Julia Maruca stories, Page 9
Moonshot Museum counts down for Astrobotic moon lander launch
More than a week after the New Year, a digital countdown clock sits ticking down the seconds in the lobby of the Moonshot Museum on the North Side of Pittsburgh. This clock isn’t counting down to 2024. It’s marking the minutes until the scheduled launch of Peregrine, a lunar lander...
Snow accumulation largely over, but icy road hazards could remain a threat, meteorologists say
While much of the snow pile-up risk has passed, Western Pennsylvanians should still be on the lookout for potential driving hazard conditions, meteorologists say. Following Saturday’s snowstorm, some snow showers are expected on Sunday, “with little or no accumulation,” but ice could still form in some areas when temperatures drop...
Orthodox Christian churches celebrate Christmas, Theophany this weekend
On a blustery, snowy Saturday afternoon at Twin Lakes Park east of Greensburg, a little over a dozen people huddled in a semicircle, singing hymns and watching intently for the Rev. David Hyatt to give his signal. After leading the group in prayer and calling for blessings, Hyatt made his...
Greensburg Garden and Civic Center to hold wedding expo
Those familiar with the nonprofit Greensburg Garden and Civic Center know of its value to the community. The home to outdoor events, plays, meetings, weddings, teas, art shows and garden parties, will host a first-ever wedding expo this month in an effort to make the center a destination site for...
‘A true mitzvah:’ Westmoreland doctor volunteers in Israel to help civilians
Dr. Sharon Goldstein has spent the last few weeks of 2023 in Israel, riding long distances in an ambulance, treating patients impacted by war. “The other day, I started in Jerusalem and ended up in Tel Aviv,” she said. “They cover a large area. It’s hard work. Mostly, we’re on...
Youngwood Borough to mark 125th anniversary in 2024
This past year saw communities across Westmoreland County celebrating the 250th anniversary of the its founding. Anniversary celebrations will continue in the New Year for one municipality — Youngwood Borough will commemorate its 125th anniversary in 2024. Established in 1899, Youngwood became incorporated as a borough in 1902. It encompasses...
Popular inhaler Flovent to be discontinued, replaced with generic; doctors expect confusion
The new year is a time for fresh starts — and it certainly will be one for people who rely on the asthma inhaler Flovent. The widely used maintenance prescription inhaler is being discontinued in January, and it will be replaced with an authorized generic — a medicine that is...
Western Pa. animal shelters scramble to keep up with influx of surrendered pets
Toni Younkin’s phone rings at all hours of the day. As director of Pet Adoption League, a small-scale animal shelter, Younkin knows people need help even outside of business hours. She starts her day early to feed, socialize and take care of the dogs at her organization’s New Stanton-area facility....
Flu shots during pregnancy help shield babies from severe illness, study finds
If you’re pregnant, getting your flu shot will help protect you and your baby from ending up in the hospital with a severe case of the flu, according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Pediatricians from UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh were part of the study, which found...
Caring on Christmas: How health care, emergency workers handle holiday shifts
Patrick Merkel knows that when someone calls the Allegheny County 911 center on Christmas, they might be experiencing the worst day of their life. Merkel is just one member of the team on the front lines on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. With up to 70 people working each shift...
‘Festivus’-themed event brings local leaders together at Greensburg Hempfield library
It’s a holiday for the rest of us — and for the small businesses and local organizations of Greensburg. Representatives from both groups were among those gathered in the upper meeting room of the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library for a “Festivus”-themed networking mixer event on Dec. 13. The gathering was...
Artisans share handmade works at Westmoreland museum Holiday Mart
Visitors to the Westmoreland Museum of American Art found themselves surrounded by handmade handiwork at the annual Holiday Mart. The event, Dec. 7-9, , brought together more than 20 local artisans from around Western Pennsylvania to sell their crafts on the first floor of the museum. The first day coincided...
Pedestrian hit by vehicle in North Versailles
A 28-year-old pedestrian was hit by a vehicle in North Versailles shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday evening, according to Allegheny County Police. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital and is listed in stable condition. The driver of the vehicle remained on the scene. North Versailles officers and Allegheny...
