Patrick Varine stories, Page 177
Westmoreland Conservation District will host Q&A sessions Tuesday, Wednesday
Last year, one of the Westmoreland Conservation District’s rain gauges measured 72 inches of total rainfall — far above the typical 40 to 45 inches that the region sees annually. “It really brought home the stormwater issues we have,” said Kathy Hamilton, stormwater technician and landscape architect at the conservation...
Penn-Trafford cheerleaders earn top-10 finish at national competition
The Penn-Trafford high school cheerleading squad made its first-ever trip to the UCA National Competition, held in Florida, and finished among the top 10. Teams from 50 states and several international squads competed, showcasing group stunts and tumbling skills. The Penn-Trafford squad finished 10th in the competition’s Large Varsity Division...
Franklin Regional cheerleaders post top-20 finish at national competition
Franklin Regional varsity cheerleaders returned to the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s National Competition for the first time in the past three seasons this year, and coaches Courtney Shovel and Nikki Ziringer liked the results. “We set a pretty clear goal at the beginning of the season: qualify for nationals,” she said....
Franklin Regional students prepare to stage ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’Video
Last year, as “Young Man with Clipboard” in Franklin Regional’s production of “42nd Street,” junior Jonah Hartman only had one line to worry about: “Yeah.” On the afternoon of Valentine’s Day, he was dangling at the edge of a faux skyscraper window-ledge, pleading with the woman his character loves during...
Somerset police uncover meth lab during child-welfare check on Valentine’s Day
Somerset police discovered a meth lab operation during a child-welfare check on Valentine’s Day. Officers were dispatched to a home on the 400 block of High Street shortly after 3 p.m. on Feb. 14. When they arrived, they noticed several containers on the porch “consistent with what is used in...
Penn Twp. man loved golf, Albanian family roots
Theodore Peshkopia came home one day with a surprising announcement for his wife. “He said he and a partner had bought a 100-acre property in Penn Township,” said Joanne Peshkopia. Considering that Mr. Peshkopia was an elementary school principal at the time, his wife wasn’t sure what to make of...
Franklin Regional school board expected to award Sloan project bids next weekVideo
Franklin Regional school board officials are expected to award bids Monday night for a project that will see the renovation of Sloan Elementary School and the construction of a second elementary building on the Sloan property, off Sardis Road in Murrysville. Bids were opened on Feb. 12 for the project,...
Clarion PennDOT crews recognized for effective, green management of salt stockpiles
A PennDOT District staff in Western Pennsylvania has been recognized for its efforts to effectively manage winter road salt storage and to be environmentally conscious about its application. Crews from PennDOT’s District 10 in Clarion County received five of 55 “Safe and Sustainable Snowfighting” awards from the Florida-based Salt Institute....
Inspiration for ‘Pittsburgh Dad’ video series dies
The inspiration for the Steel City-based YouTube series “Pittsburgh Dad” died on Monday. Greensburg native Curt Wootton announced on the “Pittsburgh Dad” Facebook page on Wednesday that his father, Keith Wootton, passed away earlier in the week. Curt has portrayed the “Pittsburgh Dad” character since 2011 on YouTube, posting videos...
Delmont council holds off on one-way designation for alley
Delmont Council this week tabled until March a decision on whether to designate a small alley as one-way. Shaun Blackham of Delmont, who lives across Spring Alley from Trinity United Church of Christ, said Tuesday he doesn’t understand why it needs to be designated as one-way. “I’ve basically maintained it...
Franklin Regional students create ‘virtual art’ using grant-funded VR consolesVideo
Thanks to a grant from the FR Panther Foundation, Franklin Regional students now have a chance to step inside their artwork. A $6,300 grant from the foundation funded the purchase of two HTC Vive virtual reality consoles, which art teacher Denielle DeSantis is using in her classes. “Prior to this,...
State Rep. Justin Walsh announces candidacy for Westmoreland County judge
State Rep. Justin Walsh this week announced his candidacy for judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Westmoreland County. Walsh, R-Rostraver, touted 22 years of experience as an attorney, legislator and small businessman. He pledged to continue his work protecting local families and their Constitutional rights as judge. “Recent...
