Patrick Varine stories, Page 137
Allegheny County adds 14 new covid cases, no deaths
Allegheny County Health Department officials reported 14 new covid-19 cases and no new deaths Sunday. The total number of deaths countywide remained at 168, while the total number of confirmed and probable cases rose to 2,003, according to the county. The first cases were reported in Allegheny County on March...
Police: Sewickley Township man killed in South Huntingdon shootout, 1 hurtVideo
A bonfire get-together in South Huntingdon on Saturday night turned into a shootout that killed a Sewickley Township man early Sunday, according to state police. David J. Hoffman, 44, was fatally shot in the 200 block of Mendon Road around 3 a.m. Sunday. He had multiple gunshot wounds and an...
Jeannette, Irwin racism protests peaceful, well-attendedVideo
Allyson Dinsmore of Unity had reservations about throwing her support behind her father Ron’s idea: to hold a rally in downtown Jeannette calling for justice for George Floyd. “As a white woman, I wasn’t sure if it was my place to ask for people to come out in support,” she...
Feds charge Pittsburgh man, 52, with placing bag full of homemade bombs Downtown, having supplies at home
A Pittsburgh man has been charged with a federal crime after police said he placed a backpack containing several homemade bombs in Downtown Pittsburgh on May 31. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Saturday that Matthew Michanowicz, 52, of the city’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood, was charged with possession of an...
Allegheny County reports 16 new covid-19 cases, no new deaths
Allegheny County Health Department officials reported 16 new covid-19 cases and no new deaths Saturday. The total number of deaths countywide is 168, while the total number of confirmed and probable cases rose to 1,989, according to the county. The first cases were reported in Allegheny County on March 14....
Western Pa. library systems work through logistics of reopeningVideo
“What?!? It’s a real book?!?” Delmont librarian Denni Grassel’s humorous exclamation in a video posted to YouTube (watch the video below) was the official signal that the Delmont Public Library will reopen Monday, with some new procedures in place. Library systems throughout the region are holding meetings and working through...
Delmont Public Library will reopen June 1 with social distancing restrictions in placeVideo
“What?!? It’s a real book?!?” Delmont librarian Denni Grassel’s humorous exclamation in a video posted to YouTube (watch the video below) was the official signal that the Delmont Public Library will be reopening on June 1, with some new procedures in place. Among the new guidelines: • Only 25 people...
DEP will host virtual meetings to take public comment on air pollution regulation related to fracking
Pennsylvania environmental officials will host three virtual meetings to take public comment on proposed state regulations aimed at reducing air pollution from unconventional natural gas drilling operations. The draft regulation would require additional controls at fracking sites and related infrastructure like compressor stations. Department of Environmental Protection officials estimated that,...
Southbound Route 119 reopened in East Huntingdon following 2-vehicle crash
Route 119 is partially closed in East Huntingdon Township following a crash involving a PennDOT truck, Westmoreland County emergency officials said. The southbound lanes of Route 119 are closed near its intersection with Routes 981 and 31 following a crash reported shortly before 11 a.m. The crash involved a PennDOT...
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics to hold virtual open houseVideo
Aircraft maintenance has been an essential service throughout the coronavirus pandemic, with planes delivering critical supplies across the world. Officials from the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics will host a virtual open house Saturday to encourage potential students to consider it as a career. “May 30 will be an all-new experience...
Carnegie Museum partners with TikTok to bring education to social media platformVideo
It started with a snail joke. But making light of mollusks has quickly led to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s TikTok channel gaining nearly 150,000 followers since January, and the museum is partnering with the burgeoning social-media platform to bring users more educational content. The museum received a grant,...
Police say Latrobe man fled after car chase without clothes on
State police are seeking a Latrobe man they say led them on a chase and then fled the scene without his clothes on. State policein at Greensburg are seeking John Mekic, 34, of Latrobe in connection with a report of a man undressing in his car on Andrew Lane in...
