Winter sign-ups are opening now, and the best time slots go fast. Here are seven swim, skate, gym and hoops programs near Murrysville, with dates and prices checked on each program's own site on Oct 27. Save this one for the fridge.

01  Sampson YMCA Youth Basketball (Plum)
Grades K to 9. Clinics the week of Nov 9, games in January. Sign up by Sat Nov 21. $140 members, $225 non-members.

02  Gymkhana Gymnastics Winter Session
4650 Old Frankstown Rd, Monroeville. Nov 30 to Mar 6; ages 2 1/2 to 6 from $249. Thanksgiving Camp for ages 3 to 12, Wed Nov 25 & Fri Nov 27, 9 AM to noon, $53/day.

03  Murrysville Rec Toddler Studio
Tiny Tumblers (ages 2 to 4) and Play and Learn (ages 2 to 3), Tuesdays Dec 1 to 22, $72. Mini Monets Mon Dec 7, $28. Mini Dance Mon Dec 14, $22.

04  Alpha Ice Learn to Skate
Tuesdays Nov 3 to Dec 15 at 5:20 PM, 7 classes, $165.80 paid in full online, skate rental included. Snowball Tots (ages 3 to 5) at 1:50 PM.

05  Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey
Ages 5 to 9, co-ed or girls only, at Alpha Ice. Jan 23 to Mar 27, 2027. Register by Tue Dec 15. $249 plus a transaction fee; gear sizes taken at sign-up.

06  Sampson YMCA Winter Swim Lessons
Ages 6 months to 12 years, starting the first week of January. Members register from Mon Dec 7 at 8 AM, everyone from Mon Dec 14. Most levels $90 members, $180 non-members.

07  Monroeville Saturday Learn to Swim
Six Saturdays, Jan 16 to Mar 20, at the Gateway HS Sports Complex. Ages 3 1/2 to 14, $70 ($80 non-residents). Register by Mon Jan 11 to skip a $10 late fee. Parent & Child (6 months to 3 1/2) $60.

Patchy fog before 8 AM, then mostly sunny and warm, high near 72, low around 46. Thursday is the pick of the week at 74 and sunny. Halloween looks dry and partly sunny with a high near 66, and around 60 for trick-or-treat. Clocks fall back an hour early Sunday morning, and showers are possible Sunday afternoon into Monday.

Full Murrysville Forecast (National Weather Service)

AAUW's Murrysville branch is collecting donations for its annual used book sale, TribLive reports. Drop off gently used children's, teen and adult books and puzzles at the Murrysville Community Library, 4130 Sardis Rd., during library hours through Nov. 7. Legos are a big hit too; last year they sold out by 11 AM.

The sale runs Nov. 12 and 13 from 9:30 AM to 5 PM and Nov. 14 from 9:30 AM to 3 PM in the library's renovated space. Fill a bag for $15 on day one, $10 on day two or $5 on the last day, with puzzles at $5. Proceeds benefit the library. Want to help sort? Email [email protected].

Read more @ TribLive

Murrysville's free Santa at Sardis returns Saturday, Dec. 5 from 1 to 4 PM at Sardis Park, 5200 Rocky Hill Lane, according to the Municipality. Expect campfires with s'mores, a bonfire, cocoa and cookies, and photos with Santa. The Municipality suggests carpooling, wearing muck boots and bringing chairs.

Local businesses and organizations are invited to host an activity, and volunteers are welcome. Call 724-327-2100, ext. 131 or 115.

Read more @ Murrysville Recreation

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a law Monday that bars students from using cellphones and other mobile devices on school grounds for the entire school day, starting next school year, TribLive reports. The bill passed the Legislature this month with strong bipartisan support and includes exceptions for approved emergency and medical needs.

Some area districts already have rules in place. Penn Hills has collected phones at the start of the day since the 2022-23 school year, and Quaker Valley stopped allowing personal devices for K through 12 this year.

Read more @ TribLive

For nearly two centuries, the land we call Murrysville was Franklin Township, organized in the 1780s. Murrysville was the village that grew up around Jeremiah Murry, who arrived in 1785. Over the years the township gave up ground as neighbors incorporated, including Penn Township in 1855 and Export in 1911.

The big change came in the 1970s. Voters elected a nine member government study commission in November 1974, and the township became Franklin Borough in January 1976. That April, voters approved a home rule charter, and later in 1976 the name was changed to Murrysville. The charter took effect Jan. 1, 1978, creating today's Municipality of Murrysville with the same boundaries as Franklin Borough.

Want to see the town center as it looked around 1928? Walter S. Marts built a detailed model of it in 1979. After decades in storage, the Murrysville Historical Preservation Society refreshed it and put it back on display in 2025 at The Annex in Town Square, next to the Methodist Church. The society says you can view it anytime through the Annex window, so it's a free two minute stop for little history fans.

Learn more: History of Murrysville
Municipality of Murrysville timeline
The Marts Diorama