Patrick Varine stories, Page 91
2 men charged in connection with PNC Bank robbery in Washington
Two Pittsburgh-area men were indicted Monday on charges of robbing a PNC Bank in Washington last fall, according to the FBI. Anthony West, 28, formerly of McKees Rocks, and Brandin Gardner, 25, of Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of robbery and conspiracy to...
Ohio man charged in Duquesne Heights shooting that left man in critical condition
Pittsburgh police have arrested an Ohio man in a shooting in the city’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood that left another man in critical condition. Police were called just after 3 a.m. Wednesday to the scene in the 1400 block of Grandview Avenue. Neil Toalston, 27, of Alliance, was charged later Wednesday...
Police say no injuries after Hill District business owner, attempted robbers exchange gunfire
Pittsburgh police said no one was reported injured when a Hill District business owner traded gunshots with three people during an attempted robbery Tuesday night. Police were called to the 2300 block of Webster Avenue just before 7:30 p.m. for a reported robbery. Three suspects entered the store and tried...
Nonprofit seeks Allegheny County residents to form solar co-op
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Solar United Neighbors is looking for about 80 Allegheny County residents interested in joining a co-op to get better bargaining power when it comes to pricing on solar equipment. And for the first time in Pennsylvania, the nonprofit is providing a limited number of free solar...
2 men in critical condition following McKeesport shooting
Two men were in critical condition after being shot late Monday in a McKeesport apartment, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers were called to the Hi-View Gardens Apartments on Sixth Street around 11:30 p.m., according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI, where they found two men ages 21 and 22, who...
Pittsburgh man fired gun near West Penn Hospital, fought with officers, police say
A Pittsburgh man was arrested in early Tuesday after Pittsburgh police say he fired a gun near West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield. Officers said they were responding to a report of shots being fired on Milgate Street just after midnight when they heard a gunshot as they approached the hospital....
Fire crews battle fire at Valley Hotel bar in ClairtonVideo
A Clairton bar was damaged heavily by a fire Sunday night, and fire crews were called back shortly after 7 a.m. on Monday morning. Firefighters responded to the Valley Hotel bar on New England Hollow Road around 9 p.m. Sunday night. An Allegheny County 911 supervisor said fire crews were...
Kiski traffic stop yields unlicensed gun, drugs
Two men were arrested Saturday night after Kiski Township police say they were driving a car with marijuana and an unlicensed gun inside. Police conducted a traffic stop shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday night along Route 56 near McKinstry Hill Road. The vehicle’s occupants, Clevon Helton, 21, of Pittsburgh and...
Franklin Regional students prepare to stage ‘The Little Mermaid’ in March
Getting into character generally isn’t a huge challenge for Franklin Regional senior Haylee Phillips. Unless that character is Flotsam, an evil eel in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Then it’s a little trickier. “I get to wear heelies, so I can skate around,” said Phillips, 17, referring to tennis shoes with...
1 in custody following brief standoff in Export
One person was taken into custody by state police around 11:30 p.m. Friday after a brief standoff in Export. State police and Murrysville police closed a small part of the lower section of Italy Road in the borough while responding to a domestic situation. Police were called to Italy Road...
Coroner: Warren County man killed in Madison crash
A Warren County man was killed Friday night after his car veered off the road and collided with a tree in Madison, according to the Westmoreland County coroner. John D. Kelly, 73, of Sugar Grove Township was the lone occupant of the vehicle when it crashed in the 300 block...
Murrysville Watch Committee makes final appeal to challenge fracking ordinance
After being rebuffed by the state’s Commonwealth Court in its appeal of a challenge to Murrysville’s unconventional gas drilling ordinance, members of the Murrysville Watch Committee will appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Committee attorney John Smith filed a petition this week asking for the state’s highest court to consider...
1 in critical condition following shooting in Mt. Washington neighborhood
One person is in critical condition following a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Mt. Washington neighborhood, according to police. Officers responded to Craighead Street, between Iberia and Eureka streets, shortly before 7:30 p.m. for a ShotSpotter alert. They found a male victim had been shot. He was transported to a local hospital,...
