Patrick Varine stories, Page 70

Patrick Varine
Patrick Varine
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Belle Vernon student’s history project showcased by White House Historical Association
In the spring of 1918, as German troops were massing near the Marne River in France to mount a second spring offensive during World War I, more than two dozen delegates representing the Slovak League of America, the Czech National Alliance, the Union of Czech Catholics and other ethnic alliances...
Popular pierogie business prepares to open distribution center in Unity
In 2001, Terry Smith-Rawecki, her husband, Jan, and her mother got together to make about 30 dozen handmade pierogie to take to the farmers market in Ligonier. Gosia’s Pierogies sold out that afternoon, and by the end of that summer, they were bringing 90 dozen pierogies to the popular market....
Franklin Regional School Board raises taxes by 2.75 mills
Franklin Regional officials adopted a 2022-23 school budget this week with a 2.75 mill tax increase that would amount to an additional $95 in taxes for the average district homeowner. It is the first time in five years that the district has opted for a tax hike significantly lower than...
1 dead following North Side shooting
A man died after being shot early Tuesday on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Police responded to a SpotSpotter alert reporting several rounds fired in the 1700 block of Belleau Drive near Fineview just before 2 a.m., according to Pittsburgh Public Safety officials. Arriving officers found an unresponsive man later identified by...
8 kids, 3 adults injured in wrong-way crash on Route 28 in Shaler
Eight children and three adults were taken to local hospitals following a crash Monday night on Route 28 in Shaler, emergency officials said. All of the injuries appeared to be minor, police said. The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. near the Millvale exit of Route 28, according to Shaler police...
Greensburg firefighter’s burger tradition helps raise needed funds
Highland Avenue residents bringing their morning cup of coffee onto the porch Friday likely got a whiff of something besides Arabica beans. There was a smell of freshly cut onions in the air. By 7 a.m., members of Greensburg Fire Department Hose Company No. 8 were busy peeling and slicing...
Murrysville police captain settling into new position
When Tom Kusinsky was working his first law-enforcement job as an Edgewood police patrolman, he enjoyed his fellow officers and the experience he gained, but also quickly noted the borough’s small size. “It’s one square mile,” he said. “You’d get dizzy at night driving around.” Kusinsky was recently promoted to...
Kiski Township police say man choked woman, tried to cut her with steak knife
Kiski Township police said they arrested a man suspected of assault Sunday night on Florida Avenue. Police were called to a residence shortly after 8:30 p.m. for a report of a domestic assault. Officers said Shawn Haidze, 49, had attempted to choke a female victim and later tried to cut...
Franklin Regional student wins statewide National History Day competition, third place at nationals
In May, Franklin Regional seventh-grader Humna Anzaar became the district’s first student to win the statewide National History Day competition and move on the national level. This month, she earned a third-place finish at the nationwide competition in the “Junior Paper” category. Anzaar, 13, entered a paper on the history...
On the move: Woman’s club hosts fundraiser, PAWS for a Cause donation, more 
Email accolades and accomplishments from the Murrysville Star’s coverage area to pvarine@triblive.com. • The Murrysville Woman’s Club held an April 30 event, “A Lil’ Bit Country,” to raise money for local nonprofit organizations. Following a breakfast buffet at the Lamplighter in Salem, many of the guests learned country line dancing...
Kentucky psychiatrist sentenced in kickback scheme involving Hempfield testing lab
A Kentucky psychiatrist was sentenced this week to three years of probation and ordered to repay more than $24,000 to the Kentucky Medicaid program. Varanise C. Booker, 67, admitted that she was a licensed psychiatrist who operated a medical practice, Family and Children Behavioral Health Services, in Louisville, Ky., that...
Musser’s will open new location in Delmont 
As the summer growing season kicks into high gear, Larry Musser of Musser’s Farm Market in Penn Township is gearing up to boost his production to make produce available in more locations. A new Musser’s store will open this summer in the former Second Fiddle location on Route 66 in...
