JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 52
Salvation Army, UnitedHealthcare answer your covid questionsVideo
If you have covid-19 questions, UnitedHealthcare and The Salvation Army of Western Pennsylvania have answers. The organizations collaborated on a video that features doctors and health care providers addressing common inquiries about virus vaccines. It’s called “Understanding Your Options: Covid-19 Vaccine Educational Townhall.” The video is below. There is also...
O’Hara native to open Press House coffee shop in Sewickley
The drink is called a “milky way.” The latte is made with housemade caramel and chocolate syrup, milk and control flow espresso. It can also be done as an uncaffinated steamer. “Everything here is homemade,” said Hal McDonough, lead barista at Press House Sewickley, a coffee shop set to open...
Squirrel Hill Theater coming down to make room for housing complexVideo
A piece of history crumbled on Forward Avenue on Tuesday, as a bulldozer and other equipment began the demolition of the Squirrel Hill Theater. The movie theater, part of the neighborhood for 74 years, closed in 2010. The demolition will give way to a housing complex and office space called...
American Red Cross teams with actor James Van Der Beek and wife, Kimberly, for donations
Every two seconds someone is in need of a blood transfusion, according to the American Red Cross. Actor James Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, was one of those people. She experienced back-to-back miscarriages which required blood transfusions. The couple has collaborated with the American Red Cross to...
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Side to reopen after 15 months
The reopening date for the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is significant. It will reopen on June 12 — the date it officially opened back in 1983. “We are so excited about coming back,” said Bill Schlageter, marketing director for the museum. “We have been looking at the timing to open...
Family affair: McDonald’s more than a fast food chain for mother and daughter
The recognizable golden arches have always been more than a place to get a hamburger, french fries and a Coke for this mother and daughter duo. McDonald’s is a part of the family. Michele Rice-Kirkwood owns and operates eight McDonald’s in Western Pennsylvania, one where her daughter, Brittany Neal, is...
Tiki boat tours back on Pittsburgh riversVideo
They are recognizable by their thatched roofs and bamboo poles gliding along the river. The Hawaiian-style huts belong to Cruisin’ Tikis Pittsburgh, a company that offers sightseeing tours on the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers. They will be on the water this weekend for a fourth season. “Pittsburgh is perfect...
Restless Road getting back on the road as opener for Kane Brown at PPG Paints ArenaVideo
As Nashville country music singer Kane Brown’s career was moving forward, he took some time to look back. Brown invited singers he met years before through “The X Factor” the U.S. version of a show created by British producer Simon Cowell that appeared on Fox, to perform a few songs....
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this Mother’s Day weekend
It’s been awhile, but we’re back with our listing of things to do in and around Pittsburgh this weekend. Happy Mother’s Day. Hopefully, we’ll dodge the rain. Enjoy. Walk for a cure The annual Susan G. Komen Greater Pennsylvania Virtual More Than Pink Walk is Sunday. The event, which raises...
1st Pittsburgh International Literary Festival to get people talking, reading
The Pittsburgh International Literary Festival, known as “LitFest,” hopes to get people talking through reading. Hosted by the City of Asylum @ Alphabet City based on Pittsburgh’s North Side, the virtual event will feature authors from all over the world discussing topics that encompass Black, Indigenous and all people of...
Safe at home: Pierogies will once again race inside PNC Park
The racing pierogies are back where many fans believe they belong. Cheese Chester, Sauerkraut Saul, Jalapeno Hannah, Bacon Burt and Oliver Onion will once again be participating in the “The Great Pittsburgh Pierogy Race” inside PNC Park starting Monday. Brian Warecki, Pirates senior vice president for communications, confirmed the races...
Hood ornament exhibition opens at The Frick PittsburghVideo
They sit perched on the front of a car. Each represents a specific brand. At first they had a purpose. These days, they are mainly for show. A collection of car hood ornaments are on display at “Cast in Chrome: The Art of Hood Ornaments,” an exhibition at The Car...
