Patrick Varine stories, Page 63

Burning bush shrubs may appear pretty in the fall, when their leaves turn a blazing bright red. But they also are pretty invasive, and this year they earned a spot on Pennsylvania’s list of noxious weeds. For the past few years, the list has seen the addition of several plants...

Regan Fusting’s father wanted to know where she learned to write a corporate donation letter like the one he received earlier this month. “He said, ‘Where’d you learn to do this? It’s so professional looking,’” said Fusting, 18, a senior at Franklin Regional and member of the Leukemia & Lymphoma...

Employees at FPI Industries in Arnold spent their Friday night cleaning up debris after a man jumped an embankment in his car and drove into the front of the building, according to police. Arnold Police took one man into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence, after responding to...

Three teens were taken into custody after state police said they escaped from Adephoi Village and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase Thursday night along the Route 30 eastbound corridor. State troopers initially responded to a report around 10 p.m. that an employee’s vehicle had been stolen at Technimark,...

Tara Rotuna has been solving mysteries alongside Nancy Drew since she was 8 years old. Along the way, she solved some other mysteries, like the truth behind Nancy Drew author Carolyn Keene, and she started collecting Drew books and began attending themed conventions across the country. Rotuna, 52, of Monroeville...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Artist presentation focuses on culinary herbs Murrysville artist Eileen Yeager will give a presentation at the Murrysville Community Library on “Ethnic Use of Culinary Herbs.” Yeager’s “World of Herbs” exhibit, which will remain on display at the library for the month of...

Jimmy Carter isn’t just America’s oldest living president. At 98 years old, he is America’s oldest former president, period. Carter was born Oct. 1, 1924 in Plains, Ga. Carter’s family announced this week that he has opted to forgo medical intervention and will receive hospice care at home. Several presidents...

A proposal for a soccer complex along School Road South near the Murrysville-Penn Township border is drawing criticism from nearby residents. More than a half-dozen residents are opposed to the proposal to develop a sports complex with one full-sized and one seven-on-seven soccer field in the 4900 block of School...

Murrysville attorney Bob Klingensmith has declared his candidacy for district judge in Export. Klingensmith, 59, is a Republican and Franklin Regional graduate, and attended both Penn State University and Duquesne University’s School of Law. “Throughout my career, I have personally dealt with nearly every legal issue that a district magistrate...

Shawn Knepper of Ligonier has announced his candidacy for district judge in Ligonier. Knepper is a graduate of both Greensburg Central Catholic and Saint Vincent College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in theology. He graduated summa cum laude from the Westmoreland County Police Academy, where he was also elected...

Winners in the Westmoreland Symphony’s Young Artist Competition hosted a Feb. 12 recital at the Seton Hill University’s Performing Arts Center in Greensburg. On Feb. 5, finalists from across the region competed for cash prizes and a chance to perform at the recital. Performers included: • Level I: A.J. Schmidt,...

Redstone Presbyterian Senior Care officials are hoping to have property near their Murrysville facility rezoned in order to offer more than 100 apartment units for senior independent living. Redstone CEO John Dixon said the company purchased about 36 acres adjacent to its Murrysville location on Cline Hollow Road, with the...

Westmoreland Conservancy staff are seeking volunteers to help prune apple trees at their Morosini Reserve in Murrysville on Saturday. Conservancy President Shelly Tichy said the trees at the reserve, off Morosini Farm Court near Delmont, are left over from an old orchard on the property. “Some of them are a...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. FR Class of ‘73 organizing 50th reunion The Franklin Regional Senior High School Class of 1973 is organizing its 50th reunion for this coming October. It is planned for Oct. 8 at the Antonelli Event Center, 100 Colony Drive in Irwin. Graduates...

Delmont officials will advertise an ordinance to potentially create a stormwater authority in the borough that would assess fees based on residents’ usage. Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to explore the authority further, as borough officials work their way through two state consent agreements and several million dollars’ worth of...

Westmoreland County Assistant District Attorney Judi Petrush has announced her candidacy for magisterial judge in District Court 10-3-02. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and its law school, Petrush, 54, focuses on sexual assault and abuse cases as the unit’s lead prosecutor. She is a member of both national...

An 11-year-old Salem boy died of injuries suffered in a Feb. 10 house fire, according to family members and officials at Greensburg Salem School District. David W. Becker was among three people rescued from the burning home on Route 819. A neighbor, Christina Shaner, helped Becker’s mother get his younger...

Whether it’s 300 miles of roads in Hempfield or just one square mile in Export, the responsibility for public works crews in winter is the same — keep the roads safe and passable in bad weather. That also means finding a place to store thousands of tons of salt, especially...

Parents and children stopped by the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg on Sunday morning to created Valentine-themed crafts during a free “I Heart Art” event. Volunteers typically help host at least one such event monthly at the museum on North Main Street....

Police said a man is in stable condition after an overnight shooting in Pittsburgh’s Terrace Hill neighborhood. Pittsburgh police were called to the area of Allequippa and Kirkpatrick streets around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning, where they found a man with wounds to his head and chest. EMS transported the man...

A fire that broke out early Sunday morning at Elizabeth Forward High School caused extensive damage and forced the district to close the high school until further notice, Superintendent Keith Konyk said. The fire was contained to the auditorium side of the high school, Konyk said in a letter to...