TribLive stories, Page 287
Quaker Valley School District considering eliminating admitting tuition students
Quaker Valley School District officials are considering terminating a policy that permits nonresident students to attend the district schools if they pay tuition. District communities include Sewickley, Sewickley Heights, Sewickley Hills, Leet, Leetsdale, Glen Osborne, Glenfield, Bell Acres, Edgeworth, Haysville and Aleppo. Assistant Superintendent Andrew Surloff said many Allegheny County...
Student news: A roundup of accolades from the North Allegheny communities
• The 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program has unveiled its finalists for the National Merit Scholarship Awards. All 17 students from North Allegheny who were named semifinalists in September qualified as finalists: Maxwell Fancher, Ashnavi Ghosh, Megumi Kawabe, Linda Kong, Haresh Muralidharan, Anwita Narra, Praneeth Otthi, Charles Palmer, Anushka Prabhu...
Gallery: Photos from Feb. 27, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Letter to the editor: With layoffs, why is Starbucks expanding?
I heard that Starbucks is laying off 1,100 employees. Here is a question for the CEO of Starbucks: Why are you laying off people when you just built and opened a new Starbucks in Lower Burrell and are building a new store in Leechburg? What, are you nuts? If you...
Quaker Valley High School to go bigger than ever with classic musical ‘My Fair Lady’
After last year’s very contemporary “The Addams Family,” Quaker Valley High School’s 2025 spring musical is going even bigger with a classic. From March 5-8, the school will produce “My Fairy Lady,” a surprisingly rare choice for high schools, according to director Austin Wolford. “It’s a very big show, but...
Shaggy with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra? More natural than you’d think
Yes, that Shaggy. Mr. Boombastic himself. The reggae musician of the 1990s and 2000s who advised anyone caught cheating red-handed to declare “it wasn’t me.” Probably the last musician you’d expect to get onstage in front of a whole symphony orchestra and perform for 90 minutes. Well, he did it....
Letter to the editor: Christians and Trump
“Away from me! I never knew you.” — Jesus. One thing we learned from this election is that America is certainly not a Christian nation. Christians know Jesus and hear his voice. They obey. Christians welcome the stranger, feed the poor, heal the sick, are meek, turn the other cheek,...
Editorial: Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow settlement filing is hard to swallow
Doing something audaciously bold is said to take gall. The saying comes from the word “gall,” referring to bile — in reality, secretions of the liver but generally any bitter, caustic, hard-to-swallow substance produced by the body. It “takes gall” to take some actions because, like swallowing bile, you have...
The Stroller, Feb. 27, 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. Coffee with a Cop...
Letter to the editor: Zoning in Hempfield
Regarding the article “Rural property owners concerned that housing developments will alter Hempfield lifestyle” (Feb. 15, TribLive): Westmoreland County, and in particular Hempfield Township, are growing faster than their infrastructure can keep up with. The Republican-led local politicians appear to not want to represent the people. I have been to...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 26, 2025
High schools Basketball WPIAL playoffs Boys Class 6A Finals Saturday’s schedule Upper. St. Clair (23-2) vs. New Castle (21-3) at Petersen Events Center, 5 p.m. Third place Wednesday’s results Central Catholic 68, Mt. Lebanon 60 Class 5A Finals Saturday’s schedule Chartiers Valley (22-3) vs. Peters Township (18-7) at Petersen Events...
High school roundup for Feb. 26, 2025: Knoch beats Deer Lakes to make states for 1st time since 2006
Jackson Bauman scored 21 points and No. 5 Knoch defeated No. 7 Deer Lakes, 56-42, in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball fifth-place game Wednesday night, claiming the district’s final spot in the PIAA field. Vinny DeFelice added 10 points for the Knights (19-7), who are making their first trip...
