Editor's Picks category, Page 380
Burgh’ers Brewery creates ‘Black is Beautiful’ beer, helps Urban League
The beer can reads: “Brewed to support justice and equality for people of color.” “I have been around a long time and I have seen a lot of things but I have never seen anything this strong on a product,” said Esther Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League...
Family reunions — another casualty of covid-19 gathering restrictions
The families of James and William Ulery were looking forward to their 95th annual reunion on Aug. 23 at Laurel Highlands Campground Pavilion in Donegal. But, like so many other events this year, the gathering fell victim to the covid-19 pandemic. “I hated like everything to have to (cancel), but...
Trib Total Media nominated for 2 Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards
Trib Total Media is a finalist for two Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards. The newspaper’s “Tree of Life: One Year Later” video was nominated in the Documentary category. The video “The Return of the Clark Bar” was nominated in the Historic-Culture New Single Story category. The Mid-Atlantic Emmys are the mid-Atlantic chapter...
Pepperoni used to coax trapped wiener dog to freedomVideo
Firefighters in Beaver County had to use a good bit of sweat and a little bit of bait to free a dog that became trapped under a building on Wednesday afternoon. Shortly after 2 p.m. a rescue crew from the City of Beaver Falls Fire Department was dispatched to a...
75 years after atomic bombs fell on Hiroshima, area vets believe U.S. did right thing
They are called the “hibakusha,” the survivors of the atomic bombs that fell on Hiroshima 75 years ago today and on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945. Their stories are hard to hear. One survivor visiting Boston in 1985 for Hiroshima’s 40th anniversary reduced a group of reporters to tears. The...
North Huntingdon debating backyard chicken regulations
North Huntingdon officials are battling over proposed regulations that would govern how backyard chickens can be raised without infringing on neighbors’ peace and tranquility. An ordinance the planning commission recommended for approval this week would permit chickens to be raised on property of at least 1 acre; the existing rules...
Registration open for 2021 Pittsburgh Marathon
Registration is open for the 2021 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. “We’re excited to get people back to the start line in May,” said Troy Schooley, CEO of P3R, the organization that puts together the Pittsburgh Marathon each year. “Hopefully, we are able to do that. Registration has been open...
Pittsburgh Black business leaders create ‘Executive Action & Response Network’
Pittsburgh is often touted as one of America’s most livable cities as well as an economic market on the rise. But recent studies have shown that Pittsburgh does not present the same livability and economic opportunities to its Black citizens. While African-Americans make up one-quarter of the city’s population and...
Citizens Bank, Trib Total Media, Pittsburgh Cares now accepting 2021 Champions in Action applications
Applications for a 2021 Champions in Action award are being accepted by Citizens Bank, Trib Total Media and Pittsburgh Cares until Aug. 21. The program is seeking nonprofit applicants for work done related to covid-19 relief. “Applications will be accepted … from nonprofit organizations focused on solving post-pandemic social needs...
Some community yard sales proceed, others are scrapped, amid pandemic concerns
Treasure-seekers can expect plenty of room to maneuver on Friday when they check out the used household items Barbara Phillips will be offering for sale at her Derry Borough home. Given the importance of social distancing during the covid-19 pandemic, Phillips said, “I’m trying to make sure my walkways are...
Allegheny, Westmoreland school districts reveal plans for upcoming classes
In March, school districts across the state were ordered closed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to help curb the spread of coronavirus. Now, they are now developing new health and safety protocols in an effort to restart instruction in the coming weeks. Some will begin with online instruction, some will...
Penn Hills assisted living facility brightens up with art from the BOB ProjectVideo
Residents at a Penn Hills assisted living facility will have brighter days thanks to some district students and staffers. Middle and high school students involved with the charity Bring out the Best Project, also known as the BOB Project, brought some color to Seneca Manor this week. They painted butterflies,...
Virtual banana split fest takes shape; participants sought
Plans for a pie-eating contest and art activities are firming up as Latrobe prepares for its first virtual banana split festival. With less than a month until this year’s online edition of the annual Great American Banana Split Celebration, set for National Banana Split Day on Aug. 25, the Greater...
