TribLive stories, Page 348
Latest electronic billboard goes up in Tarentum
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 returns to Pittsburgh for ‘A Musical Christmas Carol’
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...
Tyler Cowen: The sad decline of the public hangout
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...
Judge honors Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair outstanding citizens
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...
Laufey on jazz purists, Olivia Rodrigo and her new Hollywood Bowl concert movie
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...
Letter to the editor: Solar a smart move for schools
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...
Who is Luigi Mangione, suspect in fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson?
NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, the “strong person of interest” arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is a Maryland native who graduated at the top of his high school class and earned a master of science in engineering with a major in computer science...
Letter to the editor: Keeping Westmoreland County safe
It appears society has become more dangerous. I have witnessed the news media calling for women to arm themselves. My office has seen an increase in gun permits issued to females, and we often advise them to get training if a weapon is purchased. Due to the increase in liberal...
Pitt senior setter Rachel Fairbanks determined to end 4th NCAA Tournament with titleVideo
While she was being recruited by Pitt volleyball coach Dan Fisher four years ago, Rachel Fairbanks informed him she was able to jump and touch as high as 10 feet. Fisher admitted he was skeptical. Besides, he was recruiting the Los Angeles-area native to be a setter, not an outside...
Editorial: How should police respond to mental health calls?
On Jan. 7, Susan Shepherd called the police. Her son Christopher Shepherd, 48, was in the grip of a psychiatric crisis. He had a kitchen knife. He barricaded himself in his Upper St. Clair home. It wasn’t the first time. Christopher Shepherd was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder....
The Stroller, Dec. 10, 2024: 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. Rotary offers annual scholarships...
Letter to the editor: Democrats need a new direction
I am very confused. Will the DNC continue to walk away from rural America, thus our district, or will it open its eyes and look in the mirror? My bet is that nothing will change, and we will continue to lose elections by larger and larger numbers in our county...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 9, 2024
High schools Basketball Boys Monday’s results Nonsection Butler 80, Bishop Canevin 67 Charleroi 48, Beth-Center 46 Hopewell 69, Elwood City 60 Keystone Oaks 58, Chartiers-Houston 36 Peters Township 63, Seneca Valley 47 Riverside 59, Western Beaver 44 Springdale 70, Perry Traditional Academy 61 Steel Valley 62, Waynesburg 60 (OT) Summit...
High school roundup for Dec. 9, 2024: Peters Township girls get past Greensburg Central Catholic in OT
Natalie Wetzel scored 36 points to lead Peters Township (4-0) to a 61-55 overtime win over Greensburg Central Catholic in a matchup of WPIAL contenders in nonsection girls basketball Monday. Erica Gribble and Jayla Peterson scored 19 points apiece for the Centurions (2-2). Allderdice 73, Clairton 58 – Bailey White...
Rupert Murdoch loses his fight to change family trust
Rupert Murdoch lost his bid to change his family trust and hand sole control of his media empire to his eldest son. Edmund Gorman Jr., the Reno, Nevada, probate commissioner hearing the case, rendered a verdict on Saturday, The New York Times reported, citing a sealed document saying the elder...
Andy Kotelnicki hints at staying with Penn State despite head-coaching interviews
Penn State fans, and James Franklin, can take a deep breath. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki posted on social media Monday night to hint that he plans to stay with Penn State moving forward. “Beyond lucky to be a part of the Penn State Football Family,” he wrote on X. “Still...
Jordan Brown, arrested for murder at age 11, testifies for first time
Nearly 16 years after he was accused of killing the woman he thought of as his stepmother, Jordan Brown testified for the first time Monday, describing for a jury the events of Feb. 20, 2009. In appearance, only Brown’s clothes — a gray suit and tan, striped tie — and...
Coroner: Unity woman died of head, torso injuries after fall into sinkhole
Elizabeth Pollard died of head and torso injuries, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson, who released the 64-year-old Unity resident’s preliminary autopsy report Monday. Pollard was searching for her cat Dec. 2 behind Monday’s Union Restaurant in Unity when he ground gave way beneath her, and she fell straight...
Katie Holmes finally hits out at gossip about her, Tom Cruise and daughter Suri
“Enough,” Katie Holmes declared Sunday, in a rare, unprecedented response to yet another tabloid report about her, her daughter Suri, and Suri’s complicated relationship with her mega-star father, Tom Cruise. In an Instagram post, Holmes took issue with a Daily Mail report, which alleged that her 18-year-old daughter, Suri, has...
Apollo man says he pulled truck driver out of flaming vehicle at fatal New Kensington crash
Jonathan Dibler works repairing vehicles damaged in crashes or other mishaps. He’s not so well-versed when it comes to rescuing people from those crashes. But that’s what the 18-year-old employee at Caliber Collision in New Kensington did on his lunch break Monday. “It was instinct,” Dibler said. “It was an...
Athan Koutsiouroumbas: What can Pa. learn from California’s minimum wage proposition?
Confounding pundits and pollsters alike, Californians voted against increasing the minimum wage in November. Buried in the headlines of the 2024 presidential election, the shocking failure of a minimum wage hike in a blue state may epitomize the type of policymaking that Americans are choosing to reject. It likewise serves...
Bradford Woods Reserve lights up for holidays
The weather outside was far from frightful. In choosing Dec. 8 as the date for the annual Light Up Night at the Bradford Woods Reserve, organizers hit the mark with a mild day featuring temperatures comfortably in the high 40s, not bad for this time of year. So perhaps Santa...
Area filmmaker to premiere horror feature film at the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley
As part of its Emerging Filmmakers Showcase, The Lindsay Theater in Sewickley will premiere “House of Tears” — written and directed by Pittsburgh area writer and director Josh Poe — on Dec. 12. “House of Tears” was conceived by Poe, 25, of Bethel Park, as a nod to 1985 cult...
Sheldon H. Jacobson: Fired college football coaches are doing better than ever
As the end of the college football season approaches, many teams are beginning to eye which bowl they will be playing in. It also marks the time when coaches who have not met expectations are being fired. The list of fired coaches is already long and growing, likely to be...
‘A Very Yinzer Christmas’ brings Pittsburgh musicians to the Benedum Center
A who’s-who from the Pittsburgh music scene will gather together for a night of Christmas cheer on Monday night — all for a good cause. The third annual “A Very Yinzer Christmas” will be held at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh on Dec. 9. Now a new tradition among...
