Patrick Varine stories, Page 114
Hundreds turn out for inaugural 5K in memory of late state Rep. Mike ReeseVideo
Never underestimate the motivating power of a whole smoked hog. The smell of smoked meat wafted through Mammoth Park on Sunday morning, teasing the taste buds of participants in the inaugural Mike Reese Memorial 5K Roast, Run & Family Fun event, organized in memory of former state Rep. Mike Reese,...
Hundreds of motorcyclists join 2nd Patriot Thunder/Back the Blue ride in LatrobeVideo
Anyone who slept in late Saturday morning in Latrobe was likely awakened to the sound of a couple hundred motorcycles rumbling through town. And that’s exactly what city resident Zeke Barr was hoping for. “That’s the whole idea: Patriot Thunder — a whole lot of noise,” said Barr, who serves...
1 transported from New Brighton shooting in Beaver County
Police are investigating a shooting that took place Saturday morning in Beaver County. Emergency crews responded to a report of a shooting around 8:40 a.m., on the 2000 block of Third Avenue in New Brighton, according to a Beaver County 911 supervisor. One person was injured, and was transported by...
Pittsburgh man, 27, killed in East Hills shooting
Pittsburgh Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 27-year-old Pittsburgh man that took place early Saturday morning in East Hills, near the Penn Hills border. Police from Zone 5 responded to a ShotSpotter alert for multiple shots just before 3:30 a.m., fired near the 2400 block of Bracey Drive,...
Mt. Pleasant songwriter Andy Davis nominated for 3 Josie Music AwardsVideo
Mt. Pleasant native Andy Davis was happy to be nominated for an Academy of Country Music Award in 2017 for his work as an on-air radio personality at Pittsburgh country station Y108 FM. But, after spending the past five years writing songs and working to gain recognition as a performer,...
New law requires public meeting agendas be posted online, if possible
Bipartisan support of just about anything is a fairly rare thing nowadays in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recently found one thing they could agree: Local and state government bodies should be as aggressive as possible in publicizing the business they will conduct...
1 flown by helicopter following Lower Burrell motorcycle crash
A motorcyclist was airlifted by medical helicopter Thursday night after crashing into a tree along Route 780 in Lower Burrell, according to emergency officials. Emergency crews responded to the 2600 block of Seventh Street Road shortly after 10 p.m.. One patient was flown from the scene, according to a Westmoreland...
News and briefs in the Murrysville area for the week of July 1, 2021
Bike maintenance event set at library The Delmont Public Library and Delmont Visionary Committee will host a July 10 bicycle maintenance event at the library’s outdoor learning center. Featuring a mechanic from the Flat Tire Co. Bike Shop in Greensburg, participants can learn the basics to keep their bicycle tuned...
Old William Penn road work set to start Friday in Murrysville
Road work on Old William Penn Highway will begin at 7 a.m. Friday beginning at its intersection with Vincent Hall Drive, Murrysville officials announced Thursday morning. The first portion of work will take place between Vincent Hall and Old William Penn Highway’s western intersection with Route 22. The remainder of...
Murrysville student gets opportunity to work on atomic microscope project
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...
Westbound Turnpike lanes temporarily closed between Butler Valley, Cranberry until midnight
The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s westbound lanes will be closed briefly tonight between the Butler Valley and Cranberry exits until just before midnight, Turnpike officials announced. Westbound travelers can take Route 8 north, Route 228 west and I-79 south, which will bring them to the Cranberry interchange. From there, they can follow...
Commonwealth Court judge recuses himself from Murrysville fracking appeal case
A Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania judge whose previous career included helping craft state fracking legislation has recused himself from a case involving local fracking laws. Judge J. Andrew Crompton issued an order Monday granting the Murrysville Watch Committee’s request that he recuse himself from the panel adjudicating its appeal. The...
Police: Drug investigation into Delmont home leads to arrests
A months-long investigation into drug activity at a Delmont home led to charges this week against a 29-year-old woman, who is accused of leaving crystal methamphetamine and needles out in the open around two young children. Courtney N. Cline, who has a Penn Township address according to court records, is...
