Patrick Varine stories, Page 138

A McKees Rocks woman has been charged with attempting to smuggle drugs into a Somerset County prison on Nov. 14. State police charged Christine Guy, 26, of McKees Rocks, with felony counts of drug possession and bringing contraband into a prison, along with related misdemeanors, after they say she tried...

A bill that would allow hunting on up to three Sundays per year in Pennsylvania is headed to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk. Senate Bill 147 would provide for hunting on three Sundays annually: one during rifle deer season, one during the statewide archery deer season and one determined by the...

Weightlifters often pursue “gains” in a variety of categories. For 15-year-old James Swift, of Murrysville, those gains have come at quite a rapid pace. He began working with trainers at Dean’s Fitness on Old William Penn Highway in July 2018. Less than a year later, the Franklin Regional freshman won...

Delmont native Bill Lendl can remember his father, Milt, placing the first book on the first shelf of the former borough library, on Delmont Street at the time. “My father loved reading, and my family does as well,” Lendl said. That would explain why the Lendls donated about a quarter...

Tax credits for two redevelopment projects in Indiana County will pave the way for public space and a renovated community center. A $56,250 tax credit will go to the Friends of Blairsville Communities group for the demolition of the G.C. Murphy building at the corner of Market and Stewart streets...

This holiday season at Penn Middle School, not one but two Ralphies will be at risk of shooting their eye out with that Red Ryder air rifle. Students at the school will stage the classic holiday tale of “A Christmas Story,” and interest in the play was so strong that...

The plan to continue developing Murrysville Community Park got a shot in the arm on Friday with the announcement of a sizable grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program. The municipality will receive $299,800 for the development of an amphitheater, parking area, pedestrian walkway and more at the park off...

Veteran homelessness in Pennsylvania dropped by nearly 13% in 2019, according to the annual Homeless Assessment Report by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Those numbers mirror the national trend, which HUD officials say continues to decline. “In Pennsylvania, we’ve made great strides over the years in our efforts...

Patricia Miller wanted to take care of others, whether it was her medical career, volunteering at the local food bank or caring for her mother. “She went to school at Westmoreland County Community College and wanted to be a nurse because she had seen the love and care our family...

The Ziemski family of North Huntingdon has good reason to give back to their community. “When we were young and our kids were in school, my husband lost his job and someone anonymously paid the balance of our children’s parochial school tuition,” said Paula Ziemski. “We never found out who...

A University of Pittsburgh researcher was featured in a U.S. Patent & Trademark Office report for patenting a robotic strong arm that can help wheelchair users grab items. Rory Cooper, who was recognized earlier this year by the office with a trading card created to honor U.S. inventors, holds more...

About $400,000 in state grants will be put toward projects in Pitcairn and Wilmerding, state Rep. Brandon Markosek announced on Tuesday. The state’s Multimodal Transportation Fund will commit $300,000 to road repairs and slope stabilization along Hillside Avenue in Pitcairn, between Broadway Boulevard and Elm Street. An additional $100,000 from...

The greater Pittsburgh area tied its record low temperature on Tuesday night. “We’re calling for a low tonight of somewhere in the low to mid teens,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Matthew Kramer. “The Nov. 12 record low for the Pittsburgh area is 17 degrees. If we hit that before...

A Murrysville woman was among those honored at a recent state dinner with Gov. Tom Wolf. Mary Bach, a nationally recognized consumer advocate, was one of 30 people recognized for their efforts and achievements in Pennsylvania. Bach has more than four decades of independent consumer advocacy, civic activism and volunteer...

Trafford residents were ready to celebrate Veterans Day before it was even a national holiday. “They billed it as an all-day event on Nov. 11, 1919, but the planners were thinking it would be declared a holiday and people would have the day off,” said local historian Andrew Capets. “That...

A Fayette County couple faces multiple felony charges after state police say they discovered marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms in their home during a child welfare check. Jason A. Nicholson, 37, and Melisa D. Nicholson, 40, both of Everson, were each charged with four counts of drug possession as well as...

Two sisters were displaced after fire ravaged a house on Avenue D in Latrobe during the early hours of Saturday morning. Latrobe fire Chief John Brasile said with the help of the state police fire marshal, crews were able to track the ignition source to an overloaded junction box in...