Stephanie Ritenbaugh stories, Page 6
Neighborhood vibes keep smaller grocers afloat as chains battle for supremacy
Some people want to shop where everybody knows their name. “I see some people three or four times a week,” said Gene Tommasi, who runs Golden Dawn grocery store in New Kensington. “It’s a little like ‘Cheers,’ ” he said, referring to the TV show about regulars at a bar...
A lavender haze: Businesses anticipate Taylor Swift windfall that could ‘blow Kenny Chesney out of the water’
Tia Muscarella is already leaning into the Taylor Swift phenomenon, and The Eras Tour is still a week away from its Pittsburgh stop. The North Shore Tavern, where Muscarella is the bar manager, has been featuring the specialty cocktail Lavender Haze, a concoction of butterfly pea blossom gin laced with...
Here’s the skinny on the diabetes drug Ozempic and its popularity as a weight loss wonder
For Diane Lang, the big push to focus on her health and weight came from her grandchildren. “I was exhausted,” she said. “When they would visit, I would just try to keep up with them. I want to run with them and play with them. I want to be here...
UPMC doctor steps aside as head of cardiothoracic surgery after false billing settlement
A cardiothoracic surgeon at UPMC who was at the center of a federal investigation is stepping aside as chair of the health system’s Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. James Luketich will continue to have a role within the health system, according to UPMC spokesman Paul Wood. Luketich will continue to...
Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic partners with Jeff Bezos company to build a lunar lander
The lunar road back to the moon “lies right here, through the Keystone State,” NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said during a visit to Pittsburgh on Friday. Sixty-three Pennsylvania suppliers contributed to NASA’s Artemis mission, which aims to return humans to the moon and use that as a launching point...
‘A cancer on our society’: Gun violence awareness rally comes to Pittsburgh
The timing of Friday’s “Wear Orange” National Gun Violence Awareness event wasn’t meant to occur simultaneously with the Pittsburgh synagogue trial. That’s a coincidence. Josh Fleitman notes that it’s a common one these days. “I think the trial that’s happening right now, for so many people in the Squirrel Hill...
Allegheny Health Network trims losses as patient volume climbs
Allegheny Health Network shrank its losses during the first three months of the year, citing higher patient numbers and increased membership in its insurance units. The 14-hospital system on Wednesday reported an operating loss of $36.2 million for the first quarter compared to a loss of $105.5 million during the...
UPMC income ticks up during 1st quarter
UPMC reported higher income and revenue during the first three months of the year, citing gains including increased patient volumes and higher enrollment in its insurance products. Still, diminishing pandemic-related government funding and increased labor costs dragged down results, the Pittsburgh-based health care giant said Wednesday. UPMC reported operating income...
Acrisure donates $7.5M to to UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation for heart treatments
Financial technology company Acrisure on Thursday donated $7.5 million to the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation to help advance clinical care, research and the patient experience for children and families at the facility’s Heart Institute. The donation is said to be the largest corporate gift received by the foundation. “This is...
Sheetz orders up more space in Pittsburgh’s Bakery Square
Any given Sheetz convenience store location is recognizable by its bright red décor and liberal use of the letter Z. But its Bakery Square presence is a bit more unassuming in a former industrial space along Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh. There, the Altoona-based retailer is adding 20,000 square feet to...
Sheetz orders up more space in Pittsburgh’s Bakery Square
Any given Sheetz convenience store location is recognizable by its bright red décor and liberal use of the letter Z. But its Bakery Square presence is a bit more unassuming in a former industrial space along Penn Avenue where the Altoona-based retailer is expanding, adding 20,000 square feet to accommodate...
Unions contend UPMC’s market dominance suppresses workers’ wages
Two labor organizations filed an antitrust complaint against UPMC with the Department of Justice accusing the health care giant of using its market dominance to tamp down wages and trap workers in low-paying, unsafe conditions. In a 55-page complaint filed Thursday, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania and the Strategic Organizing Center contend...
