TribLive stories, Page 1470
Weird Pennsylvania: Your guide to unique spots in the state
Beyond the immortalized battlefields, museums of science and historic collections, Pennsylvania also is home to an amazing array of weird and wacky sites and attractions. Here’s a look at 23 of those special places, including a few right here in our own backyard. Castle Halloween, Altoona Decades of Halloween and...
Michael Brevda: Holding nursing homes accountable
SavaSeniorCare LLC, a skilled nursing facility corporation with facilities in Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay more than $11 million (in addition to further penalties, should certain contingencies occur) to resolve allegations that the entity violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for services fraudulently. The complaint against Sava made...
Letter to the editor: Officer should be charged in Chicago boy’s killing
George Floyd’s death led to conviction of his killer. Daunte Wright’s life was taken by a police officer who has been charged with manslaughter, but not murder. Adam Toledo’s killer has not been charged with anything. This 13-year-old boy was shot and killed March 29 by a Chicago police officer...
Sheetz to start accepting digital currency payments this summer
Digital payment network Flexa announced Thursday that Sheetz convenience stores will accept digital currency payments and will be the first convenience store chain to do so. The program is expected to roll out this summer. Flexa said Sheetz will accept bitcoin, ether, litecoin, dogecoin and others, first at its cafe...
Baldwin, Thomas Jefferson, Brentwood high schools holding in-person commencement
South Hills high schools are gearing up for in-person commencement ceremonies. Baldwin High School’s class of 2021 commencement ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. on June 8 at Baldwin High School Stadium. Approximately 350 students will receive their diplomas. While each student will receive six tickets — a capacity...
Letter to the editor: Save us from Biden’s magic pen
Well, I thought I said everything about how I feel about President Biden, but it never stops with him. I guess he’s trying very hard to turn America into a communist country with all his hypocrisy. I don’t think any previous president has made such progress in destroying people’s lives...
2021 Memorial Day Events in the A-K Valley
All events are on Monday unless otherwise noted. Apollo Apollo Veterans of Foreign Wars and Hose Company No. 2 will sponsor a service at 9 a.m. at the North Plaza Memorial. Former Armstrong County Commissioner Bill Kerr will be the speaker. Brackenridge Members of the American Legion will raise the...
The Stroller, May 28, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, events 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. Free admission to historical sites offered by Springdale Library Springdale Free Public Library is offering library card holders free admission to nine...
Letter to the editor: What Republican Party has become
Former Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner recently stated, “There is no Republican Party. There’s a Trump Party.” So what exactly is a Trump Party? Well, since former President Trump “hijacked” the party, here’s what I think it stands for: Pushing the “big lie” that the election was stolen,...
Pirates farm report for May 27, 2021: Cruz hits 3rd homer for Altoona
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 11-9) lost 6-5 to Omaha (Royals) on a walk-off RBI single by LF Kyle Isbel off LHP Braeden Ogle. RHP James Marvel started and fared no better, giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks in 3⅔ innings. LHP Joe Jacques and RHP Shea...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for May 27, 2021
High schools Baseball WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Championship Tuesday’s schedule North Allegheny (19-3) vs. Hempfield (15-7) at Wild Things Park, 7:30 p.m. Class 5A Championship Tuesday’s schedule Franklin Regional (18-1) vs. Bethel Park (18-3) at Wild Things Park, 4:30 p.m. Consolation Wednesday’s schedule Peters Township (10-11) vs. West Allegheny (17-4)...
Seton Hill baseball clobbers Bloomsburg in Atlantic Regional opener
Vincenzo Rauso and Jack Oberdorf hit three-run bombs in the first three innings as Seton Hill jumped all over Bloomsburg en route to a 15-3 victory at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional in Charleston, W.Va. The Griffins will meet Millersville at 3 p.m. Friday. The winner moves on to...
Leechburg extends season with win over South Side in Class A softball 3rd-place game
Facing a possible final game in the careers of six seniors, coach Debbi Young issued a challenge to the Leechburg softball team. “When we got to the bus today, I told them if they don’t want to play, get off the bus,” Young said. “If you want to play, let’s...
