Patrick Varine stories, Page 163
Greensburg nurse ‘was always a friend to the underdog’
Carmella Neil helped found a church in Delmont, played violin, cared for thousands of people during her nursing career and made two trips to China in her 70s and 80s. “She was pure love, she was fair and she was always a friend to the underdog,” said her son, David...
Deutschtown Music Festival brings more than 300 bands to 30 venues on North SideVideo
It might seem that, after six years of organizing the Deutschtown Music Festival, the logistics would get easier. But when more than 300 bands and 30-some venues are involved, it’s always a challenge, according to organizer Ben Soltesz. “It keeps getting bigger,” said Soltesz, 46, of Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood....
Export officials keep busy with projects throughout borough
A ribbon-cutting for the next phase of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail is officially scheduled for the Export Ethnic Food & Music Festival on Aug. 17, council member said recently. But the trail isn’t the only improvement project happening in the borough this summer. Council ran down a list of projects...
Franklin Regional grad biking across U.S. to help provide access to clean water
Kara Ingersoll and her family moved all the way across the country only to have her hop a bike and head 3,500 miles back to her hometown of Murrysville. Actually Ingersoll, 21, is part of a six-person team cycling from northern California to New York City, raising money as members...
Fire rips through Derry home, ignites fireworksVideo
No one was injured when fire tore through a Derry home Tuesday night, igniting fireworks contained inside. Firefighters responded after a fire was reported after 9:30 p.m. at 144 N. Ruby St. They knocked down the blaze in about 20 minutes, despite the fireworks going off and a hydrant that...
Forecasters predicting a hot and rainy Fourth of July
According to the National Weather Service, the flashes of light in the sky this Fourth of July are just as likely to be lightning as they are to be fireworks. As sustained hot weather continues, forecasters are predicting a 40% to 70% chance of daily and evening thunderstorms through Saturday...
Penn State master gardeners will host open house in Hempfield
A little over a year ago, master gardeners from the Penn State Extension in Hempfield planted a garden to test the truth of plants traditionally labeled as “deer-resistant.” At this year’s Penn State master gardeners open house July 13, attendees will be able to see for themselves. “There’s been a...
Ex-Pirates slugger Bobby Bonilla made another $1.19 million
Today isn’t former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Bobby Bonilla’s birthday, but just like every July 1 for the next 16 years, he has nearly 1.2 million reasons to celebrate. Thanks to a deferred contract put in place when Bonilla was released by the New York Mets following the 1999 season, Bonilla...
Russian Chicago cover band returning to Pittsburgh area in OctoberVideo
After packing St. Clair Park in Greensburg on Friday night, Russian band Leonid & Friends is already making plans to bring the classic pop-rock sound of Chicago back to the Pittsburgh region. The band will play Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale on Oct. 22. Tickets are $34 to $50, and...
Murrysville opens ‘destination playground’ and splash parkVideo
Murrysville public works crews had to battle a soggy spring to get it finished, but municipal officials cut the ribbon on their “destination playground” and splash pad on Saturday morning at Murrysville Community Park. Murrysville Chief Administrator Jim Morrison wasn’t waiting to cool down, volunteering as the first person to...
Rescuers continue search for sunken car in Loyalhanna Creek, while Yough search canceled
Water rescue crews returned to Loyalhanna Creek in northern Westmoreland County Saturday to look for a car that was reported submerged during heavy rains Friday. Meanwhile, North Huntingdon police said a second search in the county, for kayakers reported to be distressed in the Youghiogheny River, was called off. A...
Russian band covering Chicago tunes packs SummerSounds in GreensburgVideo
Friends of SummerSounds Chairman Gene James knew people from New York, Maryland and Virginia who were traveling to Greensburg on Friday evening to watch Leonid & Friends, a Russian band covering hits by American pop group Chicago. But it was nearly impossible for him to point them out in a...
