Murrysville Star category, Page 13
Franklin Regional curriculum committee to examine student cellphone policy
Some Franklin Regional school board members think the district should reexamine its current policy on student cellphone use. “Our current policy allows teachers to make their own decisions, and I just thought it was worth throwing out there,” said board member Deb Bucciero. “There’s all different kinds of research about...
Jeannette art gallery hosts works by 35 local women artists
On March 8, You Are Here in Jeannette will host an artists’ reception for its “Women in Art” exhibit, currently on display at the Clay Avenue gallery. For two of the participating artists, it will be a doubly special occasion. Not only will the exhibit feature artwork from sisters Maria...
Franklin Regional grad Cam Rowell injects energy into Washington & Jefferson men’s basketball team
After a down year, the Washington & Jefferson men’s basketball team entered the current season hoping to get back on track. In 2022-23, the Presidents of coach Ethan Stewart-Smith went 20-7 overall, 16-4 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and reached the conference tournament semifinals. But W&J took its lumps last...
Franklin Regional wrestlers come up short at PIAA team tournament, turn attention to individual success
Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe and his wrestlers left Altoona unsatisfied after competing in the PIAA Class 3A team tournament Feb. 8. The Panthers went 1-2, dropping close matches to Nazareth, 32-29, and Connellsville, 28-22. They defeated Central Mountain, 39-11, to finish the team season 19-2. And while they were...
Mutual Aid, Murrysville Medic One hoping for additional community support
Ambulance services covering Westmoreland County are hoping to receive more support from the communities they serve, particularly as that number of communities has grown in recent months. “Bell Township, Avonmore, parts of Loyalhanna Township and Saltsburg are now divided up between us, Mutual Aid EMS and the Oklahoma ambulance service,”...
Daunting equipment costs eased for Allegheny Township, Murrysville VFDs after $250K infusion from energy company
The Markle Volunteer Fire Department needs to make major repairs to its two trucks, but, like most of its peers in Western Pennsylvania, money is scarce. Spare cash will still be hard to come by for the foreseeable future, but a $100,000 grant from Olympus Energy is expected to at...
Bethel Park stuns Franklin Regional, which comes up short after furious rally
An enormous fourth-quarter comeback fizzled into a crushing defeat for the Franklin Regional girls basketball team as its first playoff appearance in six years ended with a near miss. A mid-game sigh turned into a ray of hope for the Panthers, but it ended in tears. The fifth-seeded Panthers, section...
Change to man-to-man defense allows Franklin Regional boys to run away with 1st round victory over Indiana
With Indiana up early and an uncomfortable few minutes starting to fester for Franklin Regional, coach Jesse Reed put his team on pause and made a switch. It was more like he flipped a switch. “We came out in a zone,” Reed said. “We went back to our man (-to-man),...
Murrysville area: FR students excel in music competition and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. FR students dominate Young Artists Competition Franklin Regional music students again dominated the winners’ list in the annual Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artists Competition. FR students swept the Level I (through ninth grade) instrumental category, with eighth grader Ava Zannikos (flute) taking...
Franklin Regional cheer squad makes semifinals in state championships
When most people in the community see Franklin Regional cheerleaders, it’s in the context of supporting another athletic team. “They see our athletes under the Friday night lights, or during basketball season, when they’re there to engage the crowd, entertain and support the team,” said FR cheer coach Ashley Harmon....
Eastern Pittsburgh suburban real estate transactions for the week of Feb. 9, 2025
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Churchill William Wylie sold property at 3601 McCrady Road to Kimberly Kaplan and Mia Salemme for $307,000. Edgewood PNC Bank NA sold property at 1108 E End Ave. to Larone Knight for $235,001. Alan Stanford sold property at 1219 East End Ave. to Benjamin Ledewitz and Caitlin Kruman...
Connellsville looks sharp, Franklin Regional falls in PIAA Class 3A wrestling quarterfinals
ALTOONA — Franklin Regional saw its dream of winning a PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship slip away Friday. District 11 runner-up Nazareth rallied from an early deficit, won a couple of 50/50 matches and defeated the WPIAL champions 32-29 at Altoona Area High School Field House. The Panthers (18-1) drop...
