Editor's Picks category, Page 167
Christmas tree recycling programs open drop-off sites
Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials are encouraging residents not to let their live Christmas trees end up in a landfill after the holidays. Both the city and the county launched their annual recycling programs on Tuesday. Pittsburgh’s program allows people to drop off trees at one of 11 drop-off sites...
The poinsettia by any other name? Try ‘cuetlaxochitl’ or ‘Nochebuena’
SANTA FE, N.M. — Like Christmas trees, Santa and reindeer, the poinsettia has long been a ubiquitous symbol of the holiday season in the U.S. and Europe. But now, nearly 200 years after the plant with the bright crimson leaves was introduced north of the Rio Grande, attention is once...
TV Q&A: Is Katelyn Sykes back on the news?
Q: Is Katelyn Sykes back reporting the news? I thought I just saw her reporting for WPXI, Channel 11. — PSU, via email Rob: Sykes, who left WTAE-TV in November 2021 and took a job working in communications for the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, began working as a...
White elephant gift exchange parties popular with millennials
Millennials are revamping white elephant holiday parties. The tradition stems back to Southeast Asia when the white elephant — considered a sacred animal — was given by a high-ranking person as a gift to someone who displeased them. The gift was given almost as a punishment because the recipient would...
Plum man who died in Parkway East crash remembered for generosity, baking skills
Ronald Richards made “the best lady locks around,” said Sean Hartley, whose family owns the Shop ’n Save on Golden Mile Highway in Plum. “He was making them for Christmas even this week. I saw him on Saturday at the store,” Hartley said. Hartley hired Richards to manage his store’s...
Tay Waltenbaugh, former Community Action leader, had passion for helping people
At 6 feet, 7 inches tall, Tay R. Waltenbaugh was a larger-than-life person who had a passion for helping those in need become self-sufficient. “He did so much for so many people. No one was more committed to helping others in Westmoreland County than Tay,” said county Commissioner Ted Kopas....
She bought a colorful vase at Goodwill for $3.99. The rare piece sold at auction for $107,000
Jessica Vincent had just started surveying the shelves of a Virginia thrift store when a vase caught her eye. It was shaped like a bottle and had ribbons of color, aqua green and amethyst purple, that spiraled up its glass surface like stripes of paint. The piece looked old amongst...
Census: Where are people moving to Pennsylvania from the most?
More people moved to Pennsylvania in 2022 than the year prior, and many came from neighboring states, according to new geographic mobility estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The federal agency estimates nearly 263,000 people residing in Pennsylvania in 2022 lived in a different state one year ago. Many came...
TribLive’s 2023 Year in Photographs
TribLive’s photojournalists have captured a year of stark contrasts, vividly documenting our region and the people who call it home. The North Shore witnessed a takeover by Swifties as globally renowned pop sensation Taylor Swift brought her Era’s tour to Pittsburgh. An explosion in the Rustic Ridge community in Plum...
I’ve watched dozens of cheesy holiday rom-coms this year. Here are 5 good ones
Since November, I’ve been watching the season’s new Christmas romantic comedies basically nonstop. There were many mediocre movies, but also a few that hit the right balance of cheesy, cringy and Christmas charm. ‘The Santa Summit’ It’s a Christmas hater’s absolute nightmare: the annual Santa Summit. What began as a...
Effortlessly gorgeous and easy to ship, drop cookies are what to bake for Christmas
I’m as dazzled by a beautifully decorated holiday cookie as the next person, but when it comes to wielding a pastry bag myself, I’m not a pro. I’m much more about the cookies than the piping. And while elaborately crafted cookies shaped like delicate snowflakes or sporting ombre frostings are...
How to manage holiday spending when you’re dealing with student loan debt
NEW YORK — For Nicole Plauché and her family, Christmas is the time of the year where they can use their preferred love language: gift giving. This year, however, Plauché is worried about how much she can afford to spend on gifts. Her main struggle? Student loan payments. “It just...
