Heartbreak in Canonsburg

Tiana Cario of Canonsburg, holds a candle during a prayer vigil for Canonsburg police Officer Scott Bashioum. Who who was shot and killed when he and another officer answered a domestic call early this morning.

Out Of The Shadow

It can be a real challenge at times to find a feature photo.
On a recent assignment, I was waiting for the event to begin. I could hear kids playing on a hillside behind me. So, I changed a few settings on my camera and stood there, hoping the small tumbleweed of giggles and laughter would make its way up to the top of the hill. It would be perfect situation for a silhouette, with the background brighter than the foreground and subject.
Out of the shadow, the children emerged just long enough for a few clicks of my shutter, and then they disappeared back into the darkness.
A silhouette creates a feeling of drama, mystery, emotion and mood. An ordinary image or scene becomes extraordinary if shot as a silhouette.
I look for every opportunity to capture one.

Autumn Sunset

An autumn sunset makes for a nice silhouette of spectators as they watch CalU play IUP at California University Adamson Stadium.

Gathering Acorns

A squirrel gathers acorns in the spring like weather alone South College Street in Washington.

Leading The Charge

Carmichaels is led onto the field by 10-year-old Braedyn Wasko(19), who is battling Ewing's Sarcoma, for Friday night's game against Mapletown.

Prexies

Wash High Marching Band plays before the game against Frazier at Washington

Washington’s Isaiah Robinson catches a touchdown pass Friday ahead of coverage from Frazier’s Josh Cox.

Old World Celebration

Herman Helry ,82, of Canonsburg, sing and plays the accordion as part of the entertainment during Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest in Canonsburg. Helry performed every year since the festival began 18 years ago.

Protest at Mylan

Rick Claypool of Public Citizen speak during a protest at Mylan's administrative headquarters in Southpoint over the increase of the EpiPen.

Pittsburgh Vs Cuba

Flying High

Pigeons fly over the bronze statue of George Washington on top of the Washington County Courthouse

Loving Kami

Family deals with the stress and emotions of a child with bipolar disorder.
Kami Meyer, 8, withdraws and loses interest in her surroundings after breakfast at the family’s home in Eighty Four.

Kami, counts on her fingers while using math flash cards with a family friend at her home.

Kami , plays cards with her brother, Brennan, as her mother, Kris, and sister, Ashlyn, watch.

A Prehistoric Prize

Dave Bemiss of Michigan and his 2-year-old grandson, Nathan Bratton, pan for fossils in the shallow water at Caspersen Beach, Fla. Sharks typically lose at least one tooth per week.

It must be in my nature to be adventurous, since I have searched for new and exciting endeavors as far back as I can remember. When I was 6 years old, my father took me, my siblings and several neighborhood friends fossil-hunting.
We climbed up a hill behind my grandmother’s house and navigated through a deeply wooded area until we reached a clearing, where we came upon another large hill covered with rocks.
We all feverishly collected handfuls of rocks in a variety of shapes and sizes that carried the imprints of leaves and ferns. I felt as if I had discovered some long-lost secret of nature, which I would be able to display and talk about at my next first-grade show-and-tell.
Recently, I visited Venice Beach in Florida, known as the “shark-tooth capital of the world.” To illustrate how serious the residents are about the moniker, the town celebrates a shark-tooth festival in early April every year. Fossil collectors from throughout the southeastern United States converge on the South Florida beach to sell and display their wares.

It takes about 10,000 years for a shark tooth to fossilize. The most commonly found shark-teeth fossils are from 65,000 years ago.

Venice is composed of four beaches: Venice Municipal Beach, South Broward Beach, Caspersen Beach and Nokomis Beach. The entire area has an abundant amount of fossilized shark teeth, resulting from the state once being completely under water.
When the water receded, the prehistoric sharks died, their bodies decomposed and their teeth fossilized. Over time, storms, currents and waves pushed the fossils into shallow water, where beachcombers came upon them.
During my visit in May, I enjoyed a typical Florida morning at Caspersen Beach, where the sea and sky blended together to form a bright canvas on the horizon. Pelicans glided overhead in search of food, while visitors and locals sat under colorful umbrellas in colors resembling French Impressionist Henri Matisse’s still-life paintings.

