Patrick Varine stories, Page 94
Murrysville area: ‘Egg my Yard,’ meetings and more
Submit news, briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. “Egg My Yard” registration opens Feb. 21 Murrysville residents seeking to have their yards “egged” this Easter by the recreation department can begin signing up on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. Department members will hide candy-filled plastic eggs for a “family-sized” egg...
Delmont appoints councilman to fill vacated seat
Chris Bigley moved to Delmont eight years ago for its small-town charm and historical significance. As a resident, he’s attended events like the Apple’n Arts Festival and the Delmont Pilgrimage with his family, and wanted an opportunity to give back. He now has that chance for at least the next...
Delmont mayor breaks 3-3 deadlock in appointing new council member
Delmont Mayor Alyce Urban is empowered to break a tie vote, if one should come up at a council meeting. But in six years, she hasn’t been called on to do so. Tuesday night, she had to do it twice in order to fill the seat vacated by her husband,...
Man fatally shot in Pittsburgh’s East Hills
Pittsburgh police continue to investigate a fatal shooting Tuesday night in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of East Hills. Zone 5 officers responded to the 2200 block of Wilner Drive around 7 p.m. for a report of a man who’d been shot. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as...
911: 3 vehicles involved in multiple collisions on Route 30 near Adamsburg
Police and EMS were on the scene of a multi-car crash on Route 30 just south of Adamsburg on Tuesday night. The eastbound lanes of Route 30 reopened shortly after 11 p.m., following multiple crashes an hour earlier in the area where the highway is carried over Edna Road in...
PennDOT: Rosslyn Farms on-ramp to Parkway West likely closed ‘for the next few months’
The bridge carrying traffic from Rosslyn Road onto the inbound side of the Parkway West remains closed a little less than a week after a truck crashed into its support structure on Feb. 2. The crash happened about a mile west of Exit 65 on Interstate 376. The bridge on-ramp...
Asbestos issues drive up costs for demolition of Franklin Regional elementary
The bulk of Franklin Regional School District’s capital plan for the coming school year is demolishing the former Heritage Elementary School, although the cost has gone up substantially after asbestos was discovered in the building. A little less than half of the $2.25 million capital budget for the 2022-23 school...
Needs vary this time of year at Western Pa. charity thrift stores
At the Goodwill store in the Hollywood Square shopping plaza just off Route 22 in Salem, things have been busy the past few months. “We have way more business here than we did in the Murrysville location,” said assistant manager Jenny Desport. Part of it, she said, is due to...
Export train station will open on weekends; formal dedication planned for summer festival
While its formal dedication will take place this summer, the Export train station will be opening its doors to the public on the weekends. Built to replicate the borough’s former station, the building will house local history, with the Export Historical Society creating rotating displays and holding its monthly meetings...
Juneteenth celebration will expand to Market Square, feature voting-rights forum
War is coming to Pittsburgh this summer. But it’s not the kind with tanks and guns — it’s the kind with guitars and drums. Legendary funk-soul band War will headline the 2022 Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration, announced this week for June 17-19. And while last year’s Juneteenth celebration at...
Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials move ahead with short Export extension
Getting across Route 66 remains the key challenge to its completion, but the plan this year is to get the Westmoreland Heritage Trail about 700 feet closer to Delmont. Export council this week gave the go-ahead for trail officials to move forward with extending the western half of the trail...
Greensburg diocese excited by 20% bump in Catholic school enrollment
Despite the past two years being hampered by the covid-19 pandemic, officials at the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg are encouraged by other trends that have emerged over the past 24 months — namely, a 20% bump in Catholic school enrollment across the diocese. “I think that’s outstanding,” said Bishop Larry...
Natrona Heights native Jimmer Podrasky releases 1st Rave-Ups album in 3 decadesVideo
Having left the Alle-Kiski Valley behind in the early 1980s, Natrona Heights, Harrison, native Jimmer Podrasky doesn’t miss the weather headed Pittsburgh’s way this weekend. “It’s been 40 years since I’ve driven in that kind of weather, and it still haunts me,” said Podrasky, 64, now a Los Angeles resident....
