Julia Maruca stories, Page 22

When Adam Mason, owner of HEAL Farms in Apollo thinks about buying his next order of chicken feed, he gets a pit in his stomach. “I’m a little worried because we have to get feed soon, and I don’t know the feed price, but every time I’ve gotten feed, it...

Ken DeFurio, who served as president and CEO of Butler Health System, will lead the new organization formed by the merger of Butler and Excela Health, officials announced Tuesday. The merger was final as of Sunday, Jan. 1. John Sphon, who was CEO of Excela Health, plans to retire in...

Police are investigating a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood that left one man dead. At 3:30 p.m. on Monday, officers responded to the 3300 block of Brighton Road for reports of a gunshot victim. They found a man with gunshot wounds, who was taken to the hospital by EMS...

A fire severely damaged a home at 231 Main St. in North Huntingdon early Thursday afternoon, but no people were hurt. Two dogs and two cats were in the home at the time of the fire, and one dog and one cat died. The other cat was still unaccounted for...

As well-below-freezing temperatures approach Western Pennsylvania, emergency assistance services and cold-weather shelters in Westmoreland County are gearing up to help anyone who needs it. United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania encourages people who find themselves without heat to call the 211 hotline, a call center, chat, text and web resource for...

Anyone who finds themselves without heating, warmth or shelter this weekend as temperatures plunge into the single digits can get help and a safe place to stay at warming stations in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Allegheny County’s winter shelters will be open at Second Avenue Commons, 700 Second Ave. and...

When the pandemic first forced the shutdown of restaurants and bars across the state, the community reached out to support Sharky’s Café in Unity. Months later, the restaurant’s management wanted to repay the favor. Owners Jamie and Johnathan Huemme started the first Sharky’s Holiday Dinner Drive meal giveaway in December...

Home for the holidays? Amid a seasonal squall of viruses that doctors say arrived early and may stay late, there are simple ways to improve your chances of staying healthy. Basic health precautions — wearing a mask when around large groups of people, washing your hands, staying home when sick...

Penn Township commissioners will vote on a proposed 2023 budget Dec. 21 that includes a host of capital improvement construction projects. The $10.3 million spending plan does not raise any taxes or cut any services, according to township finance director Colleen Gain. Most notable in the budget, Gain said, are...

A man wanted in connection with a home invasion and robbery Tuesday night in Greensburg is in custody. Police Chief Shawn Denning said Patrick Lee Rosenberry, 29, surrendered after police pinpointed his location and surrounded a residence on Arch Avenue. Rosenberry is accused of breaking into a home on Alwine...

Penn-Trafford School District students who are prepping for graduation have more than a few requirements to check off their lists before they can earn a diploma. Students must complete 4 credits of English, 3.5 credits of social studies, 3 or 4 courses of math, 3 or 4 courses of science,...

Trafford borough council members last week approved a 2023 spending plan of just over $2 million that does not include a tax increase. The budget was balanced with an infusion of $ 559,731.88 from the general fund balance. Compared with this year, the borough will cut expenditures by $313,436 in...

In the two days leading up to the first performance of “The Nutcracker” at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg, every square inch of the space is a flurry of activity and excitement. Onstage, dancers of all ages — some 4 years old — practice pirouettes, leaps and twirls in fluttering...

Every day about 3 p.m., nurses, doctors and staff in the emergency room at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh brace for impact. That hour marks the beginning of an eight-hour stretch that in recent months has been the busiest time of day for the department, which has seen a spike...

When Chris Coles’ husband lost his job as a steelworker in the mid-1980s, she feared for her family. She feared for her ability to put food on the table and pay electric bills, and, most of all, she feared for her son Justin’s health. “We lost our health insurance immediately,...

Live Nativity in Level Green The Level Green Presbyterian Church will present a free Live Nativity program at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 on the front lawn of the church. Visiting with the animals will start at 6:45 p.m., prior to the program. Christmas caroling will follow. Hot chocolate, hot cider,...

Justin Rushin still remembers advice he received at the start of his venture into holiday decorating as owner of Christmas Decor of Pittsburgh. “(The instructor) said one thing that really stuck in my mind: ‘You will never be able to look at a house the same and not think about...

The classic holiday ballet “The Nutcracker” conjures to mind images of precise dancing steps and tulle tutus. At the Penn-Trafford High School Drama Guild, a troupe of high school students are working to prepare a different version: a theatrical edition titled “The Nutcracker: The Play,” which will run at 7:30...

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a bright day for the team at the Westmoreland Food Bank. Leaders at the center, which serves upward of 7,000 families in the Westmoreland region, look forward to the day as a kickoff to a wintertime season of giving. “You think about the holidays, and...

Pittsburgh Police detectives announced Friday night that they located a 13-year-old girl who was previously reported missing. Mariah Moreno was previously reported missing after she did not return home after school on Wednesday....

The annual holiday Sparkle of Christmas parade and celebration returns to downtown Jeannette on Saturday with food, art, children’s activities and wintertime cheer. Presented by the Jeannette Business Association and the Jeannette American Legion, the event will feature a parade, craft show, cookie and candy sale and visit from Santa...

Dominick Domasky of Greensburg finally feels like he’s ready for Thanksgiving after he receives his truckload of turkeys, packed in boxes and stacked on pallets. “There’s four turkeys in a box, and they’re giant boxes, about 4 feet high,” Domasky said. “They bring these boxes out … one weird-looking dolly...

Excela CEO John Sphon doesn’t expect either patients or staff to experience much of a difference in how they access or provide care as the Greensburg-based hospital system moves forward with a merger with Butler Health System. Sphon opened up about the plan Friday as the two organizations announced they...

Excela Health and Butler Health System completed another step toward becoming one by entering into a definitive merger agreement, moving forward with a plan expected to generate more than $1 billion in revenue. The two networks signed a letter of intent to merge on June 1. The agreement announced Friday...

When Ada Drescher came to Western Pennsylvania for the first time 36 years ago as a high school exchange student from Croatia, her host family met her at the airport with a sign that read “Welcome Ada.” The same sign greeted Drescher, now 54, two weeks ago when she returned...