Editor's Picks category, Page 435
Latrobe woman lived long enough to see her Christmas sleigh wish fulfilled
Rita Ruffner was all about Christmas, so much so that she wanted her son, a former Hollywood set designer, to make a Santa’s sleigh for her front yard. Jeffrey Michaels, 51, of Las Vegas started work on the sleigh this summer. He finished days before his mother’s 80th birthday Oct....
Hear Joy Ike’s brilliant cover of Mister Rogers’ ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’Video
Yes, there has been a Mister Rogers overload these past few … years. But Pittsburgh native singer-songwriter Joy Ike’s cover of Fred Rogers’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is spot on and just in time. Not to mention amazing! Armed with a baritone ukulele, Ike seemlessly bops through the iconic...
Prince Andrew to step back from public dutiesVideo
LONDON — Britain’s Prince Andrew said Wednesday he is stepping back from public duties with the queen’s permission. Andrew said it has become clear to him in recent days that his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has become a “major distraction” to the royal family’s work....
Former altar boys sue Pittsburgh diocese alleging years of sexual abuse
Two former altar boys have accused a priest of almost daily sexual abuse for more than three years in the 1980s, according to a 27-page lawsuit filed against the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop David A. Zubik and St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in McDonald. The diocese has yet to be served...
Beer here! Brentwood Distributing launches online beer delivery services
Since 1956, the Dangelo family has delivered beer to bars, restaurants, hotels and other businesses throughout the Pittsburgh region. Thanks to modern technology, they’ve expanded their reach to include all of Pennsylvania. In June, the Dangelos’ wholesale company, Brentwood Distributing, launched Beverages2U. People across the state can now use the...
New acts rule Grammys as Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish lead nominationsVideo
The Grammys are screaming “Cuz I Love You” to Lizzo: The breakthrough singer-rapper scored a whopping eight nominations, including bids for the top four awards, making her the show’s top-nominated act. Lizzo picked up nominations for album of the year with her major-label debut, “Cuz I Love You”; song and...
10 tips for hosting a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner
Whether you’re a first-time host or a seasoned veteran, whipping up a Thanksgiving dinner is no piece of pie … er … cake. Add in a bit of forgetfulness, a touch of poor planning and some overly eager houseguests, and you could quickly find yourself in the middle of a...
Greensburg cafe offers cat and kitten cuteness, with a coffee chaserVideo
On its second day of business, Greensburg’s new Cattfeinated Cat Cafe is quickly filling with customers, many of whom are immediately drawn to the cat “lounges.” The cafe offers baked goods from Peinetti’s in Jeannette and coffee drinks in three sizes — kitten, queen and tom. “Everything is made off-site,...
Nerf gun, Power Rangers claw among latest unsafe toys, watchdog says
BOSTON — A Nerf dart gun, ice cream-scented Nickelodeon slime and a plastic Power Rangers claw are among the toys topping a consumer safety group’s list of worst toys for the holidays. World Against Toys Causing Harm unveiled its annual list Tuesday at a Boston children’s hospital. A realistic toy...
Pittsburgh receives perfect score for LGBTQ protections
Pittsburgh got a perfect score on the annual Municipality Equality Index Scorecard (MEI) on Tuesday, a report from the Human Rights Campaign that rates cities on their inclusivity of LGBTQ communities. The report bases scores on the existence of LGBTQ protections by city government, including non-discrimination laws, services and programs,...
Ski slopes at Seven Springs, Hidden Valley to open this weekendVideo
A late Thanksgiving means an early start to the ski season at Seven Springs and Hidden Valley resorts. Sort of. “Typically the past few years, we’ve been opening on Black Friday (Nov. 23, 2018, and Nov. 24, 2017), which we’ve called ‘White Friday,’” said Katie Buchan, spokeswoman for Seven Springs,...
Pirates post opening for Pierogi jobVideo
Do you have what it takes to be a Pierogi? The Pittsburgh Pirates have put the call out for a new team member by posting a job listing: “2020 Pierogie.” (Of course, the misspelling leads us to wonder if they meant to write “Pierogies,” plural.) The team’s mascots are famous...
