TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need Two Murrysville residents escaped their homes Tuesday morning in a senior living community after a fire broke out at one and spread to the second Laura Thomson raced to The Village of Clover Ridge after her mother texted her that there was a fire next door and she heard explosions fearing the flames would move to her home next “She was just absolutely frantic like I never heard her before,” Thomson said The two homes along Heritage Lane had significant damage from the flames which were reported at 7:15 a.m Firefighters from numerous neighboring communities responded They worked for several hours to extinguish the fires and protect neighboring houses Thomson’s mother’s home appeared to have escaped damage Officials from Murrysville Volunteer Fire Co 1 were not available at the scene and did not return a phone message left at the station afterwards It was unclear if anyone was hurt or if the fire is under investigation Murrysville Medic One reported on social media that several firefighters were treated at the scene and several others were taken to a hospital A message left at the station was not returned The community off Logan Ferry Road is close to the border with Allegheny County’s Plum Thomson said she was worried after her mother reported hearing explosions “With this history in this area of house explosions it’s always an underlying concern,” she said Smoke from Tuesday’s fire enveloped the community of dozens of well-kept manufactured homes not far from Route 286 always looking out for each other,” Thomson said it’s a miracle that everybody got out and is OK.” Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com Stay up-to-date on important news from TribLIVE 1-800-909-8742 © 2025 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved About Us Advertise Career Opportunities Contact Advertising Contact Circulation Contact Newsroom Contact Us Feedback Request Correction Resource Center Scholarship Opportunities Send Letter to the Editor Send News Tip Subscribe Subscriber Services Blog eFeatures Email Newsletters eTrib Facebook Home Delivery Instagram LinkedIn Marketing Minute Store Locations TribLIVE App - App Store TribLIVE App - Google Play X (formerly Twitter) Arts & Entertainment Best of the Best Business Directory Circulars Contests Coronavirus Lifestyles Local News YaJagOff Obituaries Opinion Our Publications Photos Real Estate Sports Video Weather Cookie Settings Privacy Policy Terms of Service Toppled trees and other damage brought out residents to start cleaning up after a story hit Logan Ferry Road in Murrysville on Tuesday Loren KaseAge: 44Occupation: Operations manager at VanguraMichael KornsAge: 43Occupation: Attorney with Babst CallandJason LemakAge: 47Occupation: Information technology director at CompunetixJamie LinggAge: 51Occupation: Owner of Three Little Fishies custom design storeDarren MillerAge: 42Occupation: Financial advisor at Stifel-Nicolaus & Co Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time Joey’s the Edge will host a summer concert series in Export at its outdoor area Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com Joey’s the Edge in Export will host a summer concert series • Wizdom Worldbeat Reggae Band: May 31 and July 26 Joey’s will also host its regular weekly jam session The bar is at 5904 Washington Avenue in Export The Murrysville Community Center and the American Red Cross will host a May 14 blood drive from 12:30-5:30 p.m call 800-733-2767 or see RedCrossBlood.org The center is at 3091 Carson Avenue in Murrysville Students in kindergarten through sixth grades are invited to take part in Camp Invention a nationally recognized summer enrichment program which will take place at several locations this summer in Murrysville the program features a new curriculum inspired by the new class of inductees at the National Inventors Hall of Fame It will be held June 16-20 at Franklin Regional Intermediate School For more, or to register, see Invent.org/camp The “Boomers & Beyond” speaker series at Mother of Sorrows Church will host featured speaker and psychiatrist Antoine Douaihy at its May 13 meeting Douaihy will present “A Psychiatrist’s Holistic Perspective on Forgiveness,” discussing forgiveness as a crucial component of emotional Douaihy is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine Participants can bring a bag lunch and a guest Mother of Sorrows is at 4202 Old William Penn Highway their families and friends are invited to the district’s annual baccalaureate service at 7 p.m It will be in the auditorium at FR Senior High School The featured speaker will be Matt Beiriger Prayer and readings will be conducted by FR students The Association of University Women’s Murrysville branch will welcome Heinz History Center volunteer ambassador Judith Sutton as the featured speaker for its May 8 meeting Sutton will touch on influential women from Western Pennsylvania including trailblazing investigative journalist Nellie Bly Westinghouse’s first female engineer Bertha Lamme and the the country’s first female commercial airline pilot The Head Turners Pittsburgh car group will host a May 4 car show from 12-4 p.m at the Community College of Allegheny County’s Boyce Campus Proceeds will benefit Tiny Cause rescue and foster service in Vandergrift The afternoon will include entertainment by DJ Never Nice trophies and dash plaques and driver bags for the first 100 cars to register The Boyce Campus is at 595 Beatty Road in Monroeville For more, email Thompsonjt1018@gmail.com The Association of University People invites potential new members to join them at an event The association invites singles age 50 and older to join them for activities and to meet new people a book group and meet-ups at local concerts and wineries For more, call 412-353-9088 or email AUPsingles@gmail.com The East Suburban Artists League will feature fiber artist Dorothy Gallagher at its May 8 meeting Gallagher will demonstrate how she spins her own yarn using spindles and fibers from local farmers Gallagher’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m For more, see ESALart.org. The Rewind Reuse Center in Export will offer five mini-camp sessions for elementary students who have completed grades 2-5. The cost is $5 per week, per child. Each session can accommodate 15 students. Sessions include: • June 17 and 19, “Art Party” with lots of painting • June 24 and 26, “Timber Gizmos and Games,” focusing on wood and hardware • July 15 and 17, “Fantastic Fibers,” working with fabric and felt • July 22 and 24, “Stupendous Sculpture,” working with clay shells and wire • August 5 and 7, “Perfectly Paper,” focused on journals, folding and quilling The center will also be closed the weeks of June 30, Aug. 18 and Aug. 24. The center is at 5853 Washington Avenue in Export. The AARP will host a “Smart Driver” class from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6 at the Delmont Public Library. Participants can refresh their driving skills, learn safe, proven driving techniques and learn about navigating roundabouts. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members. Register by calling 412-438-8413. The library is at 75 School Street in Delmont. The Murrysville Recreation Department will host a “Pickleball: Learn to Play” program in May. The program will take place on Tuesdays at 6 p.m., with sessions running May 13-27. Sessions will be at Kovalczik Park, 160 Koval Court in Murrysville. The cost is $30 per person and the class is for adults age 18 and older. Participants must bring their own paddle. Register online at MurrysvillePArecreation — click the “Program Registration” link. The Delmont Visionary Committee will host a “Musical Mysteries & More” fundraiser from 5:30-9 p.m. May 10 at The Lamplighter. Tickets are $55 for the evening of comedy, mystery and musical theater. It will also include basket raffles and a 50/50 drawing. Tickets are available by emailing delmontvisionarycommittee@gmail.com. The Lamplighter is at 6566 William Penn Highway in Salem. Here is a list of upcoming public and local government meetings. • Export council, 6:30 p.m. May 5 at the borough building, 5821 Washington Avenue. An agenda is available in advance at ExportPennsylvania.com. • Murrysville council, 7 p.m. May 6 at the municipal building, 4100 Sardis Road. Meetings are broadcast live on Comcast local access Channel 21 and streamed live at Murrysville.com on the Channel 21 page. • Delmont council, 7 p.m. May 12 at the borough building, 77 Greensburg Street. An agenda is available in advance at DelmontBoro.com. This website is unavailable in your location.  