Patrick Varine stories, Page 78
Tire technology helps boost winter weather safety
November may have started with balmy days and temperatures in the upper 70s, but Old Man Winter appears here to stay as the calendar rolled over to December, and a sizable number of drivers in Western Pennsylvania are scheduling appointments to have their regular radials swapped out for snow tires....
The time a ‘fake Fleetwood Mac’ was booked by Pittsburgh promoter Rich Engler
The recent death of longtime Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie brought memories flooding back for music industry insiders recalling the band’s storied and tumultuous history. Pittsburgh concert promoter Rich Engler is among them . Although Engler has several stories about bringing the rock group to Western Pennsylvania, one of his...
Blessed Sacrament in Greensburg readies ‘Home for the Holidays’ fundraiser
From golf to gift certificates to spa days and symphony concerts, Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Parish in Greensburg will have something for everyone in its “Home for the Holidays,” a fundraiser for the church’s Bethlehem Project housing ministry. This year’s theme is “The 12 Baskets of Christmas.” “We’ve expanded the number...
From Christmas to country, Pittsburgh-area natives have new music coming outVideo
From original Christmas tunes just in time for the holidays to a self-empowerment anthem, native Pittsburghers have released new music in a variety of genres. Kels, ‘By This Christmas Tree’ EP Pine-Richland High School graduate Kelsey Hillock, who performs under the stage name Kels, released her first batch of original...
Murrysville area: Holiday events, glass recycling, food collection, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Items must be submitted two weeks in advance to make the publishing deadline for the Star. Holiday happenings The following is a list of holiday-related events happening in the Star’s coverage area. Email events to pvarine@triblive.com. • First Presbyterian Church will host...
1 of 2 Tarentum brothers arrested, charged in Harrison shootout
One of two brothers charged in a suspected mid-October shootout in Harrison was arrested Monday morning. Arrested was Troy Vickers, 30, of Tarentum. A felony arrest warrant is still active for his brother, 19-year-old Brian Vickers, also of Tarentum. Troy Vickers was arrested by the U.S. Marshal Western Pennsylvania Fugitive...
Cleveland police seek suspect in Adrianna Taylor killing
A 43-year-old Cleveland man is wanted for the aggravated murder of Adrianna K. Taylor, whose body was found Thanksgiving night in a Wilkinsburg backyard. An arrest warrant was issued for Anthony Kennedy, 43, in connection with Taylor’s death. Taylor, 23, was initially listed as missing by Cleveland police on Nov....
Penn Hills man arrested in Tarentum, charged in Verona shooting
A Penn Hills man faces charges after, police say, he was responsible for a Nov. 10 shooting in Verona and fled from police afterward. Shuron B. Porter, 43, of Penn Hills was taken into custody early Monday in the 300 block of West Eighth Avenue in Tarentum, according to Allegheny...
Rostraver commissioner, already in probationary program, charged with harassment, disorderly conduct
A Rostraver commissioner is accused of disrupting a township Halloween event by threatening people and slapping a fellow commissioner in the face. John J. Lorenzo, 43, of Rostraver was cited with two counts of harassment or physical contact, disorderly conduct and an additional harassment charge in connection with the Oct....
Warden mansion in Mt. Pleasant hosts 32nd annual ‘Festival of Lights’
It’s only appropriate that the 32nd annual Festival of Lights in Mt. Pleasant would feature one tree for every year it has taken place. That means nearly three dozen trees, decorated by members of the public, will be on display — and on sale — to benefit restoration work at...
Police: Pedestrian killed in Route 51 crash in Jefferson Hills
Jefferson Hills police are investigating a fatal crash involving a pedestrian that took place Saturday evening along Route 51. Robbin Fisher, 61, of Pittsburgh was struck and killed by a moving vehicle while crossing the street, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Emergency officials were called to Route...
Car overturns on Route 380 in Murrysville
Police, firefighters and medics responded to an overturned car crash on the westbound side of Route 380, near 380 Auction Discount Warehouse in Murrysville on Sunday. There were no serious injuries, according to Murrysville Medic One officials. The crash happened shortly after 10 a.m....