Nathan Bratton gets ready to pour sand into a screen held by his grandfather, Dave Bemiss of Michigan, as they pan for fossils last month at Caspersen Beach, Fla.

All of this set the stage for amateur paleontologists, myself included, to stroll the shoreline hoping to discover a fossil that would be the envy of the many who came before us. Many venture into the water with what is known as a “Florida snow shovel.” The shovel has a basket on the end that is used to scoop through sand and shells to more easily find shark teeth. This was my preference, although others used buckets to scoop sand, which was then transferred into a primitive screened wooden frame. The truly adventurous souls used a snorkel or scuba dived for their treasures. If you’re lucky enough to find a tooth, it can be one of three colors: black, brown or gray.
After I found several teeth, I strolled the beach again, taking in the scenic surroundings, when suddenly I heard a young child’s voice.

Sharks shed thousands of teeth in their lifetime. Fossilized shark teeth are not white because they are usually covered with sediment, which prevents oxygen and bacteria from destroying them.

The youngster, 2-year-old Nathan Bratton, was excited, telling his grandfather, Dave Bemiss of Michigan, “Pap-pap, I got one.” Bemiss praised his grandson, saying “good job.” Finding fossils has become a passion for Bemiss, and he said he is happy he can share it with his grandson.
Who would have imagined that what nature produced millions of years ago would be something that would be used to form a bond between two very different generations?
As the day ended with another breathtaking sunset over the Gulf of Mexico, tourists and beach lovers made their way back to their cars, hotels and beach houses. Many carried in pails or in their pockets treasures that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. It isn’t necessarily the shark teeth themselves that will be passed on, but the stories of how and where they were found on that special day, when the sun seemed brighter than ever and the shark teeth surfaced once again.

Fossilized shark teeth can be valuable, and are often bought, sold and traded by enthusiasts and collectors. The most valuable are teeth of the megalodon shark, which can be as long as seven inches.

Swinging Into Action

Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown during the home run derby. At his Celebrity Softball Game at Consol Energy Park.

Pittsburgh Steeler Chris Boswell signs a few footballs for Chris Oravec, center, of Pittsburgh and his son Isaac 6, right, at Antonio Brown Celebrity Softball Game at Consol Energy Park.

Steelers tight end Weslye Saunders hits during the home run derby after the Antonio Brown Celebrity Softball Game Saturday at Consol Energy Park

DockDogs

Linda Torso of Ohio, dog Ziva, flies through the air as she competes in the DockDogs Show at the Noble J. Dick Aquatorium in Monongahela. DockDogs is an organization for competitive dog jumping. Photo/Illustration

Riding Topaz

Gaylene Eckleberry of Waynesburg, saddles up her horse Topaz, before a riding lesson at Coventry Equestrian Center in Chartiers Township.

In It To Win It

Bishop Canevin's Leah Narkevic, passes the baton to her teammate in the 3200 relay. They took first place in the event at Chartiers-Houston Track Invitational

Burgettstown's Luke Revay ,clears 5-10 in the high jump to take 2nd place at Chartiers-Houston Track Invitational

Winning Run

California's Casey Zajicek celebrates as he runs home to score the game-winning run against Bentworth.

Pitch Perfect

Belle Vernon pitcher Bailey Parshall throws Thursday against Trinity

Hammering It Out

Blacksmith Bob Elliott heats metal to 1,400 to 1,600 degrees before shaping it during a demonstration for Pittsburgh Area Artist Blacksmiths Association held in Canonsburg

Bob Elliott of West Virginia , does a blacksmith demonstration for Pittsburgh Area Artist Blacksmiths Association, held in Canonsburg

Spring Fly Fishing

Conrad Rossetti of Eighty Four casting a line in Meadow Run stream during a fly fishing class with Venture Outdoors at Ohiopyle.

Ron Oda of McMurry holds a Brook Trout that he caugh fly fishing in Meadow Run stream at Ohiopyle

Through Irish Eyes

The Dingle Peninsula, in County Kerry goes beyond the westernmost point of Ireland, and is a place of surreal beauty with steep sea-cliffs, sandy beaches.

Ireland, though small geographically, has produced many notable and influential people who have shared their talents and achievements with the world. Writers Samuel Beckett, James Joyce and, more recently, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt, have left us with words and images that continue to affect us all. International peace negotiator Mary Montague and musician and humanitarian Bono, of U2 fame, show Ireland’s diversity, as do boxing champions Barry McGuigan and Wayne McCullough.