It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States, therefore access cannot be granted at this time. Plum’s Jake Domkowski (7) celebrates his two-run homer with Max Vollmer during their game against Franklin Regional on April 28 in Murrysville. Plum’s Jake Domkowski celebrates his two-run homer as he crosses home plate against Franklin Regional on April 28 in Murrysville. Plum head coach Carl Vollmer talks with Max Vollmer at third base during their game against Franklin Regional on April 28 in Murrysville. Plum’s Daniel Macioce scores under Franklin Regional catcher Ryan Catello during their game on April 28 in Murrysville. Plum’s Jake Domkowski rounds the bases after hitting a two-run homer against Franklin Regional on April 28 in Murrysville. Plum pitcher Braden Kemmerer throws against Franklin Regional on April 28 in Murrysville. Plum’s Enzo Mele drives in two runs with a base hit during the seventh inning against Franklin Regional on April 28 in Murrysville. But the Mustangs made sure they established themselves as the superior team this season with a Section 1-5A series sweep that upped their section-leading record to 9-1 and helped them remain hot as the WPIAL playoffs approach. The wins over the Panthers extended Plum’s winning streak to seven since its only loss in section play to that point, a 5-2 setback to Penn-Trafford on April 9. Franklin Regional fell to 6-4 in the section. The Mustangs hoped to keep up their momentum toward the end of section play with a nonsection matchup with rival Gateway on Friday, May 2. That game led up to a monster series against Latrobe on Monday and Tuesday, May 5 and 6, that helped decide the section title. The Wildcats set themselves up for a shot at section gold with a sweep of Armstrong last week which put them in a second-place tie with Penn-Trafford at 8-2. Latrobe started its season 2-3 but then began a streak which saw it win 12 of 13 through the pair of victories over the River Hawks. Plum last year ended in a four-way tie for the Section 1-5A title as it finished a wild race at 9-3 with Penn-Trafford, Franklin Regional and Fox Chapel. The Mustangs are set to conclude the regular season Thursday with a nonsection home matchup against Hempfield. They then will find out their playoff fate as the WPIAL baseball committee meets Friday to set the brackets for the six classifications. Plum’s first playoff matchup could be as early as Monday. Plum, Latrobe, Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional have clinched the four playoff spots from Section 1. Game 1 – Plum 12, Franklin Regional 5 Plum faced early deficits of 1-0 and 3-2 but was unfazed as the Mustangs were able to rally to a tie with a run in the fifth and pull away with three in the sixth and six more in the seventh. “We clearly did not execute as well early. It was a tight game, then we opened things up,” Plum coach Carl Vollmer said. “We were facing a good arm, but we finally broke through.” Plum pitcher Braden Kemmerer worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fifth inning to keep the score tied 3-3. He pitched six complete and gave up five hits and two walks while striking out six. The three runs FR scored while he was on the mound were earned. Plum went ahead in the sixth on a two-run double from Timmy Ruggiero and an RBI single from Jake Dombkowski. Dombkowski returned to the plate in the seventh and crushed a two-run homer as part of the Mustangs’ six-run uprising. Enzo Mele added a two-run single in the frame as Plum provided comfort to the relief efforts of Dombkowski, who grinded his way through a seventh inning which saw the Panthers collect two hits and two walks and put a pair of runs on the board. But with runners on first and second, Dombkowski ended the game with a strikeout. “Once we were able to get into their ‘pen, we were able to do some damage,” Vollmer said. Dombkowski, Connor Wilson and Daniel Macioce each finished with two hits for the Mustangs who collected 10 hits as a team. Game 2 – Plum 7, Franklin Regional 2 Max Vollmer came up big for the Mustangs in the series finale as he tallied five RBIs with a bases-clearing triple in the first inning and a two-run triple in the fourth. Plum scored four runs in the first and three more in the fourth. The game was called and declared final after the fifth when the severe storms rolled into the area. In addition to Max Vollmer’s big game, Dombkowski’s hitting success carried over, as he went 2 for 3 with two runs scored. Macioce and Mele both doubled as part of Plum’s seven-hit attack, and Ruggiero singled and scored twice. The four-run first inning helped starter Michael Tedrick settle in on the mound. He surrendered two hits and walked one while striking out five batters in five innings. The 19 runs in the two games against FR gave the Mustangs 94 through 10 section games and 121 through 16 games overall (14-2). If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase it probably looked like the volunteers wandering a soggy Murrysville meadow one morning this week were just pushing muddy sticks into the ground In actuality, they were planting three dozen hybrid chestnut trees, part of a much larger planting that will help bring nature back to a section of the Lyons Run Watershed where an acid mine remediation project is now underway “We’re hoping to reestablish native growth on what was abandoned mine land,” said Melissa Church program manager at the Murrysville Area Watershed Association It is the next step in an association project meant to clean heavy metals present in three mine-water sources within the Lyons Run watershed Lyons Run flows south through central Murrysville and Penn Township turning west along the Pennsylvania Turnpike The watershed drains nearly 9 square miles of land along more than 17 miles of streams Using a series of ponds containing limestone beds — which impart alkalinity to the water as it moves from pond to pond and neutralize its acidity — the system is set up adjacent to the Westmoreland Conservancy’s Flinn Nature Reserve an employee with the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation “We’ve started testing its functionality,” Keene said “The water samples in the final pond have a neutral pH so the treatment system is working.” the area is slowly being reclaimed by nature as grass seed begins to take root and yellow trout lily saplings are granted some protection from the local deer by growth netting the DEP and nonprofit Green Forest Works were avoiding soft spots in the ground and looking for red stakes marking the places where chestnut trees will be planted and eventually thinned “We plant from Alabama all the way to the New York border throughout Appalachia,” said Eric Oliver a mined land reforestation specialist with Green Forest Works “These are what we call ‘15/16th’ chestnuts,” Oliver said “They’re 15/16th native American chestnut Chestnut was once a dominant species in eastern forests and a mainstay in Appalachia which was accidentally imported along with the Japanese chestnut tree in 1904 according to the American Forestry Association Spread across the meadow were stakes with other labels for cedar and maple trees “They have a nice mix planned that will blend right into the natural forest,” Oliver said which is in the middle of the Turtle Creek Watershed have worked with the association and helped pursue grants for several years to help put acid mine remediation projects into place They are working with the DEP to seek funding for another project using a lime slurry treatment plant to remove sulfur and aluminum runoff from mine water which would then be pumped into a public pond where game fish are raised and stocked The watershed association recently secured an easement from Export officials to use a portion of property off Borland Farm Road as part of the remediation project That plan is estimated to cost between $5 million and $10 million Officials from Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage will host an open house Tuesday in Murrysville for the Appalachian Reliability Project which will add pipeline and carrying capacity in Southwestern Pennsylvania The project involves updates to existing compressor stations and other natural gas facilities in Westmoreland where Eastern Gas officials plan to install a 20,500-horsepower turbine unit which allows us to move more gas,” said Samantha Norris Eastern will build a new metering and regulating facility in Kiski Township Four miles of 30-inch pipeline will be installed in Murrysville running southeast from the Tonkin station to an existing metering and regulating facility Eastern Gas also will upgrade its Oakford facility just off Route 22 in Salem Norris said the Oakford upgrades will include additional metering Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed by June 2028 The open house will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m in the Murrysville Community Center at 3091 Carson Ave but project officials will be on hand to meet with residents business owners and community leaders to answer questions and people can get a chance to talk to the real experts,” Norris said Additional informational material is available at the meeting and on the project’s website Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com Panther student earns $200,000 scholarship It provides full tuition at participating universities and colleges supporting students who aspire to become commissioned naval officers The Rewind Reuse Center in Export will offer five mini-camp sessions for elementary students who have completed grades 2-5 “Art Party” with lots of painting “Timber Gizmos and Games,” focusing on wood and hardware “Fantastic Fibers,” working with fabric and felt “Stupendous Sculpture,” working with clay shells and wire “Perfectly Paper,” focused on journals The center will also be closed the weeks of June 30 The center is at 5853 Washington Avenue in Export The Export Moose will host an “Enchanted Garden Prom” at 6 p.m The Moose is at 5903 Washington Avenue in Export First Presbyterian Church of Murrysville will host its