Patrick Varine stories, Page 2
Latrobe Poetry Neighborhood celebrates the art form in April
During the entire month of April, downtown Latrobe will once again be bursting at the seams with poetry. As part of National Poetry Month, Latrobe resident Bobbie Hineline and Saint Vincent College professor Jeannine Pitas organized Latrobe Poetry Neighborhood last year, putting together poetry readings, workshops and other events, and...
Penn Township man charged with assault after driveway wrestling incident
A Penn Township man is charged with aggravated assault and other crimes after police said a casual wrestling match left another man in critical condition with a fractured skull. Jake G. Stepansky, 29, of the Claridge neighborhood in Penn Township is charged with aggravated assault, strangulation and reckless endangerment. Police...
Jeannette art gallery hosts 6th annual ‘Women in Art’ exhibit
When artist Jen Haefeli looks at a piece of arts and crafts material, or really a scrap of just about anything, she sees a world of possibility. It might end up as part of a mixed-media collage. Then again, it might end up as part of a piece of clothing,...
Murrysville area: Meals on Wheels benefit, Pi Day bake sale, more
Bingo to benefit Meals on Wheels The Italian American Club in Export will host a bingo event from noon to 4 p.m. April 11 to benefit Murrysville Meals on Wheels. The event will be held at the club, 5930 Kennedy Ave. Tickets are $30 and include lunch. To reserve a...
Head priest of Trinity Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh accused of stealing over $1K in baseball cards from Walmart
The head priest at Trinity Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh faces a preliminary hearing later this month on charges he stole more than $1,000 worth of baseball cards in February. The Very Rev. Aidan E. Smith, 42, of Ambridge was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property. Smith was arrested...
PennDOT takes public comment on plans for Route 30 intersection with Wimmerton Boulevard
Unity residents and Route 30 drivers got a chance to speak with PennDOT and local officials at an open house Wednesday night about plans to address a troublesome intersection in the township. The main purpose of the project is to restrict drivers on both Wimmerton Boulevard and St. Xavier’s Road...
380 Auction back to business in Murrysville after fire in greenhouses
For an establishment hit by a multi-alarm fire less than 24 hours earlier, Tuesday was about as close to business as usual as it could be at 380 Auction & Discount Warehouse in Murrysville. With the exception of a work crew attaching plastic sheeting to a greenhouse frame — the...
Saint Vincent Camerata to present ‘Go to Joseph’ concertVideo
The Saint Vincent Camerata will present a concert, “Ite Ad Joseph (Go to Joseph)” at 8 p.m. March 20 at the school’s Unity campus. The program is part of the college’s concert series, and features Joseph Haydn’s “Little Organ Mass,” framed by Gregorian chants and sacred music by Palestrina, Monteverdi,...
Road work will close part of Chamberlain Road in Jefferson Hills
Chamberlain Road between Gill Hall Road and Shenandoah Drive in Jefferson Hills will close beginning at 7 a.m. March 10. The closure is expected to last until June as work crews replace a culvert, perform road repairs and install guide rails, signs and pavement markings. Traffic will be detoured using...
Fire damages greenhouses at 380 Auction in MurrysvilleVideo
380 Auction & Discount Warehouse owner Jane Beacom was sitting in her home Monday afternoon when she heard a loud bang. “One of our neighbors was taking down a shed today, so at first I thought it was that,” Beacom said. “Then I heard another loud bang, came outside and...
Former Export mayor presented with borough’s Selfless Service award
When Michael Calder first made the decision to run for Export mayor in 2009, he felt the borough was at an inflection point in its history. After his election, Calder spent the next eight years working with council to revitalize the borough’s downtown area, and the borough presented him with...
Murrysville council works to shape credit program for stormwater feesVideo
Municipal officials examined the potential structure of a credit program for the town’s stormwater fees during a meeting March 4. For the majority of Murrysville property owners, the primary available credit would be a one-time $40 reduction for installing a rain barrel. “Most communities we’ve looked at seem to be...
