Editor's Picks category, Page 413
She didn’t want to be a nurse. Now she’s director of a Frazer school that teaches nurses
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things they do. Lynne Rugh never thought nursing was for her. But a nudge from a friend’s mother led her to a rewarding career she has been working in for close to five...
Chocolate-covered dreams at Speckled HenVideo
Chocolate lovers have a sweet destination in rural Clinton Township. Speckled Hen Chocolate Co. opened in 2013, specializing in unique gourmet hand-dipped chocolates, gift baskets, event favors, chocolate-themed classes and homemade fudge. Sarver native and owner Valerie Cannon, 45, often provided homemade chocolate-covered pretzels for her co-workers. She made the...
Déjà vu, again: Bill Murray is back for ‘Groundhog Day’ Jeep commercialVideo
Just like the premise of the movie “Groundhog Day,” its star Bill Murray, and others are back again — but this time riding in the new Jeep Gladiator as the getaway vehicle. The 60-second commercial debuted on television Sunday during Super Bowl LIV. For some, the biggest football game of...
Troubling trends in outdoor recreation participationVideo
Maybe you’ve seen it in the news lately. America is facing a potential french fry shortage because of a poor potato crop. Couch potatoes remain plentiful, though. In fact, some new data suggests that — for the first time in years — while participation in outdoor recreation remains high, the...
Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth honor Kobe Bryant with emotional ‘See You Again’ halftime performanceVideo
The Los Angeles Lakers’ first game after the tragic death of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant was filled with heartfelt tributes. Friday’s game at the Staples Center, “The house that Kobe built,” featured the Lakers hosting the Portland Trailblazers. At halftime, Pittsburgh’s Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth performed their hit song...
Pittsburgh Dad spins wheel on ‘Price is Right’ stageVideo
Pittsburgh Dad finally made his appearance on “The Price is Right.” Sort of. Curt Wootton, the man behind “Pittsburgh Dad,” and his crew were in the audience for an episode of the game show that aired Friday on CBS. The show was taped in December. Thanks for stopping by #PriceIsRight,...
Humorous Yinzer cards ‘not your grandmother’s Valentine’
Okay, cupids. You know Valentine’s Day is coming. And your sweeties will be expecting card and candy declarations of your love. Those declarations do not, however, have to be sappy or sentimental, especially if your loved one has a good sense of humor. Hailing from Pittsburgh also helps. The Yinzer...
Soldiers & Sailors unveils exhibit spotlighting Western Pa. Medal of Honor recipients
Clara Burns listened intently as her younger brother’s death was recounted Wednesday night at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. Lance Cpl. William Prom, a machine gun leader in the 3rd Marines Division who grew up in Pittsburgh and Millvale, was marching alongside two platoons returning from a reconnaissance...
Allegheny General Hospital unveils memorial to deceased organ donors
Swallowing tears, Joy Krumenacker faced the packed lobby of Allegheny General Hospital on Pittsburgh’s North Side. “Fifteen months ago, I entered this hospital to spend my very last weekend with my son,” she began. Allegheny General Hospital and the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) unveiled a memorial Wednesday...
Pittsburgh adoptee to compete in Animal Planet’s ‘Puppy Bowl XVI’Video
An adoptee from Animal Friends in Ohio Township has once again reached the pinnacle of puppy professional athletics: a spot on the roster for Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl XVI,” which will air at 3 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 2. Kenny was one of a litter of puppies transferred...
‘Hope Scarves’ bring joy, optimism to UPMC cancer patientsVideo
In the crowded lobby of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center on Tuesday, Lara MacGregor, founder of Hope Scarves, stepped to the microphone and told a story of friendship. During a trip to a cancer conference in 2009, MacGregor was taking a moment in the lobby of her hotel. She felt overwhelmed...
PETA wants Punxsutawney Phil to retire; Groundhog Club president responds
PETA is suggesting Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog call it a career. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Punxsutawney Groundhog Club president Bill Deeley on Tuesday morning and asked for Punxsutawney Phil to retire “to a reputable sanctuary and start using a cutting-edge animatronic groundhog...
