Community Corner
PA Man Convicted Of Capitol Riot Charges + Wheel Of Fortune Success
The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Pittsburgh.
Hello all. I'm here with your Thursday edition of the Pittsburgh Patch newsletter, full of all the community news you need to know right now. In today's issue, you'll learn about...
- PA Man Convicted Of Capitol Riot Charges
- High school athletes approved for name, image and likeness profitability
- Pitt student Noah Stockwell solves all the right puzzles on 'Wheel of Fortune'
Cloudy and cooler. High: 49 Low: 32.
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Here are the top stories in Pittsburgh today:
1) A Western Pennsylvania man was among three defendants convicted in U.S. District Court of felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Peter J. Schwartz, 49, of Uniontown in Fayette County, was found guilty of four counts of felony assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers using a dangerous weapon; interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding and related charges. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, on Jan. 6, 2021, Schwartz and his wife Shelly Stallings - who pleaded guilty in August, traveled to Washington D.C. and were at the area of the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol Building. While at the front of the police line at around 2:28 pm, Schwartz threw a folding chair at officers, later claiming to a friend that he "started a riot" by "throwing the first chair." He then stole Washington Metropolitan Police Department duffle bags full of pepper spray canisters, which he distributed to other members of the mob, including his wife, to deploy them against the police. Wielding a large MK-46 canister and carrying a wooden tire thumper, Schwartz began indiscriminately spraying O.C. spray at any retreating police officers he could find, according to the Justice Department. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled but is expected to occur early next year.
2) High school student-athletes in Pennsylvania can now make a profit from their name, image and likeness. Following the path set by collegiate athletes, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association approved the policy Wednesday. Under the policy, student athletes are permitted to have endorsement deals and permitted to participate in promotional activities through advertisements and social media. The NIL policy stipulates that no school - or anyone employed by or affiliated with a PIAA member school (including booster clubs, coaches, collectives, administrators and alumni) can solicit, arrange, negotiate or pay for a student's use of their NIL unless they are a parent of the athlete. Students engaging in NIL activities can't reference the PIAA or a PIAA member school's team name, nicknames or logo. Nor can the student wear uniforms or school-identifying apparel or promote any third-party goods and services during team or school activities. Advertising 21+ products and other select items is also prohibited.
3) Pittsburgh native Antoine Fuqua directed Will Smith in Apple TV+'s action-heavy, would-be awards contender "Emancipation" well before Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars earlier this year. "Four hundred years of slavery is bigger than one moment," Fuqua told Vanity Fair. "My hope is that people will see it that way and watch the movie and be swept away with the great performance by Will and all the real hard work that the whole crew did." Smith stars in "Emancipation" as Peter, a character based on a real-life historical figure, who escapes from slavery and evades hunters in the Louisiana swamps while trying to get back to his wife and children. "Emancipation," streaming Friday, has a unique visual look. The film's color is desaturated to the point that it almost looks like it's shot in black and white, but then there's an occasional glimpse of color, like a flicker of flame in a fire. Fuqua said when he and the film's director of photography, Bob Richardson ("Django Unchained"), first talked, Fuqua told Richardson he saw the movie as "beautiful and brutal."
5) A Pitt student took a spin at 'Wheel of Fortune'—and made it to the Final Round in a College Week episode of the gameshow which aired on Thanksgiving Day. He ended up winning a pretty penny in the process. Stockwell solved the Prize Puzzle — "Nothing to do, and all day to do it" — which landed him a trip to Maui. He says he started the game with two Toss-Up Puzzle wins — "Music Festival" and "Creative Writing." He also managed to chime in correctly for two of the three Triple Toss-Up Puzzles in the middle of the game, which were all college-themed ("Fall Semester" and "Semester Abroad." He says he wasn't quick enough to solve "Spring Semester"). The Final Round Puzzle that he solved was "Waiting Around," leaving him with a total of $69,440 in cash and prizes at the end of the 30-minute episode.
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Today in Pittsburgh:
- Library Closing at 5 pm - Plum Community Library (5:00 PM)
- Dazzling Nights Pittsburgh (5:30 PM)
- Signs of the Holidays - Northland Public Library (6:00 PM)
- Book Lab - Mount Lebanon Public Library (6:30 PM)
- Drag & Draw - The Andy Warhol Museum (6:30 PM)
- Dan Droz Book Signing (6:30 PM)
- Musical Theatre Club X C4C Girl Boss Cabaret (7:00 PM)
- Woman's Club Meeting - Borough of Baldwin (7:00 PM)
- Conversation Salon - Community Library of Castle Shannon (7:00 PM)
- German Conversation - Mount Lebanon Public Library (7:00 PM)
From my notebook:
- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: "The Zoo transforms into an unforgettable winter wonderland during the Zoo Lights Drive-Thru! Enjoy over 100 animal lights all from the comfort of your car. 🚗 Buy tickets ➡️ https://bit.ly/3jU3G6r" (Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium via Facebook)
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: "Today is our 129th birthday! On this day in 1893, Phipps opened to the public with great fanfare and an amazing selections of plants originating from the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago." (Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens via Facebook)
- Visit Pittsburgh: "Happy 10 Days of #LovePGH Giveaways! 🥳 Did someone say Holiday Happy Hour!? 🥂 We are kicking off the giveaways with our friends on Mount Washington! 🥰 Today through Dec. 16, participating locations are offering incredible Holiday Happy Hour deals." (Visit Pittsburgh via Facebook)
- Pittsburgh Regional Transit: "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... 🎄🎅 Have you been on a Christmas bus yet? Don't forget to post your photos!" (Pittsburgh Regional Transit via Facebook)
- Friends of the Riverfront: "As many already know, the construction on "Eagle Lake" is complete! We thank everyone for their patience and understanding during the time of trail closure. Please join us for a celebration of the project this Friday, 12/9, at 1 pm." (Friends of the Riverfront via Facebook)
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Events:
- North Hills Cares Community of Music (December 9)
- North Hills Cares Kids Day (December 10)
- Add your event
That's it for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update!
— Rachel Tasker
About me: Rachel is a native Pennsylvanian with stops in Erie and State College before making Pittsburgh her home in 2020. She's got a background in a little bit of everything... from working in media newsrooms and public health to the 2016 Presidential election in Washington, D.C. and the 2019 Super Bowl where (surprise!) Tom Brady won... AGAIN. She loves good coffee, bad reality T.V., attending local events and trying new food in the 412. She resides in the South Hills.
Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Pittsburgh Patch newsletter? Contact me at pittsburgh@patch.com