West Deer police to go forward with golf outing fundraiser despite pandemic
The West Deer Police Department plans to hold its annual golf outing this month despite the coronavirus pandemic that has prompted many organizations to cancel similar fundraising events. “We’re actually very excited,” police Chief Jon Lape said. “Whatever it takes and however we have to social distance and all that,...
New slides at Mammoth Park temporarily shut down amid claims of injuriesVideo
Jamie Crise was happy to hear Tuesday that Westmoreland County officials temporarily shut down new slides at Mammoth Park after her 10-year-old daughter was hurt there last month. The girl ended up with a brush burn on her shoulder and bruises, leaving the Mt. Pleasant Township mother with concerns about...
‘A Virtual Ice Cream Social’ will bring the cool treat to your computer screenVideo
Here’s the scoop on A Virtual Ice Cream Social. The online ice cream celebration, adapted for the coronavirus pandemic, will feature five area sweet-treat experts performing live demonstrations, sharing recipes and dishing out tips. The event is being held via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Aug. 23. A Virtual Ice...
Pittsburgh CLO postpones live shows, plans virtual ‘Christmas Carol’
Pittsburgh CLO has postponed all scheduled in-person performances until 2021, citing “uncertainties and risks related to the ongoing health crisis.” Postponed shows includes the previously scheduled fall Kara Cabaret productions of “Dixie’s Tupperware Party” and “Untitled.” The annual production of “A Musical Christmas Carol” at the Byham Theater will be...
Forbes State Forest interns clear trails, put finishing touch on arboretumVideo
When Jeff Ashley of Bala Cynwyd arrived at the Forbes State Forest office in Laughlintown, he quickly gravitated to an informational kiosk just installed by a group of college interns. “That’s exactly what we wanted to happen,” said Ed Callahan, district forester at the office. “We’re hopeful that people will...
Shoe drive meant to help small businesses in Latrobe area, developing countries
Surplus or outgrown footwear may find a second life while supporting businesses in the Latrobe area and abroad. The Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce is collecting gently worn or new shoes in a drive to raise money for chamber programs and services while offering opportunities for micro-business entrepreneurs...
Sorry, boomers: millennials and younger are new U.S. majority
ORLANDO, Fla. — Sorry, boomers. Millennials and their younger siblings and children now make up a majority of the U.S. population. A new analysis by the Brookings Institution shows that 50.7% of U.S. residents were under age 40, as of July 2019. The Brookings’ analysis of population estimates released this...
Live! Casino Pittsburgh betting on dealer school to fill positionsVideo
An empty storefront in Westmoreland Mall is beginning to look like a casino for the start of Westmoreland County Community College’s dealer school. Eight blackjack tables that can be converted for games such as Texas Hold ’em, Let it Ride and Criss Cross poker fill the space. A roulette wheel...
Nonprofit to reward people who donated to canceled West Leechburg fundraiser
Ian Coyle isn’t letting a canceled fundraiser stop him from doing something nice for people. Coyle, founder and president of the nonprofit Semper Gratus, will be handing out Semper Gratus cups and gift baskets at Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market in Leechburg on Aug. 16. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Coyle had...
Veterans hold Black Lives Matter rally in Pittsburgh
A group of about 25 people, many of them veterans, gathered in Downtown Pittsburgh Sunday to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Organizer Aryanna Hunter, of Murrysville, said the rally was in part meant to spotlight the diversity of worldviews in the military. “We get aligned with...
Highland Park’s LaScola’s Italian Ice and Custard serves up sweet treats, coffee
They call it the “Ice Burg.” It’s a scoop of creamy custard on the bottom and a scoop of refreshing Italian ice on the top. “It’s the perfect combination,” said Tom LaScola, co-owner of LaScola’s Italian Ice and Custard in Highland Park with wife, Tish. “You can choose the flavors...
To buy or not to buy, that is the question with this year’s back-to-school shopping
With questions remaining about how schools will operate in the fall, back-to-school shopping feels a little different this year. “It’s hard to even get excited about it,” said Wynter Hisker of Greensburg during a July 24 trip to Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield. The 12-year-old is a student at Greensburg Salem...
