Editor's Picks category, Page 252
Netflix nights still come wrapped in red-and-white envelopes
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Netflix’s trailblazing DVD-by-mail rental service has been relegated as a relic in the age of video streaming, but there is still a steady — albeit shrinking — audience of diehards like Amanda Konkle who are happily paying to receive those discs in the iconic red-and-white envelopes....
Thanks, inflation: Cost of ’12 Days of Christmas’ items nears $200,000
The tune is oh so familiar. Not just the “and a partridge in a pear tree.” We’re talking “more than last year.” Financial services firm PNC has for 39 years compiled the consumer costs for those who would wish to make corresponding purchases for their true love replicating “The Twelve...
4 ways to limit your holiday debt
There’s a magical feeling in the air this time of year, but that magic costs money. Every year, the pressure looms large to spend more to create perfect holidays. This high-cost season can leave you with debt that sticks around. According to NerdWallet’s 2022 Holiday Shopping Report, 31% of 2021...
Commentary: ‘Star Wars’ has always been political. ‘Andor’ made it must-see TVVideo
Despite what some people — and at least one giant media company — might have you believe, “Star Wars” has always been political. “It is a period of civil war,” explains the opening scrawl of George Lucas’ 1977 space opera, now formally known as “Star Wars: Episode IV — A...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Nov. 25-27
Light ‘em up Light Up Ligonier will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday on the Ligonier Diamond. Santa will come to town for a countdown to the flipping of the switch to illuminate the bandstand, trees and holiday decorations on the Diamond. Horse-drawn carriage rides will be available. For information, visit...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 25-27
Shopping, seminars, Santa and more are in the news this weekend in Pittsburgh. Thanksgiving tradition Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will present “Thanksgiving Tradition: Strauss Family Favorites” at 8 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave. in the Cultural District. Former PSO Concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley returns to...
TV Talk: Local TV stations set holiday programs
This year, broadcast networks have gone all-in on holiday programs, including CBS’s new animated special “Reindeer in Here” (9 p.m. Nov. 29) and three CBS holiday movies (8:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 18, 9 p.m. Dec. 11), PBS’s 2022 “Call the Midwife” holiday special (9 p.m. Dec. 25, WQED-TV) and...
Gone in 9 minutes: How Celtic gold heist unfolded in Germany
BERLIN — Thieves who broke into a southern German museum and stole hundreds of ancient gold coins got in and out in nine minutes without raising the alarm, officials said Wednesday, in a further sign that the heist was the work of organized criminals. Police have launched an international hunt...
Annual turkey trot in Washington Township breaks attendance records
More than 900 participants gobbled up the chance to run or walk during the annual Thanksgiving Day Kiski Valley Turkey Trot in Washington Township. The in-person race that draws runners from neighboring states kicked off at 9 a.m. under blue skies and below-freezing temperatures. Organizers set up multiple fire barrels...
Movie top 10 for the holidays: From a new ‘Scrooge’ to an old Christmas romance you’ve never seen
Our stockings runneth over with streaming holiday options whose titles, on Netflix and Hallmark and elsewhere, tend to blur into a single, extended holiday viewing option we’ll call “Countdown to Falling for Christmas with You on a Holidate on Mistletoe Farm All the Way.” Someone should make that one, and...
Justin Hartley embarks on new chapters after ‘This is Us’
On NBC’s “This is Us,” Justin Hartley played Kevin Pearson: A man whose dreams of playing college football were derailed injury — so he decided to try acting, and ended up a big star. Hartley’s own story has some strong parallels. He loved to play sports growing up but realized,...
5 tips for buying the best artificial Christmas tree this season
If you are dreaming of a lovely, needle-free Christmas tree, you are in luck. Gone are the days of stiff, flimsy, plastic trees. Artificial trees are now more realistic than ever before, and they are growing in popularity. In fact, about 80% of homes will opt for an artificial tree...