West Mifflin man convicted of stealing $250,000 in taxpayer money
A former subcontractor at the Bettis Atomic Energy Laboratory in West Mifflin was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being convicted of stealing $250,000 in taxpayer money, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Wednesday. Robert Lazur, 31, was working for BWXT Technical Services Group performing a subcontract at the...
9 Westmoreland locations will provide free meals through summer food program
Nine sites in Westmoreland County will serve free meals to children this summer through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program. Administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania children received more than 4.5 million meals in 2019 from approximately 2,400 food program sites, with $13.5 million in...
North Huntingdon historian seeks volunteers to help digitize WWI burial records
Andrew Capets’ initial interest in World War I was finding out more about his grandfather’s unit, the 313th Machine Gun Battalion. That research led the North Huntingdon resident and amateur historian to write “Good War, Great Men,” which focused on his grandfather’s battalion and its exploits, including fighting in the...
Western Pa. sees another hotter-than-normal Memorial Day
This year marked the second consecutive Memorial Day where Western Pennsylvanians have roasted, with hotter-than-average temperatures expected to hang around until the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service. “We’ve got this area of high pressure, basically right over us,” said meteorologist John Darnley. “It’s creating a...
Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cincinnati job fair for veterans goes virtual
More than 30 companies and schools will participate in a virtual job fair for veterans in the Pittsburgh, Detroit and Cincinnati areas this week. Hosted by nonprofit DAV and RecruitMilitary, the free virtual event, set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdayis open to all members of the military community,...
Pitt-Greensburg’s SITREP program helps veterans transition to collegeVideo
You wouldn’t expect a veteran to be intimidated by the prospect of attending college, given the rigors of military life and the stress of active-duty service. But it happened to Jacob Snyder of Murrysville, and he sees it frequently when talking with incoming student-veterans at the University of Pittsburgh at...
Court denies appeal of Murrysville’s fracking ordinance
A local citizen group’s challenge of Murrysville’s unconventional drilling ordinance has been struck down in court. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Harry F. Smail denied an appeal by the Murrysville Watch Committee, which challenged an earlier decision by the Murrysville Zoning Hearing Board. Smail pointed to a November 2019...
Student art projects for local seniors a ‘two-fer’ for Franklin Regional art teacherVideo
Franklin Regional High School art teacher Lori Mozina found a way to brighten the days of residents at two local senior homes in addition to getting her students their required community service hours. National Art Honors Society members, along with a large group of high school art students, created photos,...
Delmont, Murrysville farmers markets will open with some restrictions this season
Annual farmers markets in Delmont and Murrysville will open in June, but with some special measures in place to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. • In Delmont, the market will be open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning June 13, and will add a curbside pickup...
Memorial Day ceremonies shortened this year in Murrysville, Delmont, Export
Memorial Day will be a bit more low-key than in previous years for residents in Murrysville, Export and Delmont, due to restrictions in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “They will be very limited this year, with the roll call and no speakers, and we’ll be keeping to social...
Andy Davis Band will livestream charity concert to benefit Westmoreland County Food BankVideo
Country-rock group the Andy Davis Band will perform a livestreamed show Friday night, the proceeds from which will benefit the Westmoreland County Food Bank and two local theaters. “It’s going to be a live show with six different camera angles,” said Davis’ wife Victoria. “We’re following all the guidelines by...
Pennsylvania joins pilot program allowing SNAP users to buy groceries online
Pennsylvania will participate in a pilot program allowing recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to purchase their groceries online through participating retailers. “Many people have been purchasing groceries online to facilitate social distancing, but SNAP recipients were not able to do so due to federal restrictions on...
Newlonsburg reconfigures year-end celebration for fifth graders
Fifth graders at Newlonsburg Elementary in Murrysville typically get a warm send-off as they leave for summer vacation and prepare to enter the middle school. “On the last day of school, we do sort of an indoor parade,” Principal Tina Gillen said. “Students and staff line the hallways, and fifth...
