TribLive stories, Page 2277
West Deer considers adding more ‘Little Free Libraries’ in the township
West Deer hasn’t had a public library for a while but one supervisor aims to create a bunch of little ones soon. Township Supervisor Arlind Karpuzi has proposed creating a number of “Little Free Libraries” to his fellow supervisors. “Little Free Libraries” are book sharing outlets in which books are...
Photo Gallery: 59th Annual Pittsburgh Boat Show
The 59th annual Pittsburgh Boat Show opened last weekend at the Monroeville Convention Center. Boating enthusiasts still have time to catch up on the latest in watercraft, sporting equipment and even take a safe boating class this weekend, Jan. 18-20. Times for the show are 5 to 10 p.m. Friday;...
Letter to the editor: Hempfield needs police
Another year has passed, and Hempfield Township continues to mooch off Pennsylvania taxpayers to pay for its police services. Added revenue from the new mall casino could allow Hempfield to fund its own department or “kick in” to support the Pennsylvania State Police. Is it fair that Pennsylvania’s largest township,...
Letter to the editor: Government waste is immoral
Our president is asking Congress for less than 1 percent of the federal budget to ensure security on our southern border. However, the Democrats have decided to hold federal workers hostage during the negotiations to deny the president his sworn duty to protect this nation. In an October 2009 article,...
Letter to the editor: No surveillance on Hillary
The last few days I have suspected that I was under surveillance, most likely by the FBI. So I put a “Hillary for President” sign in my front yard. Wow … the surveillance is now gone. And, I didn’t have to pay anything for the sign; I found it in...
Letter to the editor: Cosmic luck
If you were born in America, you didn’t earn your citizenship. Your good fortune originates from random cosmic luck. In fact, your chances of hitting the “billion dollar lottery” are better than the odds that placed your life in this nation at this moment in time. You could have been...
Expected snow storm cancels some events around Alle-Kiski Valley
The following events are cancelled: Lower Burrell Saturday: The luncheon bingo scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at the Moose, 499 Reimer St. Details 724-335-4131 Tarentum Saturday: The performance by the band The Gruuve from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 219 E. Sixth Ave. Vandergrift Saturday: Karaoke at the...
Japan bars women from taking part in emperor’s throne handover
Japan will exclude all female members of the imperial household from participating in one of the key rituals during the throne’s handover from Emperor Akihito to his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, Kyodo news and other Japanese media said Friday. The country has long banned women from inheriting the throne,...
Hampton students testing above state average
A student achievement report for Hampton Township School District on the 2017-18 school year was presented at the Jan. 7 school board meeting, showing comparatively above average state test scores. Dr. Jacquelyn Removcik, HTSD director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said district officials were planning to provide the report in...
‘Dark and moody’ colors, spa tubs among 2019 home design trends
The home remodeling and design platform Houzz recently released its annual forecast, derived from conversations with industry experts as well as trends spotted among its 40 million monthly users. It offers a snapshot of what we might see in stores, living rooms and Instagram feeds this year. We asked Houzz...
Melania Trump reportedly takes government jet to Florida hours after president denies Pelosi a plane
There’s no shutting down Melania Trump. The first lady and first son Barron landed in Florida on Thursday, where ABC says the two them are weekending at the president’s private club Mar-A-Lago. Hours earlier, Politico’s Jake Sherman tweeted the first lady was departing Andrews Air Force base on a government...
Carlynton board approves 2019-20 proposed preliminary budget
Carlynton School Board members approved the 2019-20 proposed preliminary budget during their Jan. 15 meeting. The $29.98 million preliminary budget was approved with the intent to request an OK from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to go above the index for a referendum exception up to the maximum permitted by...
Latrobe connection of Biss, Fite pays off for Shippensburg men’s basketball
When Chris Fite became coach of the Shippensburg men’s basketball team, he immediately identified a few traits he wanted to see in recruits. Fite and his staff sought unselfish players willing to dig in on defense and spend extra time in the gym. Finding team-first players helped Fite turn Shippensburg...
