TribLive stories, Page 73
U.S. Steel fined $118K for safety lapses in Clairton Coke Works fatal explosion
U.S. Steel is facing 10 violations and $118,000 in fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration related to last year’s deadly explosion at the Clairton Coke Works. The Pittsburgh-based company was cited nine times for inadequate safety procedures, employee training and equipment to isolate machines from energy sources. The...
Sewickley area real estate transactions for the week of Feb. 15, 2026
Aleppo Luther Stevens Jr. sold property at 601 Timber Lane to Joseph Hadock Jr. and Maria Hadock for $472,500. Lisa Ziegler Esdt sold property at 114 Woodcrest Drive to Michael and Kristen Hess for $135,000. Bell Acres Estate of Edward Clayton Kemena sold property at 116 Lewis St. to Trenton...
After deadly explosion, safety and environmental lapses at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works now rest with NipponVideo
For Don Furko, Aug. 11, 2025, was a normal shift. Until it became the shift he would never forget. At 10:47 a.m., U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works outside Pittsburgh — a sprawling riverside industrial facility and the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere — erupted in an ear-piercing...
Letter to the editor: Why were protesters there, in Minnesota?
A loss of life at any time is tragic. What happened in Minnesota, a loss of two lives, is unthinkable. Watching this unfold on television brought to mind that although they have a right to “peaceably” assemble, the question remains, why were “they” there? Sonia Porco New Kensington...
Letter to the editor: In praise of Super Bowl commercials
Super Bowl season is always a fun time of the year, and not just for football fans. The very talented people who make the incredibly entertaining commercials outdo themselves every year. My favorite hands down is for our Pennsylvania Lottery featuring Gus (the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania.) on...
Letter to the editor: Is Trump trying to rig midterms?
I hope you remember that President Trump, in his flurry of efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, attempted to disenfranchise the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania “because some counties contacted and permitted voters to fix mistakes with their mail-in ballot declarations while others did not.” Fortunately, Judge Matthew...
Pa. schools must teach cursive writing under bill signed by ShapiroVideo
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Wednesday signed a bill that will require a cursive handwriting curriculum in all Pennsylvania public schools. “I’m definitely rusty, but I think my penmanship was OK!” Shapiro said in his Wednesday announcement. The bipartisan legislation, House Bill 17, was sponsored by Rep. Dane Watro (R-Luzerne and...
Matt Campbell on D’Anton Lynn’s fit as Penn State’s defensive coordinator: ‘I think we see the game very similarly’
Former Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock’s decision to retire after more than 40 seasons in college created an opportunity for D’Anton Lynn to head east and join his alma mater. A skilled defensive back who spent four years with Penn State (2008-11), Lynn retooled the UCLA and USC defenses...
Editorial: Adding up the state’s structural deficit versus rainy day fund math
Debt and savings are different columns in the same ledger. Any business can tell you that. So can anyone working on their taxes right now. Like blood circulating in the body, the amount of money in and out of any operation is always in flux. Pennsylvania’s numbers show just how...
The Stroller, Feb. 12, 2026: 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. Bingo to raise funds...
Westmoreland happenings: Pancake and sausage dinner, art reception, bingo night, more
Art A closing reception in memory of artist Tony Naponic and a display of some of his paintings will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at You Are Here Gallery, 406 Clay Ave., Jeannette. A native of Adamsburg, Naponic died in 2003. Details: yah406clay@gmail.com. Fundraisers • A bingo...
Letter to the editor: Support for drug overdose survivors
The Westmoreland County LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team has added a DOSS (Drug Overdose Survivor Support) Team. The LOSS Team began responding to suicides in June 2023. Hundreds of families have been impacted by our efforts. We are hoping to expand our reach with the DOSS Team. LOSS/DOSS...
From Sewickley to Slovakia: Esmark sponsors new international ice hockey team
All eyes may be on Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but an interesting ice hockey alliance has formed in recent weeks between Sewickley and Slovakia. These worlds collided when Jim Bouchard, founder and chairman of Esmark Inc., took a call last year from his family’s former nanny, Miriam Marhevska....
