Patrick Varine stories, Page 68
Burning bush, privet species added to Pennsylvania’s noxious weeds list
Burning bush shrubs may appear pretty in the fall, when their leaves turn a blazing bright red. But they also are pretty invasive, and this year they earned a spot on Pennsylvania’s list of noxious weeds. For the past few years, the list has seen the addition of several plants...
Student teams compete to raise money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society programs
Regan Fusting’s father wanted to know where she learned to write a corporate donation letter like the one he received earlier this month. “He said, ‘Where’d you learn to do this? It’s so professional looking,’” said Fusting, 18, a senior at Franklin Regional and member of the Leukemia & Lymphoma...
1 arrested after car jumps embankment, crashes into Arnold machine shop
Employees at FPI Industries in Arnold spent their Friday night cleaning up debris after a man jumped an embankment in his car and drove into the front of the building, according to police. Arnold Police took one man into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence, after responding to...
Teens charged after leading state police on high-speed chase down Route 30
Three teens were taken into custody after state police said they escaped from Adephoi Village and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase Thursday night along the Route 30 eastbound corridor. State troopers initially responded to a report around 10 p.m. that an employee’s vehicle had been stolen at Technimark,...
Monroeville woman will present Nancy Drew ‘mystery history’ in Delmont
Tara Rotuna has been solving mysteries alongside Nancy Drew since she was 8 years old. Along the way, she solved some other mysteries, like the truth behind Nancy Drew author Carolyn Keene, and she started collecting Drew books and began attending themed conventions across the country. Rotuna, 52, of Monroeville...
Murrysville area: Herbs presentation, garden club speaker series, class reunion and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Artist presentation focuses on culinary herbs Murrysville artist Eileen Yeager will give a presentation at the Murrysville Community Library on “Ethnic Use of Culinary Herbs.” Yeager’s “World of Herbs” exhibit, which will remain on display at the library for the month of...
United Way shopping spree haul donated to Westmoreland food bankVideo
Sarah Garrison had to drive all the way from Fairmont, W.Va., to Greensburg to do her grocery shopping Wednesday morning. It was for a good cause: The Murrysville native’s mother, Kathleen Maurer, was chosen for the United Way’s annual shopping spree at the Charley Family Shop ’n Save on North...
Presidential records: Jimmy Carter is America’s longest-lived commander-in-chief
Jimmy Carter isn’t just America’s oldest living president. At 98 years old, he is America’s oldest former president, period. Carter was born Oct. 1, 1924 in Plains, Ga. Carter’s family announced this week that he has opted to forgo medical intervention and will receive hospice care at home. Several presidents...
Soccer complex proposal draws criticism from neighbors in Murrysville
A proposal for a soccer complex along School Road South near the Murrysville-Penn Township border is drawing criticism from nearby residents. More than a half-dozen residents are opposed to the proposal to develop a sports complex with one full-sized and one seven-on-seven soccer field in the 4900 block of School...
Murrysville attorney announces district judge candidacy
Murrysville attorney Bob Klingensmith has declared his candidacy for district judge in Export. Klingensmith, 59, is a Republican and Franklin Regional graduate, and attended both Penn State University and Duquesne University’s School of Law. “Throughout my career, I have personally dealt with nearly every legal issue that a district magistrate...
Ligonier police officer declares candidacy for district judge
Shawn Knepper of Ligonier has announced his candidacy for district judge in Ligonier. Knepper is a graduate of both Greensburg Central Catholic and Saint Vincent College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in theology. He graduated summa cum laude from the Westmoreland County Police Academy, where he was also elected...
Greensburg native, Pa. attorney general’s career in public service ‘incredibly gratifying’Video
As a child, Michelle Henry can remember passing by the county courthouse every school day on her way from Underwood Avenue to the former West Pittsburgh Street Elementary School in Greensburg, “That building and what they did in there always had an impact on me, in a way that maybe...
