Patrick Varine stories, Page 87

The six candidates competing for four open seats on Murrysville council in the Nov. 2 election have a wide range of goals if elected and concerns about current council officials potentially raising taxes for the first time since 2007. “The biggest issue facing Murrysville is its ability to effectively balance...

The State Museum of Pennsylvania will hold its annual archaeology workshops virtually on Saturday, focusing on stories of Black history told through the lens of archaeology. University of Maryland professor Cheryl LaRoche will present “Free Black Communities and Archaeology” as the day’s keynote presentation. LaRoche is a founding member of...

Pennsylvania vocalists interested in entering the state’s upcoming national anthem contest could do a lot worse than getting some tips from Jill Simmons. The Latrobe native first sang the anthem at her high school football stadium. Since then, she has gone on to sing it at more than 20 Pittsburgh...

Murrysville officials hate to tear down a public works building, but at least they will be able to save the roof. That was one part of a recent update Chief Administrator Jim Morrison provided council on planning for an amphitheater area that will serve as a centerpiece for Murrysville Community...

Her visit happened over the summer, but Jeanette Milo still can’t say enough about why people should stay in October at the house made famous in the film “The Silence of the Lambs.” “I’m already planning to come back and stay again next summer,” said Milo, who won a contest...

Five candidates will compete for four open seats on Delmont Council in the Nov. 2 election, each with their own ideas for the future of the borough. “With input from the citizens of Delmont, council needs to identify issues and plan to correct them as we move into the future,”...

Six candidates will compete in November’s election for four open seats on the Franklin Regional school board, with a seventh candidate, Diana Altieri Hand, running unopposed for a two-year seat after the 2020 resignation of board member Gary English. All candidates are registered Republicans, but as is typical in school...

Submit briefs and local news to the Star by emailing pvarine@triblive.com. AMVETS to host blood drive AMVETS Post 85 in Murrysville’s White Valley neighborhood will host an Oct. 30 blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are recommended by calling 412-209-7000, but walk-ins will be welcomed. An appointment...

Lions Club to hold election day food drive The Manor Lions Club will hold an Election Day Food Drive on Nov. 2 to support the Manor Food Pantry. Donation boxes will be placed at the Manor Polling Station and the Manor Community Building. Voters are asked to bring nonperishable food...

Editor’s note: ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com or call 724-838-5146. Back in the 1990s, a group of Delmont public works employees discovered an odd-looking stone pillar, which appeared to...

Woodland Hills High School students will shift to remote learning Thursday and Friday after district officials cited “credible threats” and multiple fights at the school on Wednesday, according to a district letter distributed to families. “After today’s events, we are reevaluating our safety and security protocols in regard to student...

Pittsburgh police have arrested a suspect following a home invasion early Wednesday in the city’s South Side Slopes neighborhood. Zone 3 officers responded just after 3:30 a.m. to the 2300 block of Cobden Street for a report of someone kicking in a front door and running away with a suspect...

A long-serving mayor will face off against a college student running a third-party candidacy in the November election to decide Delmont’s next mayor. Republican Alyce Urban, 74, a former councilwoman who initially was appointed mayor in 2014 after the departure of former mayor Gill Sanchez, will vie for votes against...

A Cambria County man was killed after the tractor trailer he was hauling rolled over multiple times in a crash early Sunday morning in Cherryhill Township. Lynn Farabaugh, 64, of Loretto, died of injuries sustained when the truck he was using to haul soybeans began to roll as it approached...

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro made a stop in Westmoreland County on Monday evening, the 15th of 18 counties he’ll visit during a six-day bus tour after his announcement last week he is running for governor. Shapiro is calling it the “Big Fights” bus tour, promoting his work exposing decades...

A Pittsburgh teen was charged Sunday with shooting two people, one fatally, on Saturday night outside a bowling alley in Kennedy Township. Allegheny County Police arrested Malik Smith, 19, of Pittsburgh during an investigation into the double shooting, which happened just before 10:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Lanes bowling alley...

While client numbers at food banks locally and nationally have decreased since the peak of covid-19 infections in 2020, they are still higher than when the pandemic began. That means every little bit of help is important, and about 30 people did their part Sunday, participating in the CROP Walk...

A handful of dark clouds were gathering on the horizon Sunday morning as classic, modern and muscle cars lined up at the Donohoe Center in Hempfield for the first Westmoreland Ramble, a road rally to benefit the Westmoreland Land Trust. But with a positive forecast and a 66-mile course that...

Hunger and food insecurity across the United States have dropped measurably over the past six months, but the need remains far above pre-pandemic levels. And while that demand has lessened somewhat in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region, local food bank officials are also seeing an uptick in applications for the...

A Greensburg man wanted by both city and state police on multiple theft charges has been arrested. Chad E. Carlton, 34, of Greensburg, was arrested Oct. 7 by Greensburg police and charged with one count of theft by deception following his arraignment Saturday. Police said Carlton fraudulently leased a Southwest...

A pedestrian who police said was struck and then dragged by a car died from his injuries late Saturday night. Pittsburgh Police responded to the intersection of Allegheny Avenue and Casino Drive on the North Shore for reports of a man who had been hit around 10:40 p.m. Responding units...