Delmont residents look to form ‘visionary committee,’ will meet Wednesday
Several Delmont residents are looking to form a “visionary committee” as they prepare for the arrival of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail in the borough. Annamarie Stackiewicz of Delmont said those interested in forming the committee would be meeting for the first time at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Delmont...
Delmont seeks bids for 2019 road program
Delmont officials will seek bids for a 2019 road program that includes parts of West Pittsburgh Street, Stotler Drive, Cupp Way and Greensburg Street. Borough council members voted unanimously to advertise the road program at their Feb. 12 meeting. In order of priority, the sections proposed include: • The remainder...
Dominion plans to reduce methane emissions 50 percent by 2029
Dominion Energy officials on Tuesday announced their intent to reduce methane emissions from their natural-gas infrastructure by 50 percent over the next decade, the equivalent of taking 2.3 million cars off the road for a year, or planting 180 million trees. The primary focus will be on reducing and eliminating...
Wind causes heavy damage to Derry post office
Heavy wind caused serious damage to the post office in Derry Borough on Tuesday morning. No one was injured when strong winds caused part of the roof to buckle at 9:42 a.m., according to Derry Volunteer Fire Department officials. Because of the damage, postal operations have been moved temporarily to...
Murrysville church mission trip is eye-opening experience
Virginia Hamm of Murrysville knew French, so she was fairly confident she’d be able to get by on her church’s mission trip to Haiti. That was before she noticed the Haitian children she spoke to were disguising giggles, particularly when she said her name. “I kept trying, but I kept...
Scottdale man served with President Ford aboard USS Monterey
Bob Clark of Rostraver didn’t know much about his father Robert’s military service until he read about it in a book published by a local author. “There was a high school teacher from Southmoreland who wrote a book about local veterans, and one of the chapters was about Dad,” Clark...
Franklin Regional students create ‘virtual art’ using grant-funded VR consolesVideo
Thanks to a grant from the FR Panther Foundation, Franklin Regional students now have a chance to step inside their artwork. A $6,300 grant from the foundation funded the purchase of two HTC Vive virtual reality consoles, which art teacher Denielle DeSantis is using in her classes. “Prior to this,...
Point Park will host free reading of ‘Church & State’ on Parkland shooting anniversary
On the one-year anniversary of the Feb. 14, 2018, school shooting in Parkland, Fla., seven universities across the country, including Point Park University in Pittsburgh, will host a staged reading of the award-winning Off-Broadway play, “Church & State.” The play tells the story of a gun-loving senator running for reelection,...
State police looking for man suspected of stealing 5 Rokus from Walmart
State police in Indiana County are seeking information on a man who stole several television streaming devices from a Walmart in White Township. Police said the man entered the store around 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 and took five Roku streaming devices into the restroom, where he unwrapped them, placed...
FR superintendent will throw out first pitch at Pirates game in April
The Pittsburgh Pirates will recognize Pennsylvania Association of School Administrator’s Superintendent of the Year, Franklin Regional’s Gennaro Piraino, at their April 5 game against the Cincinnati Reds. Piraino will throw out the first pitch prior to the 7:05 p.m. game. Piraino was chosen as PASA’s 2019 Superintendent of the Year...
Heritage trail committee will meet on Valentine’s Day in Salem Township
The Westmoreland Heritage Trail board of directors will meet on Valentine’s Day. The public meeting will be at 7 p.m., Feb. 14 at the Lamplighter, 6566 William Penn Highway in Salem Township. The next phase of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, connecting Murrysville and Export, is projected to be complete by...
Window screen company has gone from Plum garage to nationwide successVideo
When Joe Altieri began seeking a way to make a better window screen in his Plum garage, he was just looking to improve on what was century-old technology. “The current patent on window screens dates back to 1907,” Altieri said. “So you have 100-year-old technology on modern windows.” Altieri, 43,...
‘Pet Sematary’ remake updates Stephen King’s classic horror novel
“Sometimes dead is better.” That’s the tagline for the remake of Stephen King’s seminal 1983 horror novel “Pet Sematary.” After Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) and his family relocate from Boston to rural Maine, the doctor discovers a strange burial ground hidden deep in the woods. When tragedy strikes the...
