Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

09/08/2026

Penn State’s airport has seen a dramatic surge in flights chartered by ICE to move people between detention centers in the United States.

While ICE has said such transfers are necessary for operational reasons such as bed space, immigration experts claim the practice is intended to cut detainees off from loved ones, wear them down, and make it harder to pursue legal challenges.

The State College Regional Airport is a roughly 40-minute drive from the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the largest immigration detention facility in the Northeast. Since the beginning of the Trump administration, the facility’s average daily population has increased. Detainees and their advocates allege poor-quality food, inadequate healthcare, and inhumane conditions.

This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service...

09/08/2026

Clairton’s football team will return to play this week, but it’s not clear who will be coaching it.

Clairton forfeited its game against Steel Valley last Friday while the school investigated a “personnel matter” with the coaching staff. Clairton athletic director Alexis Trubiani said Tuesday that this Thursday’s home game against Allderdice will be played as scheduled.

Trubiani said she had no comment on the coaching situation, but she did confirm assistant coaches have been coaching the team in recent practices. The “personnel matter” involved head coach Wayne Wade’s handling of an injured player in the season opener on Aug. 29.

Meanwhile, at Woodland Hills, coach Brian Tarrant did not coach the team Friday against Central Catholic. Maurice Walker was the acting head coach, and Tarrant’s status with the team was up in the air as of Tuesday afternoon.

Read more at the link in the comments. ⬇️

09/08/2026

Deutschtown, the historic district in East Allegheny, is a neighborhood balancing growing pains and economic momentum — especially along the East Ohio Street business corridor, where the city and its Urban Redevelopment Authority announced a $600,000 investment last week to repair eight façades.

The project is part of the Mayor Corey O’Connor’s “Main & Main” initiative. “Main & Main is about investing in the success of our neighborhood business districts so that our small businesses and communities can thrive ...,” O’Connor said in the announcement, adding that more than 70 other facades around the city are also part of the program.

In this case, it’s also the latest effort to bring vibrancy to a strip of the city facing ongoing substance abuse, prostitution and drug dealing issues, even as it sees an influx of popular new businesses and visitors to the neighborhood.

Read more about the evolving business corridor at the link in our comments.

09/08/2026

A seven-dish, three-course vegetarian dinner is not what you expect at Tina’s, the Bloomfield neighborhood bar where $7 drinks are still on the menu.

“Family-style meals are a way to connect with the people you’re with. Put away your phones and eat together,” Daniele Brenci, the chef, says. “That’s Italian cooking. That’s my roots. And that’s how Sarah and I participate in hospitality.”

The set dinner menu is the latest addition at Tina’s, owned by Sarah Shaffer since 2017.

The couple decided to introduce a dedicated food program as a way to expand the reach of the business and offer more family-friendly and inclusive options for the neighborhood. Previously, the bar’s food was limited to a snacky selection of tinned fish and bread.

Read more at the link in our comments.

09/08/2026

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky appeared in court remotely Tuesday where he said he agreed with his lawyers not to go forward with testimony from an accuser who wants to recant allegations that Sandusky sexually abused him years ago.

The hearing was part of the latest bid by Sandusky’s lawyers to secure a new trial for him as his lawyers prepare to go to federal court to seek a new trial after failing repeatedly in state courts.

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky appeared in court remotely Tuesday where he said he agreed with his lawyers...

09/08/2026

Blackhawk is a program steeped in tradition, but it’s been some time since the Cougars have been a real player in the WPIAL.

But these Cougars have some bite this season, and under their new coach and new offense, the team hopes to recapture the winning ways of old.

Blackhawk is a program steeped in tradition, but it’s been some time since the Cougars have been a real player in the WPIAL.
But these Cougars have...

09/08/2026

The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers played a football game, they got trounced by the Houston Texans on their home field in the playoffs. Many things went wrong in that 30-6 loss, but the ineptitude of the passing game was the biggest problem.

Four wide receivers caught passes from Aaron Rodgers in the blowout loss, and none could muster more than 42 yards. Now, after an offseason of major change at the position, only one of those four receivers remains entering 2026.

Read more at the link in our comments.

09/08/2026

The Pittsburgh Penguins have at least 20 forwards who could conceivably suit up on Opening Night. Dan Muse might need to organize a cage match to settle the final bottom-six spots.

If Adam Smith’s theories on competition are correct, the glut of forward options should lead to good things for the Penguins — motivated players, a potent lineup and plenty of options should injuries or slumps strike.

The reality may not be so simple.

Read more at the link in our comments.

09/08/2026

Pat Narduzzi echoed quarterback Mason Heintschel in his praise of Pitt’s offensive line from its Saturday 59-14 win against Miami (Ohio) when he spoke Monday from UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

The sophomore quarterback was charted by Pro Football Focus to have been pressured five times in Pitt’s blowout season opener and was sacked only once. For the 12th-year head coach, the Panthers’ offensive line did its job. But he knows that more challenges are on the horizon.

“There’s always going to be problems with the O-line,” Narduzzi said during his Monday press conference. “There are scholarship players on the other side that are good football players.”

Pat Narduzzi echoed quarterback Mason Heintschel in his praise of Pitt’s offensive line from its Saturday 59-14 win against Miami (Ohio) when he...

09/08/2026

Canada struck back at U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to the latest round of tariffs on Canada.

The outcome could resonate far beyond Canada, showing other governments whether a smaller U.S. ally can withstand Trump’s economic pressure.

TORONTO — Canada struck back at U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to...