Editor's Picks category, Page 256
Tom Ruscitti: Pittsburgh lost a treasure in Franco Harris
I grew up in Aliquippa, the son of a steelworker and a Steelers fan as long as I can remember. Franco Harris transformed an entire city in nine seconds — the “Immaculate Reception” gave an entire city hope, hope that we could be more than a dirty, smoky mill town...
Check out new music, upcoming live shows around Pittsburgh area during the holidays
Looking for some holiday entertainment to wind down the year? Here are a few recommendations of new music from artists native to the Pittsburgh area, as well as upcoming performances over the holidays. Leo P, ‘Comin’ Up Aces’ From performing onstage with Beyonce and the Dixie Chicks at the 2016...
Santa Claus, the Georgia city, does its ho, ho, hos softly
SANTA CLAUS, Ga. — Yes, there really is a Santa Claus … city. But you have to really, really believe. And look very, very closely. Because Santa Claus, Georgia, is easy to miss. Sue Grisham’s friends from Tennessee came to visit and went 20 miles too far down U.S. 1....
Down time: What to do in the lull between Christmas and New Year’s Eve
’Twas the day after Christmas … You’re off work and the kids are home from school. You’ve visited all your friends and relatives. The kids already are tired of their gifts. Now, you’re just waiting for New Year’s Eve. What to do in the meantime, while school is closed and...
Christmas traditions live on at Western Pa. churches
About 20 volunteers bustled about the sanctuary of St. Bartholomew parish in Crabtree one morning this week, converting the simple country church into an elaborately decorated sanctuary. Garlands and wreaths now hang from the balcony, as a decorated tree and Nativity scene fill the space. The group of helpers, primarily...
International students enjoy Christmas celebration in Westmoreland County
It rarely snows in Tokyo. So it was “really cool” for Sohta Miyagawa, a Japanese student who is attending Penn-Trafford High School, to see a layer of snow blanket the ground in Western Pennsylvania. “I’m looking forward to Christmas (in America),” Miyagawa said this week at a Christmas party hosted...
Flight canceled? Experts share some advice about what to do
Thousands of travelers were stranded at airports or stuck on hold trying to rebook flights this week as a massive storm snarled travel in the U.S. and Canada ahead of the holidays. As of Friday afternoon, more than 4,800 flights into or out of U.S. airports had been canceled, according...
U.S. officials: Covid, bomb cyclone won’t slow Santa’s travelsVideo
The U.S. military agency known for tracking Santa Claus as he delivers presents on Christmas Eve doesn’t expect covid-19 or the “bomb cyclone” hitting North America to affect Saint Nick’s global travels. NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is responsible for monitoring and defending the skies above North America....
Sports reporter’s snarky winter storm coverage goes viralVideo
What do you do when your TV news team is short-staffed around the holidays and you have a major winter storm blowing in? Well, send your sports reporter into the field, of course. But you’d better be prepared for some blowback. Because they were low on reporters and most of...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 23-26
It’s Christmas weekend in Pittsburgh, and while there might not be much going on Saturday or Sunday, Friday and Monday offer some great entertainment options. Immaculate Reception 50th Anniversary Celebration Though some Immaculate Reception events have been canceled, others are set to go on as scheduled, including a gathering planned...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Dec. 23-25
Most people probably have plans to gather with family and friends this weekend, but here are a few things to do if you want to get out and about. Final requests Before he heads back to the North Pole, Santa will take last-minute gift requests from 11 a.m. to 8...
TV Talk: Filmed-in-Pittsburgh noir thriller ‘Pale Blue Eye’ delivers mystery, chills, character-driven drama
Director Scott Cooper’s “The Pale Blue Eye,” filmed last winter in Western Pennsylvania, is a rarity for movies today generally and movies on Netflix specifically. Generally, it’s a movie for adults and without superheroes, which makes it stand out. For Netflix, it’s the rare original movie where mood plays a...
