Patrick Varine stories, Page 18

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Free Christmas dinner in Monroeville Christ the Divine Church, 245 Azalea Drive, Monroeville, will host a free Christmas Day dinner in their Lourdes Center this year. Dinner begins at 12:30 and will continue until 3 p.m., or until the supply...

In February 2023, Sardis Volunteer Fire Company Chief Joe Paiano Jr. entered a burning house in Salem Township to rescue an 11-year-old boy. The boy was among three people pulled from the fire, but he died of his injuries a few days later. The incident affected Paiano in a way...

New Year’s ball drop at noon For those who who don’t want to stay up until midnight, the Monroeville Public Library will host a ball drop at noon on Dec. 31 inside the Monroeville Mall, 200 Mall Circle Drive. This free, all-ages New Year’s Eve celebration will be held on...

Monroeville Council reduced an anticipated 2-mill tax hike to 1.5 mills in passing its 2025 municipal budget on Tuesday. Council voted 5-2 to raise property taxes from the current 4 mills to 5.5 mills. Councilmen Bill Krut and Mike Adams voted no. The $41.3 million budget does not change the...

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, the atmosphere in Monday’s Union Restaurant in Unity was positively serene compared with the same hour last week. A handful of customers chatted at the bar while two others sat in the restaurant waiting for one of Monday’s popular pizzas. The previous Tuesday, the main downstairs...

High school students across the state have decorated winter snow plows, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials want the public to vote on their local favorites. The annual Paint the Plow contest is part of PennDOT’s annual campaign drawing awareness to winter driving safety. Students were asked to create a...

When Brian Shema began taking part in the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count more than two decades ago, red-bellied woodpeckers were a very rare sight. The red-headed bird’s historical range was the central and southern states. They’re not suppose to be here, traditionally speaking. But these days, Shema said...

Property taxes will remain at 12.05 mills next year in Murrysville, after council members voted to pass a $17.3 million budget for 2025. The municipality’s $17.28 million budget includes $3.8 million in capital spending. Capital projects for next year will include grant-supported bridge work along with $100,000 for new police...

One man was killed and another is in stable condition following a shooting late Thursday night in Penn Hills, police said. First responders were called to the 200 block of Universal Road shortly before midnight and arrived to find Vanderlee Stevenson, 21, of Penn Hills with multiple gunshot wounds, according...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. East Suburban Artists League exhibit The East Suburban Artists League invites the public to a Dec. 14 reception for its exhibit at Gallery Space in the Monroeville Public Library, 4000 Gateway Campus Boulevard. It will be from 6-8 p.m. and will showcase...

Here are a few news items for Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024: Drivers suffer popped tires on Parkway East PennDOT officials said nearly 30 drivers ended up with flat tires after hitting a metal grate on the Parkway East near the Churchill exit. A large number of vehicles were forced to...

Susan Miller is used to spotting birds on her nature walks. That makes the Plum naturalist a perfect candidate for the annual Christmas Bird Count, a worldwide effort to document local bird populations. The survey is the largest citizen science effort held for one day, between Dec. 14 and Jan....

Delmont will officially lower the speed limit on Athena Drive to 25 mph. Council voted 6-1 at its November meeting to reduce the top speed on the stretch of Athena between Freeport Street and the borough line just north of Park Drive. Council President Andy Shissler voted no. Athena is...

Here are some overnight news items for Monday, Dec. 2, 2024: Water main break cleaned up The intersection of Liberty Avenue and Commonwealth Place has reopened after an overnight water main break made both roads impassable in Downtown Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Water crews were called to the intersection around 10:30 p.m....

For those who’ve been watching Steelers football for decades, former defensive player and CBS Sports analyst Bryant McFadden summed it up pretty well. “Once upon a time, we lived in a world where it would take three games for a Pittsburgh-led offense to score 40-some points,” McFadden said in postgame...

From Christmas cantata choirs to community bands to elementary and high schools, ‘tis the season for holiday music. Here are some seasonal concerts happening across southwestern Pennsylvania. Events are free except where indicated. • Scottdale Concert Band holiday concert, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Woodcrest Senior Living Community, 1 Woodcrest...

Plum AARP meeting, luncheon on tap Plum AARP will celebrate Christmas with a luncheon buffet at Palmieri’s Restaurant, 951 Old Frankstown Road, Plum, at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 10. The entertainment will be Kathy Zang, who will perform holiday songs. Plum AARP is a social organization open to residents of...

John Meier & Sons Hardware in Murrysville was filled with tools from 1953 until its closing in 2022. Soon, it will be filled with tools for self-defense and improved physical performance. The Murrysville branch of ATA Martial Arts, and Gallagher Performance will be the new tenants following a building-wide remodel...

There are few items on the Pennsylvania hunting calendar that draw more anticipation than the opening day of firearms deer season. There also are few events that have generated as much heated debate in recent years, particularly since the Pennsylvania Game Commission made the decision in 2019 to shift opening...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Volunteer bell ringers needed The Salvation Army is seeking volunteer bell ringers through Dec. 20 on Fridays and Saturdays at the Delmont Walmart. Volunteers can sign up for a 1-hour shift between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Walmart is at 6700 Hollywood...

The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce plans to study the potential for a convention center and hotel in the county. “As we look at regrowing Westmoreland County, this is just one of many items where we’re looking to spur new economic growth,” said chamber President and CEO Dan DeBone. “We’re...

While much of Monroeville changed around it, Ralph’s Army Surplus store has been a mainstay on William Penn Highway for nearly seven decades. Founded by Ralph Bonn in 1955, the one-story building offers all manner of Army surplus gear including sleeping bags, canteens, hand warmers, camo gear, mess kits and...

Here are a few news items for Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024: 2 injured in Washington County crash Two women were transported to local hospitals after their vehicle crashed into a Washington County fire station on Saturday. Shortly before noon on Saturday, first responders were called to the Richeyville Volunteer Fire...

Allegheny County Police have charged an East Deer woman with bringing an unpermitted handgun to the main security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport. Lynda R. Lee, 61, of Creighton, East Deer, was going through the U.S. Transportation Security Administration checkpoint shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday morning when officers noticed the...

A house fire Friday night on Zandona Street in Plum prompted a large response from fire companies in neighboring communities. The fire was reported shortly before 8 p.m. on the 700 block of Zandona in the borough’s Logans Ferry Heights neighborhood. Logans Ferry Heights Fire Chief Stephen Marsh said the...