Beating away the day: WCCC uses drum circle to help students handle stressVideo
The sound of drums on Tuesday echoed through the recently renovated Student Achievement Center at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. Students gathered for the monthly drum circle and worked together to beat away the stress of the semester. “It’s meant to help them learn to work together, to collaborate...
Wienermobile pulled over in Wisconsin for traffic infraction
WAUKESHA, Wis. — Oscar Mayer’s iconic Wienermobile got a grilling from a Wisconsin sheriff’s deputy because the driver of the giant hot dog failed to give enough room to another car on the road with emergency lights. The deputy pulled over the Wienermobile and gave the driver a verbal warning...
Judge frees Antonio Brown from house arrestVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Florida judge freed NFL free agent Antonio Brown from house arrest Tuesday, allowing him to travel freely as he awaits trial on charges that he attacked the driver of a moving truck. Circuit Judge Michael Usan agreed to let Brown travel freely within the United...
Alexa, read me a story: Audio content for kids on the rise
NEW YORK — Melanie Musson in Belgrade, Montana, does a lot of driving with her four girls. Juggling a broad age range, 1 to 9, she’s forever searching for ways to keep them all entertained without relying entirely on video. While she still adores paper and tablet books for her...
Ben Schmitt: Here’s what I found during my Dry January experience
The concept of Dry January left me a bit wary. I generally savor the post-work beer or cocktail after a long day of juggling breaking news, meetings and headlines. But, like a lot of people, I did my fair share of imbibing over the holiday season. So, after waking Dec....
Westmoreland lockup cashing in with online books, movies
Westmoreland County collected more than $161,000 last year from jail inmates who rented movies and books and made phone calls on tablet computers. Warden John Walton said the money from the first year of the program, which allows inmates recreational use of the tablets from the privacy of their cells,...
Fee Waybill talks Tubes, Bowie, and White Punks on DopeVideo
For nearly a half-century, Fee Waybill has been the voice and the face of The Tubes, the San Francisco-based band that made a name for itself in the early days of MTV with hit songs like “Talk to Ya Later” and “She’s a Beauty” — and the memorable videos that...
New clouded leopard cubs at Pittsburgh Zoo get names
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium has given names to its new clouded leopard cubs. Zoo officials announced Monday that the cubs were named Gale and Lynn. The names were chosen by the daughter of a longtime zoo docent, Gail Noden. “In honor of my mother, who loved the zoo...
China virus outbreak rams global tourism, costing billionsVideo
Tourism from China was already weakening even before a new virus forced much of the country into a standstill. With tens of millions of Chinese ordered to stay put and many others opting to avoid travel as the new coronavirus spreads, tourism around the globe is taking a heavy hit...
Pittsburgh’s Cinderella Ball is a dream evening for 11 debutantesVideo
It’s a night that fairy tales are made of — from the young women dressed in pristine white gowns and elbow-length gloves to the glittering pumpkin and illuminated carriage. And, of course, daughters waltzing with their dads and Cinderella dancing with Prince Charming. On Jan. 25, 11 young women were...
A woman’s touch makes Aspinwall’s business district shine bright
Stroll, sip and shop your way around Aspinwall, a tiny historic borough that’s big on supporting its thriving small business district, which encompasses several blocks on two main avenues: Brilliant and Commercial. Aspinwall Chamber of Commerce President Giuseppe Francioni says the “ ‘Wall” is more than just a neighborhood. “We’re...
Newly accessible records tell story of Holocaust, journey of survivorsVideo
Steven Fenves and his family were swept up from their Yugoslavian home during World War II, when they were split up and forced into ghettos, then German concentration camps. That included Auschwitz, where his grandmother and then his mother died, caught in the Nazi death machine that slaughtered an estimated...
Liberating Dachau concentration camp uncovered horrors, area veteran saysVideo
At age 23 in the spring of 1945, Guy Prestia was in the Army fighting his way across southern Germany when his unit walked into hell on earth — the Nazi death camp at Dachau. “It was terrible. I never saw anything like those camps,” said Prestia, 97, who still...
