Patrick Varine stories, Page 41
Honky-Tonk Jukebox host pays homage to ‘Bloomfield Sound’ on new record
Once a month, a historic German singing club in Bloomfield is transformed by cowboy hats, rhinestone jackets and plenty of boots, courtesy of the Honky Tonk Jukebox. The Jukebox is hosted by Pittsburgh singer-songwriter Jon Bindley and his band, Bindley Hardware Co. They play their own songs, cover classic honky-tonk...
Totality plunges Erie, surrounding region into darknessVideo
ERIE — The timing in Erie couldn’t have been better for a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse, which shrouded the city in darkness for a few minutes Monday afternoon. A dreary morning gave way to sunshine and clear skies around 2 p.m. as the moon began carving ever-larger chunks out of...
Total anticipation: Sunny skies that greeted visitors may be fleeting as eclipse day arrives in Erie
ERIE — If only the solar eclipse happened on a day like Sunday, the people crammed into Erie’s hotels would be able to rest easy. It was almost nothing but clear skies Sunday afternoon in northwest Pennsylvania, completely ideal conditions as visitors and natives prepared for Erie’s once-in-a-lifetime astronomical phenomenon....
Audubon Society seeks participants for Certified Backyard Habitat program
Wanda Petersen and her husband were already into biodiversity. They’ve been working to try and reduce the amount of invasive species on their 10-acre property in Frazer. The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania wants to work with local residents like the Petersens to make their backyards even more beneficial for...
Paranormal enthusiasts attend annual UFO conference in Hempfield
Lisa Fyke of Monroeville can recall her mother’s stories about paranormal things she’d experienced growing up in Braddock. “When I was going downstairs once, I saw a man in a yellow raincoat,” Fyke said. “When I went and told my dad and we came back, of course, he was gone.”...
Paranormal enthusiasts attend annual UFO conference in Hempfield
Lisa Fyke of Monroeville can recall her mother’s stories about paranormal things she’d experienced growing up in Braddock. “When I was going downstairs once, I saw a man in a yellow raincoat,” Fyke said. “When I went and told my dad and we came back, of course, he was gone.”...
Pittsburgh police say man reported missing from the North Shore has been found safe
A 23-year-old man reported missing Friday from Pittsburgh’s North Shore has been found safe, authorities said. The man had been reported missing late Friday from Tequila Cowboy on the North Shore. Pittsburgh Police sought help from the public to find him....
Updated list of Western Pennsylvania roads still affected by flooding
PennDOT has released an update concerning the portions of state roads are closed or restricted in Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, and Beaver County due to flooding and slides as of 1:30 a.m. Saturday: Allegheny County Saxonburg Boulevard, south of Berryhill Road in O’Hara Township: closed (due to slide) Bunola River...
Murrysville pizza restaurant on sale for $1.75 million
A Murrysville pizza restaurant that opened in 2020 along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail is up for sale. And where many restaurants go up for sale when times are tough, one of Ginny’s owners said their situation is the opposite. “It’s almost too busy,” said Chris Juricich. “We have four other...
Zelienople man facing multiple charges after Stowe incident
A Zelienople man is facing multiple charges after police say he pointed a gun at an Allegheny County Housing Authority officer on Thursday. The officer encountered three people shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday near the authority’s Ohio View Acres on the 200 block of Jefferson Drive in Stowe Township, one...
Pittsburgh police plan dig in Perry North after tip on 40-year-old cold case
Pittsburgh police plan to excavate an area in the Perry North neighborhood after receiving a tip about a 40-year-old cold case. According to TribLive news partner WTAE, police will work with crews from Greater Pittsburgh Plumbing to help dig up land in the neighborhood which could be connected to a...
Franklin Regional set to host public health, wellness fair
The Franklin Regional School District has a health services department. But when district officials began discussing ideas for a health and wellness fair, they decided to expand beyond the student body. The district’s April 29 community health fair will be open to the public, bringing more than 40 local health...
