Editor's Picks category, Page 273
How to apply for a Pa. property tax or rent rebate
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s rent and property tax rebate program — which helps older and disabled residents offset the rising cost of...
Sharpsburg’s police dog, Jango, dies after battle with health issues
Sharpsburg’s police dog, Jango, a 6-year-old German shepherd who retired in August after a little more than four years of service, has died. Jango “crossed that rainbow bridge” around 9:30 a.m. Sept. 26, according to a Facebook post by Sharpsburg’s K-9 unit. “Jango was not only a part of the...
Lombardozzi Restaurant in Bloomfield is up for sale
After nearly 50 years in operation, Lombardozzi Restaurant in Bloomfield is calling it quits and is up for sale. The large Italian restaurant on Liberty Avenue was an institution for several decades, attracting not only Bloomfield residents, but fans from across the city of Pittsburgh, said Phil Luciano, a business...
Jimmy Buffett postpones fall tour after ‘brief hospitalization’
Citing unspecified “health issues,” Jimmy Buffett has canceled two of his upcoming fall tour dates and postponed three others, including his Oct. 22 concert at San Diego State University’s new Snapdragon Stadium. In an announcement made Tuesday morning, the veteran singer-songwriter’s representatives stated that “on doctor’s orders,” Buffett “must take...
Pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes: These farms go all in for Halloween
In search of the great pumpkin? You might have a good shot at finding one — and a lot more — at one of these pumpkin patches. As always, its wise to call ahead to check hours, admission costs and availability of activities during the week and weekends. Janoski’s Farm...
TV Talk: WPXI’s Susan Koeppen recounts life-saving CPR event
Just as two medical students ran to the aid of news anchor Susan Koeppen when she collapsed while jogging in Shadyside in 2011, Koeppen came to the aid of a man who had a cardiac incident while driving in July. The WPXI-TV anchor will be reunited with him in a...
Ollie’s bargain-hunting shoppers push the Pa. retailer’s growth to 457 stores
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet president and CEO John Swygert described the last two-and-a-half years as “a total rollercoaster ride.” “It was a challenge from every aspect you could think of,” he said. In December 2019, co-founder and longtime Ollie’s CEO Mark Butler died unexpectedly at the age of 61. Butler was...
Harrowing film, ’11 Minutes,’ tells of Las Vegas shooting and its aftermathVideo
NEW YORK — A pair of cowboy boots that Ashley Hoff never thought she would see again helped unlock a powerful story about the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The resulting film, “11 Minutes,” is an inside account of the 2017 massacre at a country music festival in...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking ‘Andor,’ Steelers on Amazon, ‘Ghosts,’ ‘Rookie: Feds,’ ‘Reboot’
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 Amazon’s telecast of the Steelers-Browns game on “Thursday Night Football” and WTAE-TV reporter Sheldon Ingram on “Law & Order: SVU.” Benz and Owen also...
Tough to find someone to root for on ‘House of the Dragon’
My father and I sat down once when I was younger and watched Quentin Tarantino’s classic 1994 film “Pulp Fiction.” When it was over, he said that he wanted to enjoy it,...
Rihanna to headline the next Super Bowl halftime show
NEW YORK — Rihanna will take center stage at February’s Super Bowl halftime show. The singer, who declined to perform in the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show out of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, will headline the 2023 Super Bowl, the NFL announced Sunday along with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Apple...
Optimism clear at Jeannette Glass City Heritage Festival
The crowd that walked along a couple of blocks of Clay Avenue at the Glass City Heritage Festival in Jeannette on Saturday afternoon — enjoying the entertainment, the food and drink sold by several city churches and the tables of arts and craft — was part of what appears to...
Oscar-winning ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ actor Louise Fletcher dies
LOS ANGELES — Louise Fletcher, a late-blooming star whose riveting performance as the cruel and calculating Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” set a new standard for screen villains and won her an Academy Award, has died at age 88. Fletcher died in her sleep surrounded by...
