Megan Swift stories, Page 28
‘Many Jewish voters will be impacted’ as Pa. primary falls on Passover
Many of Pittsburgh’s Jewish residents may need to take advantage of mail-in ballots because the April 23 primary is also the first day of Passover. There are nearly 50,000 Jews in Allegheny County. The holiday falls on Election Day, and will prevent some of them from going to the polls,...
Duquesne online searches soar after March Madness win
Call it a wave of social madness. While Duquesne Dukes basketball fans have been riding the high of an NCAA Tournament first round win against Brigham Young University, Duquesne itself also has been riding a high — in terms of online reach. Web activity has “skyrocketed” in the wake of...
Duquesne fans send Dukes off for 1st round of March Madness
Cheering fans lined Uptown streets Tuesday to support players from Duquesne men’s basketball team en route to March Madness. “They’re … still dancing,” student Zach Rothrock said. “I mean, what’s not to love?” Rothrock, 19, is a freshman majoring in business at Duquesne. He and his friends joined a crowd...
Vouchers for missing Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads for sale on eBayVideo
The mystery of the stolen Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads remains, but fans have already taken to eBay to try and sell vouchers for the figurines — and they’re pricey. Last week, 18,500 tiny likenesses of No. 68, complete with hand raised in a salute, had disappeared after being shipped by boat...
Wordle fans celebrate 1,000th puzzle
As a speech pathologist, Jessica Valko is a fan of word games. But there’s one in particular that she’s been playing every day — Wordle. The online word game that’s run by the New York Times is celebrating its 1,000th puzzle on Friday. Valko, 51, of Murrysville said she loves...
Why are people overpaying for Trader Joe’s mini tote bags?
Trader Joe’s $2.99 Mini Canvas Tote Bags have quickly become the trendiest new must-have item to buy, and some have been listed in sets for as much as $499 on eBay. Rivaling the hype of Stanley tumblers and Taylor Swift merch, the Washington Post reported the mini tote bags have...
Crescent house explosion marks 3rd in Western Pa. since summer
The fatal house explosion in Crescent on Tuesday morning marks the third in Western Pennsylvania since August. Emergency crews responded to the scene just before 9 a.m. at the 1400 block of Riverview Road,. The Crescent explosion is exactly seven months after the Aug. 12 house explosion in Plum’s Rustic...
Daylight saving time got you feeling beat? You’re not alone
Are you feeling extra exhausted after the weekend? A likely explanation could be your body’s response to the daylight saving time switch, according to Dr. Brian Lamb, internal medicine physician at Allegheny Health Network. From Saturday night into Sunday morning, an hour of sleep was lost — to offset the...
Understanding what’s driving long covid is still largely a mystery to doctors
For Sean Carey, long covid proved fatal. Carey contracted an early strain of covid in July 2020 when he and his wife, Meghan, lived in Daytona Beach, Fla. “He had pain that was too inhumane to live with,” his wife said. “He had tremors that were like lightning bolts going...
‘I want to live’: Long covid patients battle debilitating symptoms in Western Pa.
Covid-19 stole Lisa Merlo’s lungs, limbs — and nearly her life. But it wasn’t done. The 57-year-old West Deer resident continues to cope with the disease’s latest attack on her body: long covid. Merlo said she was told she had a 20% chance of living after a covid diagnosis in...
‘It doesn’t feel real’: Pittsburgh carpenter’s apprentice attends State of the Union as Jill Biden’s guest
Samantha Ervin-Upsher kept getting calls recently from a Washington, D.C., number. She assumed they were spam and didn’t answer or call back. But Monday, she finally picked up, and she’s glad she did. Turns out, it was the White House — yes, that White House — with an important question...
‘I’m going to die’: Woman recounts bear attack in her Butler Township backyardVideo
When the bear tackled her, Lee Ann Galante’s face cracked against a cement slab in her backyard. “I’m screaming and screaming and screaming — ‘Someone help me!’” It was one of two or three times a black bear knocked her down during an attack Tuesday night behind her Butler Township...
