Patrick Varine stories, Page 145
Franklin Regional to explore waiver request for Sloan construction project
Given the fluid situation at the state level regarding coronavirus-related business restrictions, Franklin Regional School District officials aren’t certain if they will need waivers to resume construction on the Sloan “elementary campus” project. But if they do, and decide to move forward with construction, their solicitor would like to have...
Monroeville man indicted on federal robbery charges
A Monroeville man was indicted in connection with a December 2019 bank robbery in White Oak, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Monday. Chezeq Morgan, 26, of Monroeville, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with bank robbery. Justice officials say Morgan robbed the PNC Bank on Lincoln...
Charley Family Shop’n Save stores extend senior hours, add protective barriersVideo
Charley Family Shop’n Save stores in Greensburg and Murrysville expanded their senior shopping hours and took additional measures to put shoppers’ minds at ease amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We expanded senior hours on Monday from 6 to 9 a.m., and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 to 7 a.m.,” said...
Artist transforms Uptown tiger into ‘Tiger King’ portrait of Joe Exotic
Pop culture is a big part of Jeremy Raymer’s art, and he knows the value of having a finger on the pulse of the cultural zeitgeist. So when a friend mentioned the old tiger’s head, painted on a wall near the intersection of Moultrie Street and Tustin Street behind the...
Allegheny County sees 46 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 265
Allegheny County health officials reported an additional 46 cases of covid-19 Sunday morning. That figure is down from the 61 new cases reported from Friday to Saturday. In all, county health officials have confirmed 265 cases. The cases are split evenly between genders: 133 females and 132 males. The age...
Armstrong Township woman killed in Blairsville crash
A 50-year-old woman killed in a Blairsville crash on March 27 has been identified as Christina Anne Roberson of Armstrong Township. Roberson was driving north on South Walnut Street near Old Main Street shortly before 9:30 p.m. when she struck the curb after failing to make a left bend in...
Police: Pitcairn stabbing victim in critical condition
A 67-year-old man was taken into custody Saturday evening after police say he stabbed another man in Pitcairn. Pitcairn police and paramedics were called to a rooming house on the 200 block of Broadway Boulevard just before 5:15 p.m., and arrived to discover a 60-year-old man who had been stabbed...
97-year-old Latrobe woman livestreams baking lessons on FacebookVideo
Back in the day, mothers and grandmothers passed down their culinary knowledge to daughters and granddaughters side-by-side in the kitchen, waiting to mix in an egg or lick extra icing from the spoon. On Sunday, 97-year-old Lucy Pollock, of Latrobe, will do the same. The only difference is that her...
Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Western Pennsylvania
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of Western Pennsylvania until 8 p.m. Saturday night. The service also issued a flood advisory for the Ohio River in the Pittsburgh area. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for the highlighted counties until 8 PM tonight....
State reports 11 additional covid-19 cases in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County gained 11 covid-19 cases since Saturday’s numbers were released, state health officials said Saturday. Forty-one cases are confirmed in Westmoreland, according to the latest figures, up from 30 on Friday. There have been no deaths related to the virus in the county. In addition, Gov. Tom Wolf issued...
Internet Archive website creates ‘national emergency library’
Already a repository for billions of archived website pages and thousands of hours of free music, the Internet Archive has suspended the wait list for 1.4 million books in its online lending library, creating a National Emergency Library to help displaced students and researchers. “The library system, because of our...
McKeesport man shot while driving in Penn Hills dies
A McKeesport man shot in the leg Friday night while driving along Bon Air Road in Penn Hills has died. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Chasae Swindle, 42. Penn Hills Police responded around 11 p.m. Friday night to the 100 block of Evaline Street for...
Allegheny County reports additional 61 cases of coronavirus
Allegheny County health officials reported an additional 61 cases of covid-19 Saturday morning. That is more than twice the 25 new cases reported from Thursday to Friday. Females make up 110 cases, or 50.2%, and males account for 109 cases, or 49.8%. The age breakdown of cases is as follows:...
Murrysville political committees look to iron out new-precinct wrinkles
It’s probably a good thing that Pennsylvania lawmakers delayed the state’s primary election until June 2, because it may take that long for Murrysville voters in the newly split Sardis and Newlonsburg precincts to figure out where they’re supposed to cast their ballots. “It’s been a real bear,” Murrysville Export...
Western PA Diaper Bank seeking donations to help with distribution
Typically, one in three American families experiences what the Western PA Diaper Bank calls “diaper need.” As a result, the bank distributed 24,000 diapers last week to low- and moderate-income families in an effort to support those impacted by the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. “The unexpected demand is...
Central Wellness Outreach Center: Pennsylvania testing yields 12 more covid-19 cases
Test results from the Central Outreach Wellness Center, released Wednesday afternoon, show 36 cases of covid-19 spread across five Western Pennsylvania counties at sites where it is testing for the coronavirus. That’s up a dozen from Tuesday. Figures are only for the places that Central Outreach is testing. The majority...
Hampton business adds medical masks to its manufacturing listVideo
Rose Morris got a call over the weekend from a friend whose husband owns a Pittsburgh-area hospice. “He was at a point where he was running out of his protective medical equipment and was not able to find more to purchase,” Morris said. Morris owns Abram’s Nation in Hampton ....
Franklin Regional preps to start online instruction on Monday
Franklin Regional officials are preparing for students to resume class as much as possible amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Throughout the shutdown, teams of Franklin Regional administrators, teachers, and support staff have been meeting remotely to create a Continuity of Education Plan that involves online learning for all students,” Superintendent Gennaro...
Leechburg school officials plan pick-up day Thursday for student materials
With Westmoreland and Armstrong counties not yet restricted in terms of travel amid the coronavirus pandemic, Leechburg Area School District officials are asking parents to pick up work packets for students on Thursday. “It is clear that nobody will be returning before April 7,” Superintendent Tiffany Nix wrote in an...
Pittsburgh police respond to Brighton Heights shooting
Pittsburgh Police are investigating a shooting in the city’s Brighton Heights neighborhood. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert for multiple shots fired in the area of Brighton Road near Lecky Avenue just before 7:30 p.m., according to public information officer Cara Cruz. Cruz said shortly afterward, a male victim arrive...
Greensburg man killed in Oakland motorcycle crash
A Greensburg man was killed following a crash late Tuesday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Timothy Michael Stevens Jr., 21, was driving a motorcycle that broadsided a vehicle at the intersection of Meyran Avenue and Louisa Street, officials said. When Pittsburgh police arrived...
Covid-19 testing at zoo produces 10 additional cases, group says
Testing for covid-19 at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium parking lot on Monday resulted in 10 positive tests, Central Outreach Wellness Center officials announced Tuesday evening. Five positive tests came out of testing in Beaver County. More than 600 people were screened for testing at the Pittsburgh Zoo location,...
Nonprofit solar co-op will host free webinar
The nonprofit Solar United Neighbors co-op is already taking advantage of modern technology when it comes to outfitting their homes with solar panels. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, members of the group will take advantage of some additional technology to conduct free online webinars on converting to solar energy, including one...
Murrysville Garden Club offers annual scholarship
With school districts across Pennsylvania shut down for the time being, it won’t be possible for students to pick up a copy of the Murrysville Garden Club’s annual scholarship application. The scholarship is open to a graduating senior planning to major in a number of fields related to nature and...
Hempfield church pastor apologizes for open services on SundayVideo
The pastor of a Hempfield church apologized Monday after roughly 200 people attended a Sunday service at Word of Life Church, against the advice of government and health officials. “Please believe me when I say it was not out of arrogance or defiance, but solely for the purpose of praying...

