TribLive stories, Page 51
Westmoreland happenings: Halloween events, health screenings, kolache sale, more
Fundraisers • St. Florian Church, 4263 Route 981, Mt. Pleasant Township, is accepting orders for a kolache sale. Varieties: 14- to 15-inch rolls with nut, apricot, poppyseed or prune fillings, $17. Order deadline: Nov. 3. Pick-up dates: 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 15 and 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 16...
Freeport grad Ben Lane hopes to make more splash plays on defense as Slippery Rock vies for PSAC West football title
Freeport’s Ben Lane and Belle Vernon’s Devin Whitlock were two of the best high school athletes in the area during the early part of this decade. But while their high school careers overlapped, they faced each other only once. It was in the 2022 WPIAL Class 4A basketball quarterfinals, and...
China native Nancy Jiang finds home, tennis success at Pitt-Greensburg
Nancy Jiang wants to be clear: Most of the Chinese food available in America is nothing like the cuisine in her homeland. “The first time I went to the Panda Express and the orange chicken, what is that?” said the 19-year-old Pitt-Greensburg sophomore, unable to contain her laughter. “We don’t...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 25, 2025
High schools Field hockey WPIAL playoffs Championship At North Allegheny Class 3A Tuesday’s schedule Pine-Richland (16-3) vs. North Allegheny (5-7-3), 7 p.m. Class 2A Wednesday’s schedule Peters Township (13-2-2) vs. Fox Chapel (12-3-3), 8 p.m. Class A Wednesday’s schedule Shady Side Academy (16-2-1) vs. Aquinas Academy (9-5), 6:30 p.m. Football...
Department of Agriculture says no food aid benefits will be issued next month
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday that food benefits under one of the country’s biggest social assistance programs will not be issued next month amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. The shutdown was in its 25th day Saturday, with Republicans and Democrats in Congress remaining at an...
High school roundup for Oct. 25, 2025: Burrell knocks off top seed in Class 2A girls soccer playoffs
McKenna Miller scored off of an assist from Makiah Buchak while Leah Waldsmith recorded the shutout, leading No. 8 Burrell to a 1-0 upset victory over No. 1 South Park (19-1) in the WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer quarterfinals Saturday. Burrell (12-6-2) will match up against No. 4 Mt. Pleasant...
Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto tosses gem in Game 2 of World Series vs. Blue Jays
TORONTO — Of the 82 pitches Kevin Gausman threw in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday, almost all of them were either untouchable or produced no damage. Yet two swings by Will Smith did damage, and that was the very narrow margin between Gausman and Los Angeles Dodgers...
West Virginia drops 5th straight, remains winless in Big 12
Josh Hoover threw for 247 yards and a touchdown Saturday night, and Trent Battle rushed for 89 yards and a score as visiting TCU stopped West Virginia, 23-17, in Morgantown. Hoover completed 24 of 39 passes for the Horned Frogs (6-2, 3-2 Big 12), who also got three field goals...
Impact of property tax relief from gambling revenue clouded by outdated formula
Before casino floors across Pennsylvania were filled with the clatter of slot machines and the flashing lights of jackpots, supporters of legalized gambling promised the expected revenue would be a sure bet to reduce property taxes. Today, state gambling officials and creators of Act 1, known as the Taxpayer Relief...
District college football roundup: IUP too much for Cal (Pa.)
Matthew Rueve threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns to lead IUP to a 38-30 victory over Cal (Pa.) in PSAC football Saturday afternoon. Devin Whitlock caught nine passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns and Matthew Rueve ran 14 times for 47 yards and two scores for IUP (5-2,...
WPIAL tennis state title contenders bow out in semifinals
The three WPIAL teams still in the hunt for a PIAA tennis championship after Friday night’s matches bowed out in Saturday’s semifinals in Hershey. In Class 3A, WPIAL champion Shady Side Academy (19-1) lost 3-1 to defending state champ Lower Merion (20-0). Cassie Lapina won in straight sets at No....