Guardian Angels on earth: Highmark sponsored service dogs assist veterans
Charlie and Blue are more than a man’s best friend. The German shepherds are lifesavers. If Dan Smith’s blood sugar is approaching dangerous levels at night, Charlie, who sleeps on a cot next to Smith’s bed, wakes him up. Right before Shar’Ron Harris is about to have a seizure, Blue...
Shaler woman plays the harp to help soothe people in pain, help them relaxVideo
She’s known as the “Harp Lady.” Stephanie Miller, of Shaler, plays the musical instrument with ease. Watching her fingers glide across the strings to produce harmonious sounds soothes those around her. Often they forget about a medical issue or problem. Some fall asleep. “Music allows for a way to release...
Former Sewickley woman is trainer for Hidden Stash in Kentucky Derby
Victoria Humphrey Oliver said she knew there was something special about Hidden Stash when she watched the 3-year-old thoroughbred run. “I could just see he had talent,” said Humphrey Oliver, of Lexington Ky., who lived in Sewickley from second grade until the end of her freshman year at Sewickley Academy....
Rick Sebak signature cocktail available at Independent Brewing in Squirrel Hill
If WQED film director Rick Sebak ever does another unusual television program about to-go cocktails, he’s got the perfect drink to serve his viewers. The Independent Brewing Co. in Squirrel Hill created “The Rick Sebak Cocktail,” also known as “A Gentleman’s Breakfast,” back in 2014. It had previously only been...
Kennywood, Sandcastle, Idlewild set to open for summer of food, rides, slides
Summer cannot be far away. The official opening of Kennywood in West Mifflin is May 8. Sandcastle in West Homestead and Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier aren’t far behind. They are planning for a May 29 debut. After shortened schedules last year because of the pandemic, the parks are focused...
Pasta food truck to sling spaghetti in Western Pa.Video
Peter Williams came up with a pasta pandemic idea: He decided to sling spaghetti from a food truck. The manager of the Wilkinsburg-based Revival Chili food truck spent his time at home experimenting with sauces. He started with a classic red sauce and from there created grilled chicken with artichoke...
Get it twisted: New Bloomfield shop makes handmade German soft pretzelsVideo
Connor Claussen mixes three types of flour, dry yeast, sea salt and filtered water. He divides the dough into equal parts, rolls it into logs, forms each into a distinctive pretzel shape, scores the tops, dips them in lye and puts them in the oven to bake. This Swabian German...
UPMC Magee encouraged by study of pregnant women receiving covid vaccine
Early findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine show the possible side effects of covid-19 vaccines in pregnant women were similar to those for all women. The first published results were released last week. Of the 35,691 participants ages 16 to 54 — at all stages of pregnancy...
California (Pa.) University dance ensemble more than takes the stage to help Tarentum’s HOPE CenterVideo
The dance is about more than choreographed steps on a stage. It’s a performance created to encourage people to take action. The Dance Ensemble from California University of Pennsylvania in Washington County creates dances that focus on the art of movement and advocacy for topics such as autism awareness, suicide...
Strike a pose: Yoga returns to Market Square
Take a deep breath. Yoga in the Square is returning. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership will once again partner with a variety of local yoga studios for twice-weekly classes in Market Square. Each 60-minute outdoor session is free. Classes will be held at 10 a.m. Sundays starting May 2, and at...
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust to reopen galleries in June
After being closed for more than a year because of the pandemic, the galleries and visual arts spaces of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will reopen on June 4. The first installation, “We Are The Global Majority,” will appear in the Space Gallery on Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. It will...
Kennywood, Sandcastle and Idlewild raise pay for employees
Kennywood, Sandcastle Waterpark and Idlewild & SoakZone announced Friday the three parks will be raising the hourly rate for most workers from $9 to $13. Hourly pay rates at Kennywood and Sandcastle for employees at least 18 years old, or graduating high school seniors —will be $13 an hour. For...
Giant Eagle’s GetGo opens market at PPG Paints Arena
A GetGo Cafe and Market opened inside PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday. “We are extremely excited to have a GetGo inside a sports venue,” said Rug Phatak, senior director of marketing and chief of staff for GetGo, a brand within the Giant Eagle family. The market will be located behind...

