Editor's Picks category, Page 290
Monroeville go-kart track to reopen as Full Throttle Adrenaline ParkVideo
For Justin Lewis, all-around entertainment is the name of the game. “People don’t want to stop by and just waste a couple hours,” said Lewis, president of Full Throttle Adrenaline Park, which recently acquired Steel City Karting behind the Monroeville Mall. “We take a lot of pride in delivering a...
Billy Porter teams with Phipps Conservatory for summer flower fashion show
Actor and groundbreaking fashionista Billy Porter is teaming up with Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens for a new show that will feature elaborate costumes inspired by Porter’s iconic looks and roles, along with his hometown of Pittsburgh. “Billy Porter Presents: A Summer Flower Fashion Show” will run run May 6...
Volunteer caretakers of centuries-old Western Pa. cemeteries have lonely jobs
Standing among weathered gray stones and freshly cut grass, it can be difficult to fathom the decades of choked-backed tears and carefully placed flowers once present in some of the quietest parts of Western Pennsylvania. The region is home to dozens of cemeteries that date to the 18th and 19th...
North Huntingdon couple takes ‘leap of faith’ in reopening Irwin coffee shop
A North Huntingdon couple who dreamed of operating their own coffee shop and bakery, have bought a former Irwin coffee shop where they loved to relax while drinking coffee and tea. Eric and Sarah Shearer, both 30, even used it as the place to write ‘thank you notes’ to those...
Sting coming to Pittsburgh with PSO
Grammy Award winner and Kennedy Center honoree Sting will perform his greatest hits with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in January, the PSO has announced. Music fans know Sting – born Gordon Sumner — as the front man for the ’80s new wave band The Police from 1977 to 1984 before...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking Metallica in ‘Stranger Things,’ losing Uhura, Dave Crawley’s lawsuit, ESPN’s ‘Great Imposter’
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 the dismissal of Dave Crawley’s lawsuit against KDKA-TV. The pair discuss Metallica’s role in “Stranger Things” and the death of actress Nichelle Nichols, best...
Kimberly Palmer: 5 ways to feel richer (even if you’re not)
In some ways, feeling “rich” is less about how many zeroes you have in your bank account and more about knowing how to use them to get what you want out of life. For author and certified financial planner Tom Corley, feeling rich comes from having an Irish pub-style structure...
Ospreys raising young atop crane along Monongahela River near Charleroi
Tarentum resident Jim Bonner, executive director of the local Audubon Society, has heard many bird stories. Over the years, he has fielded countless inquiries from the public to the Audubon Society of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s headquarters at Beechwood Farms in Fox Chapel. But there was something different about a recent call....
Greensburg’s MB Bride supports military with annual gown giveaway
For brides, finding the perfect gown can be one of the most challenging — and expensive — steps in the wedding planning process. MB Bride in Greensburg made it easy and affordable for Lisa Denk of Jefferson Hills, through the annual Hug-A-Hero gown giveaway July 20. In less than two...
Main streets of Vandergrift transformed into a ‘Wonderland’ for this year’s artfest
Hundreds of people braved the rain and humid temperatures to take part in the 15th annual Vandergrift Artfest on Sunday. Grant and Washington avenues were packed with people, artists, vendors and costumed characters, as this year’s theme was “Wonderland” based on the magical story “Alice in Wonderland.” “We’ve settled into...
Winning lottery jackpot is lucky for some, tragic for others
Dave and Erica Harrig stayed true to their values when they won a lottery jackpot of more than $61 million in 2013. It made all the difference. The couple from Gretna, Nebraska, a community on the outskirts of Omaha where Dave Harrig now is a volunteer firefighter, allowed themselves to...
Military Timeline Weekend continues Sunday at Historic Hanna’s Town
Crowds got a taste of authentic World War II-era battle re-enactment on Saturday at Historic Hanna’s Town. The Westmoreland Historical Society hosted the first Military Timeline Weekend at the historic site, which concludes at 3 p.m on Sunday. The event features several demonstrations of American military history from the Revolutionary...
Organizer of Jeannette Summerfest hopes event will expand, bring community together
Chanelle Terry and her 9-year-old son Aiden Tartt squeezed 20 bags of lemons to get ready for Saturday’s Jeannette Summerfest, their lemonade stand’s biggest event so far. Terry of Greensburg said the pair started “LemonAiden” a couple months ago as a way to help Aiden learn about money and business...