annual tag sale from 9 a.m All proceeds from the tag sale go toward the church’s mission projects Donations can be brought to the church from 10 a.m The church is at 3202 North Hills Road in Murrysville Franklin Regional Middle School will host an April 28 outdoor community health fair which is open to the public 4660 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville nonprofits and organizations will be on hand offering information and local resources and the evening will also include family games call 412-849-9482 or email cakelly@frsdk12.org retired college administrator and musician Gemma Stanley on April 21 Stanley played the flute professionally for several years She will be the featured artist at a 1 p.m For more, see SymphonyEast.org/events The AARP will host a “Smart Driver” class from 10 a.m Participants can refresh their driving skills proven driving techniques and learn about navigating roundabouts The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members The library is at 75 School Street in Delmont The 28th annual Blessing of the Bikes will take place at 12:30 p.m following the April 27 service at Murrysville Alliance Church 4130 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville All bikers are invited to the morning service at 11 a.m There will be free coffee and donuts and free ride pins and year bars The event regularly draws 1,000-plus attendees and police will briefly close a path to Route 22 as riders exit the church The Murrysville Community Library and local branch of the American Association of University Women will host their annual used book sale May 1-3 and are collecting donations for the sale through April 28 along with teen and adult fiction and non-fiction books self-help books and musty or moldy books will not be accepted The library is at 4130 Sardis Road in Murrysville The Murrysville Recreation Department will host a “Pickleball: Learn to Play” program in May The program will take place on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. The cost is $30 per person and the class is for adults age 18 and older Register online at MurrysvillePArecreation — click the “Program Registration” link The Murrysville Woman’s Club is accepting applications for its annual non-traditional scholarship program $3,000 scholarships will be awarded to women seeking to further their education Applicants must be Westmoreland County residents They must be currently enrolled in college or able to provide proof of enrollment Applications are available at Seton Hill College Westmoreland County Community College’s Hempfield and Murrysville campuses the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg For more, call 724-733-1633 or email joycekoga@yahoo.com The East Suburban Artists League show and reception is taking place at the Latrobe Art Center through April 19 Sixty-five original art pieces from 33 artists are on display in the exhibition For more, call 724-733-0950 or visit ESALart.org will mark Drive Electric Earth Month in April with a car show from 10 a.m It will be in the parking lot at First Presbyterian Church Register online at DriveElectricEarthMonth.org/event?eventid=4765 The club meets the third Saturday of each month see ThreeRiversEVA.org or call 724-387-8210 The Murrysville Recreation Department will host the following upcoming Easter events: • Egg My Yard, April 14: Register to have your yard “egged” with candy-filled plastic eggs for an at-home egg hunt. Registration is open until April 9 at MurrysvillePArecreation.com/195/egg-my-yard April 1-20: Explore the wetlands trail at Murrysville Community Park find all the hidden letters and unscramble them to find a secret Easter word Letters will be stationed along the trail through April 20 and prizes will be awarded to one child and one adult Winners will be drawn at random on April 21 The wetlands are located across Wiestertown Road from the main park entrance The Delmont Visionary Committee will host a “Musical Mysteries & More” fundraiser from 5:30-9 p.m It will also include basket raffles and a 50/50 drawing Tickets are available by emailing delmontvisionarycommittee@gmail.com The Lamplighter is at 6566 William Penn Highway in Salem Here is a list of upcoming public and local government meetings • Franklin Regional school board combined workshop/voting meetings April 22 at the Murrysville municipal building Meetings are broadcast live on Comcast local access Channel 21 streamed live at Murrysville.com on the Channel 21 page and archived on the district’s YouTube page April 15 at the Murrysville municipal building streamed live at Murrysville.com on the Channel 21 page and archived on the municipality’s YouTube page • Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority The Franklin Regional school board will alter its regular meeting schedule in May The board’s committee-of-the-whole (non-voting) meeting will be May 5 Both will be at the Murrysville municipal building at 4100 Sardis Road streamed live at Murrysville.com on the Channel 21 page and archived on the school district’s YouTube page The Association of University People (AUP) invites singles 50-plus Those interested can attend three activities as guests before joining To obtain more information about AUP or become an AUP member, call and leave a message at 412-353-9088 or email AUPsingles@gmail.com Pet walk to benefit rescues planned for Boyce Park will be held April 27 at the Tanglewood Shelter on Pierson Run Road at Boyce Park New dog and cat items will be collected for rescues Walk participants must register and sign a release Proceeds benefit local rescues including Wildflowers Sanctuary Homeless Cat Management Team and Bridges from Kuwait visit amongthewildflowerssanctuary.com or email amongthewildflowerssanctuary@gmail.com The “Bring Your Own Bag” program will also continue A flat-bottom brown paper grocery bag full of books will be priced at $15 on May 1 Books can be purchased by cash or check only Joey’s the Edge in Export will host a summer concert series • Wizdom Worldbeat Reggae Band: May 31 and July 26 • John Gresh’s Gris-Gris: June 14 and Aug Joey’s will also host its regular weekly jam session followed by a “show-and-tell” at 6:45 p.m Gallagher’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m It will be at Christ’s Lutheran Church For more, see ESALart.org The Association of University Women’s Murrysville branch will welcome Heinz History Center volunteer ambassador Judith Sutton as the featured speaker for its May 8 meeting Westinghouse’s first female engineer Bertha Lamme and the the country’s first female commercial airline pilot at the Community College of Allegheny County’s Boyce Campus The National Day of Prayer will be observed locally with a May 1 program at the Delmont Volunteer Fire Department hall This year’s theme is “Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled.” In addition to prayer led by local pastors there will also be a presentation of the flag along with the Pledge of Allegiance and worship music For more, call 724-325-1166 or email magnrgy@msn.com For more, see ESALart.org Franklin Regional student Nathan Snyder was recently awarded the U.S An agenda is available in advance at ExportPennsylvania.com Meetings are broadcast live on Comcast local access Channel 21 and streamed live at Murrysville.com on the Channel 21 page An agenda is available in advance at DelmontBoro.com Residents of the Holiday Hills mobile home park in Murrysville are cautiously optimistic after property managers say regular water service was restored have dealt with inconsistent water pressure — and frequently no water at all — since late January The private water line that supplies the park runs about 1,800 feet uphill from its connection to Plum Borough Municipal Authority lines near the Sampson Family YMCA Residents had been without consistent running water for nearly 45 days when a work crew replacing the old water line accidentally struck a Peoples Gas Line in early March property managers Carlson & Associates told park residents in an email that water service would be restored early the following week but park resident Beth Taylor said March 20 that regular water service and pressure from her faucets had been restored that was short-lived,” Taylor said in an email to TribLive Carlson employee Luke O’Brien said overnight temperatures dipped below freezing causing the above-ground temporary water line to freeze and again cut off the water supply The National Weather Service recorded a low of 31 degrees at Pittsburgh International Airport in the late hours of March 22 O’Brien’s communication with residents has regularly cited the need for Plum to upgrade its water infrastructure among the reasons a fix was taking so long we should not have any more outages until the city completes their work and we can officially hook up to the new upgraded system,” O’Brien told residents in an email sent on March 23 field supervisor for the Plum Borough Municipal Authority said he doesn’t know what O’Brien is referring to “I don’t know of any problems on the city side,” DiGuilio said “The county inspected on (March 22) down by the YMCA after inspecting (at the park) in Murrysville The plumber told me they’re supposed to have it hooked up on Monday.” O’Brien said the new water line was fully hooked up on March 24 park resident Ashley Wilborn said most of the residents