officials vote to keep $8 sewage surcharge in place
Two Export council members want the borough to keep its word and remove an $8 surcharge on sewage customers that was originally intended to expire after a year. But ongoing expenses related to its long-term flood control plan and its participation in a state environmental consent order kept that from...
News and events in the greater Murrysville area for the week of May 3, 2021Video
The following news and events are happening in the coming weeks in the Star’s coverage area. To submit briefs or upcoming events, email pvarine@triblive.com. Delmont Concert Band to play Ligonier concert series The Delmont Concert Band will play as part of the 71st annual Sunday Evening Band Concerts sponsored by...
Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials have money left over for another 750 feet in Export
Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials may not have determined precisely how they’re going to finish the section connecting Export and Delmont, but leftover funding from the trail’s fourth phase will extend it another 750 feet eastward. Construction of the trail’s fourth phase, connecting Murrysville and Export, wrapped up with some money...
Murrysvile-Export-Delmont covid figures tallied for the week of May 4, 2021
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 1,462 coronavirus cases in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March 2020. In the past week, 10 new cases were reported. The health department this week released updated figures for the three ZIP codes that comprise the...
Franklin Regional proposed budget would raise taxes to state-imposed limit for 4th year
Franklin Regional School District officials next month will consider a 2021-22 budget that raises property taxes to the state-designated limit for the fourth year in a row. The school board unanimously approved a proposed $63.9 million budget with a projected $437,000 deficit. The budget would raise local property taxes to...
Shop’n Save just outside Trafford set to reopen May 13
Trafford residents will get their nearby Shop’n Save back shortly, as the new owners for the Broadway Boulevard location in southern Monroeville prepare to reopen the store on May 13. “We redid the whole decor, new painting, changed out old cases, redid the floor,” said owner and manager John Rohaley,...
Franklin Regional Thespian Club goes live for spring play, ‘The Dining Room’
Ian Sunny has played plenty of characters during his four years in the Thespian Club at Franklin Regional Senior High School. For his final production, he and seven cast mates will get the chance to revel in not one, but up to four “final” roles. “This is a chance to...
6 GOP candidates will battle for 4 open seats on Murrysville Council
Six Republican candidates, including two incumbents, will contend in May’s primary for a chance at four open Murrysville Council seats in the general election. With no Democratic candidates filed, the winners in next month’s primary are virtually guaranteed a council seat. Jason Lemak, 43, is an electrical engineer who has...
Trafford Middle School to close this weekend, extracurriculars canceled
Trafford Middle School was notified Friday of a fifth positive covid-19 test within a 14-day period, and the district will close over the next two days at the direction of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. “Fortunately, the two-day closure will be Saturday and Sunday, so the school will be able...
Studies show covid vaccine protects twice as long as natural immunity
New medical studies are examining both the length of natural immunity in patients who have recovered from covid-19, as well as the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine in producing antibodies to combat the virus. A study published in BioMed Central found that fewer than half of 37 covid-positive patients retained...
News and events in the greater Murrysville area for the week of April 29, 2021
Submit news and events to the Murrysville Star by emailing pvarine@triblive.com. Food collection event set for May 1 Busy Beaver and the Rotary Club of Delmont-Salem will host a May 1 food collection event for the Westmoreland County Food Bank. It will be from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the former AMC...
Franklin Regional Thespian Club goes live for spring play, ‘The Dining Room’
Ian Sunny has played plenty of characters during his four years in the Thespian Club at Franklin Regional Senior High School. For his final production, he and seven cast mates will get the chance to revel in not one, but up to four “final” roles. “This is a chance to...
Classic, custom cars line Level Green to show support for child battling cancer
Oliver Tester, 5, of Level Green, is a big fan of the Subaru WRX. So when staff at Tester’s school, Level Green Elementary, decided to organize a drive-by on April 24 in support of Tester, who has been battling high-grade soft-tissue sarcoma, they made sure the car company’s sporty compact...
President Biden name-checks Pittsburgh in speech to CongressVideo
President Joe Biden invoked the Steel City in his speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, asking why wind turbine blades can’t be made in Pittsburgh rather than Beijing, China — essentially challenging U.S. businesses to bring manufacturing jobs back from overseas. President Biden: "There is simply...
911: No injuries in Westmoreland Manor fire
No one was injured Wednesday afternoon in a roof fire that emergency officials suspect started in the kitchen at Westmoreland Manor in Hempfield. Multiple companies led by Midway-St. Clair VFD responded shortly before 4:30 p.m. for a report of a fire at the senior facility on South Grande Boulevard. A...
Pine-Richland grad Kelsey Hillock draws on jazz influence for new single, ‘No Lie’Video
Growing up in Richland Township, Kelsey Hillock was probably one of the few 12-year-olds who could count 1940s jazz singer Sarah Vaughan among their favorite musical artists. Today Hillock, 25, is pursuing her passion for modern music with Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday as her inspiration. She’s recording under...
Pittsburgh man faces federal firearms charges after Perry North warrant raid
Pittsburgh police assisted federal agents over the weekend in serving a federal arrest warrant in the city’s Perry North neighborhood. Pittsburgh Police SWAT joined U.S. Marshals and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives in executing the warrant for Oronde Shelton, 48, in the 200 block of Waldorf Street....
Kings restaurant on Route 66 in Salem closes after more than 3 decades
The Kings Family Restaurant on Route 66 in Salem closed for good this week, after more than three decades in business. “Over the course of the past year, moving from regular business to strictly carryout, this is a restaurant we just weren’t able to keep, from a financial standpoint,” said...
Franklin Regional school board primary includes 10 candidates
Unlike the 2019 primary, when the Franklin Regional School District’s Sloan “elementary campus” project dominated much of the election discussion, the 10 candidates seeking open school board seats in 2021 cited a wide variety of reasons for running. They range from emphasizing fiscal responsibility and maintaining the district’s reputation for...
TribLive Taste Test: National Pretzel DayVideo
Monday is National Pretzel Day! So who makes the perfect pretzel? Find out, as TribLive Taste Test team members Jonna Miller and Patrick Varine set out to tackle a task sure to leave them parched and in need of a glass of water: what brand has the best pretzel? We...
Murrysville-Export-Delmont covid figures tallied for the week of April 26, 2021
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 1,452 coronavirus cases in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March 2020. Twenty-one new cases were reported in the past seven days. The health department on Monday released figures for the three ZIP codes that comprise the...