TSA: West Virginia man ‘forgot’ he had loaded gun in baby stroller at Palmer airport
A West Virginia man told Transportation Safety Administration agents he forgot to remove a loaded handgun from his child’s baby stroller when he brought it through a security checkpoint Thursday at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity. “Our TSA officers physically inspect strollers when they are too large to sit...
Murrysville library program will focus on Turtle Creek’s history, recovery
In the 1970s, anyone living in the vicinity of Saunders Station near the Murrysville-Monroeville border is likely to have known Turtle Creek by another name: “Sulfur Creek.” It was a far cry from the waterway’s earliest known name, “Tulpewi Sipu,” which translates from the native Delaware Algonquian as “turtle stream.”...
TribLive Taste Test: Wendy’s brand-new spicy black bean burgerVideo
When the intrepid TribLive Taste Test team set out to try plant-based burger offerings from the major fast-food chains, Wendy’s was not among them. Not to be outdone, the restaurant will debut a Spicy Black Bean Burger on June 28. The black bean burger has been around before. Wendy’s test-marketed...
On the move in the Murrysville area for the week of June 24, 2021
Here are just a few of those in the Star’s coverage area who are “on the move” in one way or another. Submit listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Courtney Brenner of Murrysville was recently inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society at Duquesne University. She is among approximately 30,000 students, faculty,...
News and briefs in the Murrysville area for the week of June 23, 2021
Here are just some of the things happening in the Star’s coverage area in the coming weeks. To submit an event or a news brief, email pvarine@triblive.com. Bike maintenance event at Delmont library The Delmont Public Library and Delmont Visionary Committee will host a July 10 bicycle maintenance event at...
TribLive Taste Test: What’s the best beef jerky for your summer road trip?Video
It’s summer, and that means road trips. That means that you probably have a large grocery bag filled with snacks, and one of those snacks is likely to be beef jerky. Inspired by an extremely unique product from the Manly Man Co., we decided to compare several of the major...
State police seek Altoona man who led them on a 130-mph chase down Route 22
State police from Ebensburg are seeking information on an Altoona man who fled a Route 22 traffic stop on Tuesday at speeds of almost 130 mph, according to police. An arrest warrant was issued for Johnnie Ray Weaver, 46, of Altoona, after police said he led them on a pursuit...
Delmont librarian interviewed on American Library Association podcast
The Delmont Public Library was among several subjects discussed on the American Library Association’s “Call Number with American Libraries” podcast on Tuesday. Librarian Denni Grassel was interviewed by host Phil Morehart about the library’s brand-new Outdoor Learning Center. Having hosted an open house for the center on June 7, Grassel...
3 more Western Pa. residents, including Scottdale man, charged in Capitol riots
A Westmoreland County man and two others from Beaver County are among the latest to face charges related to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Samuel C. Fox of Scottdale, Mitchell P. Vukich of New Brighton and Nicholas Perretta of Baden all face charges related to the incident,...
Mike Reese Memorial 5K will help establish foundation in late lawmaker’s memory
Before state Rep. Mike Reese died unexpectedly in January, it wasn’t unusual to see him out running with his friend David Keefer on Sundays near Mt. Pleasant Township’s Mammoth Park. “It wasn’t really about where we went,” said Keefer, who had been friends with Reese since high school. “We both...
Franklin Regional’s 2021-22 budget includes maximum allowed tax hike
Franklin Regional school directors approved a 2021-22 budget with a tax hike of just over 3 mills Monday night. The $63.6 million budget includes $375,000 from a district fund dedicated to state-mandated pension contributions, and just over $1 million from a fund being used to gradually phase in debt service...
Juneteenth celebrations roll right into Black Music Festival this week in Pittsburgh
For hip-hop music fans who have been around since the genre first got its start in the late 1970s, the WPA Juneteenth concert on June 19 was quite the event. The evening saw two icons of early hip-hop — Rakim and Big Daddy Kane — taking the same Steel City...

