Editor's Picks category, Page 89
Inside ‘The Underground’: Iron Mountain in Butler County preserves audio, video, digital media for the future
When audio engineer Brett Zinn began working with the master tapes of “Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, he noticed an unusual item on the track list. “I was looking at it, when I was transferring, I’m like, ‘cup?’ What on earth is ‘cup?’ Why would I...
Where can you listen to live Christmas music?
From Christmas cantata choirs to community bands to elementary and high schools, ‘tis the season for holiday music. Here are some seasonal concerts happening across southwestern Pennsylvania. Events are free except where indicated. • Scottdale Concert Band holiday concert, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Woodcrest Senior Living Community, 1 Woodcrest...
Mt. Pleasant area family racking their way to pool championships
The family that shoots pool together stays together, according to the Barnharts of Mt. Pleasant. The Barnhart family — Roy Barnhart, 76, his son, Kevin, 51, and his grandson, Kevin Jr., 23 — are an integral part of the eight-member Bridgeport Rack Runners team in Bullskin, Fayette County. Their squad...
Chevy Chase lights Rivers Casino Christmas tree, brightens ‘Vacation’ fans’ spirits
The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh had a special guest light its Christmas tree on Friday night. Actor Chevy Chase, who played Clark Griswold in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” and other movies in the “Vacation” franchise, plugged in the tree. But not before he declared “Drum roll, please!” just as Griswold...
‘It keeps my brain sharp’: 88-year-old Norwin library staffer reflects on decades-long career
At 88, Marge Vessalo could have been retired decades ago. But the North Huntingdon resident has no plans to give up her one-day-a-week job at the Norwin Public Library in Irwin. “Retire from the library? Probably never. I think that it is good for the brain,” said Vessalo, who started...
Brown Mamas Marketplace a way to support Black women on Small Business Saturday
Muffy Mendoza, founder of Brown Mamas, Inc. and the Brown Mamas Marketplace, is excited about the next iteration of the marketplace on Saturday. It is no coincidence that the event aligns with Small Business Saturday, kicking off the holiday shopping season by supporting Black women. She started Brown Mamas in...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 29-Dec. 1
Now that we’re all full and well-rested after a Thanksgiving feast, we’re ready to work off some calories by getting out and about this weekend. Whether you’re into music, comedy or some holiday fun, here are a few things to check out around town. An Evening With Chevy Chase “National...
TV Talk: Hallmark courts NFL fans, Swifties with ‘Touchdown;’ ‘The Agency’ stunsVideo
PASADENA, Calif. — The road to Hallmark Channel’s Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce romance-inspired “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” (8 p.m. Saturday) began in January when the Kansas City Chiefs posted a Hallmark movie parody trailer that starred Tyler Hynes, who’s now also the star of “Holiday Touchdown” with Hunter King...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 29-Dec. 1
The Thanksgiving leftovers may be in the fridge, but your out-of-town family may still be here and want to get out of the house. There’s a little something for everyone going on in Westmoreland County this weekend. Here are a few ideas: Candle and wreath workshop Wicks and Wax Studio...
Mariah Carey, Kansas, Justin Timberlake highlight top December concerts in Pittsburgh
It’s getting closer to wrapping up 2024, but there are still several big concerts in Pittsburgh to close out the year. Here’s a look at some of the top shows coming to the area in December: Top concerts Dec. 11: Mariah Carey at PPG Paints Arena As soon as the...
Podcast: How to survive holiday politics
Light Up Night on Saturday night in Downtown ignited the holiday season in the Pittsburgh area and signaled the start of holiday gatherings, festivities and time with loved ones. But for some families this year, there’s a glaring obstacle. On the heels of a particularly energetic and polarizing election, politics...
Comfort food: East Huntingdon man provides meals for fellow patients at Unity cancer center
Nina Wilson gave thanks at the end of her four-hour chemotherapy session this week. Thanks to the efforts of fellow cancer patient Corey Rhodes, the 84-year-old Mt. Pleasant Township woman was able to end her long morning enjoying a Buffalo chicken salad — or at least part of the dish....