she’s spoken with had water coming from their faucets but I’m not going to get rid of the water we have stocked up,” Wilborn said referring to cases of bottled water given to residents by the Westmoreland Food Bank “I’m kind of holding my breath.” Wilborn said water service across the park was still inconsistent “Sly as a fox” is not just a saying somebody made up who’s been trying to successfully train a wildlife camera on a wild fox den since 2016 “They’re so sensitive that, if they sense a human has been around, they’ll move the kits to another den,” said Powers, who owns PixCams which specializes in high-quality livestreaming wildlife cameras “The first time we filmed it was 2016 and I ended up moving the camera four or five times moving it farther and farther from the den and zooming in.” he lucked out — a camera that had already been in place for two years began to return video of a denning pair of foxes that are now raising a half-dozen kits tucked away under a large rock overhang in the woods near Powers’ home “We’re livestreaming it in 1440p with great quality,” Powers said The PixCams website has 34 wildlife livestreams going monitoring everything from owl and eagle nests to the massive elk wandering the forests of north-central Pennsylvania The thing Powers is most excited about — even though it puts the entire fox family in jeopardy — is the group’s interaction with the local coyote population “Today the coyote showed up three times which is something you rarely see,” he said “We have a video on our YouTube page where the kits are outside the den playing then all of a sudden they scatter and a coyote zooms into the frame I’m not sure if anyone’s ever really had a chance to film something like that before.” Powers said he expects the kits to remain close to the den until summer “The parents will start taking them out to hunt and they’ll keep coming back to the den until sometime in July when they usually start to disperse,” he said For more, or to view the livestream, see PixCams.com and click on the “Live Cams” link Murrysville officials are hoping a White Valley property owner demolishes a fire-damaged garage on their own at the rear of a property on Carolina Street Murrysville Council on Wednesday authorized the emergency demolition of the building “Our engineer is recommending an emergency demolition,” Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said but we sent out a 1o-day notice ordering the demolition “We do believe the homeowner will take responsibility and demolish it but we just want to have our bases covered.” The town has a formal process for approving a typical demolition for blighted structures but those procedures can be waived if there is danger owing to structural integrity or another serious issue “Only half of it is remaining,” Nestico said “Authorizing the emergency demolition puts a safeguard in place for the municipality With this property we’ve had a history of sporadic (code) compliance.” The days of mild winters and overfilled salt sheds are gone for the Murrysville Public Works Department Nestico said road crews have been called out for plowing and salting on 16 of 21 days so far in January and trucks have dropped 3,000 tons of rock salt — nearly 60% of the municipality’s salt supply It’s a far cry from the past couple years when Murrysville was storing salt from its neighbors in Export who had run out of room in their salt shed after several mild winters and we’ve placed an order for additional salt,” Nestico said but the way the winter has come in required quite a few call-outs for our public works crew.” Betty Pusateri has taken just one shower in her home since Jan Melanie Leggens has been able to take three but I’m not driving out there every day to take a shower,” Leggens said “I have a bucket of water and a bar of soap Leggens’ porch and others in the Holiday Hills Mobile Home Park in Murrysville are loaded with stacks of potable water from the Westmoreland Food Bank because Leggens Pusateri and other residents have had to deal with multiple interruptions to their water service in the past 45 days And they’re receiving seemingly little positive response from property managers Carlson & Associates of Pittsburgh Carlson & Associates told residents it had been meeting with the Plum Borough Municipal Authority which supplies water to the private line servicing the park Municipal authority system manager Mike DiGuilio says that’s not true “We just found out about this last week,” DiGuilio said “A plumber called and wanted to know if we could turn the water on to Holiday Hills But we never got any calls to shut the water off.” DiGuilio said authority workers checked their line which connects near the Sampson Family YMCA on Golden Mile Highway in Plum and runs about 1,800 feet uphill to the mobile home park “There was water there and plenty of pressure to get it up the hill,” DiGuilio said DiGuilio spoke with the plumber again and was told the local fire department had given him permission to hook up to a Plum fire hydrant to get residents access to water and no one gave them permission to do that,” DiGuilio said they told residents that this was an issue with Plum Borough and that they’d met with me multiple times Carlson property manager Luke O’Brien said it was a simple miscommunication that they were talking with Plum Borough staff members rather than those from the authority DiGuilio said the main problem is with a pressure regulator in the private 1-inch water line that brings water up from Golden Mile Highway into Holiday Hills The original water line is being replaced after frigid temperatures this winter caused it to freeze and sustain damage A temporary above-ground line was installed at the end of February but the most recent cold snap also caused it to freeze March 3 Murrysville code inspectors have issued two violations to property owners Hillside Court LLC for failing to maintain plumbing facilities and maintain the water supply a work crew hired by Carlson & Associates was digging a trench for a new water line when it struck a Peoples Gas pipe “They shut off the nearest gas meter and cut off the gas to my father’s house and another house,” said Holiday Hills resident Ashley Wilborn a Peoples Gas crew was at the park reestablishing service to both homes and marking out the remainder of the line on the property DiGuilio said authority workers eventually opted to put a water meter on a fire hydrant as a temporary solution but I don’t want these folks going without water,” he said several residents said they still do not have significant water pressure “They’ve pretty much been giving us the runaround,” Leggens said of the management company “I’ve had to bring home big jugs of water from work to flush the toilet.” Davis said she’s grateful to the county food bank for supplying residents with drinking water which she helped distribute throughout the park “We really appreciate them helping us make it through this hellish situation,” Davis said “The only water we got from the property managers was three 1-gallon jugs delivered to each home in January.” The lack of running water isn’t the only issue Holiday Hills residents have had trouble getting addressed Beth Taylor said she waited nearly two months for Carlson to send someone to address black mold growing in several areas of her home because of water leaking through the roof Taylor said that while she was waiting for someone to address the black mold she watched out her window as another work crew renovated a completely unoccupied unit “We’ve been having maintenance issues with this new management company since they acquired this park,” Taylor said O’Brien said he respects residents’ concerns “I find that tenants often have a different view of how long it takes someone to get a problem taken care of,” he said “When you’re without something you need it certainly feels like it takes much longer But we address major and minor issues with our tenants as quickly as we’re able.” Pusateri said residents receive regular emails from O’Brien saying the company is working on the water situation “There was one night last week when I just sat and cried,” she said “It’s really beyond belief.” they are withholding their rent until the situation is resolved In a communication sent to residents Wednesday O’Brien said the new trench should be dug and water service should be fully restored by early next week A Murrysville woman has been charged with attempted insurance fraud after investigators say she was paid to replace a lost diamond found it but did not report it to her insurance company then filed another claim that she’d lost it a few months later of Murrysville was charged with two felony counts of filing a false insurance claim two felony counts of theft by deception and two counts of records tampering According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section DeSoto-Jackson filed a claim with Erie Insurance that on Feb the center diamond had fallen out of her wedding ring while she was out running errands She said she believed it may have fallen out while she was entering the Panera Bread on Route 22 in Murrysville Insurance investigators said no employees working in the Panera at the time recalled a customer either mentioning a lost diamond or searching the entrance on that date investigators said DeSoto-Jackson submitted a proof-of-loss