Murrysville Star category, Page 110
Gateway looks sharp in opener, rolls past Franklin Regional
The start of Gateway’s WPIAL title defense was a dominant display of offense. Senior receiver Chamor Price hit the end zone four times in the first half, and the Gators scored touchdowns on their first six drives on the way to a 41-7 win over Franklin Regional in the season...
Westmoreland tax delinquent property sale expected to be very different this year
Hundreds of tax delinquent properties could be auctioned off Monday as part of Westmoreland County’s annual sale, but this year’s event will look different in the age of the coronavirus pandemic. The tax sale will be conducted at Science Innovation Center Theater in Science Hall on the Youngwood campus of...
Export Maker Space will feature a blend of old-school, modern technologyVideo
If someone in Export has a good idea for a project, Tom Spears wants to give them the tools to make it happen. “We want to hit all the ‘maker’ markets,” said Spears, who will open the Export Maker Space on Kennedy Avenue in the fall. Spears has taken the...
Westmoreland County high school football players to watch for Week 1
Zach Cernuto Southmoreland, sr., QB Cernuto is a four-year starter who has thrown for 3,731 yards by completing 257 of 493 passes with 34 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. He lost his top receivers from a year ago and will break in a few new ones, including returning tight end Anthony...
‘Fat’ hummingbird migration in full force, keep those feeders up
Their bags are packed for a 1,000-plus-mile flight to Mexico and Central America. The essential luggage for a ruby-throated hummingbird? Up to an extra gram of fat. Yes, fat on the smallest breeding bird in the eastern United States is discernible, desirable for migration and definitely measured at the banding...
Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for Week 1
Here’s a look at some don’t-miss matchups in Westmoreland County for Week 1: Class 6A Hempfield vs. Norwin 7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Stadium, North Huntingdon A rivalry between neighboring schools that have struggled in Class 6A. Both teams will feature new quarterbacks and numerous other starters. … Christian Zilli returns...
VP Mike Pence stops in Westmoreland, rallies pro-life voters at Murrysville church
Anti-abortion activists from across the region gathered Wednesday at Cornerstone Ministries in Murrysville as Vice President Mike Pence addressed the kick-off of the Susan B. Anthony List’s campaign to engage pro-life voters in Pennsylvania. The visit to the large, nondenominational church marked Pence’s third appearance with the group. Long a...
Delmont Historical Society to host log house cleanup dayVideo
With a host of plans for the log house at Shields Farm, the recently formed Delmont Historical Society will hold a Sept. 19 cleaning day to spruce up the inside and outside. Society member Vicki Walters said the public is welcome to come help clean the house’s interior, as well...
Delmont modernizes burning ordinance to accommodate backyard fire pits
Delmont council members updated the borough’s burning ordinance to make better accommodations for the fire pits seen in many yards and driveways. After receiving questions from residents about whether the borough regulated small, contained backyard fires, Councilman Bill Marx looked at borough code and discovered it was a bit outdated,...
Norwin, Franklin Regional recognized for Special Olympics
Norwin and Franklin Regional high schools are among nine in Pennsylvania to be nationally recognized as a Special Olympics Unified Champion Banner School for their commitment to inclusion in sports, academics, and extracurricular activities. “Receiving this distinction as a Unified Champion School shows that Norwin has made inclusion a priority...
Route 22 traffic advisory issued in Murrysville for VP Mike Pence’s visit Wednesday
Murrysville police say travelers on Route 22 should expect minor traffic delays between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday during Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Cornerstone Ministries. The vice president is scheduled to land in Air Force Two at 10:30 a.m. at the 171st Air Refueling Wing in Moon...
Murrysville artist’s work on display at East Suburban Artists League library galleryVideo
Until a few years ago, Darlene Miklos of Murrysville only pulled out her easel and paintbrushes once a year to make the cover for her annual Christmas card despite a lifelong love of painting. “I worked downtown for 14 years,” Miklos said. “Between the bus commute and the job, I...
