Stephanie Kalina Metzger

Photo: Provided.
All it took for Madhavan Swaminathan was a little encouragement to jumpstart his career in innovation. The new head of the Department of Electrical Engineering in Penn State’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science comes to Penn State by way of Georgia Tech, where he spent 28 years leading the 3D Systems Packaging Research Center and the National Science Foundation Center for Advanced Electronics through Machine Learning.
Swaminathan, who was born in India, sai...

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Trey Kennedy, comedian and content creator, is bringing his brand of clean, family fun to the Palace Theatre in Greensburg Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
His Relatable Tour promises a night of laughter with his humorous takes on everyday life and the quirks that we all share.
Finding funny in the ordinary
Trey Kennedy wasn’t set on comedy; comedy seemed to choose him.
“I was in college studying finance and was goofing off on social media when one of my videos went viral,” he sai...

Greenville’s culinary reputation continues to grow, with national accolades stacking up like reservations at a Saturday-night hotspot. Over the past two years, the city has drawn growing attention from food media and culinary travelers alike. Now, a nonprofit has joined the mix — focused on assisting the next generation of entrepreneurs as they move from pop-ups to permanence.
Mill Village Ministries recently launched a restaurant incubator called Hone, a collaboration between the nonprofit a...

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The Harlem Globetrotters-set to celebrate their centennial season in 2026-will bring high-energy post-holiday family fun to the PPG Paints Arena on Friday, Dec. 26.
For generations, the Globetrotters have wowed audiences with their unique blend of athleticism, comedy and showmanship. Older fans may remember stars like Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal, while younger audiences cheer for more recent Globetrotters like Jet Rivers and Hot Shot Swanson.
Much has evolved over the years...

Sometimes the mere act of making a declaration can help bring it to life — perhaps not immediately, but eventually.
When Colombia native Claudia Amezquita found herself in downtown Greenville, she declared that she would someday reside in the area. Years later, that prediction has come true. Today, she stands among the growing ranks of small business owners in the region, having recently opened Luna Bakeshop & Coffee at 401 N. Main St. in Simpsonville.
Childhood visits and early roots
Amezqui...

For 100 years, the Strand Theatre has stood as York’s cultural crown jewel, even as it adapted to significant changes in the entertainment industry.
From vaudeville to talkies to today, the Strand has remained woven into the city’s cultural fabric for a century.
Now part of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, The Strand stands alongside the Capitol Theatre, which was built in 1906. This past summer, the community celebrated The Strand’s centennial, paying homage to this lasting cultura...

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As the nation prepares for its 250th anniversary in 2026, the Senator John Heinz History Center has partnered with the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators (PSI) on a new exhibition exploring the meaning of freedom, justice and liberty.
The exhibit, “My America: An Illustrated Experience” is located on the museum’s fifth-floor Barensfeld Gallery and features 63 original works by 35 illustrators-each addressing the question: What Does America Mean to Me?
This year also marks the 3...

If you live in the Greenville, South Carolina, region and have yet to visit The Kilgore-Lewis House, the holiday season offers an especially inviting reason to go. Built in 1838, the stately home is dressed in its winter finery this time of year, thanks to the dedicated members of the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs, which has maintained the property as its headquarters since 1974.
One of the earliest surviving structures in Greenville County, the Kilgore-Lewis House originally stood near ...

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Creating holiday traditions is part of what makes the season so memorable. For many families, seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is a treasured tradition that kicks off the holiday season. This year, the multi-platinum group is returning to the PPG Paints Arena on Saturday with performances at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
TSO’s winter tour includes a reimagined and expanded presentation of “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” a product of the imagination of TSO’s late founder Paul O’ Ne...

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Tight harmonies, catchy melodies and choreography that keeps eyes riveted to the stage-the Motortown All-Stars promise these things and more when they arrive at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg on Monday.
Drawing inspiration from Motown groups like The Miracles, The Temptations, and The Contours, the All-Stars will help fans ring in the Christmas season with a little something for everyone. With holiday favorites like “The Christmas Song,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Frosty the Snowma...

The so-called “greying of America” is accelerating as birth rates drop, life expectancy rises and millions of Baby Boomers enter old age. National statistics bear this out.
As of 2024, 18% of the U.S. population was age 65 years or older, placing Maryland practically on par with the national average at 17.6%.
Senior-living providers across the region are preparing for this aging population boom. Major expansions and new models of care are underway at Broadmead Inc. in Cockeysville, Lorien Hea...

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By now many people in the Pittsburgh region are familiar with the book “On the Rocks, The Primadonna Story.” Written by restaurateur Joe Costanzo’s daughter Maria Palmer, along with her mentor Ruthie (Dines) Robbins, the memoir chronicles the life and work of Costanzo, a beloved figure whose restaurant became a local staple, drawing celebrities like Danny Aiello and Jamie Lee Curtis to McKees Rocks.
Costanzo likes to think his presence made a difference in the neighborhood. “Wh...

What began as a modest idea—just a handful of local musicians recording holiday music to help neighbors facing the cold—has grown into one of central Pennsylvania’s most meaningful traditions.
Through “Joy to the Burg,” area artists lend their voices, creativity and time to support shelters and housing programs that serve the most vulnerable in the region.
The charity project was founded in 2019 by Sheldon Jones, then a newcomer to Harrisburg, who saw people sleeping on the sidewalks and wond...

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Which witch is which?
If you’ve never seen “Wicked” before, that answer will become abundantly clear when Alli Mauzey and Dee Roscioli take the stage at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown this Sunday at 7 p.m.
“Good Witch, Bad Witch: The Broadway Witches,” showcases a duo of dynamic divas paying homage to the wildly popular Broadway and movie hit “Wicked.” The timing is apt, since the show will be the same weekend the movie “Wicked: For Good” is released.
“Good ...

According to a recent report, the Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System generate about $40 billion in economic impact across Maryland.
The report, titled “Quantifying the Economic Footprint and Catalytic Role of Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System,” by Philadelphia-based Econsult Solutions Inc. was released on October 10. The report measures job creation, economic impact, research activity, community investments and the potential challenges that lie ahe...