Opioid crisis brings unwanted attention to wealthy Sackler family
BOSTON — The Sackler name is emblazoned on the walls at some of the world’s great museums and universities, including the Smithsonian, the Guggenheim and Harvard. But now the family’s ties to OxyContin and the painkiller’s role in the deadly opioid crisis are bringing the Sacklers a new and unwanted...
Michael Cohen hired tech firm to rig polls in Trump’s favor
Michael Cohen paid a tech firm with ties to Jerry Falwell’s evangelical college to rig online polls in President Trump’s favor. Trump’s former fixer paid John Gauger, the IT tech at Liberty University and the head of RedFinch Solutions, with a bag of cash and a boxing glove — and...
House floor erupts when lawmaker shouts ‘Go back to Puerto Rico’
WASHINGTON — The House floor erupted Thursday after Congress adjourned for the week when an unidentified Republican congressman yelled a controversial and potentially racially charged remark across the aisle as Democratic Rep. Tony Cardenas was at the podium. “Go back to Puerto Rico!” the lawmaker shouted, punctuating a stream of...
Government contractors to lose out on shutdown pay, dragging down economy
Like others caught up in the government shutdown, Brent Langdon has been cutting back on spending and is worried about his next mortgage payment. Yet unlike the hundreds of thousands of federal workers affected by the funding impasse, Langdon can’t look forward to eventually getting back pay because he is...
Total lunar eclipse meets supermoon Sunday night
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Here comes a total lunar eclipse and supermoon, all wrapped into one. The moon, Earth and sun will line up this weekend for the only total lunar eclipse this year and next. At the same time, the moon will be ever so closer to Earth and...
Laurels & lances: Mobility, community and an Amber Alert
Laurel: To the Joy Riders. The community biking program wants to bring together cyclists like the Mighty Tri Girls and Total Chaos — two Pittsburgh-area groups whose members train for triathlons — with individuals who have limited mobility. The result would be almost symbiotic. Using tandem bikes that have integrated...
Additional water system costs upset some Springdale officials
Unforeseen costs on the $7.5 million Springdale water system renovations are leaving some Springdale Council members unhappy. Change orders totaling nearly $41,000 were brought to council this week. Of that amount, at least $29,000 were unexpected costs. In addition, another unforeseen turn of events may result in council having to...
Man arrested in Carnegie on drug charges
An anonymous tip led to the arrest of a wanted man in Carnegie Jan. 16 on charges of felony drug possession. Rocco Vincent Colonello, of Valencia, had previously evaded police during a separate incident in Franklin Park, according to an incident report. Carnegie police apprehended Colonello outside a residence at...
Allegheny Township to push for state, federal consensus on stormwater
Allegheny Township officials want the state and federal governments to decide what agency should be contacted about problems with stormwater. The idea, they say, is to give local officials a central resource to tap for a quick resolution when dealing with drainage problems and issues that often create flooding. The...
Letter to the editor: Shutdown will reveal truths
There are two things this government shutdown will reveal. One is how not well-off things are for the average American, and that a large percentage of people live paycheck to paycheck, with a thin line between comfort and poverty. Less than 50 percent of Americans have more than $1,000 in...
Letter to the editor: TEACH bait & switch
Letter-writer Jeanne Snyder (“TEACH grants should be paid back,” Jan. 1, TribLIVE) should be proud of her son’s accomplishment of graduating from Penn State using grants, scholarships and loans. He found a job and started making payments toward the loans. Snyder states that education majors should pay for their education...
Letter to the editor: Peduto’s plans won’t make us safer
Regarding Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and his efforts to confront the gun problem(s) as he perceives them (“What’s next for Pittsburgh’s controversial gun-regulation proposals,” Jan. 8, TribLIVE), I think his heart is in the right place. Unfortunately, his brain seems unable to find that place. Additional legislation in cities throughout...
