Editor's Picks category, Page 395
56-pound flathead catfish caught in Eastern Pa., setting state record
When Lancaster County angler Jeff Bonawitz, 54, of East Lampeter Township reeled in a state record 50-pound, 7-ounce flathead catfish on the Susquehanna River in April 2019, he said, “I have a feeling this record may not last very long.” Bonawitz was right. His record ended up lasting a little...
Wandering pig puzzles Yukon residents
Residents of Spring Street in Yukon are trying to solve a porcine mystery. Several people have seen a large, black pig roaming around their yards — and nobody is sure where it came from. Marsha Tomay this week first spotted the swine coming out of the woods behind her house....
South Greensburg firefighters, public works crew rescue 8 ducklings from storm drain
South Greensburg public works department employees and volunteer firefighters teamed up Wednesday morning to rescue eight baby ducks that fell into a storm drain, according to borough resident Dave Todaro. “I guess the mother duck was flying from rooftop to rooftop upset that her babies had fallen through a storm...
Hempfield’s Movies in the Park to return in July with regulations in placeVideo
Hempfield’s Movies in the Park will be delayed this year as township officials work to comply with regulations put in place to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Originally slated to start Friday, the series now will begin July 24 at the Hempfield Park amphitheater, said Aaron Siko, director...
Concerts at Moon drive-in to benefit Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
With many summer activities canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic, people might have to travel to the moon to experience live music. Promoters Drusky Entertainment and Rich Engler made that possible by presenting benefit shows for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in Moon Township. The Clarks are set to...
BabyNames.com alters homepage to honor black Americans killed by police, fellow citizens
Emmett Till. Walter Scott. Freddie Carlos Gray Jr. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Antwon Rose II. The website BabyNames.com bucked its normal homepage on Tuesday, replacing trending and popular baby names with 107 names of black men and women who have been killed by police or, in some instances, fellow Americans:...
Major Western Pa. museums make plans for safe reopeningVideo
People eager to visit their favorite museums post-pandemic shutdown will have to wait a little longer for doors to open at some of the region’s major institutions, even in the green phase. Under current state and CDC safety guidelines, there’s more to consider than just turning on the lights and...
Pitt to reopen this fall with ‘compressed’ schedule during pandemic
The University of Pittsburgh will reopen this fall under an adjusted calendar and classroom capacity restrictions. Students will not return to campus after Thanksgiving break, making their last day on campus Nov. 20. The move makes Pitt one of many universities to choose an adjusted calendar amid the covid-19 pandemic....
Corey Hart remakes classic ’80s hit ‘Never Surrender’ for pandemic eraVideo
A classic song never gets old. But they sometimes get remade. Canadian singer-songwriter Corey Hart is responsible for one of the more classic hits from the 1980s: “Never Surrender,” a Top 10 hit from 1985. Inspired by the world’s response to the covid-19 pandemic, Hart has revisited the famous track...
Tarentum launching summer concert series this week
The concerts will go on in Tarentum. With covid-19 restrictions easing, the borough’s recreation board and council made the “very hard decision” to go forward with Tarentum’s popular summer concert series, starting this Thursday, Councilwoman Carrie Fox said. “We want to keep as much normalcy as we possibly can,” she...
USPS seeking to hire rural carriers at $18.56 an hour
The United States Postal Service has numerous openings for rural carrier associate positions throughout Western Pennsylvania . The positions pay $18.56 an hour and are paid bi-weekly, according to postal service spokeswoman Jill Walters. Interested applicants can only apply online at usps.com/careers. From the website, applicants can click “Search Jobs,”...
Washington County native wins big on ‘Press Your Luck’Video
When Emily Dowler was in kindergarten, she thought she wanted to be a game show host when she grew up. Well, the Washington County native and Pittsburgh resident became a big winner on a game show instead. Dowler brought home more than $400,000 in cash and prizes on the season...
