Patrick Varine stories, Page 58
Franklin Regional Middle School students compete at National History Day finals
Two Franklin Regional Middle School students took their knowledge of history all the way to the National History Day competition’s national level last month. Humna Anzaar and Symal Bukhari took first and third place, respectively, at the National History Day state-level competition, earning spots at the nationals, held June 12...
Franklin Regional 10U travel team wins ‘Summer Slam’ tournament championship
The Franklin Regional 10U travel baseball team went undefeated over the weekend of July 7-9 and brought home a championship from the Seneca Valley 10U Summer Slam Baseball Tournament. The team beat Peters Township and Beaver to lock up the tournament’s first seed and won three games on July 9...
Murrysville area: Local live music, book sale donations, summer festivals and more
Email news briefs and local event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Summer festivals • Export’s annual Ethnic Food and Music Festival will be from 12-9 p.m. Aug. 19 on Washington Avenue. Main stage entertainment will be DeStella Dance Studio (12:15 p.m.), Jack Tady (1 p.m.), The Licks (3:30 p.m.), Americana (5:30 p.m.)...
Twin Lakes fishing tournament honors Delmont man’s memory, passion for nature
There isn’t much that John Negich of Export recalls more fondly than standing on the banks of a stream in southeastern Wyoming, fishing and watching the local wildlife with longtime friend Tom Washburn. “Tom was my brother’s best friend,” said Negich. “And I’m Tom’s brother’s best friend. The four of...
Export road work set to start under federal grant; Fillmore wall project will have to wait
While Export officials were able to award a contract for federally-funded paving work this week, another project lined up for the federal Community Development Block Grant program will have to wait. Council unanimously awarded a $93,000 contract to Tresco Paving Corp. for overlay work along Madison and Harrison avenues. Council...
WestCo Roller Derby team hosts final home game of the season
WestCo Roller Derby will host its fourth and final home game on Saturday in Salem. The team will take on the Black Rose Riveters from Hanover in a 7 p.m. match at Palmer Imaging Arena, 100 Center Ice Drive in Salem. Established in 2012, the team includes women from Westmoreland,...
21st annual Old Fashioned Picnic set for Salem’s Fairview Park
Historic Fairview Park, just outside Delmont in Salem, will host its 21st annual Old Fashioned Picnic from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 19. Bring a picnic basket, coolers, blankets and lawn chairs for an afternoon including old-fashioned games for children and adults of all ages. Pets and alcohol are not...
Greensburg promotes new detective sergeant, hires new officer
Greensburg city officials promoted one member of their police department and hired a new one Monday night. Detective Justin Scalzo was promoted to the rank of detective sergeant, and council voted to hire Jonathan Stevenson as the department’s newest officer. Both moves came by unanimous vote. Scalzo has been with...
Penn State Master Gardeners to host open house in Hempfield
Penn State Extension Master Gardeners in Westmoreland County will host a July 15 open house at the Donohoe Demo Gardens in Hempfield. Master gardeners will be on hand to give tours; share techniques; and discuss native plants, composting and how to attract monarchs and other pollinators from 10 a.m. to...
Seton Hill, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield students perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall
The last time Mark Boyle was onstage at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall, an alarm on his cell phone accidentally went off mid-performance. When Boyle was invited back to conduct a performance as part of MidAmerica Productions’ 40th season staging shows at Carnegie Hall, he wasn’t going to let...
Murrysville area: Picnic at Historic Fairview Park, live music, upcoming meetings and more
21st annual Old Fashioned Picnic at Fairview Park Historic Fairview Park, just outside Delmont in Salem, will host its 21st annual Old Fashioned Picnic from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 19. Bring a picnic basket, coolers, blankets and lawn chairs for an afternoon including old-fashioned games for children and adults...
Soapy suds fill Levin Furniture fountain in Monroeville
Levin Furniture & Mattress employees arrived at their Monroeville location Thursday morning to find a giant mountain of soap spilling out of the waterfall which adorns the front of their property on Route 22. “People sabotaged it overnight and threw four bottles of Dawn dish liquid into it,” said Levin...
