Beaver County’s Give-a-Christmas helps single father

A single father with 7- and 8-year-old sons owned his own business and works full time as a restaurant manager. Then…An accidental fire in his home left him with injuries that prevented him from working for several months. The house was saved the house, but not his body. Even though he tried to go to work at his business in bandages, he and his partner had to close their doors.

While he is very thankful for the support of his boss and co-workers at the restaurant job, his wages do not cover expenses and debts accumulated while recovering.

Then, the eviction notice came, so this young father has gone to the Salvation Army for help. There his family is finding aid and hope.

Give-a-Christmas is a program that provides a holiday meal, warm clothes and presents. It can show this family that others care, too. All donations help needy neighbors right here in Beaver County. Christmas is fast approaching, so please give.

Pittsburgh: Great place to live! Personal happiness?

There’s a mixed bag of findings according to Scott Beach, interim director of University of Pgh. Center for Social and Urban Research which produced the “Pittsburgh Regional Quality of Life Survey” report with Pittsburgh Today.

More Allegheny County residents are better off financially than they were seven years ago and more feel better about the region as a place to live. Asked about their personal happiness, the results show a slight decrease.

68 percent of those responding now say this region is an excellent or very good place to live, versus 60 percent in 2011. Even with that, the report says, “the perspectives of residents often depend on who is asked,” with responses sometimes diverging based on race and household income.

The survey asked 101 questions about the region’s quality of life, such as environment, arts and culture, government, education and housing and then they were matched against responses to a similar survey done in 2011.

Among the other findings: 73 percent consider political gerrymandering a problem; 62 percent favor legalizing recreational use of marijuana; and 57 percent believe the quality of our roads and bridges is “a severe problem,” compared with 32 percent who responded that way seven years ago.

Student found dead at University of Pittsburgh

A University of Pittsburgh spokesman, Joe Miksch, confirmed that a student was found dead Saturday on a dormitory roof, but he said there was no evidence of foul play.

The male student’s body was discovered on the roof of Lothrop Hall and is considered to be an “isolated incident.” No additional details were provided out of concern for the family’s privacy.

The statement said “The University community is deeply saddened by the sudden death of our student and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and all who knew him,” .

Patriots owner visits Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill

It was posted to Twitter by NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala that Patriots owner Robert Kraft flew into Pittsburgh early Saturday morning to pay his respects at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the location of an October shooting where 11 were killed and six were injured, including four police officers.

Kraft then attended religious services at Rodef Shalom. He was invited to speak by the rabbi and it was reported that Kraft spoke partly in Hebrew.

WEATHER. MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2018

WEATHER. MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2018

TODAY:A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s.

TONIGHT: Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 27F.

TOMORROW: Partly cloudy. High near 35F.

Phil Kessel scores in OT, Penguins beat Kings 4-3

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Phil Kessel scored a power-play goal at 3:59 of overtime to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.

Evgeni Malkin pushed a loose puck from the slot to Kessel, and he finished near the side of the net for the Penguins’ fifth victory in seven games.

Tanner Pearson scored against his former team, and Matt Cullen and Bryan Rust also had goals for the Penguins. Matt Murray made 38 saves for his first victory since Oct. 25 at Calgary.

Murray stopped Tyler Toffoli’s breakaway in the first 30 seconds of overtime. The goalie also denied a quality overtime chance from Jake Muzzin in the slot.

Muzzin, Matt Luff and Alex Iafallo scored for Los Angeles, and Jonathan Quick stopped 32 shots. The Kings have lost four straight and eight of 10.

Iafallo tied it at 3 with a power-play goal at 12:30 of the third period.

Murray missed the previous nine games with a lower-body injury before backing up Casey DeSmith the last two contests. He made his first start since Nov. 17 when he was pulled for the third time in six starts during a loss at Ottawa.

Murray, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, struggled through his first 11 games, posting a 4-5-1 record with a 4.08 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage.

Cullen’s short-handed goal opened the scoring for Pittsburgh. It was the Penguins’ second of the season and second in as many games.

Rust extended the Penguins’ lead to 2-0 later in the period when he beat Quick to the glove side with a wrist shot.

Toffoli scored in the first period for the Kings, but the goal was overturned following a Pittsburgh offsides challenge.

Muzzin’s goal stood at 3:22 of the second period. Muzzin, a former Penguins’ draft pick, finished a one-timer from Anze Kopitar during an odd-man rush.

Pearson put Pittsburgh in front 3-1 midway through the second period. He stripped Drew Doughty of the puck at the Kings’ blueline, eluded Quick’s poke check and elevated a shot above the fallen Kings’ goaltender.

Pearson skated four full seasons and parts of two others with the Kings before he was traded to the Penguins on Nov. 14 in exchange for Carl Hagelin, who is out with a lower-body injury. Pearson, who won a Stanley Cup with Los Angeles in 2014, has four goals and six points in 16 games with Pittsburgh.

Luff pulled Los Angeles back within one when he beat Murray to the blocker side with a wrist shot from the slot.

NOTES: Pittsburgh has won four straight at home. … The Penguins played without D Kris Letang, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury sustained Friday in a collision with Boston Bruins’ F Joakim Nordstrom. Juuso Riikola took Letang’s spot in the lineup. … Kings’ D Dion Phaneuf missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. … Pittsburgh F Jake Guentzel extended an eight-game home point streak.

UP NEXT

Kings: Host Winnipeg on Tuesday night.

Penguins: Host Anaheim on Monday night.