TribLive stories, Page 794
Fern Hollow 1 year later: Strangers’ lives changed forever on a snowy Pittsburgh morning when the bridge collapsed beneath them
It was shortly before 6:40 a.m. on Jan. 28, 2022, minutes away from one of the worst infrastructure disasters in Pittsburgh history — the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge. Its abrupt failure dumped a half-dozen vehicles into a wooded gorge 100 feet below and transformed a pastoral scene into...
Radon: Most Western Pennsylvania schools don’t test for radon, despite high levels in the state
A months-long Tribune-Review investigation found that most schools in Southwestern Pennsylvania do not regularly test for radon, the odorless, colorless, radioactive gas found here in some of the highest concentrations in the nation. At risk is the health and safety of the state’s nearly 1.7 million school children — in...
Holding onto hope inside a covid ICU: ‘It’s like working in a war zone’
Inside a room in the intensive care unit at Allegheny Health Network’s Jefferson Hospital, a covid-infected man lies prone on his stomach, hooked up to a ventilator that is breathing for him....
‘A complete miracle’: 20th anniversary of the Quecreek Mine rescue
John Unger promised his wife that if something bad ever happened on his job in the coal mine, he’d find a way to survive. For 29 years, he kept that promise, always returning to the rural, century-old Somerset County home where they raised a family and tended to their cattle....
Clemente family, Puerto Rican government ‘at war’ to keep Pirate legend’s Sports City dream alive
CAROLINA, Puerto Rico — Luis Clemente swats at insects as he stands on the edge of a swimming pool filled with stagnant, murky water in this San Juan suburb of 150,000 people. The pool had been a glistening centerpiece of Roberto Clemente Sports City. On this blistering May morning, nearly...
Summer solstice in Pittsburgh region delivers over 15 hours of daylight
Fifteen hours, 4 minutes. That’s how much daylight the Pittsburgh region will see Wednesday during the summer solstice — the official start of summer and longest day of the year, when the sun takes the northernmost path through the sky. The result is short nights, early dawns and late sunsets....
A list of local farmers’ markets
Editor’s note: This list has been updated to correct the days, times and location for the Central Westmoreland Famer’s Market. Here is a list of selected farmers’ markets in the area (listed in alphabetical order): Baldwin Farmers Market Dates: Second and fourth Thursdays of each month through August, plus Sept....
Letter to the editor: Animal rights activists pick and choose
Animal rights activists pick and choose what they are outraged about. In 1975 they delayed by three years the building of a dam in Tennessee because of a 3-inch-long fish called the snail darter. Today windmills kill over 500,000 birds, including the American eagle, and solar panel farms fry over...
Letter to the editor: Respect our country and its treasures
People today, particularly the younger generations, think it’s OK to bastardize and modernize the documents that created this great nation. They think a modern rendition of the homage to our flag or a modernized version of the national anthem is OK, cute, creative, whatever you want to call it. Taking...
Letter to the editor: Frick Park not place for sensory classroom
Frick Park is planning an outdoor sensory classroom for specialized outside activities for all abilities. Frick Park has multiple issues as a park in decay. One is bikers generating erosion by creating challenging slopes. Another is the expanding deer population seeking food. Protect our Parks and Gardens has been addressing...
Editorial: Harrisburg ethics shouldn’t be a game of chance — or skill
Should Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board officials meet privately with casino lobbyists? That’s a good question. State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming County, and state Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Philadelphia, showed a rare moment of bipartisan and bicameral agreement when they asked the Office of the Attorney General and the state Ethics Commission...
The Stroller, June 21, 2023: 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. Amateur Astronomers plan at free star parties Amateur Astronomers Association of...
Farm fresh? Yes, but farmers markets offerings are months in the making
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the days, times and location for the Central Westmoreland Farmer’s Market near Greensburg. Kira Karpinski’s farmers market offerings in June take root six months earlier in a sun-drenched room in her house. Not a greenhouse — her actual house. “I start...
Letter to the editor: Fight Alzheimer’s on The Longest Day
Today, June 21, people across the world will participate in an activity of their choice for The Longest Day. The Longest Day is held on the day with the most light — the summer solstice — to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s disease. The Longest Day participants can support the...
Pirates farm report for June 20, 2023: Termarr Johnson homers twice in Bradenton win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 29-39) lost 3-1 to Columbus (Guardians). Indy pitchers gave up only three hits but walked seven. RHP Jared Jones (4.76) made his first Triple-A start and allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out six. RHP Colin Selby (3.63), RHP Hunter...
O’Hara Elementary School seeking parent, community member for on-site management team
O’Hara Elementary School is seeking a community member and a parent to serve on the school’s site-based management team, each for two-year terms that are anticipated to start in July 2023. The team helps to make decisions concerning school operations and meets monthly. The community representative must reside in the...
Fox Chapel Area hosts STEAM camp June 12-16
The Fox Chapel Area School District hosted more than 100 students at its summer STEAM camp June 12-16 at Fairview Elementary School. The district offered 10 different camps on topics ranging from engineering and ecology to chemistry and coding. The week culminated in an open house June 16, during which...
Bethel Park official named state’s Outstanding Council Member
Bethel Park Councilman Mark O’Brien has been named Outstanding Council Member of the Year by the Pennsylvania Borough Councils Association. “I am deeply appreciative and humbled by this award.” O’Brien said. “I see it as an honor not just for myself, but for all the individuals who have supported and...
Joyce M. Davis: Pa. highway collapse shows how vulnerable our roads are
Traffic has been severed in both directions on one of America’s busiest and most economically important thoroughfares. It will be months before I-95 is back to normal in the Philadelphia area, after a truck carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline crashed into a wall and burst into flames June 12....
McCandless Democrats award scholarships, honorarium
Two North Allegheny Senior High School grads received scholarships from the McCandless Democratic Committee and another graduate received a $500 honorarium for use in continuing their education. The scholarships recognize students who have excelled academically, are engaged in the community and exemplify values of importance to Democrats. The awards were...
Shaler Area High School graduates 291 students
Shaler Area High School’s class of 2023 received their diplomas on June 2. During the ceremony at Titan Stadium, 291 students marched on to the next chapter in their lives. “Your high school years were dramatically impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, resulting in school closures, cancellation of activities, and remote...
Jason Kavulich and Bill Johnston-Walsh: Pa. needs a master plan written for — and by — older adults
Gov. Josh Shapiro recently signed an executive order laying the groundwork for creating a Pennsylvania Master Plan for Older Adults. The master plan will serve as a roadmap to building and maintaining a commonwealth where every resident can live and thrive at any age. AARP and the Department of Aging...
Millennial Money: Should you financially support adult kids?
Some parents will tell you firsthand there’s no expiration date on this raising kids gig. For some, that means they extend financial help to their kids into adulthood. When I was 21 and got into a master’s program at a college of my dreams, my mom swooped in to help...
‘By far our best turnout’: Popularity grows for Hartwood Acres Father’s Day car cruise
The annual Father’s Day car cruise at Hartwood Acres continues to grow in popularity as many people gather to celebrate classic cars and family traditions. “This is either our ninth or 10th year. We lost a year for covid,” said Allegheny County special events manager Bill Deasy. “Today is by...
Letter to the editor: Kennedy’s voice not fair game for criticism
Perhaps the writer of the letter “Biden and Kennedy are the best Democrats have?” (June 7, TribLIVE) should have done his homework before commenting on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s speaking voice. You don’t criticize someone with a disability. Kennedy suffers from spasmodic dysphonia. This disorder causes spasms of the larynx...
