Patrick Varine stories, Page 174
Murrysville historical society speaker will mark Northern Turnpike 200th anniversary
Author Charles Hall will discuss the history of the Northern Turnpike at the next Murrysville Historical Preservation Society meeting Monday, touching on a cross-state path originally completed in 1819. This year marks the Northern Turnpike’s 200th anniversary, and the Tribune-Review’s archives contain quite a bit of information about the road’s...
Feds seize $600K from accused Mt. Pleasant doctor; plea hearing delayed
The federal government wanted more than $600,000 connected to a former Mt. Pleasant doctor who has been charged with illegally selling opioid medication. This month, the government got it. But prosecutors will have to wait until June for a plea hearing that has been delayed since October for Mamdouh El-Attrache,...
Bodybuilders head to Murrysville for OCB pro qualifier competitionVideo
Joe Sharrow of Lower Burrell wasn’t about to let a shattered wrist keep him from pursuing his passion for bodybuilding. “I have a plate and nine screws holding it together,” said Sharrow, 55. “I’ve lost some mobility and it still hurts, but I decided I’m not going to let it...
Primary candidate slate set for Murrysville, Export, Delmont
The seats of Murrysville council members Josh Lorenz, Jamie Lee-Korns and Tony Spadaro will be up for election in the May 21 primary, and with Lorenz at his term limit, at least one new face is guaranteed come 2020. Municipal council terms are staggered such that three seats will be...
Feds: Penn State should not be permitted to trademark ‘Happy Valley’
Penn State officials are decidedly unhappy after the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office declined a request to trademark the “Happy Valley” nickname for university merchandise. “Happy Valley” is a longtime nickname for the State College area. However, it was that precise geographical association that factored into the office’s decision to...
Credit union offers member scholarships up to $2,000
The Westmoreland Water Federal Credit Union is seeking applications for $3,500 it will give out as part of its 2019 Founders’ Memorial Scholarship program. Applicants must be members of the credit union in good standing, and there are three scholarships available for $2,000, $1,000 and $500. Anyone who is eligible...
Penn Area Library gears up for annual mini-golf fundraiser
Penn Area Library officials are hoping local residents are willing to tee it up to support the library at its annual “Putt Fore the Library” fundraiser on March 29-30. The library will transform for two days into a miniature golf course, with a party for adults on Friday night from...
March for Parks will again include ‘pop-up’ bike shop at Murrysville march
Last year, March for Parks organizers decided to host a “pop-up used bike shop” to supplement fundraising for the Turtle Creek Extension of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail. More than 50 bikes were donated and the shop raised more than $1,600. Naturally, march officials want to try it again this year....
It’s National Potato Chip Day — what’s your favorite?Video
It’s National Potato Chip Day, and I am completely prepared to die on the hill defending my personal favorite, Zapp’s Voodoo Chips, which are inexplicably — and yet conveniently — only available at my local beer distributor. Are they so salty and full of fake flavoring that they make my...
Heritage trail meeting set for Thursday at Lamplighter
The Westmoreland Heritage Trail monthly meeting will take place tonight, Thursday, 7 p.m. at the Lamplighter Restaurant in Salem Township. Construction of the trail’s fourth phase, which will connect Murrysville and Export, is set to begin this spring, and trail officials kept plenty busy in 2018. Among other accomplishments, they:...
State police in Indiana nab 2 of 5 from ‘Most Wanted’ list
In just over two weeks, state police out of Troop A in Indiana have located and arrested two of the suspects on their “Five Most Wanted” list. On March 9, troopers took Lamar V. Clemons, 33, of Indiana into custody at a White Township residence. While serving an arrest warrant,...
Trafford Road reopened in Murrysville
Trafford Road has reopened in Murrysville following a closure Thursday morning due to a disabled truck. The road was closed shortly before 9 a.m., when a tractor trailer truck broke down near its intersection with Pleasant Valley Road, according to Murrysville police....
Woman’s Club changes March meeting location
The venue for the Murrysville Woman’s Club’s March 21 meeting has changed. It will now be held at Hoss’s Steak House, 4813 William Penn Highway in Murrysville. It will be at 11:15 a.m., and final preparation for the club’s April 13 fashion show will be the focus of the meeting....
