Stephen Huba stories, Page 24
Lawyer for Westmoreland County doctor says feds cherry picked prosecution, conviction
The attorney for a Harrison City doctor convicted this week on charges he illegally distributed controlled substances said the government is “cherry picking” cases involving physicians who prescribe opioid painkillers. “The manner in which the government is (prosecuting such cases) is like throwing darts blindfolded at a dartboard,” said Pittsburgh...
Derry Township farmer: To save dairies, modernize milk pricing system
Faced with chronically low milk prices, some Pennsylvania dairy farmers are calling for reforms in the way those prices are set. The U.S. system for determining what dairy farmers are paid for their product is notoriously complex — and has become even more so under the influence of global markets...
PNC Bank to buy Allentown-based Ambassador Financial Group
PNC Bank has reached a “definitive agreement” with Ambassador Financial Group Inc. to purchase the Allentown-based broker-dealer, PNC announced Monday. Upon closing in the second quarter of 2019, Ambassador Financial Group will become a subsidiary of PNC Bank. Ambassador is a provider of balance sheet management, investment banking and capital...
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board selling $800 bourbon in special lottery
Good things come to those who wait — or so says the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Connoisseurs of bourbon have until 11 p.m. Saturday to bid on various rare, high-demand products in the first limited-release lottery of 2019. A total of 871 bottles are available, including $800-a-bottle Kentucky straight bourbon...
Notre Dame Club to visit Greensburg synagogue for special Shabbat service
In the days after the Tree of Life Congregation shooting, Monsignor Roger Statnick thought about ways he and his fellow Catholics could show support for the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and Greensburg. Then he met Rabbi Stacy Petersohn of Congregation Emanu-El Israel in Greensburg. The introduction turned into an opportunity...
WCCC professor brought out best in students
Duane Molnar taught thousands of college students how to be more effective communicators and left a legacy in the textbook “Effective Speaking: Take Flight … Into Your Future.” Mr. Molnar taught English and effective speech at Westmoreland County Community College for 35 years, affecting the lives and careers of numerous...
Elliott Group COO Michael Lordi named CEO
Elliott Group Chief Operating Officer Michael Lordi has been named CEO of the Jeannette-based company. Lordi succeeds outgoing CEO Yasuyuki Uruma, who has retired after 47 years with the Elliott Group and its parent company, the Tokyo-based Ebara Corp. “Going forward, we will continue to strengthen the Elliott brand by...
Kraft Hockeyville USA contest looking for most spirited hockey community
Kraft Hockeyville USA returns for its fifth year, and nominations are officially open to find America’s most spirited and enthusiastic hockey communities. Towns nationwide can compete for the title of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2019, which includes the opportunity to host an NHL preseason game and $150,000 in rink upgrades. Rostraver...
Report: Renewables, natural gas will power most new electric capacity in 2019
Much of the new electric generating capacity in 2019 will come from renewables and natural gas, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Thursday. The agency based its projections on the latest monthly inventory of electric generators. It was unclear whether the inventory included the December startup of the Tenaska...
Penn Township grant will help absorb costs of stormwater improvements
A new state grant will help Penn Township in its ongoing struggle to overcome the effects of stormwater on the storm sewers of the Harrison Park neighborhood. The Growing Greener grant of $70,000, awarded by the state Department of Environmental Protection, will go toward the design, permitting, surveying and management...
Peoples pledges to plug leaking methane from Pittsburgh gas lines
Peoples Gas hopes to cut methane emissions from its Pittsburgh distribution system by 50 percent by the end of the year using new leak detection technology, the utility company said. Peoples’ pledge is described as the first of its kind by a U.S. utility. The utility plans to use leak...
Parts of Laurel Highlands could get 3-5 inches of snow by Thursday
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for parts of the Laurel Highlands through noon Thursday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches are expected, with winds gusting as high as 35 mph, according to the NWS Pittsburgh office in Moon Township. The advisory covers the ridges...
Meadow is newest color for signature Fiesta dinnerware brandVideo
Homer Laughlin China Co. has introduced a sign of spring during the darkest time of winter. In what has become an annual rite of early January, the maker of Fiesta dinnerware announced its newest color — Meadow, a light green — Tuesday morning from the Atlanta International Gift & Home...
Ohio regulatory approvals bring second ‘cracker’ plant in region closer to reality
Southeastern Ohio has moved closer to joining Southwestern Pennsylvania as the location of an ethane “cracker” plant that could be a boon for employment for the natural gas industry and plastics manufacturers. The proposed plant near Shadyside, Ohio, in Belmont County, cleared its final regulatory hurdles in late December, when...
Stock market volatility belies strength of U.S. economy, experts say
The stock market roller-coaster ride of the past month may not be fun for investors, but it doesn’t have to be a harrowing experience either, financial advisers across the region said. Investor worries about stock market volatility are understandable, advisers told the Tribune-Review, but those should be balanced against the...
Laurel Ridge State Park to grow by 281 acres thanks to conservation purchase
A recent land acquisition will add 281 acres to Laurel Ridge State Park at the border of Fayette and Somerset counties later this year. The property was purchased by the Pittsburgh-based Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in December and will eventually be transferred to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources....
Agency: U.S. gas prices ended 2018 lower than they began
U.S. average retail gasoline prices ended the year lower than they began for the first time since 2015, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said. Regular gas prices averaged $2.72 per gallon in 2018 — 30 cents per gallon higher than in 2017 and 57 cents per gallon higher than in...
New Aldi store near Mt. Pleasant opening Jan. 17
German discount grocery chain Aldi will expand its Westmoreland County footprint this month with the grand opening of a store in East Huntingdon near Mt. Pleasant. The store, at 100 Crossroads Plaza on the site of the former Mt. Pleasant Kmart, will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan....
WCCC professor pushed disability rights
Mary Ellen Beres was a champion of people with disabilities before disability rights was a national priority. Mrs. Beres was a student support counselor and professor for special populations at Westmoreland County Community College for 30 years, retiring in 2015. During her career, she worked to make WCCC a more...
