Patrick Varine stories, Page 133
Movers: Murrysville AAUW names new officers for 2020-21
The Murrysville Area chapter of AAUW announced its executive board for 2020-21. Janet Sutton will serve as president, Diane Conway will continue as programs vice-president, Carol Gezon will continue as finance officer, Laura Livingston will serve as membership vice-president and Diane Kaufmann will serve as secretary. Outgoing officers include Celine...
Connellsville chamber cancels ‘Savor the Avenue’
The Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce will cancel the Savor the Avenue “Celebrating the Jewel of the Yough” event originally scheduled for Aug. 6, due to ongoing public health risks associated with covid-19. “The safety and health of our guests and restaurant staff comes first,” chamber officials wrote in a...
Pennsylvania offers grants to help preserve, inventory historical records
As an Export councilwoman and a member of the borough’s historical society, Melanie Litz has access to a treasure trove of the town’s history. She has handwritten letters of interest for council seats when the borough’s independent government was being formed in 1911. She has council’s original handwritten book of...
Murrysville man builds period-appropriate Export mine cart replica using actual wheelsVideo
About three decades ago, Greensburg attorney Wes Long discovered a set of mine cart wheels on his property along Kemerer Hollow Road, near the former Skelly mine. Long had the wheels sandblasted and cleaned up, and held onto them as a piece of local history. Now, those wheels are part...
Nonprofit has recruited 31,000 volunteers willing to undergo human challenge covid-19 vaccination trial
A grassroots group of scientists and researchers has brought together more than 31,000 volunteers worldwide — including from Western Pennsylvania — who are willing to take part in a human challenge trial to test potential covid-19 vaccines. A human challenge trial in this case would involve participants being administered a...
Murrysville Meals on Wheels seeking volunteers for kitchen, delivery service
The covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on Murrysville Meals on Wheels, though it has been out of precaution rather than infection. “Because of the crisis, we lost about a third of our volunteers,” said program coordinator Lynn Staab. Murrysville Meals on Wheels typically draws from a pool of about...
Tennis nonprofit delays racket giveaway following regional covid-19 uptickVideo
Anup Nadesan and Joseph Bonfiglio started their tennis nonprofit, My Ground Strokes, about a year ago, and they were getting ready for a summer full of activity just as the covid-19 pandemic began ramping up. In April, Nadesan decided to bake nut bread and distribute it to front-line health care...
Butler man sentenced to 6 years in federal prison on drug, weapon charges
A Butler man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison after a conviction on federal drug and weapons laws, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Wednesday. Brandon “Bopp” Morris, 35, of Butler, according to court documents, provided three “bricks” of heroin and an ounce of crack cocaine to...
Apple ‘n Arts plans to scale back fall festival
While a final decision has not been made yet, organizers for the annual Apple ’n Arts Festival are considering paring it back to an apple cider drive-thru this year due to the covid-19 pandemic and the ever-evolving health and safety guidelines associated with it. Festival officials on Tuesday night laid...
Gibson officials offer reward for return of ‘Golden Era’ shipping ledger
Members of the Gibson company are launching a global search for a missing shipping ledger from 1959-’60, the time period which saw the company produce some of the most sought-after guitars in the world. And they’re willing to award $59,000 cash for its safe return. The 1959-’60 ledger disappeared from...
State police seek whereabouts of woman last seen at Unity airport
State police continue to seek the whereabouts of an intellectually disabled Hempfield woman last seen at the Arnold Palmer Airport in Unity over Memorial Day weekend. Alexandra Cycyk, 26, was last seen at the airport boarding a bus for Pittsburgh on May 25. She is 5-foot-1-inch tall and 125 pounds...
Murrysville likely to need new revenue sources by 2022 to maintain current service levels
About a year ago, Murrysville Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said that while he did not see the need for a tax increase in the next five years, “creating a balanced budget without one is posing a bigger challenge each year.” The municipality has gone 13 years without a hike in...
Penn-Trafford 7U team captures tournament title
The Penn-Trafford 7U All-Star Team came out on top during a tournament held June 26-28 in Penn Township. The team was crowned champions following a 10-run-rule victory over Canon-McMillan, 15-5. The team is led by head coach Mike Cardamone and coaches Mike Simpson and Jason Stewart....
