JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 16
Want to live in a former funeral home in McKeesport? You can
When Marlene Fait-Schmalz bought her childhood home in 2011, she reclaimed a piece of McKeesport history. The unique Victorian-style residence, once the Richard L. Fait Funeral Home, boasts a parlor, chapel and grand entrance on the main level, while the upper floors offer cozy living spaces. Now on the market...
Wallaby joey recently born at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium in Highland Park has a new resident — a wallaby joey, born to mom Ava. A wallaby is a marsupial, a pouched mammal in the kangaroo family. When they are young, they are called joeys. The animal is spending a lot of time in the...
Surviving veterans of D-Day invasion return to Normandy for 80th anniversary
Warren Goss watched as soldiers in front of him dropped — struck down by enemy fire — after the ramp of his Higgins boat lowered near Utah Beach in Normandy, France. Goss, then 19, climbed over the side of the boat and fought the surf to get to land. “I...
It’s golden: Fox Chapel senior earns highest honor in Girl Scouts
Eliza Davis got the gold. The soon-to-be Fox Chapel graduate earned the highest honor with the Girl Scouts — the Gold Award. In her project to earn the recognition she focused on harm reduction, a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use....
Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival kicks off
Artists from across the region — and nation — will converge starting Friday on the 14-block Cultural District as the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival kicks off, ushering in 10 days of free art and music. The festival, now in its third consecutive year of festivities relocated from around...
Spork Pit Barbecue closes on Pittsburgh’s South Side
After being open less than a year, Spork Pit Barbecue has closed. The idea was to transform the former Double Wide Grill on Pittsburgh’s South Side into a new dining concept of ribs and wings, pulled pork and brisket as well as retain some vegan and vegetarian dishes the Double...
A final farewell: Honor guards pay respects at military funerals
Army Maj. Eric Gass finds it difficult to talk about the times he carried a meticulously folded American flag and placed it in the trembling hands of a young widow. Seeing children cling to their mother’s side during the funerals of their killed-in-action fathers is difficult to take — no...
On patrol: Mounted police officers create a presence
Their steps are choreographed, part of the job training the horses and their riders go through. The majestic animals are stationed in stables across the city, county and state. They perform details throughout the year, but spring is when you begin seeing them more often. Typically January through March there...
Mounted police units offer tradition, spectacle and service in modern law enforcement
On Monday, the Allegheny County Mounted Police Unit will add a touch of tradition and spectacle to the South Hills Memorial Day Parade. While officers on horseback are a rarer sight than those in cars or on motorcycles, “They definitely create a presence,” said Sgt. Jason Donaldson of the Allegheny...
‘Science Behind Pixar’ exhibit to open at Pittsburgh’s Science Center
Buzz Lightyear and Woody, the famous animated characters from the “Toy Story” movies, are embarking on another adventure at “The Science Behind Pixar’ exhibition, which opened Saturday and runs through the rest of the year at the soon to be Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center on Pittsburgh’s...
Steelers, UPMC Magee hold SteelHERS Social at Acrisure Stadium
Mary Beth Shaw ran a route, caught a pass from Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Rodney Williams and gave wide receiver Calvin Austin III a little shove to reach the end zone for the touchdown. Shaw was one of 1,000 women on the Acrisure Stadium field Wednesday evening. It was the...
Mixtape in Garfield using space for different entertainment experiences
Mixtape, the music-themed cocktail lounge in Garfield, continues to transform. It’s been a Halloween-inspired space dubbed House of Burton, a holiday bar called Tinseltown and The Tipsy Elf, an “Alice in Wonderland” venue with the moniker Wonderland: An Immersive Adventure, and is currently decked out as a 1980s retro arcade,...
Former patients reunite as professionals at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Dr. Matt Kocher was setting up an operating room during his anesthesia fellowship at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville when nurse Alexis Mamros asked if he had ever received anesthesia. He replied that he had, during his cancer treatment. Curious, Mamros asked for details. Kocher mentioned he remembered another patient...
Find out which Pittsburgh radio stars are behind the new Yinzer Dogs food truck
An idea in the making since the Original Hot Dog Shop closed in Oakland in April 2020, the Yinzer Dogs food truck is up and rolling. It’s easily spotted by the bright yellow bridge design with an image of a hot dog tucked inside a bun with squiggly lines of...
Host a gathering: Aspinwall business owner writes book about charcuterie boards
Sarah Zimmerman Tuthill calls them gathering boards. They are more than meats and cheese and fruits and vegetables artistically arranged on a wooden board. Charcuterie boards are the vehicle which brings people together to share food but more importantly to gather for celebrations of sharing special life moments. Charcuterie is...
Healthy Athlete program aims to prevent tragedies from happening
Last summer, Bronny James, son of NBA star LeBron James, went into sudden cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of California Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and back on the court five months later. But not all situations end up with the...
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership hosts human foosball in Market Square
Foosball is soccer on a tabletop with figurines attached to a rod. Handles are on either side of the board and players slide and turn the figurines. The goal is to flick a ball into the opposition’s respective goal. You may have seen it on “Friends” in Joey and Chandler’s...
Former Presbyterian Church on Mt. Washington on the market
A sign in the front of a Mt. Washington church still says the year 2022 — that was the last time services were held at GrandView United Presbyterian Church. Now, it’s on the market for $1.2 million. The property is being sold through Eric J. Lamm and Tom...
Prantl’s purchases Lincoln Bakery in Bellevue
Joe Porco recalled an anniversary party to celebrate Lincoln Bakery’s 65th year in business — more than 700 customers lined up along Lincoln Avenue in Bellevue. “A bakery is about community,” Porco said on Wednesday as he reflected on the sale of the bakery after nearly eight decades in business....
Mother-daughter bond encircled with permanent jewelry
When Kim Francese looks at the shiny bracelets around her wrist, she immediately thinks of her daughter Abby. They have matching accessories on their arms every day — keeping them connected when they are apart. This jewelry is permanent, just like their mother- daughter bond. Jewelers measure a customer’s wrist...
A ‘tip of the hat’ to guests who didn’t allow rain to dampen the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy hat luncheon
Under drizzle at times on a dreary Saturday afternoon in the heart of Schenley Park, guests brightened the day with the finest colorful and bold headwear. It was the 26th annual PNC Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Spring Hat Luncheon. A little precipitation didn’t deter this crowd. Members of this group were...
National Aviary announces death of penguin Stanley
One of the longest-tenured flock members at the National Aviary has died. He was 22. Stanley, named after the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup, arrived at the Aviary on Pittsburgh’s North Side in 2001 when he was just 2 months old. Stanley was nationally known for the bond he shared...
The Chadwick wedding venue has been sold
The Chadwick, a wedding and event venue in the North Hills, has been sold. An email from the venue in McCandless confirmed the news. “The Chadwick property has been sold to the Jim Shorkey Family Auto Group,” Chadwick spokesperson Ralph Sansale said via email. “The Chadwick will remain in operation...
What to know about the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon
Preparing for a marathon is a challenge even if you aren’t the person running 26.2 miles. Someone has to make sure every step of the course is clear: the twists, the turns, the bridges and the hills. That person is Brian Schmidt, director of operations for P3R, the organization hosting...
North Side favorite Gus & Yiayia’s to open for the season
For a 90th year, the bright orange cart with the rainbow umbrella will be parked on Pittsburgh’s North Side. So will Gus Kalaris, 92. Known as the “Ice Ball Man,” Kalaris sitting on a stool by the stand is a welcome sight every spring. He will greet customers around noon...