What you need to know about possible cuts to Medicaid
Nearly a quarter of Pennsylvanians are on Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that covers medical costs for poor people along with nursing home and personal care home expenses. If Republicans on Capitol Hill target Medicaid as they seek to slash federal spending by $2 trillion and enact $4.5 trillion in...
Excessive force lawsuit alleges Clairton police officer sicced K-9 on motorist
A Clairton man is suing his local police department, claiming he was mauled by a police dog after being pulled over for going through a stop sign last year. Te’mon Jackson, 19, filed the lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday against Officer Fred L. Hill Jr. alleging battery and the...
Police say man with cocaine in his system caused fatal Homestead crash
A man had cocaine in his system and was driving more than 100 miles an hour just before he caused a fatal crash in Homestead in July, police said Wednesday as they announced criminal charges. Jesus Luciano, 37, of the Homestead area was charged with homicide by vehicle and other...
Man fatally shot at Tube City Cafe in McKeesport
A man was fatally shot Wednesday morning in McKeesport. The victim was shot during an argument at the Tube City Cafe in the 900 block of 5th Avenue, according to Allegheny County Police. First responders answering a 911 call at 11:51 a.m. found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds. They...
Feds claim Allegheny County man had illegal guns, child porn, violent ideology
An Allegheny County man who authorities claim had numerous guns and espouses a “racially motivated, violent extremist ideology” is now facing a charge of possessing child pornography. Aidan Harding, 20, of Crescent, was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in U.S. District Court. Harding remains in custody following a Feb....
William Cooper: The American government’s people problem
The president of the United States should be competent, ethical and full of vigor. This is obvious given the demands of the job. Yet former President Joe Biden, who’s 82 years old, didn’t run for reelection over concerns about his mental facilities. And current president Donald Trump, himself 78, actively...
Westmoreland happenings: Burger bash, children’s night out, bingos, more
Children’s event • The Cook Township Community Center will host a Kids Night In for children age 5 to 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. March 7 at the center, 1714 Route 711. Cost: $5, includes cheese pizza, drink, games and a dance party. Parents may register their children and...
Drunken Penn State student assaulted EMT after being led away from State College bar, police say
A Penn State student was accused Sunday of assaulting an emergency medical technician shortly after being asked to leave downtown State College bar. Joseph A. Draper, 21, was arrested and charged with a felony count of aggravated assault, three misdemeanor counts of simple assault and summary counts of harassment and...
In brief: Edgeworth Elementary carnival, board vacancies and more in Sewickley area
Carnival for a Cure Quaker Valley School District’s Edgeworth Elementary School will host its annual Carnival for a Cure from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 27 at the gym, 200 Meadow Lane. The event is presented by the fifth grade with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. Go to qvsd.org/apps/events for more...
Veteran Pittsburgh boxer brings ‘Turf Wars’ Saturday night fight card to Coraopolis
Bill “Hutch” Hutchinson, 36, of Pittsburgh, started boxing at 13. He’s been a pro for 12 years with a record of 20-3-4, nine victories by knockout, and has been a part of world-class events in the city and the country. “I’m starting to catch my wind, and I’m starting to...
Tatsiana Kulakevich: Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet
The United States’ steadfast allegiance to Ukraine during that country’s three-year war against Russia appears to be quickly disintegrating under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump on Feb. 19, 2025, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator” and falsely blamed him for the war that Russia initiated as part of...
In brief: Purse bash, AAUW meeting and more in Fox Chapel area
Purse bash The sixth annual Wayne Fusaro Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Purse Bash is set for March 29. The event will take place from 5-8 p.m. (doors open at 4:15 p.m.) at the Comfort Inn, RIDC Park. Only 250 tickets will be sold at $40 each. For tickets and more...
Letter to the editor: Proud of Penn State and Thon
This past weekend I attended Thon, the 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon at Penn State that raises money for pediatric cancer. My grandson, a Highlands High School graduate, is a senior there and has worked for Thon throughout his college years. It is hard to describe Thon and its impact...