form to her insurance company The ring was appraised and valued at $9,500 She later provided the insurance company with a work order from the Mock and Co jewelry store in Monroeville to replace the ring and diamond for a little over $10,000 Erie Insurance hired a gem consultant to appraise the diamond’s replacement value That amount was paid to DeSoto-Jackson on March 11 Investigators later discovered that on March 23 not only was DeSoto-Jackson in possession of the reportedly missing center diamond but she’d taken it to the Beeghly & Co jewelry store in Greensburg to have it reset Beeghly employees provided a receipt for $450 paid by DeSoto-Jackson to reset the diamond DeSoto-Jackson took out a personal articles policy on the ring with a different insurance company she filed a claim stating she’d once again lost it She told her insurance company she reported the missing ring to Murrysville police But they told investigators they could not locate a record of any such call or report DeSoto-Jackson sent her new insurance company a Mock and Co When State Farm officials ran a discovery check they saw the prior claim from a few months earlier They also discovered that both work orders from Mock and Co State Farm officials spoke with the store’s owner who told them the original work order listed $8,988 as the total In a follow-up interview with State Farm claim specialists DeSoto-Jackson said that she’d found her missing center diamond after being paid by Erie Insurance and admitted to altering the information on the Mock and Co She was released on $10,000 unsecured bail with a March 28 preliminary hearing scheduled in District Judge Judi Petrush’s Export court Someone who visits the Murrysville Shop’n Save is holding a Pennsylvania Lottery ticket worth more than $2.6 million and time is running out to claim the prize Lottery officials said Monday that a winning ticket from the May 8 Cash 5 with Quick Pick drawing remains unclaimed Lottery winners have a year to claim a winning ticket The ticket was sold at the Murrysville Shop’n Save on William Penn Highway and matched all five balls drawn The total prize money is $2,628,337 less withholding Lottery officials encourage claimants to sign the back of winning tickets and file a timely claim by calling 800-692-7481 All lottery offices are open to the public from 8:30 a.m The Pittsburgh office is at 1424 Western Ave on the city’s North Side and serves Allegheny expired lottery prizes remain in the state Lottery Fund and are used to support programs benefiting older Pennsylvanians Although some lotteries give players only 90 or 180 days to claim a prize Pennsylvania Lottery Draw Game prizes may be claimed up to one year from the drawing date It’s probably an understatement to say that Luca Bertucci had some strong motivation to raise money for cancer research funding After in-patient chemotherapy during his sophomore year of school following a cancer diagnosis Bertucci rang his cancer-free bell last fall and is in remission Bertucci had been stricken with Burkitt’s lymphoma — a rare but aggressive cancer of the lymphatic system “I had seven months of treatment and a lot of ER visits and hospital stays,” said Bertucci “My girlfriend was a teammate with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society last year the society organizes teams of high school students for its Student Visionaries program Teams like the Franklin Regional-based Panthers Against Cancer organized fundraising events and solicited personal and corporate donations over the campaign’s seven weeks Bertucci was able to raise the largest amount of any single student in the Pittsburgh/Cleveland region finishing with $40,200 — more than half of his team’s total That also helped him earn the Student Visionaries 2025 Team Member of the Year Award or a prize for the first person to get 100 donations,” Bertucci said “I pretty much got every incentive in the Pittsburgh area.” the society’s campaign development manager for the Student Visionaries program said it was awesome to watch Bertucci’s transformation “He set a $10,000 goal in February that he didn’t think he would reach and with some coaching and me being his cheerleader it was an impressive experience to watch him turn into this fundraising machine,” Gribbin said one of the Student Visionaries program goals is to foster leadership skills in team members That turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Bertucci but after my treatment I felt really shy,” he said “The program and the campaign really helped build my communication skills and my confidence back and so many opportunities have come up through the whole process.” Gribbin said she wants students to come out of their shells through the campaign “It’s something I try to press with the kids,” she said “A lot of them are stuck in their phones and they don’t have a ton of face-to-face conversations “So getting them to the point where they can ask someone for a large donation is something that helps us and them.” solicited donations and held a bake sale at the local fish fry and hosted a hot sauce competition They even raised donations with the promise that students could win a chance to duct tape Franklin Regional Assistant High School Principal Heath Curran to the wall — which they did Bertucci said he couldn’t be more proud to be raising money for cancer research “That was our whole thing,” he said “There are only 1,500 cases each year of my type of lymphoma they wouldn’t have been able to develop such a great treatment plan.” For more, see LLSstudentvisionaries.org This year’s theme is “Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled.” In addition to prayer led by local pastors The Murrysville Export Republican Committee has announced its candidate endorsements in the upcoming primary election • Franklin Regional school board: Kevin Kurimsky Bill CsaszarAge: 56Occupation: School maintenance technicianKevin KurimskyAge: 49Occupation: Vice president of global sales and marketing for IMMYAmy SheridanAge: 53Occupation: User experience design consultant with Acclaro DesignShannon VendittiAge: 38Occupation: Owner of a marketing and graphic design businessDebra WohlinAge: 59Occupation: Disability advocate Drivers who frequent Saltsburg Road through Murrysville are likely familiar with the “dead zone,” where their Verizon call is all but guaranteed to drop as they travel between Mamont and Ashbaugh roads Verizon expects to address that gap in coverage by installing a 125-foot tower at a property on Lasher Court Murrysville council unanimously approved a conditional- use permit April 2 for Verizon and contractor Towers LLC to build the tower along with a fenced area of infrastructure “We were initially looking to co-locate this equipment because your ordinance states if there are any usable structures within a quarter-mile we’re to use them,” said Joe Cortez there aren’t any tall structures within 2 miles.” cell towers were typically developed along interstates in Greensburg; you had a 450-foot tower in Green Tree and Cranberry and the vast majority of use those towers got was voice calls,” he said “But as we’re getting to the fifth generation of wireless voice is now used the least often across the network People working from home need to access the network for their business and younger people are primarily using their mobile devices for entertainment.” The tower would be a minimum of 200 feet from any property line and the nearest house is roughly 850 feet away from the proposed site Resident Jeannette Pavlick asked if there was any way council could ensure 5G technology was not installed on the line Both Cortez and council members said the municipality has limited authority because cell towers are largely governed under the 1996 Telecommunications Act Municipalities are not allowed to prohibit provisional wireless service that is meant to address health and safety issues Cortez noted the tower’s presence would ensure the success of calls to 911 within the roughly 1-square-mile gap but we can’t dictate the type of technology they use,” council President Dayne Dice said we’d just be forestalling the inevitable.” Councilman Carl Stepanovich asked if the new tower would help boost the cell signal for visitors to Murrysville Community Park “It’s possible,” Cortez said “But that’s not the primary purpose for it Verizon has been working on a lease and I’d say a future application that may come before you would be for a tower located within the park.” A Monroeville man is wanted on assault and terroristic threat charges stemming from an incident in Murrysville is accused of violating a protection-from-abuse order by visiting an Oregon Street home on Dec A woman who lives at the home told police Brown began to scream at her and threatened to kill her tearing down several Christmas lights and driving through a neighbors’ yard as he left Brown is charged with making terroristic threats driving with a suspended license and reckless driving Anyone with information can call 724-327-2100 Brown currently has two pending cases in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas one for a 2023 charge of drunken driving and October 2024 charges of strangulation and simple assault Murrysville Council has named municipal engineer technician Emily Mallisee as the new director for community development “She’s been with us