Southbound I-79 in Franklin Park area reopens after crash closed it for hours
The southbound lanes of Interstate 79 reopened shortly before 5 p.m., following a multi-vehicle crash between the I-279 and Mt. Nebo Road exits in the Franklin Park area. Emergency personnel were on scene shortly after the crash was reported around 3 p.m., according to PennDOT officials. PennDOT officials are advising...
Liquor control enforcement officer charged with sex crimes against 2 pre-teen girls
A Pennsylvania State Police liquor control enforcement officer has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting two girls in Cambria County. Scott Berdine was arrested Thursday and faces 10 charges related to multiple incidents in which he is accused of sexual offenses against two children outside of his regular work...
Murrysville area: Easter drive-thru, new school offices, art show entries, more
Submit news, briefs and event listings to pvarine@trib live.com. Murrysville to host Easter drive-thru Murrysville Recreation Department will host an Easter drive-thru from 3:30-5:30 p.m. April 13 at the municipal building on Sardis Road. Families can wave to the Easter Bunny and Yellow Chick and receive a treat bag while...
Police: Penn Hills man caught with fentanyl, crystal meth following traffic stop
A Penn Hills man wanted on assault charges was in possession of fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine when he was pulled over for a traffic stop on Tuesday night, according to police. Iedoniae K. Cole, 29, of Newfield Road in Penn Hills was pulled over just before 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday...
Nature club will host winter botany hike at Keystone State Park
When M.J. Seipler of Penn Township goes out into the woods, she always wants to know more about what is around her. “It’s nice to know about the birds and plants, the creatures who share the Earth with us,” Seipler said. “And we’re lucky in a place like Pennsylvania where...
Murrysville council hears pitch for acid-mine remediation project
Murrysville and Export have the unfortunate distinction of being home to two of the largest mine water sources in the Turtle Creek Watershed. That is not through any fault of their own. Long-abandoned mine activity, combined with the natural flow of stormwater, has resulted in the slow leakage of various...
Murrysville takes public input on spending federal covid relief dollars
Murrysville officials wanted to hear from ideas from the public about how to use a little more than $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan relief funding at their Feb. 16 meeting. Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said the municipality had received an initial payment last July, and the second will...
Monroeville girl trains for National Ninja League championships
Nya Scott wants to be a ninja world champion, and this spring, the 7-year-old Monroeville resident will get the chance. But it’s not the ancient Japanese martial art of ninjutsu. Scott is a member of the Iron City Ninjas, who train to run obstacle courses that test their physical endurance...
Western Pennsylvania residents look to preserve region’s mining historyVideo
On an unusually warm day in what would normally be the dead of winter, melting snow perfectly illustrated why an old Pittsburgh Coal Co. mine in Fayette County is now called “The Ruins.” “Nature takes a backseat to industry, but it always wins out in the long term,” said Rachel...
South Fayette teen’s song to debut on Pittsburgh radio on Friday
As a 14-year-old, Aleia Snider of South Fayette was excited to be meeting “American Idol” standout Gabby Barrett after one of Barrett’s performances at the South Hills Village Mall a few years ago. “I her her through my dad (Star 100.7 FM DJ) Bubba Snider,” she said. “After hearing that...
Sinkhole opens up along Route 136 in west Hempfield
A sizable sinkhole opened up on Thursday afternoon along the 3200 block of Route 136 in Hempfield. “My employees spotted it and let me know about it this morning,” said Joe Maher, owner of West Hempfield Self Storage. “There’s an old mine shaft about 25 feet down. This area was...
Murrysville area: Art show, library programs, wellness checks, more
Submit news, briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Franklin Regional fined for chemical discharge The Franklin Regional School District recently paid a $7,000 fine to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, after mop water containing floor finish and floor-finish stripper was poured down a janitorial sink connected to the stormwater...
