TribLive stories, Page 1310
Rep. Greg Vitali: Pa. budget should fully fund environmental protection
Gov. Tom Wolf’s address to Pennsylvania’s General assembly on Feb. 8 will mark the official opening of negotiations on the commonwealth’s 2022-23 fiscal year budget. Regrettably, this annual budget has shortchanged the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for many years. With a rosy revenue picture for the upcoming fiscal year,...
Letter to the editor: No praise for Democrats’ ‘accomplishments’
My open letter to Congressman (Hope-to-be-Senator) Conor Lamb and Sen. Robert Casey: I have received several of both of your “updates” extolling your perceived legislative accomplishments under the guidance of President Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and you know guys, I’m just not feeling it. What both...
Letter to the editor: History lesson on political parties
Regarding Jim Papke’s letter “Biden should learn history, humility” (Jan. 19, TribLIVE), contending that President Biden should learn the correct history of the Republican and Democratic parties: The first thing one should learn is that the parties have switched stances throughout our history. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were Republicans...
10 injured in bridge collapse in Pittsburgh’s Frick ParkVideo
At least 10 people were injured Friday when a bridge carrying Forbes Avenue over Fern Hollow Creek in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park collapsed, sending a Port Authority bus and several other vehicles into a ravine below, authorities said. Three of those injured were taken to UPMC Presbyterian by ambulance, authorities said....
Quaker Valley’s Murano named to 18 Under Eighteen, other academic achievements for Sewickley students
Quaker Valley High School student Isabella Murano is one of Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania’s inaugural 18 Under Eighteen. Murano is committed to her vision of a greener and more sustainable future. Through partnerships with organizations like Sustainable Sewickley, she works with her peers and Quaker Valley faculty to create...
Women’s Business Network sets February meetings
Women’s Business Network sets February meetings Women’s Business Network is an award-winning business association that supports the success and growth of women in business. WBN provides members with the tools to be successful, including networking, mastermind groups, and ongoing professional education, while expanding her circle of influence in the marketplace....
Letter to the editor: Many lack access to commissioners’ meetings
We, the people of Westmoreland, have the absolute right to access our county commissioners when they hold public meetings at the courthouse, without fear of contracting covid-19. As an individual with multiple sclerosis, I am desperately trying to avoid putting myself at risk. Transparency and accountability at these meetings are...
Letter to the editor: Facts about electric cars
What the politicians and car makers aren’t telling you: The maximum distance most electric cars can travel between charges is around 260-300 miles. That’s if your car has permanent magnets made from neodymium oxide in the motor. Guess who controls 90% of the supply of neodymium oxide? China. Mining this...
The Stroller, Jan. 28, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your events, club meetings and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Shoe collection to benefit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society A used shoe collection to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will continue through...
Hempfield competitive spirit team has high expectations for PIAA championships
For the fourth time in five years, the Hempfield competitive spirit team is headed to the PIAA championships. The Spartans’ performance is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, in Hershey. Hempfield slipped by defending state champion South Fayette by 0.1 points to become back-to-back WPIAL champions. Expectations are high for the...
Letter to the editor: Polarization has replaced unity
I was touring Ireland when foreign terrorists attacked the U.S. on 9/11. So it wasn’t until I returned three weeks later that I really began understanding that event. I recall how proud I was seeing the waving flags and sense of national unity I returned home to. But no more....
Southmoreland seizes control of Section 3-4A with win against Belle Vernon
The road to then Section 3-4A title again will travel through Alverton after the Southmoreland girls pulled away from Belle Vernon on Thursday night. The Scotties control their destiny in the section thanks to a 61-51 win over the Leopards after pulling away in the fourth quarter. Southmoreland’s win avenged...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 27, 2022
High schools Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Class 3A Section 3 Steel Valley 55, South Allegheny 52 Class A Section 3 St. Joseph 65, Neighborhood Academy 48 Nonsection Uniontown 79, Brownsville 68 Pine-Richland 58, Allderdice 44 Latrobe 71, River Valley 59 Armstrong 52, Slippery Rock 46 Southwest Christian Athletic Conference Cheswick...
