Murrysville Star category, Page 124
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...
Murrysville council moves to online meetings, public will still be able to participate
Some members of Murrysville council were sitting in the audience Wednesday night, in full observance of the recommended social distancing protocols. When they meet next, they’ll be sitting even farther apart, but neither they nor the public will need to worry about social distancing unless someone else is sitting too...
Philips Respironics hiring at Murrysville, Upper Burrell plants to meet demand for ventilators
Philips Respironics, a medical manufacturer that produces ventilators and related breathing equipment, is increasing production and hiring assemblers at its Murrysville and Upper Burrell plants to meet demand spurred by the spreading coronavirus. The company is recruiting for more than 50 positions for assemblers on all shifts at the two...
What’s essential as businesses heed pleas to close amid coronavirus pandemic
Businesses around Western Pennsylvania have shut their doors, heeding pleas from public health officials and elected leaders from mayors to governors to the president to limit contact between people to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Tom Wolf this week asked that all nonessential businesses close. Many have. But...
New voting-machine demo canceled in MurrysvilleVideo
A late-March hands-on demonstration of Westmoreland County’s new voting machines has been canceled amid the spread of the coronavirus, but voters can still get a digital look at how the machines operate. While the March 28 demonstration in Murrysville will not go forward, county election officials have posted a video...
Franklin Regional working through plans for meal service, ‘voluntary learning opportunities’
As parents of school-age children scrambled to figure out how to handle two weeks of closed schools, administrators are trying to determine how to handle instruction in the near future. “At this time, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and schools across Pennsylvania are working through many legal and procedural barriers regarding...
Franklin Regional school board, Murrysville planning commission meetings canceled
Monday’s Franklin Regional school board voting meeting and Tuesday’s Murrysville Planning Commission meeting have been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. School district officials will communicate and advertise the date for a make-up meeting. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for April 6. School board meetings are...
Murrysville native helps save ‘Restaurants on the Edge’ in Netflix showVideo
Murrysville native Courtney Hazlett hates to see a restaurant with a great location – and a great view – slipping into obscurity. With that in mind, Hazlett’s production company, OutEast Entertainment, created “Restaurants on the Edge,” which debuted in late February on Netflix. On the show, a team of experts...
Work nearly complete on replica of 19th-century Murrysville schoolhouseVideo
A crew of Amish carpenters may have been brought in to build a replica of the 1836 schoolhouse off of West Pike Street in Murrysville, but Murrysville Historical Preservation Society members didn’t need to venture far to find other period-appropriate trappings. “Lou Geiger from Murrysville, who owns (Caleb Atlantic fuel...
Delmont native works as Navy SeaBee electrician
With two generations of military men in his family, Derek Hughes of Delmont felt a strong duty to make a contribution of his own as the third. “My grandfather served in the Marine Corps as an infantryman during the Korean War and my uncle served in the Navy in the...
Delmont officials seek grant to help develop borough recreation planVideo
Delmont officials will apply for a grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to develop a recreation plan that will map out roughly the next decade for the borough’s parks. The grant requires a 50% match from the borough. The estimated cost of developing the plan is...
Cops: W.Va. man accused of assaulting, choking woman in Delmont
A Martinsburg, W.Va., man is being held without bail in the Westmoreland County Prison after he was accused of choking and threatening to kill a woman in Delmont. Ricardo Feliciano, 42, was charged with criminal trespass, cruelty to animals, disorderly conduct, harassment, stalking, strangulation and terroristic threats filed by Delmont...
Murrysville resident examines 1920s Johnstown racial incident in new book
Editor’s note: The author’s scheduled March 18 presentation at CCAC was canceled after this story was first published online. What began as a search for a story about local black history led Cody McDevitt to a project that has gone from a newspaper series to a magazine to a book...
Banners to honor veterans prove popular in Westmoreland
Delmont officials want to gauge residents’ interest in purchasing banners for local veterans to be displayed throughout town. If the response next door in Export is any indication, they’re likely to prove popular. “We’ve gotten about 70 orders and anticipate at least another 10 that are in the works,” said...
Delmont may raise sewage rates to keep pace with consent ordersVideo
Delmont officials will advertise for a $6.50-per-month sewage rate hike to keep pace with changes required in the borough’s consent order agreement with state environmental regulators. Council voted unanimously to advertise for the rate hike, and likely will vote on it at next month’s meeting. The borough is a party...
Cops: Murrysville man accused of nearly hitting policeman and dog in fleeing car
A 19-year-old Murrysville man, who police say almost hit a police officer and police dog Magnus while trying to flee a traffic stop, was arrested within an hour on multiple criminal charges. Zachary J. Jackson was arrested about 12:30 a.m. Saturday when several municipal police officers went to a residence...
Murrysville’s Morosini Reserve will become an ‘Enchanted Forest’ in May
It might seem a little strange for officials from the Westmoreland Conservancy – which focuses on science-based programming – to host a hunt for fairy houses and troll dens. “Just like with any myth, there’s a little grain of truth,” said conservancy President Shelly Tichy. “The ‘fairies’ are the insects...
