Patrick Varine stories, Page 157
Local U.S. Attorney Scott Brady appointed to federal advisory committee
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady of the Western District of Pennsylvania has been named to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, one of nine U.S. attorneys to be appointed by U.S. Attorney General William Barr. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out...
Greensburg joins in Global Climate StrikeVideo
Xander Davis, a senior at Hempfield Area High School, is concerned about climate change. “I’m worried for a future about which I once had hopes and dreams,” said Davis, one of several young people who spoke Friday outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg. More than 100 people joined in...
Murrysville officials working to develop ordinance for 5G antennas
If 5G antennas are going to begin sprouting in Murrysville, local officials want to ensure they’re not unsightly. “They’re not just a pole out of the ground with an antenna,” Murrysville Chief Administrator Jim Morrison told council at its Wednesday meeting. “They’re permitted up to 28 cubic feet of cabinet...
Fort Ligonier will auction 1911 Old Overholt bottle at ‘Cannon Ball’ event
When it comes to capitalizing on Western Pennsylvania’s rye whiskey history, the Fort Ligonier Association isn’t going to get left out. In addition to a rare whiskey auction happening Thursday in Kentucky that includes a bottle of 1909 Old Overholt — a West Overton distillery once owned by Henry Clay...
Christian Life pastor to retire in October
When the Rev. Gary Simpson came to Christian Life Church in Trafford, the Haymaker Village neighborhood was a grassy field, and a stop sign was perfectly capable of handling traffic at the corner of Forbes Road and Route 130. That was in 1985. “Children who were born in the early...
Murrysville woman named Big Brothers Big Sisters executive director
On Sept. 24, Juniper Grill in Murrysville will host a guest bartender night, where Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region will tend bar and all tips will go to support the group’s mission of mentoring children in Western Pennsylvania. One of those guest bartenders will be the group’s...
Judge denies appeal of Franklin Regional’s ‘elementary campus’ projectVideo
The Sloan Project Concerned Citizens group has maintained throughout its appeal of Franklin Regional’s Sloan “elementary campus” project that Murrysville officials did not go far enough in imposing conditions on the project. Paramount to the group’s appeal was its contention the Sardis/Crowfoot roads area was not suited for the increased...
Learn to preserve fresh food at Penn State Extension’s canning seminar
Tony Thomas’ grandfather kept a small garden behind the house Thomas and his wife bought a couple years ago, in Pittsburgh’s Morningside neighborhood. After a season spent amending the soil, tilling it and laying down compost, he and his wife have a backyard vegetable and flower garden bursting at the...
Export councilman completes 2,500-mile Cross Country ChaseVideo
Joe Ferri’s 1947 Indian Chief motorcycle made it the full 2,500 miles of the Cross Country Chase, from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., to Key West, Fla., in 10 days. Along the way, Ferri and fellow riders — including several other members of the Allegheny Mountain Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle...
‘Goat-scapers’ will bring their appetite to Pitt’s Greensburg campusVideo
Western Pennsylvania’s cutest landscapers will soon be back at work in Westmoreland County. Two herds of goats from Allegheny Goatscape will begin clearing hillsides at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg on Sept. 24. The herds — shepherded by their “guard donkeys,” Hobo and Diamond — will clear weeds and...
Eastern Pa. city joins Pittsburgh, Sharpsburg in banning wild-animal acts
Following in the footsteps of two Allegheny County communities, Whitemarsh Township officials in eastern Pennsylvania voted to ban wild and exotic animal circus acts last week. The move comes after similar bans enacted in both Pittsburgh and Sharpsburg, and will affect the town of Plymouth Meeting in Whitemarsh, where the...
Some Delmont residents unhappy with hauling service
Topics vary at monthly Delmont council meetings, but one topic has come up fairly consistently over the past year or so: complaints about trash service, provided in the borough by Republic Services. “Everything that we signed onto as part of this contract has gone away,” said resident Randy Otto, who...
Murrysville golf course will host fundraiser for Great Pyrenees clubVideo
Janice Trzeciak of Penn Hills was only planning to foster Jasmine, a big, adorable Great Pyrenees dog, until she could find the animal a permanent home. But one day when Trzeciak went to meet with a potential “forever family,” she discovered that she just wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Jasmine...
