Patrick Varine stories, Page 69

When Albert Pantone runs out of paper, he just heads to the nearest stand of invasive Japanese knotweed. “We always think of trees when it comes to paper, but anything with fibers can be used to make paper,” said Pantone, owner of Knot Just Weeds in Braddock. “You can even...

After meeting with members of the Export Business Group, borough officials gave the go-ahead for Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials to extend the trail about 750 feet farther east. “The biggest thing we all agreed on was that they needed to put (trail) parking spots on the south side of the...

Upcoming Rotary events • The Murrysville-Export Rotary Club will host its annual Summer-fest car cruise from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Lamplighter. There is a $10 entry cost for those taking part in the show, and the first 150 entries will receive a dash plaque. The...

You can spot Bigfoot in Murrysville this weekend. But it’s not the mythical forest ape — this Bigfoot is the kind that crushes cars, which is exactly what it will be doing July 9 at Export Tire’s customer appreciation event. “We’d done the same thing when we had our grand...

On the night of July 10, 1902, James E. Roderick, who was then chief of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mines, had recently arrived in Atlantic City, N.J., when he heard a newsboy on the boardwalk shouting about a mine disaster in Johnstown. “I heard the newsboys crying out, ‘Night extra!...

When it comes to large-scale emergencies, preparation is the key to a proper response. When something such as a ruptured gas line or a late-night power outage at a senior assisted living facility happens, first responders need to be able to do their jobs and rely on a support network...

When Louisa Fordyce first got involved volunteering at the Delmont Public Library, she didn’t have a lot of contact with director Denni Grassel. “But I knew how active she was and how much work she put into the library,” Fordyce said. Today, Fordyce is a member of the library’s board...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Inline hockey lessons at Palmer Imaging Arena Palmer Imaging Arena will host a weekly series of classes teaching children how to play inline hockey. The sessions will be from 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at the arena, 100 Center Ice Drive in Salem. The...

Pittsburgh-area fighters will be back in the ring Saturday for a full night of boxing at “Battle at the Fairgrounds II” in Washington County. “We’re excited to return to the Washington County Fairgrounds for the third time,” said Monroeville promoter Derek Gionta. “We have a nice trio of professional fights...

Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority work has closed a section of Meadowbrook Road in Murrysville that officials expect to reopen Wednesday afternoon. An FTMSA field supervisor said workers were extending a main sewage line and connecting laterals to properties along Meadowbrook between Haney Court and McWilliams Drive. Work crews expect...

During Amanda Ooten’s struggle as a quadriplegic affected by cerebral palsy, her mother Linda said it seemed like whenever the family needed help, someone was there to provide it. “I’ve always felt like those who give, get double back in blessings,” said Linda. Linda and Ooten, 27, of Wall, used...

No one was injured when a gas tanker tanker truck caught fire Tuesday morning along William Penn Highway in Murrysville. Fire crews were called to the 6000 block of Route 22 near Buena Vista Drive around 8:45 a.m., according to a county 911 supervisor, and were cleaning up less than...

In the years leading up to his graduation from Hampton Township High School in 2019, Nic Michielli discussed his future with district staff. “When I told my high school guidance counselor that I probably wasn’t planning to go to college, the conversation pretty much ended there,” Michielli said. With a...

A Uniontown woman was shot and killed outside a city bar on Thursday night, according to police. Officers responded to the 200 block of North Gallatin Avenue outside McPatton’s Pub around 10:20 p.m., where they found Samantha Harden, 34, with a single gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead a short...

The Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange connecting Interstate 79 and the Southern Beltway will open fully on Friday. The 19-mile Southern Beltway links I-376 near the Pittsburgh International Airport to I-79 at the line between Allegheny and Washington counties. The $800 million project was undertaken with the goal of easing congestion on...

A section of Brownsville Road in Brentwood was closed early Friday as crews battled a fire on Kaufmann Avenue. An Allegheny County 911 supervisor said Brownsville Road was closed between Towne Square Way and East Willock Road as fire crews worked to put out the residential fire. No injuries were...

Allegheny County Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a missing 13-year-old girl. Police said Tamir L. Nelson, 13, was last seen in the area of 118 Glenburn Drive in West Mifflin on June 23. Nelson is Black, 5 feet, 2 inches tall with black hair. Anyone with information...

Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. ^ ‘All About Otters’ at Murrysville library Pennsylvania game warden Mike Papinchak will join Plum naturalist Sue Miller for a presentation about river otters as well as the purple martin at the Murrysville Community Park wetlands, 4056 Wiestertown Road. The program will...

Contains spoilers for the first season of “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” I have to give it up to the folks at Disney+ who put together the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” show. Once we got a good look at where it would be situated within the “Star Wars” universe — a decade after the events...

Residents at Golden Towers in Tarentum returned to their apartments shortly before 6 a.m., following a three-alarm fire reported early Thursday. Residents were partially evacuated following the fire, which was reported shortly before 4 a.m. at the apartment complex on the 200 block of Allegheny Street. “It took about 40...

Part of Carnahan Road in Pittsburgh’s Banksville neighborhood remainds closed on Wednesday following a water main break. Pennsylvania American Water spokesperson Jill Greenwood said 58 customers were affected by the 8-inch main break. “The water is off right now, repairs are being made, and we expect service to be restored...

A spate of hot weather will once again be interrupted by rain, as National Weather Service meteorologists call for scattered severe thunderstorms across the area on Wednesday afternoon. A hazardous weather outlook issued early Wednesday morning calls for severe storms this afternoon and early evening with a crossing cold front....

Firefighters battled a four-alarm blaze early Wednesday on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Crews were called to the 1900 block of East Carson Street shortly before 4 a.m. for a report of a commercial fire. Pittsburgh Public Fire Chief Darryl Jones told told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI that the building in which...