Murrysville Star category, Page 126
Murrysville woman lived life to help others
Patricia Loughran was the kind of person who lived her life for others. She raised seven daughters. She was director of financial aid at St. Francis University in Loretto for 18 years. She was a grief counselor at several Catholic parishes. She was an advocate for people with disabilities. In...
Franklin Regional grad Jared Smith climbs rankings in karate
Jared Smith’s journey at USA Karate’s senior level — ages 18-34 — still is in its early stages, but the Murrysville resident and 2019 Franklin Regional graduate continues to prove he is one of the best at this level in the country. The 19-year-old freshman at Carnegie Mellon put his...
Amphitheater in the works for Murrysville Community Park
A state grant could bring an amphitheater one step closer to reality at Murrysville Community Park, though not everyone is happy about the prospect. Planning for the amphitheater was boosted by a $299,000 grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and municipal parks and recreation officials would...
Delmont library, Westmoreland Cleanways to host ‘Love Your Planet’ program
You can’t get a free Blizzard after the blizzard, but if Friday’s winter weather hasn’t made you weary of frozen stuff, the Delmont library’s Saturday program offers children a chance for a free ice cream cone. The library will hold a “Love Your Planet” program and craft session at 11...
3 men indicted in fraudulent tax collection scheme
Three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for wire fraud in connection with a bogus tax-collection scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady. Michael Galanis, 31, of Export; Ronnell Taylor Jr., 37, of Jeannette; and Barry Nealer, 40, of Pittsburgh are the defendants in a one-count...
Winter weather briefly closes westbound lanes of Route 380
While it reopened about a half-hour later, the westbound lanes of Route 380 were shut down shortly after 8 a.m. Friday morning until about 8:35 a.m. Poor road conditions due to snow accumulation, and several vehicles stuck on the road forced the closure, police said via a Nixle alert. Police...
Murrysville, FTMSA seek temporary repairs for several bridges
The Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority and Murrysville will advertise for a project to repair three bridges in Murrysville, but officials say it is only a temporary fix. Three bridges — in the Heather Highlands, Cal-Ken Court and Logan’s Ferry Road areas — are in need of repairs. “The original...
Murrysville man accused of swindling $18K from Allegheny Township business
A Murrysville man is accused of taking nearly $18,000 from an Allegheny Township business to install signs promoting the business, but never doing the work. Orbin Swisshelm, 60, took the money from McGuire Family Auto Service, according to a criminal complaint filed by township police. Police said Swisshelm disbanded his...
Newlonsburg associate pastor retires following 37 years of service
For the first time in nearly four decades, Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church will have a new associate pastor following the retirement of the Rev. Marion Silbert on Jan. 31. A Western Pennsylvania native, Silbert is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and Princeton Theological Seminary. She joined Newlonsburg in...
Opus 2 Orchestra prepares for winter concert in Trafford
Members of the Opus 2 Orchestra are gearing up for their winter concert set for Feb. 22 in Trafford. “An International Affair: Music from Around the World” will begin at 4 p.m. at Christian Life Church, 900 Seventh Street Ext. It will feature musical styles from different countries including Soon...
Delmont library captures $40,000 grant for solar panels, geothermal system
Delmont Public Library officials were excited when they broke ground on a new building in mid-November. Now they will have an additional $40,000 to help install solar panels and other “green” features. The library received a West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund grant, which will go toward the purchase of...
Franklin Regional fifth-graders explore a variety of career paths
When Olivia Hamilton of Murrysville was younger, she spent a lot of time with her father working on cars. “I knew I didn’t want to be a mechanic, but I remember thinking that welding sounded pretty cool,” she said. She may not have had that career path chosen by fifth...
Pittsburgh Zoo brings ‘Radical Reptiles’ to MurrysvilleVideo
Is it cold blooded? Does it have scales? If so, it might have been in the gymnasium at Mother of Sorrows School on Friday as students learned all about “Radical Reptiles” at a program presented by the Pittsburgh Zoo’s Zoomobile. Zoo conservation education specialist Katie Campbell, along with Connor Bamrick...