Murrysville OKs 4-way stop at School Road, North Hills RoadVideo
Murrysville Council has approved the installation of a four-way stop at the intersection of North Hills Road and School Road. Council voted 5-1 at the March 4 meeting to implement the recommendations of a PennDOT traffic study, which showed that the troublesome intersection was the site of 14 crashes over...
4 people injured in Hempfield, Unity crashes
Four people were taken to Forbes Hospital on Friday following two separate crashes in Westmoreland County. The first crash also was reported around 7:45 a.m. at the intersection of Depot Street and Silvis Farm Road in Hempfield. Mutual Aid officials said two vehicles were involved and one person was entrapped....
Former area congressman Jason Altmire able to leave Dubai
Former U.S. congressman Jason Altmire managed to find a way out of Dubai after being stranded for several days earlier this week amid escalating military conflict in Iran and the Middle East. “I find did get out on March 5, on one of the limited Emirates Airlines flights that we...
Freezin’ for a reason: Gateway Middle School mentorship group raises money for Special Olympics
As the Gateway Middle School girls mentorship group racked their brains to determine their yearly community service project, they came up with an ingenious idea: raising money for a good cause, while also getting to dump ice cold water on their teachers and principals. On Feb. 13, that idea came...
Delmont council fills vacancy created by mayor’s appointment
Delmont Council appointed Amanda List to replace former Councilman David Weber at a special meeting Wednesday night. Weber was recently appointed mayor to fill out the term of Alyce Urban, who resigned unexpectedly in late 2025 a few months after running unopposed and winning reelection. Council voted 5-1 in favor...
Former congressman Jason Altmire among those trying to leave Dubai
Former U.S. congressman Jason Altmire is one of thousands of American citizens stranded in Dubai as military conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran escalates. Altmire is a Kittanning native who served as the Democratic U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District, which included several counties in the region, from...
Murrysville area: Italian-American history speaker, woman’s club spring soiree tickets, blood drive, more
Speaker to focus on region’s Italian-American history Melissa Marinaro, director of the Italian American Program at the Heinz History Center, will be featured at Mother of Sorrows’ “Boomers & Beyond” speaker series on March 10 in Murrysville. Marinaro will offer insight into one of the nation’s largest collections of Italian-American...
Export seeks funding to create historical mine area, trail connectionVideo
Export officials have spent the past decade shining a light on its future, revamping the borough’s downtown area and paving its central parking lot. Now, they want to shine a light on its past. But it will take a big chunk of grant money to get it done. The borough...
Franklin Regional 5th graders prepare for ‘Olympus: A Greek Rock Musical’
Franklin Regional’s high school musical had one of its biggest casts yet this year, and the elementary school isn’t far behind. A team of more than 125 student performers, crew members and set designers will debut “Olympus: A Greek Rock Musical” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Franklin...
Delmont committee seeks input to help develop Westmoreland Heritage Trail connectionVideo
The Delmont Visionary Committee will undertake a study to determine how best to bring a spur from the Westmoreland Heritage Trail into the borough. The committee received a $20,000 grant from the state Department of Natural Resources that will evaluate two routes for a borough trail to connect with the...
Summer food program seeks additional partners, host sites for 2026
In the summer of 2025, nearly 300 organizations provided low-income children with daily meals at more than 2,100 sites across Pennsylvania as part of the state’s Summer Food Service Program. Additional program sponsors and host sites are being sought this year. “Across Pennsylvania, community organizations step up every year to...
Monroeville area: Project Prom shop, cash bash benefit, career center open house and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Project Prom Shop opens in March Allegheny County will hold its annual Project Prom event on March 14, 17, 19 and 21 at the Project Prom Shop, 10700 Frankstown Road, Penn Hills. Through the generosity of donations and participating retailers, Project Prom...
Single-lane closures for bridge work will begin Monday on Route 119
Single-lane restrictions will go into place starting Monday on Route 119 between the New Stanton and Youngwood exits, according to PennDOT officials. Crews will be repairing deteriorated bridge areas and beam ends. The single-lane restriction is expected to remain in place until late March. The work is part of a...
