TribLive stories, Page 1168
George Guido: Josh Vick highlights Kiski Area’s Hall of Fame class
After a two-year hiatus, the Kiski Area High School’s Sports Hall of Fame is set to resume inductions Sept. 3. The Hall will induct nine Cavaliers greats at the Greek Social Club in Oakmont. One of the inductees will be Josh Vick, who wrapped up his record-setting “throwing” career in...
A hero’s funeral: More than 100 honor Oakdale police officer slain in Blawnox
More the 100 people, including police officers from across the state and Marines, paid respects to fallen Oakdale Police Officer Charles G. Stipetich on Saturday. Stipetich, 23, was fatally shot on July 3 while off duty in what police described as a road rage incident. He lived in Blawnox, and...
Sounding off: What about essential workers?
The recent revelation that the Allegheny County executive’s inner circle was giving themselves large wage increases is disturbing to say the least (”Large raises for Allegheny County’s top staffers raise timing questions”). Currently, 80% of all county workers, represented by AFSCME Local 2622, make less than the county median wage....
Sen. Jay Costa: Addressing violence on Pittsburgh’s South Side
Gun violence continues to be an issue on which Democrats are ready to act. Recent horrific mass shootings have pushed the subject to the forefront for state legislators in Harrisburg. Back home in Pittsburgh, the issue has been on my constituents’ minds for some time. I recently held a telephone...
Luke DeCock: As Big Ten, SEC consolidate their power, the ACC finds itself under existential threat
RALEIGH, N.C. — When Oklahoma and Texas announced their intention to jump to the SEC last summer, it felt like distant thunder on the horizon in ACC country. Concerning, maybe even menacing, but not imminently threatening. But when the Big Ten poached UCLA and Southern Cal from the Pac-12 last...
Donovan Schaefer: Buying into conspiracy theories can be exciting — that’s what makes them dangerous
Conspiracy theories have been around for centuries, from witch trials and antisemitic campaigns to beliefs that Freemasons were trying to topple European monarchies. In the mid-20th century, historian Richard Hofstadter described a “paranoid style” that he observed in right-wing U.S. politics and culture: a blend of “heated exaggeration, suspiciousness and...
Letter to the editor: Keep Klein in Harrison
Harrison police Chief Mike Klein is a professional police officer who has made us proud (“Harrison pauses on plan for police chief to retire, be rehired,” June 28, TribLIVE). At a time when there has been much to criticize about police behavior, we can only be proud of our police...
Photos: The Schwirian Farm Sunflower Festival
The annual Schwirian Farm Sunflower Festival in Forward Township returned Friday. The event, which runs through July 17, features a few vendors, food trucks and access to the vast sunflower fields where visitors are invited to take a stroll through the bountiful blooms. Admission is free. Parking is $2 per...
Letter to the editor: Fracking in parks devastating to kids’ future
It is stunning to me that the Allegheny County Council and chief executive are spending time considering whether it is acceptable to frack in our county parks (“Allegheny County council passes park fracking ban, Fitzgerald vows to veto,” July 6, TribLIVE). In a sane world, where politicians and leaders from...
Letter to the editor: Fully automatic weapons not legal
The letter “We need lifesaving gun laws” (June 28, TribLIVE) is full of untruths. It has been illegal since 1934 to own a fully automatic weapon unless you are either a licensed gun dealer or are issued a Special Tax Stamp, pay $200 per weapon and have an FBI background...
Editorial: The importance of calling for help — and listening
When it comes to an emergency, it might seem that the most important thing is speed or equipment or expertise. It isn’t. When there is danger or when there is risk of death, one thing is more important than anything else: communication. At the most basic, when you are hurt...
The Stroller, July 9, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. Operation Gratitude to benefit troops, first responders The fourth annual Operation Gratitude...
