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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Patch Poll: Should Colleges and Universities Allow Students to Carry Guns on Campus?

Some Pennsylvania college campuses are allowing students to carry more than just their books.

At least five Pennsylvania state-owned universities are now allowing guns on campus after the state’s lawyers concluded that an outright ban on weapons was probably unconstitutional, according to KDKA-TV. Weapons at five universities--Kutztown, Shippensburg, Edinboro, Slippery Rock and Millersville--are now allowed on campus, though they are still generally banned from school buildings and athletic events, KDKA reported. Students with concealed-carry permits had questioned the constitutionality of blanket weapons bans at state-owned universities, prompting a legal review that found such bans were vulnerable to court challenge. About a year ago, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education provided a model weapons policy for …

Maria

9:52 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

All Americans have a right to defend themselves, even those on a college campus.   more ›

Monday, April 15, 2013

Who's Hiring This Week in the Pine-Richland Area?

These jobs are in the Wexford and Gibsonia areas.

Looking for a job? These work opportunities are in the Wexford and Gibsonia areas, as compiled by Indeed.com or submitted to Patch. Simply click on the job title to link to more information. Know of a job that is not listed here? Please tell us about it in the comment section. Dock Worker (part-time) - FedEx - Gibsonia Transport freight across dock area to/from trailers for loading to trailers. Also: Career Opportunities Event—Giant Eagle Market District, Pine Township The Pine Township Market District will be holding a Career Opportunities Event on Monday, April 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. Among the posted positions are: Cashier, PT-104; Meat Wrapper, PT-005; Prep Cook, PT-028; Baker, PT Server - Market District-026; Sales Clerk, PT-003; Porter…

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Patch Poll: During What Times Should Municipalities Restrict Noisy Activities?

A concern about noisy nighttime trash collections in Ross Township raises a bigger question of whether trash collection, lawn mowing, construction and other noisy activities in Pittsburgh's north suburbs should have time limits.

Complaints from residents in a North Hills community have brought to light a problem that many municipalities have faced over time—when to restrict noise-making activities. Noise at night has been the topic of conversation at many board of commissioners and council meetings throughout the Pittsburgh area over the years. Most recently, Ross Township commissioners are amending an ordinance to restrict the collection of garbage from commercial and/or non-residential areas from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Currently, trash collection is not allowed in Ross between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. under an ordinance enacted in 1993. The township's decision was made after residents complained about noisy, night garbage collections near three North Hills School …

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Patch Poll: How Would You Rate the Region's Infrastructure?

Take our poll and give a grade to the roads, bridges and other parts of the public infrastructure.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has released its 2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. Every four years, the ASCE grades the nation, state by state, on the condition and performance of the nation’s infrastructure in the form of a school report card—assigning letter grades that are based on physical condition and needed fiscal investments for improvement. Put mildly, the country didn't do so well. America's GPA (grade point average) came in at a D+. The ASCE says some investment is needed to raise that GPA—an estimated $13.6 trillion by 2020. Pennsylvania fared a little better, earning a C- as its grade. The report card indicates the state has 852 high-hazard dams, 5,540 structurally deficent bridges and notes that 57 …

Margaret French

9:30 pm on Sunday, April 7, 2013

cc-He/she is so uninformed. Pitiful-huh? But unfortunately a lot of the population is. Maybe they will realize it when we are all living like Little House on the Prairie.   more ›

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

What Do You Love Most About Pine-Richland?

Tell us what you love most about the place you call home.

Whether it’s the local parks, the school district or the proximity to great shopping, everyone has something they love about their community. We got to thinking about what makes Pine-Richland great after a 17-year-old Connecticut girl whose family is relocating here this spring posed a similar question on a message board. So we want to hear from you! What do you love most about Pine-Richland and what makes it so special? Leave your thoughts in the comments section or upload your photos. Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter Check out some of today's other top stories here.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Patch Poll: Should UPMC Be Considered a Nonprofit?

Or does it act more as a business? And what about the other major nonprofits in the area?

