Franklin Regional girls score in closing seconds to grab playoff spot over Shaler
Bernie Pucka said he had a feeling his team was going to win. The vibe, the energy, the lack of nervousness from his girls, it all seemed to put him at ease. But the Franklin Regional girls basketball coach didn’t quite envision a finish like this. Junior guard Chloe Pucka...
Murrysville area: School board schedule changes, bingo, fundraisers, more
Email event listings and news briefs to pvarine@triblive.com. School board meeting changes The Franklin Regional school board has changed its meetings dates for the next few months. Monthly combined committee of the whole and voting meetings will be held on Feb. 18, March 23 and April 27at 7:30 p.m. at...
Eastern Pittsburgh suburban real estate transactions for the week of Feb. 1, 2026
Churchill Ashley Phillis sold property at 301 Churchill Road to Brian Estocin for $319,000. Forest Hills John Istanish sold property at 813 Maine St. to Belinda Gibbs for $180,000. Patricia Porter sold property at 445 Pacific Ave. to Thomas and Lauren Davidson for $265,800. Monroeville Grace Wagner sold property at...
Late heroics lift Franklin Regional wrestling past Norwin for 2nd straight WPIAL 3A team title
Franklin Regional junior Sal Colangelo did not panic when he gave up an early takedown with a title on the line. Colangelo used a second-period takedown and rallied to defeat Norwin sophomore Dom Butera, 5-3, at 107 pounds to clinch the Panthers’ second consecutive WPIAL Class 3A title, 31-27. It...
Franklin Regional notebook: Panthers wrestlers again advance in postseason
The Franklin Regional wrestling team reached the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals in the team tournament for the third consecutive season. The Panthers won the team title in 2025 and placed third in 2024. “This group of guys, they have high goals,” Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe said. “For them, they...
Latrobe boys use size to claw past Franklin Regional in must-win game
Latrobe had a contest at halftime called “Can the Cats” where children tried to throw small, rubber cats into a trash can. When the second half got underway, Latrobe’s boys basketball team canned Franklin Regional. Latrobe looked like a team playing with desperation, using a dogged defensive effort and its...
Murrysville receives funds for Route 22 signal, bridge replacement projectsVideo
Murrysville officials have sizable projects to begin under their 2026 capital improvements plan, but having $1.4 million in state funding in hand will help smooth the way. The first is replacing the adaptive traffic signal system along the stretch of Route 22 that runs through Murrysville, along with the traffic...
Franklin Regional grad completes 1st short film through University of Pittsburgh fellowshipVideo
Gigi Vitolo has always loved storytelling. The Murrysville native has had an interest in theater and performing since middle school. But while she was majoring in business and literature at the University of Pittsburgh, she found herself searching for a creative outlet. When she was awarded the school’s David C....
Murrysville area: Super bingo, hot chocolate hike, cake decorating, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Delmont VFD Auxiliary super bingo The Delmont Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary will host a $6,000 super bingo night at 6:30 p.m. March 7. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. No one under age...
Murrysville athletic association takes on ‘Kids of Steel’ runnersVideo
Jasper Dawson was excited to see what he called “Pittsburgh City.” His mother, Megan, was excited for her 7-year-old son to join her on a run through the city. Both took part in last year’s Kids of Steel run, part of the annual Pittsburgh Marathon. “I’ve done the half-marathon a...
Eastern Pittsburgh suburban real estate transactions for the week of Jan. 25, 2026
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Edgewood Rui Babilonia sold property at 152 Oakview Ave. to Mathew Nathan Sathiyanathan Naveen and Anupriya Ebenezer for $275,000. Forest Hills Carson 2800 Associates L.P. sold property at 1987 Centurion Drive Apt 210 to Carlene Catania for $42,000. Monroeville Linda Cunningham sold property at 707 Citadel Drive to...
Franklin Regional boys, girls earn team titles at WCCA swim meet
It was a good day to be a Panther at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association swimming championships. The Franklin Regional boys (Class 3A) and girls (Class 2A) won team titles Saturday at Derry. The other team champions were the Latrobe girls (3A) and Mt. Pleasant boys (2A). The Panthers boys...
