Patrick Varine stories, Page 48
State, federal legislators look to keep AM radio a standard, free feature in vehicles
In recent years, some car manufacturers, including Ford, Tesla and Volkswagen, have quietly proposed removing AM radio from some vehicles. Members of the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters think it’s the tip of a subscription-based iceberg and are hoping recent bipartisan federal legislation can stop it in its tracks. “The best...
Pedestrian struck Christmas Eve on Route 30 in Hempfield
A Monroeville man was taken to the hospital after he was struck by a car Sunday in Hempfield. State police were called to Route 30 near West Hills Drive just after 6 p.m., after 30-year-old Agusto N. Tojil of Monroeville was struck by a car as he attempted to cross...
Pitcairn police chief surprises Gateway students as The Grinch
Pitcairn Police Chief Scott Farally’s annual undercover assignment is quite a few steps off the beaten path. Each year, Farally can be seen around the borough in December, dressed as everyone’s favorite holiday sour-puss, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. This year, PTO parents at Dr. Cleveland Stewart Jr. Elementary arranged...
Panther students stay busy during the holiday seasonVideo
From the high school down to kindergarten, when Franklin Regional students aren’t busy studying, they found plenty of ways to get into the spirit of the holidays. The FR Thespians Club hosted a senior breakfast as part of its run of “A Christmas Carol” performances, eighth grade art club students...
Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain, Boyce Park open slopes this weekend
Hidden Valley skiing fans can hit the slopes Friday, and those waiting for Laurel Mountain will be able to head downhill starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. Vail Resorts announced opening dates and holiday hour for ski and snowboard operations at its Laurel Highlands locations. Hidden Valley Hidden Valley Resort opened...
Murrysville area: Native plant program, MMA fight night, ‘Winter Wonderlab’ and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Native plants program A staff member from Rust Belt Natives will host a Jan. 16 presentation on gardening with native plants at the Murrysville Community Library. Participants will learn how to create a low-maintenance, environmentally friendly garden space, how to choose the...
Light ’em up: Synchronized light displays becoming more popular since pandemic
Western Pennsylvania saw its first decent snowfall Dec. 18. But it’s been “snowing” at Dr. Lou DiToppa’s house for a while now. DiToppa of North Huntingdon has been ramping up his Christmas decoration display for a few years. It began with brightly lit snowflakes around his house, front yard and...
Clouds hamper annual winter solstice walk in Murrysville
Westmoreland Conservancy officials got decent weather but unfortunate cloud cover for their annual winter solstice walk on Thursday evening. The shortest day of the year saw the sun setting at 4:57 p.m. About 16 participants were hoping to see it in spectacular fashion from an observation deck built by a...
Pitcairn emergency management coordinator wants ‘eye-watering’ odor addressed
There are times when Nick Turner of Pitcairn sits in his recliner, and his eyes begin to water from the odor. He doesn’t know for certain where the smell is coming from. But it has been happening for a long time and reached a level on Friday that caused one...
Forbes Road students to receive state recognition for cybersecurity program
Matthew Goss, 17, of Monroeville was part of a group of Forbes Road Career & Technology students who developed a presentation educating people on cybersecurity and recognizing online scams. But scammers are good. So good, they almost got Goss. “I had an Amazon package that hadn’t arrived yet, and I...
Annual Franklin Regional Holiday Telethon will benefit new ‘Mini-THON’ club’s fundraising effortsVideo
It may have been two decades ago, but Franklin Regional multimedia teacher Becky Magness doesn’t have any trouble recalling the first holiday telethon her multimedia students produced. “Our first one was live outside of Walmart, and it was so cold that our cameras were actually freezing,” Magness said. They also...
‘You get to see the best in people’: TribLive reporter volunteers at Salvation Army kettle
I should have switched my bell-ringing hand at least once. If there is one lesson I learned from taking a shift ringing the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle bell on a crisp, clear Thursday morning, that was it: Don’t just ring the bell for 90 minutes with the same arm. It...