Brooklyn steel company hopes to move forward with $218M project in Aliquippa
A Brooklyn-based company said it hopes to build a steel plant for the 21st century at the former site of a J&L Steel facility in Aliquippa. On Tuesday morning, with a stage covered in red fabric backed by a structure displaying photos and videos of the history of 72 Steel,...
Alcoa strikes 8-year deal to supply Emirates Global Aluminium
Alcoa inked a multi-year agreement for the Pittsburgh-based company to supply Emirates Global Aluminum with smelter grade alumina. The 8-year agreement, which begins in 2024, will allow EGA to procure as much as 15.6 million metric tons of alumina from Western Australia. The deal will represent a significant portion of...
Hill District Federal Credit Union gets $1.1 million from FNB
The Hill District Federal Credit Union received a $1.1 million investment from F.N.B. Corporation, the holding company of First National Bank, with the goal of boosting financial services to the neighborhood. Pittsburgh-based FNB is building its headquarters in Lower Hill. Construction on the FNB Financial Center began in September 2021...
Ed Harrell, former president of Tribune-Review Publishing, dies at 83
Known for his loud, distinctive laugh, Ed Harrell could easily be heard in a crowded room. Once, he was in New York on business and failed to tell his sister that he would be in town. His schedule was pretty booked. They found themselves in the same restaurant, unaware of...
Ed Harrell, former president of Tribune-Review Publishing, dies at 83
Known for his loud, distinctive laugh, Ed Harrell could easily be heard in a crowded room. Once, he was in New York on business and failed to tell his sister that he would be in town. His schedule was pretty booked. They found themselves in the same restaurant, unaware of...
Airfares take a dip ahead of summer vacation season
Airfare is down a bit from this time last year for Americans eager to travel again. But it’s still more expensive to pack your bags and board a flight than before the covid-19 pandemic. The overall cost of travel is up 18% compared with April 2019 and up 2% versus...
Giant Eagle no longer king of Western Pa. grocery market as Walmart, other stores draw more shoppers
Shoppers may have more options for where they buy their eggs and butter these days, but two grocers dominate Southwestern Pennsylvania by far. Walmart and Giant Eagle together took nearly half of the grocery dollars in the region last year. Despite O’Hara-based Giant Eagle being the hometown grocer, Walmart has...
Court ruling paves way for Airmall operator to return to Pittsburgh International Airport
A state appellate court on Tuesday ruled that the operator of the Airmall at Pittsburgh International Airport can return to work after being evicted over the summer. Pennsylvania’s Superior Court reversed an August decision by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Christine Ward. Ward had denied a request for a preliminary...
Brighton Rehab therapists preparing to go on 9-day strike, union reps say
Physical, speech and occupational therapists at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County are preparing to go on a nine-day strike over claims of unfair labor practices, including what they say is the nursing home’s failure to bargain in good faith. During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, therapists represented...
Willi’s Ski & Snowboard Shops founder was successful athlete, teacher and businessman
His name is well-known, appearing on signs for the winter sports shops he owned around the region and for the earworm of a yodel that popped up on local radio for years with a sing-songy “WI-EEE-LIs.” Wilhelm “Willi” Klein was an athlete, teacher and businessman who founded Willi’s Ski &...
Giant Eagle plans price reductions, return of circulars, interim CEO says
Giant Eagle is listening. That’s the message the O’Hara-based chain wants to make clear to customers. Whether it’s about the printed weekly circular (reappearing soon because of high demand) or price reductions on items (starting this week), Giant Eagle wants your feedback. It’s been about six weeks since Bill Artman,...
Woodland Hills district makes historic effort to cut property taxes
Homeowners in the Woodland Hills School District will get a break on their property taxes under a preliminary budget approved on Wednesday. The school board voted 8-1 to approve a 0.5 mil reduction on their tax bill for the 2023-2024 school year. Woodland Hills says its the first tax cut...
Pittsburgh office vacancies reach record high, report says
Open office space in the Pittsburgh region is high and was still ticking upward during the first quarter of this year. Total vacancies reached a record high of nearly 22% during the first three months of the year, according to a quarterly report by real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle,...