Northern lights may be faintly visible across parts of the U.S. this Thanksgiving
NEW YORK — This Thanksgiving, solar storms may produce faint auroras across the northern rim of the United States. Pale auroras may be seen across many northern states Thursday and Friday, but they may be brief and and seeing them will depend on how intense the solar storms get, NOAA...
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh to feature music by Roger Humphries, Frzy
People in Western Pennsylvania can ring in 2025 with jazz legend Roger Humphries. The Pittsburgh jazz icon will present “Roger Humphries Celebrates the Music of Ray Charles” with his big band and vocalists from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 at the Byham Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh. Humphries and...
Merchant Oyster Co. in Lawrenceville is closing, building for sale
A popular Lawrenceville restaurant will be shucking its last oyster soon. Merchant Oyster Co. is closing up shop next week, the restaurant announced on social media. The Butler Street oyster joint will hold its last day on Dec. 4 with a special ticketed event. “This decision wasn’t easy, but we’re...
TV Q&A: Where do TV stations get their filler news stories?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: In a previous article you explained that the reason KDKA (and to a slightly lesser extent WTAE) mix in 3½ hours of filler material with...
Brian Leri, longtime chef at Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco, remembered for devotion to restaurant, customers
Brian Leri, 51, of Natrona Heights, the longtime executive chef at Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco in Oakmont, died Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Leri spent 30 years at the eatery after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1994. He became the restaurant’s executive chef in 2002....
How to watch and stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
NEW YORK — The holiday season really kicks off when the massive helium balloons start floating through New York. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade — two years away from its 100th birthday — this year will feature 17 giant character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching...
What Black Friday’s history tells us about holiday shopping in 2024
NEW YORK — The holiday shopping season is about to reach full speed with Black Friday, which kicks off the post-Thanksgiving retail rush later this week. The annual sales event no longer creates the midnight mall crowds or doorbuster mayhem of recent decades, in large part due to the ease...
Renee Piatt creates and curates a collection of jewelry to empower women
For Renee Piatt, seeing earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings from her collection on another woman is about more than noticing sparkling pieces of jewelry — it’s about a deeper shine. “I want to empower women with my jewelry,” said Piatt, founder of the Renee Piatt Collection. “When she walks into...
Trib Total Media accepting applications for scholarship opportunities
Trib Total Media is accepting applications for three scholarships, which provide students an opportunity to gain experience in reporting, business and marketing. Recipients will receive scholarships and annual internships. Those who complete the program are offered full-time jobs upon graduation. The Jim Borden Memorial Scholarship, which launched in 2019, honors...
Eggs are available — but pricier — as the holiday baking season begins
Egg prices are rising once more as a lingering outbreak of bird flu coincides with the high demand of the holiday baking season. But prices are still far from the recent peak they reached almost two years ago. And the American Egg Board, a trade group, says egg shortages at...
10 options from Santa’s big bag of Christmas TV programming
Hollywood cranks out holiday programming as fast as toys are made in Santa’s workshop with broadcast networks, cable channels and streaming services offering seasonal specials. This year’s options include three sequels to the 2023 Hallmark Channel hit “Christmas on Cherry Lane,” a docuseries following what happens when a letter to...
At the crossroads of news and opinion, ‘Morning Joe’ hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting
One of the striking things about how furiously many people reacted to the news last week that MSNBC “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski met with President-Elect Donald Trump was how quaint their defenders sounded. “It is insane for critics to NOT think all of us in the...
The return of Pittsbugh’s holiday pop-up bars
Celebrate the season at Downtown Pittsburgh’s newest pop-up holiday bars. The Industrialist Hotel debuted a 1950s retro-themed pop-up holiday cocktail lounge Friday. Visitors mingled and sipped cocktails on its opening night among tons of tinsel, silver, red and pink Christmas trees and holiday light displays — all blended among cozy...
