Patrick Varine stories, Page 120
Murrysville-area events for the week of March 15, 2021
Here are news briefs and event listings for the Murrysville Star’s coverage area. Submit items to pvarine@triblive.com. Auditions scheduled for inclusive play Auditions for “Just Keep Swimming,” an adaptation of the Disney/Pixar story “Finding Nemo,” will take place March 26-28 through Acting Up, an inclusive theater troupe for actors of...
Delmont library officials seeking donations to provide universal access to Outdoor Learning Center
Delmont Public Library officials want anyone and everyone to be able to enjoy their Outdoor Learning Center, slated to open June 5. And, while it is already set to include solar bird baths, bird houses and the reestablishment of the library’s outdoor butterfly garden, a fundraising campaign is underway to...
Murrysville council may open the door for its 1st tax hike since 2007
Murrysville officials could be on the path to raise taxes for the first time since 2007. Council this week gave the OK to advertise an ordinance that would empower it to raise the local share of the earned income tax by up to 0.5%. Currently, a 1% earned income tax...
Delmont resident to bring ‘mini’ food pantry to borough parklet
Delmont resident Ed Washburn isn’t sure if there is a need in the borough for a free food pantry, but if there is, he wants to ensure it will be available. Washburn secured borough council’s permission to place a miniature food pantry in the Rose Wigfield Parklet on Greensburg Street....
Murrysville chooses consultant to design amphitheater space
Murrysville officials will move forward with plans for a grant-funded amphitheater at their community park, using two Pittsburgh-area consultants to plan the space’s design. “We narrowed it down to four consultants,” said recreation Director Carly Greene. “We didn’t leave the table bloody, but we had some intense discussions about which...
Murrysville-Export-Delmont covid figures tallied for the week of March 15, 2021
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 1,242 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March 2020. Of those positive results, 41 cases were reported in the past 14 days. The health department on Monday released figures for the three...
Duff family’s roots extend across Western Pennsylvania
The roots of the Duff family tree extend across much of Western Pennsylvania, including to Murrysville, where the surname should ring a bell as the namesake of the municipality’s first park. Duff Park was acquired by the municipality in 1968, and was originally formed from three parcels totaling about 143...
TribLive Sniff Test: Scents from the Demeter Fragrance LibraryVideo
Today on the TribLive Taste Test, it’s actually the TribLive Sniff Test, as we sample fragrances — some of which are, shall we say, quite a ways off the beaten path — from the Demeter Fragrance Library. We’ll try to guess what each one is, and decide whether it’s something...
Franklin Regional’s ‘Into the Woods’ cast preps for pared-down productionVideo
Franklin Regional Senior High School students will present their spring musical, Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods,” to a much smaller audience than usual due to health and safety restrictions. But the cast is still hard at work preparing for the show. “Into the Woods” will run March 11-14 in the...
Rosedale Tech to host weekly ‘Women in the Trades’ events throughout March
Greensburg native Melody Carranza found herself frustrated after opting for a career in the medical field. “Once I realized that wasn’t for me, I started looking at other options,” Carranza said. Similarly, Raelee Nicholson of Charleroi was “in the process of following a traditional four-year path with offers to multiple...
Export officials talk trash about garbage, recycling hauler Republic Services
Export officials hope making headway with their garbage and recycling contractor will lead to fewer issues with hauling service in the borough. Council members have been unhappy with Republic Services for some time, discussing unaddressed issues at council meetings and fielding complaints from residents about missed pickups and poor service....
Easter events a little easier to plan after a year of adjusting to covid-19
Local towns are planning for another Easter under the specter of the covid-19 pandemic. But, unlike last year, those planning the events have a much clearer idea of how to safely host them. “It was easier to plan and anticipate what we wanted our holiday event to look like,” Murrysville...
Virtual tribute will celebrate Mister Rogers’ 93rd birthday
One of Latrobe’s favorite sons, Fred Rogers, would have turned 93 on March 20, and a virtual celebration on his birthday will feature singers and songwriters from across the country. The celebration of Mister Rogers will be livestreamed beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday at ThankYouMisterRogers.com. It also will appear on...
Franklin Regional Unified Club celebrates Special Olympics fundraising with ‘Cool School Plunge’Video
After raising more than $6,000 for Special Olympics Pennsylvania, members of the Franklin Regional Unified Club were ready to celebrate. Typically, that celebration takes the form of the annual Polar Plunge held at Heinz Field and pitting kids and adults alike against the shattering cold of Western Pennsylvania water in...
Export officials continue community park upgrades
Export officials spent a good portion of the past year updating the borough’s playground, off of Roosevelt Avenue, and want to keep that momentum going as spring approaches. “We’ve cut the (dead) trees down, we did the basketball court, and now we need to fix that fence,” Councilman John Nagoda...
Murrysville-Export Rotary president will serve as district governor in ’23
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. If you would like to nominate someone as a Neighbor Spotlight, email Neighborhood News Network editor Katie Green at...
Carnegie Museum unveils new marine specimens in ‘Cretaceous Seaway’
Once upon a time — let’s say, about 90 million years ago — a juvenile pliosaur was swimming around the waters of western Manitoba in central Canada. If you were also in the water, it would be tough to miss, despite its young age: It would be about 18 feet...
Franklin Regional National Science Bowl team advances to national competitionVideo
Last year, Franklin Regional’s National Science Bowl team made it to the semi-final round, finishing in third place after a loss to North Allegheny Cyber School. Last month, the team — including many of the same members as last year — overcame the same opponents, only this time it was...
TribLive Taste Test: At what age is Gouda the greatest?Video
Today the TribLive Taste Test team is headed back to Holland as we try three types of Gouda cheese imported from the Netherlands and aged to various degrees. First up is Gayo Azul’s standard Gouda, followed by two types created by A Dutch Masterpiece: the “Vincent,” aged for 6 months,...
Franklin Regional board members see some savings, possible expense for Sloan elementary project
While Franklin Regional school members were more than happy to get a credit of more than $42,000 in costs related to the Sloan “elementary campus” project, they weren’t so sure about a discounted price for a new ceiling they weren’t planning to install. Mechanical contractors working in the kitchen area...
Route 356 in Allegheny Township reopened after wreck cleared
Route 356 was reopened to traffic shortly before midnight on Monday after being shut down for several hours when a vehicle crashed into a pole. The accident was reported at about 10 p.m. on March 1 in Allegheny Township’s Bagdad neighborhood. The road was closed between White Cloud and Bagdad...
Murrysville-Export-Delmont covid figures tallied for the week of March 1, 2021
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 1,242 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March 2020. Of those positive results, 18 cases were reported in the past seven days. The health department on Monday released figures for the three...
‘Shark Tank’ circles back to highlight Murrysville company’s success story
The home page for Murrysville-based company FlexScreen has a concise message: “The world’s first and only flexible window screen.” It seems like such a simple concept, even company founder Joe Altieri couldn’t believe no one had done it. And his execution of it was so effective that he had multiple...
Murrysville woman finds author’s voice during pandemic with message of inclusion
One evening during the pandemic, Vivian O’Hara of Murrysville went to sleep with a lot weighing on her mind. “On the news they’d showed a story about a little boy, seven years old, who rescued his younger sister from a vicious dog attack,” said O’Hara. “He suffered a lot of...
Delmont resident turns hunting passion into podcast for new sportsmen
George Konetes was looking for a hobby and tradition he could pass down to his kids, as well as a reason to go outside. “I never hunted, but I’d hear people talk about it and it was like this mystical thing I could never get close to,” said Konetes, 35,...
