TribLive stories, Page 2191
Letter to the editor: Minimum-wage apocalypse
I have been waiting for nearly a half-century for the minimum-wage apocalypse, wherein smaller businesses (and some large chain restaurants) “seize up,” fail to function and fail in business terms. Such are the highly predictable diatribes by “economists” every time raising the minimum wage is broached. I refer to Lloyd...
Baldwin food pantry sees needs change in 35 years of serving community
Budha Biswa sorted through the large selection of breads until finding just the right loaf for her family. She gathered chicken, bone broth, mustard, jelly, juice, cereal, toilet paper and eggs from the long table extending the length of the hall at the Cloverleaf Area Ecumenical Assistance Program food pantry....
WPIAL teams join Trib HSSN state softball rankings
A pair of WPIAL softball teams fell out of this week’s Trib HSSN state rankings; however they were replaced by district teams that beat them. Both Seneca Valley in Class 6A and Latrobe in 5A were bumped from the weekly Top 5, and replaced by North Allegheny and Penn-Trafford, respectively,...
Ex-Penn State worker gets up to 23 months in jail for bathroom recordings
A former Penn State employee charged with recording more than 20 people in a Bryce Jordan Center bathroom has received his jail sentence. On Thursday, Centre County Judge Brian Marshall sentenced Charles Chamberlin Jr., 55, to six to 23.5 months in the county jail, along with three years of probation....
Here’s what’s happening around town: Friday, April 12
Hello, Sewickley, Join Jondou Chase Chen, co-director of the national Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) project and senior lecturer at the University of Washington School of Education, as he explores key concepts of “cultural competence” from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. April 18 at Sewickley Academy’s Boyd Room in the...
St. Brendan’s hiking group to go eagle spotting, and other happenings at area places of worship
Beth Samuel Jewish Center The center is at 810 Kennedy Drive, Ambridge. For information, visit bethsamuel.org or contact the center at bethsamueloffice@ comcast.net or 724-266-5238. • 9 a.m. April 20 — Torah Yoga • 6 p.m. April 20 — Passover Across America-Second Night Seder Blackburn United Methodist Church The church...
First-aid skills are important for all ‘do-it-yourselfers’
Before I was a hardware guy, I spent a few years driving nails in the construction industry. I loved it; the work was rewarding, the experiences unforgettable and the education priceless. Construction sites are a tough environment, though, unsuitable for those thin of skin or weak of body. There is...
Making the switch to electric mowers
Andy Amrhein has literally spent a lifetime selling and maintaining gas-powered lawn equipment. The owner of Evey True Value Hardware in Bethel Park has now become a champion of electric and battery-powered mowers, blowers, trimmers and more. “The world is changing. More and more people every year are going to...
Digging in to online houseplant buying
The increasing hours of spring sunlight and rising temperatures across the country bring thoughts of greenery and new life, and adding a houseplant or two to your home is a great way to brighten your space without spending a lot of money. The best way to buy houseplants is to...
Pirates minor league report: April 11, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 4-3) won their fourth straight game, 7-3 over Charlotte (White Sox). 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (.267) went 3 for 5 with two doubles, a solo home run and three RBIs. LF Trayvon Robinson (.429) went 4 for 4 at the plate and stole a base. CF Bryan Reynolds (.393)...
High school scores, schedules for April 11, 2019
High Schools Baseball Thursday’s results WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Pine-Richland 10, Allderdice 0 Section 2 Penn-Trafford 5, Plum 2 Section 3 Canon-McMillan 10, Brashear 2 Upper St. Clair at Baldwin, ppd. Class 5A Section 1 Gateway 1, Fox Chapel 0 Franklin Regional 16, Woodland Hills 0 (6 inn.) Kiski...
High school roundup for April 11, 2019: No. 3 North Allegheny beats No. 1 Seneca Valley
The North Allegheny softball team stayed undefeated Thursday afternoon with a key, early-season victory. Rachel Martindale doubled and homered to help the No. 3 Tigers defeat No. 1 Seneca Valley, 6-2, in a Section 2-6A game in McCandless. Kristen Chomos and winning pitcher Ashley Adams also knocked in runs for...
