TribLive stories, Page 831
North Hills lineman works to end program’s playoff drought
Jake Messina knows a thing or two about building. A senior offensive and defensive lineman at North Hills, Messina has been around house fabrication his entire life via his family’s construction company. As he enters his final season of high school football, he hopes that the bricks he has stacked...
Point: Colleges should solely consider merit in selecting students
On June 29, the Supreme Court delivered a 6-3 ruling that essentially prevents colleges from using affirmative action and race-based quotas in the college admissions acceptance process. As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “The race-based admissions systems … fail to comply with the twin commands of the Equal Protection Clause...
Counterpoint: Affirmative action has ended; the need for diversity hasn’t
When a conservative Supreme Court majority effectively ended the use of affirmative action in college admissions, it disregarded more than 40 years of precedent — and the realities of systemic racial discrimination. Meanwhile, the court left affirmative action for the wealthy in place. While colleges no longer can consider race...
Letter to the editor: Shearsburg Road not the Indy 500
Yes, there are roads closed and detours, but why must everyone come flying down Shearsburg Road instead of taking the Bonfire Shortcut to Route 56 to wherever they need to go? School will be back in session soon, and we have children on this road out to catch the bus...
Sounding off: Taxes, bigotry, student loans, Supreme Court, climate on readers’ minds
The government will always get you Regarding the article “Poll: Taxes, cost of living driving away young residents from Pennsylvania” (July 5, TribLIVE): I’ve developed a theory over the years that the government is going to get you somehow regardless of where you live. There will be exceptions, and one...
Letter to the editor: Insults on school choice won’t help kids
After Gov. Josh Shapiro’s sudden announcement that he would veto school choice vouchers in the state budget, the Trib prints an opinion piece, “The letter that sank school choice in Pa.” (July 15, TribLIVE) blaming it all on “noxious” Republican messengers. The author smears two previous Department of Education secretaries...
Alle-Kiski Valley High School Reunion news
• Ken Hi Class of 1958 will have a reunion at noon Sept. 21 at Hill Crest Country Club, Lower Burrell. Classmates who have not yet received information should contact Marie Thompson Capo at 724-448-0841 or 724-335-22997 by Aug. 23. • Ken Hi Class of 1959 will have a reunion...
Editorial: Did we really need another special election?
Pennsylvania is facing a special election. Again. It will decide control of the state’s House of Representatives. Again. Sara Innamorato has resigned from her job as lawmaker representing the 21st District as she completes her run for Allegheny County executive. She secured the Democratic nomination for the position in the...
New hotel coming to McCandless Crossing
A new hotel is coming to Mc- Candless Crossing. AdVenture Development, which developed and manages McCandless Crossing, announced this month that it has been awarded a Hampton Inn & Suites franchise from Hilton Hotels with plans to construct a new hotel, expected to begin in mid-2024. McCandless Crossing is a 1.2...
What’s new at Northland Library in McCandless
New library hours As of Sept. 10, the Northland Library will open on Sundays. Regular hours beginning that day are: Sunday – 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday – 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. New...
In brief: news from Aspinwall, O’Hara and more
Chamber golf outing The 10th annual Aspinwall Chamber of Commerce’s golf outing is set for Sept. 8 at 3 Lakes Golf Course, 6700 Saltsburg Road. Shotgun start is 10 a.m. The event is presented by UPMC St. Margaret. Proceeds benefit the chamber’s annual community events. Participants should register and purchase...
The Stroller, July 22, 2023: 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. Golf scramble to benefit Kiski Area HS baseball program Kiski Area...
Letter to the editor: Cal Thomas’ comic take on our climate
In his column “The catastrophe du jour” (July 6, TribLIVE), Cal Thomas offers ample servings of scientific misunderstanding spiced with unfortunate attempts at humor. He mocks everyone from King Charles to the Green Party as hapless dupes of of a conspiracy of climate “experts.” Referring to climate predictions, he asks...
Pirates farm report for July 21, 2023: Termarr Johnson homers, steals base in Bradenton win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 44-49) scored one in the eighth and three in the ninth to beat Iowa (Cubs), 9-6. SS Alika Williams (.300) went 3 for 4 with a solo homer in the eighth inning, his seventh, a double, three runs scored and three RBIs. 3B Chris Owings (.248) went 1...
Gary Franks: Are both Reconstruction and affirmative action not ‘fair’ to nostalgic white Americans?
It is amazing how nostalgia turns into public policy. The state of Virginia is wrestling with what to do about an already removed statute of Gen. Robert E. Lee, military leader of the Confederacy and an outstanding student at West Point. However, Lee lost the Civil War to Union Gen....
Greensburg mom shares family moment at veteran memorial
Greensburg mom Adina North shared a snapshot of a heartfelt family moment at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Crabtree. She and her family attended a funeral for their relative, John Barchiesi, 88, of Crabtree, at the church earlier in July. North and her kids were standing outside when she reminded...
Sheldon H. Jacobson: An AI Bill of Rights would be unenforceable and may do more harm than good
President Joe Biden put forward a “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights” that provides five guiding principles for the development and implementation of artificial intelligence. They outline aspirational goals that also align with principles in the Democratic Party platform. Technology leaders also have expressed concern about the untethered growth...
Amazon palm-payment technology expanding to all Whole Foods Markets nationwide
Amazon One is already in use at more than 200 Whole Foods Markets in the United States. By the end of the year, Amazon said the palm payment technology will be available at all Whole Foods locations nationwide — more than 500 stores. In the Pittsburgh region, Whole Foods Markets...
Vanna White to reportedly get paid $100K per episode of ‘Celebrity Wheel’ in partial contract agreement
Vanna White apparently will keep her job on “Wheel of Fortune” when Ryan Seacrest begins hosting next year — but with a caveat. The longtime letter-turner has reportedly agreed to be paid $100,000 an episode for “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.” While White is said to have requested half of the...
Pa.’s latest attempt to regulate cyber charter schools would lower tuition payments, increase transparency
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 — A bill making its way through the Pennsylvania legislature would cap the amount of money public school districts send...
Elwood Watson: Aldean learns critics have freedom of speech, too
This week, Country Music Television pulled Jason Aldean’s highly controversial music video for “Try That in a Small Town” after its release last week sparked controversy. Aldean, one of the biggest country music stars, has been criticized widely for the song and video, which features intense hostility and threats of...
Letter to the editor: End affirmative action
The Supreme Court has ended one form of reverse discrimination (affirmative action in college admissions to achieve inclusion of minorities). White and Asian students have been denied admission to college so that less qualified Black students are given preferential consideration. That is racist. I realize that is how political correctness...
Morning Shabbat, Sunday school and more at Sewickley area houses of worship
Antioch Baptist Church Sunday service is at 10:45 a.m. Antioch Baptist Church is located at 332 Elizabeth St. For more information, call 412-741-7688 or visit antiochfwbaptistsewickley.org. Beth Samuel Jewish Center Beth Samuel Jewish Center meets every Saturday at 10 a.m. in person and on Zoom for Morning Shabbat services. First...
Letter to the editor: Who said it?
We will build a wall, and Mexico will pay. In the spring, when it warms up, it will disappear. (After about 1,127,000 U.S. citizens died, and it is still around.) If we rake the forest floors, there will be no more forest fires. If we paint China on our bombs...
Severe thunderstorms move through Western Pa.; thousands left without power
Severe thunderstorms and damaging winds moved through Western Pennsylvania late Thursday, leaving thousands in the region without power. As of 11:30 a.m., just under 2,000 customers remained without electricity, including about 1,600 West Penn Power customers. While the number of outages has dropped as the day wears on, the bulk...