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 11, 2026
High schools Basketball Boys WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Monday’s schedule First round Norwin (11-11) at Fox Chapel (13-9), 7 p.m.; Pine-Richland (11-11) at Mt. Lebanon (14-8), 7:30 p.m.; Imani Christian (6-16) at North Hills (15-7), 7 p.m. Quarterfinals Thursday, Feb. 19 Norwin/Fox Chapel winner vs. Upper St. Clair (21-1), TBA;...
Gallup ending presidential approval ratings as Trump’s sinks below 40%
Gallup has scrapped its presidential approval tracking polls for good just as President Donald Trump hits rock bottom in its numbers. The venerable public opinion firm announced Wednesday that it would no longer publish any approval or favorability ratings of any political figures, but suggested the decision has nothing to...
Bud Cort, star of ‘Harold and Maude’ and ‘Brewster McCloud,’ dies at 77
LOS ANGELES — Bud Cort, whose performance as a troubled young man who finds unexpected love with a 79-year-old free spirit in “Harold and Maude” helped turn the 1971 film into an enduring cult classic, died Wednesday morning in Norwalk, Connecticut, after a long illness. He was 77. His death...
Plum bowling repeats as WPIBL boys team champion
In the first game of the stepladder semifinals of the WPIBL boys team championships Wednesday at AMF Mt. Lebanon, Plum struggled. It most definitely was not a sign of things to come. Plum bounced back from a one-game blip, won the next four games and repeated as WPIBL boys team...
Florida state official acknowledges opioid money funded anti-weed campaign
For the first time on Wednesday, the DeSantis administration acknowledged that it used opioid settlement money to campaign against a recreational marijuana amendment on the 2024 ballot. Shevaun Harris, the secretary for Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, made the admission during an appearance before a Senate committee as part...
Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna won’t face school suspension after assault charges
Penn State men’s hockey star Gavin McKenna will not face a university suspension and is in line to play this weekend at No. 2 Michigan, coach Guy Gadowsky confirmed Wednesday. McKenna is charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct after he allegedly punched a 21-year-old male, resulting in a...
U.S. adds 130,000 jobs and unemployment falls after tepid 2025Video
U.S. payrolls rose in January by the most in more than a year and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell, suggesting the labor market continued to stabilize at the start of 2026. Employers added 130,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate declined to 4.3%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics...
Mark Gongloff: Extreme cold is a billion-dollar problem, too
If you’re a climate-change denier in the eastern U.S., including the president, then the past few weeks have been a dream. It’s cold and snowy where I live, you might say, colder and snowier than in years. Therefore, climate change is a hoax, just as I’m always saying. Would I...
Jason Lias: 5 Democrats, 2 Republicans — is Pa. Gaming Control Board playing loose with the rules?
Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board is supposed to watch over the state’s $14 billion gambling industry. Think of it like the casino eye in the sky — constantly watching, making sure everyone plays fair and catching cheats before they slip by. But right now, the board itself looks like it’s bending...
Shapiro, neighbors trade lawsuits over ‘disputed area’ at governor’s private Montgomery County home
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 — For the past six months, Gov. Josh Shapiro has been entangled in an intense but largely behind-the-scenes...
Sheldon Jacobson: Lessons learned from the Olympics — we must be on the same team
The 232 athletes on the U.S. Winter Olympics team are supported by the entire nation. Watching family, friends and supporters waving American flags and applauding world-class performances makes all of us feel united. Yet watching how Congress is dealing with the final appropriation bill for the Department of Homeland Security...
Gallery: Near or far, the world in focus on Feb. 11, 2026
The world is always moving — and TribLive’s gallery is there to catch it. From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, photographers near and far capture moments of place, connection and the quiet beauty of everyday life. More than a snapshot of Western Pennsylvania,...
