Editor's Picks category, Page 308
Animal Friends’ New Year’s Rescue returns
Animal Friends’ New Year’s Rescue returned this year after a hiatus in 2020 due to covid-19. Dogs, cats and rabbits from four partners—the Lawrence County Humane Society, the Humane Society of Greene County, Erie Area Rabbit Society and Animal Charity of Ohio—were brought to Animal Friends on New Year’s Eve...
Pittsburgh Pop: Remembering the legendary Betty White; reactions to ‘Boba Fett’
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 passing of Betty White and her connection to Pittsburgh native Bill Cullen through the TV game show “Password.” They also set their sights...
‘Wait, what?’ quip tops school’s annual banished words list
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — The judges of a Michigan university’s cheeky annual “Banished Words List” have a message for texting and tweeting Americans: Your “wait, what?” joke is lame. The phrase topped Lake Superior State University in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula lighthearted list of 10 “winners” chosen from among more...
Photos of the year 2021
It was a year of starting again. Giving it another try. The coronavirus continued to invade our homes and communities in 2021 but we learned how to rise above it. We got our children back in classrooms and engaged in after-school activities. Restaurants and theaters welcomed patrons in greater numbers....
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Dec. 31-Jan. 2Video
Not-so-fond farewell Can’t wait for this annus horribilus to end? Say goodbye to yet another tough year during “The Last Flush of 2021,” starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Green Beacon Gallery, 235 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. The New Year’s Eve bash will feature dance music, snacks, Champagne and video...
Westmoreland County stories of the year in 2021Video
The covid-19 pandemic continued to make news locally in its second year, from continued illness and deaths to vaccinations and heated discussions and demonstrations about how best to keep children safe at school. But life in Westmoreland County continued in 2021, and other important and newsworthy events happened — including,...
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2021
They both carved out sterling reputations as military and political leaders over years of public service. But both also saw their legacies tarnished by their actions in the long, bloody war in Iraq. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are among the many noteworthy...
Do at-home covid-19 tests detect the omicron variant?
Yes, but U.S. health officials say early data suggests they may be less sensitive at picking it up. Government recommendations for using at-home tests haven’t changed. People should continue to use them when a quick result is important. “The bottom line is the tests still detect covid-19 whether it is...
Get the Led Out brings ‘whole lotta’ Led Zeppelin to GreensburgVideo
“The Song Remains the Same” is a 1976 concert film documenting Led Zeppelin’s 1973 three-night stand at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. You could say it’s also the motto of Philadelphia-based tribute band, Get the Led Out, which plays note-for-note versions of the classic British rock band’s recordings. Long...
Hidden danger: Registered sex offenders often go undetected in care homes, sometimes at an unspeakable cost
It was just a few days past Christmas 2020 when a 57-year-old woman with advanced dementia and a penchant for wandering the hallways stumbled into Richard Marlin Walter’s room at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center. Frail, confused and robbed of her ability to speak, she couldn’t scream for help when...
After 40 years, Westmoreland County’s only scuba diving shop owners are retiring
Van McGhee admits always being captivated as a boy by the underwater adventures of fictitious ex-U.S. Navy frogman Mike Nelson in “Sea Hunt,” a television drama series from 1958-61 starring Lloyd Bridges. “I thought it was just fascinating,” he said. For 40 years, McGhee, 70, and his wife, Barb, 63,...
From rare bourbon to TV anchors: Here are top TribLIVE news stories of 2021
TribLIVE readers dug into thousands of stories and accounted for millions of page views in 2021. The news stories that got the most views? Well, a rare bourbon lottery from the state led the way. But readers also had an oversized interest in local TV news stations moves — three...
15 Pa. laws from 2021 that could affect your life
In Pennsylvania, laws to expand the pool of eligible substitute teachers, make it a crime to steal from the elderly, and improve transparency in government agencies were among those that took effect in 2021. In all, the 100 laws enacted were a mere fraction of the more than 3,000 bills...
Bitcoin worth $15 quintillion is just another day in crypto
Cryptocurrencies made a giant leap in 2021, expanding well beyond their niche among geeks and Redditors. Wall Street strengthened its embrace, with Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer James Gorman declaring it no fad. New York Mayor-elect Eric Adams said he’ll initially get paid in Bitcoin. And tokenmania invaded pop culture,...
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene rants against ‘fake religion’ Kwanzaa as Black holiday begins
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has denounced Kwanzaa as a “fake religion” just as millions of Black people start to celebrate the weeklong holiday. The far-right Georgia lawmaker berated the national College Republicans for “pandering and BS” after the GOP group tweeted a seemingly innocuous happy holiday message. “Stop. It’s a...
Pittsburgh Pop: Ghosts of 2021 pop culture past, present and future
In this week’s 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 year that was in TV and local TV news anchor changes. They tick off some of the highlights of the year in...
Making the cut: Pittsburgh Dave opens barbershop in Ross
Barber school students learn to use a straight razor by cutting a balloon covered in shaving cream. “You learn quickly how to shave someone’s face after the balloon breaks just one time,” said Dave Peters, known as Pittsburgh Dave, who recently opened Steel City Barber Lounge in the My Salon...
Racial reckoning turns focus to Pa. roadside historical markers
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania had been installing historical markers for more than a century when the racist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017 brought a fresh round of questions from the public about just whose stories were being told on the state’s roadsides — and the language used to tell...
‘Go in peace’: Pennsylvania church founded in 1800 holds last service
BELLEFONTE — A Pennsylvania church with a 221-year history held its final service and is scheduled to close at the end of the year because of declining membership and attendance. The First Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, which is nearly as old as the borough itself, held the final scheduled service...
Faces of the Valley: Youngsters with illnesses transformed into Superheroes for calendar
Seven-year-old Giuliana Taylor isn’t famous — yet — but she’s already getting the star treatment thanks to a local nonprofit called Superheroes Believe in Miracles. The group rolled out the red carpet at Giuliana’s home in New Kensington to unveil her glammed-up photos that will appear in a 2022 calendar....
Holiday delivery: Christmas baby for Unity family
Santa had a little something special on his sleigh when it passed over central Westmoreland County on Christmas morning: a baby girl for the Gorzelsky family of Unity. Iris Ann Gorzelsky, the daughter of Kaitlin and Adam Gorzelsky, came into the world two days earlier than anticipated — at 7:47...
Santa’s on his way: Here’s how to track him
All eyes are on the guy dressed in red and white. It’s time for Santa Claus to shine, and there are a few ways to track his gift-giving progress — with the help of nine flying reindeer, Rudolph included of course — before he makes it to rooftops across Southwestern...
10-year-old dons elf suit to spread Christmas cheer at Unity personal care home
A young beacon of the holiday spirit made sure residents at a Unity personal care home felt loved during a special visit Thursday. Dora Runyon, 86, exclaimed when William Gunther, 10, handed her a small elephant stuffed animal, one of 150 he purchased to hand out to those spending Christmas...
‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’
As we do every year on Christmas Eve, we offer you this gift to share with the ones you love: Clement C. Moore’s classic poem about Santa. ’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung...
Things to do in Westmoreland County: Dec. 24-26
Christmas Eve services Churches across the area will open their doors for Christmas Eve services Friday. For those without a regular church home, there are plenty of ways to find a service to attend. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, which includes parishes in Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana and Westmoreland counties,...
