Patrick Varine stories, Page 120

The covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on Murrysville Meals on Wheels, though it has been out of precaution rather than infection. “Because of the crisis, we lost about a third of our volunteers,” said program coordinator Lynn Staab. Murrysville Meals on Wheels typically draws from a pool of about...

A Butler man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison after a conviction on federal drug and weapons laws, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Wednesday. Brandon “Bopp” Morris, 35, of Butler, according to court documents, provided three “bricks” of heroin and an ounce of crack cocaine to...

While a final decision has not been made yet, organizers for the annual Apple ’n Arts Festival are considering paring it back to an apple cider drive-thru this year due to the covid-19 pandemic and the ever-evolving health and safety guidelines associated with it. Festival officials on Tuesday night laid...

Members of the Gibson company are launching a global search for a missing shipping ledger from 1959-’60, the time period which saw the company produce some of the most sought-after guitars in the world. And they’re willing to award $59,000 cash for its safe return. The 1959-’60 ledger disappeared from...

State police continue to seek the whereabouts of an intellectually disabled Hempfield woman last seen at the Arnold Palmer Airport in Unity over Memorial Day weekend. Alexandra Cycyk, 26, was last seen at the airport boarding a bus for Pittsburgh on May 25. She is 5-foot-1-inch tall and 125 pounds...

About a year ago, Murrysville Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said that while he did not see the need for a tax increase in the next five years, “creating a balanced budget without one is posing a bigger challenge each year.” The municipality has gone 13 years without a hike in...

The Penn-Trafford 7U All-Star Team came out on top during a tournament held June 26-28 in Penn Township. The team was crowned champions following a 10-run-rule victory over Canon-McMillan, 15-5. The team is led by head coach Mike Cardamone and coaches Mike Simpson and Jason Stewart....

Penn-Trafford student Kari Ann Leventopoulos is the statewide winner in the Daughters of the American Revolution’s 2020 American History Essay Contest. Leventopoulos, 14, was named the eighth-grade winner of the Phoebe Bayard Chapter’s local contest and, at an award luncheon, she learned she also won the top spot in the...

When Pittsburgh’s nightlife scene shut down amid the covid-19 quarantine, hundreds of live performances were shelved. In the quarantine’s early days, livestreaming was a primary mode of musical communication, with bands setting up “virtual tip jars” through services such as PayPal and Venmo. And while there is still plenty of...

Google Classroom and a patchwork of other educational tools helped Franklin Regional staff and students through the final months of a hectic school year. But district administrators are looking to bring all of those tools into the same shed for students who may be learning from home in the coming...

The Murrysville Woman’s Club awarded $7,750 in annual scholarships to Westmoreland County women seeking to further their education. The club on July 8 presented scholarships to Heather Lake of New Alexandria, Bobbi McVay of Greensburg and Jenna Maroadi of North Huntingdon. The club, which marked its 100th anniversary in 2020,...

A meeting is planned next week between regional and state high school sports officials and athletic directors “to discuss possible alternatives, like moving fall sports to the spring season and thinking outside the box in ways we haven’t before,” Franklin Regional Athletics Director Zach Kessler said. Kessler called the challenges...

Franklin Regional school board members have a plan for reopening school in the fall with proper health and safety measures in place. “We see this as our starting point,” said Jennifer DiFulvio, special services supervisor. “Now that we have this plan, we need to figure out as an administrative team...

Pennsylvania has distributed nearly $25 billion in unemployment compensation as of this week, state officials said Thursday. However, the week ending July 25, however, will mark the final claim week for additional $600 payments through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program. “Unless further action comes from Congress and the federal...

Pennsylvania businesses working to maintain access to fresh, healthy food during the covid-19 pandemic are eligible for grants from $10 million in CARES Act funding, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday. The Fresh Food Financing Initiative Covid-19 Relief Fund is available to food-centered organizations and businesses impacted by the pandemic, including...

The Westmoreland Cultural Trust today canceled tonight’s TGIS concert featuring Andy and Natalie Gregg with Jackson Gardner scheduled for 5 p.m. on the lawn at Greensburg Garden & Civic Center. “The safety of trust patrons, artists, volunteers, team members, and the community it serves is our top priority,” Westmoreland Cultural...

For certified public accountant Brad Jadlowiec, a shareholder with KSL Associates in Shaler, July has felt a lot like April during a normal tax year. “The people who normally would have come April 10 are coming in July 10,” Jadlowiec said, noting the July 15 extended deadline to file federal...

The grace period is over for Export residents with delinquent sewage bills. The most recent round of 42 letters, which will be sent to borough residents with outstanding sewage bills in the next week or so, no longer offers the option to reduce that debt through a payment plan. “We...

Franklin Regional school officials have released a draft of their reopening plans for the 2020-21 school year, which will be voted on at a special online meeting Thursday night. The plan covers multiple scenarios for reopening and operating under the state-designated green, yellow and red phases. It includes a “hybrid”...

Export officials are planning to hold the borough’s annual Ethnic Food and Music Festival on Aug. 15 in hopes that the covid-19 pandemic will subside in time to host the annual event with proper health and safety guidelines in place. “We can move forward with planning without a lot of...

It could be some time before Jodi Colella is able to host the full-sized wedding receptions, graduation parties and baby showers she’d like to at Station House 7 on Greensburg Street in Delmont. But while she waits for covid-19 health and safety restrictions to ease, she is looking to bring...

A cable failure resulting in a pole fire caused a power outage Monday evening affecting a 30-block area in some of Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhoods, according to Allegheny County officials. Duquesne Light spokeswoman Hollie Geitner said about 1,700 Lawrenceville customers were without power, after fire crews responded shortly after 4...

The Trafford Community Public Library will reopen July 13 with new health and safety guidelines in place for patrons. The library’s new hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; and 3-7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Patrons must wear masks unless they have...