Patrick Varine stories, Page 165
Completing the journey: Trib photographs Hempfield student on first, last days of school
Rebecca Ruble of Hempfield initially was not too happy to see a photo in the Tribune-Review showing her son, Jordan, crying on his first day of first grade. On Friday, though, it was Ruble herself potentially on the verge of tears as Jordan headed off to his final day of...
TribLive Taste Test: Paqui Haunted Ghost Pepper ChipsVideo
On today’s TribLive Taste Test, we dive back into the world of spicy foods with Paqui’s Haunted Ghost Pepper Chips. They’re definitely a step down from Paqui’s One Chip Challenge — you know, the Carolina Reaper tortilla chip that comes in packs of ONE, contained inside a CARDBOARD COFFIN —...
Wetlands presentation in Murrysville will focus on bluebirds
In addition to opening a brand-new “destination playground” this summer at Murrysville Community Park, municipal recreation officials will also continue the park’s annual slate of summer nature programming. On June 8 at 10 a.m., Dr. Wilma Light will host a presentation on bluebirds. She is a member of the Bluebird...
Indiana police recover stolen safe from retention pond
Indiana Borough police are seeking a 28-year-old man accused of stealing a safe containing about $5,000 from a local screenprinting business and dumping it into a storm water pond. A felony warrant was issued for Raymond C. Spencer of Indiana, who police said entered S&S Screenprinting through a window on...
Hundreds of landslides around region unaffected by recent heavy rains
As areas of Western Pennsylvania were pounded with rain this week, including nearly 2 inches on Wednesday, PennDOT officials nervously kept an eye on the 270 documented landslides they are dealing with across Region 12 — which includes Westmoreland County. “We haven’t had any additional ones, or movement on the...
Franklin Regional multimedia students design websites for local nonprofits
Last year, members of the Export Historical Society were looking to move their web presence from Export Borough’s website to one exclusively focused on the society. “We started that project with good intentions, but like a lot of things, we didn’t have the people or the time to do it...
Lower Burrell police seeking info on missing Penn Hills girl, 14
Lower Burrell police are seeking the public’s help in finding a 14-year-old girl who fled from Allegheny County Children and Youth Services officials on Thursday night. Police said Mykiah Alexander fled the custody of Allegheny County CYS around 8 p.m. near the intersection of Logans Ferry Road and Greensburg Road...
‘Game of Thrones’ went from ‘that dragon show’ to cultural phenomenonVideo
***WARNING: SPOILERS FOR “GAMES OF THRONES,” BOTH THE BOOKS AND THE SHOW*** In our final installment of “Thrones’n’at,” we decided to take a look back at “Game of Thrones”: our favorite characters and scenes, how it became a cultural touchstone and whether there will ever be another show that produces...
Delmont preps for annual road paving program
Delmont officials are paving the way to pay nearly $300,000 for the borough’s 2019 road program. This summer’s program will include paving work on West Pittsburgh Street, Stotler Drive and Cupp Way. Work on Stotler will also include some stormwater drainage work beneath the street. The vast majority of the...
Slippery Rock students work with Butler VFD on recruiting new members
Fire departments across Pennsylvania are having difficulty recruiting new members, and chiefs have made no secret of their desire to bring new, younger members aboard. Cory Milkovich of Butler knows all too well the crucial role a well-staffed fire department plays in a community: local firefighters battled a fire last...
Relying on Social Security income? You may want to move to Westmoreland
Pennsylvania residents who rely on Social Security as a main source of income in retirement may do well to find a home in Westmoreland County, according to a recent study. New York financial technology company SmartAsset released a study of Pennsylvania counties where retirees’ Social Security income would go furthest....
‘Game of Thrones’ series review: Let’s focus on the good times
***WARNING: SPOILERS FOR “GAMES OF THRONES,” BOTH THE BOOKS AND THE SHOW*** So, as it turns out, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss didn’t murder your grandmother, even if that’s how a lot of longtime fans felt following the eighth and final season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” In considering a...