Chestnut Ridge, ‘The Twilight Zone of Pennsylvania,’ is the setting for strangenessVideo
It’s known as “The Twilight Zone of Pennsylvania” or “The Disneyland of the Paranormal.” Sometimes it’s simply “The Mysterious Chestnut Ridge.” It’s the westernmost ridge of the Alleghenies, rising in southern Indiana County and continuing to the south-southwest for approximately 75 miles, stretching along Westmoreland and Fayette counties and on...
Salem teen, her terrier earn honors at National Dog Show
Natalia Backos and her dog, Boozer, have much in common. That includes matching pajamas and major wins at this year’s National Dog Show in Philadelphia. The 15-year-old Salem girl captured $5,500 in scholarships when she was judged as the top junior handler at last weekend’s two-day show. Under her guidance,...
Norwin High School girls to play flag football games for charity
A group of Norwin High School students have been practicing for two big football games Wednesday, but they won’t involve boys and they’re not for a WPIAL championship. Taking the field at the Norwin Knights Stadium will be about 150 girls in ninth through 12 grades, playing two flag football...
Famed ‘Goonies’ house for sale in OregonVideo
PORTLAND, Ore. — Good news for fans of “The Goonies:” the old Victorian home featured in the film is on sale in Astoria, Oregon, and potential buyers are considering making it more accessible to the public. “We have a few interested parties right now,” said realtor Jordan Miller, the listing...
Gathering again? Tips for a safe and healthy Thanksgiving
For families who settled for smaller gatherings and remote blessings during the height of the pandemic, this Thanksgiving looks like the return of the big bash. More folks are getting together this year, with the American Automobile Association predicting holiday travel will be nearly back to prepandemic levels. If that’s...
Cartoonists honor ‘Peanuts’ creator in funny pages
NEW YORK — Cartoonists across the nation are celebrating the 100th birthday of “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz as only they can — with cartoons. More than 75 syndicated cartoonists have tucked tributes, Easter eggs and references to “Peanuts” in Saturday’s funny papers to honor the creator of Charlie Brown,...
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden hosts ‘Dazzling Nights’ holiday light show
A million glittering lights will illuminate the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden during “Dazzling Nights,” an immersive pop-up light installation running Nov. 27 to Jan. 1. Features of the night-time, winter wonderland display will include an interactive lighted walkway, a forest of light and fog evoking the aurora borealis and a 65-foot...
Sheetz lowers price for unleaded 88 to $1.99 a gallon for Thanksgiving week
Sheetz convenience stores will sell unleaded 88 gas for $1.99 a gallon during the Thanksgiving 2022 weekend. The deal is available at Sheetz locations that have unleaded 88. The deal is good from Nov. 21 to Nov. 28. According to Sheetz, unleaded 88 fuel is approved by the U.S. Environmental...
Carriers feeling cheery about on-time holiday deliveries
The nation’s major shipping companies are in the best shape to get holiday shoppers’ packages delivered on time since the start of the pandemic, suggesting a return to normalcy. Carriers like the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and United Parcel Service project to have enough capacity after struggling under the holiday...
Where to watch USA World Cup games in Pittsburgh
The biggest sporting event in the world has started as matches have begun for the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar. The world is watching and that goes for Pittsburgh as well, where a number of bars and establishments are hoping fans come to cheer on their favorite teams, especially...
‘White Friday’ target for skiers to hit slopes at Seven Springs
Frigid temperatures brought scattered snow showers and squalls to the region late last week and provided ideal conditions for crews at Seven Springs Mountain Resort to make some snow of their own. That bodes well for the plan to open the Somerset County resort for skiing Friday, Nov. 25, the...
Western Pa. arts, cultural organizations rebuild post-pandemic programs, audiences
During the covid-19 pandemic shutdowns, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust President and CEO Kevin McMahon frequently reassured colleagues that things would be OK. “Even in the darkest days of the pandemic, I said, ‘We’re resilient; we’re gonna make it through this,’ ” he said. “Of course, there were moments when I got...
A deadly tide: Officials blame violence in Pennsylvania on relentless flow of guns
By the time three people were gunned down in mid-October at a North Side bus stop, Pittsburgh police had already spent the year cleansing the city of hundreds of firearms. Lost guns, stolen guns, crime guns — officers had been taking them all out of circulation at a rapid clip....
