Patrick Varine stories, Page 96
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....
R.K. Mellon Foundation invests $3.39 million in companies’ ‘social impact’ pitches
For working families, time is a scarce resource. Hours that might otherwise be devoted to leading a healthier lifestyle, or making that annual doctor’s appointment, get shunted aside when life gets in the way. But Allister Chang and Courtney Bragg noticed that many of those working families, particularly in low-income...
Fists fly at ‘Winter Mayhem’ boxing card in Harmar
In the perpetual cross-state rivalry between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the City of Brotherly Love came out on top over the weekend, as Philly boxer Avery Sparrow bested the Steel City’s Matt “Sweet Child” Conway to win the International Boxing Association Super Featherweight and Pennsylvania state title. Sparrow (11-3, 4 KOs)...
Wireless companies ending 3G service, starting with AT&T
Cathy Gates was doing just fine with a flip phone, but she got rid of it when she was given a 3G smartphone at work. “Later on, about four or five years ago, I got my own, a similar phone, but recently I started having problems with it,” said Gates,...
Fossil of early mammal relative named for longtime Carnegie Museum of Natural History paleontologist
A new fossil species of an early mammal relative has been named for the man who helped discover its location, David S Berman, paleontologist and former curator of vertebrate paleontology at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The fossil, Shashajaia bermani, is from a bone bed co-discovered by Berman in...
Pa. state prison visits suspended amid covid-19 surge, staffing shortages
Citing the impact of the latest covid-19 surge on staffing, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections will suspend in-person visits at all state prisons beginning Thursday through Feb. 28. “Staffing levels have been significantly impacted throughout the winter months by the same uptick in covid-19 cases that our communities are experiencing,”...
Delmont Diggers group to hold ‘seed swap’ at library
Louisa Fordyce of Loyalhanna is interested in attracting pollinators, both to her own garden and to the perennial pollinator garden maintained by the Delmont Public Library. So she was very excited to learn about tithonia, an annual plant also called the Mexican sunflower. “It comes in all different shades of...
Greensburg woman hand-paints Marine Corps tribute on ‘World of Wheels’ motorcycle
Building a custom motorcycle is one thing. Building one that honors one’s brothers in arms is another. At the 60th annual World of Wheels custom car show this weekend at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Todd Keyser of Ligonier is showing off his custom Harley, hand-painted with reminders of...
Pa. covid-19 data follows recent trends in South Africa, U.K., but hospitals remain busy
While Allegheny County’s numbers still are headed in the wrong direction, covid-19 figures posted throughout Pennsylvania are in line with predictions that the U.S. could be nearing the downward curve of the recent surge brought on by the omicron variant. In Allegheny, the weeklong average in hospitalizations is up about...
Feds: New Kensington resident serves federal prison time for illegally receiving pandemic jobless benefits
A New Kensington man served six months in a federal prison after he was convicted of receiving pandemic unemployment compensation that he didn’t qualify for. Erick Woods, 23, of New Kensington was sentenced to time served (six months) and a two-year term of supervised released, after he was convicted of...
The return of ‘Gen. Grant,’ tax help, historical society meetings, more in Murrysville area
‘Grant’ returns to Murrysville library next month Living historian and Gettysburg resident Ken Serfass will once again portray former Civil War general and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant on Feb. 9, presenting “The Surrender of Robert E. Lee.” The program will focus on events leading up to Confederate Gen. Robert...
Greensburg native’s directorial debut will premiere Jan. 21 on NetflixVideo
A few years ago, Sujata Day would likely have described her directorial debut, “Definition Please,” in terms of the number of theaters and cities where it would be opening. And while the Greensburg native’s debut won’t be premiering in theaters, she could conceivably say it will be opening on 95...
Murrysville reminds residents: Don’t blow snow back onto plowed roads
Murrysville public works crews have more than 150 miles of roads to plow and salt during a winter storm like the one that hit Western Pennsylvania earlier this week. And the last thing public works head Bill Paiano wants is his employees having to back-track due to residents blowing snow...
Police investigate fatal shooting in Bellevue
Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a woman Wednesday night in Bellevue. Police were called to the intersection of Sheridan and Lincoln avenues at 8:30 p.m., according to an Allegheny County 911 supervisor. They found a 28-year-old woman who had been shot multiple times. She was rushed to a...
Tarentum hit-and-run suspect faces March trial date
A Lower Burrell woman accused of hitting two people with her car near the Tarentum Bridge late last month will face a March trial following a preliminary hearing Wednesday. Lois A. Davis, 55, had two felony counts of accidents involving death or personal injury held for court along with one...
Murrysville fighter prepares for 2nd MMA bout at ‘Brawl in the Burgh 10’ in Monroeville
Growing up in Murrysville, hockey had always been Craig Perry’s sport, but he spent a good deal of time watching mixed martial-arts competitions, too. “Connor McGregor was my favorite, and I always told myself that if I ever got the chance, I’d try MMA,” Perry said. After he stopped playing...
Ohio woman sentenced to 4 years after embezzling $2 million from credit union in Beaver County
An Ohio woman was sentenced to more than four years in prison on Wednesday after being convicted of embezzling from a federal credit union and failing to file tax returns, according to U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung. Stacey Shaw, 48, of Salem, Ohio, was president and CEO at the International...
Irwin’s Ruth Shuster, 100-year-old McDonald’s employee, remembered fondlyVideo
If Ruth Shuster spent any time standing still, it came as a surprise to her family. From nearly three decades of working at McDonald’s Big Mac Museum in North Huntingdon, to hosting holidays well into her 90s, to twice-weekly square dances, the 100-year-old never seemed to slow down. As a...