Pittsburgh ties its record high temperature Monday
On a typical early March day, riding the zipline at Murrysville Community Park would mean risking frostbite. Thanks to southern winds, however, there was no chance of that Monday, as Pittsburgh tied its record high temperature for the date, meteorologists said. As of 4 p.m., the thermometer had hit 74...
Police investigate sexual assault near Pitt’s campus
Pittsburgh police and the University of Pittsburgh police are searching for information related to a sexual assault that occurred early Sunday morning. A female was sexually assaulted at approximately 2:10 a.m. on the 200 block of Melwood Avenue, and the perpetrator displayed a knife, struck her in the face and...
Woman dies in 3-vehicle crash on West End Bridge
A woman was killed early Saturday in a three-vehicle crash on the West End Bridge, according to Pittsburgh police. She was dead when medics arrived at the scene, according to a news release from a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson. The release did not give the victim’s age or any other...
‘Makes me feel special’: Leap Day means true birthday festivities for people born on Feb. 29
Celebrating Heather Willey’s birthday is a rarity. She was born on Feb. 29 — Leap Day. The last Leap Year fell in 2020. Willey celebrated her birthday at a Penguins game. Then the covid-19 pandemic struck. “I’m a little worried to see what will happen this year,” Willey said. Being...
‘Are you sitting down?’: Couple loses wedding reception venue after Monroeville DoubleTree closure
AJ Denne’s grandmother called her Tuesday afternoon, prefacing the call with the question: “Are you sitting down?” She automatically assumed her grandma, who lives in Wilkins, had won the lottery. No such luck. Instead, Denne, 28, of Jacksonville, Fla., was about to receive news that would upend her upcoming wedding...
What Reddit going public means for the social media platform
Reddit has made its IPO filing public ahead of the social media company’s entrance to the U.S. stock market in March, as reported by Reuters. An IPO, or initial public offering, means shares of a private company are made available to the public for the first time — and the...
AT&T cellular service returns to customers across the nation
Wireless service has been restored for all AT&T customers affected by the nationwide cellular outages on Thursday, according to NBC News. The cause of the outage is still unknown, NBC News said. Federal Communications Commission is investigating, with help from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, NBC News reported....
‘The Bachelor’ fans react to Joey Graziadei’s season, predict hometown dates
With hometown dates less than two weeks away, Season 28 of ABC’s “The Bachelor” is heating up. Four contestants will get to show the bachelor around their hometowns and introduce him to their families. Fans took to the X social media platform to express their opinions on Joey Graziadei —...
Student pushes for ‘seat at the table’ with Pittsburgh Public Schools board
Allderdice High School senior Pavel Marin hopes part of his legacy gives students a voice with the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Directors. A resolution to establish the role of student board representative was put on hold during January’s board meeting. Marin is frustrated by the delay. He’s been pushing...
Kansas City shooting elicits social media reactions, calls to action
During the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration and parade on Valentine’s Day, gunfire erupted — leaving one dead and over 20 injured, including children, according to the Associated Press. The AP reported the shooting occurred despite the presence of more than 800 police officers in the building and nearby....
Online dating brings success, horror stories to Pittsburgh-area residents
Emily Fisher was dating a man in 2022 when his self-described “best friend from childhood” came to visit for the weekend. The “friend” was actually another girlfriend. “It was just so crazy,” said Fisher, 24, of Beaver. “I was like, ‘Maybe this is a joke.’ ” The relationship’s abrupt conclusion...
What’s that sound on Facebook? A glitch, Meta confirms.
Why is Facebook chirping at you? Apparently, it’s not supposed to. And you’re not imagining it. Some Facebook users have been complaining about a new chirping sound that occurs when scrolling through the cellphone app. Turns out it’s just a glitch. Andy Stone, Meta’s communications director, confirmed via the X...
Beyoncé acknowledges country music roots with 2 singles, upcoming album
During the Super Bowl, Beyoncé used a commercial to announce her next album — a country-themed follow-up to “Renaissance” being referred to as “Act II.” The new album will drop March 29, according to her website, which updated after the Verizon ad played shortly after halftime, saying “Drop the new...