It’s Christmas year-round at $1.9-million Laurel Highlands chaletVideo
It’s Christmas all year-round at a Donegal Township property that’s newly listed for just under $2 million. People who have seen it online or in person say “It looks just like a Hallmark movie,” according to listing agent Adam Cannon, a real estate adviser with Pittsburgh-based Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty....
Editorial: Franco Harris and how to play the game
Sports heroes don’t have much say in where they end up playing. It comes down to things like what team is highest in the draft and what positions that coach has to fill. By the same token, the cities that play host to those teams don’t have a say in...
Where to find emergency shelter in the blistering cold
Anyone who finds themselves without heating, warmth or shelter this weekend as temperatures plunge into the single digits can get help and a safe place to stay at warming stations in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Allegheny County’s winter shelters will be open at Second Avenue Commons, 700 Second Ave. and...
Diamond Theatre of Ligonier showing locally filmed thriller, ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ Video
It’s unusual for a small-town theater that shows movies mainly on the weekends to screen a big-budget film on its premiere date. The Diamond Theatre of Ligonier has scored such a coup with “The Pale Blue Eye,” opening nationwide on Friday. A screening is set for 8 p.m. in the...
TV Q&A: What happened to Heather Abraham?Video
Q: Why isn’t Heather Abraham anchoring KDKA-TV’s morning newscast anymore? — Donna, Leechburg Rob: We reported in September that after almost 12 years of early mornings, Abraham requested to step way from anchoring the morning newscasts. Lindsay Ward succeeded Abraham as morning co-anchor. “It was not easy to come to...
TV Talk: Mark Cuban returns to Pittsburgh for ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ segment
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was back in his native Pittsburgh on Tuesday to tape a segment for an upcoming profile on “CBS Sunday Morning,” grabbing lunch with four childhood friends at Galley Bakery Square. Todd Reidbord, one of the owners of Bakery Square parent company Walnut Capital who arranged...
The holiday music playlist you need, want and deserve
Holiday music is a big business that generates $170 million a year, according to Billboard. The rulers of the season are Mariah Carey (whose 1994 “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is again topping the charts), Michael Buble (whose 2011 “Christmas” is the biggest selling holiday album of 2022),...
Adam Sandler to perform stand-up show in Pittsburgh in February
Adam Sandler is going back to his comedic roots and bringing a rare standup tour to PPG Paints Arena on Feb. 8. The performance is part of an extension of his fall 2022 “Adam Sandler Live” tour that began last October. “What the heck! Let’s do a few more!” said...
Easy, pull-together appetizer ideas for holiday entertaining
Now’s that time of the year when it feels like someone has pressed the time-lapse button and everything is moving at triple speed. Many of us are feeling the pinch: not having enough hours in the day yet also wanting to slow down and spend time with people we love...
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2022
One would have to go back hundreds of years to find a monarch who reigned longer than Queen Elizabeth II. In her 70 years on the throne, she helped modernize the monarchy across decades of enormous social change, royal marriages and births, and family scandals. For most Britons, she was...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking ‘Knives Out’ sequel ‘Glass Onion,’ ‘Emancipation,’ Immaculate Reception anniversaryVideo
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including Will Smith’s “Emancipation,” directed by Pittsburgh native Antoine Fuqua, and the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, which will be celebrated during the Christmas...
Holiday buses and light rail cars return to PittsburghVideo
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The holiday-themed buses and light-rail cars have returned to Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s fleet. Six PRT buses and two light-rail cars have been decorated with lights, tinsel, streamers, and paintings to celebrate the winter holidays, according to PRT spokesperson Adam Brandolph. They will...
‘E.T.’ model sells for $2.5M in Hollywood icon auction
A model of the title character used in filming Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” has fetched an out-of-this-world price at auction. The mechatronic figure sold for $2.56 million to an undisclosed bidder this past weekend, according to Julien’s Auctions. It was the star attraction in an “Icons &...
