Patrick Varine stories, Page 45
Audubon Society wants eyes to the skies for annual Great Backyard Bird Count
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the Audubon Society held its annual Christmas Bird Count. This month, they’ll ask avid avian watchers to cast their eyes to the skies once again for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count from Feb. 16-19. In Monroeville, the local library will host a...
Westmoreland student musicians to perform at annual Young Artists Competition recital
Franklin Regional student musicians had a strong showing in the annual Young Artists Competition, hosted by the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra and Seton Hill University. Panther students swept the competition’s Level I instrumental category, and earned nine spots on the winners’ list. Winners will take part in a recital Sunday at...
‘Gentle Larceny’ a 1-man show featuring Ligonier actor will be staged at Unity hotel
When he started planning his nonprofit theater company, former University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg professor Stephen Schrum wanted to look for works that strayed from the traditional theater production. Without a dedicated venue to perform in, Schrum said he hoped to adapt the medium to fit into new and unique...
Franklin Regional marching band enjoys sun, Dole Whip in Hawaii
Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band students loaded onto several buses around 2 a.m. in early December, the first leg of a lengthy journey to Hawaii. The band had a chance to perform in the annual Pearl Harbor Day Parade and also to play in the shadow of the USS Arizona...
Murrysville area: Kindergarten registration, library programs and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Kindergarten registration opens at FR Kindergarten registration is open and being accepted online for Franklin Regional students through March 31. Parents and visit FRSDk12.org, click on “Parents & Community,” followed by links for “Enroll Your Child” and “Kindergarten 2024-25. An evening parent...
Export residents to absorb $5 sewage rate hike by Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority
Export sewage customers will pay an additional $5 beginning March 1, after borough officials voted unanimously this week to pass along a $5 rate hike by the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority that’s set to take effect next month. Council President Barry Delissio said it was the best course of...
‘This is going to be 100 feet off our deck’ resident says of Murrysville body shop that’s an easement away from construction
Murrysville residents who don’t want an auto body and paint business next door to their Manordale Farms neighborhood got good news and bad news at the Murrysville Council meeting Wednesday night. The good news was council did not approve the 12,500-square-foot Caliber Collision repair center proposed for property just east...
Monroeville news: Mini golf fundraiser, blue light bulb sales, more
Mini golf fundraiser at Monroeville library The Monroeville Public Library will host two miniature golf fundraisers on Feb. 24. The first is an all-ages event at 10 a.m. with the final tee off at 3:45 p.m. The cost is $5 per person to play the 18-hole course, and children ages...
Suspect who fled 2 traffic stops taken into custody
Jefferson Hills police said a man who fled from his second traffic stop in three months in late January was taken into custody Wednesday evening. He was transported to Allegheny County Jail. Police were searching for Thomas W. Hanbury, 32, of the South Hills, who fled on foot from police...
Interest in local police work drops in Western Pa. despite jump in state police academy applicants
While the Pennsylvania State Police force is seeing increased interest from people wanting to become troopers, many suburban and rural departments in Western Pennsylvania are facing a challenge trying to attract new officers. Last year, Murrysville received 18 applications from people interested in becoming police officers for the municipality —...
Murrysville area: Seed swap, hoagie fundraiser, comedy fundraiser and more
Murrysville Woman’s Club news • The Murrysville Woman’s Club recently donated $800 to several local fire companies, using proceeds from its annual holiday tea. The club donated to the Murrysville, Sardis, White Valley, Delmont and Export fire departments. • The club’s regular monthly meeting will be at 11:15 a.m. Feb....
‘Natural playground’ planned at Murrysville Community Park
Carly Greene laments that some children don’t know the simple pleasure of heading to the nearest stand of trees to play in the woods. That’s the reason the director of the Murrysville Parks and Recreation Department is looking to install a natural playground at Community Park this spring. “In essence...
Greensburg YWCA marks 65th anniversary, plans a year of special events
The Greensburg YWCA is marking 65 years, and the recent anniversary celebration was just the start of the party, according to its executive director. The YWCA has been an institution in Greensburg since 1959, and its staff wants to ensure that everyone in the region knows they’re here and ready...
