Patrick Varine stories, Page 149
‘Dangerous’ snow squall leaves behind slick roads, minor crashes in Southwestern Pa.
A squall that blanketed Southwestern Pennsylvania on Wednesday afternoon — leaving roads slick and myriad minor car crashes and disabled vehicles in its wake — was akin to a summer thunderstorm, just one full of snow instead of rain, said meteorologist Matthew Kramer of the National Weather Service. “You can...
Former state rep will present ‘The State of Education in Pennsylvania’ in Murrysville
As education experts in Pennsylvania go, it’s tough to top Ron Cowell. In addition to 24 years as a state representative with 12 years on the House Committee on Education, Cowell has been president and executive director for the Education Policy and Leadership Center in Harrisburg since 1999. He has...
TribLive Test: Squeak natural cleaning productsVideo
This week, our TribLive Taste Test, well, it doesn’t involve any tasting. If it did, we’d probably be testing the effectiveness of our local emergency room staff, since this week’s test was on all-natural cleaning products from Squeak. The Squeak line of products was created by a mother of three...
Game commission: Reducing deer population not likely to stem spread of Lyme disease
For Ryan Johnson, Pennsylvania’s white-tailed deer are more than just a potentially dangerous nuisance. “Deer in Pennsylvania are playing a huge part in ruining lives and costing people major money through accidents and disease,” said Johnson, of Norvelt. “Lyme disease is a big deal and doesn’t get the attention it...
Franklin Regional telethon has raised more than $139,000 over the years
When local viewers watch this year’s Franklin Regional Holiday Telethon, they will see four compelling reasons to consider donating to this year’s beneficiary, the UPMC Children’s Hospital Free Care Fund. “We have documentary segments on four (Franklin Regional) families who have been helped through the Free Care Fund,” said high...
Scottdale man dedicated to family, Penn Line Service career
When people thought about Penn Line Service, they frequently thought about Franklin Lynn, according to his daughter, Jeanne Kiss of Greensburg. “That’s what he did,” Kiss said. Mr. Lynn worked nearly six decades for the Scottdale company, starting in 1953 and working his way to management and later becoming a...
Study: Americans will spend more than $5.5B on Christmas trees in 2019
Martins Christmas Tree Farm is getting a bigger share of more than $5.5 billion Americans will spend on Christmas trees, and the Rostraver business has been a victim of its own success. “Last year was our best year,” said owner Brad Martin, who recently took the farm over after his...
Murrysville man fell in love with the great outdoors
Whether it was his career as a railroad engineer, hunting moose and grizzly bears in Alaska, or running Wilson’s Nursery in Murrysville, Bill Wilson wanted to be outside. That love of the outdoors also led him to his wife of 64 years, Marie (Rosenbayger) Wilson. “There was an archery place...
Franklin Regional school board won’t delay construction on Sloan intermediate building
Construction of the new Sloan intermediate school in the Franklin Regional School District will continue after three of the four new school board members were unable to muster enough support to suspend work for a month. “Many of us ran for this position because people in the community were questioning...
Delmont moves ahead with Shields Farm log cabin repairs
Delmont officials will spend about $2,500 on white pine logs for the Shields Farm cabin on East Pittsburgh Street, and members of the Delmont Visionary Committee are hoping their research can help locate a trust to fund the cabin’s maintenance. Committee member AnnaMarie Stackiewicz said she found minutes from the...
Delmont adopts balanced 2020 budget with no tax hike
Delmont officials adopted a $1.25 million 2020 budget that holds the line on property taxes. The budget calls for $1,250,374 in both revenues and expenditures. Council members also adopted a resolution that will be forwarded to state officials, noting that the borough will not increase property taxes. They will remain...
Small fire at senior high rise in Scottdale forces brief evacuationsVideo
Some residents of the Scottdale Manor senior citizen high rise along Pearl Street were briefly evacuated from their apartments Tuesday night because of smoke from a small fire in the building. No serious injuries were reported in the fire but several residents were taken to a hospital for evaluation, according...