in an engineering role but she’s been handling some things on the development side,” Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said we haven’t had a community development director in quite some time Myself and our former administrator (Jim Morrison) were both handling that role to some extent.” Mallisee has been with the municipality for about seven years Mallisee will review applications for subdivisions grading permits and environmental impact statements terms and conditions to the Murrysville Planning Commission and help provide adequate density control protection and preservation of the environment She also will make recommendations regarding state and federal funding available in areas like water parks and recreation or other areas affecting Murrysville’s growth “I’ve been working with staff in the community development department already on a daily basis,” Mallisee said “So they approached me to ask if I’d be interested in taking that director position temporarily.” A community development employee who will join the municipality in August is expected to step into the director’s role “The thing with hiring someone new for the department is they have to figure out what’s what and what their role is,” Mallisee said “I’ll probably work with them for about a year and then I’ll be able to focus on the engineering department.” “There are a lot of different opportunities for the municipality to advance this office,” Nestico said “We think this is a big decision that will help our internal structure and pay dividends for developers coming into town and for residents who are having development-related issues.” Nestico said staff has budgeted a little more than $100,000 as the potential top-end salary for the position “I think the goal right now is just to get someone into that role to deal with developers,” Mallisee said One thing that Mallisee or the future community development director may tackle is an in-depth look at Murrysville’s zoning map with an eye toward carving out space for higher-density projects council has turned down several development proposals nearly all of which were seeking a higher zoning density for their projects multiple council members said they didn’t object to higher-density zoning but did not want to set a precedent for up-zoning that developers would cite in similar requests “That would certainly be something the community development director would take part in and our zoning officer would also have some input on that,” Mallisee said “We also haven’t updated Murrysville’s comprehensive plan in quite some time so I think looking at zoning and where things are situated throughout town will be a part of that.” As far as the municipality’s engineering department Nestico said there are plans to hire an engineer technician who will work under Mallisee “We’re looking to get back ahead of the curve,” he said “I don’t want to say we’ve slipped behind but we’re kind of treading water in some of those ways.” Ambulance services covering Westmoreland County are hoping to receive more support from the communities they serve particularly as that number of communities has grown in recent months parts of Loyalhanna Township and Saltsburg are now divided up between us Mutual Aid EMS and the Okla­homa ambulance service,” said Matt Stromberg Murrysville Medic One and Citizens Ambulance Service stepped in during December when Saltsburg-based LifeStat ambulance service suddenly closed the all-volunteer Kecksburg Rescue Ambulance Service closed its doors at the end of last year with its service area split between Mutual Aid and Mt Medic One is about to undertake a subscription drive in its coverage area “We need folks in the community to step up especially when you look at the agencies that have closed,” Stromberg said “People have got to become aware that we’re not taxpayer-funded.” Municipalities serviced by Medic One do make donations however Stromberg said that provides only 4% of the ambulance service’s budget which is $55 for a senior or senior couple and $75 for a family or household members have 50% of their insurance co-pay forgiven so that we can keep staff and have modern and up-to-date equipment,” Stromberg said spokesman Shawn Penzera said they keep their membership drives running year-round sending annual reminders when residents’ membership is coming due “We only have one municipality that actually gives us money “Other communities have started donating to help us buy equipment if we’re talking about a couple thousand dollars.” The majority of Mutual Aid’s funding comes through collecting insurance reimbursements similar to Medic One — and that is not always easy to do Mutual Aid has between 225 and 250 employees including part-time and summer help from college students their new territory from Lifestat’s closure is not putting a strain on providing services and we’ve averaged about five per week so far,” he said “Our staffing is very adequate at this point.” “Us and Mutual Aid are two of the largest ones in the area,” he said “We’re able to keep our heads above water but we need help from the public in order to keep doing it.” A Murrysville ambulance driver transporting a patient from Plum was injured Friday evening in a crash involving another vehicle An Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said the crash occurred around 6:45 p.m along Route 286 and Old Frankstown Road on the Plum side of the Plum/Monroeville border Scott Ricketts said the ambulance was traveling southbound along Route 286 toward Monroeville with a patient aboard He could not confirm if it was heading to Forbes Hospital or UPMC East The ambulance collided with a vehicle crossing Route 286 from Old Frankstown Road Ricketts said a Plum EMS ambulance arrived and finished the medical transport and the patient did not suffer any injuries as a result of the crash The Murrysville ambulance driver was transported to an area hospital in stable condition Ricketts said the driver of the other vehicle remained on scene and was to be taken to a hospital by private means for an arm injury Investigators plan to review surveillance camera footage as well as video from the ambulance Dispatchers said the scene was cleared shortly after 7 p.m Anyone with information about the crash can call the borough force at 412-793-7400 Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com After sitting through a 3-3 tie vote in June and the deferral of a decision in July developer Paul Fischione and his attorney were ready for a vote on their proposal to create 24 luxury lots off Wiestertown Road in Murrysville Attorney Bill Sittig said his client wasn’t interested in receiving a time extension until mid-September to wait for a full complement of council to vote Council members Matthew Olszewski and Mac McKenna were both absent at council’s recent meeting “Their absence doesn’t change things,” Sittig said “We have everybody in the room we need in order to vote tonight.” Fischione initially came before council in early 2023 with a request to rezone the rural-residential property to accommodate 28 lots and his subsequent proposal for a subdivision has been discussed and tabled several times in 2024 “We came here initially to get a few more houses and that was turned down,” Sittig said. “This is a by-right plan Staff has reviewed it and we agree with their recommendation of approval If there’s a vote and council isn’t willing to follow the law But we have the preeminent property rights here who lives near the proposed entrance across Wiestertown Road cited concerns about increased traffic along the single-lane road in recent years that a 24-lot subdivision “is just not going to move the needle in terms of prompting a denial based on traffic concerns.” Council found itself in a similar situation earlier this year regarding Caliber Collision’s proposal for an auto body shop on Route 22 property just east of the Manordale Farms neighborhood Manordale residents largely did not want the shop next door and lamented the loss of nearby wooded property but as an application which met all of Murrysville’s development ordinances Discussing council’s role in development Dice repeated a phrase he used during the Caliber discussion “We’re not the ‘Lords of Murrysville,’” he said say this development gets to go in and this one doesn’t These are matters of private property rights and our job is to make sure applications comply with our ordinances.” Council ultimately voted unanimously to approve Fischione’s excavation and development applications it abides by everything,” said Councilwoman Jamie Lingg “But I do think this has brought to our attention how busy Wiestertown Road is in terms of traffic and hopefully that will be conveyed to residents who are moving in.” Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com The Murrysville Woman’s Club will host its annual spring fundraising event at 10 a.m and all proceeds benefit the club’s community projects music by the Sweet Adelines and raffle baskets ‘Brass from the Bluff’ at Symphony East Symphony East’s March 17 program will feature “Brass from the Bluff,” performers currently in residence at Duquesne University Trumpeters Paul Doerksen and Chris Cox will join Benjamin Cacioppo on French horn Edward Kocher on trombone and euphonium and arrange Michael Panza on tuba The Murrysville chapter of the Women’s Business Network will meet at 8 a.m It is a category-exclusive organization of local women who network Some open membership categories include insurance The Murrysville Community Library and municipal recreation department will host another “Rock Talks!” session with speaker Erik Selinger exploring the legacy of bands like the Chieftains Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church will host a seven-week small group study series during Lent titled “Untangle Your Emotions.” who will discuss how to name and navigate your emotions Monday nights from March 3 to April 14 at the church’s Gathering Place 4600 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville and the series is open to adults and high school students Sign up by emailing breana.howard@comcast.net Ear doctor at ‘Boomers & Beyond’ The Mother of Sorrows Church’s “Boomers & Beyond” series will feature Dr It will be at noon at the church’s social hall 4202 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville Basura is a clinician-scientist who manages complex problems of the ear and temporal bone and is investigating brain changes in patients suffering from tinnitus or phantom sound perception in the absence of sound stimulus He will discuss the future of hearing research in Pittsburgh Participants can bring a bag lunch and a friend The Studio will partner with the Murrysville Recreation Department to host a series of mini-dance classes in March and and April The classes will take place in two age groups: For those ages 2 and 3 Both classes will take place on Tuesdays from March 11 to April 15 with instructor Sarah McIntyre Classes will be at the Murrysville Community Center The White Valley AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary is accepting donations of used and unwanted hearing aids for the John Tracy Clinic The clinic is named for the son of actor Spencer Tracy who was diagnosed with profound hearing loss in 1925 The clinic established programs to educate and offer emotional support to families with preschool age deaf children Donations are accepted year-round and can be dropped off at the AMVETS 2100 Carolina Street in Murrysville’s White Valley neighborhood AARP is currently taking appointments to help area residents prepare and file their 2024 taxes Appointments are required in advance for sessions that will take place March 14 and 28 and April 11 at the Murrysville Community Center To make an appointment and for more information about who qualifies Applications accepted for community grants Export and Delmont is taking applications for its 2025 community grant program The foundation encourages creativity and initiative by funding local residents’ ideas for enriching community life through sustainable activities Grants in the range of several hundred dollars will be awarded to organizations demonstrating a need for small sums to make a significant The deadline for applications is March 15. To receive an application, email rcook109@gmail.com were completely eliminated from Pennsylvania during unregulated hunting and massive deforestation in the late 1800s the last recorded Pennsylvania fishers were spotted in places such as Clearfield encouraged by similar efforts in New York and West Virginia the Pennsylvania Game Commission along with the Wild Resource Conservation Fund the Pennsylvania Trappers Association and Penn State and Frostburg State universities were released at six sites in north central Pennsylvania The closest site to the Pittsburgh area was a couple hours away in the Allegheny National Forest By 2006, researchers involved with the project reported seeing fishers moving into the Laurel Highlands and along the border between Indiana and Cambria counties That didn’t stop Bill Powers of Murrysville from being shocked when one of several wildlife cameras he set up on his Westmoreland County property snapped a photo of a fisher this summer “I put the camera on an old fallen log in a remote area and kept it there several months,” said Powers, who founded PixController and PixCams including bald eagle nests in Hays and West Mifflin “I pulled the SD card this week and to my amazement it captured a photo of a fisher in mid-June.” Powers estimated the fisher was about 3 feet long “It’s super rare to see one in this area,” he said “Kind of like finding a needle in a haystack.” voles and squirrels to eggs and small birds They also are one of the few animals capable of killing and eating porcupines Subsequent research seems to show the fisher population in Pennsylvania is doing well A state game commission study of fisher diets collected 91 fisher carcasses from 30 Pennsylvania counties reports of fishers struck by cars and incidental trapping reports state game officials believe there are stable and increasing fisher populations in southwest and eastern Westmoreland County and a stable population on the eastern side of Armstrong County Health effectsThe following 19 conditions are medically acceptable for the Orange Heart medal: amyloidosis Jerry Deible of Murrysville can remember standing on the ground at a Vietnam firebase in the early 1970s staring up at a massive C-130 airplane passing overhead He craned his head back and snapped a photo of the plane as liquid streamed down from tanks strapped to its sides an herbicidal defoliant that got its name from the orange band wrapped around the drums it came in While there were other chemicals used to thin the triple-canopy Vietnamese jungles Agent Orange accounted for 12 million of the 20 million gallons dropped over an area roughly the size of Massachusetts according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund After more than 15 years of denying that the dioxin in Agent Orange was linked to cancers birth defects and other medical issues with Vietnam veterans Department of Veterans Affairs was empowered in 1991 to declare a range of 19 diseases as probable effects of Agent Orange exposure But its poisonous legacy has gone largely unacknowledged by the federal government “We were told it was perfectly safe,” said Deible “There were guys who’d go around the border of the firebase with jungle pants boots and no shirts on with a pump tank of Agent Orange strapped to their backs Deible has joined with Murrysville Alliance Church Pastor Dan Lawrence to host an April 12 ceremony presenting Vietnam veterans with recognition from the nonprofit Orange Heart Medal Foundation. The foundation was created by Vietnam veteran Ken Gamble who was diagnosed with cancer as a result of Agent Orange exposure “This is recognition not by the federal government but by one of their veteran brothers,” Lawrence said “Jerry came to me and said he felt like we needed to do something to recognize our vets dealing with this The foundation’s name comes from the medal presented to participating veterans which is an orange heart with the letters “A” an “O” on either side of an outline of Vietnam “When the Purple Heart was commissioned it was the only award permitted to be in the shape of a heart,” Deible said “But when Ken Gamble started the foundation he got permission from the government to make it in the same shape.” where the state legislature was the first in the nation to pass a law recognizing veterans affected by Agent Orange Nine additional states have joined Tennessee in the years since the Pennsylvania Legislature convened a task force with the goal of helping better communicate treatment options to exposed veterans Vietnam veterans or their surviving spouses can fill out an application to take part in the April 12 ceremony and receive an Orange Heart. Applications are available at MurrysvilleAllianceChurch.org Deible and Lawrence said poor treatment of Vietnam veterans returning to the U.S after the war was compounded years later by a lack of recognition that millions of them had been exposed to a toxic herbicide if you were boots-on-the-ground in Vietnam you were exposed to Agent Orange in some way,” Deible said Said Lawrence: “When these guys talk to me about how they came home and all that transpired We’re saying to the community: Let’s come together acknowledge that Agent Orange is a real thing and not walk away from it.” Medals have been given to more than 11,000 veterans during the nonprofit’s short history The public is invited to attend the April 12 event Applications are due by March 30. For more information or to RSVP, call 724-327-7206 or email office@murrysvillealliancechurch.org. For more on the foundation, see OrangeHeartMedal.org Katherine Neidig had about three months of regular work when she started in a part-time position at the Murrysville Community Library in January 2020 “I was doing cataloguing and technical services and then all the procedures were tossed aside during the pandemic,” said Neidig who grew up in Murrysville and graduated from Franklin Regional in 2008 before pursuing a master’s degree from Clarion University in library and information science she became the new executive director for her hometown library “I remember going to the library when it was down on Carson Avenue,” said Neidig who most recently was working as the teen librarian and technical services assistant she worked as a reference librarian in the Heinz History Center’s archives “I’m a first-time director so there’s a lot of learning I still need to do,” she said “But I think what I’m looking forward to most is community