High school roundup for Jan. 27, 2022: Statement wins for OLSH, South Fayette
Kyleigh Nagy scored 20 points and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart staked its claim as a WPIAL Class 2A contender with a 53-39 victory over No. 1 Neshannock in Section 1-2A girls basketball Thursday night. Emily Schuck added nine points for the Chargers (12-4, 6-1), who scored the Lancers,...
Penn State neared pandemic record with 631 covid cases last week
Penn State neared a pandemic record last week with 631 covid cases, University Park’s highest number of campus infections since the 2020 fall semester — but, with cases declining statewide, the hope is that Penn State’s cases will soon follow suit. Based on data from Jan. 17-23 on the university’s...
Valley boys basketball team learning how to win
The Valley boys basketball program is struggling through another difficult season. But Ben Aftanas has been a shining light through the gloom. The senior guard is averaging 16 points for the Vikings, 1-16 on the season after a 65-60 nonsection loss to equally struggling Greensburg Salem (2-14) on Wednesday night....
Fast times expected at Westmoreland County swim meet
The county’s top swimmers will converge at Derry this weekend for the Westmoreland County Coaches Association swimming and diving championships. Diving events will take place Friday beginning at 5 p.m., and swimming events are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday. The event returns after taking 2021 off because of the pandemic....
District court in Pittsburgh split on school masking, issue likely to be decided by appellate court
The underlying facts in each case are the same. The North Allegheny and Upper Saint Clair school boards voted recently to reverse mandatory masking policies. Medically vulnerable students argued that the reversal put them at risk of contracting covid-19 and the decision violated their rights under the Americans with Disabilities...
Man pleads guilty in 2019 McKees Rocks Bridge crash that killed woman
A McKees Rocks man pleaded guilty Thursday to causing a crash that killed a woman in 2019 on the McKees Rocks Bridge. Christopher Vuckovich, 42, pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle and related counts stemming from the Feb. 15, 2019 crash. In exchange for the plea, the Allegheny County District...
Byron Leftwich could be leaving Bucs to become head coach of JaguarsVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Byron Leftwich could be the Jaguars’ first choice again. The Bucs’ offensive coordinator, who was Jacksonville’s first-round pick in 2003 as a quarterback out of Marshall, could be hired as the Jaguars’ next head coach. There are some items to clear up contractually, but Leftwich and the...
Massive winter nor’easter expected to swamp New York area and New EnglandVideo
NEW YORK — Long Island will likely be buried in snow by Saturday. A nor’easter set to blanket the tri-state area and New England over the weekend could drop as much as 36 inches near Islip, according to AccuWeather’s latest predictions Thursday. More likely, though, is a snowfall closer to...
Police: Bedford County man taking target practice shoots child in head with pellet gun
A man taking target practice with a pellet gun at a home shot a child in the head, instead, saying the child ran into his line of fire. Now, as WJAC-TV in Johnstown reports, the shooter, identified as Leo Ramsey, 36, of Saxton Borough, Bedford County, is facing charges of...
Laurels & lances: Partners, verdicts and a voice
Laurel: To assembling assistance. Chris O’Donnell is the state humane officer for Armstrong County. That means she has more than enough on her plate trying to handle cases of abused or neglected animals. But some cases are bigger and more challenging than others — like the St. Patrick’s Day 2021...
Rep. Emily Kinkead: As governor, Shapiro will protect our democracy
Attacks on our democracy are only getting worse, and our next governor must be committed to defending our democracy and protecting our right to vote. On Jan. 5, 2021, I was sworn into my first term in office. It was an awe-inspiring day that I was able to share with...
John Sparks: Supreme Court renders mixed decisions on vaccine mandates
The U. S. Supreme Court has rejected President Joe Biden’s OSHA vaccination overreach for private sector employees, but has upheld the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate for healthcare workers. The decisions are important for their immediate effects. The OSHA-related opinion, NFIB v. Department of Labor, bars the president, through...