Chartiers Valley grad Toomer evolves into versatile player for Slippery Rock women’s lacrosse
As ShyAnne Toomer anticipated her junior lacrosse season at Slippery Rock, she knew the team might be looking for help winning draws. A large group of midfielders graduated from the season before, so Toomer prepared herself for the role and called on her mother, Shannon Reichel, for help. During the...
Timothy L. O’Brien: Bill Barr is trying hard to be President Trump’s Roy Cohn
The attorney general of the United States is, we now know, quite sure of himself. Exhibit A: Spying During Senate testimony on Wednesday, William Barr was asked if, as Bloomberg News reported, he was planning to review how and why the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into possible...
Arnold expects to start demolition process on 10 abandoned houses soon
The planned project to demolish 10 abandoned houses in Arnold could begin by the end of the month. Community Development Director Rick Rayburg hopes to take the first step, advertising for contract bids, to take place by the end of April or beginning of May. Rayburg has started the city’s...
Uber to go public at last in what could be one of the biggest IPOs
The biggest IPO of the year is on its way. Uber’s initial public offering, expected to value the company at about $100 billion, could be among the largest in history, and will likely compete with Alibaba for the biggest tech IPO ever. Uber’s debut also would dwarf Facebook’s as the...
Amazon workers are listening to what you tell Alexa
Tens of millions of people use smart speakers and their voice software to play games, find music or trawl for trivia. Millions more are reluctant to invite the devices and their powerful microphones into their homes out of concern that someone might be listening. Sometimes, someone is. Amazon.com employs thousands...
Retired Pope Benedict wades into clergy sex abuse debate
Pope Benedict XVI has ventured out of retirement to publish an essay blaming the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal on the sexual revolution of the 1960s and church laws that protected priests. His analysis was immediately criticized as “catastrophically irresponsible” — a conflict with efforts by his successor, Pope Francis,...
David Bernhardt confirmed as Interior secretary despite ethics concerns
WASHINGTON — David Bernhardt, President Trump’s pick to the lead the Interior Department, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday amid persistent ethical concerns and doubts about his independence from the energy and water industry groups he long represented as a lobbyist. Senators voted 56-41 in favor of Bernhardt’s confirmation....
NASA twins study explores space, the final genetic frontier
WASHINGTON — From his eyes to his immune system, astronaut Scott Kelly’s body sometimes reacted strangely to nearly a year in orbit, at least compared to his Earth-bound identical twin — but newly published research shows nothing that would cancel even longer space treks, like to Mars. The good news:...
Who’s winning, losing from coffee’s drop to a 13-year low
Coffee has been among the worst-performing commodities in the past few years as the world became awash with beans, and there are few signs of a meaningful rebound any time soon. With arabica languishing near a 13-year low and robusta futures also performing poorly, there are concerns that the industry’s...
Apple takes step toward curbing climate-warming emissions from its supply chain
Apple announced Thursday that 21 manufacturers in its supply chain have recently vowed to obtain all their electricity from renewable sources, bringing to more than 5 gigawatts the total amount of renewable energy that will be used by the company and its suppliers by 2020. That would bring the use...
Investigators search 2 Westmoreland spots, 1 apparently for missing woman Cassandra Gross
Investigators convened at two places Thursday in Westmoreland County to search for missing women, including one who has not been seen in more than a year. Neither search turned up a body. Kathe and Harry Gross, the parents of missing Unity woman Cassandra Gross, waited along Beatty Flats Road while...
Laurels & lances: Ligonier, light, lessons and love
Laurel: To preserving a little piece of the past. Ligonier Township leaders don’t want lose their connection to a treasured longtime landmark. Instead, the municipality is interested in buying Ligonier Beach to keep the private pool from floundering after the owners filed for bankruptcy. Details are still up in the...
Central Pa. leaders, residents speak out about Pittsburgh gun ban
LEWISBURG — The gun control legislation passed by Pittsburgh’s City Council and signed by Mayor Bill Peduto on Tuesday spurred Susquehanna Valley leaders and a hunter to speak out in favor of — and against — the law, which prohibits the use of military assault-type weapons. Lewisburg Mayor Judy Wagner,...