Franklin Regional boys basketball battles through Section 1-5A slate
Franklin Regional’s boys basketball team played two key Section 1-5A games last week. The Panthers (11-4, 7-2) held on to defeat McKeesport, 55-52, in a battle for second place Jan. 20. The win set up Friday’s first-place showdown at Gateway (10-5, 8-1). The section has proved to be unpredictable. Other...
Franklin Regional soccer player studying link between knee injuries, turf
When Grace Copeland was a freshman, she fractured her right tibia and fibula and needed more than 11 months of recovery time to get back to playing soccer. The setback opened her eyes to the struggles that can come with a substantial injury. The Franklin Regional junior also watched several...
Gateway boys smother Franklin Regional, pull 2 games ahead in standings
From robes and fleece pants to slippers and onesies, Gateway’s student section wore pajamas to Friday night’s boys basketball game. On the court, the Gators lulled Franklin Regional to sleep. Behind a strong start triggered by senior Mykel Bruce-McCrommon and tight defense, the Gators ran to their fifth straight victory,...
‘It shook the entire house’: Neighbors describe rescue after Delmont apartment explosion
Shaken residents were cleared to stay in their Delmont apartments after an apparent explosion damaged one of them, said police Chief T.J. Klobucar. Eva Arraujo and Tyler Fissella said Friday morning that one of the many officials who responded to the strip of six apartments the previous day checked out...
North Huntingdon man involved in Salem vehicle crash has died
A North Huntingdon man died Friday following a vehicle crash along Route 22 in Salem. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified the driver as 47-year-old Scott W. Sellitto. According to the coroner, Sellitto was traveling west along in a GMC Acadia SUV Route 22 when the vehicle left the roadway...
WCCA swimming championships should have different look this year
There will be numerous new champions at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association swimming championships this weekend. That is because the amazing group of Mt. Pleasant swimmers are now competing in college. Only Southmoreland junior Allison Stinnett returns as champ. She won the 200-yard IM and 100 breaststroke last year. This...
Man flown to hospital following apparent explosion at Delmont apartmentVideo
Ed Smith bolted out of his house in Delmont when he heard a loud explosion, followed shortly by a second blast on Thursday afternoon. “I found a gentleman (lying) in the snow outside the garage with no clothes. Half his clothes were burnt,” Smith said. “The second explosion blew the...
Murrysville area: K-9 fundraiser dinner, dress donations, cheer clinic, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Delmont K-9 fundraiser The Delmont Police Department will host a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for its K-9 program. Held from 2-6 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Delmont Volunteer Fire Department, 2360 Route 66, the meal will include an entree, salad, beverage and dessert....
Franklin Regional clips Norwin for section title in matchup of top 2 teams in Class 3A
The top two wrestling Class 3A teams in the WPIAL put on quite a show Wednesday at Franklin Regional. The match was not only for the Section 9 title, but it was also for the top seed in the upcoming WPIAL team tournament. Returning 3A champion and No. 1-ranked Franklin...
Judge tosses criminal case against man accused of causing trooper overdose in Delmont drug sting
A Westmoreland County judge has dismissed the criminal case against a Pittsburgh man accused of causing an undercover state trooper to overdose during a drug sting in Salem. Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears ruled prosecutors were unable to support criminal charges filed against Robert M. Whitley Jr., 27, following a...
Hot start carries Franklin Regional boys to victory over McKeesport
The temperature was in the teens Tuesday outside Franklin Regional’s gymnasium, but the cold weather did not stop the Panthers. They came out red hot in the first quarter, and they needed it. Franklin Regional (11-4, 7-2) raced to a 15-point lead in the second quarter and then held on...
Eastern Pittsburgh suburban real estate transactions for the week of Jan. 18, 2026
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Forest Hills Christopher West sold property at 259 Cascade Road to Patrick and Carolyn Sheehan for $270,000. Jesse Campayno sold property at 324 Sharon Drive to David Lefkowitz and Dawn Haberlach for $357,500. Nicholas Oran Fallone sold property at 332 Sharon Drive to George Reuss for $285,600. Jeffery...
Show him the money: Franklin Regional grad enjoys fast-paced career as sports agent
The deal went down at a car dealership, only it didn’t involve a title transfer, financing or a bumper-to-bumper warranty. Sports agent Aidan Sadoski hadn’t heard from a potential client, a basketball player from the SEC with whom he’d been in contact all season, for several weeks. “He went ghost...
