Patrick Varine stories, Page 166

Murrysville council this week will consider lending its support for a petition to redistrict municipal voting precincts. Long voting lines during the past two elections have caught municipal officials’ attention, and they are looking at working with the county to make some changes. All seven of Murrysville’s precincts contain more...

Two of Murrysville’s board and commissions will have fracking issues back on the agenda in the coming weeks, beginning Tuesday night. The Murrysville Planning Commission will host a 7 p.m. public workshop on the Titan well pad application, proposed by Canonsburg driller Huntley & Huntley. The Titan well pad is...

When her husband was being shifted around the world during his time as an Air Force radar operator, Adeline Newell got used to traveling. After they returned home, she was the one helping travelers during two decades as a Pennsylvania Turnpike toll collector, mostly at the Donegal interchange. “She worked...

Training for Franklin Regional Youth Lacrosse’s spring 2019 season begins Jan. 26, and sign-ups are open. Sign-ups are critical for planning the coming season, officials said, as it gives them an idea of how many players will be available for each team and how many must be recruited to have...

When state forestry officials piloted a 2018 workshop showing people how to maximize the natural use of their property, they were impressed with the results. “We had a great turnout with more than 200 people at Butler County Community College,” service forester Celine Colbert said. “The feedback we got was...

The United States Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble, which marks its 50th anniversary in 2019, will present “Jazz Origins,” the second episode of the band’s “Origins” series in a live webcast on Jan. 22. A jazz combo will explore multiple styles including ragtime, Harlem stride, blues, second-line, Dixieland and others...

A student’s threat against the South Butler County School District led to what district officials called a “modified lockdown” last Monday, Jan. 7. With rumors still circulating through the community, Superintendent David Foley announced in a Jan. 10 letter posted to the district’s website that the district will implement a...

At some point in 2019, PennDOT officials expect parts of Interstate 70 could sink up to five feet between the West Virginia line and the Claysville interchange in Washington County due to longwall mining. “When longwall mining occurs, the interstate can be expected to settle about two to five feet...

The processing equipment designed to handle natural gas liquids from Sunoco’s Mariner East pipelines was unlawfully issued an air-quality permit, according to the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board. The board ruled on Wednesday that the state’s Department of Environmental Protection erred in assessing multiple projects at Sunoco’s Marcus Hook, Pa., facility...

Photographer Jay Kuntz of Mt. Lebanon was curious about what he viewed as “the chaotic relationship between the U.S. and Cuba,” and decided to use that as the inspiration for a photo essay. The result of that trip is Kuntz’s “Portraiture of Cuba: Character & Emotions” gallery, which will be...

Chances are good that if you hurt yourself horsing around in Irwin Park during the 1960s and ’70s, you went to John O’Connell’s house to call your parents. And if your injury was a little more serious, it was probably Mr. O’Connell who took you to the emergency room. “We...

Proper powder room procedure will be the order of the day at the next Murrysville Woman’s Club meeting. A Mary Kay representative will host a “Make-Up Tips” discussion at the meeting, set for 11:15 a.m., Jan. 17 at the Penn Murry Restaurant, 5089 Cozy Inn Cutoff. Guests are welcome. There...

A 183-acre nature reserve might be one of the best places to see a celestial “two-fer” on Jan. 20: a total lunar eclipse as well as a “super moon.” Westmoreland Conservancy officials are organizing a viewing party at the Morosini Reserve in southeastern Murrysville to view the eclipse as well...

The Flinn Nature Reserve in south Murrysville will more than quadruple in size thanks to the donation of two parcels of land in Murrysville and Penn Township. Westmoreland Conservancy officials announced the expansion in their January newsletter. While the original 20-acre parcel was gifted to the conservancy by Paul and...

Delmont residents may have to absorb a $2.39 increase from the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority. For now, however, they do not have to worry about absorbing an additional $7.50 rate hike from the borough. Council members this week balked at instituting the increase. The money would go toward paying...

The eastbound lanes of Route 30 were shut down for a couple hours around 10 p.m. Tuesday night after a downed tree landed on the roadway. The eastbound side of the highway is temporarily closed between Route 217 and the causeway over Loyalhanna Creek. Emergency crews also reported downed wires...

Delmont officials are taking steps to recover money allegedly stolen by a former borough secretary. Borough solicitor Dan Hewitt said former borough secretary and treasurer Karen Shola was bonded, and that the bond company has offered the borough a $35,000 settlement. Shola, 67, of Pittsburgh was charged in October with...

Franklin Regional School Board will hold a special meeting Wednesday to vote on authorizing the district to advertise and solicit bids for the Sloan elementary campus project. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the Murrysville municipal building at 4100 Sardis Road. The $54 million project includes the renovation...

A Lancaster-based women’s health franchise has opened the first of three locations in the Pittsburgh area. BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Center is now open in Murrysville, with additional locations planned for the Wexford and South Hills areas. “Like many women over age 35, an active lifestyle and closely monitoring calories...

Franklin Regional band members will hold a Feb. 23 spaghetti dinner in Murrysville as a fundraiser for their trip to the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The dinner will be from 4 to 7:30 p.m. in Laird Hall at First Presbyterian Church, 3202 North Hills Road....