Patrick Varine stories, Page 106

Patrick Varine
Patrick Varine
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Watch Dooker’s Hollow Bridge implosion in North Braddock 
Dooker’s Hollow Bridge stood for 80 years, but it barely took a minute for 96 expertly placed explosive charges to bring it down on Saturday. Placing the explosives for the bridge’s implosion is technical work done using a large crane, Allegheny County Public Works officials said. Recent snow and windy...
Pitcairn man, 21, dies following Parkway off-ramp crash in Wilkins
A Pitcairn man was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning when he crashed after driving off the side of a Parkway East off-ramp in Wilkins Township, county officials said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office said Willie Rozier, 21, of Pitcairn, died of injuries sustained when his car...
Emergency officials: Icy roads causing accidents across Pittsburgh region
Valentine’s Day is off to a slippery start, with freezing rain overnight creating dangerous road conditions and causing crashes and stranded vehicles across southwestern Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh emergency officials are urging residents to avoid driving in the city of Pittsburgh on Sunday morning due to icy conditions and a large number...
‘Silence of the Lambs’ turns 30 — celebrate by spending the night in ‘Buffalo Bill’s house’ 
Buffalo Bill never told Clarice he had a nice big pool out back. To be fair, the fictional serial killer and main villain in the 1991 thriller-horror film “The Silence of the Lambs” was busy doing other, more terrible things. But for fans of the frightening classic, released 30 years...
With more snow on way, Pa. Turnpike, PennDOT put truck restrictions in place
UPDATE: These restrictions were lifted as of 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning, per PennDOT and the Turnpike Commission. Stay updated on the latest traffic advisories at 511PA.com. With more winter snow making its way toward Pittsburgh en route to the East Coast, PennDOT and and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission have implemented...
Western Pa. EMS companies hold cold-water rescue training 
Twenty-nine degrees with a chance of snow is no one’s idea of good swimming weather, unless you’re a polar bear (the literal kind, not the plunging-for-charity kind). But for three regional EMS companies, Saturday morning was the ideal time to practice several rescue scenarios at Indian Lake in North Huntingdon,...
61-year-old woman, dog found dead following Brighton Heights fire
After putting out an early-morning fire in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood on Saturday, firefighters found both a woman and dog who had died inside. Diane M. Willard, 61, was pronounced dead by the coroner after Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire crews responded a home on the 4000 block of Cambronne Street...
Murrysville paramedics adapt to changes throughout pandemic 
Editor’s note: This is an occasional series examining how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of members of our community. Over the past year, there have been days when Serena Seltzer’s ambulance was transporting nothing but covid-19 patients. Some days, there are none. “I always wear the proper protective...
Murrysville-area happenings, Feb. 11, 2021
Here are news briefs and event listings for the Murrysville Star’s coverage area. Submit items to pvarine@triblive.com. Delmont councilman removed from vice president position Delmont Councilman Bill Marx already opted to not seek reelection as he faces a possible fall 2021 deployment in with his Army Reserve unit. The former...
Murrysville area charges filed, Feb. 11, 2021
Charges recently filed with Export District Judge Charles Conway. All individuals have the right to a preliminary hearing and are innocent until proven guilty or pleading guilty before a judge in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. • Kristopher Wiegand, 45, of Penn Hills, with indirect criminal contempt of...
Delmont secures $15,000 grant to develop borough recreation plan
Delmont officials have secured a state grant to begin developing a comprehensive plan, a living document that lays out a town’s plans for its future. Over the next three years, council will match the $14,900 grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in order to begin developing...
V Foundation grant goes toward children’s cancer research at UPMC Children’s 
Sports fans recognize the V Foundation for Cancer Research from its annual fundraiser, televised by founding partner ESPN. But most of the people who watch during fundraising — and donate to its cause — probably don’t know where the money goes. More than $150,000 of it came to UPMC Children’s...
Delmont councilman removed from vice president position
Delmont councilman Bill Marx already opted to not seek reelection as he faces a possible fall 2021 deployment in with his Army Reserves unit. The former Marine now has been stripped of his role as borough council vice president for publicly calling out fellow council members who have not worn...
Commonwealth Court establishes presence on Twitter
During the flurry of legal activity in Pennsylvania following the results of the November election, the state’s Commonwealth Court staff was firing out press releases at a record pace as cases were heard and decided. Now, the public will have a better chance of following the court’s activity by way...
‘Luxury villas’ proposed as 1st part of Murrysville office park
A community of “luxury villas” could be coming as part of a proposed corporate office park complex in Murrysville, should council approve development plans. Bushy Run Investments is proposing 18 “luxury villas” at the northeast corner of Wilson and Manor roads, just south of the White Valley neighborhood. The residential...
Covid figures tallied for the week of Feb. 8, 2021, for greater Murrysville area
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 1,190 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March. Of those positive results, 19 cases were reported in the past seven days. The health department on Monday released figures for the three ZIP...
Murrysville recreation planning ‘Egg My Yard’ event for Easter
Vaccination rates may be ramping up across Pennsylvania, but when it comes to Easter, there’s no concrete way to know what the situation will be, especially for larger social events such as egg hunts. With that in mind, Murrysville Recreation Department officials are bringing the hunt to families with “Egg...
Export distiller partners with Penn Township company for ’boutique bourbon’ run
There is a lot of alliteration involving the letter “B” flying around White Valley Distilling in Export: things like “boutique bourbon” and “bloody butcher.” One is the special bourbon order that owners Jim Battaglia and Will Ramaley are making in partnership with Ventana Windows in nearby Penn Township. The other...
Helltown, Ohio nonprofit beer collaboration to pour proceeds to county food banks
Buy a beer and help the local food bank. Win, win. For folks in Westmoreland and Washington counties, that soon will be a reality when Helltown Brewing and Ohio nonprofit Helping Hops partner to release “Hellping Hops.” A portion of sales from the 6.5% ABV New England-style India pale ale...
‘One Lens’ project seeks to archive state residents’ covid-19 experience
Looking at photos from a specific period in history can be very telling. American photographs from the years of World War II, without any words, can tell the stories of battle-worn soldiers, the families they left behind and the efforts of those at home to support them. Pennsylvania First Lady...
Murrysville council authorizes purchase of new $1.5 million ladder truck
The ladder truck for Murrysville Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 is affectionately referred to as “Diane.” But firefighters will have a new “woman” in their lives when August 2022 rolls around. Murrysville council approved the $1.5 million purchase of a new 2022 Sutphen aerial platform truck. “Sutphen met our need...
Murrysville area ‘On the move,’ Feb. 4, 2021
The following are local accolades, achievements and announcements from the Murrysville Star’s coverage area. To submit an item, email pvarine@triblive.com. • • • Emily Wang, a fifth-grade student at Heritage Elementary School, placed third in the Pennsylvania Council of Financial Literacy’s Stock Market competition. Wang and other students started with...
Murrysville area events, Feb. 9, 2021, and beyond
Here are news briefs and event listings for the Murrysville Star’s coverage area. Submit an event or a news brief by emailing pvarine@triblive.com. Delmont library to host several events on Feb. 13 The Delmont Public Library will host its second monthly “Swap and Sell Saturday,” where patrons can drop off...
Bloomfield gallery Boxheart will feature artists from Lawrenceville, Uniontown
Working with clay during his first ceramics class at Corning Community College, just over the Pennsylvania border in New York, Travis Winters thought for the first time that art was something he could do long-term. “It opened up my eyes to what art was,” said Winters, 35, who now lives...
‘Flags Over Murrysville’ founder marks project’s 30th anniversary
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...


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