Local category, Page 1057

Fire & Ice at McCahill Park brought out hundreds of people on Jan. 28 to stroll past ice sculptures, take in the crisp air, plus enjoy hot chocolate and a warm fire. The event was hosted by the Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy and presented by UPMC St. Margaret and landscapers...

Imagine a universe in which Richard Nixon succeeds in a nefarious plan to become president a decade and a half earlier than he did in real life. Riverview High School senior Naomi Girson developed such a scenario in her portrayal of the nation’s then-vice president during the University of Michigan’s...

The YWCA Westmoreland County will begin its Black History Month programming Saturday, with the opening of an exhibit of work by Greensburg artist Pamela Cooper. The featured drawings, paintings and sculptures are a survey of her life as an artist and as a Black woman, Cooper said. “They reflect work...

A canine-loving couple are moving ahead with plans to open a full-service dog kennel in Allegheny Township. Dan and Lindsay Janoski live on 15 acres along Indian Hill Road. Lindsay Janoski grew up with fond memories of her grandparents’ former dog kennel, Mar-Ken-El in Allegheny Township. “I’ve had dogs my...

There aren’t that many music events in the area dedicated to promoting local bands that play original music. But thanks to the Southern Fried Rock Show, four area country rock bands playing mostly their own songs will be showcased Saturday night at the Freeport Event Center. This year marks the...

In his artwork, the Rev. Vincent de Paul Crosby is inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which championed handicrafts and natural elements in response to the mass-production push of the Industrial Revolution. Still, he’s not above using a computer in the creation of his designs. A member of the...

Janice Friel-Kaufman grew up in Harrison in an ardent military family. Her father was an Army lieutenant; one uncle was a Navy bombardier who was shot down over the Pacific; another uncle was a Marine Corps pilot who flew the first rescue missions into Okinawa. There were several others. “I...

A Bell Township bar was sued this week by a woman who claimed she was left a quadriplegic when she was served too much alcohol and fell off a stool. According to the lawsuit, Mary Jo Jordan, 55, of Avonmore contends her injuries two years ago were caused by negligence...

After more than a quarter century of business, Sue Schropp, owner of The Medicine Shoppe in Latrobe since 1996, has closed the independent pharmacy’s doors for good. “I’m excited, but it is bittersweet,” Schropp said. “I made many good friends and with taking care of all the people over the...

From marbles to movie tributes, Westmoreland County students made all the right moves when it came to creating a Rube Goldberg-style machine for the annual Westinghouse Chain Reaction Contraption contest. Teams from Hempfield Area and Franklin Regional high schools took the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, in the...

Irwin officials aren’t backing down from their decision to double rental fees for its ballfields and basketball court this year despite pleas from leaders of the sports leagues. Irwin borough council members debated Tuesday among themselves and sometimes verbally sparred with representatives of the Norwin Community Athletic Association and the...

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. Highlands HS to present annual cabaret concert Saturday The 11th annual...

Punxsutawney Phil has spoken — there will be six more weeks of winter. Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog saw his shadow — for the third year in a row — on Thursday morning in the small Jefferson County town in front of thousands of excited onlookers. Phil emerges every Feb. 2...

Starting this spring, routine visits to pick up medicine at the pharmacy after work might require more advance planning than usual. Officials from major pharmacy chains say staffing problems at pharmacies are the culprit. They are facing a shortage of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, and some are making changes to...

Little time and little name recognition are two challenges the Republican candidate for the state House 32nd District sees himself and his Democratic opponent sharing. Clayton Walker figures that helps level the playing field between himself and Joe McAndrew as they vie to succeed a titan of Pennsylvania politics in...

In the mood for some “Razzle Dazzle”? Shady Side Academy is presenting “Chicago: Teen Edition” at the Senior School on Feb. 17-19, that features show-stoppers like “All that Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango.” Set in Roaring Twenties Chicago, the musical centers on chorine Roxie Hart, played by senior Sloane Simon...

Health care workers told lawmakers about staffing shortages and employee burnout that are creating critical needs, especially for nurses, in area hospitals. Legislators from across the state attended a public hearing about the health care staffing crisis on Jan. 26 at the McCandless Town Hall, hosted by the newly elected...

A teenager was hospitalized in critical condition and two people were apprehended in connection with a shooting Tuesday evening in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Amanda Mueller said officers responded to reports of a person shot around 7:45 p.m. along the 2500 block of Woodward Avenue. They found a...

Sheetz said it has ended its controversial policy that people with visible dental problems should not be hired. Dubbed the “smile policy,” the convenience store chain’s employee handbook previously stated that “applicants with obvious missing, broken, or badly discolored teeth (unrelated to a disability) are not qualified for employment with...

Chess may not be the easiest game to learn. But it doesn’t seem to have been a challenge for Luke Martin, who started playing as a third-grader and likes to share his knowledge with others. “I’ve been teaching since I was 11,” the Hampton High School freshman said, “and I’ve...

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will attend the annual Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney on Thursday, becoming just the third sitting governor to ever attend the Feb. 2 event. Shapiro, a Democrat from Montgomery County, is looking forward to joining the “storied Pennsylvania tradition” and the famed Punxsutawney Phil groundhog, according...

Maggie (Baird) Griffith first fell in love with musical theater at 5, when she and her mother would sit in the audience at Highlands High School and dance along in their seats with whatever ballads or toe-tapping numbers were being performed. “I just couldn’t get enough of the life and...

Pittsburgh officials closed the city’s Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge to vehicular traffic Wednesday afternoon because of safety concerns. “I made a pledge to the residents of Pittsburgh that I will not hesitate to close a bridge for the safety of our citizens,” Mayor Ed Gainey said. “Inspection results have come...

Pittsburgh City Council is looking to ensure the city’s youth have first priority when it comes to getting permits for athletic fields. Council members have acknowledged that there is often competition among various groups vying for time on the city’s athletic fields and courts. rst. The measure was first introduced...