3rd generation Norvelt native will present town’s New Deal history
When word began circulating in the early 1930s that the government was creating a 250-lot New Deal community in Westmoreland County, some politicians and members of the region’s upper crust couldn’t understand it. “They didn’t see why the government was doing this for these coal miners, who they didn’t think...
Briefs: Murrysville torch run fund drive begins, dance with ‘stars’ of Export and more
Torch run donations The Murrysville Police Department is collecting donations for its annual Law Enforcement Torch Run team. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit Special Olympics Pennsylvania. This year’s Torch Run will be May 21-23, as more than 50 law enforcement running teams take turns carrying the Olympic torch roughly...
Monroeville area: Library expansion meetings, Pitcairn night market, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Library expansion meetings Monroeville Public Library officials want to hear what patrons would like to see when the library begins a 9,400-square-foot...
Murrysville council approves auto-body shop that has drawn neighbors’ anger
Dayne Dice summed up the unenviable position where he and his fellow Murrysville council members found themselves Wednesday night as they approved a proposal for an auto-body shop that has drawn the ire of hundreds of neighbors. “To me, voting ‘no’ tonight would feel really good but would not be...
Murrysville sportsmen’s group brings back annual youth fishing derby
The Sportsmen and Landowners Alliance of Murrysville is bringing back its youth fishing tournament after a four-year hiatus. The 2024 SLAM Youth Fishing Derby will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 18 along Haymaker’s Run in front of the Franklin Regional Intermediate School in Murrysville. “Right after the...
Police seek help identifying suspected scammer
Pittsburgh police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a man suspected in a cryptocurrency scam. Police released two images of the man. “He is believed to be involved in a Bitcoin scam targeting a 64-year-old victim,” police said in a social media post. Police said the victim lost a...
Missing Hill District girl found safe
A 12-year-old girl who had been reported missing to Pittsburgh police was found safe a couple days later, authorities said. The girl had been reported missing Tuesday from her home in the city’s Hill District neighborhood. Authorities sought help from the public to find her....
‘As a parent, it scares the hell out of me,’ Franklin Regional superintendent says of AI
Franklin Regional officials paused a proposed artificial intelligence summer student program after questions arose about its content. Inspirit AI is an eight-session summer program developed and taught by graduates of Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. “Students will learn the fundamental concepts of AI and gain...
Memorial fishing derby honors Murrysville boy on the first day of trout season
Parents and children took part Saturday in the annual Joey Gombosh Fishing Derby, at Townsend Park in Murrysville. The tournament is held in memory of Gombosh, a Murrysville resident and avid fisherman who died at age 15 when a virus attacked his heart....
Westmoreland community band members will help dedicate World War I memorial in D.C.
Westmoreland County’s five community bands regularly take an annual summer trip together, assembling a group that performs somewhere at their destination. This year, however, it will be delayed a month, so the bands can help dedicate the centerpiece of the World War I memorial in Washington, D.C. Members of the...
Community bands converge on Murrysville for free annual festival
A classic John Philip Sousa march. Variations on the “Scarborough Fair” theme. Music inspired by the “Lord of the Rings” books. Musicians from all over the Pittsburgh area will perform music from all over the map at the 18th annual Three Rivers Community Band Festival, set for April 6 in...
Residents concerned for Bernese Mountain Dogs seen wandering Murrysville since January
It’s not that easy to lose a Bernese Mountain Dog, at least from a visual standpoint. They can get up to 110 pounds, and the breed traces its lineage back, in part, to the ancient Roman mastiffs. The American Kennel Club characterizes them as loyal, calm and high-energy. Two Berneses...
Westmoreland chamber seeks young professionals for FUEL group
The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce will hold the first meeting of its young professionals group in an effort to bring the next generation of business leaders into the fold. “Our goal is to create a supportive community where young professionals can not only learn from each other and their...
