Lifestyles category, Page 60
Electric vehicles win truck, utility of the year awards
PONTIAC, Mich. — Electric vehicles took two of three categories for the first time in this year’s North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards. Ford’s F-150 Lightning electric pickup won the truck category, while Kia’s EV6 battery-powered EV was named the top SUV. The Integra, a small...
Oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor marks 105th birthday
NEW ORLEANS — Flag-waving admirers lined the sidewalk outside the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Wednesday to greet the oldest living survivor of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor as he marked his upcoming 105th birthday. “It feels great,” Joseph Eskenazi of Redondo Beach, California, told...
Newly restored house in Pompeii offers glimpse of elite life
POMPEII, Italy — The newly restored remains of an opulent house in Pompeii that likely belonged to two former slaves who became rich through the wine trade offer visitors an exceptional peek at details of domestic life in the doomed Roman city. On Tuesday, the House of Vettii, Domus Vettiorum...
Designers look to nature, landfills for new decor materials
At first glance, Nina Edwards Ankers’ sconces and chandeliers look like ancient scrolls of parchment, or sheets of buttery toffee, wrapped around LED bulbs. Come closer — or just ask the New York-based designer/architect — and you’ll find they’re actually made of algae. She came up with the idea while...
Best meal kit delivery services for a healthy start into the new year
Meal delivery services are a great option for individuals, couples and families who value balanced, home-cooked meals but may not have the time or ability to cook them on a regular basis. Some are hesitant to try out these services, assuming they will be pricey. But the meals are generally...
Bigfoot sighting late last year in Pennsylvania?
Is Bigfoot out there somewhere roaming around? Well, the folks at The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization seem convinced the legendary creature exists, and if you check out their website there’s all sorts of interesting info. And, one of the most interesting features is the sightings section where you can filter...
Cooking in 2023 — foods that could be trending this year
This year’s trends include the comeback of a deli meat, purple sweet potatoes, pistachios in everything and cabbage as the new green of choice. Forecasting is a gamble in any industry. Meteorologists are at the mercy of Mother Nature’s whims. Sports predictors can go from first to worst (or vice...
Kimchi in grilled cheese? It’s a spicy, crunchy flavor boost
We’ve upped the ante on the original pull-from-the-pantry meal — the grilled cheese — with one potent ingredient: kimchi. And we use it two ways for a double dose of flavor. Cheese with kimchi may sound odd, but the pairing is hardly new. Budae jjigae, otherwise known as army base...
Out & About: The Westmoreland’s Late-Night Thursday toasts to 2023
The New Year’s weekend got an early start at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, with the Dec. 29 edition of Winter Lights Late-Night Thursdays. “New Year’s Cheer” was the theme as the doors stayed open late for guests to enjoy the annual holiday-season illumination of the museum’s...
Jeannette’s Skeptik Innovations gains notice in car customization worldVideo
There’s no denying the influence of the “Fast & Furious” movie franchise on American car culture. The action films sparked interest in both street racing and vehicle customizations. Steve Molans was one of those who took notice, as a high school kid in Jeannette back in the early 2000s. Now...
This WWII weapons bunker has a new mission: Sheltering a scientist’s insect collection
LOS ANGELES — A World War II-era weapons bunker in Irvine, Calif., has a new mission — sheltering preserved insect specimens. When a collection of bugs floating in specimen bottles outgrew his laboratory, Robert Fisher moved them into an abandoned weapons bunker at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Jan. 6-8
Friday family fun The monthly Family Fun Night is planned for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Smithton Public Library, 615 Center St. The free event will feature stories, games, crafts and more all-ages activities with a moon theme. Visitors will have a chance to steer a BeeBot moon rover...
Willie’s Random Acts of Kindness Day honors memory of Greensburg infant
Though William David “Willie” Fennell lived only a few hours after his birth Jan. 6, 2020, his brief life continues to have an impact on others. His parents, Will and Lindsay Fennell of Greensburg, in conjunction with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region, are inviting people to perform...
Big Brothers Big Sisters social media posts showcase kids needing mentors
For Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region, one could say the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. What that means, Executive Director Stephanie Babich Mihleder said, is that the group has a long list of kids it would love to serve — if only they had...
How to prepare for your next emergency
When a power outage knocked out electricity to a multistate region in 2003, Gabriella Barthlow , a financial coach in the Detroit area, was prepared. She had enough money on hand to buy food for herself and her two young children, plus put gas in her car in case they...
Tradition of hiking in the new year reaches all 50 U.S. states
BOSTON — A simple plan to get more people enjoying the outdoors on New Year’s Day has become a nationwide movement after a hike at a Massachusetts park more than three decades ago. Just 380 people participated in the initial First Day Hike in 1992 at the nearly 7,000-acre Blue...
New Year’s resolutions can be about more than self-improvement
People tend to focus New Year’s resolutions on self-improvement and fulfillment. Maybe it’s time to rethink the resolution. In 2020, about 75% of adult Americans set a goal to better themselves in 2021. But Forbes reported there is research to show that, year after year — for a variety of...
Out & About: Greensburg senior center hosts holiday hi-jinks
There were holiday high jinks aplenty at the Dec. 21 Christmas party at McKenna Senior Center in Greensburg. It started with a rousing chorus of “Jingle Bells,” as center manager Carol Rudy and advisory council Vice President Lauretta Gordon decked Rudy’s husband, Glenn, and guest Bill Finfrock with boughs of...
From panties to potatoes, global New Year’s customs predict what’s to come
Watching the ball drop in Times Square, toasting with champagne and shooting off fireworks are familiar ways many in America may choose to ring in the New Year. Around the globe, other countries and cultures have their own unique New Year traditions. Fodor’s lists several unusual examples: Fashion forecast In...
Vivienne Westwood, influential fashion maverick, dies at 81
LONDON — Vivienne Westwood, an influential fashion maverick who played a key role in the punk movement, died Thursday at age 81. Westwood’s eponymous fashion house announced her death on social media platforms, saying she died peacefully. A cause was not disclosed. “Vivienne continued to do the things she loved,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Dec. 30-Jan. 1
Artsy interlude Weekend hours will be 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. today and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. The museum will be closed Sunday for New Year’s Day. Current exhibits include “Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America,” featuring...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 30-Jan. 1
This weekend begins in 2022 and ends in 2023 and there’s plenty to do in Pittsburgh in between, especially when it comes to ushering in the New Year. Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2023 Produced by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, this year’s First Night festivities get underway at 6 p.m. Saturday...
Holiday Family Day draws dozens of visitors to Historic Hanna’s Town
Historic Hanna’s Town was a hive of activity Thursday, as dozens of people gathered for Holiday Family Day. “People are looking for something to do between Christmas and New Year’s, so as long as they want to come, we’re happy to be here,” said Lisa Hays, executive director of Westmoreland...
Looking for New Year’s plans? 5 Westmoreland County destinations to celebrate
Still looking for New Year’s plans? Here are five places you can celebrate from today to Monday, Dec. 29 to Jan. 1, in Westmoreland County. Champagne and dancing at Morelands at Waterworks The South Greensburg venue Morelands at Waterworks will host a New Year’s Eve party beginning at 9 p.m....
6 ways to make extra money in retirement
More than 1 in 4 retirees say they’re spending more than they can afford, according to an October 2022 survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. With inflation at 7.1% in November, it’s not surprising that savings aren’t going as far as they used to. But there are ways to...