A women walks her dog along the harbour in the town of Dungarvan located at the heart of County Waterford, Ireland.

As impressive as the list might be, the most important people to me are my ancestors, the Quigleys and Maxwells, who were among the 250,000 who immigrated to America to escape devastating poverty brought on by the potato famine that affected Ireland from 1845 to 1852. My grandfather, John S. Quigley, was very proud of his Irish heritage. I will never forget hearing him sing old Irish folk songs while on our walks to the post office. He taught me to keep my eyes on the ground as not to miss the chance to find a four-leaf clover. He shared stories with my brother, sister and I about the sacrifices his parents had made to give the family a better life. I will always cherish those memories and the lessons learned, especially as we gathered around the dinner table to share a pot of Irish stew.

The Buggy Boys playing in the friendliest watering hole in Dublin, The Temple Bar Pub.The Temple Bar district is reputed to be Dublin's "bohemian quarter" - it certainly is full of entertainment, art and culinary action.

In life, we all face difficult challenges. I was recovering from a major health crisis when one of my dearest friends suggested that I needed to celebrate my turn around by taking a trip. When asked where I would like to go, I answered without hesitation: Ireland.

It wasn’t long before we set out on an 11-day adventure covering 13 cities and 1100 miles in the hope of connecting with my family home land.

In Ireland and Great Britain, vehicles drive on the opposite side of the road than in the U.S and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. I certainly had a time adjusting to that as I sat on the passenger side trying to slow the car by pushing my foot on the floorboard as we rolled along twisted, windy side roads at what seemed like breakneck speed. However, from what I remember, the view was spectacular. I was able to catch my breath when we abruptly stopped to allow a herd of sheep to cross the road.

A sheep looks out of an opening in a stone wall near the city of Galway in Ireland.

Although I have long been a vegetarian, I was knocked off my game with the food, especially a breakfast of homemade bread, eggs, mushrooms, beans, fried potatoes, tomatoes and ham. It was so good, I found myself getting up early just to sit at our bed and breakfast table each morning.

Bright and vivid reds,green and yellow hues became the recognized signature work of the Avoca Handweavers. It is the oldest working woollen mill in Ireland and one of the world's oldest manufacturing companies. It is also Ireland's oldest surviving business.

Through it all, I found myself falling in love with the beauty of Ireland’s natural landscape: the small and beautiful cottages, the rolling green countryside and the fresh, clean air. However, what I will always remember most are the friendly and beautiful people who make up this amazing Emerald Isle called Ireland.

Tulips line the sidewalk leading into St. Patrick's Church in Dublin, the present building dates from 1220. The Cathedral is today the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland and also serves as a popular tourist attraction.

Taking His Shot

Trinity's Jacob Dobich throws the shotput for during a track meet against Ringgold. Dobich finished third in the event with a throw of 36-10.

UMWA Rally

Miner Chuck Burgess of Uniontown, holds a flag during United Mine Workers of America solidarity rally at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Waynesburg.

Island Paradise

Rally For Justice

Tamarra Ratley the mother Marius Chatman and other family members held a rally for justice for Chatman on the one year anniversary of hid death. At the Washington police station on Friday,

A Nice Ring to It

Retired Pittsburgh Steeler Chris Hoke made a stop at Trinity North Elementary for Dr. Seuss' birthday. Brothers Dylan, center, and Derek Facvo got to try on his Super Bowl rings.

Monacan Roll Into Second Round

Monessens Lavalle Rush takes it in for two during a game against Leechburg at Charleroi High School.

A Night To Shine

Shelby McAllister of Washington, gets out of the limo during Night To Shine, a prom for special needs kids 16 and older. It's sponsred by the Tim Tebow Foundation at The Bible Chapel in McMurray.

Paul and Jessica make their way down the red carpet during Night To Shine, during the a prom at The Bible Chapel in McMurray.

Off The Beaten Path

Washington County Department of Parks & Recreation held an introduction to snowshoeing event at Mingo Creek County Park. Daniel Royall, right,recreation program coordinator, led the class on a modern hike.

Staying In Touch

A whitetail deer touches the nose of her fawn at Washington Park