Patrick Varine stories, Page 48
Ohio man indicted on sex-trafficking charges involving Monroeville hotel
An Ohio man was indicted by a federal grand jury Friday on charges that he transported a minor to a Monroeville hotel to engage in “commercial” sex acts, U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan said in a news release. Donte Lashawn Cole, 39, of Euclid, an Ohio suburb of Cleveland, allegedly used...
Ohio Township man arrested after police said he fled traffic stop, crashed car
Pittsburgh police arrested an Ohio Township man who they say fled a Downtown traffic stop and crashed on East Street. Police said they tried to pull over a vehicle that ran a red light while speeding in Downtown around 2:30 a.m. Friday. The driver then went through more red lights...
Westmoreland DA: Woman found dead in St. Clair
Westmoreland County detectives are investigating the death of a 71-year-old woman found Thursday afternoon in her St. Clair home, according to authorities. The cause and manner of Alice I. Robson’s death is pending final autopsy results, Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said. Toxicology results will not be available for several...
Westmoreland Meals on Wheels programs prepare for winter weather
The weather outside isn’t frightful. At least not yet, and weather predictions say Western Pennsylvania is in for another mild winter. But volunteers at Delmont Meals on Wheels aren’t taking any chances — they are collecting donations for Winter Weather Kits that will be distributed to all 50 of its...
Murrysville area: Delmont park rentals, ‘Hot Chocolate Hikes’ and more
Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com. Change in Star production schedule The Murrysville Star will not have a print edition during the week of final week of 2023 and the first week of 2024. The next issue after Dec. 21 will be delivered Jan. 11. Over the holidays,...
Delmont Police awarded federal hiring grant
The Delmont Police Department got a holiday gift in the form of a $125,000 federal hiring grant. Now borough officials just need to decide if they want to put it to use. “We’re not in need of hiring another officer, but I also didn’t think we would get this grant,”...
3 Lakes Golf Course to demolish former Alcoma Golf Club building
The culture surrounding the game of golf was quite different a century ago. When Art Hawk bought the former Alcoma Golf Club in 2006, his daughter Megan Strasser made a surprising discovery in the clubhouse. “There weren’t even women’s restrooms accessible to players when we bought it,” Strasser said. In...
Western Pa. lawmaker’s bill would expand use of forensic genetic genealogy
A Western Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to expand law enforcement’s ability to use a more-detailed form of DNA analysis when identifying victims in cold cases. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, introduced the Cold Case Modernization Act which would expand the criteria for federal Department of Justice grants funding the use of forensic...
4-year-old’s shooting leads to charges for Rostraver couple
The parents of a 4-year-old Rostraver boy who accidentally shot himself in the head this summer are charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangering, according to court documents. Laura C. Steele, 32, and Michael Lynn, 37, kept the loaded gun unsecured under the bed in their...
Audubon Christmas Bird Count adds Mon Valley research area for 2023
Western Pennsylvania residents participating in the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count will have a new place to spot them this year. “We’re adding a circle in the Mon Valley, a 15-mile radius centered on White Oak Park,” said Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania Community Conservation Coordinator Ben Kehoe. The...
Indoor pickleball facility proposed for Murrysville
Even for a die-hard pickleball fan, the weather is making it difficult to get on a local court and enjoy playing. Jillian Bateman-McIntosh of Murrysville has taken notice and hopes to build a six-court indoor pickleball facility just off Route 22 in Murrysville. “I moved here from Boston where the...
Delmont decorating fundraiser will be featured on NBC’s ‘Today’ showVideo
Since 2020, residents in Delmont’s Monticello neighborhood have decorated their homes to the hilt for the holiday season, part of a fundraising competition that allows them to present an annual gift to two local charities. On Christmas Day, they will get their own gift — a nationally televised segment on...
Murrysville area: Holiday school concerts, Santa Claus Parade, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Holiday school concerts The Franklin Regional School District’s band and choral programs will present their annual holiday performances over the coming weeks. Here is a schedule: • Dec. 13: Sixth-grade chorus and Gold Notes, 7 p.m. at the FR Middle School’s Little...
