Patrick Varine stories, Page 146
Murrysville council moves to online meetings, public will still be able to participate
Some members of Murrysville council were sitting in the audience Wednesday night, in full observance of the recommended social distancing protocols. When they meet next, they’ll be sitting even farther apart, but neither they nor the public will need to worry about social distancing unless someone else is sitting too...
TribLive Taste Test: Flavored PeepsVideo
Easter is just around the corner, and that means children’s Easter baskets will be filled with all manner of candy including the ubiquitous yellow Peeps. This year, however, we managed to find a few Peeps that ventured off the beaten path. We tried sour watermelon, cotton candy and fruit punch-flavored...
Derry Area sends Grandview Elementary staff home as it awaits coronavirus test results
Derry Area School District on Thursday closed Grandview Elementary School to essential workers and others after a family member of a support staff member was tested for covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. “Acting prudently and with an abundance of caution, we have decided to close Grandview Elementary...
New voting-machine demo canceled in MurrysvilleVideo
A late-March hands-on demonstration of Westmoreland County’s new voting machines has been canceled amid the spread of the coronavirus, but voters can still get a digital look at how the machines operate. While the March 28 demonstration in Murrysville will not go forward, county election officials have posted a video...
State Supreme Court temporarily bans residential evictions, reduces state court functions
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that no state officer or officials conduct any residential evictions for failure to pay rent, a loan or similar payment through at least April 3. “This Court is aware that the economic consequences of the covid-19 pandemic may cause individuals to suffer a...
Army Corps announces closure of public facilities in Western Pennsylvania
The Army Corps of Engineers had closed select public facilities at recreational sites throughout Western Pennsylvania. Facilities affected include resource managers’ offices, visitor centers, ranger offices, maintenance offices, campground, picnic, shelter, pavilion and disc golf facilities, playgrounds, fishing areas and piers, and restrooms. “We have been actively monitoring the effect...
Bars, restaurants could be cited, lose liquor license for continuing on-premises service
Bars and restaurants that continue to serve on-premises food and alcohol could be cited and possibly lose their liquor license, the state Liquor Control Board announced. “Medical experts and public health professionals from around the world agree the best step we can take to slow the spread of covid-19 is...
With venues closed, bands turn to live streams to connect with fans
At their live shows, the Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers’ earning potential is typically limited by the size of the venue they’re playing. On the evening of March 14, the Stragglers live-streamed two sets of bluegrass from a band member’s living room that garnered about 20,000 views — and by inserting PayPal...
Band Together Pittsburgh founders earn international Communitas Award for autism programsVideo
Music can be a stabilizing force and an anchor in one’s life. It’s certainly been that for Ron Esser of Frazer Township, whose longstanding love for live music — the blues in particular — led him to become the owner of Moondog’s and the Starlite Lounge in Blawnox. Esser and...
Greensburg Diocese suspends Mass, cancels fish fries amid coronavirus spread
The Diocese of Greensburg has suspended public Masses, canceled Lenten fish fries and modified other church events due to the spread of coronavirus in the region. “Tuesday will be our final day of public Masses until further notice,” diocese officials write in a news release Monday. “Where possible, churches will...
Carmelite nun was handy with a set of carpenter’s tools
When the sisters of Carmel of the Assumption first moved into the Lawson Heights home known as the “Murphy mansion,” they had some difficulty with the particulars of the older building. “The floors in the chapel were crooked and we all got bad knees from kneeling,” said Sister Marie Elizabeth....
Franklin Regional working through plans for meal service, ‘voluntary learning opportunities’
As parents of school-age children scrambled to figure out how to handle two weeks of closed schools, administrators are trying to determine how to handle instruction in the near future. “At this time, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and schools across Pennsylvania are working through many legal and procedural barriers regarding...
