Patrick Varine stories, Page 27
Police: Wilkins man was driving nearly 90 mph before fatal North Versailles crash
A Wilkins man charged with homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter turned himself in at Pittsburgh Municipal Court on Friday, according to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. Aaron J. Butler, 20, of Wilkins was driving in North Versailles on April 7 when police said he struck another vehicle. The other...
Youngest Delmont Visionary Committee member, 9, builds community sled bin
Roscoe List loves sledding. And he loves helping people. For those who know the 9-year-old Delmont resident, it will then come as little surprise that List opted to combine those two things and recruit his parents to help build a bin he plans to fill with sleds and install in...
Murrysville trail camera catches rare, unique piebald buck
The wildlife trail cameras set up by Bill Powers of Murrysville keep catching some of the area’s more elusive creatures. On Thursday, one of his PixCams cameras recorded a brief shot of a piebald white-tailed buck moving through the woods. Powers prefers not to identify the locations of his cameras....
6 adults, 2 children displaced by Hempfield house fire
The Red Cross is assisting six adults and two children who were displaced by a fire Thursday evening at their home in Hempfield. The fire victims were being provided temporary housing and other needs, according to fire officials. More than a half dozen fire companies responded to the fire Thursday...
Murrysville area: FR Hall of Fame, Halloween events and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. FR inducts 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame Class Franklin Regional welcomed back former athlete alumni to be inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024 on Sept. 27. This year’s class included the 1951 baseball team; the PIAA AAA Championship...
Monroeville area: Thanksgiving dinner, concert, pumpkin patch, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Free Thanksgiving dinner The Garden City United Methodist Church, 500 Laurel Drive, Monroeville, is providing a free Thanksgiving dinner (delivery only) this year. Those in need of a dinner must register by calling 412-373-0391 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from...
Nonprofit theater group will host ‘An Evening of One Acts’ in Latrobe
Anastasia Jaeger believes in living a well-rounded life. For her, part of that involves a return to the acting she did in her younger days. “I think it can push you out of your comfort zone a little bit, which is something I believe people should do,” said Jaeger, 28,...
Franklin Regional Thespians solve a wealthy man’s murder in ‘The Westing Game’
Sam Westing is dead. And whichever one of his neighbors solves his murders will get his inheritance. So goes “The Westing Game,” the play that members of the Franklin Regional Thespians will stage Oct. 24, 26, and 27. And for most of them, it’s a familiar story. “Almost all the...
Palace Theatre hosts free trunk-or-treat, haunted history tour for the first time
The “trunk-or-treat” event has exploded in popularity over the past decade, with shopping centers, nonprofits and even car dealerships getting in on the action. The Palace Theatre in Greensburg will host its first trunk-or-treat on Halloween, but it will take place alongside a heaping helping of haunted local history. “This...
Window manufacturer’s student exchange program emphasizes the importance of skilled trade jobsVideo
High schools have made a concerted effort in recent years to introduce students to the skilled trades and make them aware of well-paying career opportunities that do not require a college degree. A Penn Township company is taking that concept international. Ventana USA, a custom window manufacturer, is working with...
New Kensington Democrat seeks to unseat Murrysville’s Jill Cooper in 55th State House race
In a divisive political atmosphere both locally and nationally, Democrat Davon Magwood is proud to be running a race against incumbent state Rep. Jill Cooper that puts negativity aside. “I love that we’re running campaigns where we’re not attacking one another,” said Magwood, 38, of New Kensington, who has worked...
Nominations sought for Pennsylvania’s 2026 Teacher of the Year
The state Department of Education invites residents to nominate candidates for the state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. The Teacher of the Year program celebrates educators who’ve made significant contributions in their field. Nominations will be taken through Dec. 16. Finalists are recognized in Harrisburg each fall. The 2025 Teacher...
