Category: default || By jt3y

Around the region, and around your neighborhood, the Tube City Almanac is taking action ... for you!

Dateline Uniontown:

State police in Uniontown offered no comment Tuesday on the circumstances surrounding the death of 70-year-old Jeanetta Nicholson, who was hit by two vehicles Monday evening in Fayette County.

The accident occurred as Nicholson, of 115 Indian Creek Road, Springfield Township, chased her husband, Robert, 71, while wielding a butter knife, said county Deputy Coroner Elsie Dvorchak. (A.J. Panian, Tribune-Review)

Talk about your twists of fate. Deputy Coroner Rod Serling could not be reached for comment.

The moral is, never try to kill your husband with a butter knife if you live on a busy street. (Tip of the Tube City hard hat to an Alert Reader.)

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Dateline Youngstown:

Two nonunion newspapers owned by one of the nation's largest publishing companies -- the same company that operates The Plain Dealer and suburban weeklies in the Cleveland area -- are soliciting volunteers from their staffs to come here and replace striking members of the Youngstown Newspaper Guild.

The newspapers are The Times-Picayune, published in New Orleans, and The Oregonian, published in Portland, Ore. They are owned by Advance Publications Inc. of New York, which publishes 25 daily newspapers, 40 weekly business journals -- including titles in Pittsburgh, Columbus and Dayton, the Parade Magazine Sunday insert and popular magazines such as Vanity Fair and Glamour.

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Other communications obtained by The Business Journal confirm that The Times-Picayune is similarly notifying its employees of the opportunity to make extra money. The publisher of the New Orleans newspaper, Ashton Phelps Jr., refused to answer questions. "I have nothing. I don't talk on the record," he said, and hung up. (Andrea Wood, Youngstown Business Journal)

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Questions for class discussion:

1.) If a reporter from the New Orleans Times-Picayune (I've always loved that name, by the way) called the New Orleans police chief and asked for a comment, and the police chief hung up on that reporter, Publisher Ashton Phelps Jr. would be in high dudgeon, because the people's business was being conducted in private. Why is it OK for Publisher Ashton Phelps Jr. to conduct the business of Louisiana's most powerful and influential newspaper in private? Please answer with an essay of 100 to 150 words, and try to keep a straight face.

2.) Do you think it's fairly obvious that Advance Publications is considering buying the Youngstown Vindicator, which would potentially render all union contracts null and void? Explain your answer.

3.) A search of the Cleveland Plain Dealer Web site reveals no stories about this interesting news item. Draw a flowchart showing how the Cleveland Plain Dealer --- one of the 20 largest newspapers in the U.S. --- might have overlooked this story.

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Dateline Guntown:

When they first heard of the announcement of a Main Street-style development proposed for the former Western Center property in neighboring Cecil Township, Canonsburg officials were taken aback.

Canonsburg, which celebrated its bicentennial just two years ago, already has an authentic main street, although in the borough it's known as West Pike Street.

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The state sold the property, including 39 buildings, in August to the county for $2 million, payable interest-free in 10 annual installments.

Washington County Authority recently announced its plans for the 225-acre development, known as Southpointe II. The business and residential community will include a cinema, hotel and two-story department store. (Harry Funk, Observer-Reporter)

Question for class discussion:

According to this story, local business owners are worried that a taxpayer-funded development placed in direct competition with them will put them at a disadvantage. Can you think of any other examples where this has happened?