Historical society celebrates Northern Turnpike’s bicentennial
The Murrysville Historical Preservation Society will host its annual Heritage Festival on Sept. 21, and this year’s festival will mark the 200th anniversary of the Northern Turnpike. Tribune-Review archives contain quite a lot of information about the roadway’s history, and local historians have published a wealth of material about it....
Overholt Rye whiskey, once owned by Mellon family, to be auctioned in Kentucky
Someone next week will have a shot at buying a historic bottle of whiskey distilled in Westmoreland County that typically fetches more than $1,000 a shot, on the rare occasion it can be found. On Thursday, a 1909 bottle of Overholt Rye whiskey — passed down through the Mellon family...
Greensburg man loved all things sports
If it involved sports, chances are good that Eugene Burke of Greensburg was interested. Over the years, Burke served as an assistant athletic director at the former North Union High School, ran an undergraduate basketball tournament in the late 1960s and early ’70s, and was a PIAA referee from the...
Bear Hollow the latest Murrysville park to see updates, improvements
Murrysville Community Park may have gotten most of the attention this summer thanks to its brand new splash park and playground, but municipal recreation officials don’t want residents to forget about the other parks in town. “We’ve taken a park each year and outlined what needs to be updated and...
Connellsville earns ‘scenic achievement’ award from Pittsburgh groupVideo
Connellsville’s reputation is that of a post-industrial town, and as the former “coal and coke capital” of the United States. But city officials looking to pay homage to its history — while also casting an eye to the future — are being recognized for their efforts. The city will receive...
Resonance Music and Arts Festival relocates to Slippery Rock in 6th yearVideo
What happens when you gather more than 40 bands steeped in funk, electronica, jam, rock fusion and more? You get the sixth annual Resonance Music and Arts Festival, set for Sept. 19-22, which this year will move to a new location at Coopers Lake Campground in Slippery Rock. “We’re really...
State rep will host concealed-carry seminar in Fayette County
Kim Stolfer, president of Firearms Owners Against Crime, wants Pennsylvania residents to know “not just the law but also the moral and ethical duties when it comes to carrying a firearm.” Stolfer will discuss those duties, as well as talk about Pennsylvania’s concealed-carry laws and permitting, at a free seminar...
World’s largest U.S. flag will come to Derry this weekendVideo
Impulse purchases will many times include little things like snacks, a pack of gum or a random item unexpectedly on sale. But when Unity’s Ted Dorfman makes an impulse buy, he goes big: he bought the world’s largest American flag, a 400-foot-long behemoth that weighs 7 tons and requires its...
Delmont committee mulling options for bringing Heritage Trail spur into borough
After working with Indiana University of Pennsylvania students on possible routes to close a gap in the Westmoreland Heritage Trail between Export and Delmont, members of the Delmont Visionary Committee are turning their focus to a potential trail spur leading into Delmont. “However the trail comes to the borough, it’s...
Sales of Tröegs beer will fund Appalachian forest preservationVideo
Proceeds from the sale of a beer brewed in central Pennsylvania will help preserve a 185-mile swath of forested Appalachian mountains in that part of the state. On Monday, Hershey-based Tröegs Independent Brewing released its Trail Day Pale Ale. Proceeds from sales of the dry-hopped ale will be placed in...
VA will host town-hall meeting with veterans in Hempfield
Earlier this summer, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System officials met with veterans at a series of town-hall-style meetings in Westmoreland, Allegheny, Washington, Beaver, Fayette and Belmont (Ohio) counties, to seek their input on the VA and how it can be improved. “We heard questions and comments on urgent-care options, emergency department...
TribLive Taste Test: Frozen Garden Green SmoothiesVideo
Some people prefer Greek yogurt in their smoothies. Some people pack their full of peanut butter protein powder and almond milk. The folks at Frozen Garden have opted for nothing but nature: they sent over nine varieties of their Green Smoothie line, full of fresh-frozen ingredients that only need to...

