TribLive stories, Page 163
Westmoreland man charged with child sex assaults in Pa.’s Jehovah’s Witnesses probe
A Mt. Pleasant Township man and member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses was arrested Wednesday in connection with sex assault accusations involving two children decades ago in Unity, according to court papers. Timothy A. Willochell, 54, is accused of molesting the children on separate occasions between 1989 and 1997. The alleged...
Noah Feldman: The Supreme Court’s majority is playing the long game
Many legal commentators apparently believe that, in the term that just ended, the Supreme Court further enabled President Donald Trump. The court did, in fact, issue a series of conservative decisions that Trump likes. However, under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts, the court also simultaneously pursued a careful...
In brief: Upcoming meetings, history center event and more in Sewickley area
History Center event Sewickley Heights History Center is hosting Pittsburgh Parlor Song of the Gilded Age, a lecture and recital, on July 19 at 6 p.m. Brady Collins will discuss Pittsburgh’s music publishing scene during the late 19th and early 20th century and perform selections including “Pittsburgh (You’re a Grand...
Westmoreland happenings: Canine fundraiser, vacation Bible school, bingo, more
Church News • Mt. Olive Church, 363 Pleasant Valley Road, Bullskin, will have vacation Bible school for all members of the family from 6 to 8 p.m. July 20 to 24 at the church. The theme will be, “Meet God on the Mountain.” Those attending will receive T-shirts to wear...
Colin Fleming: Charlie Chaplin’s 100-year-old film ‘The Gold Rush’ has timeless lessons on how to keep going
The wisest among us realize that what we normally think of as opposites are also associates. There’s life and death, joy and pain, fulfillment and absence. And, as Charlie Chaplin understood and helped millions to understand, comedy and tragedy. Cinema was about a quarter of a century old when Chaplin’s...
Movie Review: A weird ‘Superman’ is better than a boring oneVideo
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a … a purple and orange shape-shifting chemical compound? Writer-director James Gunn’s “Superman” was always going to be a strange chemistry of filmmaker and material. Gunn, the mind behind “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Suicide Squad,” has reliably drifted toward a B-movie...
Gallery: Photos from July 9, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Wednesday, July 9, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Letter to the editor: Whatever happened to fiscal responsibility?
Once upon a time the Republican Party promoted itself as the party of fiscal responsibility. With the current “Big Beautiful Bill,” they have destroyed whatever was left of that imaginary idea. Under the administrations of George W. Bush and Donald Trump, tax cuts favoring corporations and the very wealthy caused...
3 dead as flash flooding hits mountain village of Ruidoso in New Mexico, officials say
SANTA FE, N.M. — Three people have died in a mountain village in southern New Mexico that is a popular summer retreat after monsoon rains triggered flash flooding that was so intense an entire house was swept downstream, officials said. A man and two children were swept away Tuesday by...
Letter to the editor: Churches need to stand up
With the exception of a few prophetic voices like Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde of Washington, D.C., and Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, most Christian leaders have remained cowardly silent in confronting the national environment of hatred, fear, discrimination and scapegoating promulgated by the current administration in Washington....
Editorial: What does the future of diversity look like?
Is diversity disappearing? In 2015, the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition was created. Carlotta Paige founded the organization by expanding her work on the annual Unity Rally. “The issue of diversity, nobody wanted to deal with (it),” she said. “It’s been a challenge every day.” After 10 years, Paige is retiring and...
The Stroller, July 9, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Celebration to aid Trim...
Letter to the editor: Social Security, Medicaid save lives
I have a very good friend whose daughter was born with a rare disease that caused her body to grow at a rapid rate when she was very young, and her organs, including her heart, were not given a chance to catch up. The mother was told that her daughter...
Pirates farm report for July 8, 2025: Thomas Harrington throws 6 strong innings for Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 51-36) knocked around Gwinnett (Braves), 8-1. RHP Thomas Harrington started and went six innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. RHP Dauri Moreta (3.38), RHP Eddy Yean (2.68) and RHP Kyle Nicolas (3.95) each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. 3B...
Waymo begins offering teen accounts, starting in metro Phoenix
Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo is launching a new account type that lets teenagers hail a robotaxi and ride alone, expanding its rider base while continuing to test its service in more U.S. cities. Teens from 14 to 17 can have a user profile paired to a parent’s account starting on Tuesday,...
Judge fines Mike Lindell’s attorneys for filing AI-generated motion during defamation case
A judge fined two attorneys for MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell $3,000 apiece this week for filing a motion riddled with AI-generated errors in a case that resulted in a jury finding Lindell liable for defamation over false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Judge Nina Y. Wang, of...
New book claims Gov. Shapiro’s Jewish faith was not why he lost out as VP pick
According to a new book, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Jewish faith was not a reason for former Vice President Kamala Harris spurning him as her running mate last year, contradicting accusations made by President Donald Trump. The Forward, a Jewish publication, obtained excerpts of “How Trump Retook the White House and...
Xander Schauffele is trying to flush what feels like his worst season
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — The best thing Xander Schauffele has going for him in the worst season of his career is a good attitude. That much was evident Tuesday when he walked into the media center at the Scottish Open and saw his picture. It was on a wall beneath...
Mihir Sharma: RFK Jr. is playing with babies’ lives
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was appointed secretary of Health and Human Services, everyone knew he was capable of doing great damage. He had a long history of indulging conspiracy theories, particularly when it came to vaccines. Already, his attempt to reassess immunization schedules in the U.S. has outraged pediatricians....
Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz to compete in MLB All-Star Home Run Derby
Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz has launched some of the hardest-hit balls since MLB started keeping track of exit velocity in 2015. He’ll get a chance to show that skill to a national audience when he participates in the Home Run Derby on Monday, the annual prelude to MLB’s...
PICT Theatre’s popular ‘Bards from the Burgh’ staged reading series is back
For its third year, PICT Classic Theatre will bring back its “Bards from the Burgh” staged reading series at Carnegie Stage in Carnegie. The series will allow theater enthusiasts to hear four never-before-seen plays read onstage by actors. All four playwrights have connections to Pittsburgh. PICT artistic director Elizabeth Elias...
Martin Schram: Peace through power – it’s electric!
For several hold-your-breath weeks, as spring sizzled into summer, the nuclear dealmakers of President Donald Trump’s USA and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Iran seemed astonishingly close to a deal. So close that it seemed they’d soon reach out and seize the deal. But no one was willing to...
Gallery: Photos from July 8, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Tuesday, July 8, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Letter to the editor: Route 30 traffic danger
The article “As traffic grows, Route 30 crash hot spots a concern for motorists, property owners, police and PennDOT” (June 20, TribLive) points out many dangerous places and reasons why they’re dangerous. The one thing that wasn’t blamed was the speeding of cars traveling 10 to 20 mph or more...
A look at the countries that received Trump’s tariff letters
President Donald Trump sent letters to 14 countries Monday outlining higher tariffs they’ll face if they don’t make trade deals with the U.S. by Aug. 1. In the letters, which were posted on Truth Social, Trump warned countries that they would face even higher tariffs if they retaliated by increasing...