Franklin Regional students take 2nd place at regional Science Olympiad at Cal U
The Franklin Regional Middle School (FRMS) Science Olympiad Team placed second at the Pennsylvania Southwestern regional tournament held March 6 at California University of Pennsylvania. The competition was a series of 23 events that used various methods to test students’ scientific knowledge, including written tests, problem-solving activities and building events....
Excela, Rotary partner for March 30 wellness checks in Murrysville
Excela Health and the Rotary Club of Delmont Salem are partnering to host a March 30 wellness check clinic in Murrysville. A 33-panel blood test will be available for $45 from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Westmoreland County Community College’s Murrysville campus at 6707 Mellon Road. An eight-hour fast is...
Rotary plans spring project to update Newhouse Park pavilion
The Rotary Club of Delmont Salem is planning more than $3,000 in upgrades to Newhouse Park this spring. “We want to paint the brick building white, re-frame the windows, paint the poles blue again and replace the lighting fixtures so that the bulbs are enclosed,” said Rotarian Kelly McIntyre. Rotary...
Embattled thrift shop in Export reopens
The Murrysville Christian Concern, better known as the Friends Thrift Shop, has officially re-opened. “We got a letter from the state yesterday,” said MCC Board President Rocky Kindelberger. The store on Kennedy Avenue has been closed since early February, after receiving a Feb. 6 cease-and-desist letter from the Pennsylvania Department...
Mother of Sorrows robotics team brings home hardware from Lego competition
The Mother of Sorrows School Eagles Lego Robotics Team finished its season with a good showing at the Western PA FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Grand Championship. In addition to finishing seventh out of 35 teams in their division’s robot game, the team also...
Delmont officials working to limit turnover in police department
In 2016, Delmont officials added a fifth full-time officer to its police department in an effort to hold down overtime costs accrued by its part-time officers. In 2019, they decided to drop back down to four full-time officers in an effort to retain both part-time and full-time police after several...
Delmont officials may vacate unpaved alley deemed a ‘potential hazard’
Delmont officials decided not to designate an alley beside Trinity United Church of Christ as one-way. In fact, they decided Tuesday night that they may not want it at all. Council voted 5-0 to advertise an ordinance vacating the alley — Spring Lane, which connects Lindsay Lane and East Pittsburgh...
Route 30 in Greensburg reopens after chemical spill cleanup
Eastbound Route 30 reopened overnight near the East Pittsburgh Street ramps in Greensburg, after a driver apparently threw a jug of chemicals at another car in an apparent road-rage incident on Tuesday night. The westbound lanes reopened around 11:45 p.m., according to Westmoreland 911 officials. “The person threw a five-gallon...
‘Blossoms in the Desert’ series joins music, art and lunch in GreensburgVideo
People working in downtown Greensburg who are seeking a little music and culture on their lunch break would do well to stop by First Presbyterian Church on Fridays. The “Blossoms in the Desert” series will pair 30-minute lunchtime organ recitals with Latrobe artist Stacey Pydynkowski’s work. Box lunches are available...
Pgh. Society of Artists will screen new members on March 24
The Pittsburgh Society of Artists will hold new-member screenings on March 24 in the city’s Regent Square neighborhood. Drop-offs will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Wilkins School Community Center, 7604 Charleston Ave. Applicants must submit three original works that were exclusively created by the artist within the past...
Greensburg guitarist releases solo instrumental album, ‘Bold Horizon’Video
Drew Bentley of Greensburg is a self-confessed “tone freak” when it comes to guitars. “I think it took me a lot of time to find a voice that is unique and worthy of being recorded,” he said of the sounds on his first full-length solo outing, “Bold Horizon.” Bentley, 50,...
Bluegrass, country star Ricky Skaggs will play the Palace on March 31Video
He might describe himself as “just a country boy,” but from his days as a little kid playing on the Grand Ole Opry stage to fronting the Grammy-Award-winning Kentucky Thunder, Ricky Skaggs has made quite a mark on the music world. He’ll bring that lifetime of pickin’ and grinnin’ to...
