TribLive stories, Page 179
Laurels & lances: Convenience stores & school board wars
Laurel: To an unexpected appearance. Convenience stores are there to provide things you need quickly and easily. A tank of gas, a gallon of milk, an unexpected live rock concert. Wait, what? On Friday afternoon, alt-rock band All-American Rejects started teasing an appearance in Pittsburgh on TikTok. Sheetz jumped in...
Letter to the editor: Trump demands obedience
Even though Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives at first showed little interest in redistricting to gain five seats in the 2026 midterms, it seems all it took was one phone call from Donald Trump and, voilà, redistricting became the major focus of the...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Aug. 15-17
We may still be feeling the heat, but there’s a whisper of autumn in the air with back-to-school sales, Halloween decorations in stores and the return of football. But never fear, summer still has some good times to come. Here are a few events for the weekend. Westmoreland Fair Is...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 14, 2025
High schools Golf Thursday’s results Boys Wildcat Invitational At Latrobe Country Club Team scores: 1. Fox Chapel 374. 2. Latrobe 385. 3. Central Catholic 397. 4. Pine-Richland 400. 5. Franklin Regional 409. 6. McDowell 410. 7. North Catholic 416. 8. West Shamokin 467 Individual scores: 1. David DiGregory, Fox Chapel,...
Pirates farm report for Aug. 14, 2025: Termarr Johnson collects 4 hits in Altoona win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 68-48) outslugged Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees), 9-6. SS Tsung-Che Cheng (.224) went 4 for 5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. 2B Alika Williams (.263) went 3 for 5 with his fifth homer, two runs scored and two RBIs. RF Nick Yorke (.276) went 3 for 5...
NCAA to release findings from Michigan football sign-stealing investigation Friday
Michigan will finally learn its punishment from a NCAA investigation into an alleged illegal scouting/sign-stealing scheme. The NCAA formally notified all of the involved parties on Thursday morning that the findings will be publicly released on Friday, according to an NCAA email obtained by The Detroit News. The findings will...
RFK Jr. resurrects decades-old vaccine safety task force
The Department of Health and Human Services is resurrecting a decades-old vaccine safety task force, the agency announced Thursday. It’s a full-circle moment for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who claimed after the 2016 election that President Donald Trump had asked him to chair a “commission on vaccine safety...
Putin seeks arms control treaty as next stage after Trump summit
Russia and the U.S. can start work on a new arms control treaty after Friday’s summit in Alaska, said President Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump. An agreement on the control of strategic offensive weapons could “create long-term conditions of peace between our countries, in Europe, and...
PNC sues NYC entrepreneur, claims $27M loss in bad-checks scheme
PNC Bank on Thursday sued a New York tech-company founder, accusing him of defrauding it of $27 million in a check-kiting scheme that involved the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars. Dan Herbatschek, a mathematician who founded Ramsey Theory Capital, is named as the lead defendant in the lawsuit,...
Concerns arise over lawyer representing Washington County DA in death penalty feud
Two Pittsburgh lawyers involved in efforts before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to curb the Washington County district attorney’s use of the death penalty are questioning why his office is being represented in the matter by a private attorney who charges nearly $500 an hour. The defense lawyers for Devell Christian,...
Costco forgoes sale of abortion pill, emboldening religious groups
Costco Wholesale Corp. has decided not to dispense the abortion pill mifepristone at its more than 500 pharmacy locations, a decision hailed by a group of faith-based activists who urged the retailer to avoid selling the drug. Costco said in a statement that it hasn’t seen consumer demand for the...
Authorities identify 2nd person killed in Clairton Coke Works blast
A second Westmoreland County man was identified as the other victim who was killed Monday in an explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. Steven Menefee, 52, of the village of Tarrs in East Huntingdon, was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. at the scene of the blast, the Allegheny County...
Druta Bhatt: Black homeownership still unequal, even when you beat the odds
The American Dream has long promised that homeownership is the gateway to stability, security and wealth. But a newly released report from the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG), “Black Homeownership and Wealth Building in Allegheny County,” shows that promise is far from reality — especially for Black residents. After eight...
2025 WPIAL High School football preview
The quest for 2025 WPIAL and PIAA football championships is under way at stadiums across Western Pa. As teams hold preseason workouts at high schools around the region, TribLive writers and photographers are previewing the upcoming season. The Trib is compiling preview features for every team in the WPIAL and...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 15-17
It may still be hot out, but there’s something in the air that’s suggesting a whisper of fall. Maybe it’s all the back-to-school sales or the Halloween decorations all over stores. Or maybe it’s the football. Hold on to summer a little longer with these events this weekend. Little Italy...
2025 WPIAL high school football preview
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Latrobe man sues bar, driver over brother’s death in DUI crash
The brother of a motorcyclist killed in Jefferson Hills in March by an allegedly drunken driver is suing the motorist and the bar that served him that afternoon. John J. Wobrak, 69, of West Mifflin, was fatally struck in Jefferson Hills on March 14 — just three minutes after driver...
Former 5-star recruit J’ven Williams stays patient, awaits chance to make impact along Penn State offensive line
It’s become commonplace for five-star recruits to enter the transfer portal a year or two after signing with their original schools. Just take a look at the 2023 recruiting class. Eleven out of 247 Sports’ top 25 high school prospects in that cycle have transferred. Some players — star safety...
Salewa Ogunmefun: 60 years after the Voting Rights Act, voting rights under attack
This month we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the single most influential pieces of legislation in American history. The policy that finally, almost 200 years after our nation’s inception, brought us to the cusp of living up to our founding truth that...
Gallery: Photos from August 14, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Thursday, August 14, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Letter to the editor: Epstein matters
We know the game. MAGA says something outrageous — racist, sexist or whatever — and has a belly laugh when normal people take offense. Owning the libs, they say. Surely, this is what the writer of the letter “Who cares about Jeffrey Epstein” (Aug. 5, TribLive) was trying to do....
Letter to the editor: Attorneys are officers of the court
As a retired attorney, I feel the article “Botched bail hearing sparks memo to judges in wake of homicide” (Aug. 4, TribLive), although well written, overlooked a key concept; specifically, the concept that every attorney is an officer of the court. Being an officer of the court means that an...
Letter to the editor: Legal questions for those hiring immigrants
Reading the letter “Serving the poor, suffering and strangers” (Aug. 9, Triblive), I conclude that only Democrat Catholics — in that order — will gain admittance to the kingdom to come. The article “More than $100K raised to help 16 snared in ICE raids at Emiliano’s” (Aug. 8, TribLive) raises...
The Stroller, Aug. 14, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Community block party planned...
Debate over marijuana intensifies as medical anxiety certifications soar
As the medical marijuana industry in Pennsylvania continues to grow, one entrepreneur says the state is missing out on a major revenue boost by not legalizing recreational use. Ari Raptis, founder and CEO of Talaria Transportation LLC and National Secure Transport, anticipates his businesses in Pennsylvania would grow fivefold if...
