Editor's Picks category, Page 407
Pittsburgh-area nonprofits develop alternatives as signature fundraisers are canceled
This past Saturday would have been Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s annual Spring Hat Luncheon. The event not only has an attendance roster of 600 of Pittsburgh’s fashionable who’s who, it raises more than a half-million much-needed dollars for the nonprofit. With the covid-19 pandemic, the luncheon didn’t go off as scheduled...
Where’s my check? Answers to common relief payment questionsVideo
The U.S. government has distributed about 130 million economic impact payments to taxpayers in less than 30 days. The IRS anticipates sending more than 150 million payments as part of a massive coronavirus rescue package. The distribution has had some hiccups, including an overwhelmed website, payments to deceased taxpayers and...
Decorate your own Eat’n Park Smiley cookies at home
Eat’n Park on Tuesday launched decorating kits for its popular Smiley cookies. The package contains six plain, baked Smiley cookies, three bags of colorful icing, sanding sugar and sprinkles. Decorating Smiley cookies has always been a hit at community events with Eat’n Park’s Team Smiley, said Kevin O’Connell, the chain’s...
Starbucks reopening cafes with some changes amid coronavirus pandemic
After many Starbucks locations across the country — and world — closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, the coffee chain giant is now quickly moving to reopen cafes. Starting this week, customers can pick up orders at the door. At locations where safety guidelines can be applied, they can pick up...
Pittsburgh’s Nellie Bly gets spotlight in empowerment project
This was a different kind of draft for the National Football League. It featured players who made their mark in the game of life. The draft consisted of 32 iconic women pioneers in American history, honoring the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Thirty-two...
Ohio GOP lawmaker Nino Vitale refuses to wear a mask because faces are the ‘likeness of God’Video
At least the excuse Nino Vitale used for not wearing a mask was a little more interesting than what Vice President Mike Pence recently offered. Vitale, an Ohio state representative, said Monday he will not wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic because faces are the “likeness of God.” “This...
Cinco de Mayo meal deals, virtual 5K offered
Since large social gatherings remain off-limits in Southwestern Pennsylvania, area residents who want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo Tuesday with Mexican cuisine will have to make do with DIY or take-out. For the latter, Chipotle Mexican Grill is offering free Queso Blanco when added to an entree order on Tuesday....
On this May the 4th, ‘Star Wars’ creator has message of a new hopeVideo
If there’s one enduring theme of the “Star Wars” movies, it’s to never give up hope. Today is May the 4th, and Lucasfilm has released a short video for the annual homage to the phrase, “May the force be with you” — but tailored to the particular circumstances of May...
Western Pa. college students in line for cash from coronavirus stimulus package
Students struggling to make ends meet after colleges and universities shuttered earlier this spring could soon see extra cash in their bank accounts. Schools across the country are receiving millions of dollars for eligible students as part of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. It provides students...
Interest in gardening grows during coronavirus pandemicVideo
With more time at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, Avalon’s Sarah Pope has turned to gardening to pass the time and provide a temporary distraction. Pope began planting a new vegetable garden two weeks ago to grow dill, basil, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers for pickling. Last week,...
Oakmont nurse was on her way to help covid-19 patients when she tragically died
An Oakmont nurse who lived to help others spent the last moments of her life on her way to do just that. Brianna M. “Bea” Kimmel, 28, died April 26 from injuries she suffered when her car collided with a tractor-trailer in Union County. A licensed practical nurse, Kimmel had...
‘Virtual Senior Academy’ expands to connect more older adults during pandemic
Many older adults feel isolated and lonely — and not just during quarantine for a pandemic. But the past six weeks of social distancing and stay-at-home orders have removed more seniors from routine companionship. In response to the increased need, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation has ramped up its Virtual Senior...
Billy Gardell recreates scene from ’Raiders of the Lost Ark’Video
Billy Gardell, Pittsburgh actor and comic, donned his swashbuckling hat and leather bag to recreate a scene from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in a kitchen. CBS shared the 1-minute, 32-second clip Saturday to promote its airing of the 1981 action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg which starred Harrison Ford...
