TribLive stories, Page 793

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has surged to a lead among California Republicans over former President Donald Trump for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination, a poll released Friday found. About 37% of GOP voters backed DeSantis, while 29% preferred Trump, according to the new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll...

Millions of workers are still missing from the U.S. labor force three years after covid-19 surfaced, and economists are scratching their heads as to how big the gap actually is and where all these people went. One estimate found at least 2.1 million who retired earlier then expected. Another calculated...

Enough is enough. It should have been, when it first happened, one time. But here we are again. Another innocent Black man, Tyre Nichols, brutally and viciously beaten to death, seemingly just because the police officers wanted to. “Just talking” has to end now. Black people have not gotten their...

A comparison of tax levels of the 50 states shows residents in Pennsylvania still pay more than most other Americans. In a yearly comparison carried out by the Independent Fiscal Office, Pennsylvania is above-average with its tax burden. The tax burden is different from overall tax rates: it is measured...

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” All gun owners should know and protect this amendment. Please note the term “well regulated.” Unfortunately, a lot of people forget the regulation...

Three years after the start of the pandemic that upended supply chains around the world, some local fish fries still are grappling with inventory while others are reporting no problems getting their menu items. On Monday, Land & Sea in Monroeville was packed with cod waiting to be delivered to...

Pine-Richland School District officials hired Dr. Greta Kuzilla as the new assistant director of student services and special education. The school board approved her selection at the Feb. 13 combined meeting. Kuzilla has served as principal of Hance Elementary School since 2018 and was assistant principal at Eden Hall Upper...

Antioch Baptist Church Sunday service is at 10:45 a.m. Antioch Baptist Church is located at 332 Elizabeth St. For more information, call 412-741-7688 or visit antioch fwbaptistsewickley.org. Beth Samuel Jewish Center Shabbat Morning Services are held every Saturday at 10 a.m. in person and on Zoom. Beth Samuel Jewish Center is...

The letter “Trump, like Reagan, was a great president” (Jan. 23, TribLIVE) made me laugh. I wasn’t a fan of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, mainly because I felt he hurt working men and women, as well as the labor unions, when he fired the air traffic controllers in 1981. But there...

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. St. Patrick’s Day event to benefit local college scholarship fund The...

Laurel: To coping with problems. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli wants to expand efforts to help kids deal with trauma. The Handle with Care Program is a collaboration with New Kensington-Arnold School District, Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Highlands Family Center and police in Arnold and New Kensington using a $250,000...

So the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has come up with a new “no force on force” policy for demonstrations at historical reenactments of famous battles. This forces the Bushy Run Historical Society to cancel its annual reenactment of the Battle of Bushy Run, its sole source of revenue to...

I concur with the editorial “PennDOT should enforce right-of-way sign rules” (Jan. 21, TribLIVE). But the responsibility is not PennDOT alone, rather for municipalities to also keep their right-of-ways clear of litter and illegal signage that become an eyesore and a hazardous distraction for motorists. I take exception to the...

High schools WPIAL playoffs Boys Class 6A Quarterfinals Friday’s schedule Norwin (14-8) at New Castle (20-2), 7 p.m.; Butler (14-7) at Mt. Lebanon (15-7), 7 p.m.; Seneca Valley (9-12) at Upper St. Clair (14-8), 7 p.m.; Baldwin (12-10) vs. Central Catholic (13-9) at Gateway, 7 p.m. Class 5A Consolation first...

Fox Chapel Area High School freshman Joanna Li was among the winners of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America National Congressional Essay Contest. Joanna is one of 48 winners in the U.S. and one of two from Pennsylvania. The essay topic was “Examine the U.S. Constitution as...

They say it’s difficult to defeat a team three times in a single season, and it sure was for Laurel Highlands on Thursday night. The Mustangs overcame a 13-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to beat Belle Vernon, 75-71, in an overtime thriller at Peters Township High School. Entering the...

Makhai Valentine won an epic scoring duel with Connor Spratt in the most dramatic of fashions, hitting the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to lead top-seeded Steel Valley to a 56-54 victory over No. 9 Seton LaSalle in the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals Thursday night. Spratt, who scored 33 points...

A bill filed this week in the Florida House would turn many of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ wide-ranging ideas on higher education into law by limiting diversity efforts, vastly expanding the powers of university boards and altering course offerings. House Bill 999, filed by Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, proposes leaving all...

Third time was the charm for the St. Joseph girls basketball team against Monessen on Thursday night. The previous two times the squads met in the quarterfinals, the Greyhounds came up with lopsided wins in 2011 and 2004. The visiting Spartans had other plans and won the second half Thursday...

Attorneys for U.S. Rep. Scott Perry argued in court Thursday that federal investigators should not have unfettered access to Perry’s cellphone communications because of Constitutional protections against questioning a sitting Congressman for his or her legislative activities. Perry, a Republican from Carroll Township, York County, is one of several Republican...

Freeport senior Julia Cummings bowled perfectly well in qualifying at the WPIBL girls singles championships Thursday at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes. She rolled a 584 series with a high game of 214 – nothing to sneeze at and good enough for fourth place. Once the single-elimination, step-ladder finals started, though,...

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse who have been waiting for a chance to seek justice may see positive movement in that direction Friday in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The chamber has positioned two separate pieces of legislation for a vote that would lift the statute of limitations on childhood...

Eighth-graders at Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh in Hampton earned awards at the Region 7 Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Competition at Baldwin High School on Feb. 4. Under the guidance of science teachers Ellen Kaffenes and Dorina Manolache, the 20 participating students from Aquinas Academy earned 16 first-place awards and...

Hampton Community Library congratulates its “Soup”er Bowl contest winners: Champion Costakis Copeland for his chicken and corn chowder; runner-up John Parrish III, Nana’s Italian wedding soup; and fan favorite Max Hardman, Garlic Express. The library announces programs to help welcome spring: • It’s A Wonderful World: Drop-in Storytime, 10: 30...

Lent began on Feb. 22 with the distribution of ashes in churches throughout the North Allegheny area, including St. Brendan’s Episcopal Church on McAleer Road in Franklin Township. The church also hosted a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper the day before on Feb. 21. Shrove Tuesday is a traditional day of...