TribLive stories, Page 1702
Westmoreland’s Torrance psychiatric hospital can’t recruit enough workers, jeopardizing funding
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — A state-run psychiatric hospital with a long history of struggling to employ enough workers is now so short-staffed that...
Unfiltered: Tim Benz and Mark Madden react to Steelers loss to BillsVideo
Tim Benz and Mark Madden return for this week’s edition of “Unfiltered” on TribLive’s Facebook page to talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Buffalo Bills. Benz and Madden discuss, or rather react, to the Steelers latest loss — this time 25-16 to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night....
‘Wonder Woman 1984’ hopes to lasso a little holiday joyVideo
Patty Jenkins wasn’t even finished making ” Wonder Woman ” when she started dreaming up a sequel for her and star Gal Gadot. The first film had the weight of both female-fronted superhero films and female-directed blockbusters on its shoulders and had yet to prove the skeptics wrong. But Jenkins...
Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth selected for Big Ten’s Kwalick-Clark award
Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth was selected as winner of the Big Ten Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year. Appearing in four games this season, Freiermuth had 23 receptions, 310 receiving yards and a touchdown. He has not played since Nov. 14 because of an undisclosed injury. The award is named...
Lawsuits contend Gov. Wolf has no authority to issue new restrictions
A Butler County attorney who previously won a federal lawsuit against the Wolf administration over the spring covid-19 shutdown orders filed two new suits over the governor’s most recent orders. The lawsuits — one filed by the Butler Area School District and the other by two indoor water parks —...
‘The Pavilion at Star Lake’ concert venue in Burgettstown goes back in time
The name has been changed several times, but some people have always called it by its first name. And now they can again. Tribune-Review News Partner WPXI-TV reported that the concert space in Burgettstown is returning to its roots. The venue’s Facebook page said it is now being called “The...
Cindy Adams Dunn and Stephanie Wein: Celebrating conservation win in year of loss
It seems like more than ever, we’re barraged by a news cycle that’s filled with depressing stories about all the things going wrong in the world, from the divisiveness of the election to extreme weather and destruction, and of course, the pandemic. But there’s some good news that has quietly...
Moderna vaccine found safe, effective ahead of key FDA review
Moderna Inc.’s vaccine is safe and effective for preventing covid-19, U.S. regulators said, clearing the way for a second shot to quickly gain emergency authorization and add to the country’s sprawling immunization effort. The Food and Drug Administration’s staff said in a report on Tuesday that the experimental vaccine is...
Letter to the editor: McConnell started it
Regarding Ron Maxson’s letter “Liberals deserve what they gave Trump for four years” (Dec. 9, TribLIVE): Mr. Maxson, your memory is a little short. Or you refuse to recognize that good ol’ Mitch started this whole pile of crap when he didn’t work with President Obama. Leonard Mucci Derry Township...
Where do you fit in line for the coronavirus vaccine?
Health care workers on the frontlines battling the coronavirus are getting the covid-19 vaccine first. So will first responders, teachers, other “essential” workers and adults with covid health risks. But, if you aren’t one of those, where do you fit in line? The New York Times developed a tool in...
Winter storm could bring up to 9 inches of snow; PennDOT, Turnpike Commission enact restrictions
Ahead of the major snow storm expected to dump as much as 9 inches across the region today, PennDOT is advising motorists to avoid unnecessary travel. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission enacted restrictions that begin at 1 p.m. on several portions of the toll road, as well as other highways that...
Living with Children: Tantrums and bribes
Question: Our 14-year-old daughter desperately wants to begin wearing makeup, which all, and I mean all, of her classmates are allowed to do. We have held off not only because of our beliefs but also because of her immaturity. Up until recently, for example, she has continued to throw magnificent...
Letter to the editor: Pa. representatives’ participation in lawsuit is shameful
I find it unbelievable that a small group of Pennsylvania state representatives decided to join in the Texas-led lawsuit (thrown out, thank goodness) to invalidate the Electoral College votes of four states, including Pennsylvania. This same group of lawmakers voted for Act 77 in October 2019. This was the bill...
Coroner: Washington County driver killed in collision with garbage truck
A man from Bulger in Washington County was killed when his vehicle collided with a garbage truck Tuesday morning, according to Washington County Coroner S. Timothy Warco. Thomas Joseph Hammond, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene on Route 980 in Robinson Township. Warco on Tuesday had yet to rule...
Letter to the editor: Steelers and Republicans both looking ahead
How do Pittsburgh Steelers fans feel about the methods the Patriots used to get to and win their Super Bowls? The same way Republicans feel about how Joe Biden won the presidency. Can you at least relate? The NFL will not take away the Lombardi trophies from New England, but...
Teen shot and killed in Penn Hills
A teenage boy was shot to death early Tuesday in Penn Hills, according to Allegheny County police. Officials identified the victim as 15-year-old Jafar Brooks of Churchill. Officers responded to a call at just about 12:45 a.m. in the 1900 block of Garden Drive and found the teen with gunshot...
Editorial: Do what’s best and take the covid-19 vaccine
On Monday, the first health care workers rolled up their sleeves and accepted a shot in the arm of the Pfizer/BioNTech cocktail that offers hope against the coronavirus pandemic. In Pittsburgh, five front-line UPMC employees, including a critical care nurse and a patient transporter, had their injections livestreamed. This is...
Letter to the editor: Covid lockdowns preview of what’s to come
As a lifelong business person with international experience, it is my opinion that people need to understand that the covid-19 lockdowns being imposed, mostly in Democrat-controlled states and cities, are a preview of the kind of society America will become under national Democratic governance. The history of every country taken...
Letter to the editor: Now is time to legalize marijuana
The editorial “Pa. should take it slow on legalizing marijuana” (Dec. 6, TribLIVE) told us that cannabis legalization ought to wait for more studies. Interestingly, most cannabis studies focus on uncovering detrimental effects of cannabis rather than potential benefits. Coinciding with state-based recreational cannabis legalization, the United States has seen...
The Stroller, Dec. 15, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Grab-and-go dinners to be passed out at Knead Community Cafe Knead Community Café in New Kensington will hand out free grab-and-go dinners...
Assault, DUIs, drug charges among those handled recently by South Park, Brentwood judges
District court judges South Park and Brentwood handled these criminal cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in district court or Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Michael W. Thatcher, South Park • Eric Lee Bowles, 35, of Buena Vista on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment...
Charges recently filed in Scott, Carnegie district courts
District court judges in Scott and Carnegie handled these criminal cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in appropriate district courts or the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Jack R. Kobistek, Carnegie • Steven H. Whitmore, 45, of Pittsburgh on charges of simple assault, recklessly endangering another...
John Dorfman: Can the Bunny come roaring back?
Perhaps you’ve seen the Energizer Bunny in a battery commercial. It is “still going” long after you’d expect it to fade. That bunny is the namesake for my Bunny Portfolio, a hypothetical stock portfolio I created in 1999. These are stocks that have shown rapid earnings growth (25% or better)...
Restaurant owner sues Braddock mayor, claims defamation
Braddock Mayor Chardaé Jones admits she had the borough police check on the capacity at Portogallo Peppers N’At during the pandemic to ensure they weren’t exceeding the governor’s orders. Also, she said, she forwarded to the county health department a Facebook ad Portogallo’s posted in which they said they would...
Covid quarantines in Allegheny County jail raise nutrition, staffing concerns
In the video, an inmate at the Allegheny County Jail holds up his dinner tray and describes his meal. “This is bologna with applesauce in it and Teddy Grahams,” he says. “That’s the only thing that’s on our tray for dinner tonight. No juice, no vegetables, no fruit, no nothing.”...

