JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 6

The final week of October, despite temperatures in the mid to high 70s, customers were waiting outside of Carl W. Herrmann Furs. They wanted to say goodbye to a long-standing business in Downtown Pittsburgh. “The store wasn’t even open yet but they were here,” said Carl “Guy” W. Herrmann IV,...

Usually when people enter District Judge Matt Rudzki’s courtroom, it’s for a ruling from him. But there are some people who come in where the decision already has been made. And it is a lifelong one — until death do they part. Rudzki, whose district encompasses Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel,...

When Edward Michael “Mike” Fincke was 3, someone asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. “An astronaut,” Fincke replied. Fifty-four years later, that dream continues to be a reality for Fincke, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut and retired U.S. Air Force colonel. The...

Walking among graves on a rainy day, an eerie silence hung, broken only by a steady drip of water on tombstones and mausoleums. Cemeteries dating back hundreds of years are evident by weathered stones with some names illegible. The stories of those laid to rest or entombed invoke vivid memories...

Laura Chiesa of Oakmont handed her 2½-year-old daughter, Leona, the phone. They were making a call to heaven. Leona’s sister, Mary Theresa, was stillborn on Feb. 6, 2024, which was her due date. “I had an uneventful pregnancy,” said Chiesa on Oct. 15 during the sixth annual Light & Unite...

The Fox Chapel Golf Club transformed into a designer boutique with more than three dozen vendors Oct. 16-18 for the 28th Pizzazz fundraiser. The space was filled with merchandise such as men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, jewelry, leather goods, gifts, home décor, linens, personalized stationery and specialty food...

Something has been brewing between a local brewer and a band: Inner Groove Brewing and Gene the Werewolf collaborated on a beer called Raised By Wolves. The limited-edition Raised By Wolves will be available on tap and in commemorative cans at Inner Groove locations in Verona and Allentown beginning Saturday....

There will be another option for shopping this holiday season. Von Maur will open its 38th store in South Hills Village Mall at 10 a.m. Nov. 9. The company, headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, has been making its way east, said Melody Wright, chief operating officer for Von Maur, which has...

Women’s sports are experiencing game-changing moments like never before with more television coverage, opportunities for females to coach men and sponsorships for athletes and teams. Many of these present situations have come from the past and those who have paved the way. Four Western Pennsylvanians will be on the panel...

The TribLive staff was recognized with 37 awards as well as the Sweepstakes and Outstanding News Operation first place award at the Keystone Media Awards Luncheon on Thursday. The event, which recognizes the best of Pennsylvania journalism by presenting the Keystone Media Awards and News Organization of the Year awards,...

Several vehicles are lined up, their trunks wide open, decorated and filled with candy and other treats. It’s a different version of trick-or-treat, where children dress in costume and walk door to door and collect candy on Halloween or some night close to Oct. 31, depending on the community where...

Mark J. Christman continues to wait, but time is of the essence. Ongoing research and clinical trials are underway, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any treatments to stop the progression or increase muscle mass in people with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a genetic disorder...

Players from all over western Pennsylvania wanted to play for one man. That one man was Bill Shay. The winningest basketball coach in Western Pennsylvania history, Shay died on Friday. He was 88. “A soldier has passed,” said Larry DiCicco, a North Side native who lives in Mt. Lebanon, and...

Breakfast is now on the menu at DiAnoia’s Eatery. The Strip District destination will serve breakfast Tuesday through Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. The restaurant known for Italian fare for lunch and dinner is expanding to the morning with what owners call “breakfast classics with an Italian twist.” The...

Tree of Life Congregation Rabbi Jeffrey Myers made a daily call to Bob Butter for comfort and advice. Butter, a public relations giant in Pittsburgh, helped Myers handle the media onslaught after the Oct. 27, 2018, attack on Tree of Life in Squirrel Hill. “We knew we would need extra...

Rocky Bleier and Mel Blount suited up for the Steelers on Friday night, just like they did 50 years ago. Fans cheered when they walked out. Terrible Towels were swirling. But instead of game time, it was show time. And the field was a runway. They walked a similar catwalk...

A wooden examination table from the early 1900s sits on the back patio of a historic Bellevue home that was once filled with medical supplies. The space where patients sat during appointments is now being used to store gardening tools. The piece of memorabilia is one of several that Mary...

Pittsburgh Penguins fans can now savor a taste of team history as iconic slogans from retired announcer Mike Lange are incorporated into the menu at PPG Paints Arena. Terry Davidson, Aramark Sports + Entertainment executive chef for the Penguins, revealed new menu items during a media tour, including the Lord...

The last surviving business from Chinatown in Downtown Pittsburgh is the newest addition to the Carnegie Science Center Miniature Railroad & Village. A model of the Chinatown Inn debuted on Thursday during a media preview at the museum on the North Shore. The Miniature Railroad & Village exhibit will reopen...

With a name like Allegheny River Water, you know it’s got to be from Pittsburgh. But would you drink it? It’s the latest pop — not soda — beverage from Yinzer Brands, the creators of Pittsburgh-centric greeting cards known as Yinzer Cards. The company is collaborating with Grandpa Joe’s Candy...

If the fall foliage peaks early this year or the leaf colors aren’t as vibrant, there is only one person to blame: Mother Nature. She’s responsible for the drought this summer. It’s her fault the above-normal temperatures have lasted into fall and the temperatures haven’t dropped much at night. These...

The Pittsburgh Pirates played their final 2024 home game Thursday at PNC Park, but there are items from the ballpark’s concession stands still being served, though not to fans. The leftover food is being donated to 412 Food Rescue, a non-profit that recovers and redistributes food directly to people who...

Surin Thamwiwat teared up as she talked about saying goodbye to customers, many who she’s known for more than three decades. “When I talk to customers and tell them we are closing, they cry and then I cry,” said Surin, sitting next to her beloved husband, Santi Thamwiwat, inside Thai...

It’s the last weekend in September, and it is going to be a great one. More than 9,000 people from 38 states are scheduled to participate in several events on Saturday and Sunday culminating with the annual Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race. It is an annual tradition...

The green spent at this annual event is helping to make the region greener. Proceeds from Pizzazz, a designer boutique shopping experience hosted by the Garden Club of Allegheny County, have funded more than $2 million in environmental and conservation projects. This year, there will be 35 vendors, including 12...