Westmoreland young artists winners host recital
Winners in the Westmoreland Symphony’s Young Artist Competition hosted a Feb. 12 recital at the Seton Hill University’s Performing Arts Center in Greensburg. On Feb. 5, finalists from across the region competed for cash prizes and a chance to perform at the recital. Performers included: • Level I: A.J. Schmidt,...
Metalworking apprentices from across Pittsburgh region compete as demand for jobs remains strongVideo
The sound of milling machines filled the air Friday morning at Westmoreland County Community College’s Advanced Technology Center in East Huntingdon, as eight apprentices competed for the title of Best Metalworking Apprentice in the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Tooling and Milling Association. It was music to the ears of...
Redstone seeks to expand Murrysville campus with senior apartments
Redstone Presbyterian Senior Care officials are hoping to have property near their Murrysville facility rezoned in order to offer more than 100 apartment units for senior independent living. Redstone CEO John Dixon said the company purchased about 36 acres adjacent to its Murrysville location on Cline Hollow Road, with the...
Learn about apple tree pruning at free Westmoreland Conservancy event in Murrysville
Westmoreland Conservancy staff are seeking volunteers to help prune apple trees at their Morosini Reserve in Murrysville on Saturday. Conservancy President Shelly Tichy said the trees at the reserve, off Morosini Farm Court near Delmont, are left over from an old orchard on the property. “Some of them are a...
Murrysville briefs: Franklin Regional Class of ’73 reunion, trivia-night fundraiser, ‘Night at the Races’
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. FR Class of ‘73 organizing 50th reunion The Franklin Regional Senior High School Class of 1973 is organizing its 50th reunion for this coming October. It is planned for Oct. 8 at the Antonelli Event Center, 100 Colony Drive in Irwin. Graduates...
Delmont moves forward on forming a stormwater authority that would assess residents fees
Delmont officials will advertise an ordinance to potentially create a stormwater authority in the borough that would assess fees based on residents’ usage. Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to explore the authority further, as borough officials work their way through two state consent agreements and several million dollars’ worth of...
Murrysville prosecutor announces district judge candidacy
Westmoreland County Assistant District Attorney Judi Petrush has announced her candidacy for magisterial judge in District Court 10-3-02. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and its law school, Petrush, 54, focuses on sexual assault and abuse cases as the unit’s lead prosecutor. She is a member of both national...
Salem boy dies of injuries sustained during house fire
An 11-year-old Salem boy died of injuries suffered in a Feb. 10 house fire, according to family members and officials at Greensburg Salem School District. David W. Becker was among three people rescued from the burning home on Route 819. A neighbor, Christina Shaner, helped Becker’s mother get his younger...
Western Pa. public works crews make sure to have sufficient salt on hand each winter
Whether it’s 300 miles of roads in Hempfield or just one square mile in Export, the responsibility for public works crews in winter is the same — keep the roads safe and passable in bad weather. That also means finding a place to store thousands of tons of salt, especially...
Westmoreland museum hosts Valentine-themed craft for kids
Parents and children stopped by the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg on Sunday morning to created Valentine-themed crafts during a free “I Heart Art” event. Volunteers typically help host at least one such event monthly at the museum on North Main Street....
Police: Man in stable condition after Terrace Village shooting
Police said a man is in stable condition after an overnight shooting in Pittsburgh’s Terrace Hill neighborhood. Pittsburgh police were called to the area of Allequippa and Kirkpatrick streets around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning, where they found a man with wounds to his head and chest. EMS transported the man...
Fire damages Elizabeth Forward High School; classes canceled Monday
A fire that broke out early Sunday morning at Elizabeth Forward High School caused extensive damage and forced the district to close the high school until further notice, Superintendent Keith Konyk said. The fire was contained to the auditorium side of the high school, Konyk said in a letter to...
Delmont seed swap offers variety for backyard gardenersVideo
Darin Kuczek gets a lot of enjoyment out of his backyard garden. “I’m not exactly a ‘hippie-dippy’ guy, but I have a chair out there and after I get done working, a lot of times I’ll just sit for maybe an hour,” the Salem resident said. “I just really enjoy...
