Mary Pickels stories, Page 17
Nemacolin Woodland Resorts plans ‘extravaganza’
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is extending the Fourth of July celebration, with an “Americana Extravaganza” set for July 6 at the Farmington, Fayette County, site. Planned are carnival games, crafts and face-painting for kids of all ages. According to event planners, the 6 p.m.-midnight event will include more than 10 acts...
Connellsville woman TOPS queen in weight lossVideo
Losing more than 100 pounds is a laudable accomplishment. Keeping it off for a year is crown-worthy, according to TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). TOPS recently named Kim Leistner, 58, of Connellsville its 2018 Pennsylvania Queen. Leistner dropped 107.5 pounds over about two years, her scale sliding from...
‘Benevolent bash’ benefits Beverly’s Birthdays
Sweet treats and beverages will be on the menu when North Huntingdon nonprofit Beverly’s Birthdays teams up with Wigle Whiskey and Level 7 for a fundraising “Birthday Benevolence Bash.” The 5-8 p.m. June 21 event at Level 7 lounge at the AC Hotel Pittsburgh, 1126 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, will benefit...
Mount Vernon CEO will give Fort Ligonier lecture
Fort Ligonier will host a June 27 lecture by Douglas Bradburn, president and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, entitled “George Washington’s West: The Making of a Revolutionary Leader.” The evening will begin with a 5:30 p.m. reception, followed at 6:15 p.m. by the lecture and Q-and-A session. The program...
Kentuck Knob offering farm-to-table dinners
Kentuck Knob is offering three summer, al fresco dinners at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Chalk Hill, Fayette County. The dinner series includes an optional house tour and a multi-course farm-to-table meal, says MaryAnn Perkins, manager of operations. Dinners are sourced from local producers, and the meals are BYOB,...
Bluegrass, history, pollination on tap at Ligonier Country Market
Those attending Ligonier Country Market on June 15 will see previews of some coming area attractions. A sampling of the musicians who will perform at the 17th annual Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Festival the weekend of June 21-22 in nearby Waterford will be on hand to share festival information. In addition,...
WQED brings ‘Inquire Within’ to Scottdale LibraryVideo
WQED is bringing its “Inquire Within” program, in partnership with local libraries, to the Scottdale Public Library. The partnership empowers librarians to create innovative, imaginative programming using researched-based, parent-trusted content from PBS, according to the broadcast station. The library, at 106 Spring St., will kick off the June 17 program...
Historic Hanna’s Town hosts Frontier Court Days
Historic Hanna’s Town will hold its annual Frontier Court Days, inviting visitors to step back in time to when the Revolutionary War-era village served as Westmoreland County’s government seat. The village held the first English courts west of the Allegheny Mountains. Events will take place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June...
Ariana Grande fans cool with her nods to Mac Miller during Pittsburgh concertVideo
Ariana Grande performed for a sold-out crowd at the PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday, singing many of her hit songs. She’s dominated headlines in recent years after bouncing back onto stage after the terror attack in Manchester, England, in 2017, following her concert there. She also spent time in the...
Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Festival promises food, fun, musicVideo
The 17th annual Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Festival will feature a weekend of traditional music, food, fun and camping. A fundraiser for the Ligonier Township Volunteer Fire Department, Station 44, the festival will be held June 21-22 at the site along Route 271, Waterford, east of Ligonier. Local, regional and national...
Seven Springs brewing up inaugural state beer festival
Seven Springs Mountain Resort will present the inaugural Pennsylvania Beer Festival, featuring more than 50 breweries offering complimentary samples of more than 100 beers. The June 22-23 festival gives patrons the chance to sample craft beers from across the Keystone state, including, according to the resort, “elusive brews” one won’t...
Golden Retrievers gathering set in Ligonier
A celebration of Golden Retrievers in Ligonier, or “A Golden Gathering with Paws on Main,” will benefit Stahlstown’s Helping Hearts and Healing Tails Animal Rescue. The event from 4-6 p.m. June 23 will include contests, treats and a parade around Ligonier’s Diamond, says Angel Tunstall, who opened Paws on Main...
