Megan Swift stories, Page 20
UPMC names new president, CEO of health plan
Mary Beth L. Jenkins will be UPMC Health Plan’s next president and CEO starting Jan. 1, the health care provider announced Friday. She will also serve as president of UPMC Insurance Services Division and executive vice president of UPMC. “Mary Beth’s forward-thinking work within UPMC’s successful integrated health care delivery...
A Western Pennsylvania native, college student and Florida visitor all brace for Hurricane Milton
Kyle Swan evacuated from the Tampa area Wednesday morning after official notice that his family’s Sarasota, Fla., home would be in the path of impending Hurricane Milton. “It was very worrisome,” he said. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a Category 5 hurricane.”...
Jake’s Shake no more, but Rusty’s ready to pour for Penguins’ home opener
Jake Guentzel is gone, but the shake remains. It’s now being taken over by Penguins winger Bryan Rust. Formerly named Jake’s Shake, the Milkshake Factory favorite was discontinued after Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes last March. In a new partnership with the Milkshake Factory, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced...
Wendy’s launches Krabby Patty menu for SpongeBob’s 25th anniversary
“Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” Many are familiar with the answer: SpongeBob SquarePants. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the animated Nickelodeon show, Wendy’s launched a Krabby Patty Kollab menu in collaboration with Paramount. The menu items include a Krabby Patty Kollab Burger and Pineapple Under the...
Dancing with the Stars: Live! returns to Pittsburgh
The cast members of “Dancing with the Stars” will bring their ballroom moves onto the Benedum Center stage in Pittsburgh once again in February. The Dancing with the Stars: Live! tour will come to the city on Feb. 4, 2025, featuring professional dancers Emma Slater, Alan Bersten, Brandon Armstrong, Britt...
Spirit Halloween stores morph into Spirit Christmas
From ghosts to garland, scary to sparkly. You’re most likely familiar with Spirit Halloween, the pop-up retail chain that sells costumes and decor, sometimes in vacant big store buildings. Shoppers can soon welcome the holidays with Spirit Christmas stores. For the first time this year, some Spirit Halloween stores will...
Spacefaring tree takes root at Pittsburgh’s Riverview Park
A tree grown from a seed that orbited the moon is taking root in Pittsburgh. Allegheny Observatory and Riverview Park were chosen to be the caretakers of a Moon Tree, according to Kerry Handron, special events and outreach coordinator at the observatory. The small sweetgum tree was delivered this summer...
Greensburg fundraiser tops $200K as 12 children receive adaptive equipment
Shannon Riley, who watched her 9-year-old daughter, Thora, receive an adaptive bike and stroller Sunday, said the increased access the equipment will provide is “immeasurable.” Thora was one of 12 kids with disabilities who received adaptive equipment at Reason-To-Ride, a 28-week annual fundraiser hosted by Z&M Harley-Davidson in Greensburg. This...
‘It’s just wrong’: Zappala tours problematic West Mifflin housing complex
Missing windows. Leaking pipes. Open sewage. Collapsed ceilings. No hot water. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. and West Mifflin officials on Friday toured Mon View Apartments to assess conditions at the housing complex days after nuisance-related charges were filed against the company that owns it. The complex,...
1 suspect involved in missing money from McKeesport evidence room, DA says
One unnamed suspect has been targeted in the investigation of missing money from the McKeesport Police Department evidence room, according to Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. “It doesn’t matter what policies or protocols or procedues you have,” he said. “A lot of this is based on trust....
‘What’s in the rug?’: Woman’s videos go viral after discovery in yard
Viral TikTok videos showing a rug unearthed in a Columbus, Ohio, woman’s backyard sparked a police investigation and fueled social media speculation about the possibility of a buried body. However, the search ended Friday afternoon with no evidence of anything suspicious, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Katie Santry, who was digging...
12 Pennsylvania billionaires among Forbes’ richest people in America
Of the 400 richest people in America, 12 billionaires are located in Pennsylvania — with three in the Pittsburgh area, according to the Forbes annual list released this week. The list estimates Americans’ wealth as of Sept. 1. In total, the 400 are worth a record $5.4 trillion, up nearly...