Murrysville area: ‘Sweetheart’ hike, scholarships, library programs, more
Recreation department hosts “Sweetheart Hot Chocolate Hike” on Valentine’s Day The Murrysville Recreation Department will host a “Sweetheart Hot Chocolate Hike” at 10 a.m. on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. The hike will take place on the trails at Pleasant Valley Park, 2557 Pleasant Valley Road. The wooded hike includes slopes...
Arden Courts resident in Monroeville celebrates 100th birthday
Clara Hendy has her good days and bad days. Like other residents at Arden Courts assisted living facility in Monroeville, her memory is not what it used to be. Her son Neel had to remind her that Thursday is her birthday. Not just that, though — it is her 100th...
Parkway West bridge reopens in Rosslyn Farms after being struck
The bridge carrying traffic from Rosslyn Road to the inbound side of the Parkway West has reopened after a vehicle struck it on Wednesday afternoon. PennDOT officials announced via their Twitter feed that the structure carrying traffic from Rosslyn Road to eastbound I-376 was closed shortly after 6 p.m. while...
Winter storm warning issued for Pittsburgh region as massive weather system moves across U.S.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for a cold front expected to bring the dreaded “wintry mix” of snow and sleet to the Pittsburgh region Thursday. Freezing rain is expected to begin in Pittsburgh by 4 p.m. and in points east by 6 p.m. on Thursday,...
On hold with Excela? A Pittsburgh man wrote that songVideo
Most telephone callers waiting on hold with the Excela health system are likely preoccupied with something other than the music they hear. Even so, they may find themselves lightly tapping their feet to the plaintive acoustic guitar and plucky overtones of “Excela Theme,” a song written specifically for the Westmoreland-based...
Murrysville area: Water quality presentation, ‘Boomers and Beyond’ speaker series, meetings, more
Intergenerational faith discussion set for Feb. 8 The “Boomers and Beyond” speaker series at Mother of Sorrows Church in Murrysville continues at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 8 with “That’s Not How I Raised Them,” a discussion on intergenerational differences in the way faith is practiced. The discussion will be led by...
Homeowners get their turn at covid relief funds
Last year, state officials were able to channel federal covid-19 relief funding to Pennsylvania renters in need of financial assistance. Starting Tuesday, they will look to provide similar relief for homeowners. “As Pennsylvania continues to manage out of the covid-19 pandemic, we continue to make key investments in areas where...
Greensburg band to provide Groundhog Day music in Gobbler’s Knob
Greensburg’s Derek Woods Band will provide the musical backdrop for this year’s Groundhog Day festivities Feb. 2 at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney. And if the past is any indication, Woods and his band members had better start layering their clothes now. “The sets we played were limited to about 10...
‘Book of Boba Fett’ writes a great chapter, but it’s someone else’s story
NOTE: Spoilers ahead through Wednesday’s episode of “Book of Boba Fett” and the first two seasons of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+. Let’s be clear: I love “The Mandalorian.” It’s a great series, and I can’t wait for the third season. So I was a bit surprised when this week’s episode...
‘Kentucky rifle’ enthusiasts head to Salem for annual Historic Arms Show
Modern rifles might be easier to use, more streamlined in their design and more accurate. But you won’t find any at the 24th annual Historic Arms Show this weekend at the Lamplighter in Salem. Organized by the Old Westmoreland Rifles group’s Collectors Show Association, the show will take place Friday...
‘Book of Boba Fett’ is the ‘Star Wars’ universe fans deserve
A long time ago, in a Gilpin Township home far, far away, I discovered the “extended Star Wars universe” after being enthralled by the original film trilogy. It came in the form of “Tales from Jabba’s Palace,” an anthology of stories that delved into the lives of the weird creatures,...
Newly elected Franklin Regional school board member resigns
The Franklin Regional school board this week unanimously accepted the resignation of recently-seated school director Michael Corcetti, who was not present. He is resigning for personal and family reasons. The board also appointed Vince Azzolina to fill Corcetti’s seat, voting 5-3. Both Azzolina and George App submitted letters of interest....

