Patrick Varine stories, Page 109

Patrick Varine
Patrick Varine
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Food bank student volunteer organizes collection drives of his own in Murrysville
Garrett Deller of Murrysville was volunteering with the Westmoreland County Food Bank through his membership in the Franklin Regional National Honor Society, but the high school junior decided he wanted to take it a step farther. “One of the older volunteers mentioned that donations were down because of the covid...
Study: U.S. covid patients face more mental health issues; Excela Health bracing for uptick 
Researchers at the University of Oxford published a study reporting the first large-scale evidence that covid-19 survivors are at increased risk of anxiety or depression. The study looked at electronic health records for 69 million U.S. residents, including more than 62,000 covid-19 cases. In the three months following a positive...
Drivers not using E-ZPass will absorb a 51% PA Turnpike rate hike in 2021
Pennsylvania Turnpike toll increases announced last year will take effect just after midnight Sunday, Jan. 3, and if you’re not using the state’s E-ZPass program, the hike will be a steep one. Over the summer, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission approved a 6% hike for all E-ZPass rates systemwide, along with...
Penn-Trafford students nominated for National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences award 
Last spring, two groups of Penn-Trafford High School video production students tied for first place in the National Academy of Television Arts & Science regional competition. Now, one of those groups will compete for a national NATAS Student Production Award. Junior Emily Coles and 2020 graduate Madison Pleins’ news segment,...
Murrysville-area news and events, Dec. 31 and beyond
Here are some news items and event listings for the Star’s coverage area. Submit an event or local news by emailing staff writer Patrick Varine at pvarine@triblive.com. Rotary president will serve as District Governor Murrysville-Export Rotary President John Hartman was chosen by the nominating committee of Rotary District 7305 to...
Boxheart Gallery plans 20th anniversary exhibit in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood 
Despite a year in which more people likely saw its exhibits online than in-person, Boxheart Gallery in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood is forging ahead with plans for its 20th anniversary in the new year. “We think that artists are extremely important, especially during these changing times,” said gallery owner Nicole Capozzi....
Southbound Route 356 reopens following crash near Allegheny Township shopping plaza
The southbound side of Route 356 reopened around 6:30 p.m. after a two-vehicle crash that overturned a trailer Wednesday afternoon, Westmoreland County emergency officials said. The crash was reported shortly after 4:30 p.m. along Route 356 near Towne Center Drive. The driver of an SUV struck a pick-up truck hauling...
Covid numbers tallied for Murrysville-Export-Delmont area
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 883 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March. Of those, 54 cases were reported in the past seven days, a 61% drop following 141 cases reported last week. The health department on...
Murrysville officials want more input on proposal to allow senior high-rises
A proposal to update Murrysville’s zoning ordinance to accommodate more senior housing options was voted down this month after council received negative feedback from residents. Council has held recent discussions about updating its zoning ordinance to allow senior high-rises in its business districts and senior planned developments in its residential...
Allegheny, Westmoreland provide plenty of places to recycle your Christmas tree 
Once Christmas is over, that tree in the living room goes from a way of remembering the holiday to “All right, how are we going to get rid of this thing?” If you live in Allegheny or Westmoreland counties, you don’t have to look far to dispose of your tree...
Southmoreland grad killed in crash ‘brought a different kind of energy to the room’
No matter who is talking about him, one thing is clear about Brandon Peterson — he knew how to brighten anyone’s day. “As soon as he’d walk into a room, he put a smile on everyone’s face,” said Mason Neiderhiser, 16, of Mt. Pleasant. “He was such a good guy.”...
Covid numbers tallied for Penn-Trafford area
The state Department of Health reports there have been 1,242 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Penn-Trafford area since the start of the pandemic in March. The department on Monday released data on confirmed cases of the virus in the six Penn-Trafford area ZIP codes, showing an increase of 175...
