Editor's Picks category, Page 208
Former BrewDog Pittsburgh space up for lease
Two months after closing, the former BrewDog Pittsburgh brewpub location is looking for a new tenant. The East Liberty locale is seeking leases for the 4,000-square-foot restaurant space on Centre Avenue, according to a release from Howard Hanna. A price for rent was not listed. The brewpub opened in February...
John Mellencamp rolls through his hits in Pittsburgh performance
John Mellencamp has spent much of his career using songs to document his outlook on America, the past and the present, both good and bad. Monday night’s sold-out show at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh was a celebration of those hits, with a few newer songs that didn’t seem out...
TV Talk: WPXI-TV adds to on-air roster; Rick Sebak launches podcast
WPXI-TV made three recent on-air hires, including one familiar face (for those with a long local TV news memory). Adis Juklo (pronounced “add-is” “you-klo”), who grew up in Lawrenceville and Aspinwall, is the station’s new weekend morning meteorologist. Antoinette DelBel is a new full-time reporter. Lonni Rivera is on her...
Behind the mask: The ‘I’m fine.’ project uncovers mental health issues
Maureen Joyce peeled back the top of one of the plastic containers, revealing clay face masks inside that seemed to be looking back at her. They were decorated in various colors – some bright and bold and others dark and dreary. Sayings are inscribed such as “It’s OK to NOT...
Irish actor Ray Stevenson, of ‘Rome’ and ‘Thor’ movies, dies at 58
Ray Stevenson, who played the villainous British governor in “RRR,” an Asgardian warrior in the “Thor” films, and a member of the 13th Legion in HBO’s “Rome,” has died. He was 58. Representatives for Stevenson told The Associated Press that he died Sunday but had no other details to share...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking fall TV schedules, animated ‘Gremlins,’ ‘American Born Chinese’
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment including Ming-Na Wen, who grew up in Mt. Lebanon and graduated from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, lending her voice to a character...
Hawaii’s Iam Tongi claims ‘American Idol’ titleVideo
A high school student from Hawaii is the newest “American Idol.” Iam Tongi, 18, was crowned the winner of season 21 during Sunday’s finale on ABC. Tongi, Megan Danielle Worship and Colin Stough were the final three contestants. Stough came in third while Worship came in second in fan voting....
With all the politics and maneuvering, how is life in Florida changing for its residents?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — “Don’t say gay.” Regulation of books and classroom discussion. Teachers, parents and school librarians all navigating new and uncertain ground. LGBTQ+ rights under attack. A very public spat between state government and Disney. And at the center of it all is a governor who has emerged as...
TikTok, social media trends are thrusting performance crimes into spotlight
NEW YORK — Jonnifer Neal’s Kia was stolen twice in one day — first from in front of her Chicago home and later from outside the mechanic shop where she took it to get fixed. But Neal’s ordeal didn’t end there. After her car was recovered a month later, she...
Free pet health clinic fills community need in Jeannette
Dogs and cats, with their owners in tow, lined up outside the City of Jeannette Fire Department more than 30 minutes before the doors opened Sunday morning to receive free medical care. “I think this is a blessing for the community. We really need this, especially since our family can’t...
Pittsburgh chef making homemade pasta going viral on social media
Ryan Peters went viral for simply making homemade pasta for his wife in 2020. The dish turned out really good, he said. “For the next 64 nights, I made homemade pasta,” he said. “I became obsessed with it. I posted on social media. It became my thing, trying to make...
Indiana Township wows young kids with its first-ever ‘Touch-a-Truck’ event
Indiana Township firefighter Mike Klier had a message Saturday morning for 4-year-old Gia Chanampa as he handed her a yellow, plastic firefighters helmet from his firetruck. “You’ve gotta drink your milk and eat your vegetables if you want to be a firefighter,” said Klier, 59, a Shaler resident who responds...
All paws on deck at new Lower Burrell pet grooming collaborative
The layout of Kelly Campana’s dog grooming business is reminiscent of a tattoo parlor. Her space — Muddy Paws Pet Grooming — occupies the front of the shop. Next to her is a booth for Kaylee Zaremba’s business, Pooches on Point. Across from them is a space for the SWAG...