Twitter user suggests Ranch Pop-Tarts, Twitter goes bonkers
As Little Debbie’s Twitter feed put it, “There are times when people need to be saved from themselves.” That time was earlier this week, when a Twitter user’s suggestion that Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing and Pop-Tarts team up gained far too much traction on the social-media platform. Far be it...
Murrysville cycling group helps Monroeville man cope with Lyme disease
A decade ago, Greg Shogan of Monroeville went through a series of perplexing ailments. First, he got cat scratch disease, which lingered for a couple months before going away. “Shortly after that, my whole face went numb, and I saw everyone I could see and probably had about 20 brain...
GI Bill, written by Braddock native, marks 75th anniversaryVideo
Aryanna Berringer, the newly appointed director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Veterans Services, is one of the millions of veterans whose life has been impacted by the GI Bill, which marked its 75th anniversary on June 22. “For me, personally, I grew up in poverty. I grew up...
Washington Avenue in Export will be partially closed next week
The western side of Washington Avenue in Export will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., July 1-3, due to construction at the former Master Auto building at the corner of Washington and Lincoln avenues, according to borough officials. The borough parking lot behind the building will be open...
‘Game of Thrones’ series box set will be released in DecemberVideo
“Game of Thrones” super-fans will have plenty to be excited about during the upcoming Christmas season, with HBO’s announcement that the complete Blu-ray series will be available to purchase on Dec. 3. Packaged in a wooden shadow-box case featuring multi-layered panel designs by artist Robert Ball, the series’ eights season...
U.S. Customs records largest cocaine seizure in its historyVideo
Last week’s cocaine seizure in Philadelphia, nearly 20 tons, is the largest in the history of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officials announced. “Today, I can officially report that CBP has seized a historic amount of cocaine, in fact, the largest cocaine seizure in our 230-year history, with a weight...
Copper stolen from Saint Vincent construction site
State police in Greensburg seek information about the theft of copper pipe and fittings from a construction site on the Saint Vincent College campus. Police said between June 19 and 20 one or more people accessed a storage container belonging to Ligonier-based John Hall Inc., taking several hundred feet of...
Delmont hopes to move ahead with repairs to Shields Farm cabin
While Delmont officials are hoping to get the Shields Farm log cabin repaired sooner rather than later, they aren’t likely to use the replacement logs they paid about $3,000 to acquire. Council voted 4-1 earlier this month to award a $12,000 contract to Amish work crew leader Elmer Hostetler to...
Youngwood Park & Pool summer concert series returnsVideo
The Youngwood Park & Pool’s “moonlight swims” and summer concert series, “Battle of the Bands,” kicks off Wednesday night with a concert by the Loose Change Band. Gates open at 7 p.m. The schedule for the rest of the summer will be: • July 3: Caught on Sight • July...
Military charity collects ‘surf-and-turf’ donations for troops overseas
Pittsburgh-area charity Military Connections is looking to serve a little surf-and-turf to troops overseas. But it’s not the kind you might think. Because lobster and steak are a bit pricey to ship internationally, the nonprofit is collecting donations of Swedish Fish and beef jerky. “We receive a lot of requests...
Coyotes the subject of Pa. Game Commission presentation in Murrysville
Interest in the local coyote population has continued to rise in recent years as trail cameras have captured photos of the elusive canines prowling around the region at night. Coyotes have been spotted in Murrysville, Penn Hills, Tarentum, New Kensington, Connellsville and Mt. Lebanon in the past few years. But...
Grand opening for Murrysville park, splash pad set for this weekendVideo
A grand opening for the new “destination playground” and splash pad at Murrysville Community Park will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday. The park includes nontraditional features like a small-scale zip line and has features that will appeal to younger and older children alike. Also, we don’t want to ruin...
Mt. Pleasant Twp. man set foot on every continent but Antarctica
James Hall has set foot on every continent except Antarctica. “He went on at least three mission trips to Africa, another trip to Morocco, all over the place,” said his daughter C. Carol Oravetz of Ligonier. “He loved to travel and he loved to eat. I traveled the U.S. and...
