Murrysville Star category, Page 120
Delmont native works as Navy SeaBee electrician
With two generations of military men in his family, Derek Hughes of Delmont felt a strong duty to make a contribution of his own as the third. “My grandfather served in the Marine Corps as an infantryman during the Korean War and my uncle served in the Navy in the...
Delmont officials seek grant to help develop borough recreation planVideo
Delmont officials will apply for a grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to develop a recreation plan that will map out roughly the next decade for the borough’s parks. The grant requires a 50% match from the borough. The estimated cost of developing the plan is...
Cops: W.Va. man accused of assaulting, choking woman in Delmont
A Martinsburg, W.Va., man is being held without bail in the Westmoreland County Prison after he was accused of choking and threatening to kill a woman in Delmont. Ricardo Feliciano, 42, was charged with criminal trespass, cruelty to animals, disorderly conduct, harassment, stalking, strangulation and terroristic threats filed by Delmont...
Murrysville resident examines 1920s Johnstown racial incident in new book
Editor’s note: The author’s scheduled March 18 presentation at CCAC was canceled after this story was first published online. What began as a search for a story about local black history led Cody McDevitt to a project that has gone from a newspaper series to a magazine to a book...
Banners to honor veterans prove popular in Westmoreland
Delmont officials want to gauge residents’ interest in purchasing banners for local veterans to be displayed throughout town. If the response next door in Export is any indication, they’re likely to prove popular. “We’ve gotten about 70 orders and anticipate at least another 10 that are in the works,” said...
Delmont may raise sewage rates to keep pace with consent ordersVideo
Delmont officials will advertise for a $6.50-per-month sewage rate hike to keep pace with changes required in the borough’s consent order agreement with state environmental regulators. Council voted unanimously to advertise for the rate hike, and likely will vote on it at next month’s meeting. The borough is a party...
Cops: Murrysville man accused of nearly hitting policeman and dog in fleeing car
A 19-year-old Murrysville man, who police say almost hit a police officer and police dog Magnus while trying to flee a traffic stop, was arrested within an hour on multiple criminal charges. Zachary J. Jackson was arrested about 12:30 a.m. Saturday when several municipal police officers went to a residence...
Murrysville’s Morosini Reserve will become an ‘Enchanted Forest’ in May
It might seem a little strange for officials from the Westmoreland Conservancy – which focuses on science-based programming – to host a hunt for fairy houses and troll dens. “Just like with any myth, there’s a little grain of truth,” said conservancy President Shelly Tichy. “The ‘fairies’ are the insects...
Murrysville siblings work both sides of the stage for ‘Sound of Music’
When Camryn Hall wakes up in the morning, the Murrysville teen may have to take a moment to think about exactly which rehearsal — or rehearsals — she needs to prepare for. Some days it’s rehearsal for the Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s upcoming production of “The Sound of Music,” in which...
Franklin Regional Junior Olympic team sends 11 wrestlers to state championships
Eighteen members of the Franklin Regional Junior Olympic (JO) wrestling team earned top-four finishes at the recent Area III state qualifier held Feb. 16 at Franklin Regional Senior High School. Six wrestlers earned first-place finishes, Area III champion designations and spots in the 2020 PJW state tournament. Another five earned...
Franklin Regional plans lecture series on hot-button school issues
Franklin Regional officials are reaching out to parents and the community to engage them about hot-button issues facing today’s students: bullying, drugs and pitfalls of social media use. The Franklin Regional Parent and Community Lecture Series kicks off March 11 with an overview of the district’s bullying prevention strategy. It...
Female students sought for STEM-based ‘Wonder Women Workshop’ at Franklin Regional
Franklin Regional science teachers are looking for female middle-schoolers with enthusiasm for engineering. The first-ever “Wonder Women Workshop” is set for April 2, where participants will engage in STEM-based activities at Franklin Regional Senior High School. It is the first in what science teachers Monica Bruno, Rebecca Connelly and Maureen...
Sloan Elementary students learn about infrastructure, ongoing renovationVideo
Many of the Sloan Elementary fourth-graders asking about the renovation project happening all around them — and the new school that will be built next door in Murrysville — let out an audible sigh of disappointment when they found out the project won’t be complete until the summer of 2021....
