Patrick Varine stories, Page 66
Murrysville area: Egg hunts, leaf collection dates, girls’ computer camp and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Local egg hunts • The Delmont Recreation Committee will host an April 8 egg hunt for children in three different age groups at Newhouse Park. There will be a craft for children at 11:30 a.m., with the hunt starting at noon for...
Penn-Trafford goes ‘Under the Sea’ with spring musical ‘Little Mermaid’
For seniors in the Penn-Trafford Drama Guild, this year’s musical is exciting but perhaps a little bittersweet, it being their last before graduating. But it’s not stopping any of the 16 seniors from working as hard as they can to make “The Little Mermaid” a show to remember. “It’s a...
Opponents of Saturday deer opener cite negative economic, social impacts
A few years ago, Randy Santucci’s deer hunting season would begin at a leisurely pace once Thanksgiving was over. “People would start trickling into camp on Saturday, we’d do a campfire Saturday night, my brother would fly in from South Carolina with a bunch of dove breasts from hunting, and...
Murrysville Medic One officials hope for strong response to subscription drive
Murrysville Medic One staff members responded to more than 15,000 calls in 2022, an average of more than 40 a day. To continue that level of service, they are hoping for a good response to their annual fundraising drive. “Many residents believe in a mistaken way that they may never...
Delmont moves ahead to develop ‘jake brake’ ordinance; police say they can’t enforce it
Delmont officials will move ahead in developing a “jake-brake” ordinance, despite acknowledging that their police department will not be able to enforce it. Borough officials asked the state transportation department to study a stretch of Route 66 in order to post signs prohibiting the use of engine brake retarders, or...
Penn Township couple readies to open ice cream shop in Murrysville
A Penn Township couple is opening a franchise of a popular Pittsburgh-based ice cream maker. Brian and Lori McBarron will operate the 10th location of Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream at the Blue Spruce Shoppes in Murrysville. “It’s close to home,” said Lori McBarron of Harrison City. “With the traffic that...
New Jersey man charged after biting police officer during Saltsburg arrest
A New Jersey man is accused of biting a state trooper while trying to fill a fraudulent prescription Wednesday at a Saltsburg pharmacy. William Tifa, 25, of Newark, faces charges including assault of a law enforcement officer, attempting to obtain a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, identity theft, simple...
Murrysville area: Charity golf tournament, spring craft fair, kindergarten registration and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Charity golf tournament to benefit UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation The Dedicated Nursing Associates eighth annual Charity Golf Classic is set for June 16 at Meadowink golf course in Murrysville, with proceeds benefiting the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation. The tournament will have two...
Delmont moves ahead with creation of stormwater authority
Delmont officials will move ahead with the creation of a stormwater authority board, which would be authorized to charge residents a fee based on the amount of stormwater runoff they contribute to the borough’s collection system. Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to create the five-member authority, as borough officials work...
Grant-funded program aims to establish ‘bird-friendly communities’ in Mon Valley
Last year, members of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania were busy putting a state grant to work through their certified backyard habitat program, familiarizing residents with the positive benefits of native plants. This year, they are combining funding from a federal grant, the Pittsburgh Foundation and R.K. Mellon Foundation...
Three Rivers Community Band Festival relocates to MurrysvilleVideo
Members of the East Winds Symphonic Band should be preparing for the 20th annual Three Rivers Community Band Festival. But, the covid-19 pandemic forced the festival to skip the past three years. So while it has been around for two decades, it technically will be the 17th year for the...
Police: Beechview man charged with homicide after shooting
A 23-year-old Beechview man remained in jail Tuesday in connection with a fatal shooting along Banksville Road, Pittsburgh police said. Connor Cusick Makstutis, 23, is charged with homicide and is in the Allegheny County Jail, according to police. The man who was killed was identified as Richard William Derkach, 34,...
Homewood crash overturns ambulance; 2 in stable condition
A female ambulance driver was taken to the hospital with hand and pelvic injuries after a crash Monday afternoon flipped the ambulance she was driving onto its side in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, according to police. Pittsburgh police, ambulance and fire units were called to the intersection of Oakwood and Bennett...