Franklin Regional marching band performs in Pearl Harbor parade during Hawaii trip
The Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band spent early December basking in the warm glow of the Hawaiian sun. In addition to performing in the shadow of the USS Arizona Memorial, the band also performed in the annual Pearl Harbor parade in Honolulu. Over the past decade, FR marching band members...
Watch the Franklin Regional marching band perform at today’s Pearl Harbor parade in Hawaii
Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band members will take part in the annual Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade today in Hawaii, and school officials have provided a link to watch the parade live. Livestreaming at 9:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. in Honolulu), the parade will be the culmination of the band’s weeklong trip...
Murrysville council approves budget, beer distributor, short-term rental regulations
About $2.7 million in capital projects including road work and park improvements is funded in Murrysville’s 2024 budget. The spending plan, approved Wednesday does not include a tax increase. Property taxes will remain at 12.15 mills in the $15.6 million budget. Just under 3.5 mills dedicated for Murrysville’s capital improvement...
Pittsburgh police seek missing juvenile
Pittsburgh police are seeking information about a male teen reported missing on Wednesday. Police said they are looking for Sh’Kia Ross, 14, of Pittsburgh, last seen Downtown on the 1400 block of Forbes Avenue. He is a Black male, 5-feet-9-inches tall and 150 pounds with brown eyes and black hair....
Murrysville Council OKs lease for gas, oil rights under 2 parks
Murrysville Council has approved oil and gas rights leases for several hundred acres of land beneath its two largest parks. Council voted 4-2 Wednesday to enter into separate leases with the sole bidder, Olympus Energy, for 74 acres below Duff Park and just under 306 acres of Murrysville Community Park,...
Greensburg woman charged after police say she boarded school bus, berated driver
A woman is charged with disorderly conduct and unauthorized entry of a school bus after police said she boarded a Greensburg Salem School District bus and berated the driver a few days before Thanksgiving. City police were called to Allegheny Street near the Autumnbrook Apartments on Nov. 20 for a...
State police seek info on child-luring suspect in Indiana County
State police are seeking information on a man who allegedly attempted to lure an 11-year-old boy toward a vehicle in northern Indiana County on Tuesday afternoon. Police said an unknown Black man in his 30s with short hair, a dark blue hooded sweatshirt and a bandana or facial covering attempted...
Former Pittsburgh VA worker pleads guilty to embezzling $17,000 from veteran accounts
A former Veterans Affairs Medical Center worker from Pittsburgh pleaded guilty to embezzlement and mail fraud on Tuesday, after federal prosecutors said he stole money from disabled veterans and receive undue pandemic benefits. Corey Mizell, 51, of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty to four counts of embezzlement and one count of mail...
Water authority: Upgrades to affect part of Delmont
System upgrades by the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will affect water service in several areas of Delmont on Tuesday, authority officials said. Between six and eight hours of work will take place Dec. 5 affecting Greensburg Street, Manor Road, Abbe Place, West Pine Street, Stotler Road, Crest Drive, Suncrest...
New course record set at annual Greensburg Turkey Trot
An Elizabeth Forward High School student set a new course record at the 32nd annual Greensburg Turkey Trot. Patrick Burgos, 17, came in first in the Thanksgiving run with time of 15 minutes, 33 seconds. Burgos recently signed to run track and field and cross-country at Youngstown State University in...
Community bands prepare to bring holiday cheer at annual concerts
“These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives.” Those are lyrics from the classic Christmas song “Sleigh Ride.” And they hold just as true for holiday memories as they do for musical ones, at least to the members of local community bands. “A lot of us...
Murrysville consumer advocate: Don’t get scammed during your holiday shopping
Last year, during the open enrollment period for Medicare, Mary Bach of Murrysville began receiving calls morning, noon and night about how she and her husband weren’t getting all of the benefits to which they were entitled. Bach, who is a nationally recognized consumer advocate and member of the AARP...