Delmont councilman announces bid for 14th Congressional seat
A Delmont councilman announced his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler in the 14th Congressional District. Bill Marx, 43, a Democrat, announced his decision to run during a Greater Westmoreland County Labor Council meeting this week, according to his Facebook page. He confirmed his intention to run for the...
Innocence Institute founder will discuss overturning convictions in Murrysville
In 1989, Drew Whitley was sentenced to life in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Seventeen years later in 2006, with the help of the Innocence Institute at Point Park University, he was exonerated and freed. One of the people who helped establish Whitney’s innocence will be the featured...
Registration open for girls youth lacrosse teams
Registration for the Franklin Regional Youth Lacrosse girls team is open at Frylax.com. Registration is planned for 12U and 14U teams. The group is particularly looking for new fifth and sixth-grade players and have opened registration for fourth-grade girls interested in “playing up” with the 12U team. Younger girls can...
House passes package boosting human trafficking penaltiesVideo
In the wake of human trafficking cases in Westmoreland and Butler counties, legislation strengthening existing state protections against the illegal practice recently passed in the state House. A bill from Rep. Marci Mustello, R-Butler, would increase penalties for anyone knowingly patronizing a victim and anyone connected to trafficking victims. “Whether...
Woman freed from Murrysville crash
A woman was freed from the wreckage of a one-vehicle crash in Murrysville Wednesday morning, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The crash was reported at 10:30 a.m. on Meadowbrook Road when the vehicle collided with a utility pole. Firefighters extricated her in about 30 minutes. A medical helicopter was...
Lights sought for Miracle League field in Murrysville Community Park
A request by Miracle League of Western PA officials to add lighting to the Bill Mazeroski Miracle Field at Murrysville Community Park could end up as a delicate dance balancing player safety and respect for nearby residents who were told the park would not be lit. “There were commitments made...
Franklin Regional students will perform ‘Joseph’ selections at Symphony East
Students in the Franklin Regional spring production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” will perform selections from the show during the Symphony East program. It will be at 10:30 a.m., Feb. 13 at the Westmoreland Country Club, 7100 Mellon Road in Penn Township. The event will begin with a...
Murrysville to look more closely at LED signage
Murrysville council will ask its planning commission to revisit its signage ordinance to potentially address newer signs using LED lighting. “There are a lot of LED signs popping up and I don’t know if we really address those,” council President Dayne Dice said. Murrysville’s existing ordinance lays out a host...
Murrysville teen opened First Night festivities in PittsburghVideo
Most high school juniors spend New Year’s Eve enjoying themselves with friends or family. Lavanya Anantharaman, 17, of Murrysville, spent it a little differently: performing for thousands of Pittsburgh-area residents to open the First Night festivities Downtown. “I’ve been singing since I was 5 or 6 years old, and our...
Delmont residents seek to establish historical society
Vicki Walters of Delmont doesn’t want to turn her hometown into Colonial Williamsburg. But the borough has plenty of history, and prospective members of the Delmont Historical Society would like it to have a more prominent place. “What we’ve got going for us is this strong history of Delmont,” Walters...
Comedy fundraiser to benefit Westmoreland Heritage Trail, nearing 5th phase
As Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials begin prep work for the trail’s fifth phase, they are also gearing up for an annual fundraiser to offset the cost of trail maintenance. This year’s Comedy Night will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 15 at Colton Hall in Penn Township’s Claridge neighborhood....
Franklin Regional Junior Olympics wrestlers take top spot at Kiski dual meet
The Franklin Regional Junior Olympics wrestling team brought home a first-place finish at the annual Kiski Youth Duals, going 5-0 at the Dec. 21 meet. Team recruitment coordinator Mike Ruane said the team is still getting its bearings early in the season. “This was only our second dual of the...
