Murrysville Star category, Page 122
Murrysville to reduce number of monthly planning meetings
Murrysville officials are hoping that reducing planning commission meetings from two to one per month will make it easier for the commission to achieve a consistent quorum to conduct business. The seven-member commission was only able to hold one monthly meeting during at least six months of 2019, according to...
Murrysville will likely delay construction of park amphitheater
With live concerts an unlikely scenario in the near future, and a group of consultant proposals that missed the mark, Murrysville officials are likely to hold off on plans to build an amphitheater at Murrysville Community Park. “We received five (consultant) proposals, and to say the least, I think we’re...
Delmont hikes sewage rates by $6.50 per month
Delmont Council voted to raise its portion of monthly sewage rates by $6.50 as the borough implements one state consent order while continuing to negotiate another. Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday to institute the rate hike, which brings the borough’s portion of sewage revenue to $35 per month, per household....
Franklin Regional board opts not to add ‘sunset clause’ for Sloan bond payments
Franklin Regional school board director Ed Mittereder compares the district’s construction-related bond debt to a series of car payments. “We all look forward to the day when we pull that last coupon and make that last payment,” Mittereder said. “That sigh of relief comes the following month, when the money...
Franklin Regional board votes to restart Sloan construction project
The Franklin Regional School District will restart the Sloan “elementary campus” project later this month despite concerns by four of its nine school board members. “There’s really no certainty when a good time to move forward is,” said board member Gary English. “I think we should err on the side...
Delmont will hold April council meeting with arrangements for online access
Delmont council will hold its monthly meeting at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday at the borough building, and while the public is permitted to attend to the extent that social distancing is still possible, the borough has provided links and contacts to either view or listen to the meeting. Members of the...
Murrysville chiropractor looks into ways small businesses can cross-promote each other
Mandy Zimmerman of Murrysville has closed her business, Sports Performance and Spine, amid the coronavirus epidemic. That’s left her with plenty of time to think about ways struggling small-business owners can help support one another, as well as generate customers. “I went to the Olive Merchant store and bought a...
From Science Bowl to stay-at-home: Murrysville brothers adjusting to life amid pandemicVideo
Six weeks ago, Urvish Jain and his high-school teammates were earning a third-place finish at the National Science Bowl’s regional competition in West Mifflin, and his brother, Bhav, was kicking into high gear during his first spring semester at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. Now, the Murrysville brothers...
Franklin Regional senior earns 4 digital media awardsVideo
When Ryan Lucht and fellow Franklin Regional media student Tim Quinn made a short horror film, they never expected that it would lead to meeting horror industry icons such as Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero. Then again, given the success that the school’s media students have had in recent years...
Franklin Regional art students send portraits overseas to Malaysia
Members of Franklin Regional’s National Art Honor Society may be stuck at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, but their artwork continues to make a difference in the lives of others. Most recently, it made a difference by way of the Memory Project, which promotes intercultural awareness and friendship through art....
Franklin Regional free meal service open to all students
Franklin Regional students do not need to be signed up for the school district’s free and reduced lunch program to receive free meals, officials said. As of Monday, the district has waiver approvals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide free meals to all children. In cooperation with its...
Franklin Regional will combine committee-of-the-whole, voting meetings in April
The Franklin Regional School Board will hold both of its monthly meetings on the same night, April 13. The board’s committee-of-the-whole meeting will be followed by its monthly voting meeting. As with the most-recent meeting, deliberation and voting will be livestreamed through the district’s YouTube page, Youtube.com/user/FranklinRegionalSD. A link to...
Murrysville doula authors children’s book on milk bank donationVideo
Jan Mallak was nearly two decades into her career as the director for Hearts and Hands Doula in Murrysville when one of the mothers she’d worked with called and issued a challenge. “She decided to take on the task of creating a milk bank in Western Pennsylvania,” said Mallak, 67,...
Employee at Murrysville Giant Eagle tests positive for covid-19
An employee at the Giant Eagle in Murrysville has tested positive for covid-19, store officials reported Thursday night. The regional chain has sought to keep customers informed by keeping a list of stores where employees have tested positive for the virus, and when that employee was last in the store....
EPA: Do not flush anything other than toilet paper to help keep sewage systems running efficiently
With increased sanitary measures taking center stage amid the coronavirus pandemic, federal environmental officials are asking Americans to stop flushing disinfecting wipes in an effort to keep sewage systems functioning properly. “Flushing anything other than toilet paper, including disinfecting wipes, can damage internal plumbing, local sewer systems and septic systems,”...
State waivers not necessary to restart Franklin Regional school construction
The Franklin Regional School Board is trying to determine if it needs state permission to restart the Sloan “elementary campus” project if the board decides to move forward despite the covid-19 pandemic. According to Department of Education guidelines regarding the pandemic, the district needs no waiver and can make that...
Murrysville Medic One gets massive anonymous donation of medical equipment
Murrysville Medic One received some good news this week: An anonymous benefactor was donating protective medical equipment. A lot of it. “We had the police department come down and block off part of the road because we had three wheelchair vans full of stuff,” said Matt Stromberg, a Medic One...
Adapting: The ‘second first day of school’
Editor’s note: Adapting is a regular series spotlighting the ways the global coronavirus pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. On Monday, students in many areas across Pennsylvania had their “second first day of school,” in the form of school districts’ online learning plan going into...
Murrysville Boy Scout creates ‘scent wall’ for search-and-rescue dog groupVideo
Eagle Scout projects fall into a wide variety of categories, but many are aimed at beautifying the towns in which they take place, or fixing up a feature that has fallen into disrepair. Liam Rhea of Murrysville jumped at the chance to take on a project that could potentially help...
Local government groups work through future meeting plans amid coronavirus pandemic
Local governments are adapting as quickly as possible to keep municipal business going amid the spread of coronavirus. Here’s how groups in the Star’s coverage area are handling meetings in the foreseeable future. Franklin Regional School District Franklin Regional’s school board will be conducting meetings via the Zoom digital meeting...
Franklin Regional to explore waiver request for Sloan construction project
Given the fluid situation at the state level regarding coronavirus-related business restrictions, Franklin Regional School District officials aren’t certain if they will need waivers to resume construction on the Sloan “elementary campus” project. But if they do, and decide to move forward with construction, their solicitor would like to have...
Murrysville political committees look to iron out new-precinct wrinkles
It’s probably a good thing that Pennsylvania lawmakers delayed the state’s primary election until June 2, because it may take that long for Murrysville voters in the newly split Sardis and Newlonsburg precincts to figure out where they’re supposed to cast their ballots. “It’s been a real bear,” Murrysville Export...
Franklin Regional preps to start online instruction on Monday
Franklin Regional officials are preparing for students to resume class as much as possible amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Throughout the shutdown, teams of Franklin Regional administrators, teachers, and support staff have been meeting remotely to create a Continuity of Education Plan that involves online learning for all students,” Superintendent Gennaro...
Murrysville Garden Club offers annual scholarship
With school districts across Pennsylvania shut down for the time being, it won’t be possible for students to pick up a copy of the Murrysville Garden Club’s annual scholarship application. The scholarship is open to a graduating senior planning to major in a number of fields related to nature and...
Burgatory closing all locations after executive comes down with covid-19 symptoms
Already restricted to takeout-only service, the local gourmet burger chain Burgatory is temporary closing all nine of its locations after a member of the company’s executive team reported symptoms consistent with covid-19. “While our team member and friend has not been tested at this time, we have decided out of...