‘Pilgrimage Jr.’ debuts kid-centered version of the Nativity storyVideo
Delmont Christmas Pilgrimage organizers debuted the “Pilgrimage Junior” on Dec. 2, a child-friendly, interactive way to tell the Nativity story. Participants could ask questions of the Nativity characters and get up close with animals that are part of the story. The event, new this year, was geared toward preschool and...
Coroner, local business donor partner to purchase cribs for families in need
As part of the Westmoreland County Coroner’s partnership with the Cribs for Kids National Safety Initiative, 15 cribs will be purchased for families thanks to a donation from a regional business. Uniontown-based Black Diamond Equipment Rental donated $1,000 which will be used to buy cribs for Westmoreland families in need....
Ohio man indicted on sex-trafficking charges involving Monroeville hotel
An Ohio man was indicted by a federal grand jury Friday on charges that he transported a minor to a Monroeville hotel to engage in “commercial” sex acts, U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan said in a news release. Donte Lashawn Cole, 39, of Euclid, an Ohio suburb of Cleveland, allegedly used...
Ohio Township man arrested after police said he fled traffic stop, crashed car
Pittsburgh police arrested an Ohio Township man who they say fled a Downtown traffic stop and crashed on East Street. Police said they tried to pull over a vehicle that ran a red light while speeding in Downtown around 2:30 a.m. Friday. The driver then went through more red lights...
Westmoreland DA: Woman found dead in St. Clair
Westmoreland County detectives are investigating the death of a 71-year-old woman found Thursday afternoon in her St. Clair home, according to authorities. The cause and manner of Alice I. Robson’s death is pending final autopsy results, Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said. Toxicology results will not be available for several...
Westmoreland Meals on Wheels programs prepare for winter weather
The weather outside isn’t frightful. At least not yet, and weather predictions say Western Pennsylvania is in for another mild winter. But volunteers at Delmont Meals on Wheels aren’t taking any chances — they are collecting donations for Winter Weather Kits that will be distributed to all 50 of its...
Murrysville area: Delmont park rentals, ‘Hot Chocolate Hikes’ and more
Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com. Change in Star production schedule The Murrysville Star will not have a print edition during the week of final week of 2023 and the first week of 2024. The next issue after Dec. 21 will be delivered Jan. 11. Over the holidays,...
Delmont Police awarded federal hiring grant
The Delmont Police Department got a holiday gift in the form of a $125,000 federal hiring grant. Now borough officials just need to decide if they want to put it to use. “We’re not in need of hiring another officer, but I also didn’t think we would get this grant,”...
3 Lakes Golf Course to demolish former Alcoma Golf Club building
The culture surrounding the game of golf was quite different a century ago. When Art Hawk bought the former Alcoma Golf Club in 2006, his daughter Megan Strasser made a surprising discovery in the clubhouse. “There weren’t even women’s restrooms accessible to players when we bought it,” Strasser said. In...
Western Pa. lawmaker’s bill would expand use of forensic genetic genealogy
A Western Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to expand law enforcement’s ability to use a more-detailed form of DNA analysis when identifying victims in cold cases. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, introduced the Cold Case Modernization Act which would expand the criteria for federal Department of Justice grants funding the use of forensic...
4-year-old’s shooting leads to charges for Rostraver couple
The parents of a 4-year-old Rostraver boy who accidentally shot himself in the head this summer are charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangering, according to court documents. Laura C. Steele, 32, and Michael Lynn, 37, kept the loaded gun unsecured under the bed in their...
Audubon Christmas Bird Count adds Mon Valley research area for 2023
Western Pennsylvania residents participating in the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count will have a new place to spot them this year. “We’re adding a circle in the Mon Valley, a 15-mile radius centered on White Oak Park,” said Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania Community Conservation Coordinator Ben Kehoe. The...
Indoor pickleball facility proposed for Murrysville
Even for a die-hard pickleball fan, the weather is making it difficult to get on a local court and enjoy playing. Jillian Bateman-McIntosh of Murrysville has taken notice and hopes to build a six-court indoor pickleball facility just off Route 22 in Murrysville. “I moved here from Boston where the...