‘Boomers & Beyond’ series to feature diabetes expert
Certified diabetes care and education specialist Susan Balog will present “Diabetes: Prevalence and Control” at the next Boomers & Beyond speaker series. It will be at noon Tuesday at Mother of Sorrows Social Hall, 4202 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. Balog will discuss warning signs for diabetes, prevention and...
Independence unveils new physical therapy equipment thanks to Shop’n Save owner
“Ray rides again.” It’s not just the motto that Charley Family Shop ’n Save owner Ray Charley uses to describe his return to biking, after a 2020 cycling accident shattered his pelvis and left him unable to walk for five months. It’s the result of his physical therapy and his...
Murrysville police charge house cleaner with additional jewelry thefts
A Murrysville woman who owns and operates a cleaning service faces additional allegations that she stole expensive jewelry from homes where she worked. Holly L. Simpson, 48, was charged in late May with theft and receiving stolen property after police investigated reports that she had taken chains, rings and bracelets...
Ligonier Township man charged with 25 counts of possessing child pornography
A Ligonier Township man was arrested late last week and charged with 25 counts of child pornography possession and five counts of sharing child pornography, after a police investigation led to the seizure of computers at his home, according to court records. Members of the state attorney general’s Child Predator...
Monroeville native steps into new role as Pennsylvania fire commissioner
The state’s new fire commissioner is stepping into his role just in time for fireworks season. The state Senate unanimously confirmed Monroeville native Thomas Cook last week to lead the development and operation of Pennsylvania’s emergency service training program and support the state’s 2,400 fire departments and personnel. Cook, a...
Cleats and call-ups: Today’s Pirates earned their stripes with the Curve
ALTOONA — Over the years, Altoona Curve fans have gotten a chance to see talent like Gerrit Cole, Andrew McCutchen, Endy Rodriguez and, recently, Oneil Cruz before they got called up to play for the Pirates. Henry Davis, who began the season with Altoona before moving on to the Pirates’...
Altoona Curve’s PNG Field is just like the big leagues — only more affordableVideo
ALTOONA — Taking the family to a Pittsburgh Pirates game can be a costly endeavor. From tickets to parking to meals and snacks inside the stadium, the price tag can run into the triple digits in short order. Less than two hours away, baseball fans can buy any ticket at...
Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor-league affiliate Altoona Curve offers idyllic baseball settingVideo
ALTOONA — A couple of hours before first pitch, it’s easy to see the appeal of PNG Field, home of the Altoona Curve. On a gorgeous June afternoon under clear skies, the Allegheny Mountains rise south of the Blair County ballpark, which is bookended by wooded hillsides. Over the right-fielder’s...
Scottdale Concert Band kicks off season with back-to-back performances
The Scottdale Concert Band will perform at 7 p.m. July 8 and 9 in Scottdale and Ligonier to kick off it upcoming summer concert series. The band was formed in 1981, and in 2021 reorganized as a nonprofit organization which can apply for grants and accept donations. The concerts will...
Monessen man dies in Washington County crash
A Monessen man died of injuries after he crashed Thursday night just off Route 43 in California, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. Eric A. Moore, 56, was exiting Route 43 onto Malden Road just before 8:30 p.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and traveled down an...
Export Historical Society speaker will focus on firearms in U.S. historyVideo
Each year on the Fourth of July, Scott Duff of Export takes some time away from the cookout, fireworks and talking with friends and family to reflect on one of the muskets in his extensive firearms collection. It is a well-used Model 1763 Charleville flintlock musket from the Revolutionary War...
Murrysville will use $2 million to clean mine drainage in Lyons Run watershed
Throughout southwestern Pennsylvania, old mines channel water tainted with heavy metals such as iron and aluminum into creeks and streams, killing aquatic life and disrupting the food chain. Murrysville officials have secured $2 million in grants to address three mine-water sources within the Lyons Run watershed. Lyons Run flows south...
‘It’s unhealthy for everyone’: Lingering wildfire smoke affects more than just at-risk groups
Air quality advisories in response to lingering smoke from Canadian wildfires have focused on at-risk groups — young children, the elderly and people with existing pulmonary and heart issues. But, on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates delayed the start of an early afternoon game by 45 minutes while they reviewed weather...
