Patrick Varine stories, Page 80
Super-sized spookiness: Halloween displays go big for fun, and for charity
Considering how many Halloween decorations Susie and Delbert Long of Latrobe have already put up, you could forgive Delbert for thinking he could sneak a werewolf past his wife — even if it is a dozen feet tall. “That’s Zeke,” he said with a laugh, waving his arms to get...
Why are we fascinated by serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer?
When it comes to the most popular Netflix shows, only the latest season of “Stranger Things” can claim to be more widely watched than “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” which racked up more than 701 million hours watched since its initial release Sept. 21. Producer Ryan Murphy’s docu-drama about the...
Police: Man in stable condition following North Side shooting
A man is in stable condition after being shot Friday evening on Pittsburgh’s North Side, police said. Police and medics were called to the 500 block of East Ohio Street around 7:20 p.m. They arrived to find a man who had been shot in the leg. Pittsburgh EMS transported him...
Post-Gazette, Butler Eagle granted temporary injunction against striking union members
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Butler Eagle officials have been granted a preliminary injunction against five unions involved in the P-G strike, after accusing them of throwing projectiles at company vehicles, puncturing vehicle tires and threatening employees and vendors. Post-Gazette employees belonging to unions representing production, distribution and advertising workers went on...
Pittsburgh’s character comes out in local filmmakers’ festival shorts
When Lily Ragheb of Washington, D.C., and her husband, Ahmed, a native of Cairo, Egypt, moved to Pittsburgh in 2019, they barely had time to get acquainted with the city before the covid-19 pandemic shut most of it down. As they began to talk walks and explore Lawrenceville and the...
Lys Scott’s ‘Squashed Dreams & Broken Wings’ charts rapper’s journey of self-discoveryVideo
Lys Scott had quite a birthday this year. Scott, a first-generation Thai-American who identifies as queer, turned 32 on Oct. 24 — the same day that she released her debut album “Squashed Dreams & Broken Wings.” After losing a restaurant job as the covid-19 pandemic ramped up in 2020, Scott...
Man in stable condition following Perry South shooting
One person was in stable condition following a shooting Thursday in Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood, police said. Pittsburgh police were called to the 2000 block of Maple Avenue in Perry South around 6:15 p.m. after receiving a ShotSpotter alerted that detected seven shots fired. They arrived to find a man...
Murrysville area: ‘Polar Express’ reading, used book sale, walk-a-thon, more
Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com. Events must be submitted two weeks in advance in order to make the Star’s deadline. Marathon swimmer will give library presentation Franklin Regional graduate and “Oceans Seven” marathon swimmer Darren Miller will be the featured speaker at a Nov. 15 presentation at...
New ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ trailer brings Kang into focusVideo
First, the great news: Bill Murray is a character in the new “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” film. This is reason to rejoice, regardless of who he’s playing or the size of his role. The other great news is that Kang the Conqueror — or one of his many multi-verse...
Murrysville officials want resident feedback on proceeding with amphitheater project
Murrysville officials will take a second survey of residents as they consider whether to proceed with an amphitheater project at Murrysville Community Park. “We’re at a very different place now than we were during the original survey,” Councilwoman Jamie Lee Korns said at last week’s council meeting. A pre-pandemic plan...
Murrysville duck race benefits boat racing team of breast-cancer survivorsVideo
Ducks swimming in Turtle Creek are not that uncommon. More than 700 of them all in one group, though? That doesn’t happen much. Members of the Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel breast cancer support group and boat-racing team were hosting a duck-race fundraiser Sunday afternoon at Duff Park in Murrysville. “It’s...
It all comes down to obedience training on the ‘House of the Dragon’ finaleVideo
In the world of “Game of Thrones,” dragons are referred to multiple times as “fire made flesh.” They’re magical creatures, and the Targaryen family has a mystical connection with them....
Witches ride bicycle broomsticks for Ligonier animal-charity eventVideo
There were witches dancing in the woods in Ligonier on Sunday afternoon. But there was no need to call the police. In fact, a couple of local officers were already there, taking photos with “witches” arriving at the sixth Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade. The event draws hundreds of participants dressed...
Political organizer, write-in candidate vie for 55th District seat
In the redrawn 55th District, voters in the Nov. 8 midterm election will choose between a longtime Republican political organizer and a Democratic candidate who earned a spot on the ballot through a write-in campaign. Scott Gauss, a retired human resources director for Boeing, will go up against former Westmoreland...
‘Lick or Treat’ for dogs in downtown Irwin
Downtown Irwin was filled with costumed canines Saturday afternoon during the “Lick or Treat” celebration sponsored by PETals Boutique. The day included treats for pets at local businesses and prizes for the best dog costumes....
‘Breast Saturday Ever’: A colorful name for a colorful morningVideo
When Val Tressler of Mt. Pleasant started decorating the borough’s Diamond Street gazebo for Breast Cancer Awareness Month more than a decade ago and collecting donations for a regional charity, it didn’t take long for fellow downtown business owner Denise DeSabato to join in. The decorations — and the events...
Murrysville area: Halloween parade, active-shooter training, walk-a-thon, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Upcoming Halloween events • The Export Halloween Parade will take place Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., with signups beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Export Volunteer Fire Department station at the corner of Washington Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. For more, see ExportPennsylvania.com....
Franklin Regional band members kick off fundraising for 2023 Hawaii trip
Students learn about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor in history class, but setting foot on the grounds where it took place can be quite a different experience. Members of the Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band have begun fundraising for just such a trip – they plan to take part...
1 taken by helicopter from Washington Township crash
One person was hurt in a crash Monday evening in Washington Township, according to Armstrong County emergency officials. First responders were called to the 100 block of Upper Limestone Road around 8:20 p.m. for a report of a one-vehicle crash. A medical helicopter was called to transport one person to...
Sewickley man missing since September found dead
The body of a Sewickley Township man who was reported missing in September was found Monday morning by a hunter, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Aaron D. Ross, 43, of Wendel Road in Sewickley, was last seen Sept. 7, and was reported missing by his mother. On Monday...
A ‘wow’ moment is also a weird narrative choice on ‘House of the Dragon’
In the early trailers for “House of the Dragon,” Ser Otto Hightower says to his daughter, “We play an ugly game.” That game kicked into high gear with this week’s...
Protect PT will host radon information workshop, offer sensor rentalsVideo
Despite its prevalence in Western Pennsylvania, radon — the odorless, colorless gas that results from the breakdown of naturally occurring radioactive elements in soil and rocks — has been largely ignored even as it causes an estimated 21,000 deaths annually in the U.S, according to the American Lung Association. The...
Claridge Boy Scout troop has a flock of Eagles
Eagle is the highest rank a Boy Scout can achieve, and the culmination is a community service project in which the Scout takes the lead in organizing, gathering materials and a work crew, and executing his vision. At Troop 239 in Penn Township’s Claridge neighborhood, this summer produced a whole...
Rugged cross-country bike race benefiting Westmoreland Heritage Trail rolls through Delmont
The first-ever Delmont CX race took place Saturday morning featuring a course that runs the wooded trails, grass runs, steep hills and obstacles at Shields Farm. Proceeds from the race will benefit the race hosts, the Delmont Visionary Committee, which is a citizens group working to bring a spur from...
Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials working to close ‘middle gap’
Officials for the Westmoreland Heritage Trail are working to find a way around — or underneath as it turns out — Route 66 as they work to close a 4-mile middle gap that will create an uninterrupted hiking and biking path from Trafford to Saltsburg. While acquiring land and easements...
