Editor's Picks category, Page 425
‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ reviews range from disappointing to satisfying
The latest installment of “Star Wars” films is almost here. But if you can’t wait for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” here’s some reviews from around the web, ranging from disappointment to satisfaction. • Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier writes that “the film plays like a 150-minute checklist of cool stuff...
Pittsburgh police, CAPA students join for pop-up Christmas caroling DowntownVideo
Pittsburgh police officers and students from the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts magnet school spread holiday cheer Wednesday morning as the two groups met to sing Christmas songs together in Downtown. Students from the school’s vocal department and officers from Zone 2 belted out holiday favorites along Liberty Avenue as...
O’Hara man savors lifetime of Steelers memories as member of chain gang
The Immaculate Reception, he was there. The Steelers 1979 AFC Championship game victory over the Houston Oilers, he was there. The infamous Mud Bowl game in 2007 between the Steelers and the Miami Dolphins, yes, he was there, too. For 50 years, Leo Pilarski, 78, has been prowling the sidelines...
Trafford offers grant for facade improvements – but not for naked mannequins
Entrepreneurs who want to open a business in Trafford next year will have a shot at a $600 matching grant for improving their storefront’s facade, though there is a catch. The money is available to any business owner who has designs on sprucing up their storefront in Trafford “as long...
Duquesne University’s ‘puppy dog eyes’ study among most influential of 2019
A research paper that studied how “puppy dog eyes” evolved to help dogs communicate with humans was ranked as one of the top 100 most influential studies of 2019. The paper, co-authored by Anne Burrows, a biological anthropologist in Duquesne University’s Department of Physical Therapy, ranked 27th in the Altmetric...
Kennywood’s Steel Curtain finishes 10th in coaster rankingVideo
Kennywood’s newest roller coaster made the list of best steel coasters of the past decade — barely. Coaster101.com last week ranked the top steel roller coasters that opened from 2010 through 2019 and Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain took the tenth spot. The coaster’s nine inversion are a North American record and...
300 kids have wishes come true at Shop With a Cop eventsVideo
The notebook state Trooper Tavin Davis typically uses during investigations served a different purpose Tuesday. He used it to jot down the cost of toys for two Youngstown children at the Unity Walmart store to make sure they stayed within budget. Daniel Wallace, 3, put a Play-Doh kit in the...
2 Penn State fraternities may keep State College houses, Pa. court rules
State College cannot shutter two fraternity houses, even though Penn State revoked its recognition of the frats, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. Sigma Alpha Mu, 329 E. Prospect Ave., was suspended in April 2017 for violating nearly all of the university’s tighter alcohol rules that were imposed after the...
Steelers’ Joe Haden delivers Super Bowl tickets to Cornell coachVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden made a special visit Tuesday to Cornell High School in Coraopolis to present football coach Ed Dawson with Super Bowl LIV tickets courtesy of the NFL Super Bowl Ticket Giveaway Program. “Coach Dawson has worked his tail off to build the program,” Cornell School District...
Free Wi-Fi coming to all Allegheny County Port Authority buses, light rail
Allegheny County Port Authority customers will be able to surf wherever they ride by early 2020. Port Authority will finish installing free, unlimited Wi-Fi on its fleet of more than 400 buses and on light rail cars in the coming months, the authority announced Monday. The signal will be strong...
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro classifies ‘ghost guns’ as a firearm
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Monday announced he has closed a loophole in the state’s gun laws by classifying self-assembled gun kits — sometimes called “ghost guns” — as a firearm, making it illegal for felons and others not permitted to have a gun to possess. Shapiro said his...
$100K New Year’s raffle ticket sold in Penn Hills
A winning raffle ticket with a $100,000 prize was sold at Penn Hills Convenience in Penn Hills, the Pennsylvania Lottery announced Monday. The ticket was drawn as the fifth $100,000 Weekly Drawing prize. The weekly drawing is part of the New Year’s Millionaire Raffle, which began in November. The game...
