Patrick Varine stories, Page 137
Kennywood, Sandcastle postpone openings
Kennywood and Sandcastle will postpone a planned reopening Monday, park officials announced Thursday. Allegheny County officials announced additional restrictions on businesses and public gatherings amid a weeklong spike in covid-19 cases. “While we are looking forward to the start of our summer season, we understand the reasoning behind the recent...
Delmont rec board reschedules first ‘Movies in the Park’ for July 11Video
Due to weather concerns, the Delmont Recreation Board will shift its first “Movies in the Park” series of the summer to July 11, with the addition of live music. It will be at 6 p.m. at Newhouse Park, featuring music from The Phisbins. Food will be available to purchase at...
Philadelphia men arrested in connection with Indiana County home invasion
Two additional suspects were charged in connection with a June 23 home invasion in White Township, according to state police. Police said Spencer M. Hayes, 19, and Frank J. Williams IV, 20, both of Philadelphia, were charged Tuesday with robbery, criminal conspiracy, terroristic threats, theft and related charges following a...
New Delmont library building on schedule for December completionVideo
Delmont Library Board member Dave Weber is hoping to have quite a Christmas present for patrons, shooting for Dec. 23 as the move-in date for the new library building off School Street. “It’s going very well,” said Weber on Tuesday as crews from Kacin Companies in Murrysville worked on the...
Kelly-Strayhorn Theater partners with East Liberty arts organizations for virtual fundraiserVideo
The only tax dollars many music and performance venues get are from amusement taxes levied on ticket sales, but that money has dried up since the halls have sat empty since mid-March. Before the pandemic, the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty was partnering with restaurants in the neighborhood to host...
Mellon Foundation grant aims to add low-cost Wi-Fi to high-need communities
As covid-19 cases increase in southwestern Pennsylvania, educators are just one of the groups struggling to see what their future may look like. School districts across the nation are looking at the myriad forms that fall classes could take, and it is just one of the areas R.K. Mellon Foundation...
Westmoreland County reports 20 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County on Monday reported 20 new covid-19 cases and no additional deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The countywide case total is now 640, with 38 deaths. There have been no reported coronavirus deaths in the county since May 18. Of the total number of covid-19 cases...
Pennsylvania reports 492 new coronavirus cases, 8 new deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday reported 492 new coronavirus cases and eight new deaths. That brings the statewide total to 85,988 cases and 6,614 deaths. The state considers 2,414 patients as probable cases, but they are not confirmed. More than half of coronavirus cases in the state are...
Public input sought on state’s 2.2 million acres of forest land
State officials are asking Pennsylvanians to weigh in via a survey on plans for the roughly 2.2 million acres of land that make up its state forests. “As the department moves forward in developing a new strategic plan, those who appreciate, work in or recreate in Pennsylvania’s forests have a...
Allegheny Health Network announces mobile covid-19 testing sites for next week
Allegheny Health Network’s mobile covid-19 testing unit will be in Pittsburgh’s Hill District and Hazelwood neighborhoods, Clairton and Duquesne next week. AHN personnel will operate the testing vehicle from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates: • June 29: Pittsburgh Housing Authority, 2435 Chauncey Drive in the Hill...
Murrysville-area student news for the week of June 22
• Delaney Bortz, Brianna Fait, Paige Kaye, Alexis Salvio and Kayleigh Ventrone of Delmont; Autumn Alko, Kelsey Fritz, Kathleen Kimmich, Zachary Recklein and Kaylin Sundin of Export; and Joseph Constantin, Makenna Grieco, Emma Jakiela, Lindsey Lamagna, Nicole Lamagna and Alexandra Zorzi of Murrysville were named to the spring 2020 dean’s...
State police association supports reform legislation passed by Pa. House, Senate
The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association on Wednesday issued a statement supporting police-reform legislation passed by the state House and Senate. “As troopers, we believe our Call of Honor is nothing less than a sacred oath. Every trooper must memorize it. In particular, it includes this line: ‘It is my duty...
