Patrick Varine stories, Page 27
Butler-area residents split on Trump’s return for rally at farm show grounds
Jennifer Stys is ready to rally for former President Donald Trump. Stys, 53, of Butler, has a ticket to Saturday’s campaign event at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Butler Township. On July 13, it was the site of an assassination attempt on the Republican presidential nominee. Stys was not...
More beers brewed with grain grown in Crabtree, Hempfield, New Alexandria and Unity
Vince Mangini’s goal in starting Allegheny Mountain Malt has always been to shorten the supply chain for local beer brewers and farmers. Now the company is looking to expand its offerings, bringing business development director Taiece Brooks on board. “Being able to shake hands with your malter, being able to...
Derry native releases debut, earns independent music award nominationVideo
Lauren Rose Thayer can remember growing up in Derry in the 1990s and watching country music videos on CMT while most kids her age were watching cartoons on Nickelodeon. She’s been singing since she was young, but when she first moved to Nashville, otherwise known as “Music City, U.S.A.,” it...
Banners with Nazi symbols found on West End, Tenth St. bridges
Pittsburgh Police removed two banners bearing Nazi symbols on city bridges early Saturday morning. One of the banners was found on the West End Bridge near the Route 65 intersection, according to police. The other was on the Tenth Street Bridge. Both signs were removed, photographed and taken as evidence....
Car crashes into Oakmont bank
A car crashed into the front of the KeyBank in Oakmont on Friday afternoon. First responders were dispatched to the bank, on Allegheny Avenue, shortly before 3 p.m. No injuries have been reported, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Brickwork and several windows on the front of the bank were...
Prime Stage actors bring history to life in Pittsburgh cemetery walkVideo
Nabisco founder Sylvester Stephen Marvin. A Civil War nurse. A survivor of the Great Fire of Pittsburgh in 1845. Those are just a few of the historical figures whose stories will be told during the second annual Cemetery Walk in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood. Hosted by Prime Stage Theatre in...
Luke Bryan concert expected to bring 18K fans to South Huntingdon farm
Surveying a sleepy South Huntingdon farm field Friday morning, it was almost impossible to believe that in a little more than 24 hours, about 18,000 people will fill it to attend a concert by country music star Luke Bryan. “They’re going to have it all set up in just about...
‘Beauty and the Beast Bed & Breakfast’ puts a comic spin on fairy-tale characters
Franklin Regional Middle School teacher Christine Klemstine wanted to hear the frustration in student Brynn Lacey’s voice. “This woman called the cops on you,” Klemstine said. “You have to be a little louder — I know you can yell!” Klemstine and Lacey, 13, were in rehearsal for the middle school’s...
Cider, music and more at annual Delmont Apple’n Arts Festival
If you don’t like stinging insects, Shield’s Farm is not the place to be during the last few days of September. In preparation for the annual Delmont Apple’n Arts Festival in Salem, crates are delivered filled with hundreds of pounds of apples, stacked outside the barn that houses a 117-year-old...
Dormont hit-and-run suspect charged with being in the U.S. illegally for a 2nd time
Federal officials have begun the process to deport a Mexican national charged with a fatal hit-and-run crash Sept. 21 in Dormont. Allegheny County Police charged Saul Rivera-Ramirez on Sunday with homicide by vehicle, accident involving death by an unlicensed driver and driving without a license, after they say he crashed...
Delmont library teams with Yellow Bridge Brewing on fundraising beer
For some people, curling up with a glass of wine and a good book is a recipe for a lovely evening. But not everyone drinks wine. Beer and a book can go together just as well. With that in mind, officials from the Delmont Public Library reached out to nearby...
Murrysville home damaged by smoke after fire, chief says
A Murrysville home was heavily damaged by smoke during fire Thursday afternoon, a fire official said. White Valley Fire Chief John Bohinc said no one was injured in the blaze, which was reported just before 1:30 p.m. at a home on Kemerer Hollow Road. Fire companies from Murrysville, Delmont and...
