Here's what else made news in 2020: Stories you might have forgotten
Despite what you might remember, 2020 was not all about the coronavirus, presidential election and racial unrest.
In Western Pennsylvania alone, we were struck by natural disaster and a disaster on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
We looked on with envy as our neighbors in Harrison and Leechburg became millionaires and cheered as a preteen from Kennedy Township turned heads on national TV, surely destined for stardom.
We were awed by underground living in Gilpin and watched with joy as a 97-year-old from Latrobe captured national attention with her baking.
We dodged a large asteroid and what could have been a collision between space satellites.
Here is what else made news in 2020, some of the notable stories that you might have forgotten.
5 dead, dozens injured in Pa. Turnpike crash in Mt. Pleasant Twp.
The new year was only five days old when tragedy struck on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
A 52-passenger bus was traveling on a downhill curve, struck an embankment and flipped onto its side about 3:40 a.m. Jan. 5 near mile marker 86 on the westbound side of the highway. The crash involved three tractor-trailers — two UPS trucks and a FedEx truck loaded with parcels — and a passenger vehicle, state police said.
State police said their investigation and a determination of its causes would take weeks or months.
An official with the National Transportation Safety Board said a final report on the investigation would take one to two years to complete.
Tornadoes tear through A-K Valley communities
The severe storms in April ripped roofs off a church and a brewery in New Kensington, destroyed hangars at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity and brought down numerous trees and power lines across the region. More than 40,000 people were without power.
Wind gusts of about 75 mph were recorded at Pittsburgh International Airport shortly after 1 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. It was the strongest thunderstorm-related wind gust measured at the airport since at least 1948, the weather service said.
The first tornado hit the Frazer-Tarentum area at 1:11 a.m. and lasted about seven minutes, with wind speeds up to 100 mph, a weather service analysis showed. That’s considered an EF1 tornado. It traveled 4.1 miles and had a peak width of about 150 yards and traveled into New Kensington.
The second struck Lower Burrell at 1:17 a.m. and lasted one minute, with winds up to 70 mph. It was measured as an EF0 tornado. Its path was about one-quarter of a mile and its maximum width was about 50 yards.
Wendy Bell taken off the air
In a story that seemingly wouldn’t fade away, KDKA Radio removed controversial afternoon talk show host Wendy Bell from the air after comments she made advocating for park rangers to “shoot on sight” people defacing public monuments.
“Members of our community have recently brought to our attention comments made by Wendy Bell that do not align with Entercom’s values. Wendy has been taken off the air until further notice,” said the station’s owner, Entercom Communications.
In a video recorded June 26 during her live radio show, Bell looks into the camera and says: “My easy solution for the park rangers and hopefully snipers who are going to be watching for this is to shoot on sight.” Bell then mimics the sound of a gunshot. “Shoot! Done! No more messing with monuments. You want to mess with a monument? Done! Get out!”
‘Baking With Lucy’ goes national
From her Latrobe kitchen to Facebook to NBC’s “Today,” Lucy Pollock’s baking skills kept reaching wider audiences.
The 98-year-old started gaining recognition in the early days of the pandemic when her daughter and housemate, Mary Ellen Raneri, started sharing Pollock’s baking skills on live Facebook sessions. Mary Ellen’s husband, Phil Raneri, would capture the lessons on his cellphone.
“Baking With Lucy” took off, earning followers around the globe, an upcoming cookbook and a national television appearance on the “Today” show in November.
Days later, Pollock died unexpectedly from lung infections. She also had tested positive for covid-19, her daughter said.
Carnegie Museum hides dromedary diorama
For the first time in 120 years, the famous “Lion Attacking a Dromedary” diorama at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History depicting a violent encounter between two lions and a courier riding a dromedary — a one-humped camel — could not be seen.
The museum announced in September that it had covered it up because of recent events and demonstrations related to systemic racism and the police killings of Black people.
Two $1 million lottery winners
Keep on scratching indeed!
Two lucky lottery players won $1 million each playing scratch-off lottery games about four months apart.
A regular customer of Community Supermarket in Harrison won on a $20 scratch-off ticket.
Office clerk Niki Dickey said the woman’s husband had told her she read the ticket wrong.
“She said, ‘I think this one’s big,’ ” Dickey said. “She didn’t cry. Her face was red. She may have cried at home. She was very emotional, and she was in shock.”
In mid-May, Charity Stivason won on a $20 winning “Magnificent Millions” ticket bought at Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market in Leechburg.
Stivason said the win was life-changing and provided some comfort following the death of her husband, Travis Stivason, who died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm Oct. 29.
Stivason said their daughter believes he had something to do with the winning ticket. This year would have been their 25th wedding anniversary.
Kennedy Township singer gets shot on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Ashley Marina, now 13, of Kennedy Township performed on “America’s Got Talent” in June and advanced to one round short of the quarterfinals.
According to judge Howie Mandel, the decision to eliminate the youth was a difficult one that wasn’t unanimous among the four celebrity judges.
“It’s ‘no’ for now,” he said, but the panel advised her not to give up on her musical aspirations.
Marina, whose full name is Ashley Marina Yankello but drops her surname for performances, told the Trib in July that her experience on “AGT” was rewarding.
“I learned there is a lot of good talent out there, and you have to be very confident in yourself and have other people be confident in you,” she said.
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