Murrysville creates ‘do-not-knock’ list for residents to opt out of most types of soliciting
Murrysville residents now can opt out of most types of solicitation through a “do-not-knock” list that will be given to anyone applying for a solicitation license. Council voted 7-0 to approve an updated version of its peddling and soliciting ordinance to give residents the ability to restrict who can walk...
Murrysville chief administrator prepares to welcome successor, move into new role
Outgoing Tarentum Borough Manager Michael Nestico is eager to rebuild ties with Westmoreland County when he assumes the position of top administrator in Murrysville this month. A resident of Jeannette, Nestico worked as an attorney and municipal manager there before taking the reins in Tarentum five years ago. “I’m looking...
Franklin Regional grad named Truman Scholar recipient
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Romantic comedy ‘That’s Amore’ features filming locations in Plum and Murrysville
Actor, retired dentist and Plum resident David Petti sticks to what he knows. So when Petti was working on the screenplay for “That’s Amore” – which will be shown June 23 at the Oaks Theater in Oakmont – he didn’t stray far from his roots. “My character is a dentist,”...
Norwin grad adds color, detail to the world of Pixar’s upcoming ‘Lightyear’ 
A scratch on a box. A tiny oil leak on the side of a spaceship. The telltale signs a concrete floor has seen plenty of wear and tear over time. Those are just a few of the subliminal details 2015 Norwin High School graduate Alyssa Minko has added to the...
Penn-Trafford video class brings home a half-dozen student Emmy awards 
Video production students at Penn-Trafford High School are finishing the year with a bang. Students from the class brought home National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences High School Student Production awards in six different categories in the Mid-Atlantic region on Thursday, including winning “Best Newscast” four of the past...
Monroeville VA clinic expected to serve up to 10,000 veterans annually
Veterans Affairs officials are certainly proud of the work done at their flagship hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. But they’re also well aware of the drawbacks elderly veterans face when walking up the aptly-named “Cardiac Hill” to their appointments. “There are a lot of steep hills, and in bad weather...
Why do some of my ice cubes have a little tiny spike on them?
Every once in a while, you may pull an ice cube tray out of the freezer and see that one of those cubes has a strange little spike on it that appears to be defying gravity. And the phenomenon that creates those spikes could be the sole reason for life...
Kerber’s in North Huntingdon included in state’s annual Scooped Ice Cream Trail
June is National Dairy Month, and state officials are celebrating by asking residents to indulge in one of Pennsylvania’s most popular dairy products: ice cream. Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development were joined by Gov. Tom Wolf in announcing the 30 creameries that make up the...
Researchers seek volunteers to gather, report firefly data this summer
When Ryan Reed, a resource program specialist with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, was taking wildlife courses at college in the 1990s, one of his professors accused certain animals of getting all the attention. “He called them ‘charismatic mega-fauna’ — bears, deer, elk, those types of animals,”...
Murrysville area: Free craft workshop, Giant Eagle remodeling, more
Email news briefs for the Star to reporter Patrick Varine at pvarine@triblive.com. Murrysville Giant Eagle to close for remodeling The Murrysville Giant Eagle on Old William Penn Highway will close beginning July 9 for remodeling to become one of the chain’s Market District locations. The store also recently acquired a...
Delmont Historical Preservation Society to host Living History Day in June
With a couple years’ preparation under their belts, members of the Delmont Historical Preservation Society are ready to host their first Living History Day on June 25. “We want to show people everyday living skills from back then,” said Delmont Historical Society President Vicki Walters. “When Delmont was Salem Crossroads,...
Export business owners spar with Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials over short extension 
Using leftover state grant money to extend the Westmore­land Heritage Trail by 750 feet east in Export seemed like an easy decision for council members when it was proposed. That is no longer the case. “Westmoreland Coal Co. got hundreds of thousands of tons of coal through there, and now...


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