Patrick Varine stories, Page 17

Pennsylvania has more than 350,000 abandoned oil and gas wells, and state officials want more people trained to plug them. To that end, the Shapiro administration and the United Mine Workers of America announced a new program this week which will register and train apprentices to plug wells. It will...

When Maleena Dominick released her debut record, 2020’s “Bruises to Prove It,” she was about to graduate from Moon Area High School and was fresh off the heels of winning a national songwriting competition. Over the past four years, Dominick, 22, began to take some more creative control over the...

It is not an exaggeration to say the Delmont Public Library has been built by the community it serves. Just ask former director Denni Grassel. “The Monticello Lights fundraiser donated $7,500 to the (new) library its first year, and we used that to buy the table and chairs in the...

Two people were burned in a fire that was quickly extinguished Friday evening in Tarentum. First responders were called to a home in the 400 block of East Seventh Avenue shortly after 6:15 p.m. for a report of a structure fire. They arrived to find two women who’d been burned...

An Ohio man was charged with homicide by vehicle in connection with a fatal 2023 crash in Salem, police said. Ricardo Hardy Jr., 23, of South Euclid, Ohio, was driving an sport utility vehicle that slammed into the back of a tri-axle truck, part of a three-vehicle crash July 25,...

In addition to $66,000 in state and county grant funding, the Delmont Police Department got a small boost for its K-9 program through the dunk tank at this year’s Delmont Daze festival. Dave and Jesse Wien, owners of John’s Barbershop in Delmont, sponsored the dunk tank at the Aug. 3...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Presidential debate watch party The Monroeville Republican Committee is hosting a presidential debate watch party at 8 p.m. on Sept. 10 at the Monroeville Volunteer Fire Company No. 4 Gateway Hall, 4370 Northern Pike. The event is open to all,...

Charity golf outing The Westmoreland chapter of nonprofit Twilight Wish will host its eighth annual Charity Golf Outing Sept. 28 at Manor Valley Golf Course. The cost is $100 per golfer (sponsorships are also available). Dinner-only tickets are also available for $30. Twilight Wish works to grant wishes for senior...

After upgrading and coordinating traffic signals along several miles of Route 22 in Murrysville a little less than a decade ago, state transportation officials will continue the project west through Monroeville. Monroeville will receive more than $800,000 for traffic signal upgrades through the state’s “Green Light-Go” initiative. It is among...

The former Circuit City property in Wilkins will be home to a new Chick-Fil-A in the near future. Benderson Development of Buffalo, N.Y., received approval from township commissioners to redevelop the former tech store, located on 12.75 acres on the Wilkins-Monroeville border. Developer James Boglioli said Benderson plans to build...

Franklin Regional Panther students and many others across Western Pennsylvania headed back to class Wednesday morning on their first day of the 2024-25 school year. Other school districts in the region will begin classes between now and Sept. 3, including: Westmoreland County Derry Area: Aug. 26 Greater Latrobe: Aug. 26...

Native Americans living in what eventually became Western Pennsylvania did not waste much. They did not waste wild game, frequently using all parts of the animals they hunted for some constructive or nourishing purpose. They did not waste space, growing gardens where the “Three Sisters” of pre-colonial America — corn,...

Two Clearfield County men have been charged with bombing a Clearfield apartment and killing a person over a drug debt of a few hundred dollars, according to federal prosecutors. Western District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan announced Wednesday that Clint Addleman, 47, of Morrisdale and Kris J. Nevling, 47,...

The bridge carrying School Road toward its intersection with Sardis Road will reopen Tuesday, PennDOT officials said. Construction crews have been working on the culvert which carries Haymakers Run underneath School Road, since early June. PennDOT District 12 spokesperson Laina Aquiline said the work is not completely finished, but the...

The Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank is looking to bring a local college student aboard for a communications internship. The paid, part-time position is open to college students in their second year or beyond who live or attend college in Westmoreland County. Interns will gain experience in marketing,...

Caitlyn Mendicino has been dancing since she was 4 years old. The Penn Township native took lessons from the Ballet Westmoreland Academy in Murrysville. This weekend, she will take the Hartwood Acres stage as the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre kicks off its 55th season with a free performance Sunday that will...

Giant Eagle’s GetGo gas stations and convenience stores are being bought by a Canadian company that also owns the Circle K chain, company officials announced Monday. The “myPerks” loyalty program that offers discounts on gas prices and grocery purchases will continue after the deal is finalized at GetGo and Giant...

Going to see Bruce Springsteen is something that at least one member of my family has been doing for a literal half-century now. My father was going to see him in the early 1970s, before Max Weinberg took his well-known place behind the drums and more than a decade before...

Two men charged in unrelated incidents earlier in the week both face brand new homicide charges in connection with an Aug. 2 shooting in Ohio Township, Allegheny County Police said. Emmanuel C. Houghton, 19, of Carnegie was arrested Wednesday night after an hourslong police standoff in Monongahela, following an incident...

If you’re a Greensburg Salem School District teacher, your students can’t wait to meet you. “Meeting my new teacher” was far and away the top response to the question “What are you most excited about for this year?” among students attending the district’s back-to-school celebration Friday night at Offutt Field...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Historical society hosts Heritage Day on Sept. 28 The Monroeville Historical Society will host its annual Heritage Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 28. This all-ages event is open to the public. Food, drinks and ice cream...

Aside from some bleating goats and snorting camels, the Westmoreland Fairgrounds were relatively quiet on a sun-drenched afternoon early this week. That will change Friday when the 70th edition of the Westmoreland Fair gets underway at the fairgrounds on Blue Ribbon Lane in Mt. Pleasant Township. Attendance at the annual...

Class reunion The Franklin Regional Senior High School Class of 1989 will hold a 35th-anniversary reunion on Sept. 7. It will be at the Red Barn Winery, 275 Manor Road just outside Delmont. For more, see the “Franklin Regional Class of 1989” page on Facebook or email Christopher Ward at...

Technically, Donna Zerjav of Murrysville runs Donna’s School of Dance in her spare time. In her day job, Zerjav works as a claims adjuster for Erie Insurance. But “Donna the claims adjuster” isn’t how most people know her. It’s “Donna from Donna’s School of Dance.” That’s because the business has...