Monroeville area: ESCA fundraiser, ‘hard-to-recycle’ collection, flea market, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Food distribution The next Monroeville drive-up food distribution date will be 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Gateway High School, 300o Gateway Campus Blvd., Monroeville. Distribution takes place the second Wednesday of every month. Patrons can drive behind the sports complex...
‘Gold Over America’ gymnastics show designed by Western Pa. nativeVideo
Mark Swanhart doesn’t mince words when it comes to the U.S. gymnastics team, which came home from this summer’s Olympic Games with nine medals, including three golds. “They’re rock stars,” said Swanhart, a Cambria County native and Point Park University dance major with more than 25 years of experience creating...
Brentwood man, Youngwood woman await sentencing in rental scheme that cost Avis $500K
The Monroeville location of Avis Car Rental lost more than $500,000 because of an identity theft scheme that involved a Brentwood man and a Youngwood woman, according to federal prosecutors. Cheron Tucker, 28, pleaded guilty in federal court last week to aggravated identity theft along with unauthorized access device fraud...
Old William Penn Highway to close for bridge replacement
Contractors do not yet have a firm date, but Old William Penn Highway will close for roughly a month and a half this fall for the replacement of a bridge carrying the road over Turtle Creek in Murrysville. Murrysville council awarded a $170,000 bid last week to Kukurin Contracting in...
Wine, chocolate gala will benefit Westmoreland Children First
Westmoreland Children First, a Greensburg nonprofit that supports the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau and raises money to provide urgent needs such as beds, school supplies, winter coats and more, will host a wine and chocolate gala Sept. 28 at Saint Vincent College in Unity. It will be from 7-10 p.m....
Murrysville officials, consultant look at modifying business overlay district
Murrysville officials are working with a consultant to modify the municipality’s general business overlay, part of a larger examination of the town’s zoning. Overlays are used to add extra zoning controls in a specific area, to address special community needs or objectives. An example would be Murrysville’s gas recovery overlay...
Pittsburgh Gaming Expo expands to 3 days in MonroevilleVideo
Six months ago, Brian Wissner and organizers of the annual Pittsburgh Gaming Expo were scrambling after discovering they might need to find a new venue for their event. This month, Monroeville officials announced they’d reached a deal to purchase the Monroeville Convention Center, home to the gaming event and a...
Natural gas sensor alert leads to brief evacuation at New Stanton vo-tech school
A natural gas sensor alert led to the evacuation of Central Westmoreland Career & Technology School in New Stanton on Monday morning, according to school officials. “Two of our teachers came in with their gas sensors to say the levels were a little higher than normal,” said CWCTC Director Jason...
Inflation explained: As material, labor costs rise, so do insurance premiums
Editor’s note: This is the fourth story in an occasional series on the causes and impact of inflation. There is a dominant driver when it comes to setting car and home insurance rates: the cost of the items insurance companies cover when they pay out claims. And the cost of...
School administrators discuss Pa.’s teacher shortage, working to add to educator ranks
Not so long ago, Hampton School District Superintendent Michael Loughead wasn’t concerned about the pool of teacher candidates when it came time to fill a spot. “We have a successful district, we pay our teachers well, and at one time we were lucky enough to have 1,000 people apply for...
Senate president partners with UPMC, Bayer, others to host breast cancer screenings
Because Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward is a breast cancer survivor, she said she knows the importance of screening for the disease. “When I went through my treatment, I could see firsthand some of the issues that women were facing,” said Ward, a Hempfield resident who was diagnosed with...
Bowhunting season begins Saturday for all of Allegheny County, small slices of western Westmoreland, opens Oct. 5 statewide
Justin Relihan has been bowhunting since he was 16 years old. The Butler resident began hunting at age 12 with a rifle, but quickly found he had more of a passion for using a compound bow. “I like the quietness of bowhunting,” said Relihan, 48. “There’s a lot less people....
Monroeville area: Pancake breakfast, International Women’s meeting, Concordia fall festival
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Q&A with community leaders The Gathering Place will host a speaking and fellowship event at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Triveni Center, 275 Center Road, Monroeville. Pastors Ray and Renaid Almgren invite the community to learn and engage in...