Time-honored tradition: Yough students drive tractors to school
Several Yough Senior High students carried on a time-honored tradition Friday as they drove various makes of farm tractors to the school on Lowber Road in Sewickley Township to celebrate the end of the year. Though not a district-sanctioned event, students bring their tractors to school one Friday each spring...
Wrestling’s ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, the template for Hulk Hogan, dies at 79
“I lift barbell plates. I eat T-bone steaks. I’m sweeter than a German chocolate cake. How much more of me can you take?” When you discuss the hyperbolized figures in pro wrestling history, “Superstar” Billy Graham has to be in the conversation. He was supposed to be a reviled rulebreaker,...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: May 19-21
The weekend has arrived. Here are some ways to spend it. Pink walk The Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk is on Sunday at Schenley Park. The opening ceremony is at 9 a.m. The walk begins at 9:30 a.m. on Panther Hollow Road. It will be a 2.5-mile loop...
Aquinas 3rd grader takes Greensburg Rotary Spelling Bee crown
Alexis Kost, a third grader from Metzgar Elementary School, revealed a hidden talent to her family when she conquered a written spelling test and a classroom spelling competition to earn an invitation to the Rotary Spelling Bee. The competition was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Greensburg for the 15th...
Lake Erie on its way to becoming national marine sanctuary
HARRISBURG — President Joe Biden’s administration took the first step Thursday toward designating the Pennsylvania-owned section of Lake Erie as the state’s first national marine sanctuary. A formal designation could take several years, and it wouldn’t change existing regulations around the use of the lake. The announcement sets up a...
TV Talk: Ming-Na Wen voices character in ‘Gremlins’ series; ABC, CW set fall scheduleVideo
Actress Ming-Na Wen, who grew up in Mt. Lebanon and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, said she was drawn to a voice acting role in the animated prequel series “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” by her love of sci-fi and the show’s 1920s setting. The series uses...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: May 19-21
Retro rock Rock all the way back to the ‘90s with two tribute shows this weekend at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin. • Best of Foo: Tribute to the Foo Fighters, 8 p.m. Friday. • Lounge Fly: A Tribute to Stone Temple Pilots, 8 p.m. Saturday. A ticket...
Cemetery cleanup in McCandless uncovers forgotten past
Hidden beneath brush and dirt was the gravestone of Capt. Moses M. Warrick, 1884 to 1932, a fire marshal of Engine 38 in the City of Pittsburgh who was also a veteran of WWI and lived with his family in the Hill District. Another grave was that of a baby,...
1st full-size 3D scan of Titanic shows shipwreck in new lightVideo
LONDON — Deep-sea researchers have completed the first full-size digital scan of the Titanic, showing the entire wreck in unprecedented detail and clarity, the companies behind a new documentary on the wreck said Thursday. Using two remotely operated submersibles, a team of researchers spent six weeks last summer in the...
San Francisco to name 1st-in-nation drag laureate
SAN FRANCISCO — Anti-trans legislation is roiling the nation. Bills prohibiting drag performances are cropping up in statehouses. Violence and vitriol are turning children’s drag story hour events into headline-news protests. San Francisco is fighting back Thursday by naming the nation’s first drag laureate, an ambassador-style position designed to represent...
Oscar Mayer’s iconic Weinermobile gets a new name
The iconic Weinermobile is no more. The hot dog on wheels is going by a new name — Frankmobile. Oscar Mayer announced the name change Wednesday in conjunction with the debut of a hot dog recipe, according to a news release. Known as Weinermobiles since they first hit roads in...
TV Talk: Soaring fights, searing drama make all-family series ‘American Born Chinese’ a best betVideo
Based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, the Disney+ series “American Born Chinese” proves to be one of the year’s best surprises. A coming-of-age story that at times brings to mind TV greats “My So-Called Life” (though this one is from a boy’s perspective) and “Freaks and Geeks,”...