New Greensburg association hosts food, craft fest
The newly formed Greensburg Business & Professional Association will host an Ethnic Food Fest & Handmade Crafts event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 15 at the South Pennsylvania Avenue parking lot. Festival plans include flavorful foods from around the world at the inaugural event, celebrating the region’s rich ethnic diversity, says...
Appalachian Wagon Train marks half century of rides
An appreciation for life at 3 mph, an opportunity for children to play sans devices and reconnecting with friends who have become family all factor into participation in the annual Appalachian Wagon Train. This year’s trek will begin, as always, on Father’s Day. Up to 25 wagons and 150 people...
Soldiers & Sailors plans annual Cannon Ball gala
Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum Trust Inc. will hold its annual Cannon Ball fundraising gala on Nov. 9, and plans include naming the Allegheny Regional Asset District as its Friend and Patriot of the Year. The recognition honors RAD’s 25th anniversary, marking a quarter century of support for...
Hoist a glass, first Loyalhanna Brewfest on tap
Loyalhanna Watershed Association will host its inaugural Loyalhanna Brewfest at the Watershed Farm, 6 Old Lincoln Highway, Ligonier, from 5-8 p.m. June 22. The outdoor festival will feature local craft breweries, food vendors and live entertainment from State College band Velveeta. “As all nonprofits, we try to come up with...
Family shares memories of Flight 93 attendant
Family members of Lorraine Bay, one of five flight attendants aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, will speak at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Stoystown, Somerset County, this weekend. Ed Root and his daughter, Emily Schenkel, will participate in the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial’s...
New incentives help pregnant women stop smokingVideo
Pregnancy can be a strong incentive to stop smoking. Very few women are likely unaware of the dangers of smoking while pregnant and the potential harm to their developing babies. Along with obstetricians and pediatricians, organizations including the American Lung Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn...
Rivers Casino celebrates 10 years with Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli, crooner of love songs like “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and, with The Four Seasons, tunes including “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” still in classic radio rotation, will be part of Rivers Casino’s 10-year anniversary celebration. Valli will perform at the casino’s Event Center at...
WQED airs town hall on religious diversity
WQED will examine religious diversity and the American promise in “Our Compelling Interests.” The program will air at 8 p.m. June 13. The town hall format focuses on the importance of religious diversity. Organizers selected Pittsburgh as host city in part because of the October Tree of Life synagogue mass...
Crafts and fire truck highlight Ligonier Country Market
In addition to shopping for fruits, vegetables, baked goods and crafts, visitors to Saturday’s Ligonier Country Market can learn about Ligonier Volunteer Hose Company No. 1’s Tower 43. Tower 43 is one of the most recognized pieces of fire apparatus in the Ligonier Valley, market officials say. It was constructed...
National Doughnut Day is hole-y day of obligationVideo
It’s Friday, and it’s National Doughnut Day. Go ahead, start the weekend on a sweet note. The salute to the popular ring of pastry is held on the first Friday of each June, honoring the Salvation Army Lassies, the women who served doughnuts to soldiers during wartime. Some doughnut outlets...
Feathers Artist Market features Vietnam veteran’s work
Hempfield artist and Vietnam veteran Jack Otto will have his patriotic artwork featured at Feathers Artist Market in Irwin during the month of July. Owner Tracy Alaia featured Otto in her art gallery/gift shop last July as well. Otto’s pen-and-ink drawings bring to life units that served in the Vietnam...
Bushy Run speaker series highlights Jacobites
Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society Inc. will host “The Jacobites: History and Culture,” as the second in its 2019 History Speaks Series. The Thompson Highlanders, under the direction of Sara Jean and Paul Thompson, will present the program at 7 p.m. June 19. The audience will learn the history of...
Criss Angel brings bag of tricks to Rivers Casino showVideo
Known for leaving audiences gasping, scratching their heads, and wondering aloud, “How did he do that,” magician Criss Angel will bring “RAW – The Mindfreak Unplugged” to The Event Center at Rivers Casino on June 9. He promises to include the sleight of hand, mentalism and illusions that made him...