Importance of veteran support, food security highlighted during tour of Unity township farm
It isn’t every day that a hungry cow tosses its hay at an officer in the Pennsylvania National Guard. It happened on Thursday, though, as Brig. Gen. Laura A. McHugh toured Pleasant Lane Farms in Unity. The tour, hosted by Pennsvlvania Veteran Farming Network, highlighted the importance of food security...
Pittsburgh punk rockers Anti-Flag release new video ahead of 2023 albumVideo
Punk rockers Anti-Flag announced their new album, “Lies They Tell Our Children,” will be released next year. The veteran band from Pittsburgh also debuted their new single and video for “LAUGH. CRY. SMILE. DIE.” on Friday. The song features singer Shane Told from Silverstein. ”The album itself is the first...
Monarch butterflies are in trouble; Here’s how you can help
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a butterfly. My money says the fluttering insect you’re envisioning has black-veined, reddish-orange wings outlined with white specks — the iconic attributes of our beloved American monarch butterfly. Unfortunately, the species, which populates many childhood memories, is in trouble. The migrating monarch...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: July 29-31
It’s now or never Stage Right! Greensburg will stage “All Shook Up School Edition” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin. Inspired by the music of Elvis Presley, the musical follows a guitar-playing young man as he shakes up...
TV Talk: CMU grad stars in HBO drama ‘Industry,’ entering its 2nd seasonVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Actress Myha’la Herrold began acting in community theater in San Jose, Calif., at age 6. And while she auditioned for 10 colleges, Carnegie Mellon University’s musical theater program was at the top of her wish...
Joe Manganiello gets family mysteries solved on PBS show
LOS ANGELES — Joe Manganiello marveled at the years-old mysteries in his family that were solved through DNA by researchers on PBS’ “Finding Your Roots,” including a revelation involving the actor’s paternal grandfather. It was so surprising that host Henry Louis Gates Jr. had to call Manganiello with the news...
Jane Seymour among attendees of Celebrity Care Fest in Pine
The Celebrity Care Fest, which hasn’t been held since 2019, returned to Pine as a two-day event the weekend of July 22-23. The theme for the weekend promoted by the HM3 Partners Independence Fund with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins and Pirates was “Unity & Equality for All.” A “Unity Dinner”...
TV Talk: Billy Gardell talks about a ‘Secret Celebrity Renovation’ for Penn Hills friend’s momVideo
On the second-season premiere of CBS’s “Secret Celebrity Renovation” (8 p.m. Friday), Swissvale native Billy Gardell (“Bob (Hearts) Abishola”) assists in a makeover to the Penn Hills home of the mother of his friend/co-worker Joe O’Connell. “After thinking about it, my best friend’s mom was just the perfect candidate,” Gardell...
Family sues Sesame Place for alleged racial discriminationVideo
PHILADELPHIA — A federal lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Philadelphia accusing Sesame Place and its parent company of allowing costumed characters to racially discriminate against Black children, citing an example from June similar to one captured in the recent viral video of a character at the park appearing to dismiss...
Family seeks release of Oakmont teacher being held in Russian prison
Marc Fogel has lived in six countries and taught overseas for 35 years, including stints in Mexico, Malaysia, Colombia, Oman and Venezuela. Last summer, Fogel and his wife, Jane, were about to start their 10th and final year teaching at the Anglo American School in Moscow. But when they arrived...
Former ‘American Idol’ winner Scotty McCreery put in the hard work to make it as a country singerVideo
Winning “American Idol” at 17 was a good thing for country singer Scotty McCreery, but it didn’t mean he had it made. “I think it also made you have to prove a little bit more to the doubters — like you weren’t just a karaoke singer, you’ve got something to...
How a driven prosecutor is building the case to execute Parkland killer: ‘Brick by brick’
MIAMI — When Mike Satz stood up and approached the jury, he did not raise his voice, bellow about justice or dramatically point his finger at the mass murderer seated a few feet away. Instead, the career prosecutor calmly delivered an exhaustive account of Nikolas Cruz’s 2018 rampage through a...