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Mt. Pleasant’s Laurel Rummel and Norwin’s Ben McBride
Laurel Rummel School: Mt. Pleasant Class: Senior Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Rummel, a fourth-year starter, made six saves to help the fourth-seeded Vikings (15-4-1) blank Avonworth, 2-0, in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. She had four stops in a 2-1 win over Shady Side Academy...
Cam Woods’ overtime winner sends Freeport to semifinals
Cam Woods’ winning goal in overtime sent No. 2 Freeport to the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals in a thrilling 4-3 win over No. 7 North Catholic (13-6) on Saturday. Woods channeled her inner Landon Donovan, dribbling and evading two Trojanettes defenders before shooting. After the ball hit opposing goalkeeper Jules...
Economist: Larger tax refunds in 2026 expected, thanks to Trump tax law and IRS delay
Americans, particularly the affluent, are set to receive larger tax refunds or smaller tax bills when they file in 2026, because of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending package passed in July, an economist said. Total taxpayer savings could amount to an additional $50 billion because the IRS has yet...
‘There is a plan’ for Trump to seek third term in 2028, Steve Bannon says
WASHINGTON – MAGA podcaster and former West Wing aide Steve Bannon suggested in a recent interview that a plan exists for President Donald Trump to attempt to defy the Constitution and seek a third term in office in 2028. “Trump is going to be president in ’28, and people just...
Lionel Laurent: Louvre robbery gang used a brazen new criminal blueprintVideo
A ladder truck, an angle-grinder, a maxi-scooter and seven minutes. That appears to be all it took for thieves to nab priceless jewelry from the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum. The vulnerability of this cornerstone of French soft power adds to the country’s sense of malaise, and fingers are being...
U.S. corn crop could be the biggest ever. That’s terrible news for America’s farmers.
FREDERICKSBURG, Iowa — Kyle Wendland stepped away from his engineering degree two decades ago to follow his father - not just into farming corn, but into a world of debt, grit, and stubborn faith he could wrest a living from Iowa’s soil. He calls his place Comeback Farms, after his...
Counterpoint: Trump’s compact would cripple universities
Among the many dangerous actions President Donald Trump has taken, his push to force some of the country’s best universities into signing a sweeping federal “compact” ranks just behind his pardons for the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. The 10-part compact is a bizarre mix of bombast, authoritarianism and a few unremarkable...
Point: Trump to universities — olive branch compact or prosecution and defunding
American universities are at a crossroads. Their business model, which is overwhelmingly dependent on the twin pillars of federal grants and taxpayer-backed student loans, is failing in the face of declining public trust, financial malfeasance, a looming demographic cliff, and their publicly acknowledged discrimination, contrary to civil rights law. The...
Social Security checks to rise 2.8% in 2026
More than 75 million Americans receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits will see their monthly payments rise 2.8% in 2026, accelerating from the prior year’s increase for the first time in three years. The Social Security Administration announced the annual cost-of-living adjustment to benefits on Friday, less than...
Letter to the editor: Are we now OK with white supremacy?
I do not in any way believe that it is right to take someone’s life simply because they hold different views from mine. I believe our government officials should have a responsibility not only to uphold our Constitution but also to honor only those who support the fundamental principles and...
Letter to the editor: No Kings? No thanks.
I’m an advocate for the First Amendment with no holds barred, and I support the right to peacefully protest. But lately I need a whiteboard to follow the diversity of protests. The “No Kings” protests are now the hot ticket. Although I don’t remember a king being coronated, only a...
Editorial: The people have a right to know about government settlements
Legal settlements can be a locked box of information. In September, Reuters reported Tesla settled two cases regarding California crashes involving Autopilot software weeks after a $243 million award in a Florida case. Details in the California settlements were confidential. When it comes to a corporation, keeping details quiet can be...
The Stroller, Oct. 25, 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. Pop-up food bank day...
Letter to the editor: Netanhayu and Trump
Israeli President Netanyahu sent the Israeli army into Gaza; President Trump sends troops into Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis, Portland and Chicago. Netanyahu tried to starve out the Palestinians; Trump throws 500,000 Americans off food stamps. Netanyahu bombed hospitals, killing health care workers; Trump takes away health insurance from over...
