Kristina Serafini stories, Page 2
Kennywood Park opens for the season
Kennywood Park kicked off its 123rd season Saturday — two months earlier than last year’s delayed opening because of the covid-19 pandemic. Some rides and attractions, including Noah’s Ark, Skycoaster and the 4D Theater, still remain closed as the West Mifflin park follows safety protocols recommended by the Center for...
Photos: Harrison Cub Scouts help fish commission stock at Deer Lakes Park
The lakes at Deer Lakes Park in West Deer instantly became a favorite fishing hole Saturday. Members of Cub Scout Pack 186 in Natrona Heights, Harrison, and their families helped the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stock the lakes with trout....
Carrie Carpool Cinema returns to Carrie Blast Furnaces
Rivers of Steel kicked off its Carrie Carpool Cinema series at the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Swissvale on Friday with the Denzel Washington film, “Fences.” The movie, along with Saturday’s sold out showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” are part of this weekend’s theme of movies that were filmed in...
Vision to Learn mobile eye clinic stops at J.E. Harrison Education CenterVideo
Students at Baldwin-Whitehall’s J.E. Harrison Education Center are seeing a little more clearly these days thanks to a partnership between the district and the non-profit organization, Vision To Learn. The mobile eye clinic provides free eye exams and free glasses to children who may otherwise not have access. Over the...
Rally for Solidarity held in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section
A “Pittsburgh Rally for Solidarity” was held Wednesday in Oakland to protest racism and violence toward the Asian community. A few hundred people participated in the event, which started out at Flagstaff Hill and ended at Schenley Plaza. The event featured several speakers and eight minutes of silence for the...
Several hundred, including actress Sandra Oh, rally in Oakland to ‘Stop Asian Hate’Video
Several hundred people gathered in Oakland on Saturday for a “Stop Asian Hate” rally. The rally, organized by Thrash the State, was held to protest an increase in violence against Asian Americans. Actress Sandra Oh, who is in town filming the Netflix series, “The Chair,” made a surprise appearance. A...
Pre-St. Patrick’s Fest held in Irwin
A Pre-St. Patrick’s Day Food and Family Fun Fest was held in Downtown Irwin on Saturday. Thirteen restaurants and businesses participated in the event selling Irish food, drinks and other items. Children’s games, karaoke and photos with Saint Patrick were offered inside the Shidle Lodge, and a balloon artist was...
Youngwood’s where the wild things are
The monthly Westmoreland Reptile Expo was held at the Youngwood Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall on Sunday. The expo, which began in 2015, features a number of reptiles and amphibians, as well as supplies and other items for sale. The next expo will take place on Feb. 7....
Diamond Theatre of Ligonier presents its postponed play ‘The Christmas Eve Diner Dilemma’
After being postponed for about a month, Diamond Theatre of Ligonier is presenting its original play “The Christmas Eve Diner Dilemma” this weekend. The show, written and directed by Leigh Ann McCulty and her son, Lanigan, is set in the 1950s. It follows Louise, Al, and their two young daughters...
Memorial yard sign fundraiser benefits family of state Rep. Mike Reese
A steady stream of cars passed through the Westmoreland Fairgrounds on Wednesday evening to buy memorial yard signs honoring the late state Rep. Mike Reese. Reese of Mt. Pleasant Township died Saturday following an apparent brain aneurysm. He was 42. He had represented the 59th District in the Pennsylvania House...
South Hills Interfaith Movement hosts 3rd drive-through food distribution
South Hills Interfaith Movement, in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, hosted its third drive-through food distribution event at Bethel Park High School on Saturday. The distribution, which ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and was open to anyone, had enough food to feed 1,000 families. For...
Annual Christmas Tree delivered to City-County Building in Downtown PittsburghVideo
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Downtown Pittsburgh as the delivery of the City-County Building’s 105th Christmas Tree took place Saturday. The towering evergreen was removed from Nona Lee’s residence along Rowley Street in the Hill District’s Crawford-Roberts neighborhood. It was strapped to a truck and transported...