Renowned flutist will play free concert in Murrysville
World-class flutist Bart Feller will perform a free flute recital Feb. 11 alongside two local musicians. Feller, who has served as principal flutist for the New Jersey Symphony and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra will play an 8 p.m. recital at Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church in Murrysville. He will be joined...
Murrysville area: Blood drive, seed swap and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Community center to host blood drive The Murrysville Recreation Department will host a Feb. 19 blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross. It will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Avenue. Donors...
Murrysville native steps into new role as director of her hometown library
Katherine Neidig had about three months of regular work when she started in a part-time position at the Murrysville Community Library in January 2020. “I was doing cataloguing and technical services, and then all the procedures were tossed aside during the pandemic,” said Neidig, who grew up in Murrysville and...
Export looks at offering online billing, payment system for sewage customers
Export Secretary Tonia Writt hears one question consistently from borough sewage customers: Why can’t you guys process credit card payments? That could change if council decides to implement an online billing system through Muni-Link, a Blair County company that also handles online billing for the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority....
Export officials eager to showcase mining history via site cleanup, pedestrian walkway
Export officials are excited about the creation of a historical area showcasing the borough’s mining history. A $139,000 state grant designated to bring the project to life will likely pay only for the engineering work, but it’s a start, said borough Councilwoman Melanie Litz. “This has been a long time...
Franklin Regional rolls over rival Norwin in PIAA 1st round
The Franklin Regional wrestling team did not suffer a letdown Tuesday after celebrating its third WPIAL Class 3A title Saturday. The Panthers (18-0) defeated Section 9 rival Norwin, 38-13, in the first round of the PIAA wrestling championship. They advance to Altoona on Friday to face District 11 runner-up Nazareth...
Franklin Township sewage authority will test its alert system on Thursday in Murrysville
Murrysville residents living in the area of the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority at the bottom of Meadowbrook Road may hear sewage officials testing a new audible alert system on Thursday. The testing will consist of audible tones and messages related to the FTMSA facility, and may be heard locally....
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for Feb. 3, 2025Video
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week – Connor Crossey School: Franklin Regional Class: Senior Height: 6-foot-1 Position: Guard #Earned: A year ago, Franklin Regional was the toast of Westmoreland County, reaching both the WPIAL and PIAA boys basketball championship games. However, with the core of the team having...
Franklin Regional grad Kadyn Hannah helps steady ship after Cal (Pa.) men’s basketball team is ravaged by injuries
As a senior — one of only three on the roster — with two years of experience, Kadyn Hannah figured to take on a larger role with the Cal (Pa.) men’s basketball team this season. After spending his freshman season at La Roche then having his share of ups and...
Franklin Regional’s Abby Paterline named to U.S. Youth Soccer ODP National Team
Every state has an Olympic Development Program for soccer, but not every player makes it as far as Abby Paterline has. The Franklin Regional senior midfielder continued her breakout year at the club level as she was selected to play for the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP National Team, which will...
Western Pennsylvania musicians strive to preserve polka tradition
Chris Bogdon was in first grade in his native Carnegie when he started taking accordion lessons. Steve Novosel, while growing up in Murrysville, took up the instrument at 9 years old. Both were raised in families where polka music was a regular part of the family soundtrack, and both are...
Eastern Pittsburgh suburban real estate transactions for the week of Feb. 2. 2025
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Churchill Martha Brent Ruka trustee sold property at 51 Churchill Road to John Austin Stratton and Norah Lynn McCrossin for $299,900. Donald Justin White sold property at 3783 Greensburg Pike to Everleigh Holdings LLC for $138,000. Joseph Veltri sold property at 2414 Marbury Road to Robert Chaffin for...
Connor Crossey leads inspired Franklin Regional to OT win over Latrobe
From the time Franklin Regional’s Caden Brush, a senior stricken with leukemia, won a ceremonial opening tip while sitting in his wheelchair, the Panthers had someone to play for and a reason to win. And that’s before you factor in the playoff implications that made this a must-win Section 1-5A...
