Joyce Hanz stories, Page 12
West Leechburg native pens trilogy of books about his international aerospace career
Most jobs don’t result in your car being destroyed by debris from an exploding rocket. But for Daniel Kovalchik, formerly of Allegheny Township, Leechburg and West Leechburg, a workday in 1997 turned tragic at Cape Canaveral, Fla., when the launch of an unmanned Delta II rocket experienced a failure, sending...
Daycation: Visit the celebrated home of Punxsutawney PhilVideo
It’s not necessary to wait until February to take a rural rodent-themed road trip to Punxsutawney in Jefferson County to see the world’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. Avoid the wave of Groundhog Day’s 35,000-plus tourists that descend upon Punxsutawney every Feb. 2 with an off-season visit to the small-town...
Rogue BBQ opens in Homestead
Barbecue is back in Homestead. Rogue BBQ opened Wednesday at 601 Amity St. in the space of the former Blue Dust Gastropub across from The Waterfront. The full-service eatery is owned and operated by married couple Amanda and Zachary Steiner. They said there are really no good barbecue options in...
Etna community honors late Mayor Tom Rengers with formal proclamation
The late Etna Mayor Thomas J. Rengers may be gone, but Etna officials are making sure he’s not forgotten, by proclaiming July 29, 2024, as “Mayor Tom Rengers Day.” Rengers served as mayor since 2004 and died while in office last December after a prolonged illness with cancer. He was...
Inaugural Community Day event celebrates Lower Burrell
The inaugural Lower Burrell Community Day event was a hit with residents Saturday at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial Park. The event, from 1 p.m. to dusk, benefits the Lower Burrell City Parks. More than 45 vendors lined the shaded park as attendees enjoyed live music, food trucks, artisans, a...
Benedum estate listed for $2.9M near Ligonier
The Benedum family no longer has any heirs to carry on the family name, or to own and operate the family residence near Ligonier. Butterfly Farm, owned by the late philanthropist Paul G. Benedum, known by most as “Benny,” died from a heart attack while visiting Florida in May 2023....
Grace Life Church says it plans to purchase former DoubleTree in Monroeville
A former hotel may be transformed into a house of worship in Monroeville. The shuttered DoubleTree hotel near the mall in Monroeville abruptly closed on Feb. 28 on the heels of the news of the closure of the Monroeville Convention Center. The hotel has remained closed, and a video was...
New hair salon combines cocktails with luxury cuts in Aspinwall
A luxury family-friendly hair salon is now open in Aspinwall. Tonic Salon hosted a soft-opening celebration Sunday, July 21, at 339 First St., off Brilliant Avenue. The event drew a packed house, and guests enjoyed champagne and Italian spirits. “We do hair differently here. It’s the total experience, and we...
Western Pennsylvania female chefs find success in male-dominated industry
The old adage that says a woman’s place is in the kitchen doesn’t necessarily translate to the modern American chef world. In the U.S., out of the more than 147,400 chefs, only about 22% of chefs working in industrial kitchens are female, according to 2022 statistics from Datausa. Reasons for...
Buffalo Township man killed at Trump rally died while protecting his familyVideo
Flags across Pennsylvania will fly at half-staff to honor the Buffalo Township man killed Saturday when shots rang out at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler County. Corey Comperatore, who recently turned 50, was remembered by family members, friends and elected officials as a dedicated family man and...
Pittsburgh Zoo helps mammals stay cool during heatwave
Western Pennsylvanians are experiencing a sweltering hot summer. And so are most of the animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. But thanks to beat-the-heat animal enrichment items that include frozen ice treats, air-conditioned habitats, sprinklers and water pools, mammals at the zoo are managing to keep their cool despite...
$7 million estate offers old-world luxury in Fox Chapel
A European-inspired estate boasting an elevator and eight bathrooms in Fox Chapel is listed for $7 million. The provincial-designed country estate on three acres, located at 341 Fairview Road, sits atop a hill and overlooks 7½ acres of undeveloped land owned by the Fox Chapel Land Conservation Trust. “This estate...
Gray Paws director ‘still crying’ over news of large donation from 2024 Anthrocon
A small nonprofit dedicated to saving senior dogs has scored a mega-sized monetary donation, thanks to the generosity of thousands of Anthrocon attendees from the 2024 convention held last week at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Gray Paws Sanctuary co-founders and married couple Darla Poole-Brescia and Joe Brescia of...
