Patrick Varine stories, Page 5
Murrysville has few options to protect traffic light control boxes
Murrysville officials have had problems in recent years with crashes on Route 22 causing damage to the electrical boxes that control several traffic lights along the highway. The municipality plans to replace the current light-control system. But in the meantime, they don’t have a lot of options to protect the...
Allegheny Township artist featured at Murrysville library art gallery
Allegheny Township artist Peter Cehily prefers putting his art directly on paper, usually with a paintbrush. But over the past decade, he’s also discovered the joy of digital photography, particularly through the use of his iPhone. “It has become my photo companion, accompanying me on my daily trips and errands...
Delmont man charged with weapon possession, fighting with police
A Delmont man is in jail after police said he fought with them and attempted to flee a traffic stop in Murrysville. Murrysville police stopped a driver shortly before 11 p.m. on Oct. 11 on Harrison City Road near Brick Hill Road. The car was registered to Tristan R. Upole,...
Augmented-reality app allows Penguin Court visitors to ‘see’ former Scaife mansionVideo
The 50-room mansion at Penguin Court in Laughlintown was demolished shortly after the death of former Tribune-Review publisher Richard Scaife’s parents, Alan Scaife and Sarah Mellon. But thanks to modern technology and the work of Murrysville artist Christopher Ruane, visitors to the 923-acre estate can look at their mobile devices...
Theatre Factory prepares to stage ‘Beetlejuice Jr.’
Tyler Shaffer doesn’t know how many times he watched the 1988 Tim Burton gothic comedy, “Beetlejuice.” But it was a lot. “Watching it has been a Halloween tradition for my family forever,” said Shaffer, 16, of Jeannette, who will play the titular villain in the Theatre Factory’s production of “Beetlejuice...
Inside-out: Open space outside, privacy inside become homebuyer priorities in wake of pandemic
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series on real estate market trends in Western Pennsylvania. The pandemic may have ended, but its impact on how people live — and buy homes — hasn’t. Real estate agents say the once-coveted “open concept” is not as popular as buyers reshape...
Murrysville area: Horse-farm fundraiser, middle-school play and more
Fundraiser for horse rescue farm The Pleasant Valley Rescue Ranch will host a fundraiser to help collect donations for veterinary care of its horses on Nov. 16. “Rein In the Magic of Christmas” will take place from 1-4 p.m. Nov. 16 at the ranch, 2205 Pleasant Valley Road in Murrysville....
Delmont Council opts to keep name for Rose Wigfield Parklet
For the time being, Delmont officials will keep the name of Rose Wigfield Parklet just the way it is. Borough officials christened the small public area at 27 Greensburg St. the Wigfield park nearly a decade ago, in memory of longtime resident Rose Wigfield. The park is next to the...
Nonprofit plans first-ever autism safety expo in Monroeville
Safety has been always been top of mind for Jennifer Salamon of Shaler. Her 19-year-old son, Roman, is nonverbal, autistic and has epilepsy. He also has an adventurous spirit. “When he was younger, he had a tendency to elope, opening windows and doors,” Salamon said. “So we had door alarms,...
CMU expert on AI: There’s a constant battle between disinformation and those thwarting it
Artificial intelligence helped U.S. Treasury officials recover about $1 billion from check fraudsters in 2024. It also is the latest tool in the disinformation toolbox, used to create false stories, images and video. Kathleen Carley, a professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Software and Societal Systems Department, laid out the good...
State senator: Don’t let Monroeville Mall become Century III
State Sen. Nick Pisciottano is happy to see Walmart’s plans for the Monroeville Mall property because it’s not the only mall in his district to face tough times. The 45th Senatorial District also included Century III Mall in West Mifflin. That mall’s last tenant closed its doors in 2020 and...
Murrysville area: Garden club, book and puzzle sale and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Garden club The Murrysville Garden Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 23 at the Murrysville Community Library. The featured speaker will be Mary Jane Alvin, master gardener and a docent at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. The program will be “Stained Glass...