Super supporters: These voters go above and beyond in their adoration for Trump, Biden
As the 2020 general election looms, all eyes are on Pennsylvania. As a key battleground state with 20 Electoral College votes, Pennsylvania is viewed as a linchpin in the candidates’ hopes to win the presidency. Here are eight Southwestern Pennsylvania voters who have gone above and beyond in their support...
Photos: Irwin Fall Festival held at Banco Business Park
The first Irwin Fall Festival is being held at the Banco Business Park this weekend. More than 35 vendors are on hand selling fall-related wares, including candles and painted cement pumpkins, as well as other handmade crafts, clothing, accessories, food and drinks. The event also features several food trucks and...
Photos: Chartiers Valley Primary School students arrive for 1st day of classes
There was none of the usual hugs or handshakes between students and staff as Chartiers Valley Primary Schoolers arrived back to school for the first day of in-person classes. Instead, faculty members greeted students verbally, or with the occasional fist-bump, as they exited school buses or cars one at a...
Photos: Large turnout for weekly ‘Civil Saturdays’ protest in Pittsburgh
The heat did not stop a large group of supporters from showing up to the weekly “Civil Saturdays” protest in Pittsburgh on Saturday. This week’s event, “Civil Saturdays — Purple Parade” was the 12th protest of its kind, organized by Black, Young and Educated (BYE). It started near Bakery Square...
‘Living funeral,’ march held for mother questioning police account of son’s death at Duquesne
A “living funeral” and march were held Thursday as Dannielle Brown continues her search for answers in her son’s death at Duquesne University nearly two years ago. The event began at Freedom Corner in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, where Brown has been staging a hunger strike since July 4. From there,...
Photos: Carrie Carpool Cinema drive-in held at Carrie Blast Furnaces
Rivers of Steel kicked off its Carrie Carpool Cinema series at the Carrie Blast Furnaces this weekend with movies shot in Pittsburgh. On Friday, “Flashdance” and “Out of the Furnace” were projected onto a large screen at the Rankin site, followed by “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Kingpin”...
Photos: Black Lives Matter, Back the Blue rallies held in Shaler
Competing Black Lives Matter and Back the Blue rallies were held in Shaler on Saturday. The Black Lives Matter rally formed outside of Shaler Middle School and was organized by Suburban Action, a group of local Shaler students and recent graduates who “saw a need to take action, not just...
Photos: Tull Family Theater in Sewickley reopens
The Tull Family Theater in Sewickley welcomed patrons back during a soft opening Friday. In an effort to keep customers healthy and safe, and in addition to government guidelines requiring limited occupancy and mask-wearing, the theater installed a new air purification and ionization system and are spraying virucide — a...
Goodwill holds 1st ‘Ultimate Outlet Warehouse Sale’ in Monroeville
Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania held it first ever Ultimate Outlet Warehouse Sale in Monroeville on Wednesday. Due to a generous amount of donations over the last several months, officials said they were “bursting at the seams” and needed to unload some of the merchandise. During the sale, shoppers were able...
Baldwin-Whitehall holds 3 graduation ceremonies due to covid-19 concerns
The Baldwin-Whitehall School District split graduation into three separate ceremonies on Wednesday in an effort to keep members of the class of 2020 and their families safe from covid-19. The ceremonies, each lasting about an hour beginning at 4:30 p.m., were held at Baldwin High School’s stadium. Tickets were limited...
Photos: Rally and march for Black Trans Lives held in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Downtown
A Pittsburgh Action for Black Trans Lives rally and march was held Thursday. Members of the black transgender community and their allies met at Freedom Corner in the Hill District before marching to the Pittsburgh City-County Building where several speakers addressed the crowd with their own personal stories. The nearly...
Photos: Baldwin seniors leave their mark on high schoolVideo
Though the covid-19 pandemic closed schools for months, the virus couldn’t stop tradition at Baldwin High School. Students were there Wednesday for the school’s annual Senior Handprint Day. Each year since the high school was renovated in 2010, members of the graduating class were invited to write their names and...
Photos: Norbert Personal Care residents visit with family for 1st time since mid-March
Norbert Personal Care Home residents June 12 got the chance to see their families in person for the first time since March 12 because the covid-19 pandemic. The socially-distant get-together was held in the driveway and parking lot of the Carrick facility and kicked off with a parade of vehicles...