Route 28 reopens, flood watch remains
Route 28 in Pittsburgh reopened early Thursday morning after it was closed due to flooding, according to Allegheny County 911. Most of Western Pennsylvania remains under a flash flood watch until 11 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Much of Beaver County is under a flood warning. Showers...
Greensburg Navy vet helps sweep for mines in the Pacific Ocean
Marc Hoffman of Greensburg wanted travel and see the world, so he joined the Navy. These days, he helps patrol a 124-million-square-mile area stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border, and from the Kuril Islands near Japan and Russia all the way to the Antarctic in the...
Guitarist Tinsley Ellis brings the blues to BlawnoxVideo
Alligator Records recording artist Tinsley Ellis is bringing his substantial guitar chops to Moondog’s in Blawnox in early June. Ellis is touring in support of his latest record, “Winning Hand,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s blues chart. “Guitar, guitar, guitar is what this album is all about,” says...
Family wants to use Hempfield farm to support those with disabilitiesVideo
Jenna Farmerie, an autism support specialist at Children’s Behavioral Health in Greensburg, has seen firsthand what can happen when the proper support is not in place for a child or adult living with a developmental disorder. “A child I was working with was going to attend a YMCA camp, but...
TribLive Taste Test: Steeped CoffeeVideo
Coffee. It’s the lifeblood of office drones the world over. That includes many of us in the Tribune-Review newsroom as well. This week we received samples of a new type: Steeped Coffee, a company out of Santa Cruz, Calif., which is made using the same steeping process as tea. We...
Delmont Visionary Committee works with IUP students on possible Heritage Trail routes
Members of the Delmont Visionary Committee would like to bring the Westmoreland Heritage Trail as close to the heart of the borough as possible. Whether that is the trail, itself, or a spur that connects to Delmont’s downtown area, was the subject of a project that saw committee members working...
‘Game of Thrones’: Breaking down the series finaleVideo
***WARNING: SPOILERS THROUGH THE FINAL EPISODE OF ‘GAME OF THRONES’*** We made it! As the world’s online “Thrones” forums burn with the intensity of a thousand hot takes on the series finale, the final season and a wide variety of other Westerosi topics, we sit down to dive into “The...
Delmont Pilgrimage officials seeking more volunteers, sponsorships
Clancey the camel doesn’t come cheap. “It’s about $1,000 per night for the camel and the donkeys,” said Denni Grassel, a member of the group that took over the former Christmas in Salem Crossroads Pilgrimage and is seeking sponsorships to help fund the annual holiday event. Rechristened the Delmont Pilgrimage...
Franklin Regional student documentary earns national award
When Colten Oakes, a member of Franklin Regional Senior High School’s broadcasting and video production class, got his camera out at the traveling Vietnam War memorial in Murrysville Community Park, he couldn’t help thinking of his grandfather, whose dog tags were hanging around Oakes’s neck. “We were there to do...
Franklin Regional incumbents have tough time in primary
A raft of Franklin Regional school board candidates opposed to the Sloan elementary campus project will appear on the Republican side of the ballot in November, and two incumbents will not have a chance at re-election in the fall. “The No. 1 thing I heard from people in this community...
Incumbents cruise in Export; at least one newcomer headed to Delmont council
With 100% of the relevant precincts reporting, primary results in the Star’s coverage area are as follows as of 10 p.m.: DELMONT COUNCIL Dennis Urban (R, 48%) and Becky Matesevac (R, 43%), 79 total write-in votes (45 Democrat, 34 Republican). Write-in votes are a factor in this race because there...
Certified herbalist will lead trail walk in Delmont
Certified herbalist Lindsey Praksti will lead a walk on Thursday along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail in Delmont. Walking in the woods was what first got Praksti, who received her certification from the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in North Carolina, interested in finding new uses for the plants she...
Murrysville Medic One will hold open house for new garage
Murrysville Medic One officials will host an open house next month at their new garage off Sardis Road. “We want to invite the public in to see all the stuff that we’ve got and how the building looks,” said Medic One spokesman Matt Stromberg. Wet winter weather slowed construction on...