‘Nostalgia’ bands draw reliable crowds, spur economic activity
Classic rock band The Guess Who took the stage last night at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg, belting out hits such as “American Woman” and “These Eyes.” Nostalgia is the primary draw for bands of a certain vintage who are looking to capitalize on the magic of classic rock’s heyday....
Police: West Mifflin man tried to enter Propel Braddock Hills school with a gun
Braddock Hills police arrested a man Thursday who they say attempted to bring a gun into the Propel Braddock Hills school. Dushaun Knox, 30, of West Mifflin, was charged with possession of a weapon on school property, terroristic threats and additional weapons charges. Braddock Hills police were called to the...
Mrithi, first gorilla born at the Pittsburgh Zoo, dies at 31
The first-ever gorilla born at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has died, zoo officials announced Thursday. Mrithi, a male silver-back Western lowland gorilla, had recently been showing mobility problems, with spinal issues the likely suspect, according to assistant mammal curator Karen Vacco. He was born June 1, 1992. The name...
Pittsburgh engineering firm settles pay discrimination allegations with U.S. Labor Department
An international engineering and consulting firm with roots in Beaver County has entered into a settlement to resolve allegations of pay discrimination against female employees. Michael Baker International, headquartered in Pittsburgh, agreed to pay more than $120,000 in back wages and interest, after a routine compliance review by the U.S....
Pitt Ohio donates semi-tractor truck to Monroeville vo-tech school
Officials from the Pitt Ohio trucking company donated a 2018 semi-tractor truck to students and staff at Forbes Road Career & Technology Center in Monroeville on Jan. 30. Pitt Ohio Vice President of Fleet Services and Vehicle Maintenance Taki Darakos said he views the donation as more of an investment....
Hempfield ice cream stand adds drive-thru, plans to open year-round
The owners at Tastyland in Hempfield are looking to keep the taste going year-round. They’re building a drive-thru at the ice cream and food stand, which has operated in the past on a seasonal basis. “We’ve owned it now for about three years and have had a lot of crazy...
Franklin Regional board, residents debate proposal termed ‘stealth Buddhism’ by former board member
An emotional wellness curriculum given initial approval in Franklin Regional School District was described by a former school board member as “stealth Buddhism” during a recent debate over whether the district should use it. It’s called Mind Up, and it aims to help strengthen students’ ability to regulate emotion, focus...
Iconic Volkswagen ‘bug on a pole’ will remain at new Murrysville Auto Sales location
Michael Pampena of Murrysville still uses the Volkswagen “bug on a pole” on Route 66 in Salem to navigate and give directions. Now, it marks the new entrance to his business. Pampena and his wife, Tia, relocated Murrysville Auto Sales to the former Excel Auto Body on Route 66, and...
Beaver Falls man comes 90 minutes shy of world record to build Star Wars LegoVideo
Jonathan Wagner doesn’t like to talk about his “dark period” with Legos. “A lot of people in the Steel City Lego User Group went through it,” he said. “Usually around early adulthood, most people kind of just forget about Legos.” In the late 1990s, Lego began releasing kits for its...
Philips Respironics suspends U.S. sales of CPAP, other breathing machines
In the wake of a disastrous recall involving defective sound-dampening foam in several of its breathing machines, Philips Respironics announced Monday that it was suspending sales of its continuous positive airway pressure — or CPAP — machines in the United States. The decision comes as part of a consent decree...
What’s that?: Hempfield man’s ‘solar garden’ catches the eye of passers-by
Editor’s note ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com. Jeffry Meyer spent his career as an engineer, which didn’t leave a lot of time for gardening. So when he retired and...
Retired Pitt-Greensburg professor starts nonprofit theater group
Stephen Schrum’s goal is to direct 100 plays. He’s at 88. And while that wasn’t the sole reason behind his decision to form a local theater company, it certainly was a motivating factor for the Latrobe resident, who retired in 2022 after 17 years of teaching theater arts at the...
