Megan Swift stories, Page 3
Snow returns to Pittsburgh region this week
Snow is back once again in Western Pennsylvania — but accumulation will be a far cry from the snowstorm at the end of January. Liana Lupo, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon, told TribLive that the Pittsburgh region has seen close to 2 inches of snow as of...
Bald eagles near U.S. Steel plant welcome 1st egg of season
The bald eagle pair nesting near U.S. Steel’s Irvin Plant named Irvin and Stella have officially welcomed their first egg of the season. This marks the seventh season for Irvin at the nest and the second season for Irvin and Stella as a couple, according to U.S. Steel’s announcement. The...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured in Baldwin Borough crash; Clairton police seek armed robbery suspect
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Feb. 23: 1 person hospitalized after crash in Baldwin Borough One person was injured Sunday night in a rollover crash in Baldwin Borough, according to Baldwin Fire Rescue. The injured person was taken to the hospital. The crash,...
Penn State breaks THON fundraising record with over $18 million
Penn State’s annual THON fundraising effort surpassed $18 million for the first time ever through this weekend’s dance marathon. THON 2026 raised $18,841,726.53 for Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital — breaking last year’s total of $17,737,040.93 by more than $1.1 million, the university announced Sunday. View...
Debate intensifies over ICE contract for detention center as vote approaches in Clearfield County
Editor’s note: This is the third in a three-part series. PHILIPSBURG — The future of Clearfield County’s partnership with federal immigration authorities at a massive detention center hinges on an upcoming vote by county commissioners. The Geo Group, a private prison operator, in 2021 made the Moshannon Valley Processing Center...
Here’s what to know about the ICE detention center in Clearfield County
Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a three-part series. PHILIPSBURG — When detainees first step into a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center facility in Clearfield County, their risk level is quickly determined — and it shows in the color of their jumpsuit. Red marks those classified as...
Moshannon mystery: Clearfield County ICE detention center steeped in secrecy, drives local economy
Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series. PHILIPSBURG — Atop a wooded ridge in Central Pennsylvania, beyond two-lane highways and dense stretches of forest, rises the largest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in the Northeast — the Moshannon Valley Processing Center. From a distance, it...
Picklesburgh adds 4th day to Pittsburgh festival
Pickle lovers, this year’s dates for the Picklesburgh festival were just announced — including an extra festival day. Running four days long in 2026, the Downtown festival will be held from July 16 through July 19, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced. “Back by popular demand, Picklesburgh will kick off Thursday...
Oscar Mayer Wienermobile returns to Pittsburgh
The giant hot dog-shaped vehicle — known as the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile — is once again returning to Pittsburgh this week. The Wienermobile will be in the Pittsburgh area from Thursday through Sunday, making appearances at various events. According to Trey O’Shea, otherwise known as “Tailgate Trey,” the schedule is...
Pittsburgh Pride reveals 2026 theme, festival dates
The official theme of Pittsburgh Pride 2026 has been announced as “Existence is Resistance.” According to Pittsburgh Pride’s Facebook page, the theme is “honoring the decades of LGBTQ+ communities showing up, showing out, and standing strong in the fight for equality for all.” Running from June 5-7 this year, specific...
ICE blames Biden administration for Brentwood man’s entrance into U.S.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday blamed the Biden administration for allowing a Brentwood man, now in custody, into the United States. Maklim Gomez Escalante, 35, was detained Jan. 20 after arriving at a district court hearing where he had been subpoenaed to testify in an unrelated matter....
Casa San José goes virtual amid increased ICE presence in Pittsburgh
Casa San José has decided to temporarily move its operations to an all-virtual format in the wake of numerous ICE detainments across the Pittsburgh region. Casa San José is a nonprofit serving the local Latino community and immigrants from Central and South America, offering free services such as case management,...
Brentwood man remains in ICE custody after hospital stay, 1st hearing
Maklim Gomez Escalante remains in federal custody after returning from a hospital last week to the Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Clearfield County, his family says. Gomez Escalante, 35, of Brentwood in Pittsburgh’s South Hills, was taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Jan. 20. His family...