Chef Toni Pais remembered as mentor, influential culinary force in Pittsburgh
Portugal native, global restaurateur and chef Antonio “Toni” Pais was a culinary leader and fixture in Pittsburgh for more than 40 years. Pais died July 7 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 69. “This was an extraordinary man and there’s not one person who could say anything unkind about...
Daycation Destination: Retired surgeon finds passion with world’s largest Cadillac MuseumVideo
A retired Brookville eye surgeon has one cool car collection — and it’s the world’s largest. Dr. Steve Greenberg owns more than 80 meticulously restored Cadillacs, and he displays the shiny, sleek and sexy models in three separate indoor areas on the grounds of what was formerly a Cadillac dealership...
Hydration key as furries unleashed on Pittsburgh for first day of 4-day Anthrocon
Thousands of anthropomorphics, nicknamed furries, endured sweltering temperatures Thursday to kick off the 2024 Pittsburgh Anthrocon at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The four-day convention running through Sunday is expected to be the largest to date, with more than 15,000 furries from around the globe enjoying activities that include...
Kiski Township supervisors formally accept ex-police chief’s resignation
Kiski Township supervisors have formally accepted the resignation of former police Chief Lee Bartolicius. Armstrong County Commissioner Anthony Shea confirmed Thursday to TribLive that township supervisors accepted Bartolicius’ resignation during a meeting Wednesday night. TribLive first reported on Bartolicius’ ousting June 21. Shea did not attend the meeting, but he...
Freeport man shares patriotism with annual reading of Declaration of Independence
Nick Triveri of Freeport wears his patriotism on his sleeve every Fourth of July. For the 14th year, the 71-year-old organized a reading of the Declaration of Independence at Riverside Park in Freeport. “I feel the Fourth of July is a whole lot more important than just shooting off fireworks...
Etna’s business boom: New brewery, shops, and community center revitalize borough
A new brewery opened in Etna earlier this year and co-owner Dominic Cincotta said he’s happy to operate in a welcoming business environment after years of shopping around for locations in and around Pittsburgh. “We always looked for a taproom around the city and it’s very hard — and expensive,”...
U.S. flag display etiquette — do’s and don’ts for the Fourth of July
With the Fourth of July fast approaching, an uptick in folks flying the U.S. flag is set to unfurl from coast to coast. However, some people may be unknowingly disrespecting Old Glory if they don’t know the proper way to display it. Vandergrift Veterans Honor Guard member Mike Reilly has...
Leechburg homeowner embraces a ‘no-mow’ lifestyle
A Leechburg man has found an eco-friendly solution to his aversion to pushing a lawn mower. “I hate mowing lawns,” said Danny Hilliard, a steel industry writer, international traveler and avid fisherman. Hilliard decided to implement a “no-mow” lifestyle three years ago with the purchase of a historic residence along...
Freeport specialty baker launching Rollin’ Along food truck
Freeport resident Lori Zarichnak wasn’t keen on any of the pumpkin rolls she ate while growing up in Western Pennsylvania, so she decided to do something about it. “I like to bake, and I used my degree in chemistry to come up with a pumpkin roll recipe that I would...
Market begins heating up for 2025 U.S. Open rental properties in and around Oakmont
A rental frenzy is underway in Oakmont and surrounding communities in anticipation of the 2025 U.S. Open Championship. Some homeowners already are looking to cash in, potentially raking in big bucks, by renting out their homes to golf fans, who will be flocking to the borough for the June 12...
Rare drop in summer gas prices doesn’t eliminate pain at the pump
Mary Ann Hoss paid a few cents less for gas this week as she fueled up for a road trip from Lower Burrell to her camp a few hours away. But that was due more to global circumstances than anything Hoss did. While the nation is experiencing a rare summertime...
Freeport woman celebrates $1 million lottery win while mourning husband’s deathVideo
Two weeks after Karen Coffman became a millionaire, her husband died. “When I told him about the prize, he thought I was lying to him,” Coffman said of Robert, her husband of 31 years. Robert Coffman died April 10 from complications of a brain tumor. His death made her million-dollar...