Bill Cosby denied parole after failing to participate in ‘sex offender’ therapy program
Bill Cosby was denied parole in his sex assault case this month in part because of his failure to complete a prison program for sex offenders, the Pennsylvania Parole Board said. The comedian isn’t eligible for release until Sept. 25 at the earliest, but the board starts interviewing candidates three...
Welsh’s homer gives Chartiers Valley win over Fox Chapel, 3rd place in 5A softball
Chartiers Valley coach Chris Lloyd decided to drop Gianna Welsh a little lower in the batting order. The move paid off as Welsh blasted a two-run homer in the fourth inning and that was all the Colts needed as Chartiers Valley edged Fox Chapel, 2-1, in a WPIAL Class 5A...
Olympic sensation Simone Biles to perform in Pittsburgh
Three months after she is expected to add to her record medal haul at the Tokyo Olympics, gymnastics phenomenon Simone Biles will visit PPG Paints Arena. Biles, who with 30 medals at the Olympics and World Championships is the most decorated American gymnast in history, will headline the Gold Over...
Avonworth softball shakes off semifinal loss, tops Southmoreland to make states
A few missed opportunities early and one golden opportunity wasted late proved to be the downfall for the Southmoreland softball team in Thursday’s WPIAL Class 3A consolation game against Avonworth at Gateway. The Scotties scored single runs early, but couldn’t put together a big inning, then failed to come up...
Laurels & lances: STEM, sentence, study
Laurel: To great ideas. STEM — the acronym for science, technology, engineering and math — has been a priority in education for years as a schools and government alike emphasized the rich opportunities for future careers in all the fields it could open. Three Fox Chapel Area students are showing...
Fugitive extradited from Israel to Pittsburgh stands trial on rape charges
An Israeli man who fled criminal charges that he raped a teenage girl at a Dormont tanning salon in 2004 is standing trial this week. Moshe Journo, 55, was extradited back to the United States from Israel in 2019 and pleaded guilty in December of that year to aggravated indecent...
David Murphy: Denial isn’t a solution for Philly sports fans after the Russell Westbrook popcorn incidentVideo
PHILADELPHIA — The pity party began shortly after the last drop of hydrogenated oil dripped onto the injured man’s head. No big deal! Woe are we! Here they come to get us! What you actually see in that video there is a national vendetta! It unfolded as it always does....
2 former Allegheny County constables plead guilty to theft, fraud
Two constables pleaded guilty to criminal charges Thursday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Anthony Cioppa, 49, of Wilkins, was charged in five separate cases, accused of abusing his position as a constable to take money from people involved in the criminal justice system. In addition, Cioppa and another constable,...
Franklin Regional board holds ‘public-less’ public hearing
To the editor: On May 24, the Franklin Regional School District held a public hearing on the future of the empty Heritage and Newlonsburg elementary schools. It was a public hearing, but the public wasn’t allowed to attend because the board is still holding virtual meetings where residents can watch,...
Rep. Natalie Mihalek: Restoring our education system after covid-19
As a mom and a state representative, education is always on my mind. It pains me to see how children have been suffering throughout the covid-19 pandemic — especially when it comes to lost learning opportunities. While schools in my area have reopened, across Pennsylvania, many children haven’t been in...
Earl Baker: A new energy revolution in Pa.
In a momentous milestone for Pennsylvania, the Revolution Pipeline is now online. Over the past decade, energy has provided the Keystone State and surrounding Appalachian region an abundance of natural resources, jobs and economic growth. Revolution, a 40.5-mile pipeline, is just another example of the importance of infrastructure to the...
Letter to the editor: Why no tributes to Officer Brian Shaw?
There were tributes to George Floyd all over the country, including an invitation from President Biden for his family to visit the White House. I haven’t heard anything about a tribute to officer Brian Shaw, the New Kensington police officer gunned down in 2017. Small tributes, yes. Not to mention...