Coroner: Cleveland woman found in Wilkinsburg backyard was shot to death
A 23-year-old woman originally reported missing from Cleveland was found shot to death in a Wilkinsburg backyard on Thanksgiving, according to the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner. The body of Adrianna Kiri Taylor was discovered shortly after 9:30 p.m. Nov. 24, in a backyard on the 800 block...
Pittsburgh police investigate overnight shooting in Sheraden
Police are investigating an overnight shooting in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood. Police were called to a hospital around 2:40 a.m., after receiving a report that an adult male had arrived with gunshot wounds to the leg. The man was in stable condition but, police said, he was not cooperative in explaining...
State police seek wrong-way driver who struck pedestrian, vehicle in Squirrel Hill
State police have secured a warrant for a Homestead man they say drove the wrong way up a Parkway East ramp Friday morning, hitting both a vehicle and pedestrian before fleeing on foot. Police said troopers were monitoring traffic at the Forward Avenue on-ramp to I-376 around 9:40 a.m. Friday...
Earlier start to firearm deer season keeps hunters, processors busy
Curtis Johnson of Indiana Township has big plans for the buck he bagged Saturday morning. “I’ll get a pound of the deer jerky, and bologna as well — I love the bologna you guys do,” Johnson told the staff at Wright’s Deer Processing in Clinton Township, near Saxonburg. Since the...
Officials identify body found in Monongahela River in Dravosburg
A body recovered from the Monongahela River on Wednesday has been identified as 66-year-old James Aiello, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. Emergency officials were called shortly before 3 p.m. to the 200 block of Washington Avenue along the Monongahela, where Aiello’s body was discovered. Aiello was not...
Pittsburgh police: Perry North teen stable after accidentally being shot in the face
A teenage boy was listed in stable condition after accidentally being shot in the face Wednesday in Pittsburgh’s Perry North neighborhood, according to police. First responders were called to the 3700 block of Baytree Street just after 4:45 p.m. for a report of a teen who had been shot in...
Grove City professor, Trib columnist tapped as editor for conservative magazine The American Spectator
A Grove City College professor and director of a Pennsylvania think tank has been tapped to serve as editor for conservative magazine The American Spectator. Paul Kengor, a political science professor and senior director for the conservative Institute for Faith & Freedom think tank, will serve as the new editor...
Police: Munhall funeral director left body unrefrigerated for more than a week
A Munhall funeral home owner has been charged with abuse of a corpse after, police say, he left a body unrefrigerated for more than a week. Michael Aldrich, 74, director at Aldrich Funeral Home in Munhall, was charged by Munhall police. The family of Dexter Owens, who died in late...
Murrysville area: Holiday happenings, luncheons, meetings, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Items must be emailed two weeks in advance to make the deadline for the Star. Holiday happenings The following is a list of holiday-related events happening in the Star’s coverage area. Email events to pvarine@triblive.com. • First Presbyterian Church will host its...
‘Good Cop’ tells tale of Murrysville man’s police work
It was midnight, and John Hartman really wanted a cup of coffee. The date was July 9, 1998. Hartman had just finished his shift with the North Franklin police and was getting ready to pick up a second shift, with the nearby North Belle Vernon police, that wouldn’t end until...
Franklin Regional Thespians share world premiere of new play, ‘Elsewhere’
Members of the Franklin Regional Thespians typically have a good deal of reference material when they’re looking for ideas about how to stage a play or present a character. As the group prepares to perform “Elsewhere” later this month, that material is nowhere to be found. That’s because they are...
Delmont seeks state grant funding for sewage, stormwater projects
With Delmont officials staring down the barrel — or pipe, perhaps — of millions of dollars in sewage projects, along with other state-mandated pollution reduction work, the search for grants is on. Borough engineer Kevin Brett recommended getting the application process started for two potential grants offered by the Pennsylvania...
Delmont walk-a-thon raises $1,200 for Meals on Wheels
Like so many of those who work to help others, Lois Bowman of Washington Township is involved with more than one community group. In addition to working as a Delmont Public Library staff member, Bowman donates her time to the Delmont Meals on Wheels program. “I didn’t know if we’d...