Penn-Trafford student wins top spot in Daughters of the American Revolution state essay contest
Penn-Trafford student Kari Ann Leventopoulos is the statewide winner in the Daughters of the American Revolution’s 2020 American History Essay Contest. Leventopoulos, 14, was named the eighth-grade winner of the Phoebe Bayard Chapter’s local contest and, at an award luncheon, she learned she also won the top spot in the...
Pittsburgh-area musicians find new ways to stage live music amid covid-19 restrictions
When Pittsburgh’s nightlife scene shut down amid the covid-19 quarantine, hundreds of live performances were shelved. In the quarantine’s early days, livestreaming was a primary mode of musical communication, with bands setting up “virtual tip jars” through services such as PayPal and Venmo. And while there is still plenty of...
Franklin Regional looks to unify online learning with Schoology system
Google Classroom and a patchwork of other educational tools helped Franklin Regional staff and students through the final months of a hectic school year. But district administrators are looking to bring all of those tools into the same shed for students who may be learning from home in the coming...
Murrysville Woman’s Club awards $7,750 in scholarships
The Murrysville Woman’s Club awarded $7,750 in annual scholarships to Westmoreland County women seeking to further their education. The club on July 8 presented scholarships to Heather Lake of New Alexandria, Bobbi McVay of Greensburg and Jenna Maroadi of North Huntingdon. The club, which marked its 100th anniversary in 2020,...
Franklin Regional athletic director: Prepping for fall sports ‘an uphill battle’
A meeting is planned next week between regional and state high school sports officials and athletic directors “to discuss possible alternatives, like moving fall sports to the spring season and thinking outside the box in ways we haven’t before,” Franklin Regional Athletics Director Zach Kessler said. Kessler called the challenges...
Franklin Regional school board approves reopening, health-and-safety plans
Franklin Regional school board members have a plan for reopening school in the fall with proper health and safety measures in place. “We see this as our starting point,” said Jennifer DiFulvio, special services supervisor. “Now that we have this plan, we need to figure out as an administrative team...
Pennsylvania to date distributes nearly $25B in unemployment claims
Pennsylvania has distributed nearly $25 billion in unemployment compensation as of this week, state officials said Thursday. However, the week ending July 25, however, will mark the final claim week for additional $600 payments through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program. “Unless further action comes from Congress and the federal...
Pennsylvania offers $10M in grant funding for food retailers affected by pandemic
Pennsylvania businesses working to maintain access to fresh, healthy food during the covid-19 pandemic are eligible for grants from $10 million in CARES Act funding, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday. The Fresh Food Financing Initiative Covid-19 Relief Fund is available to food-centered organizations and businesses impacted by the pandemic, including...
Westmoreland Cultural Trust cancels TGIS concert set for tonight
The Westmoreland Cultural Trust today canceled tonight’s TGIS concert featuring Andy and Natalie Gregg with Jackson Gardner scheduled for 5 p.m. on the lawn at Greensburg Garden & Civic Center. “The safety of trust patrons, artists, volunteers, team members, and the community it serves is our top priority,” Westmoreland Cultural...
Tax-prep offices ‘swamped’ as extended July 15 filing deadline approaches
For certified public accountant Brad Jadlowiec, a shareholder with KSL Associates in Shaler, July has felt a lot like April during a normal tax year. “The people who normally would have come April 10 are coming in July 10,” Jadlowiec said, noting the July 15 extended deadline to file federal...
Export takes payment plans off the table for delinquent sewage accounts
The grace period is over for Export residents with delinquent sewage bills. The most recent round of 42 letters, which will be sent to borough residents with outstanding sewage bills in the next week or so, no longer offers the option to reduce that debt through a payment plan. “We...
Franklin Regional School Board will vote on back-to-school plan Thursday night
Franklin Regional school officials have released a draft of their reopening plans for the 2020-21 school year, which will be voted on at a special online meeting Thursday night. The plan covers multiple scenarios for reopening and operating under the state-designated green, yellow and red phases. It includes a “hybrid”...
