Editor's Picks category, Page 390

Each person who enters Sacred Heart of Jesus Store in Bloomfield leaves with something, even if they don’t make a purchase. “The blessing doesn’t go on the items we sell; the blessing goes on literally everyone that comes in,” says Sister Mary Madalyn Schleifer, who runs the Liberty Avenue shop...

If you are planning to blow out the candles on your cake on Feb. 29, you are among approximately 205,000 people in the United States who can claim a Leap Year birthday. Many Leap Year babies celebrate on Feb. 28 or March 1 most years. A Leap year gives them...

Nearly 1 in 3 Western Pennsylvanians now has a health insurance plan with UPMC — making the nonprofit behemoth not only the state’s largest private employer and hospital system but also the region’s largest insurer. That’s according to UPMC executives and their newly released 2019 year-end financial statements. They cited...

Giant Eagle will no longer double manufacturer coupons beginning Sunday. With so many e-coupons and digital choices, the store is changing to accommodate technology. The O’Hara-based retailer will continue to redeem the coupons for face value. “As customer usage of manufacturer coupons continues to decrease both in our stores and...

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has released the average SAT scores at public schools across the state. The averages come from students in the class of 2019 who took the standardized test — about 2.2 million students nationwide, according to College Board, the institution that administers the test. The exam...

A Philadelphia-area couple already expecting one life-changing moment received a second one this week, courtesy of TV talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres. Doug and Nick Roberts, of Media, are in the midst of an adoption process. They are also huge fans of the actress Kristen Bell. Somehow, DeGeneres heard about their...

A dormant spot in Downtown Pittsburgh’s version of restaurant row is reopening as a new venue looking to capitalize on the emerging trend of self-serve beer. The Standard Market and Pint House will open in the spring in a newly renovated space in the Courtyard by Marriott hotel first occupied...

From the opening shot of the new Netflix series “I Am Not Okay With This,” the viewer will know that this is not an ordinary dark dramedy about high school kids dealing with teen angst. A young girl is seen walking down the street. She is soaked in blood as...

A construction project along East Carson Street aimed at improving safety is scheduled to start in April. Crews are conducting preparatory work this week to get ready for the project, PennDOT announced Monday. The $16.31 million project targets a 2.5-mile stretch of East Carson Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood....

Sir John Templeton, one of the greatest investors of the 20th century, famously said you should invest “at the point of maximum pessimism.” At various points in his career, he did that in the United States, Japan and New Zealand. Now, I think investors have the chance to do something...

BOISE, Idaho — An 11-year-old girl toting a loaded AR-15 assault weapon appeared Monday with her grandfather, who is supporting legislation that would allow visitors to Idaho who can legally possess firearms to carry a concealed handgun within city limits. Charles Nielsen addressed the committee that voted to send the...

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who did not have a great performance in Wednesday’s Democratic debate, nevertheless said something interesting. “We’re not going to throw out capitalism,” Bloomberg said. “We tried. Other countries tried that. It was called communism, and it just didn’t work.” I’m unclear on when...

While the national average price of gasoline has gone up for the second consecutive week, prices are lower in the Pittsburgh area, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy. The national average went up 2.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.47. In the Pittsburgh area, prices came down by...

Indiana Township police dog Ares is making the most of his last month on duty. The drug-sniffing dog will be the special guest at a retirement party thrown by Fairview Elementary students in Fox Chapel Area School District. Ares joined the township police department in 2010 and became an instant...

HONOLULU — Family members used to describe Lori Vallow as an attentive mother who had her kids’ best interests at heart. But that was before she reportedly declared herself a god sent to prepare the world for an imminent apocalypse. Before three untimely deaths of people surrounding her. Before her...