Yinzer Yuletide celebrates Christmas traditionsVideo
Yinzer Yuletide, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s new entertainment experience, fills the O’Reilly Theater with holiday spirit. Beginning with the decor of the theater’s large front windows, the experience features WQED producer Rick Sebak hosting a variety show. The idea for the program came from the theater’s managing director, Lou Castelli, and...
Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher gets raise, will make $828,000 in 2020
University of Pittsburgh officials say Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, who is completing his sixth year at the helm of Pitt, is a keeper and they’d like to make good on his desire to continue in office through retirement. Eva Tansky Blum, who chairs the Pitt board of trustees, said Gallagher’s performance...
Sick of the old holiday staples? 10 movies you may have missedVideo
Though much beloved and holiday staples, yet another viewing of “A Christmas Story” or “Home Alone” might be enough to bring out your inner Grinch … with a vengeance. Looking for something still holiday-ish, that might just become a new favorite? Here are 10 to consider: 1. ‘Meet Me in...
In New Kensington, there really is a SantaVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things that they do. A casting call for a sixth-grade school play would land New Kensington native Tom Hogan the role of a lifetime. St. Joseph School in the early 1970s needed someone...
Marshall hosting learn to ski program
Marshall Township residents curious about skiing can learn more about what to expect on the slopes during a free class from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday at the municipal building. “Going Skiing for the First Time” is for people curious about learning to ski but uncertain about how to approach...
Hallmark to reinstate same-sex marriage commercial it pulledVideo
NEW YORK — The Hallmark Channel will reinstate same-sex marriage commercials that it pulled from the network, according to a company statement sent Sunday. An ad for wedding planning site Zola featuring two brides kissing at the altar was pulled following a complaint from the conservative group One Million Moms....
141-year-old fruitcake is a Michigan family’s heirloom
TECUMSEH, Mich. — Some families pass down jewelry, watches or even recipes. But a Michigan family has its own heirloom: a 141-year-old fruitcake. “It’s a great thing,” said Julie Ruttinger, the great great granddaughter of Fidelia Ford, who baked the cake in 1878. “It was tradition. It’s a legacy.” The...
Unsung heroes: Pittsburgh men, decades-long study impact HIV/AIDS researchVideo
Somber tones from the Reuter Opus organ filled Heinz Memorial Chapel on a dark December night as a small crowd filtered into the towering neo-Gothic church on the University of Pittsburgh campus to mark World AIDS Day. As they have for more than three decades, the Pitt Men’s Study leaders...
Houses of worship attacked with deadly frequency in 2019
On Dec. 1, a band of assailants opened fire on worshippers at a small-town Protestant church in Burkina Faso, an impoverished West African country where the Christian minority is increasingly a target of attacks. The victims included the pastor and several teenage boys; regional authorities attributed the attack to “unidentified...
35 cats and dogs rescued from West Deer home
Thirty cats and five dogs living in “deplorable conditions” at a West Deer home were rescued, according to a local animal shelter that is caring for them. Authorities responding to a complaint from a resident Friday said there was a “pungent odor emanating from the house” and obtained a warrant...
Wellness-focused EVEN Hotel opens in former Kaufmann’s in Downtown Pittsburgh
The EVEN Hotel doesn’t believe in odd-numbered rooms, hence the name. Located in the historic former Kaufmann’s department store in Downtown Pittsburgh, the brand from InterContinental Hotels Group opened in late October. The grand opening was Dec. 4. It is one of 12 such hotels, and the chain expects to...
Artist teams with Pandora, Pittsburgh Improv for interactive muralVideo
This is no joke: There is an interactive mural at the Pittsburgh Improv comedy club in the Waterfront, Homestead. Artist Brian Holderman, of the West End, painted the piece that adorns the side of the building. He’s drawn a female comedian, audience members laughing, cocktails, a piano and a marquis....
With Taylor Swift turning 30, here’s a look at her Pittsburgh stops over the years
It’s Dec. 13 and for some, that’s a big deal. Taylor Swift turned 30 today. With a milestone birthday, let’s look back at some times the Reading-born music star has performed in Pittsburgh. Over the years, the Trib has covered her concerts, through photos (above) and stories.Aug. 7, 2018, Reputation...
