Patrick Varine stories, Page 57

Two Pittsburgh residents will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame’s 2023 class, hall officials announced earlier this month. Rory Cooper, a University of Pittsburgh professor and founder of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, and DuoLingo CEO Luis von Ahn are among 16 innovation pioneers whose inventions range...

A worker at the Rustic Ridge mine in Donegal was injured late Monday when his arm became trapped in a mining machine, according to emergency officials. Emergency crews were called to the mine on County Line Road shortly after 9 p.m. for a report that a 22-year-old worker’s arm was...

A new strain of covid nicknamed the “kraken” for its dominance over previous strains of the virus has been found in the Western Pennsylvania region, health officials said. Officially known as XBB.1.5, the new covid variant has jumped from just 1% of cases to become the dominant strain in the...

Export Historical Society officials are hoping to work with the borough, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation and the Society for Mining and Metallurgy Exploration to create a historical area at one of the few bituminous coal mine sites able to be safely viewed by...

Parkway West Career & Technology Center Executive Director Darby Copeland was frank about educators’ ability to keep their students on the cutting edge of technology. “Like all schools, none of us has a big bucket of money laying around,” Copeland said. That made it all the more important for Copeland...

A Plum man has been arrested and police are seeking two additional suspects after authorities said the trio assaulted a driver with ride-booking service zTrip early Sunday and stole her car. Wayne K. Griffin Jr., 18, of Plum, was charged with motor vehicle robbery, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and receiving...

Delmont Council President Andy Shissler had to restrain himself from using his newfound power at the borough’s Dec. 13 meeting. Or perhaps he just didn’t want his first presidential motion to be payment of an annual service fee. “I’d rather not make my first motion paying Westmoreland Transit,” Shissler joked....

Sharon city officials announced an arrest in Saturday’s shooting death of a 17-year-old. Curtis R. Coleman III, 19, of Farrell, has been charged by Sharon police. Emergency officials were called to West Budd Street around 9 p.m. Saturday where they found Gavin Beighley, 17, of Sharon, who had been shot...

There were no reported injuries following a fire late Sunday in Pittsburgh’s Arlington neighborhood, emergency officials said. Fire crews were called to the 100 block of Cologne Street around 11 p.m. Pittsburgh Battalion Chief James Dolan told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV that firefighters quickly got the duplex fire under control....

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes. When Robert Stanovich graduated from high school in 1954 in Export, there weren’t a ton of jobs to be had, so he opted for military service. “He signed up along with...

Those wishing for a brisk winter walk in Export can now make it go a bit farther, as borough officials announced the completion of a short extension of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail this week. The roughly 750-foot extension brings the trail through downtown Export. The final phase, which will connect...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Cooper sworn in as state rep Jill Cooper of Murrysville was sworn in Jan. 3 as the 55th District state representative. Cooper grew up in neighboring Plum, graduated from Grove City College and worked as vice president of sales and marketing for...

Holiday happenings The following is a list of holiday-related events happening in the Star’s coverage area. Email events to pvarine@triblive.com. • Franklin Regional Middle School seventh and eighth grade chorus holiday concert, 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at the middle school’s Little Theater, 4660 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. •...

Many of the older stormwater detention ponds scattered throughout Murrysville were built with the idea of containing a 100-year storm. As the decades have progressed, state environmental officials found that smaller, more frequent storms typically cause more damage as they carry pollutants and erode local streams and creeks. Larger communities...

As pedestrians and cyclists on the Westmoreland Heritage Trail pass near the Cozy Inn Cutoff, they head underneath William Penn Highway, where the underpass is covered with all manner of graffiti. If Export native Christina Donahoe has her way, however, later this year, it will be covered with the largest...

Delmont Public Library Director Denni Grassel, who will retire at the end of the year, is excited about the technology experience her successor is bringing to the job. “My joke is that Monica knows that TikTok is more than the noise that the clock makes,” Grassel said with a laugh....

When partygoers in Westmoreland County are waiting on a drink New Year’s Eve, there’s a decent chance the person mixing it attended a class at Wines, Steins & Cocktails in Youngwood. At an unassuming building on Helman Street, owner Dan Clougherty estimated that he’s trained more than 40,000 people over...

A 76-year-old woman died Thursday night after a fire at a senior apartment complex in West Newton, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Joyce Marinos was killed in the blaze. An autopsy will be done Friday, Carson said. Filbern Manor was evacuated partially after the fire in an 11th-floor...

A Pittsburgh man has been charged with attempted criminal homicide and additional crimes in connection with a late-October shooting in Beechview, according to police. Pittsburgh Police said they arrested Antwuan Berry, 26, on Wednesday, charging him with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault and weapons violations. A warrant was issued Dec....

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Drug and alcohol program at Murrysville library Gateway Rehab Community Relations Coordinator Cat Miceli will host an educational program on drug and alcohol use and abuse at noon Jan. 11 at the Murrysville Community Library. Miceli’s talk will cover topics such as...

Three people were flown by medical helicopter from a head-on crash late Tuesday night in Washington Township, according to emergency officials. First responders including Murrysville Medic One, four fire companies and state police were called to the intersection of Route 66 and Mamont Road around 10:45 p.m., for a report...

When members of the Westmoreland Bird and Nature Club conduct the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, many of them will have their eyes peeled for a specific avian arrival. That’s because a Northern shrike, affectionately known by nature lovers as “the butcher bird,” has been sighted in...

The holiday season is busy enough during a normal year. But for plumbers, home heating contractors and emergency responders, the deep freeze over the past few days — and the warmer weather that is on the way — has made things even busier. “I’ve probably had 40 or 50 calls...

Looking for some holiday entertainment to wind down the year? Here are a few recommendations of new music from artists native to the Pittsburgh area, as well as upcoming performances over the holidays. Leo P, ‘Comin’ Up Aces’ From performing onstage with Beyonce and the Dixie Chicks at the 2016...