TribLive stories, Page 553

Tarentum residents will pay the same for garbage collection in 2023 but will no longer have unlimited service. Council was notified in October that Waste Management was not able to extend the borough’s current contract that provides unlimited service because of a lack of drivers. The borough advertised for bids...

If you were a person interested in movies 25 years ago, you might remember hearing that James Cameron’s “Titanic” was on target to be a legendary flop. “Can a disaster epic about an epic disaster avoid the very fate it dramatizes?” asked a story in The Washington Post about six...

A preacher I saw on TV said human-caused climate change is a hoax used as a ploy by globalists to redistribute wealth. Globalists want no rich countries, no poor countries, no borders. They want everyone to be the same. They think that will prevent future wars. David Rockefeller was an...

Pine-Richland School District will welcome some new faces and say farewell to a familiar one in the next few months. The district’s director of student services and special education, Noel Hustwit, who has been with the district since 2012, is retiring in March. Initially hired as the director of special...

Beth Samuel Jewish Center Shabbat Morning Services are held every Saturday at 10 a.m. in person and on Zoom. Kabbalat Shabbat Services (via Zoom), 7 p.m. Dec. 16. Torah Yoga, 8:45 a.m. Dec. 17. Join Jennifer Ferris-Glick via Zoom for mindful yoga and meditation. Free for all ages. Annual Chanukah Party...

M. Lou Harrison, your letter “Remember these things about Trump” (Oct. 31, TribLIVE) was a perfect fit for the current political environment, where, given the choice between a brain surgeon and a lame brain, the latter is chosen. While you cited my letter “Before voting, ask yourself if you’re happy...

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. Lower Burrell American Legion to host free Christmas Day dinner Members...

Laurel: To a little housekeeping. Westmoreland County has made tackling blight a priority. County commissioners put their stamp of approval on that idea when they carved off $10.4 million of the county’s American Rescue Plan money to dedicate toward mitigation efforts. That got started this week with the demolition of...

As an animal advocate concerned about public safety, I am thrilled that the Big Cat Public Safety Act finally passed through both chambers and is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. This no-brainer legislation restricts private ownership of big cats like lions and tigers. It also makes it illegal for...

High Schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Class 4A Section 2 North Catholic 75, Ambridge 48 Nonsection Brashear 61, Cornell 34 Derry 81, Greensburg Salem 68 Ellwood City 56, Western Beaver 45 Jefferson-Morgan 48, Frazier 47 Knoch 51, Valley 42 Mapletown 57, Avella 35 Mars 80, Kiski Area 63 Propel...

Lauren Palangio scored 15 points, and Kendall Berger added 10 as Norwin won its sixth straight game to start the season, defeating reigning WPIAL Class 5A champion South Fayette, 43-40, on Thursday night in nonsection girls basketball. Trailing 28-22 at halftime, Norwin (6-0) outscored South Fayette 21-12 in the second...

A woman was in critical condition Thursday night and three other women and a child riding with her were also hurt in a two-car crash on Frankstown Road in Penn Hills. An Allegheny County Police spokesman said the crash occurred at about 6:50 p.m. in the 10900 block of Frankstown...

The Central Bucks school board is advancing a policy that would ban staff members from advocating to students about “partisan, political or social policy issues,” a proposal critics said would have a chilling effect on teachers. The policy — a revision of an earlier proposal put on hold last month...

Food was laid out waiting to be passed out Thursday during the Lower Valley Community Food Bank’s Christmas food and gift distribution at the Springdale Municipal Building. Food bank volunteers and members of the Springdale High School National Honor Society passed out food, gift certificates and toys for local residents...

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point Dec. 14 to a range of 4.25 to 4.5%, the seventh increase this year. So far in 2022, the Fed has lifted its benchmark short-term rate, which influences most other borrowing costs in the economy, by 4.25 percentage points...

A court hearing over a secretly recorded conversation between two UPMC physicians on Thursday devolved into shouting and threats to have an attorney jailed before cooler heads prevailed. Dr. James Luketich, the head of cardiothoracic surgery for UPMC, filed a motion for an injunction to prohibit the use of the...

Students in the Gateway High School Chick-fil-A Leader Academy participated in their “Do Good December” project on Dec. 14. They traveled to the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and Mario Lemieux Family Center in Bloomfield to volunteer for the day. The students raised funds and donated numerous items to the Child’s...

Shopping for that special Paul McCartney fan in your life this holiday season? Look no further than “The 7” Singles Box,” an amazing box set that features 163 tracks — in the form of 80 7-inch singles — running over 10 hours of music. The collection includes such hits and...

Monroeville’s real estate tax rate remains at 4 mills for 2023. On Dec. 13, municipal council approved an ordinance setting the rate, which means property owners will continue to pay $400 per $100,000 of assessed value. Earned income, business privilege and mercantile taxes also remain the same. Council also voted...

The real estate tax rate remains the same for Plum in 2023. Borough council on Dec. 14 approved a resolution setting the rate at 4.78 mills, its level since 2017. A mill generates about $1.6 million in tax revenue in Plum. Council also voted to adopt the 2023 budget, which...

Verona property owners are catching a break in 2023 following a 2.1-mill real estate tax increase for the current year. Borough council on Dec. 13 approved an ordinance that maintains the current rate of 9.7 mills, meaning that owners of property with an assessed value of $100,000 will pay $970....

A long-standing tradition continued this holiday season when students at Sunrise School in Monroeville were treated to festivities at a local business. “This is the 30th year of the Christmas celebration,” Dan Biondi, president of Biondi Motor Co., said as he welcomed his guests. “They look forward to it all...

(The Center Square) – As transit agencies across the country struggle to recover from pandemic-induced ridership loss, getting back to the basics of reliability might matter most. A new report from Moovit, a trip-planning app, analyzed user data in 2022 in 10 major American cities. Transit riders complained of unreliable...

Regarding the letter “How about a GI Bill to help with student debt?” (Dec. 11, TribLIVE): First of all, I’m not too sure these people owing student debt would actually be a welcomed addition to the military. They already exhibited a lack of responsibility and more than likely wouldn’t make...

The far right often talks about the supremacy of freedom and liberty. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. However, their actions have consequences that diminish the freedom of some. In Georgia, vigilante supporters have targeted election workers with death threats and physical intimidation....