Federal covid relief bill includes ‘Save Our Stages’ funding for independent music venues, promoters 
Independent music venue owners across the U.S. got their first good news in quite some time on Monday with the announcement the $900 billion federal covid-19 relief bill will include $15 billion as part of the Save Our Stages Act. If it is signed by President Trump — a move...
Covid numbers for Murrysville-Export-Delmont area jump 20%
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 829 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March. Of those, 141 cases were reported in the past seven days, a jump of more than 20%. The health department on Monday released the...
Murrysville filmmaker’s latest earns honorable mention at Top Shorts film festival 
Dillon Black had finished up principal photography and was headed into post-production on his new short film, “What’s Left of Barry,” when the coronavirus pandemic turned things upside down. “I had six people helping me with post-production, and covid-19 threw a big wrench into everything,” said Black, 22, of Murrysville....
Former Pittsburgh dentist among Trump’s late-term pardons
Alfonso Costa, a former Fox Chapel dentist who received a presidential pardon of his 2008 insurance fraud conviction, was a one-time political donor to President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Guiliani. According to records on file with the Federal Elections Commission, Costa, a year before he was sentenced to serve...
Route 119 southbound reopens in East Huntingdon following fatal crash
The southbound lanes of Route 119 at Route 819 in East Huntingdon reopened just after 9 p.m., following a fatal crash involving a vehicle and pedestrian late Tuesday afternoon. The crash was reported just after 3:45 p.m., according to a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office has...
Delmont police, Sheetz collect about 10 tons of food for families, health care workers
’Tis the season for giving, and that sentiment isn’t lost on the organizations who interact with the public every day and have a ground-level view of the difficulty faced by not just families but also front-line health care workers. That’s why the Delmont Police Department decided to hold its first-ever...
Delmont updates stormwater ordinance, approves 2021 budget 
Delmont council members approved an updated stormwater ordinance earlier this month that incorporates county and state requirements for best-management practices. The updated ordinance brings in elements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s 2022 model ordinance, mandated by Act 167 and Westmoreland County’s integrated water resource plan. Communities that are...
Franklin Regional’s annual telethon transforms into live-streamed holiday showcase 
During the annual Franklin Regional Telethon in December, the main hallway in the senior high school is, to put it charitably, a roiling mass of chaos. Multimedia students are scrambling to line up the next act in their live broadcast. High school clubs have tables set up from end to...
TribLive Taste Test: Santa Clausthaler non-alcoholic seasonal beer 
It would be irresponsible to leave Santa cookies and beer on Christmas Eve. He has to drive that sleigh an awful long way, after all. However, it wouldn’t be out of line at all to leave him a cold bottle of Santa Clausthaler non-alcoholic beer, the subject of today’s TribLive...
Franklin Regional 8th graders deck the doors with decorations 
Eight-plus inches of snow didn’t chill the spirit — or the creativity — of Franklin Regional Middle School eighth graders, who joined their teachers Thursday in spreading some holiday spirit by decorating their classroom doors....
Franklin Regional joins other districts in second post-holiday shift to online learning
If Franklin Regional officials had not made the move to remote instruction the week following Thanksgiving, nearly 60 people with either a positive covid-19 test or a potential exposure would have come back into the senior high school, according to the superintendent. “During those days, from Nov. 26 through Dec....
Murrysville library issues ‘Winter Reading Challenge’ to patrons
For their “Winter Reading Challenge,” Murrysville Public Library officials are asking patrons to give themselves a literary challenge. “Most of our patrons tend to stick to a favorite type of book,” said library associate Janeene Foster. “A big part of this program is to challenge participants to step outside of...
Perfect timing: Boyce Park ski slopes, snow tubing opens Saturday
Just days following a 9-inch snowfall, the Boyce Park ski slopes and snow tubing area will open for the season on 10 a.m. Saturday. Restrictions will be in place to comply with Pennsylvania’s temporary covid-19 protection measures. Only 50 skiers and 50 snow tubers will be permitted during each session....


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