TribLive stories, Page 242

The key for independents to gain a voice in American politics over and above influencing a race between a Democrat and a Republican is to find a way to be a player in Washington without creating a war with either of the two major parties, which are basically at war...

LOS ANGELES — Michael Cole, who starred as one-third of “The Mod Squad,” has died. He was 84. The actor played Pete Cochran in the hit ABC crime show that aired from 1968 to ‘73. Cole died Tuesday, his Atlanta-based talent agent Christy Clark confirmed to The Times. On the...

It’s not about whether it was a perfect investigation. It’s not about guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or determining who actually killed Kenzie Houk and her unborn baby on Feb. 20, 2009, inside a Lawrence County farmhouse. Instead, the attorney representing the Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday morning, all the...

Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024....

Christmas Events • Charter Oak Church, 100 S. Second St., Jeannette, will host a free open house and Christmas Family Fest from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at church. There will be music, refreshments, an outdoor firepit, games and prizes. Details: Cindy, 724-527-3639. • A free Lunch with Santa...

President Trump’s selections for his Cabinet and government agencies have been criticized. The left says those people don’t have enough government experience. That is exactly why he chose some of them. The federal government has become too dictatorial, corrupt and woke. It has forgotten that these people are public servants...

The 1983 film “A Christmas Story” is, at this point, a fun vehicle of double-nostalgia — for older generations, it sparks a genuine yen for its mid-20th century setting. For younger folks, it reminds us of Christmas Eves watching the film when we were younger. Either way, it’s a holiday...

On Jan. 6, 2025, patriotic Americans will gather to demand that Vice President Kamala Harris “do the right thing” by upholding the Constitution. Former President Trump once called on his “base” to “peacefully and patriotically” make their voices heard, and I urge every American to do the same, standing firm...

President Joe Biden is on the verge of blocking a proposed $14.9 billion sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel Co., according to reports from multiple outlets. Bloomberg and Reuters reported Tuesday evening the president plans to kill the deal because of national security concerns. A Financial Times story,...

A federal appeals court Friday upheld a controversial law banning the U.S. operations of TikTok — the popular video-based social networking app owned by Chinese company ByteDance — unless it finds a U.S. buyer. That gives the company six weeks to keep fighting before the ax falls. This impacts a...

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. Free advice available for...

Leading up to the election, the pro-choice candidates never wasted an opportunity to remind us that their opponents are against legal abortion. While most of the political ads on television focused on the terrible case of rape, which accounts for less than 2% of abortions, none of the ads mentioned...

High schools Basketball Boys Tuesday’s results Class 6A Section 2 Upper St. Clair 57, Norwin 42 Class 5A Section 1 Uniontown 68, Penn-Trafford 64 Nonsection Albert Gallatin 63, Ringgold 45 Aquinas Academy 83, Riverview 44 Armstrong 46, Greensburg Salem 32 Avella 55, West Greene 50 Avonworth 83, Shady Side Academy...

Max Butler scored 28 points and Latrobe rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to beat Mars, 83-77, in nonsection boys basketball Tuesday night. John Wetzel and Andy Tatsch each added 16 points and Ian DeCerb had 12 for the Wildcats (4-0). Austen Wrobolewski led the Fightin’ Planets (1-3) with 27...

The PA announcer introduced the Highlands High School boys basketball starters and coach Bill Flow, but he wasn’t there for Tuesday’s game at Hampton. Instead, basketball parent and former assistant Mike Foster coached a scaled-back roster that dressed only nine varsity players while the program faces an investigation into hazing...

The state trooper who interviewed Jordan Brown the morning his father’s pregnant fiancee was killed said it never even crossed her mind that the 11-year-old boy could have done it. But as that day — Feb. 20, 2009 — wore on, the most likely suspects were eliminated, now-retired Cpl. Janice...

The transfer portal officially opened Monday, starting a stretch of 20 days between Monday and Dec. 28 where players can enter the portal and find a new college program. The portal won’t open again until April 16 for 10 more days. Penn State has been quiet as far as departures...

Syrians are dancing in the streets of Damascus and other cities to celebrate the collapse of the hideous regime of Bashar al-Assad, the man responsible for an estimated 600,000 dead in a 13-year-long civil war — including tens of thousands viciously tortured to death in his dungeons. Those still alive...

For the sixth time since 2006-07, Pine-Richland Middle School has been redesignated in the Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch program. Named in memory of an Upper St. Clair educator who advocated on behalf of middle-level students, the program recognizes schools achieving academic excellence based on 37 factors established...

Tarentum’s newest electronic billboard was set into place Tuesday. Set atop a 70-foot pole, the two-sided display will be visible from the Tarentum Bridge. It is the third on the Tarentum end of the bridge, going up about a year after a similar sign on the other side of the...

Charles Shaughnessy — who’s found success acting in television series including “Days of Our Lives” and “The Nanny,” as well as in numerous roles in film and onstage — never thought he’d be much for musical theater. “When I was at drama school, I was voted least likely to ever...

You can learn something about a city by just walking through it. Most of New York City’s Manhattan core feels bustling, whereas a San Francisco block can seem dormant. In Rome, it is common to see groups of men standing around, chatting or arguing. We are all familiar with such...

All eyes were on two faithful and foundational local women in District Judge Ron Arnoni’s courtroom on Dec. 4 as Arnoni continued his annual tradition of honoring and recognizing deserving residents with his Outstanding Citizen of the Year Awards. Nominated by their peers, 2024’s honorees Diane Ford of Bethel Park...

LOS ANGELES — Five years ago, Laufey knew who she was. “Or at least I knew the many different people I was,” she says. “What I didn’t know was who I was as one person.” The daughter of an Icelandic father and a Chinese mother, Laufey grew up studying classical...

Rightfully highlighted by the Trib is a local superintendent’s efforts to keep her school district energy and cost efficient (“My school district has saved over a million dollars by going solar. With Solar for Schools, your district could be next,” Nov. 18, TribLive). The Carlisle Area School District manages to...