In Westmoreland County, commissioner Ted Kopas has called for the resignation or removal by impeachment of the Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton.

Earlier this month, two judges found Hamilton in direct criminal contempt on three counts: disobedience or neglect by an officer of the court; official misconduct as an officer of the court; and misbehavior in the presence of the court and obstructing the administration of justice.

A Greensburg attorney has been appointed to serve as conservator over the office. The position gives the lawyer authority over all operations of the Register of Wills Office, where adoption records are processed and filed along with guardianships, wills and estates.

Hamilton has not spoken about whether she will resign or what she will do going forward.

TribLive’s Government and Politics reporter Rich Cholodofsky joined host Zac Gibson to explain what led to this call for removal and the consequences Hamilton could face.

This is From The Newsroom.

Over the past few weeks, universities and colleges across the country have seen unrest tied to the growing public sympathy for Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.

The University of Pittsburgh also saw a version of this national protest with its own Schenley Plaza as the site of students’ pro-Palestine encampment.

Universities across the nation, including Yale, NYU, Arizona State and Columbia, have seen protests by coalitions of students, faculty and other supporters erupt.

Protesters are calling for their institutions to divest themselves from any war-related investment in Israel. Many also want statements condemning “genocide in Gaza.”

These institutions have tried to disband the encampments with methods ranging from vacating deadlines and warning of suspension to escalated tactics like restricting access to university properties or requesting the involvement of law enforcement.

TribLive’s higher education reporter Bill Schackner joined host Zac Gibson to talk about his reporting covering this story and explain the Pitt student protests.

This is From The Newsroom:

This week’s episode feature reporter Joyce Hanz joining Zac Gibson to dive into the nostalgia and loyalty surrounding the last Ponderosa Steakhouse in Pennsylvania.

Butler County has one of the last of 16 Ponderosa restaurants left. It is located in Center township. Visitors travel from New York ,Virginia, Ohio and Erie to get a taste of the western-themed buffet.

Hanz walks through her reporting experience and explain why Ponderosa holds such significance in the hearts and stomachs of locals and visitors alike.

This is From the Newsroom.

 

In this episode, a look at the aftermath of the high stakes Pennsylvania District 12 congressional contest between Democrats, Bhavini Patel and incumbent Summer Lee.

Political reporter Ryan Deto joins Zac Gibson again to dissect the primary results and provide some insight into the profiles of these candidates. They discuss what may have decided this race and take a glimpse at what the general election contest could look like.

This is From the Newsroom.

Pennsylvania’s primary election day is coming up next week and will feature one of the more interesting races as Democrats will choose between incumbent Rep. Summer Lee and challenger Bhavini Patel, an Edgewood councilwoman, in the battle for the District 12 seat in the U.S. House.

TribLive reporter Ryan Deto joins digital producer Zac Gibson to lay out the primary contest and walk through a profile of these two candidates.

Deto has followed the race since last year and has been a political reporter with TribLive since 2022.

Listen to “From the Newsroom,” TribLive’s new podcast bringing you top stories straight from our newsroom.

Before the start of classes on the morning of April 9, 2014, Alex Hribal, a 16-year-old sophomore, went room to room with an 8- to 10-inch knife in each hand, slashing and stabbing 20 students and security guard. Everyone survived.

TribLive’s Zac Gibson spoke with reporters Renatta Signorini and Megan Swift about the event. Signorini was one of the first reporters on the scene. Swift was a student at the school at the time.