Patrick Varine stories, Page 14

Vince Mangini’s goal in starting Allegheny Mountain Malt has always been to shorten the supply chain for local beer brewers and farmers. Now the company is looking to expand its offerings, bringing business development director Taiece Brooks on board. “Being able to shake hands with your malter, being able to...

Pittsburgh Police removed two banners bearing Nazi symbols on city bridges early Saturday morning. One of the banners was found on the West End Bridge near the Route 65 intersection, according to police. The other was on the Tenth Street Bridge. Both signs were removed, photographed and taken as evidence....

A car crashed into the front of the KeyBank in Oakmont on Friday afternoon. First responders were dispatched to the bank, on Allegheny Avenue, shortly before 3 p.m. No injuries have been reported, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Brickwork and several windows on the front of the bank were...

Surveying a sleepy South Huntingdon farm field Friday morning, it was almost impossible to believe that in a little more than 24 hours, about 18,000 people will fill it to attend a concert by country music star Luke Bryan. “They’re going to have it all set up in just about...

Franklin Regional Middle School teacher Christine Klemstine wanted to hear the frustration in student Brynn Lacey’s voice. “This woman called the cops on you,” Klemstine said. “You have to be a little louder — I know you can yell!” Klemstine and Lacey, 13, were in rehearsal for the middle school’s...

If you don’t like stinging insects, Shield’s Farm is not the place to be during the last few days of September. In preparation for the annual Delmont Apple’n Arts Festival in Salem, crates are delivered filled with hundreds of pounds of apples, stacked outside the barn that houses a 117-year-old...

Federal officials have begun the process to deport a Mexican national charged with a fatal hit-and-run crash Sept. 21 in Dormont. Allegheny County Police charged Saul Rivera-Ramirez on Sunday with homicide by vehicle, accident involving death by an unlicensed driver and driving without a license, after they say he crashed...

For some people, curling up with a glass of wine and a good book is a recipe for a lovely evening. But not everyone drinks wine. Beer and a book can go together just as well. With that in mind, officials from the Delmont Public Library reached out to nearby...

A Murrysville home was heavily damaged by smoke during fire Thursday afternoon, a fire official said. White Valley Fire Chief John Bohinc said no one was injured in the blaze, which was reported just before 1:30 p.m. at a home on Kemerer Hollow Road. Fire companies from Murrysville, Delmont and...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Food distribution The next Monroeville drive-up food distribution date will be 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Gateway High School, 300o Gateway Campus Blvd., Monroeville. Distribution takes place the second Wednesday of every month. Patrons can drive behind the sports complex...

The Monroeville location of Avis Car Rental lost more than $500,000 because of an identity theft scheme that involved a Brentwood man and a Youngwood woman, according to federal prosecutors. Cheron Tucker, 28, pleaded guilty in federal court last week to aggravated identity theft along with unauthorized access device fraud...

Contractors do not yet have a firm date, but Old William Penn Highway will close for roughly a month and a half this fall for the replacement of a bridge carrying the road over Turtle Creek in Murrysville. Murrysville council awarded a $170,000 bid last week to Kukurin Contracting in...

Westmoreland Children First, a Greensburg nonprofit that supports the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau and raises money to provide urgent needs such as beds, school supplies, winter coats and more, will host a wine and chocolate gala Sept. 28 at Saint Vincent College in Unity. It will be from 7-10 p.m....

Murrysville officials are working with a consultant to modify the municipality’s general business overlay, part of a larger examination of the town’s zoning. Overlays are used to add extra zoning controls in a specific area, to address special community needs or objectives. An example would be Murrysville’s gas recovery overlay...

A natural gas sensor alert led to the evacuation of Central Westmoreland Career & Technology School in New Stanton on Monday morning, according to school officials. “Two of our teachers came in with their gas sensors to say the levels were a little higher than normal,” said CWCTC Director Jason...

Editor’s note: This is the fourth story in an occasional series on the causes and impact of inflation. There is a dominant driver when it comes to setting car and home insurance rates: the cost of the items insurance companies cover when they pay out claims. And the cost of...

Not so long ago, Hampton School District Superintendent Michael Loughead wasn’t concerned about the pool of teacher candidates when it came time to fill a spot. “We have a successful district, we pay our teachers well, and at one time we were lucky enough to have 1,000 people apply for...

Because Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward is a breast cancer survivor, she said she knows the importance of screening for the disease. “When I went through my treatment, I could see firsthand some of the issues that women were facing,” said Ward, a Hempfield resident who was diagnosed with...

Justin Relihan has been bowhunting since he was 16 years old. The Butler resident began hunting at age 12 with a rifle, but quickly found he had more of a passion for using a compound bow. “I like the quietness of bowhunting,” said Relihan, 48. “There’s a lot less people....

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Q&A with community leaders The Gathering Place will host a speaking and fellowship event at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Triveni Center, 275 Center Road, Monroeville. Pastors Ray and Renaid Almgren invite the community to learn and engage in...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. FR marching band performance The Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band will host a stadium review performance at 6 p.m. Oct. 5. The event will feature food trucks, a 50/50 raffle and a performance by the band. There is no cost to attend,...