Square One eatery closes in Regent Square after 5 months
Five months after reopening on Braddock Avenue, Square One cafe is closing its Regent Square location and merging with the larger Square Cafe in East Liberty. “It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later!” Square One wrote on its Instagram and Facebook pages. “We are joining Square Cafe in East Liberty...
‘Interview’ exhibit focuses on Andy Warhol’s media empire
When people think of Andy Warhol, they usually consider his innovative works of art. But Warhol was constantly looking for a variety of ways to express himself and tell stories about and talk with the celebrities he surrounded himself with. A new exhibition opening Saturday at The Andy Warhol Museum...
Elton John plays White House lawn as part of farewell tour
WASHINGTON — Elton John said Friday that he’d played in some beautiful venues, but the stage in front of the White House, beneath a massive tent on a perfect autumn night, was “probably the icing on the cake.” Then he kicked off the show with “Your Song,” his first big...
Proposal to help publishers negotiate with Big Tech advances in Senate
A prominent Republican and Democrat came together Thursday to strike a deal over a proposal aimed at helping local and smaller news outlets level the playing field with tech giants such as Google and Facebook, according to a report by The Hill. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. Sen....
‘Revolutionary But Gorgeous’ captures Pittsburgh activist, rapper’s emotional turmoilVideo
As Pittsburgh activist, podcast host and rapper Farooq Al-Saïd was writing what became his new record, “Revolutionary But Gorgeous,” he was going through a dark period in his life. “I had come to a point where I’d cry as part of my workout and keep moving, but I didn’t feel...
One of 4,000 beagles saved from a Virginia facility finds home in Upper Burrell
There’s just something about a friendly, doe-eyed beagle with its unassuming size and floppy ears that caused Michele Binder to keep the dog breed at her side most of her life. When news broke in July of the rescue of 4,000 beagles in deplorable conditions at a Virginia breeding facility...
Goo Goo Dolls at top of their game in stunning Stage AE showVideo
When one thinks of great bands from the 1990s, the Goo Goo Dolls may not be among the first ones that come to mind. But Thursday evening at Stage AE on the North Shore, the band with one of rock ‘n’ roll’s strangest names emptied its large sack of hit...
Mt. Pleasant prepares for first Glass & Ethnic Festival without beloved longtime mayor
Mt. Pleasant Borough Manager Jeff Landy recalls that, in years past, planning the borough’s annual Glass & Ethnic Festival was filled with laughter and humor. This year, however, things were different. “It’s an empty feeling,” Landy said. On Friday, Mt. Pleasant will kick off its first Glass & Ethnic Festival...
Explainer: Why a NASA spacecraft will crash into an asteroid
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — In the first-of-its kind, save-the-world experiment, NASA is about to clobber a small, harmless asteroid millions of miles away. A spacecraft named Dart will zero in on the asteroid Monday, intent on slamming it head-on at 14,000 mph. The impact should be just enough to nudge...
TV Talk: WTAE-TV reporter Sheldon Ingram guest stars on ‘Law & Order: SVU’
It’s not unusual to see a Pittsburgh news anchor play a reporter or anchor in a fictional movie or TV show shot in Pittsburgh — Sally Wiggin and Ken Rice were in “Striking Distance;” Mike Clark was in “Abduction,” “Unstoppable,” “Southpaw” and “Concussion” — but veteran WTAE-TV reporter Sheldon Ingram...
Neptune and rings shine in photos from new space telescope
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.— Neptune and its rings haven’t looked this good in decades. NASA released new glamour shots of our solar system’s outermost planet Wednesday taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. The pictures taken in July show not only Neptune’s thin rings, but its faint dust bands, never before...
Thieves key on hack that leaves Hyundai, Kia cars vulnerable
DETROIT — Some Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs are missing a “key” anti-theft device, and thieves know. An insurance industry group says these cars are stolen at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the auto industry because their keys lack computer chips for theft “immobilizer” systems. The...
