Editor's Picks category, Page 147

JOHNSTOWN — Frail, angry, confused and dying, Carlton Haselrig rolled around on his bed, twisting in the blankets and sheets, screaming profanities, before sitting up and crying out a desperate plea: “Help me, Dad! Father!” But it was in vain. His father was not there to help. Fred Haselrig had...

NEW YORK — In the summer of 1997, audiences in Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre saw something no one had ever seen before: leaping antelopes, fluttering birds and elephants lumbering through the orchestra seats. “The audience started screaming so early. When the animals came down the aisle everybody shot up,”...

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: In a TV spot, WTAE general manager Mr. Wolfertz said Channel 4 will carry four Penguins games this year, but he didn’t say which ones...

Ryan Houston, who joined WPXI-TV as weekend evening and night anchor in December 2019, will depart the station Nov. 28. He’s returning home to his native Pine Bluff, Ark., to help care for an ailing family member. “My stepfather has colon cancer and my mother told me she needs some...

Kennywood is getting a new ride next year, and it promises to be out of this world. The amusement park announced Tuesday an intergalactic multi-action spin ride called Spinvasion will become the centerpiece of the park’s new alien-inspired Area 412 section. According to a press release, Spinvasion will provide an...

Whiskey connoisseurs in Pennsylvania can enter lotteries this week to purchase rare bottles that have skyrocketed in demand in recent years. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board on Monday announced its Limited-Release Lotteries for the highly sought-after products. Of 1,590 bottles up for grabs, 1,440 are made by Kentucky-based Old Rip...

RICHMOND, Calif. — To co-workers who knew David DePape a few years ago, he was a gentle, quiet carpenter who liked to watch “Game of Thrones” and “Stranger Things” and brought sunflower seeds to his worksite to feed birds and squirrels. “Everybody liked him,” said Frank Ciccarelli, 76, a carpenter...

There are plenty of chicken restaurants in Pittsburgh, but the first of Guy Fieri’s chicken eateries known as Chicken Guy! opened Monday in PPG Place adjacent to the iconic ice skating rink Downtown. The opening had been anti­cipated with word spreading last week, and the food appeared to be worth...

In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including the Steelers game on Nov. 20 getting downgraded from prime time to a late afternoon starting time, a call for extras on season two...

Sotheby’s auction house in New York is reporting that a Tyrannosaurus rex skull is likely to sell for up to $20 million at auction next month, according to CNN. The skull weighs more than 200 pounds and is over 6 feet tall. Named Maximus, the skull is one of the...

CHICAGO — At last, the Italian beef is having a moment. While deep-dish and Chicago-style hot dogs long ago achieved national fame, the Italian beef was one of those dishes with only limited appeal outside of Chicagoland. But now publications like The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times...

NEW YORK — John Aniston, the Emmy-winning star of the daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives” and father of Jennifer Aniston, has died at age 89. The actor’s daughter posted a tribute to him Monday morning on Instagram, announcing that he had died Friday, Veteran’s Day. John Aniston served...

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Produced by FX for Hulu, “Fleishman Is in Trouble” proves frustrating but ultimately rewarding. Frustrating because it teases a mystery and then goes off on character tangents for multiple episodes, but ultimately rewarding because when...

To whittler Rod Cross of Bear Rocks, there is life in each block of wood. “I have to introduce myself to the wood. When I get down to the carving, I will know what to do,” said Cross, 73, who has been whittling wood all his life. Cross brought about...

A well-known restaurant in Leechburg is under new ownership and has a new name. Twisted Thistle was sold this month by Linda Alworth of Gilpin to three new owners: friends Bobby Elliott, Sean Watson and Corey Pistininzi. They’ve renamed it National Public House. Alworth, 68, recently sold Lingrow Farm, a...

There are some foods that just scream fall — and it isn’t simply a pumpkin spice latte or apple cider. Summertime cooking can be about adventure, fun and keeping cool. We grill in the backyard. We dive face first into giant icy watermelon. We mix up substantial cold salads rather...

An episode of a PBS series focusing on revitalization efforts in New Kensington is “a tremendous postcard for the city,” Mayor Tom Guzzo said. The episode of “Start Up” featuring Mike Malcanas and his Olde Towne Overhaul debuted at Voodoo Brewing New Kensington Pub on Friday evening. “Anyone who watches...

Caustic picket line conversations and fiery union hall debates will take center stage in an upcoming documentary about the bitter 2021 ATI strike that impacted 450 workers in the Alle-Kiski Valley. “Local 1196: A Steelworkers Strike” gives a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of union workers and their families while...

Taylor Swift’s stop in Pittsburgh in June just got twice as nice. On Friday, the singer-songwriter announced 17 additional shows to her latest tour — and one of them will be a second show on her upcoming Pittsburgh stop. Swift’s “Eras Tour” will now be at Acrisure Stadium on June...

An Army veteran from Harrison City is on a mission to give four Civil War soldiers buried in unmarked graves proper recognition. A memorial etched with their names would be part of a restoration of the inactive North Huntingdon cemetery that dates to 1784. “Somewhere along the way, it hits...

This weekend is a great time to celebrate movies, music, dance, cultural heritage and chocolate in Pittsburgh. Film festival The Three Rivers Film Festival continues through Nov. 16, featuring 18 independent feature films not showing elsewhere. Films are screening at the Harris Theater downtown and The Tull Family Theater in...

Artisan gift shopping Hours for the annual Holiday Mart will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. More than a dozen artists and artisans will offer American-made items suitable for gift-giving, including jewelry, architectural illustrations, prints,...

Wesley Westerman was in a sea of leather-vested motorcycle riders and a pile of frozen turkeys Thursday at Mogie’s Irish Pub in Lower Burrell for a good cause. Westerman, with the help of the City Kings and Warriors of Chaos Veterans motorcycle clubs, collected more than 180 turkeys to distribute...