Judge: Trust fund can’t be used to pay victims of clergy abuse in Pittsburgh diocese
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh can’t use an $8 million trust fund intended to help needy boys to pay victims of clergy sexual abuse, an Allegheny County judge has ordered. Judge Lawrence O’Toole issued a three-paragraph order last week dismissing the diocesan request to use the 120-year-old Toner Trust that’s...
Doobie Brothers to tour with Michael McDonald for 50th anniversaryVideo
Oh, they’re takin’ it to the streets — again. The Doobie Brothers are set to hit the road (aka the ‘Streets’) in support of the band’s 50th anniversary. (Yeah, that’s a five and a zero.) And they’re doing it with former frontman Michael McDonald. Sure, McDonald has dabbled in reunions...
Boats, motorcycles next to caskets: New Kensington funeral home personalizes services
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@tribweb.com. Ross Walker grew up thinking living with dead people...
Andrew McCutchen, Mayor Peduto serve chili, talk reducing poverty on Pittsburgh’s North SideVideo
Former Pirates player Andrew McCutchen spent Monday night serving up bowls of chili alongside Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto while the pair discussed ways to reduce poverty across Western Pennsylvania. Between scoops, the hairnet-donning outfielder — whom fans affectionately refer to as “Cutch” or “No. 22” — fist-bumped, shook hands and...
OpenTable names top Pittsburgh-area restaurants for November 2019
The restaurant booking service OpenTable has released its monthly tally of eateries that diners rate the highest. The top-ranked spots in the Pittsburgh region include six in the city proper and four that are farther afield. Siempre Algo Siempre Algo is a casual neighborhood favorite along the transforming East Ohio...
Political signs waning in mid-November
From Labor Day through early November, most busy roadsides and intersections are awash in political campaign signs. The small placards emblazoned with a candidate’s name appear by the thousands as office seekers fight for name recognition and public awareness of their campaign efforts for the hundreds of political offices up...
Search for time capsule at former Riverview Elementary School in Harrison comes up empty
The whereabouts of a time capsule buried on the grounds of a former elementary school in Harrison remains a mystery. During the 1950s, 10-year-old Edward Zembrzuski stood outside near a flagpole at Riverview Elementary in Harrison, watching as each class presented an item for inclusion in a school time capsule...
Greensburg, Carnegie made phone history as the first cities with touch-tone phones
Southwestern Pennsylvania made telephonic history in November 1963. Carnegie and Greensburg were first cities in the nation to get Bell Telephone’s touch-tone phones, which would eventually eclipse the old-fashioned rotary models. Bell used the municipalities as test sites before bringing the phones nationwide. According to newspaper reports from the time,...
Baldwin student’s play produced at EQT Young Playwrights FestivalVideo
Walking through the hallways at J.E. Harrison Middle School, Ava Weidensall noticed a flier for City Theatre’s Young Playwrights contest. She had to know more and sought out answers from a teacher who explained that middle and high school kids have the opportunity to submit one-act plays in the contest....
Runners ignore cold day to kick off Red Kettle season for Brackenridge Salvation ArmyVideo
Chassity Mays has a goal of racing in every state. On Saturday, Mays of Brownsburg, Ind., turned in the best time for a woman racing in the inaugural Red Kettle Run for a Reason. The 5K race is a fundraiser for the Salvation Army Allegheny Valley Worship and Service Center...
Former Pirate Andrew McCutchen continues to give back to Pittsburgh community
Andrew McCutchen no longer plays for the Pirates, but he still calls Pittsburgh home. He said that won’t change. Part of the reason McCutchen has continued to live in Pittsburgh during baseball’s offseason is because his wife, Maria, is from DuBois. “We decided before we got married that we would...
Springdale family’s 50-foot tree ready to be spruced up for Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night
A 50-foot blue spruce that grew in the yard of a Springdale couple was moved to the City County Building in Pittsburgh on Saturday to be decorated for Christmas. Lindsay and Dennis Malinowski donated the tree, which, in 1987 was a 5-foot-tall Christmas tree of the property’s previous owner, who...
Pittsburgh athletes can be found on right, wrong end of equipment-related shenanigans
Not since Randall Simon swung a baseball bat at a sausage race competitor 16 years ago has the national spotlight shined on a Pittsburgh professional athlete for an incident involving a piece of equipment. Only this time, a Pittsburgh player was on the receiving end when Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph...
