High school roundup for Dec. 20, 2025: Oakland Catholic wins battle of WPIAL title contenders
Savanna Daye connected for 21 points to lead Class 4A No. 2 Oakland Catholic to a 60-41 victory over Class 3A No. 1 Shady Side Academy in a matchup of WPIAL title contenders at the PBC Hall of Fame Classic at Ambridge on Saturday. Josie Fontana followed with 19 points...
Hempfield Area hosts 36 high school cheer teams in regional competition
The 2025 WPIAL Competitive Spirit Championships were held Saturday at Hempfield Area High School. A total of 36 schools (21 from Class 3A, 13 from Class 2A) competed in five categories, Class 2A Small Varsity, Class 2A Large Varsity, Class 3A Small Varsity, Class 3A Large Varsity, Co-Ed Varsity. Overall...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Luca Butera and Torrie Destefano
Luca Butera School: Norwin Class: Senior Sport: Wrestling Claim to fame: Butera won his first tournament Dec. 13 at Penn Manor in Millersville, and he and junior Landon Sidun led the Knights to a team title. He is 12-1 this season and 53-52 in his career. He has six pins...
Sheldon Jacobson: The perfect gift may be the most difficult to give
The holiday season is here, and many are still searching for the perfect gifts for those special people in their lives. It may be a child or grandchild who means much to you, a friend who has been there for you during difficult times or a spouse who has the...
Point: Is Trump derangement syndrome real?
The term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is often used by supporters of President Donald Trump to discredit virtually any criticism of him. It is a convenient slur because it allows someone to sidestep the actual criticism of Trump by suggesting the person making the criticism is mentally flawed. In fact, a...
Counterpoint: It’s real, and it’s spectacular
So there’s a scene in one of the old ”Star Trek” movies in which James Kirk is trying to persuade the bad guy to beam Spock onto his ship. When the bad guy refuses, Kirk asks why.” Because you wish it!” he replies. Message: Opposing something reasonable simply to show...
Letter to the editor: What right does administration have to kill without evidence?
What right does this current administration have to bomb boats off the coast of Venezuela without positive identification that they were indeed carrying drugs? In my opinion, they committed murder. It’s as if someone walks along the street and another person “thinks” they are a drug pusher and kills that...
Letter to the editor: Saving the post office
Regarding Peter Roff’s op-ed “How to save the post office” (Dec. 16, TribLive): Postal workers and mail carriers are forced to handle far too many charitable/junk items/realtor mailings. Implement the following: 1. Limit how many bulk/junk mail items one organization can pump into the system in a month. The constant...
Editorial: Religious freedom doesn’t stop at the jailhouse door
In Westmoreland County Prison, the freedom to worship is treated less as a right than a whim. On multiple occasions, prayer or Bible study gatherings have been disrupted by corrections officers. Tim Williamson of Jeannette spent about a month at the prison related to a misdemeanor arrest. He says he...
The Stroller, Dec. 20, 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. Free food pantry available...
Christmas events, services, concerts and more at Sewickley area churches
Antioch Baptist Church 332 Elizabeth St., Sewickley. 412-741-7688. antiochfwbaptist sewickley.org. Morning worship and praise service is at 10:45 a.m. First Sunday Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m. Beth Samuel Jewish Center 810 Kennedy Drive, Ambridge. 412-266-5238. bethsamuel.org. Beth Samuel Jewish Center offers weekly Shabbat services, monthly family and Zoom Kabbalat...
Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy students decorate UPMC St. Margaret
St. Margaret Foundation welcomed students from the third and fourth grade classes of Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy on Dec. 3 to help spread holiday cheer. The students decorated the Christmas tree in the hospital’s lobby with handmade ornaments. “The sad truth is that there will be many patients...
Letter to the editor: New facilities will make life better for jail officers
Some of the correctional officers at the Allegheny County Jail work 16-hour double shifts for four to five days in a row. Here is what two officers said about this tortuous work schedule in a 2025 correctional officer survey: “I can’t speak with my family for 16 hours a day,...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 19, 2025
High schools Basketball Boys Friday’s schedule Class 6A Section 1 North Hills 58, Seneca Valley 56 Woodland Hills 61, Fox Chapel 48 Section 2 Central Catholic 61, Hempfield 20 Imani Christian 66, Connellsville 57 Mt. Lebanon 50, Canon-McMillan 43 Class 5A Section 1 Franklin Regional 56, Gateway 54 Laurel Highlands...
High school roundup for Dec. 19, 2025: Nathan Schanbacher drops 33 in North Hills win
Nathan Schanbacher poured in 33 points to lead North Hills to a 58-56 victory over Seneca Valley in Section 1-6A boys basketball Friday night. Jackson Long chipped in 11 for North Hills (4-3, 1-2). Andrew Omasits scored 21 points and Nico Santapau had 12 for the Raiders (3-3, 1-2). Aliquippa...
Holy Family Parish offering free brunch on Christmas
Holy Family Parish is trying to make sure nobody in the community is alone on Christmas this year. The parish churches in Oakmont, Penn Hills, Plum and Verona will be offering a free Christmas Brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Christmas Day at two parish locations: • St....
Federal prison guard admits he raped Pa. inmate while she was on suicide watch
When a person incarcerated at the federal detention center in Philadelphia is placed on suicide watch, they are assigned to the “dry cells” in the special housing unit to be monitored by guards. It’s a system designed to keep vulnerable people safe from themselves. But for a 35-year-old woman, the...
Justice Department faces deadline day on Epstein files law
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department faces a Friday deadline to release investigative materials on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an inflection point in a controversy with deep intrigue and potential political ramifications for President Donald Trump. Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation last month that orders the Justice Department to publish...
Dave Anderson: Democrats and Republicans should each support some independents
The Democratic Party sent a strong message to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the 2025 elections, but ironically one part of their overall strategy forward should be to support Independents in House and Senate races where the chances of victory for a Democratic candidate are low. Double...
Pittsburgh Riverhounds name Rob Vincent as head coach
Rob Vincent stepped in as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ acting head coach with two months remaining in the 2025 season. After leading the club to the USL Championship title, he will maintain the role of head coach for the upcoming 2026 campaign. The Riverhounds announced Friday that Vincent has been named...
Pittsburgh media personality Guy Junker turned love of sports into a winning career
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Pittsburgh sports have changed a lot over the past 45 years, but one thing has managed to stay the same: Guy Junker....
Letter to the editor: When will Adelphoi take responsibility?
Last year, I sent a letter to the Trib, “Adelphoi should take reponsibility for escapees” (Sept. 21, 2024, TribLive). Once again, Adelphoi has allowed a criminal juvenile (with a history of car theft) to escape and steal another car in Latrobe on Dec. 11. The state police had to chase...
Letter to the editor: It’s not deranged to expect character from our president
As the United States faced several tragedies this past weekend, our president, instead of consoling a grieving nation, noted that one of the victims possessed “a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” If an American citizen laments the lack of decency and character in their president, does that...
Trisha Yearwood melds country and Christmas spirit with PSO at Heinz Hall
We’re on the one-week countdown to Christmas, and yet, it can still be a struggle to get into the holiday spirit for some. Clearly, country superstar Trisha Yearwood sensed the need for a boost in all things merry and bright — with her “Christmastime with Trisha Yearwood: 12 Days of...
The Stroller, Dec. 19, 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. Blue Christmas service planned...