Monroeville area: Bingo, pancake breakfast and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bkikel@triblive.com. Fall Swing bingo Monroeville Baseball & Softball Association will hold Fall Swing bingo on Nov. 8 at Divine Mercy Academy’s Lourdes Center, located at 245 Azalea Drive. Doors open at 6 p.m. and games begin at 7 p.m. Pizza, soda...
Leechburg native to release latest record with jazz ensemble Kinetic
Joe Sheehan has traveled quite a distance — literally — since he first began taking piano lessons while growing up in Leechburg. A lifelong student of music and now a Duquesne University professor and jazz composer, Sheehan, 44, of McCandless, traveled thousands of miles to Africa, more than once, to...
Monroeville area: ‘Discover Rotary,’ Symphony East performance, autism expo, more
‘Discover Rotary’ evening The Rotary Club of Monroeville is holding a Discover Rotary event from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Monroeville Public Library, 4000 Gateway Campus Blvd. Rotary provides humanitarian efforts locally, nationally and worldwide. This is an evening of connection and to learn what Rotary and the local club...
Delmont officials will host Q&A on Shields Farm master plan
Delmont officials will host a meeting from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 15 with a question-and-answer session about a draft of the master plan for the borough-owned Shields Farm property. The draft will be presented, having incorporated comments received during the last public meeting and through completed surveys. The plan’s purpose is...
Tenant future clouded as Walmart plans demolition of Monroeville Mall site
Rick Murray would like to help Walmart pitch its vision of a mixed-use development on the site of the Monroeville Mall, because he thinks it could someday be a real asset to the community. The problem is, despite being a mall tenant, he has no idea what the future of...
Monessen to celebrate local graduates with 3rd annual ‘Wall of Fame’ induction
Being inducted into the local hall of fame is not new for Monessen native Charel Allen. She was inducted into the Mid Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, after a career that saw her playing professional basketball with the WNBA and multiple teams overseas. “My mom signed me...
Dancers young and old prepare for annual Carnegie Classic ballroom competitionVideo
Carnegie Mellon University ballroom dance coach Christine Zona worked with a new group of students in early September, and she can’t wait to see how they’ve progressed once spring comes around. “It’s great to see young people who’ve never done any ballroom dancing before come in,” Zona said. “Seeing the...
Jeannette junior will debut, direct original composition at community band concert
When Joanne Bortz gets home, there’s no telling what instrument her son Logan might be playing. “There’s at least 20 different instruments in our house,” she said. “When he’s not with one of several bands he plays in, there’s just constantly music in the house.” Logan, 16, is a junior...
Pennsylvania apple growers more concerned with weather than tariffs
Thousands of people are descending on the Delmont area this weekend for the annual Apple ’n Arts Festival, drinking cider, eating apple pie or just enjoying the crispy crunch of a fresh apple in autumn. And while there is no shortage of apples to go around, the larger industry has...
Murrysville family hard at work on ‘Igor’s Fright Shack’
Last year, the Moore family of Murrysville revived “Igor’s Fright Shack,” the homemade haunted house that family patriarch Michael Moore created in his younger years. “My garage still bears the scars from when he started it,” said Moore’s father, Charles. “As a matter of fact, when they decided to start...
Monroeville area: Council meeting change, blood drive, live music and more
Council meeting change Monroeville council’s citizens’ night and work session in November is changed to Nov. 6 because of the general election. It will be held at 7 p.m. at the municipal building, 2700 Monroeville Blvd. Blood drive The Pitcairn Lions Club will host a blood drive from 1-5 p.m....
Services at national parks, support for Medicare and Medicaid would likely be reduced under federal shutdown
National Park Service officials are dusting off the contingency plan from the 2018 federal government shutdown, in anticipation of another closure starting Wednesday. In southwestern Pennsylvania, the two most-visible areas that could be affected are national parks such as the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County and Fort Necessity...
Monroeville insurance agent charged for 3rd time with fraudulent business practices
A Monroeville insurance agent has been charged for the third time in less than two years with fraudulent business practices. Prosecutors in this most recent case with the Pennsylvania Attorney General say Chad G. Skena, 48, of Monroeville, talked a client into investing more than $75,000 in a phony business...