Lower Burrell funeral home arranges ‘drive-thru’ visitation for former Arnold man, volunteer firefighter
It wasn’t your typical viewing. Nor was it the way Kaye Barnes probably thought his family and friends would have to say goodbye. But it’s something he likely would have enjoyed, his son said. “He loved to have a good time,” said his son, David Barnes. On April 24, between...
How Natrona Heights photographer John Filo captured the horror of Kent State killings
John Filo couldn’t get out of Ohio fast enough. It was early afternoon on May 4, 1970, and he was driving with rolls of film he had hidden in his red Volkswagen Beetle. The film contained photos Filo had just taken — images of the killings of unarmed students protesting...
Editorial: Wolf needs consistent message
It’s a system used for stoplights and preschool behavior charts: red, yellow, green. Apply it to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns and you have a series of gates that keep Pennsylvanians behind closed doors. Until May 8. On Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf announced a list of 24 counties that will go...
Adapting: Dance students, teachers adjust to life during coronavirus pandemicVideo
Editor’s note: Adapting is a regular series spotlighting the ways the global coronavirus pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. Nine months ago, Isabel Ganovsky and her fellow senior dance majors at North Carolina’s Elon University started planning their senior thesis project. “We chose to create...
Almost a straight-A student, Clint Hurdle could have gone to Harvard
Clint Hurdle never went to college, but he was offered an academic scholarship to Harvard. “I was deeply intrigued about what it would be like to go to an Ivy League school and be a student,” Hurdle said. Hurdle, who managed the Pittsburgh Pirates for nine years, was a coveted...
Why your hair appointments will have to wait even in the yellow phase
Hair, nail and massage appointments will have to wait even after a Pennsylvania county moves into the yellow phase in which coronavirus-related restrictions will begin to ease. “Those facilities — such as hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, massage parlors — are not opening because it is impossible to practice social...
Facebook offering grants to small businesses in Pittsburgh
Facebook is offering cash grants to small businesses in Pittsburgh as part of a $100 million fund designed to help 30,000 businesses in more than 30 countries during the coronavirus pandemic. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, in a teleconference with the Tribune-Review on Friday, said the company chose areas where it...
Murrysville school plans ‘drive-thru graduation’ for kindergarten students
The drive-through service model is working well for restaurants and some other businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, so Mother of Sorrows School officials in Murrysville thought: why couldn’t it work just as well for kindergarten students making the transition to first grade? The school, on Old William Penn Highway, will...
American Lung Association switches anti-tobacco ‘Day at the Capitol’ to virtual rally
Given the coronavirus pandemic, the American Lung Association and the Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco are shifting their annual “Day at the Capitol” rally to a virtual town hall meeting on May 5. “Lung health has never been more important in Pennsylvania,” said Deborah Brown, American Lung Association Chief Mission...
Game Commission seeking information on fatally injured osprey in Indiana County
The state Game Commission is investigating how an osprey was fatally injured this week in rural Indiana County, north of Blairsville. Game commission Officer Chris Reidmiller said the eagle-like hawk was discovered Tuesday by area residents in a farm field in Blacklick Township with a severe injury to one of...
Trib ups grant fund to $1 million
It was a million dollar moment for businesses throughout the region Thursday when Trib Total Media expanded its advertising grant program from $250,000 to $1 million, meeting an overwhelming first-day demand for funds aimed at helping companies regain their footing amid the covid-19 crisis. Just seven hours after the application...
Postal Service hiring for temporary jobs at $17.95 per hour
The U.S. Postal Service is hiring temporary workers in the Pittsburgh area for jobs that pay $17.95 per hour. The deadline to apply is Saturday, the postal service said in a news release. The available positions are mail processing assistants at the USPS Pennwood Place processing center in Warrendale and...