Pittsburgh Zoo welcomes 3 African lions
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is asking for the public’s help to renovate its lion exhibit for a trio of new lions, with the hope there could be more in the future. Three African lions, a 2-year-old male and a pair of 2-year-old females, are now out of sight...
Topical mural in Vandergrift aimed at bringing people together
A Vandergrift artist has started a mural project he hopes will bring the community together. When Vandergrift’s annual ArtFest was canceled because of the covid-19 pandemic, Alex Chaffins said he saw an opportunity. The ArtFest, originally scheduled for July 25, was created to promote art as a mental health tool...
Trib Total Media big winner in SPJ contest
Trib Total Media was named the overall best daily newspaper in Pennsylvania in the Society of Professional Journalists Keystone Chapter’s Excellence in Journalism contest for 2019. It was the second consecutive year the Trib won the organization’s top award. “We are humbled by this recognition from such a prestigious, time-honored...
When protesters cry ‘defund the police,’ what does it mean?Video
WASHINGTON — Protesters are pushing to “defund the police” over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans killed by law enforcement. Their chant has become rallying cry — and a stick for President Donald Trump to use on Democrats as he portrays them as soft on crime. But...
JK Rowling’s tweets on transgender people spark outrage
LOS ANGELES — “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling is facing hefty backlash after she posted a series of tweets about transgender people. Rowling drew outrage Saturday on Twitter when she criticized an opinion piece from Devex that used the phrase ” people who menstruate.” “I’m sure there used to be...
Only surviving injured calf from turnpike crash heads to Beaver County rescue ranchVideo
It’s a good thing cows can’t speak English. If they did, Ribeye the calf might be a lot more worried about what his name means for his future. But the 3-month-old Holstein — one of 135 bull calves involved in a March 3 truck crash on the turnpike — has...
Cameron Barnett: 7 tips for white allies from a black Pittsburgher
Dear Potential White Ally, It’s me, your black friend/neighbor/co-worker/family member/acquaintance/person in the world. 2020 has been a lot to handle — an election year, a pandemic, economic depression, and now this. Brutal civilian and police killings of black Americans have punctuated the first half of this year. In Georgia, three...
Norwin student linking mask users, makers
A Norwin High School student’s community service project connects mask users with area crafters willing to make them. Lydia Berger, who will be a senior, said she came up with the idea for the covid-19 mask initiative days after the governor’s stay-at-home order went into effect in March. ”I was...
New Kensington-Arnold celebrates Class of 2020 with parade through cities
The back of Amanda Reidy’s car was filled with balloons when she arrived at Valley High School in New Kensington on Friday morning to participate in a parade for the Class of 2020, which includes her son, James. The parade through New Kensington and Arnold was just one of several...
No traditional graduation celebration? No problem for Highlands High grads who get parade instead
The Highlands Class of 2020 did not get to march at commencement on Friday evening, but they did get to be recognized. The seniors rode in cars, many poking out of the top of sunroofs, some riding in the back of pickup trucks, all escorted by police and volunteer firefighters...
Derry Area Middle School club receives Children’s Hospital fundraising award
Derry Area Middle School’s Farkleberry Club recently received the Youth Fundraiser Award from the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. The club’s annual campaign, during the fall 2019 semester, raised $5,649.73 for the hospital’s Free Care Fund. The fundraising effort has been a tradition at the school for more than four...
June is the month to make emergency plans for your pets
We’ve heard about “go bags” and other types of preparation for both man-made and natural disasters. But when you’re planning a quick exit from danger for yourself and your family, you also need to think about your pets. We’ve all seen heartbreaking photos and videos of animals left behind in...
Pitt football players’ voices heard in shout-out against racial injustice
Expectations are high for the Pitt football team this season. But nothing any Pitt player will do while wearing a helmet will have the same impact as the words of nine of them in a 4-minute, 32-second video produced this week. My time on the team taught me more than...