Delmont plans to lower speed limit on Athena Drive
Delmont officials will begin the process to lower the speed limit on Athena Drive from 35 miles per hour to 25 mph. “This is partly the result of some complaints we’ve gotten over the years from residents,” Councilman Stan Cheyne said. “I also recall that Ace Hardware mentioned an issue...
PennWest California readies full slate of homecoming events
PennWest California will welcome back alumni as the school celebrates homecoming with a full slate of events this weekend . A parade and tailgate will take place Saturday prior to the Vulcans’ game against Slippery Rock at Adamson Stadium. Before the weekend begins, the California club hockey teams will host...
Inflation explained: Housing costs driven by supply and demand
When it comes to inflation, the real estate market is a bit of a different animal, according to experts. “Real estate is a very unique marketplace, and it’s driven very much by supply and demand,” said John Petrack, executive vice president for the Realtors Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh, who’s been...
Pine man’s presidential memorabilia runs the gamut from banal to bizarre
Try and imagine — if you can — turning on your shower, only to have the water come spouting from the overly broad smile of former President Richard Nixon. The “Tricky Dick shower head” is easily among the more bizarre pieces of presidential memorabilia in the collection of Steve Mihaly,...
Stormwater system fee increasingly likely for Murrysville property owners
For more than a dozen years, Murrysville officials were able to run the municipality without a tax hike. And even when it did take place, in 2021, it was a small bump to the earned-income and real-estate transfer taxes. When it comes to stormwater management, that may be changing. “Every...
Murrysville taekwondo grandmaster, black belt headed to Pittsburgh tournament
Shannon Kearney has been around martial arts most of her life. Her father practiced the Korean-based taekwondo, and her sister worked her way to earning a blue belt. After she was the victim of an armed mugging during her student days at the University of Pittsburgh, Kearney got involved as...
In brief: Pumpkin fundraiser, Symphony East performance, litter volunteers and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Pumpkin patch fundraiser Monroeville United Methodist Church will host a pumpkin patch fundraiser through Oct. 31. Church members will be selling pumpkins in all shapes, sizes and colors for carving, decorating, making pumpkin pies and more, from 11 a.m. to...
Pine man’s political memorabilia runs the gamut from banal to bizarre
Try and imagine — if you can — turning on your shower, only to have the water come spouting from the overly broad smile of former President Richard Nixon. The “Tricky Dick shower head” is easily among the more bizarre pieces of political memorabilia in the collection of Steve Mihaly,...
Walk to End Alzheimer’s raises more than $107K
Nearly 500 people helped raise more than $107,000 as part of the annual Westmoreland County Walk to End Alzheimer’s, held last month at Twin Lakes Park. H2B was the top fundraising team at this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, raising over $24,000, surpassing its fundraising goal of $13,000. Jennifer Pallitto,...
Woman struck by vehicle in Squirrel Hill
A woman was in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle Friday night in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, according to city police. Police and EMS were called to Forbes Avenue near Denniston Street shortly before 7 p.m. The woman pedestrian had injuries to her head and both legs, and...
Murrysville area: Fall festival, fruit-sale fundraiser and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Fall festival Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church will host its annual community fall festival from 3-4:30 p.m. Oct. 20. The free event will include games for children and adults, a trunk-or-treat event (children are invited to wear costumes), pumpkin carving and decorating and dessert...
Westmoreland native’s new guidebook explores the ‘weird, wonderful and obscure’ in New York City
Having grown up in Western Pennsylvania, Rossilynne Skena Culgan had a leg up when she started her first guidebook, “101 Things to Do in Pittsburgh Before You Die.” A few years ago, the Murrysville native moved to New York City, where she quickly began cataloguing five boroughs’ worth of oddities...
Monessen ‘Wall of Fame’ class includes Joe Montana’s midget football coach
Carl Crawley’s favorite sport? Whichever one was in season. “I played volleyball and we won the state championship,” said the 1957 Monessen graduate. “I was a baseball player and could knock the ball out of the park. Basketball, football, I ran track. My favorite was the one I was doing...