Ellsworth company announces 2020 electronics recycling dates
A permanent electronics recycling facility in eastern Washington County announced its 2020 dates for accepting items, most of which will be collected at no charge. The JVS Environmental site at 1 American Way in Ellsworth will replace the monthly electronics collection program previously staged at the Washington County Fairgrounds and...
Salem tattoo shop plans coat, shoe giveawayVideo
Dante Wiley Jr. knows how tough it can get for needy children during the holidays. “I didn’t have much growing up,” said Wiley, a Jeannette resident and general manager/part-owner at BullyInk tattoo parlor in Salem Plaza along Route 22. “I know how it feels. I know what it’s like to...
Here’s a list of upcoming holiday events in the greater Murrysville area
Here are some of the holiday-themed events coming up in the Star’s coverage area. Do you have a holiday event coming up? Email staff writer Patrick Varine at pvarine@tribweb.com. • The Masterworks Concert Chorale will present “Christmas In Germany,” a choral concert featuring Beethoven’s “Mass in C,” on Dec. 14...
‘Princess Bride’ star Cary Elwes to be part of Pittsburgh-area Q&A, film screeningVideo
There’s a shortage of perfect Q&A’s in this world, and it would be a pity to miss the one coming to Pittsburgh in April. Actor Cary Elwes will bring “As You Wish: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes” to Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall on April 3, participating in a...
Murrysville council, Olympus Energy continue working out possible fracking well conditions
A vote on Murrysville’s first fracking well will be postponed one more month, after council members and company officials were unable to agree on the list of conditions imposed on the drilling firm. Truck access to the Titan well pad site, transportation of water to the site, and the time...
Westmoreland talent fills out Laurel Ballet’s annual ‘Nutcracker’ production
Although “The Nutcracker” is perfect family Christmas entertainment, surprisingly it was not a hit when it was first performed in Russia in 1892. But when it did finally catch on more than 50 years ago, it quickly became a ubiquitous part of the holiday season. It’s now the most frequently-seen...
Delmont council to take a closer look at future of Shields Farm cabin
Before spending more money on the Shields Farm cabin on East Pittsburgh Street, Delmont officials want to decide what exactly the cabin’s future will be. “It’s open one weekend a year,” said Councilman Bill Marx, who recently met with officials from the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, which deeded the...
Hills Church in Murrysville will host ‘Christmas in Germany’ concertVideo
Over the summer, Masterworks Concert Chorale Director Snezana Lazich fell in love with a piece by one of her favorite composers. “I found Beethoven’s ‘Mass in C,’ and it has such beautiful moments in it,” Lazich said. The 40 members of the MCC, along with a 15-piece orchestra of local...
Penn Township tattoo parlor will host Toys for Tots fundraiser
When Justin Schultz opened his first tattoo shop in downtown Jeannette in 2012, a Toys for Tots representative stopped by right around this time of year to drop off a donation box. “I thought, ‘It’s such a little box,’ so we had the idea to do an annual fundraiser and...
Delmont paving program comes in $76,000 under budget
Surprises during the construction process are rarely positive. But a welcome surprise in Delmont helped borough officials save more than $75,000 on their annual roads program. “We anticipated a lot of base repair on (West Pittsburgh Street), but the concrete was actually in excellent condition,” borough engineer Kevin Brett told...
East Huntingdon radiologist achieved ‘the American dream’
When Benedict Mariano Jr. decided he wanted to pursue the American dream, his whole family worked to help him achieve it. “He was the oldest of six kids, and his father was gone a lot working on a boat, so he was kind of the man of the family,” said...
Murrysville Woman’s Club marks 100th anniversary in 2020Video
The Murrysville Woman’s Club “has figured out 50 million ways to raise money,” according to Joy Somers, who has been a member for nearly four decades. Somers’ tenure, however, isn’t even half the time the club has been in existence. Formed in 1920 to educate local women about voting following...
Export seeks grant to help with sewer fixesVideo
There’s no getting around the expensive price tag for sewer fixes in Export, but borough officials are hoping a state grant will help put a significant dent in it. Borough officials have applied for one of the H2O Program grants offered by the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development...