outreach I’m someone who likes to connect with people I want to know them on a first-name basis and create that sense of community so people feel like they’re at home when they come here.” Aiding in that mission is a nearly $400,000 state grant awarded to the library in the fall from the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority’s multi-purpose community facilities program “Our focus for that is making the library ADA-compliant and making it accessible for everyone,” Neidig said “We have a wish list for things like a new circulation desk that’s built to be welcoming to all people and even to kids We want to add programming that can help people develop workforce skills.” Neidig said library staff would also like to be able to host health screenings and telemedicine appointments “One thing we’ve heard from patrons is that they’d like access to some quiet rooms,” she said “It would be a place where people can take confidential calls for something like telemedicine and it would also be a private space where patrons can do things that are a little more sensitive.” Neidig also has a strong support network to help her acclimate to her new job title “I’m only on my third day,” she said on Jan “I haven’t had a chance to make a formal strategic plan yet but that’s something every director does when they start our Westmoreland Library Network consultant does a wonderful job creating a great support system where everyone kind of works together.” The deal marries tradition with tantalizing tastes as Dee Jay’s BBQ Ribs & Grille takes over the much-beloved North Park Lounge in Murrysville This expansion marks a significant milestone for Dee Jay’s — a name synonymous with savory smoked meats and a mainstay in the local barbecue scene its lively atmosphere and neighborhood charm will remain intact “We’re extremely excited to add the North Park Lounge to the Dee Jay’s family of restaurants,” said Jen Ray “It’s a great partnership — what people have always loved about the Lounge melds with the special BBQ flair that Dee Jay’s brings to the table.” Known for its “Best in the ‘Burgh” ribs and variety of smoked meats Dee Jay’s will introduce its signature offerings to North Park Lounge while keeping beloved customer favorites like giant pretzels and lounge fries on the menu and meats cooked over cherry and apple woods enhancing the dining experience for both loyal Lounge patrons and new guests Ray quickly added that preserving North Park Lounge’s unique personality is a top priority “It’s important for us to keep the ambiance and the staff that have made the Lounge a staple in Murrysville We are also committed to maintaining specialty menu items that our new customers enjoy,” she said Dee Jay’s respect for tradition and community ties guided this new venture By keeping North Park Lounge’s staff and popular dishes Dee Jay’s aims to make this transition smooth while continuing the venue’s legendary legacy The acquisition also reflects a broader vision for Dee Jay’s which operates several other high-profile establishments: Andora Restaurant from the upscale Italian dining of Andora to the creative American offerings at Cadence Clubhouse and the custom catering services of Collective Brands “We view this growth as an opportunity to diversify our community’s dining options and share more of our signature barbecue with others,” said Jen Ray “It’s not just about the food; we’re creating a place where people can make memories and feel just like they’re at home.” Dee Jay’s BBQ Ribs & Grille looks forward to welcoming North Park Lounge into its portfolio bringing Murrysville a fresh yet familiar dining experience centered on quality and community aims to minimize disruptions while adding Dee Jay’s signature flavors “We’re thrilled to invite the community to celebrate this new venture but by enhancing it with the essence of Dee Jay’s BBQ,” said Ray promising to serve Murrysville with dedication and a welcoming smile Join us on December 8th at Dee Jay’s BBQ Ribs & Grille for a festive Brunch with Santa from 8 am to 11 am—a special event dedicated to spreading holiday cheer and supporting the community benefiting the Plum Stuff a Bus initiative and the Plum High School ROTC The Dee Jay’s food truck will be on-site offering a variety of treats as we gather to collect toys for families in need All Dee Jay’s locations will serve as drop-off points for toy donations: Brunch with Santa is a reservation-only event Please help us make this holiday season brighter by joining us for a day of joy Call (724) 519-9970 to reserve your spot today This has been a paid article submitted by our content partner According to Murrysville’s solicitor the town would face more legal peril from breaking leases with unconventional drilling companies than it would from possible confusion over who ultimately owns the oil and gas rights it leased to them Murrysville council members voted to enter a lease agreement with Olympus Energy for oil and gas rights thousands of feet beneath the town’s two largest parks Part of residents’ opposition to the leases was a petition signed by about 175 people Council also entered into a lease last year with Apex Energy for land beneath Kovalczik Park members of nonprofit environmental group Protect PT presented a second petition opposing the leases with sufficient signatures to force a council vote Murrysville’s ordinances require council to take action on a petition within 60 days if it includes signatures amounting to 2% or more of registered voters Protect PT’s petition was signed by more than 320 Murrysville residents “We believe a title search should have been done before leasing this property,” said Tom Pike environmental policy advocate for Protect PT and a former Murrysville resident Pike said he believes there are issues regarding ownership of the oil and gas rights and that Murrysville might not have been in a position to lease them Pike requested on behalf of petition signatories that Murrysville rescind all three leases and suggested council could be opening the municipality to legal liability by letting them stand Murrysville Solicitor Wes Long agreed that a title search is an important part of the process one that either was or should have been performed by the drilling companies “The quality of the title to the oil and gas is to be determined by Olympus or Apex,” Long said “The only thing we warranted in the leases is that we weren’t receiving any revenue or royalties under any other leases connected to those properties So there’s no liability on the municipality It rests on the shoulders of the drilling companies.” Council voted unanimously to deny the petition Council President Dayne Dice was not present Long said council would be in greater legal jeopardy by breaking the contracts they signed last year for which Murrysville has received more than $2 million and there are binding contracts,” he said “Additional damages could include any money the oil companies spent while relying on the leases.” Access to the shale formations several thousand feet underground would originate at Olympus’ Poseidon well pad in Penn Township There would not be a well pad or any construction happening at either park fracking beneath Duff Park would take place only in the Utica shale formation which is even farther underground than the Marcellus shale formations Franklin Regional’s Luke Williams scores the winning run in the sixth inning against Kiski Area on April 1. The Panthers (5-1) had 68 runs and had reached double digits four times, including back-to-back 18-run games. They outscored Penn Hills 36-3 in a two-game Section 1-5A sweep. In the second game, Jonah Willochell pitched a four-inning no-hitter, with 10 strikeouts, while Brady Yarabinetz doubled twice and drove in three runs, NJ Ramchandran homered and knocked in five runs, Trey Muhitch doubled and had two RBIs, and Chase Lemke went 3 for 3 with a triple and four runs. Ethan Raver and Lemke had three hits apiece, Raver with three doubles and Lemke with a triple, while Ramchandran also tripled and drove in two in an 18-3, three-inning win in the first game of the series, the Panthers’ home opener. The Franklin Regional girls lacrosse team posted an 11-2 win over Indiana. Isabella Ioannou had three goals and Anna Ioannou and Ingrid Varley each added two for the Panthers (3-1). Grant Novotny and Nicholas Renda each scored two goals to pace the Franklin Regional boys lacrosse team to their first win of the season, 6-5 over Chartiers Valley. Ohio University redshirt junior Garrett Thompson and Edinboro grad student Colton Camacho, a pair of Franklin Regional graduates, competed in the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships last month in Philadelphia. Thompson, the fourth seed at 174 pounds, went 1-1 in both the winners and consolation brackets. He finished the season with a 30-7 record. Camacho, a 133-pounder, went 0-2 despite leading both of his matches. A Franklin Regional contingent brought home medals from the Pennsylvania Junior High Championships in Johnstown. Rob Waller finished fifth at 85 pounds in the 10-under division, while Silas Corcetti finished eighth at 105 pounds (12U), Camden Randolph was sixth at 95 pounds, Bryson Schlagel took fifth at 105. Schlagel also came in sixth at the Keystone State Championships at Penn State. 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