Patrick Varine stories, Page 132
Smoke from Western wildfires intensifies in the region
The first plumes of smoke from the massive wildfires burning on the West Coast began reaching Pittsburgh on Aug. 25, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. But Tuesday was the day people began to notice, as the massive smoke plume from some of California’s largest-ever wildfires, along with...
Franklin Regional board may combine final 2 borrowings for Sloan project
Franklin Regional School Board members got an early look at what may be the final bond issuance to finance the Sloan “elementary campus” project, a proposal that would combine the final two issuances to take advantage of all-time low interest rates. The board will consider a $15 million bond, the...
Girl, 5, in critical condition after being hit by car in Sheraden
A 5-year-old girl is in critical condition after being hit by a car Monday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood, according to police. Pittsburgh EMS, firefighters and police responded to the 600 block of Hillsboro Street in Sheraden around 2:30 p.m. where the girl was struck after exiting a vehicle. She...
Small breweries take advantage of liquor laws to create ‘Pennsylvania Loophole’ beer
Small breweries, like so many other businesses, have been hit hard by the health and safety restrictions of the covid-19 pandemic. Those who don’t have the means of selling their beer beyond pints and growlers are in an especially difficult position. “We’re just a small, family-owned brewery with a two-barrel...
Export Maker Space will feature a blend of old-school, modern technologyVideo
If someone in Export has a good idea for a project, Tom Spears wants to give them the tools to make it happen. “We want to hit all the ‘maker’ markets,” said Spears, who will open the Export Maker Space on Kennedy Avenue in the fall. Spears has taken the...
North Huntingdon commissioners debate fine points of noise ordinance
As they develop a township noise ordinance, North Huntingdon commissioners this week focused on what should be considered quiet hours. “I think the hardest thing to consider is what we designate as ‘quiet hours,’” said Commissioner Brian Blasko, who said he felt 7 a.m. was early enough to allow construction...
North Huntingdon commissioners agree to consider special-use permit for chickens
North Huntingdon commissioners may be at odds over allowing residents to keep chickens, but they did come to a consensus on how to move forward in updating the existing ordinance. Board members Thursday agreed to take a look at President Zachary Haigis’ suggestion of requiring a special-use variance to keep...
Delmont Historical Society to host log house cleanup dayVideo
With a host of plans for the log house at Shields Farm, the recently formed Delmont Historical Society will hold a Sept. 19 cleaning day to spruce up the inside and outside. Society member Vicki Walters said the public is welcome to come help clean the house’s interior, as well...
Murrysville artist’s work on display at East Suburban Artists League library galleryVideo
Until a few years ago, Darlene Miklos of Murrysville only pulled out her easel and paintbrushes once a year to make the cover for her annual Christmas card despite a lifelong love of painting. “I worked downtown for 14 years,” Miklos said. “Between the bus commute and the job, I...
Franklin Regional students return to class amid covid-19 restrictions
Students in the Franklin Regional School District returned to classes Tuesday, and elementary students got to check out the newly renovated Sloan Elementary School. The board last month pushed back the start date to Sept. 8 after state guidelines changed regarding the coronavirus. Students through eighth grade had three options...
Projects, big and small, help to revitalize Export
When Export lost its post office in 2008, more than 200 people packed a public meeting to appeal for its return, which never happened. It was largely seen as a bad sign for the small Westmoreland County borough, which was once home to Thomas Mellon, father of industrial giant and...
Feds terminate ventilator contract with Philips Respironics that had drawn criticism
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently terminated multiple contracts to add ventilators to the country’s Strategic National Stockpile. And, while federal health officials say they now have enough ventilators to meet maximum national capacity in a crisis, one of the terminated contracts — awarded to Philips Respironics,...
Penn State looks to fix acid mine drainage, recover rare earth metalsVideo
When it comes to a solution for the acid mine drainage that has degraded more than 5,500 miles of Pennsylvania streams, money most often is the biggest problem. “A lack of resources to address historic mining’s lasting impacts on the commonwealth’s land and water is one of the biggest challenges...