In a June 2012 "Taxpayer Alert," Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner questioned the fairness of nonprofits that have expanded their roles beyond the traditional definition of a charitable organization, but still maintain tax-exempt status. "In these challenging financial times, it is our duty and responsibility to address the questions raised by a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling and determine if properties are used for a truly charitable purpose," Wagner said in the report. "While exemptions are justified for clearly charitable organizations such as churches, soup kitchens and many others, some are plainly unfair." A 2012 state Supreme Court decision has given local governments a tool to challenge the loopholes in a five-…

MBM

5:39 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The poll is incomplete. There should be a box that allows you to vote for "no, it acts more like a business than a charity, but it is ultimately in the regions best interest to leave them alone." I'd pick that one.   more ›

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Patch Poll: How Do You Celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Let us know what this holiday means to you.

For some it's green beer and bangers. For others, it is a time for religious reflection on St. Patrick himself. Some people decorate their houses green. Others, who aren't Irish or Catholic, shun the fun. How do you celebrate? Vote in our Patch Poll and tell us in the comments section how you will spend your day.

Dawn Swidorsky

8:20 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013

@NE12Ukid-unfortunately, most of the kids I worked with had to eat a ground/soft food diet so salad wouldn't work but thanks for the thought :)   more ›

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Patch Poll: Should Congress Raise the Minimum Wage?

President Obama has proposed making minimum wage $9 an hour—and some Democrats want to push the minimum wage above $10 an hour. What do you think?

A majority of Americans support President Barack Obama’s proposal to increase the minimum wage, according to NBC.com. Some 71 percent of those surveyed said they supported raising the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour from $7.25, while 27 percent opposed it, according to a Gallup Poll released Wednesday. States have the ability to set their own minimum wage level, as long as it is above the federal minimum wage. Pennsylvania maintains the federal standard at $7.25. The minimum wage in Pennsylvania for jobs where employees receive tips is $2.83. According to an editorial in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2.9 percent of U.S. workers make minimum wage. Most of them are students working part-time, not the primary wage earner supporting a …

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Outraged Citizen

12:06 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013

@Honest Citizen – Taking the time to comb through old posts to find some with which to find silly or stupid for the sole purpose of informing the authors they are being silly or stupid and/or that they are in need of getting a life very well might be an indicator the one taking such time is also in need of getting a life – just a thought. That said, we all need hobbies and who am I to tell one …   more ›

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Patch Poll: Should High Schools Focus More on Vocational Education?

Students who don't have the potential for success in college—or who don't want to pursue or can't afford a degree—might be better served by a vocational education program at the high school level.

College has always been part of the American dream. Laborers didn't want their children to have to do manual labor. Parents with college degrees expected the same of their children. And college loans opened the doors for some students whose families couldn't have afforded the bill. But is college the right choice for everyone? Data collected by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development for its report "Education at a Glance 2010" showed that, among 18 countries tracked, the United States finished last (46 percent) for the percentage of students who completed college once they started it, according to a report in Reuters. That puts the United States behind Japan at 89 percent, and former Soviet-bloc states such as Slovakia, …

Patty Gee

12:04 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013

I attended Forbes Road vo tech for graphic art in high school, and I was also enrolled in honors classes at Gateway. I could have gone to a 4-year college but chose to attend The Art Institute of Pittsburgh's 2 year program. I've worked as a graphic artist since graduating over 20 years ago. I feel that my art education at Forbes helped me to make an informed career choice. My sister took …   more ›

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Patch Editor Cindy Cusic Micco Says 'Aloha' Instead of Good-Bye

No, I'm not going to Hawaii.

“Aloha” is a great word because it can mean “hello” or “good-bye”. I don’t like goodbyes, so I guess I’ll be leaning on the “aloha” word as I tell you that I am leaving my post as editor of Pine-Richland Patch. My “aloha” will be on Friday. I won’t be going far. I am simply returning to my free-lance writing/editing business and (I hope) a less hectic schedule. It is bittersweet to say “aloha” to Pine-Richland Patch. I love bringing news and information to the community in which I live. I will sorely miss the people with whom I have become acquainted as well as my wonderful Patch colleagues. When I was hired in November 2010, there was no Pine-Richland Patch … or Cranberry Patch or North Hills Patch or North Allegheny Patch or …. You get …

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Becky Brindle

12:28 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013

Aloha, Cindy! You will be missed!   more ›

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