Arnold Palmer airport begins final phase of runway widening, suspends flights
A final push to complete improvements to the runway at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport was set to begin Tuesday night, with the airport suspending all flights for more than two weeks to accommodate construction. Spirit Airlines, the Unity airport’s sole commercial carrier, is expected to hit the pause button on...
Southwest Pennsylvania again takes center stage in presidential campaigns this week
Pennsylvania’s importance in the Nov. 3 election is apparent again this week in a series of stops planned in the Pittsburgh region by the Trump and Biden campaigns. Former Vice President Joe Biden stopped in Harrisburg on Monday for Labor Day. The week will ramp up Wednesday with Vice President...
Franklin Regional students return to class amid covid-19 restrictions
Students in the Franklin Regional School District returned to classes Tuesday, and elementary students got to check out the newly renovated Sloan Elementary School. The board last month pushed back the start date to Sept. 8 after state guidelines changed regarding the coronavirus. Students through eighth grade had three options...
Westmoreland County looks to fight ‘brain drain’ caused by department head resignations
Westmoreland County lost five of its top administrators this year through resignations and retirements, creating what one official called a “brain drain” in local government. The latest to leave was Amanda Bernard, who resigned as the county’s human resources director in late August to take a similar job with a...
Westmoreland boys soccer preview: Franklin Regional chasing 3rd straight WPIAL title
Forty-two wins, 33 shutouts, 15 goals allowed. The numbers speak for themselves at Franklin Regional, where the boys soccer program has put together quite a two-year run. The Panthers have all but monopolized the space on stingy defense with a deliberate style of play that, paired with some exceptional homegrown...
Eastern-area real estate transactions for the week of Sept. 6
Churchill Daniel Gardner sold property at 1914 Hampstead Drive to Kevin and Paige Strasbaugh for $254,000. Delmont James Harry sold property at 324 Abbe Place to Bradley Van Hyning and Courtney Milne for $164,900. Forest Hills Arlene Hayek sold property at 236 Cascade Road to Yevgeniy Shrayber and Vanessa Veltre...
Westmoreland County coaches give The Birdie the old ‘social distancing’ treatment
The Birdie has been asked to social distance before so the concept is not altogether new to the local prep football expert. “More than 6 feet, usually,” he said. “More like six football fields. Sometimes I wonder if people don’t really like me.” Even before covid-19 wrapped its claws around...
Murrysville first responder injured in hit and run crash
A hit-and-run crash Friday night left a Murrysville Medic One crew member injured when a pick-up truck crossed the yellow line and struck an ambulance that was traveling on Sardis Road, near Hickory Hill Road, according to the ambulance service. A post on the Medic One Facebook page said the...
Projects, big and small, help to revitalize Export
When Export lost its post office in 2008, more than 200 people packed a public meeting to appeal for its return, which never happened. It was largely seen as a bad sign for the small Westmoreland County borough, which was once home to Thomas Mellon, father of industrial giant and...
Westmoreland County hiring poll workers to handle heavy expected voter turnout
Westmoreland County will hire as many as 1,800 poll workers for election day. Elections Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani said recruiting has been underway for the last several weeks to have each of the county’s 307 voting precincts fully staffed on Nov. 3. “We’re going to take as many poll workers...
Westmoreland controller’s office to put audits online
For the first time, audits from the Westmoreland County Controller’s Office are available online. Controller Jeffrey Balzer said financial reports compiled by his staff will be made public, a departure from past practices that required formal requests under the state’s open records laws to review the department findings. “I have...
Feds terminate ventilator contract with Philips Respironics that had drawn criticism
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently terminated multiple contracts to add ventilators to the country’s Strategic National Stockpile. And, while federal health officials say they now have enough ventilators to meet maximum national capacity in a crisis, one of the terminated contracts — awarded to Philips Respironics,...
Upcoming events in Murrysville Star coverage area
Rec department hosting kickball, Wiffle ball The Murrysville Recreation Department is hosting weekly kickball and Wiffle ball games at Kovalczik Park on Koval Court just outside Delmont. Kickball games will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesdays from Sept. 8 to Oct. 13. Wiffle ball will be at 6 p.m., Thursdays...