Ferris wheel takes over Roberto Clemente Bridge for OktoberfestVideo
During his lunch break, Jonathan Daybear decided to walk over to Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Bridge to take in the view from atop the 60-foot Ferris wheel set up for Oktoberfest. “I didn’t think it was going to be such a gorgeous view,” said Daybear, 45, of Lawrenceville, who works as...
What to know about the latest round of free covid-19 tests
A new round of free at-home covid-19 tests officially began shipping this week. Each household can request four free tests via mail through covidtests.gov, the Biden administration announced, according to the Washington Post. The free tests will detect current virus strains, according to the Associated Press. The revival of the...
McDonald’s fundraiser to benefit 131 schools in tri-state area
Local schools across Western Pennsylvania will benefit from a McDonald’s restaurant fundraiser next week. From open to close on Wednesday, Oct. 9, dubbed Arch Support Digital Fundraiser Day, schools will earn 20% of all sales purchased through the McDonald’s app at their partner restaurant. Across the tri-state area, 131 schools...
What to know about the latest round of free covid-19 tests
A new round of free at-home covid-19 tests officially began shipping Monday, the Washington Post reported. Each household can request four free tests via mail through covidtests.gov, the Biden administration announced, according to the Post. The free tests will detect current virus strains, according to the Associated Press. The revival...
Snoop Dogg to attend Steelers-Cowboys game in Pittsburgh
Snoop Dogg will be in the house for Sunday Night Football’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys at Acrisure Stadium. Though his exact role in the broadcast is yet to be announced, NBC News reported, the music legend, Paris Olympics host and coach on “The Voice” will attend...
How did the vice presidential debate play out on social media?
Who won the vice presidential debate? Which candidate stumbled the most? Who looked comfortable? Rattled? These were topics trending on social media after Tim Walz and JD Vance faced off Tuesday night on the debate stage, hosted by CBS News. The Minnesota Democratic governor and Ohio Republican senator discussed policy...
Does green tea promote weight loss?
Weight loss trends have been circulating on TikTok and the latest feature green tea. The viral TikTok videos have labeled green tea “nature’s Ozempic,” but is it actually effective? For centuries, green tea has been known as a “diet hack,” the New York Times reported. Green tea has been featured...
Spotted lanternfly greets Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh
Vice President Kamala Harris received an unfriendly greeting from a spotted lanternfly after her plane landed in Pittsburgh this week. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato quickly neutralized the threat. She brushed the bug off of Harris’ pants suit and stomped on it. “I’ve done several tarmac greetings now, and most...
Social media, political burnout impact young voters in Western Pa.
Social media content and politics mix, but that can create voter fatigue. “There’s a combination of curation (on social media) that we’re doing that we’re aware that we’re doing by who we follow or what we like, and then there’s curation that’s sort of being done for us by algorithms...
Young voters in Western Pa. anticipate presidential election
The economy. A woman’s right to choose. A divided America. These are all issues weighing on the minds of young voters as they ready themselves for the November presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Voters between the ages of 18 and 35 make up...
Young voters in Western Pa. talk issues, candidates ahead of presidential election
The economy. A woman’s right to choose. A divided America. These are issues weighing on the minds of young voters as they ready themselves for the November presidential election between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump. More than half of young voters between 18 and 29 plan...
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to visit Pittsburgh for Harris rally
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will travel to Pittsburgh Sunday on behalf of the Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz presidential campaign. She will “fire up young voters” as part of the campaign’s Youth Vote Week of Action in partnership with the Democratic National Convention for National Voter...
Are spotted lanternflies on the decline in Western Pennsylvania?
Spotted lanternflies are still a pest in Western Pennsylvania, but populations are trending lower in certain regions. Sandy Feather works as a Penn State Extension educator in Pittsburgh. She has noticed a large decrease in spotted lanternflies. “I bet we don’t have a 10th of the population that we had...