Letter to the editor: Legislation to keep girls in school vital for quality of life
The Keeping Girls in School Act is an incredibly vital piece of legislation co-sponsored by none of my representatives, Sens. Pat Toomey and Bob Casey and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler. According to The Borgen Project, “Globally, girls aged 10-19 are three times more likely than boys of the same age to...
Pennsylvania Senate seeks to declare state constitution provides no right to an abortion
HARRISBURG — Voters could be asked as early as the spring to weigh in on five significant amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution, including one that would require voters to show ID every time they vote and another that asserts the state’s charter does not protect abortion access. After a contentious...
Pirates farm report for July 8, 2022: Mason Martin homers in Indianapolis win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 39-41) scored seven runs in the third inning and beat Iowa (Cubs), 7-2. 1B Mason Martin (.202) went 1 for 4 with a two-run homer, his 13th. C Carter Bins (.211) went 2 for 3 with a homer, his fourth. LF Travis Swaggerty (.274) went 2 for 4...
Gary Franks: Biden needs a Republican Congress — it worked for Clinton
America, we are truly in uncharted waters. In a recent Monmouth poll, only 10% of Americans feel we are headed in the right direction. President Joe Biden’s approval numbers — which were already low — are continuing to decline, also in record numbers. The question is, how does Biden turn...
2022 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Sto-Rox’s Dre Miller-Ross
Editor’s note: The Tribune-Review and the TribLive High School Sports Network are profiling each member of the 25-player Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star team. The players will be recognized July 15 during HSSN Media Day at Kennywood Park. The Sto-Rox Vikings won 12 games for the first time since 2013...
4-star defensive back flips commitment from Alabama to Penn State
After receiving bad news on two fronts Thursday, the Penn State football team received good recruiting news Friday when Elliot Washington, a four-star defensive back from Venice High School in Florida, flipped his commitment from Alabama to the Nittany Lions. Washington is listed by 247Sports and and Rivals as a...
Pa. lawmakers agree to boost education funding, spend billions in remaining stimulus money as part of budget
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers have sent Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf a $45.2 billion spending plan that boosts education spending by more...
Bill Lueders: When transparency is treated with contempt
Most of the time, public officials in Wisconsin obey the state’s openness laws. Sometimes, they need a little prodding from the courts. But the recent conduct of Robin Vos and Michael Gableman is something altogether new, and deeply disturbing. Both Vos, the speaker of the state Assembly, and Gableman, whom...
Plum native Pat McAfee signs extension with WWE
Pat McAfee continues to expand his post-NFL resume. The 2005 Plum grad and former punter for the Indianapolis Colts has developed a loyal following for the Pat McAfee Show, which has nearly 2 million subscribers on YouTube. On Thursday, he signed a multiyear extension with WWE. BREAKING NEWS: @PatMcAfeeShow has...
William Haupt III: Auditing the Federal Reserve would keep them honest
“Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it is doing wrong.” — Ron Paul Many people have a delusion the Federal Reserve is a federal agency that controls our money. Yet the Federal Reserve is a private corporation run by bankers. And it operates in the best...
Overdose deaths in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties hit highest level since 2017 peak
Overdose deaths in Allegheny County rose last year to the highest level since they peaked in 2017, mirroring trends in Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania as a whole, according to statistics released Friday. In 2021, 719 people in Allegheny County died of drug overdoses, accounting for a quarter of all cases...
Hersheypark is retiring a roller coaster, giving fans one last chance to ride
If you want to take one last spin on the Wildcat, you have until July 31. Hersheypark has announced via their Twitter page that the wooden coaster, which opened in 1996, will be shutting down at the end of the month. “Wildcat will close Sunday, July 31 so be sure...
Pennsylvania’s covid phone app ends its run
Pennsylvania’s smartphone app that updates covid-19 cases and deaths will stop operating as of Wednesday. The state health department says covid Alert PA, in use since early in the pandemic, is no longer an essential tool, even though the threat isn’t over. “As we move forward through this phase of...
