JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 56
New Kensington’s Knead Community Café has provided food for the soul for 4 years
At Knead Community Café in New Kensington, a meal is more than just a plate of food. “This is about community and feeding everyone,” said Mary Bode, who opened the nonprofit restaurant with her husband, Kevin, four years ago on Feb. 20. “We care about everyone who walks through the...
Grant money available for teaching artists in Western Pa.
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has created the Teaching Artists Opportunity Grant — to benefit arts educators in Western Pennsylvania. It will provide up to $2,000 per artist for continued learning and professional development. According to a survey by the council, more than 40% of artists earn income from teaching...
Wife shows true love for husband through kidney donationVideo
At 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 31, Dan Sturm texted his wife, Tanya. “You awake?” he asked. “Yes,” she answered. “I am coming over,” he replied. Dan, 61, made his way to his wife’s room across the hall on the 11 North hospital floor inside UPMC Montefiore in Oakland. Connected to...
Squirrel Hill’s Amazing Books & Records to write a new chapter with moveVideo
Eric Ackland’s love of books came from before he was born. “I feel like I’ve been reading since the womb,” said Ackland, standing in the newest location of Amazing Books & Records in Squirrel Hill on Thursday. “My mom was an English teacher. I was reading by age 3. I...
Heinz History Center to host Ohio State professor for virtual Black History Month event
Hasan Jeffries grew up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. His childhood experiences of inequality inspired him to stand up for the rights of all. “The interest is partly personal,” said Jeffries, an associate history professor at Ohio State University, who will host a virtual lecture on the civil rights movement...
Neighbors, friends raise money to help displaced tenants of South Side fire
Jared Murphy and his girlfriend were about to drive across the Birmingham Bridge to get to the South Side when they saw huge clouds of smoke. “I live near there so I thought it might be my apartment,” said Murphy. It wasn’t his place, but someone he knew lived there....
Digital series connects music lovers to Pittsburgh Symphony
On a warm fall night in Downtown Pittsburgh, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performed in the Heinz Hall garden. Principal oboist Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida complemented the symphony’s strings ensemble for Ennio Morricone’s “Gabriel’s Oboe” with a sound that resonated, a memorial to the composer who died in July. Port...
Here’s how to celebrate Valentine’s Day despite covid restrictions
Valentine’s Day is just a few short days away and even covid-19 can’t stop the celebration of love. Despite the pandemic and its restrictions, there are ways to adhere to Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders and celebrate the day safely. The Feb. 14 holiday falls on a Sunday this year. Make...
5 stories of Western Pennsylvanians who lost a sibling
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‘It is the hardest thing ever’: 5 Western Pennsylvanians share their anguish of losing a sibling
A sibling is often someone’s first friend. The person who best understands the family’s dynamic. Someone who travels through life’s stages, shares memories of childhood. Many forge lifetime bonds. The death of a sibling can leave a cavernous hole. “A sibling’s death becomes an anchor marker,” said Paul Friday, chief...
Pittsburgh artist chosen to design Black History Month logo for Yahoo
Sometimes one small thing leads to something bigger. For Janel Young, a direct message from Verizon Media Shop to help design merchandise such as a water bottle, notebook and weekly planner led to her being the first outside artist asked to create a logo to celebrate Black History Month for...
Shoe line by Pine designer to be featured at Aspinwall boutique
Shannon Slack wants you to walk in her shoes. The Mt. Lebanon native, who lives in Pine, launched a shoe line called Luna Selene. The footwear collection is designed to fashionable and functional. “I wanted to create shoes that were timeless and that women could wear from work to a...
Adda Coffee & Tea House expands retail options at its Pittsburgh locationsVideo
Order a coffee with cream — and throw in a paella-making kit, olives, preserved vegetables and a bar of fine chocolate. At Adda Coffee & Tea House, a specialty cafe with three locations in Pittsburgh, there’s more than just a hot beverage. When business was interrupted with the onset of...
First Black Bellevue council member paves way for social justice
“Please come out and join me in my quest to make this a better planet 1 square mile at a time!!” Those are more than the words of Val Pennington, Bellevue borough council president and its first Black council member. “Bellevue is 1-square mile so that thought popped into my...
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s ‘Spread The Love’ campaign to provide money vouchers to customers
A campaign by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership gives hotel guests $100 in vouchers when they check in that can be redeemed on matched purchases at 15 hotels, 30 restaurants and 24 retailers in the city. The campaign is called “Spread The Love.” The list can be found here. “If you’re...
Artist Baron Batch selected as resident artist to new gallery in SouthSide Works
Artist Baron Batch will bring his works to life on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Batch has teamed with SomeraRoad, the ownership group redeveloping the SouthSide Works, to be the artist for “The Residency,” an initiative that features an interactive gallery with a focus on community programming. The gallery is expected to...
Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show set to open a month later than usual
The annual Duquesne Light Home & Garden Show is still on, officials said Monday. The show’s executive director John DeSantis said the 10-day event is planned for April instead of its usual March time slot. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the show is planned for April 9-18 at the David Lawrence...
Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show set to open a month later than usual
The annual Duquesne Light Home & Garden Show is still on, officials said Monday. Show Executive Director John DeSantis said the 10-day event is planned for April instead of its usual March time slot. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the show is planned for April 9-18 at the David Lawrence Convention...
Dunkin’ opens another store in Oakland
The overnight snow couldn’t stop Dunkin’ from opening its second Oakland store Monday. It’s the 64th location owned by Heartland Restaurant Group and will employ 30 people. It becomes the second location in Oakland, joining the one at Forbes Avenue on the University of Pittsburgh campus. The new store is...
Stamp honoring August Wilson will be dedicated through virtual ceremony
A Forever stamp honoring award-winning playwright August Wilson will be dedicated today by the U.S. Postal Service. The virtual ceremony can be viewed starting at 11:30 a.m. on the postal service’s Facebook and Twitter pages. “August Wilson was an American trailblazer and literary genius who richly deserves this recognition as...
Dollar Energy Fund takes its Cool Down for Warmth fundraiser online
Downtown visitors won’t spot the traditional ice house in Pittsburgh’s Market Square today, as they have for the past six years in January. The annual Dollar Energy Fund’s Cool Down for Warmth will still host its 7th annual event — only virtually this year — because of the pandemic. The...
Pittsburgh to honor local jazz musicians virtually for Black History Month
Pittsburgh jazz legend Roger Humphries marches to his own beat. The musician from Pittsburgh’s North Side began playing the drums at the age of 3. He wanted to be like his older brothers. “Music is in my blood,” said Humphries, who turns 77 on Saturday. “I recall lying on the...
Nemacolin’s watch parties search for glimpses of the resort on ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’Video
A red carpet lines the staircase. As you make your way up the steps into the spacious resort lobby, you spot 400 vases filled with fresh roses. You almost expect Matt James to walk by. Nemacolin in Farmington, Fayette County, is where James is the leading man for the 25th...
Fox Chapel senior’s art to be showcased through National YoungArts FoundationVideo
The butterfly is the inspiration for artist Jessica Jing McCann. McCann sees the creature as both fragile and strong. “The butterfly has always been my favorite insect,” said McCann, of O’Hara. She recalled a trip to a butterfly garden at Niagara Falls when she was 14. “I love the elegance...
Pitt study examines racial differences in postpartum blood pressure
Lying on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance was when the severity of the moment hit Tyarra Kelly. It was 3 a.m. Her blood pressure was high. The new mom hadn’t been feeling well five days after her son Tristan’s birth seven months ago. “I was having trouble...