‘Pittsburgh Says ICE Out!’ protest, march takes place this weekend
Protesters will gather Sunday and march in Pittsburgh for an anti-ICE demonstration hosted by Indivisible Pittsburgh and a coalition of grassroots partners. Starting at 2 p.m., the event is titled “Pittsburgh Says ICE Out!” and will “demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement stop terrorizing our community and other communities across...
‘I’m capable’: Special Olympics athlete Sheena Black to compete in national games
When Sheena Black found out she would be competing in track and field at the Special Olympics USA Games this June in Minneapolis, she couldn’t contain her excitement. After 34 years as a Special Olympics athlete and earning 259 medals, she will have her first chance at running on the...
Pino’s gets shoutout in ‘The Pitt’ as ‘the best Italian in town’
The owners of Pino’s Contemporary Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar in Point Breeze were met with an exciting surprise last week: Their restaurant was mentioned on an episode of the hit HBO Max show “The Pitt.” “We did a double take,” said Jen Mico, who owns the restaurant with her...
ICE agents take Brentwood man, leaving family seeking answers
Maklim Gomez Escalante texted his wife at 12:50 p.m. Jan. 20, letting her know he had arrived at the Magisterial District Court in Baldwin to testify as scheduled at 1 p.m. The text was followed by one more: “ICE agents are here.” She didn’t hear from him again that day....
Pittsburgh Marathon announces partnership with Reykjavík Marathon in Iceland
The Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon has announced a partnership with Iceland’s Íslandsbanki Reykjavík Marathon as “sister marathons” In an collaborative Instagram post last week, the marathons said the new partnership is “connecting two iconic cities through the shared passion of running.” View this post on Instagram A post shared...
Turning Point USA announces alternative Super Bowl halftime show, including Gabby Barrett
One of Pittsburgh’s own, the country singer Gabby Barrett, was announced as a performer in Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” — a counterpoint to the Super Bowl halftime show Sunday night. The alternative halftime show will compete with Bad Bunny’s performance as part of the game, held at Levi’s...
Can Pittsburgh build it? LEGO skyline needs community votes
A Pittsburgh LEGO set has the potential to be reviewed by designers for production — but it needs 10,000 community votes first. At the beginning of January, creator “Chris74” posted a LEGO model of the Pittsburgh skyline on the LEGO Ideas crowdsourcing platform, which gives regular people the opportunity to...
‘He cared’: Eugene Khorey, 1st principal of Brashear High School, dies
When Brashear High School first opened in 1976 — uniting racially diverse students in the Pittsburgh Public School District — Eugene Khorey was at the helm as its first principal. Just two months short of turning 100 years old, Khorey, of Munhall, who was known as “Gene,” died on Jan....
Ice forces closure of Allegheny River traffic, disrupting Pittsburgh shipping
The Allegheny River in Pittsburgh is shut down to all traffic through March 1. The U.S. Coast Guard made the announcement Thursday afternoon after several inches of ice accumulated in the wake of last weekend’s snowstorm. “I’ve been referring to this as a once-in-a-decade freeze,” said Shane Checkan, navigation chairman...
Giant Eagle again offers free home grocery delivery in wake of snowstorm
Once again, Giant Eagle will offer free home delivery for eligible grocery orders this Thursday through Saturday. The offer comes as Western Pennsylvania residents are restocking their refrigerators and trying to stay warm amid frigid temperatures. Eligible orders must cost at least $35 and be placed through the website or...
There’s a proper way to dig out from the snowstorm: Here’s how to do it
When some Highland Park neighbors noticed their road hadn’t been plowed after the massive weekend snowstorm, a group of residents came to the rescue. All it took was one person’s message to a local text group called “Dude Dads,” which Gary Steinbauer and others residents are in. People began exiting...
Passengers without Real ID soon have to pay fee before flying
Starting Sunday, travelers without a Real ID or Real ID-compliant document such as a passport will be required to pay a $45 fee to verify their identity before passing security at TSA checkpoints. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration, is enacting the fee. This move...
