Patrick Varine stories, Page 173

Murrysville council on Wednesday night will discuss backing the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority’s $12 million bond issue and accept easements from two local property owners for storm water improvements. FTMSA officials are asking council to back the bond issue, $10 million of which will be used to tackle ongoing...

Ronald Germanoski carried the lessons — and more importantly, the camaraderie — he learned in the Boy Scouts well into manhood. “When he was young, he was in the Boy Scouts, and he dropped out just a few merit badges shy of becoming an Eagle Scout,” said his son Brian,...

There’s really no big secret about how Ron Donoughe got into the plein air art movement — he wanted to be a painter, and he also wanted to be outdoors. “It wasn’t a big fad when I started with it in the 1980s,” Donoughe siad. “But there were some painters...

After spending a summer next door in Salem Township, the Delmont Farmer’s Market is coming back to the borough in 2019. Vendor Amanda Bank told borough council members she and market patron Alice Heasley plan to organize the market in its original location, the Rose Wigfield Parklet on Greensburg Street....

Franklin Regional school board members did not award contracts Monday for the estimated $54 million construction project to consolidate its elementary schools onto one campus. The agenda for the board’s committee-of-the-whole meeting Feb. 4 listed “awarding of prime contracts for the Sloan Elementary Additions & Alterations Project and the New...

Franklin Regional students will have a freshly-turfed field next school year as part of a $1.78 million district capital improvement plan approved for 2019-20. The $1.2 million project, which includes the football field as well as resurfacing the surrounding track, accounts for the bulk of next year’s capital improvement plan....

The annual Murrysville Woman’s Club Spring Fashion Show fundraiser will take place April 13 at the Lamplighter Restaurant. It will begin at 10 a.m., with a breakfast buffet and fashions from Chico’s in Monroeville, modeled by members of the club. There will also be a wine basket raffle and a...

“Afrofuturism” may have been coined as a term in the mid-1990s, but its mark can be seen across the spectrum of black culture over the years. Loosely defined as the intersection of African diaspora culture with modern technology, it could be glimpsed in the out-there jazz and space-age costumes employed...

Last year, one of the Westmoreland Conservation District’s rain gauges measured 72 inches of total rainfall — far above the typical 40 to 45 inches that the region sees annually. “It really brought home the stormwater issues we have,” said Kathy Hamilton, stormwater technician and landscape architect at the conservation...

The Penn-Trafford high school cheerleading squad made its first-ever trip to the UCA National Competition, held in Florida, and finished among the top 10. Teams from 50 states and several international squads competed, showcasing group stunts and tumbling skills. The Penn-Trafford squad finished 10th in the competition’s Large Varsity Division...

Franklin Regional varsity cheerleaders returned to the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s National Competition for the first time in the past three seasons this year, and coaches Courtney Shovel and Nikki Ziringer liked the results. “We set a pretty clear goal at the beginning of the season: qualify for nationals,” she said....

Somerset police discovered a meth lab operation during a child-welfare check on Valentine’s Day. Officers were dispatched to a home on the 400 block of High Street shortly after 3 p.m. on Feb. 14. When they arrived, they noticed several containers on the porch “consistent with what is used in...

Theodore Peshkopia came home one day with a surprising announcement for his wife. “He said he and a partner had bought a 100-acre property in Penn Township,” said Joanne Peshkopia. Considering that Mr. Peshkopia was an elementary school principal at the time, his wife wasn’t sure what to make of...

A PennDOT District staff in Western Pennsylvania has been recognized for its efforts to effectively manage winter road salt storage and to be environmentally conscious about its application. Crews from PennDOT’s District 10 in Clarion County received five of 55 “Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting” awards from the Florida-based Salt Institute....

The inspiration for the Steel City-based YouTube series “Pittsburgh Dad” died on Monday. Greensburg native Curt Wootton announced on the “Pittsburgh Dad” Facebook page on Wednesday that his father, Keith Wootton, passed away earlier in the week. Curt has portrayed the “Pittsburgh Dad” character since 2011 on YouTube, posting videos...

Delmont Council this week tabled until March a decision on whether to designate a small alley as one-way. Shaun Blackham of Delmont, who lives across Spring Alley from Trinity United Church of Christ, said Tuesday he doesn’t understand why it needs to be designated as one-way. “I’ve basically maintained it...

State Rep. Justin Walsh this week announced his candidacy for judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Westmoreland County. Walsh, R-Rostraver, touted 22 years of experience as an attorney, legislator and small businessman. He pledged to continue his work protecting local families and their Constitutional rights as judge. “Recent...

Several Delmont residents are looking to form a “visionary committee” as they prepare for the arrival of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail in the borough. Annamarie Stackiewicz of Delmont said those interested in forming the committee would be meeting for the first time at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Delmont...

Delmont officials will seek bids for a 2019 road program that includes parts of West Pittsburgh Street, Stotler Drive, Cupp Way and Greensburg Street. Borough council members voted unanimously to advertise the road program at their Feb. 12 meeting. In order of priority, the sections proposed include: • The remainder...

Dominion Energy officials on Tuesday announced their intent to reduce methane emissions from their natural-gas infrastructure by 50 percent over the next decade, the equivalent of taking 2.3 million cars off the road for a year, or planting 180 million trees. The primary focus will be on reducing and eliminating...

Heavy wind caused serious damage to the post office in Derry Borough on Tuesday morning. No one was injured when strong winds caused part of the roof to buckle at 9:42 a.m., according to Derry Volunteer Fire Department officials. Because of the damage, postal operations have been moved temporarily to...

Virginia Hamm of Murrysville knew French, so she was fairly confident she’d be able to get by on her church’s mission trip to Haiti. That was before she noticed the Haitian children she spoke to were disguising giggles, particularly when she said her name. “I kept trying, but I kept...