Delmont Historical Society looks to the future of the borough’s past
Forming a historical society involves a lot more than just finding a bunch of old photos and collecting them in one place. In fact, as members of the fledgling Delmont Historical Society looked to get their group off the ground, they found themselves initially researching the history of their predecessors,...
Alabaster Performing Arts preps for an ‘Irish Celebration’ in Murrysville and GreensburgVideo
With two sets of Irish grandparents, Gaelic and Celtic music is practically part of Mary McCormack’s genetic make-up. McCormack, a Greensburg resident, is the director for the Alabaster Performing Arts troupe, which marks its 25th anniversary this year. And it’s easy to see why Alabaster’s “Irish Celebration” performances are among...
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit impact grants open to all teachers
In 2019, the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit Foundation for the first time opened their impact grant program to any teacher, rather than just special-education teachers. “We literally threw the rubric out,” said foundation board member Roberta Cook of Murrysville. Cook and others in the foundation liked what they saw when choosing...
Franklin Regional students learn about Panther alum’s ‘augmented reality art’
Christopher Ruane of Murrysville hopes visiting the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg can help inspire Franklin Regional students to pursue a life of creativity. Ruane’s art keeps him busy nowadays, but it wasn’t always that way. “When I was in high school, I grew up in a sports-minded...
Murrysville marketing firm earns national award for podcast production
A Murrysville marketing agency specializing in engaging the Christian community will receive a National Religious Broadcasters award for producing the weekly “Health, Hope & Inspiration” podcast. Sponsored by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and produced by Murrysville-based Infinity Concepts, “Health, Hope & Inspiration” was developed to provide information and...
Murrysville will hire consultant to help plan for community-park amphitheater
Murrysville will seek a consultant to help plan for an amphitheater at Murrysville Community Park, and addressing traffic will likely be a high priority. “I know you’re trying to build it up more, but there’s problems with the traffic out there,” said Marlene Campas of Murrysville at a recent council...
Cops: Man who allegedly claimed to be firefighter during burglary arrested again
A man awaiting trial for burglary and impersonating a firefighter was arrested again Wednesday in Salem Township after a break-in at a senior citizen recreation center. Charles J. Beiter, 33, was arraigned Thursday on charges of disorderly conduct, illegally trespassing, loitering, theft and possession of marijuana filed by state police...
Union Presbyterian in Murrysville marks 60 years since moving ‘across the street’Video
Donna Doyle remembers watching her father supervise the construction crew that set the steeple on a newly built Union Presbyterian Church in Murrysville in 1959. In March, members of the church will mark their 60th anniversary in that building. As Doyle looks at a photo of that steeple being lowered...
Conservancy seeking volunteers to help prune apple trees in Murrysville
Westmoreland Conservancy officials are looking for a few good apples, so they can create a whole bunch more. The metaphorical “few good apples” would be additional volunteers to help with a Feb. 22 apple-tree pruning session at the Conservancy’s Morosini Reserve in southeast Murrysville. “This will be our third time...
Western Pa. libraries prepare for upcoming chess tournamentsVideo
At 12 years old, Sidd Ramineni is understandably a little shy when it comes to discussing his accomplishments. But with a display shelf at his Murrysville home that’s filled with chess trophies, he certainly would have plenty to brag about. “I like the strategy you have to use,” said Sidd,...
Murrysville police seek information on criminal mischief at Bear Hollow ParkVideo
Murrysville police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the vandals responsible for property damage at the municipality’s Bear Hollow Park. Vandals “have been breaking picnic tables by flipping them over and also throwing them into the creek,” police officials wrote in a Feb. 14 post to their Facebook page....
Franklin Regional journeys to Egypt with spring production of ‘Joseph’Video
Vishal Pandey could be forgiven for having acting whiplash. This past fall, the Franklin Regional senior was working on becoming as creepy and intimidating as possible for his lead role in “Dracula.” During a rainy week in February, however, Pandey, 18, was belting out tunes about his coat of many...
