In brief: Blawnox getting dog catcher, Christmas bird count and more
Blawnox dog catcher Blawnox council recently approved a new two-year contract starting in January with dog catcher Hoffman Kennels. The contract maintains the current costs of $125 per month and $120 per emergency call out. The business has served Blawnox for at least 10 years. ‘A Christmas Carol’ reading Sharpsburg...
Zoey Mundorff: Conformity culture destroys our personal identity
Our resumes promise perfection. Our “For You” pages guide us. Our ultra-connected generation drowns in a sea of unoriginality as we chase trends to fit in. We sacrifice genuine self-expression for digital status, searching for individuality in a conformed society. When I traveled to Italy last spring, I mapped the...
Faith-based entertainment sees a revival in Hollywood. Defining what it is can be a challenge
LOS ANGELES — At the movies this fall, Josh O’Connor plays a hot priest with a complicated past, Keanu Reeves is an angel who lost his wings, and Elizabeth Olsen has a romantic dilemma in the afterlife. Hollywood, it seems, has found God. But it’s not just starry big-budget Netflix...
‘Buck Rogers’ star Gil Gerard dies at 82
Actor Gil Gerard, best known for playing the title character in the popular TV series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” has died. He was 82. Gerard died on Tuesday of “a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer,” according to a Facebook post from his wife, Janet Gerard. “From...
Letter to the editor: Trump must be removed
Questions are arising about President Trump and his administration’s competency due to several missteps: • His tax cut gift to corporations and the wealthy is squeezing the middle class and worsening economic inequality. • His trade war is a disaster, leading to higher inflation and economic hardship, especially for farmers...
The Stroller, Dec. 17, 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 Hope Project to...
Girl group Danity Kane bare their souls amid poppy hit songs at Jergel’s
For many of us in our 30s and 40s, you need to say no more than “this pop group was formed on a 2000s MTV reality show” and we’re there. That would explain the sold-out crowd Tuesday night at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale. Unfortunately, sometimes nostalgia has a darker...
Caregivers in Pa. are celebrating a rare pay boost, but long-term funding issues linger
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Public funding for child care, home services for older adults, and disability support will increase under Pennsylvania’s...
Editorial: Grand juries work but require restraint
More than 30 years ago, an investigating grand jury last sat to hear and deliberate evidence in Westmoreland County. That was in the 1980s when prosecutors were exploring allegations of law enforcement misconduct in North Huntingdon. After careful review, the grand jury recommended charges against the police chief and others...
Letter to the editor: Choosing to believe the Christmas story
In response to the cynical views expressed in the letter “The real Christmas story” (Dec. 3, TribLive): Even if some of the opinions could be proven fact, his conclusion discarding belief does not necessarily follow. An unusual conjunction of planets did shine with amazing brightness in the East, a phenomenon...
John Dorfman: 5 flattened stocks — Biggest losers of 2025
Every December, I scrutinize the biggest losers in the stock market year-to-date. My thought is there might be gold in the rubble. In 2025, here are the five worst performers (through Dec. 12) among all U.S. stocks with a market value of at least $5 billion. • Trade Desk Inc....
JD Vance touts Trump record on economy during Lehigh Valley visit amid voter concerns
Vice President JD Vance touted the Trump administration’s economic record Tuesday at an address in the Lehigh Valley, highlighting jobs and inflation numbers, even as polls suggest a majority of Americans remain unsatisfied with the state of the U.S. economy. Vance, speaking before a crowd of hundreds at the Uline...
Trump plans prime-time address Wednesday but gives no hints on topic
President Donald Trump said he will deliver a prime-time speech from the White House on Wednesday night but gave no details on what the topic will be. “My fellow Americans: I will be giving an address to the nation tomorrow night,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “I look...
Riverhounds have road-heavy start to 2026 schedule
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s USL championship title defense will begin on the road and stay there for a few weeks. The Hounds will open the season at Charleston on March 7 and will follow with road games at Loudoun on March 14 and Tampa Bay on March 21 to kick off...
Peter Roff: How to save the post office
The more things change at the U.S. Postal Service, the more they stay the same, unfortunately. The volume of mail moving through the system continues to drop, yet the size of the workforce, thanks to a bad decision by former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to add full-time employees, has ballooned....
Marjorie Taylor Greene and Brian Glenn are getting married
NEW YORK — Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is engaged to Right Side Broadcasting Network personality Brian Glenn. The pair announced their impending nuptials on social media with a photo showing the two enjoying dinner at a restaurant where the right-wing lawmaker showed off her new ring. “She said ‘yes,’”...
Man who torched Gov. Shapiro’s residence sentenced for assaulting ex-wife, stepkids
The arsonist who threw two incendiary devices into the Governor’s Residence in April, saying he wanted to kill Gov. Josh Shapiro, has received a second sentence Tuesday on charges related to a 2023 domestic violence incident. Cody Balmer, 38, of Penbrook pleaded guilty to three counts of simple assault in...
Fox Chapel Area School Board reorganizes
Fox Chapel Area School Board retained its president and vice president as well as welcomed incumbents to their new terms at a reorganization meeting on Dec. 2. Marybeth Dadd was re-elected president. Ronald P. Frank was re-elected vice president. Vanessa K. Lynch was re-elected assistant secretary. Both Dadd and Frank...
Gallery: Photos from Dec. 16, 2025
From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to distant corners of the globe, TribLive’s Photo Adventure captures the world in motion — one frame at a time. Through the lenses of photographers near and far, these images tell stories of place, connection, and the beauty found in everyday life. It’s...
Matt Shorraw: Pa. must protect workers from extreme heat
Think about the last time the temperature approached 90 degrees, with oppressive humidity. Now imagine working under those conditions all day — maybe in a warehouse, on a farm, on a roof, inside a sweltering kitchen or factory, or delivering goods. Across Pennsylvania, many essential workers do this every summer,...
As ICE intensifies Minnesota surge, Republicans see Trump delivering on immigration promise
MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota has driven outrage among the state’s top Democratic officials, broad concern among progressive residents, and protests by activists and groups left unsettled as federal agents delve deeper into the state’s communities. For many Minnesota conservatives, it’s a chance to cheer on...
Letter to the editor: Lest we forget — honor all who serve
The anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge is this week. I attended the Greensburg Veterans of Foreign Wars ceremony honoring not just those brave men and women but all who serve, especially combat veterans. I wrote this for them. “In the company of warriors Honoring the...
Powerball jackpot soars to estimated $1.25 billion — 6th largest in game’s history
Powerball’s top prize soared to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one won the jackpot in Monday’s drawing. That’s the sixth-largest jackpot in the game’s history, and the second largest in 2025. Monday’s winning numbers were 23, 35, 59, 63, 68 and 2 on the Powerball. The lottery said ticket...
Letter to the editor: What’s the final line for Trump to cross?
Is there a line that President Trump supporters have that finally wakes them up to the abject cruelty and the numerous lies of this administration? Let’s start with the killing of the two survivors of the missile strike on their boat. First, when did we declare war on Venezuela? Second,...
The Stroller, Dec. 16, 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 dine-in dinner set...