Upcoming events in Murrysville Star coverage area
Rec department hosting kickball, Wiffle ball The Murrysville Recreation Department is hosting weekly kickball and Wiffle ball games at Kovalczik Park on Koval Court just outside Delmont. Kickball games will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesdays from Sept. 8 to Oct. 13. Wiffle ball will be at 6 p.m., Thursdays...
State grant will pay for dredging of Turtle Creek, Dirty Camp Run in Pitcairn
A $100,000 state grant will help clear vegetation and sediment from an Allegheny County stretch of Turtle Creek and one of its tributaries, helping to safeguard the lives and property of citizens in the watershed. The state’s H2O Program, which provides grants for drinking water, sanitary sewer, flood control and...
Allegheny-Fayette labor council will host emergency food distribution, part of ‘Weekend of Service’
With Pittsburgh’s annual Labor Day parade canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council will instead organize a “Weekend of Service,” beginning with emergency food distribution in Uptown Pittsburgh on Friday. “While we can’t have our usual Labor Day celebrations, this year, we are embracing this opportunity...
Busy Beaver will move into former AMC Theatre in Salem Township
While the AMC Theatre location in Salem recently closed its doors, it won’t be long before the property is once again busy as a beaver. Busy Beaver, that is. The home improvement retailer officially announced plans to open its 25th story at the Hollywood Squares shopping plaza off Route 22...
Route 30 eastbound reopens following 4-car crash
Eastbound Route 30 has reopened near the Eastgate Shopping Center in Hempfield, following a reported 4-car crash on Wednesday afternoon. According to emergency dispatchers, two of the three eastbound lanes closed for a time. The crash was reported around 4:45 p.m. and they were open again by 5:30. Additional information...
Monroeville urgent care center offers antigen covid test results in 20 minutes
Dr. John Kolonich of Monroeville thinks people need to be talking much more about covid-19 testing, and that those doing the testing should be talking much more to their patients. “No test is 100% sensitive,” said Kolonich, a physician with iCare Urgent Care on Route 22 in Monroeville. “I think...
Murrysville earns conservation partnership award for 2020Video
When Emily Mallisee first joined the Municipality of Murrysville as an engineering technician, one of the first projects she worked on was creating a riparian buffer along the headwaters of Steele’s Run. Steele’s Run is one of two high-quality watersheds in the town — Haymaker’s Run is the other —...
Attorney general sues Philadelphia company, alleges price-gouging on hand sanitizer
More than 5,000 Pennsylvania residents had reported price hikes in essential products during the covid-19 pandemic as of early June, and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit against a Philadelphia company accused of charging nearly $76 for a small bottle of hand sanitizer during the height of the...
Franklin Regional band will boogie in place at disco-themed halftime show
New Franklin Regional Senior High School Band Director Larry Silvestri thought the toughest part of his new position would be answering thousands of questions from band members. “When I was assistant director, I could walk down the hall with no problem,” Silvestri said with a laugh. “Now all I do...
Pa. Turnpike stretch will close early Sunday morning for bridge work in Plum
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed between the Allegheny Valley (Exit 48) and Pittsburgh (Exit 57) interchanges from midnight through 5 a.m. on Sunday. Drivers will not be permitted to continue through the area after 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29. The five-hour closure is necessary so work crews can...
Pittsburgh police: 14-year-old boy grazed in Sheraden shooting
Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting Friday evening in Sheraden that left a teen wounded, in stable condition. Officers responded to a SpotSpotter alert for more than a dozen shots fired around 6:15 p.m. on the 3000 block of Landis Street, where they found a 14-year-old boy who’d suffered a...
PennDOT to close Ekastown Road in Buffalo Township on Wednesday for pipe replacement
Ekastown Road in Buffalo Township will close during the day Wednesday, Sept. 2, PennDOT officials announced . The closures, from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will allow work crews to replace a failing pipe by Palko’s Tavern, between Obringer Lane and Fleming Road. A posted detour will take motorists to...
