Patrick Varine stories, Page 19

Franklin Regional open house schedule Franklin Regional schools will host a series of open house nights for new and incoming students to get familiar with their respective buildings. • FR Primary and Intermediate schools: 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 15 for grades 2 and 5; Aug. 16 for kindergarten and grade 3;...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Monroeville Arts Council concerts Monroeville Arts Council will host a series of concerts at the Community College of Allegheny County’s Boyce Auditorium. Concerts will be from 4-6 p.m. They include: • Aug. 4 – East Winds Symphonic Band • Aug....

The photo of part of the Kennywood Racer roller coaster framework resting on what appears to be a piece of wood set off-center atop two cement blocks that spurred closure of the ride Wednesday depicted a non-structural support, state officials said. The ride will reopen Thursday, Palace Entertainment spokesperson Lynsey...

Pittsburgh police are investigating a fatal shooting in the city’s Knoxville neighborhood. Police were called to the 100 block of Amanda Street around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday for reports of a man shot near the Triangle Mart. Arriving units found 51-year-old Anthony Walker of Pittsburgh, who had been shot in the...

A federal drug investigation has led to charges for four men who police said were in possession of 116 kilograms of cocaine. That amount is equivalent to more than 250 pounds. Federal officials investigating drug activity in Western Pennsylvania executed sealed search warrants for homes and vehicles in McKeesport, Monroeville,...

Two Monroeville men were arrested Monday after agents from the Allegheny County District Attorney Narcotics Enforcement Team, Pennsylvania Attorney General and Monroeville police executed a search warrant at their apartment. Mehki Manor, 20, and Steven Robbins, 18, were taken into custody after a traffic stop and a subsequent vehicle search...

The Eastern Massasauga rattler is one of the few venomous snakes native to Pennsylvania. It’s also the least likely to be spotted, because its historic range only includes parts of Butler, Clarion, Venango and Mercer counties along with a small slice of Armstrong County. But there may be a few...

Members of a family that just moved to the Franklin Regional School District from overseas might not have the confidence to get up at a school board meeting and ask a question. But get a few of those families together for dinner at a local Italian restaurant, and conversations start...

Jill Cooper thought there was a lot of energy swirling around at the 2016 Republican National Convention during Donald Trump’s initial candidacy for president. That was before attending this week’s convention in Milwaukee. “The energy was off the charts,” said the state representative from Murrysville, who attended the convention as...

Delmont officials are always looking for additional volunteers to help with the borough’s annual Delmont Daze celebration. This year is no different. The Delmont Daze committee will host its final organizational meeting before the festival at 6 p.m. July 22 at the borough building, 77 Greensburg Street. “We’re very excited...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Pizza party fundraiser The Delmont Public Library will host a pizza fundraiser from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 10. Families will be able to purchase a pizza and two beers for $30. Pizza will be provided by the nearby Fox’s Pizza Den, and the...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Backpack giveaway, more Christian Life Church, in conjunction with The Well Corporation of PA, will hold its fourth annual backpack giveaway from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on August 10 at the Trafford church, 900 7th Street. This event is...

Franklin Regional Intermediate School science teacher Brienne May thought she understood the problem micro-plastics posed to the environment. Then she took a look through the lens of a microscope, at what appeared to be a completely empty petri dish full of water from Lake Erie. “I saw a rainbow of...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Monroeville Chorus seeks new voices Monroeville Chorus, formed in 1953, is seeking new adult members who love to sing, spread joy and happiness. No audition is necessary, and all voice ranges are welcome. The group performs for community events and...

A cast member from the former hit Lifetime reality series “Dance Moms” was charged with driving under the influence after a crash in Murrysville. Christina M. Lukasiak, 47, of Mars was charged following a June 27 crash on Logan Ferry Road near Remaley Road, according to court records. Police said...

Allegheny County Police are investigating a stabbing in Penn Hills that left a teenager in critical condition Tuesday afternoon. Police were called about 4:40 p.m. to the 1100 block of Hamil Road, where they located a teenage male who had been stabbed multiple times. He was taken to an area...

A new chaperone policy at the four pools operated by Allegheny County that goes into effect Tuesday is an effort to increase safety and create a more enjoyable experience everyone, officials said in a Facebook post. The policy comes on the heels of a similar one enacted at the Highland...

The death of a Westmoreland County man following an early July arrest on public drunkenness charges is being investigated as a homicide, Allegheny County police said Monday. West Mifflin Police arrested the 31-year-old man, whom police did not identify, around 3 a.m. July 5 after they responded to a report...

More than 850 West Penn Power customers were without electricity as of 8:45 p.m. Monday, after strong isolated storms moved through the area damaging utility poles and downing trees. A sizable area of Penn Township between Harrison City-Export Road and the Pennsylvania Turnpike was affected by the outage, according to...

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has updated its regulations to allow a licensed adult hunter to bring more than one novice along. Through the commission’s mentored hunting program, children or adults are guided by a mentor, an experienced, licensed hunter who teaches the basics of hunting and gun safety. The program...

A Hampton man pleaded guilty to four counts of securities fraud after prosecutors charged him with engaging in 160 trades of Dick’s Sporting Goods stock after receiving insider information from a company employee. Frank T. Poerio Jr., 62, made the transactions between August 2019 and May 2021, U.S. Attorney Eric...

Delmont officials awarded $1.34 million of sewage work on Tuesday, one of the major steps in addressing a state consent order to curtail sewage overflows. The work will include the installation of a sewage interceptor on Christy Road, as well as the relocation of a force main on property in...

Delmont Daze committee meeting The organizing committee for the annual Delmont Daze borough celebration will meet at 6 p.m. July 22 at the borough building, 77 Greensburg Street. Anyone interested in volunteering or helping with the festival is invited to attend. Delmont Daze will be held from 11 a.m. to...

Miss Independence Diana Novak was named Miss Independence 2024 and Ava Cook the runner-up at the annual Miss Independence awards lunch­eon on June 15. Miss Independence and her court rode on the Independence Day float in Monroeville’s July 4 parade. This is the contest’s 60th year. Online giving event for...

The Gateway School Board adopted a final 2024-25 budget in June that includes a 1.21 mill increase in property tax rates. Expenditures in the $94.8 million budget are down just under $1.4 million from the 2023-24 budget. Millage will increase from 22.8507 to 24.0684 mills. Under the new rate, a...