Franklin Regional school board, Murrysville planning commission meetings canceled
Monday’s Franklin Regional school board voting meeting and Tuesday’s Murrysville Planning Commission meeting have been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. School district officials will communicate and advertise the date for a make-up meeting. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for April 6. School board meetings are...
Murrysville native helps save ‘Restaurants on the Edge’ in Netflix showVideo
Murrysville native Courtney Hazlett hates to see a restaurant with a great location – and a great view – slipping into obscurity. With that in mind, Hazlett’s production company, OutEast Entertainment, created “Restaurants on the Edge,” which debuted in late February on Netflix. On the show, a team of experts...
Western Pa. fish fries serve up precaution as coronavirus concern deepens
From fire halls to churches, organizers of the region’s extremely popular Lenten fish fries are employing a variety of precautions as concern over the spread of the coronavirus continues. “We are certainly stepping up our regular cleaning measures, which we take pretty seriously to begin with,” said Heather Dolhi, administrator...
Work nearly complete on replica of 19th-century Murrysville schoolhouseVideo
A crew of Amish carpenters may have been brought in to build a replica of the 1836 schoolhouse off of West Pike Street in Murrysville, but Murrysville Historical Preservation Society members didn’t need to venture far to find other period-appropriate trappings. “Lou Geiger from Murrysville, who owns (Caleb Atlantic fuel...
Delmont native works as Navy SeaBee electrician
With two generations of military men in his family, Derek Hughes of Delmont felt a strong duty to make a contribution of his own as the third. “My grandfather served in the Marine Corps as an infantryman during the Korean War and my uncle served in the Navy in the...
Delmont officials seek grant to help develop borough recreation planVideo
Delmont officials will apply for a grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to develop a recreation plan that will map out roughly the next decade for the borough’s parks. The grant requires a 50% match from the borough. The estimated cost of developing the plan is...
Murrysville resident examines 1920s Johnstown racial incident in new book
Editor’s note: The author’s scheduled March 18 presentation at CCAC was canceled after this story was first published online. What began as a search for a story about local black history led Cody McDevitt to a project that has gone from a newspaper series to a magazine to a book...
Banners to honor veterans prove popular in Westmoreland
Delmont officials want to gauge residents’ interest in purchasing banners for local veterans to be displayed throughout town. If the response next door in Export is any indication, they’re likely to prove popular. “We’ve gotten about 70 orders and anticipate at least another 10 that are in the works,” said...
Monessen students prepare to stage ‘Shrek’Video
Editor’s note: Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Tom Wolf has announced that all Pennsylvania schools will be closed for the next 10 business days, and as a result the musical has been postponed until further notice. When Milana Sacco thought about taking the stage in Monessen Middle/Senior High School’s...
Delmont may raise sewage rates to keep pace with consent ordersVideo
Delmont officials will advertise for a $6.50-per-month sewage rate hike to keep pace with changes required in the borough’s consent order agreement with state environmental regulators. Council voted unanimously to advertise for the rate hike, and likely will vote on it at next month’s meeting. The borough is a party...
Greensburg man a veteran of 18 naval battles during World War II
During one of the 18 naval battles Michael E. Pahnos fought aboard the USS Canberra during World War II, the young cannon operator was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, he was panicked to discover that he was in the ship’s morgue, under several dead shipmates. “He hardly ever talked about...
Murrysville’s Morosini Reserve will become an ‘Enchanted Forest’ in May
It might seem a little strange for officials from the Westmoreland Conservancy – which focuses on science-based programming – to host a hunt for fairy houses and troll dens. “Just like with any myth, there’s a little grain of truth,” said conservancy President Shelly Tichy. “The ‘fairies’ are the insects...
Murrysville siblings work both sides of the stage for ‘Sound of Music’
When Camryn Hall wakes up in the morning, the Murrysville teen may have to take a moment to think about exactly which rehearsal — or rehearsals — she needs to prepare for. Some days it’s rehearsal for the Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s upcoming production of “The Sound of Music,” in which...