Top 24 concerts (so far) coming to Pittsburgh area in 2024
It’s looking like 2024 will be another year of big concerts for the Pittsburgh region. Topping the list is the almost annual appearance by Kenny Chesney at Acrisure Stadium. The chart-topping country singer, who’s already headlined the stadium 11 times since 2005, will bring his Sun Goes Down tour to...
‘More than just a class’: Westmoreland Performing Arts offers support, community through special ability theater group
Isaac Klimchock knew what to do when his castmates missed their cue. He had just finished a scene with Chris Henderson, and audience applause echoed off the walls of Science Hall Theater at Westmoreland County Community College. Klimchock and Henderson waited, and waited, for fellow actors to join them for...
Forgoing traditional Christmas celebrations to travel is becoming more common
Melinda Cody of Allegheny Township has implemented a Christmas strike, and she’s never been happier. For decades, Cody — a wife and mother of two adult children — prepped, baked, cooked, decorated, shopped, organized and wrapped gifts, providing a traditional Christmas experience for her family with all the expected holiday...
‘You get to see the best in people’: TribLive reporter volunteers at Salvation Army kettle
I should have switched my bell-ringing hand at least once. If there is one lesson I learned from taking a shift ringing the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle bell on a crisp, clear Thursday morning, that was it: Don’t just ring the bell for 90 minutes with the same arm. It...
Here’s a gift guide with a Westmoreland County connection
There are potential holiday presents in every spot you look around Westmoreland County. That restaurant or coffee shop down the street probably stock gift cards that would be perfect for a friend or relative. The winery, distillery, meadery or craft brewery you’ve noticed in the neighborhood could provide a liquid...
Original AC/DC drummer Colin Burgess has died at 77. The Australian helped form the group in 1973
Australian drummer Colin Burgess, an original member of the hard rock band AC/DC in the early 1970s, has died, the band confirmed on its social media accounts. He was 77. “Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess,” says an unsigned post on the band’s official Facebook page...
Mancini’s Italian Bakery creates the leg lamp from ‘A Christmas Story’ out of bread
This piece of art weighs 190 pounds and is 4 feet high and 4 feet wide — and it’s edible. Mancini’s Italian Bakery co-owner Nick Mancini Hartner created a leg lamp made of dough to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic film “A Christmas Story.” The masterpiece reflects the...
Mt. Pleasant Area school police ready to roll with donated patrol vehicle
Mt. Pleasant Area School District’s four-man police force is shifting into a higher gear with the addition of its first vehicle. The district police force has placed into service a Ford Interceptor SUV that was donated by Mt. Pleasant Borough after it finished its use as a patrol car for...
Remembering Pittsburgh pioneering Black journalist Jean Bryant’s life and legacy
Jean Bryant was an icon. A pioneer in journalism, an activist and an author, Bryant was known for her grandeur, grace, indelible laugh and infectious smile. She drew widespread acclaim for her work as a journalist in Pittsburgh, but Bryant felt her greatest accomplishment was the work that she did...
Gainey, Pittsburgh firefighters hand out free winter coats to students
Every day of the week, fifth-grader Jaiden Harper walks a few blocks to get to classes at Helen S. Faison Arts Academy in Homewood. This year, the late-autumn cold hasn’t been so bad. Jaiden still took his time Friday morning to pick out the right winter coat. One was small,...
A Kentucky family gets an early gift: a baby owl in their Christmas treeVideo
LEXINGTON, Ky. — One Kentucky family got a little something extra when they picked out their Christmas tree this year: a baby owl. Lexington resident Michele White told WDKY-TV that it’s a tradition for the family to pick out a Christmas tree every year and this year seemed no different....
Cup of cheer: Holiday bars are popping up all over Pittsburgh
Holiday pop-up bars are limited-time establishments with creative cocktails and mocktails — some also offer food — with a backdrop of decorations, perfect for posting photos on social media. Western Pennsylvania has plenty to choose from of these bars, which have become popular in recent years. Tinseltown Tinseltown, formerly The...
TV Talk: Disney+ successfully adapts Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson’Video
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. After the success of the Harry Potter movie franchise, there were high hopes for the 2010 film “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” adapted from author Rick Riordan’s 2006 novel that paired Greek...