2 arrested in September van crash that killed Serra Catholic student
Allegheny County Police arrested two men in connection with a September school van crash in Dravosburg that left a 15-year-old Serra Catholic student dead. William Soliday II, 43, of North Huntingdon and Andrew Voigt, 37, of Pittsburgh were arrested Wednesday. Soliday is facing charges that include third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter...
2 girls hit by vehicle on the North Side; 1 in critical condition
Two 11-year-old girls are hospitalized after being hit by a vehicle Wednesday afternoon in the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Allegheny County dispatchers confirmed that two people were hit and taken by medics to the hospital after the incident, which was reported shortly after 4:30 pm. Police said one girl...
Butler Health System credit rating continues to slip downward
Butler Health System’s credit rating was further downgraded this week by rating agency Fitch. The system, which combined with Greensburg-based Excela Health at the beginning of the year to form Independence Health System, Monday, Dec. 12, had its rating lowered one notch from BBB to BBB- with a Negative Outlook....
Holidays usher in flu season: When should you visit doctor or ER?
This time last year at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Chief of Emergency Services Dr. Raymond Pitetti and his team were overwhelmed with sick children. At the beginning of December 2022, the department saw a spike in activity from a combination of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), covid-19 and flu cases,...
No Christmas Eve launch for Astrobotic lunar lander
Pittsburgh space startup Astrobotic’s lunar lander Peregrine won’t be leaving for the moon on Christmas Eve after all. The lander had been scheduledto launch on Dec. 24 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carried by a Vulcan Centaur rocket from Colorado-based United Launch Alliance. However, on Sunday, United...
Morning roundup: Woman found after going missing from Knoxville; fire at Beaver County manufacturing business
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 12: Missing woman A woman who went missing from the Knoxville area was found safe after four days, according to Pittsburgh police. Caitlin “Cait” Hilpert had last been seen around 10 p.m. Saturday. Police put out a...
Lawmakers consider declaring 2023 ‘Taylor Swift Era’ in Pennsylvania
Taylor Swift’s widespread popularity could soon be commemorated by the Pennsylvania state legislature. Three Democratic state representatives from suburban Philadelphia — Danielle Friel Otten of Chester County, Jennifer O’Mara of Delaware County and Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz of Berks County, where Swift grew up — introduced a resolution Friday to declare 2023...
Morning roundup: Fire in Washington County; man accused of firing AR-15 outside club; man charged with raping child
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Dec. 11: Fire in Washington County One person was evaluated by paramedics after a fire in Washington County on Sunday night, according to TribLive news partner WTAE-TV. The fire was reported a little before 11:30 p.m. in the...
Teen accused in New Ken murder case 1 of 2 back in custody after fleeing Westmoreland detention center
Police detained two teenagers, including one charged with second-degree murder related to a shooting in New Kensington last year, who escaped from the Westmoreland County Juvenile Detention Center in Hempfield on Saturday night. The teenagers were taken into custody in Fayette County, state police announced early Monday morning. Robert A....
Months after schism, former and current United Methodist churches pick up the pieces
This is the busy season for Pastor Dylan Parson. Like many Methodist pastors, he leads not just the Hill Top congregation in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood but a charge of churches including Spencer and Fairhaven. Each building is within about 5 miles of the other on the south side of the...
Holiday train display holds decades of history for Hempfield family
Bill Bigelow can tell you the origin of every single item in his holiday train display. The table, tucked into the back room of the single-story home Bigelow and his wife Susan share in Hempfield, is set up each year at the beginning of October. Strings of holiday lights and...
Gun confiscated at Pittsburgh International Airport is 42nd for the year, 2nd in as many days
Another passenger was caught with a gun in his carry-on bag at Pittsburgh International Airport on Thursday evening, according to Allegheny County Police. It was the second such incident in as many days. Luis Arce, 35, of Somerville, Mass., did not possess a valid concealed carry permit to carry the...