Police seeking Finleyville woman on escape charge
State police are seeking a Finleyville woman who on Tuesday left the Renewal Community Corrections Center in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood without authorization. Police said Linsey R. Williams, 32, of Finleyville, signed out of the center, and upon her return was not able to clear the center’s metal detector. She then...
Sheetz employee in Ohio Twp. tests positive for covid-19
An employee at a Sheetz location in Ohio Township has tested positive for covid-19, company officials announced Wednesday night. An employee from the store at 1910 Mt. Nebo Road tested positive. The employee has not worked at the store since June 17, according to Sheetz spokesman Nick Ruffner. “According to...
Food banks still operating in ’emergency mode,’ seeing increased demand in Western Pa.
While mile-long lines of cars outside the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank are not the norm these days, the need to provide food to struggling families in Southwestern Pennsylvania remains. “We’ve been in response mode to the crisis for the last three months, and we continue to see a higher...
Grant helps Greensburg nonprofit continue ‘Feeding the Spirit’ through summer
Members from the nonprofit group Feeding the Spirit are used to sitting down with nearly 100 people each week for their annual free meal at Otterbein United Methodist Church in Greensburg. Since the covid-19 pandemic began, that hasn’t been an option — but it didn’t stop the nonprofit’s members, who...
Annual ‘Fireworks Over Fayette’ will go on without festival
While organizers will skip the festival that usually accompanies it, the annual “Fireworks Over Fayette” display will take place on June 28. Fayette Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Muriel Nuttall said chamber officials had concerns about going ahead with the event. “Our show costs upwards of $10,000 each year and...
Carnegie Museums plan timed ticketing system for reopening next week
Carnegie Museum is scheduled to reopen next week, with museum officials requiring all visitors over age 2 to wear masks and instituting a timed ticketing system to ensure the building does not exceed 25% of its capacity. The museum, which reopens June 29, will have directional signs for visitors and...
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra hosts series of online classes
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Academy of Music announced a slate of one-hour online summer courses. Classes will include the academy’s annual exploration of the various periods of classical music, along with technique courses and a “Life in Music” series: • “Classical Chatters” explores the four basic periods of classical music...
Murrysville OKs contract for bridge work
Murrysville council awarded a $78,000 bid last week for maintenance repairs to three bridges in the municipality. Plum-based Pugliano Construction will perform maintenance work on the Heather Highlands, Cal-Ken Court and Logan Ferry Road bridges, which were identified for repairs as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s bi-annual inspections....
Greensburg YMCA closes after report of covid-19 exposure
After a soft reopening last week, the Greensburg YMCA closed again Friday afternoon and will remain shut down until at least Monday to allow time to sanitize after a person who used the facility tested positive for covid-19, YMCA officials said. The YMCA closed when the state Department of Health...
TribLive Taste Test: Harvest Snaps Snack CrispsVideo
On today’s TribLive Taste Test, we switched up the format a little. Since we received a box with every single flavor of Harvest Snaps’ snack crisps – made from peas, red lentils and black beans – we decided to hold a little competition. We blindfolded ourselves and tried to guess...
R.K. Mellon Foundation funds PPE grants for front-line workers in Allegheny, Westmoreland
A Delmont councilman is continuing the work of the borough’s former fire chief, securing grant funding to supply all Westmoreland County firefighters with face-shield filters to protect against coronavirus. Delmont Fire Chief Rich Balik, who died in late May, was working with the R.K. Mellon Foundation to secure a $10,000...
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health seeks $301M federal covid-19 grant
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health is pursuing a $301 million federal grant to strengthen its ability to respond to the covid-19 pandemic, and will earmark $100 million for local health departments if the grant is awarded. “This funding is essential to our future response to the covid-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania,” Secretary...
Murrysville will host glass recycling event
Murrysville and Republic Services will sponsor a pop-up glass recycling event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The collection will be in the parking lot at Veterans Field, 4200 Sardis Road. All colors of glass bottles, jars and jugs will be accepted. Caps, lids and labels are acceptable. All...
