Patrick Varine stories, Page 51
PennWest Edinboro, Erie among places prepping for total eclipse
Western Pennsylvania science professors and astronomy buffs didn’t exactly have a riveting view of the recent annular solar eclipse. Most bemoaned the cloudy, rainy weather forecast and said they were already looking ahead and making plans for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, when Erie will be in...
Greensburg’s Invisible Man Brewing will relocate to Rialto building
Invisible Man Brewing Co. is joining forces with another established Greensburg business owner as they move to set up shop in the former Rialto Bar & Bistro, which was shuttered in 2022 after a series of violent incidents. After Oct. 26, fans of the beer created at the brewer’s Pennsylvania...
Comedy duo bring ‘Law & Order: SVU’ podcast live show to Pittsburgh
“In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous…” That is the opening line to every episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” a show whose serious subject matter might not seem like the ideal topic for a podcast featuring two comedians. Don’t tell that to...
Delmont council approves transportation plan aimed at improving pedestrian, bike infrastructure
A new active transportation plan approved by Delmont leaders could help leverage future funding and make the community more pedestrian-friendly. “We have a Mayberry-esque town that could really be walkable, and we just need to enhance that,” said Barb Hauge, a landscape architect with Upstreet Architects in Indiana. “There’s certainly...
Skeletons for St. Jude program raises money through over-the-top decorating schemesVideo
This time of year, Stephanie Babich Mihleder’s property in Murrysville has earned its own nickname — “the unicorn house.” That’s thanks to a giant inflatable unicorn skeleton — complete with rainbow mane and tail — that is merely the centerpiece of her front yard decorating scheme, which includes more than...
Centurions football announcer honored for more than 30 years of dedication
After more than three decades announcing football for the Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions, there’s not much happening on the field that could surprise Ben Falcone. But he wasn’t prepared for a sneak play by family members and GCC administrators, who honored his 35 years behind the microphone during halftime of...
New Kensington man pleads guilty in federal tax fraud case
A New Kensington man pleaded guilty Friday in federal court on charges that he prepared false tax returns, collecting more than $130,000 in fees in the process. Harvey Smith Jr., 58, of New Kensington, pleaded guilty to preparing false tax returns through multiple clients by way of his tax preparation...
Export council candidates want to continue borough’s recent upswing
Export has been on an upswing over the past few years, taking full advantage of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail passing through the center of the borough and revitalizing its downtown business district. Four candidates who will compete for three open council seats are looking to keep that going. “I think...
Murrysville area: Used book donations, Woman’s Club Christmas Tea, local community grants and more
Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com. Donations for used book sale The Murrysville American Association of University Women is accepting donations for its annual used book sale. The actual sale will take place Nov. 9-11, and association members and Murrysville Community Library officials are collecting used items through...
Pitcairn Council candidates focus on revitalization
Pitcairn voters will choose council member for three 4-year terms and one 2-year term in November’s general election, and the candidates’ focus was largely on revitalizing the Turtle Creek Valley borough. Former councilman George Burkhardt, 66, will go up against a fellow Democrat in William Kornrumph, who earned a spot...
Opponents in 2 wards square off for Monroeville Council
Voters in Monroeville will cast their ballots for three open seats on the municipal council in the general election, and candidates are focused primarily on public safety concerns and keeping the town a vibrant place for business. The municipality is split into wards. In Ward 2, Democratic candidate and incumbent...
Monroeville church hosts pumpkin sales to help fund youth retreat
Each year, church leaders at Monroeville United Methodist Church send about 15 members of their youth group to “Current,” a religious retreat organized by the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. And this year, community members can help raise money to send them while picking their Halloween pumpkins...
Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in New Stanton, Youngwood
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...
Wheelchair-bound opossum from Greensburg will be featured in international calendarVideo
Olli the Virginia opossum was one lucky marsupial. As a baby, Olli was attacked by several predators, leaving him with major bite wounds and abscesses and a severely injured spinal cord. He was rescued by a veterinarian and eventually came to Cheri Berri, 48, of Greensburg, who has been doing...
Police: Mt. Pleasant man dies of injuries after being thrown from vehicle
State police released the identity of a man who died of injuries following an Oct. 8 crash on State Street in Mt. Pleasant Township. Police said Gregory P. Petro, 59, of Mt. Pleasant was driving south on State Street near Wimbledon Drive shortly after 11:30 a.m. when his car struck...
Patton’s Pickers seeks volunteers to help clean Monroeville roadsides
Stacie Murrer couldn’t believe it when she heard that the Monroeville Rotary Club regularly does trash pickup along Mosside Boulevard between Route 22 and MacBeth Drive. “They deserve a lot more recognition for that,” she said. To do her part, Murrer is organizing Patton’s Pickers, a group that will continue...
Murrysville traffic stop turns up felony charges for Maryland man
A Maryland man wanted on weapons charges in Florida is in prison awaiting an extradition hearing after a local traffic stop. Murrysville police pulled over a tractor-trailer Oct. 9 after officers watched the driver make a U-turn on Tarr Hollow Road, driving into a residential yard and creating large ruts....
Worthington man in hospital after crashing ATV in Armstrong County
State police said a Worthington man was driving under the influence when he crashed his all-terrain vehicle Sunday and had to be flown to a hospital. Edward H. Berry Jr., 60, of Worthington was driving on West Main Street in West Franklin just after 2 p.m. Sunday, when he lost...
Best Guitar Show ‘like a flea market’ for the instruments in New Kensington
Michael Pencak owns Michael’s Auto Sales in Creighton. But like many people, he also has a passion for music, which he has been playing for most of his life. In Pencak’s case, it’s playing guitar. “I play Gibsons, and my favorite is probably my Gibson Les Paul,” he said. “My...
House bill takes aim at Pennsylvania’s ‘ghost poles’
For a borough of fewer than 900 people, Export has a lot of utility poles. And quite a few of them are right next to each another. Known as ghost poles, the side-by-side poles number in the thousands across Southwestern Pennsylvania. In areas where the poles are a problem, the...
Calendar sales will benefit youth fishing tournament, Delmont community groups
During her childhood in Delmont, Amanda List was always active in the community. She was a Girl Scout, president of the local Lions’ Leos Club, a youth group member and youth deacon at her church. “I think community is really important and I’m trying to instill that in my children,”...
Weekend weather could make partial eclipse tough to watch in Western Pa.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor Kenneth Coles had only one word to sum up the forecast for Saturday’s partial eclipse: dismal. “Clouds and rain is what they’re calling for right now,” Coles said. “But if we get a hole in the clouds — and we’re always hopeless optimists about that...
Murrysville area: Panther Groove Festival, used book sale donations, live music and moreVideo
Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com. Pumpkin painting, hay rides in Delmont The Delmont Recreation Committee will host its second annual Pumpkin Painting and Hay Ride fundraiser Oct. 21 at Newhouse Park. The event starts at noon and will include pumpkin decorating, hay rides, Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee and...
Pittsburgh Doo-Wop Big Band to headline benefit concert for Franklin Regional Panther FoundationVideo
It’s easy to see why Bill Reicher of Butler wants to keep the tradition of doo-wop music alive. Reicher has certainly done his part over the years to popularize it, having performed at Madison Square Garden back in the day with doo-wop group The Mystics. Their song, “Hushabye,” was a...
Murrysville looks to balance growth, rural character that attracts new residents
Murrysville officials are casting an eye toward the municipality’s long-term growth as they begin working with a consultant who will help them take a deep dive into their zoning laws. That’s great news to Councilwoman Jamie Lee Korns, who has been advocating a long look at Murrysville’s zoning ordinances for...