Murrysville woman’s book sales will benefit cat rescue organization
When Nina Damato was searching for a way to raise money for local animal rescue efforts, she didn’t have to look much further than the two cats in her living room. The feline siblings are both blind. Damato, 71, of Murrysville, cheekily named them Louis Braille and Andrea Bocelli. Her...
What does Pittsburgh’s mild winter mean for spring bugs?
On the calendar, it might technically be winter. In real life, Penn State assistant research professor Michael Skvarla just pulled a black-legged tick off his daughter about a week ago. That’s typically a spring and summer problem. But the Pittsburgh region is on pace for one of its mildest winters...
Westmoreland historian, Trafford American Legion officer continue to preserve, honor local history
On the 100th anniversary of World War I’s end, Andrew Capets of North Huntingdon published “Good War, Great Men,” which followed the wartime exploits of the 313th Machine Gun Battalion, in which his grandfather served. Over the years, Capets has learned more and more about the men of the 313th,...
BotsIQ competition in Hempfield puts STEM concepts into actionVideo
Southmoreland High School senior Josef Jefferson has learned quite a bit during his time with the school’s BotsIQ team, building robots that battle in a competition among Western Pennsylvania schools. “We came up with some new ideas, and we saw a lot of bots last year that were really effective,”...
Export council to consider shifting some borough accounts to investment trust
In order to help their money make a little more money, Export officials are considering moving some borough accounts to the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust. PLGIT “is similar to a bank but not a bank,” according to the group’s Western Pennsylvania marketing director, Tamara Kemmler. “We don’t do anything...
Murrysville area: Paranormal presentation, local scholarships, Pi Day bake sale and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Library speaker will discuss paranormal occurrences in western Pa. The Delmont Public Library will host featured speaker Stan Gordon for a talk on reports of UFOs and Bigfoot in western Pennsylvania on March 29. Gordon will discuss his studies of paranormal incidents,...
National Women’s History Month: Pennsylvania’s 1st female judge appointed in Allegheny County
Debra Todd was recently sworn in as the first woman in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s history to serve as chief justice. March is National Women’s History Month, here’s a look at the history of women in Pennsylvania’s judiciary, starting with their expanded role across the board in 2023. Women make...
Franklin Regional students channel 1950s with spring musical ‘Grease’Video
Last year in the Franklin Regional Theatre Guild’s production of “The Little Mermaid,” students had the challenge of playing princes, mythical creatures or anthropomorphized fish. This year, director Mark Wolfgang said there’s an even bigger challenge — playing a slightly different version of themselves, as the angst-filled high school students...
Pa. game commission seeking genetic info on ‘tame’ ruffed grousesVideo
Have you been harassed by Pennsylvania’s state bird? The game commission wants to know. No, seriously. In the spring and fall, some ruffed grouses exhibit what wildlife experts refer to as “tame” behavior. Despite being completely wild animals, they show very little fear around people and will sometimes even act...
Wildlife livestream helps ‘bring the outdoors in’ for Saint Vincent studentsVideo
Bill Powers of Murrysville is on the lookout for a pileated woodpecker nest somewhere on his property. And Saint Vincent biology professor Jim Kellam is just the man to help him find it. Their mutual appreciation for wildlife has led to the installation of a TV at the Dupre Science...
Senate bill would continue to reduce state police funding from Motor License Fund
Senate Republicans in Pennsylvania advanced a bill that could reopen discussion about former Gov. Tom Wolf’s suggestion that communities without a police force should help fund the state police who provide services there. Senate Bill 121, introduced by Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Johnstown, continues the state’s recent trend of lessening...
Charley Family Shop’n Save named among top 25 independent U.S. grocers
Shoppers at the three Charley Family Shop ’n Save stores in Greensburg and Murrysville don’t have to look far to find owner Tom Charley. If he or his brother, Mike, are not walking around a store chatting with customers, chances are good that Charley has a recent video posted to...
