Julia Burdelski stories, Page 6
Pittsburgh council moves ahead with master plan for controversial $86M public safety center
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday voted to move ahead with plans for a massive $86 million public safety training facility — but only after adding new conditions meant to alleviate concerns from residents who fear the facility will be used to militarize police. In a preliminary vote Wednesday, Council supported...
New bill seeks ‘commonsense’ curbs on Pittsburgh vape shops to protect kids
Pittsburgh officials are considering new restrictions on vape shops in an effort to limit kids’ exposure to stores selling nicotine and CBD. The measure, introduced to City Council on Tuesday, would not allow new vape shops to open within 1,500 feet of elementary or secondary schools, licensed daycare facilities, religious...
Pittsburgh seeks to ban discrimination over past homelessness
A measure introduced Tuesday to Pittsburgh City Council would prohibit landlords from discriminating against people who have been homeless or have information on their housing record that might be viewed as a problem. Rachel Shepherd, executive director of the city’s Commission on Human Relations, said the goal is to ensure...
Pittsburgh apartment robbery, shooting leads to 3 arrests
Three men face criminal charges after a robbery and shooting in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood Saturday morning, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday. Duwayne Carey, 61, William Roberson, 61, and Raymond Paul Conti, 43, all of Pittsburgh, are being held in the Allegheny County Jail, according to online...
Innamorato pledges voting registration aid to new citizens after feds curb nongovernment groups
Allegheny County will start deploying Elections Division staff to naturalization ceremonies to help new U.S. citizens register to vote. The move, announced Monday, comes in response to the Trump administration recently barring nongovernmental groups such as the League of Women Voters from doing so in certain cases. The U.S. Citizenship...
Allegheny County announces satellite voting, ballot return options for November election
Allegheny County voters will have four satellite voting locations and 10 ballot-return options for the November general election. The county’s Board of Elections on Monday voted 3-0 on the sites, which allow voters to return ballots before Election Day on Nov. 4. The ballot-return locations let people submit a mail-in...
Steelers fans enthusiastic, optimistic ahead of home opener
Before the Steelers even kicked off their first home game of the season Sunday, Sean Ortega made a bold prediction: His favorite team would win the game, and go on to win the Super Bowl this year. Ortega, 34, flew 2,000 miles from Arizona to be in Pittsburgh’s North Shore...
Homestead business owner accused of selling narcotics from business
Allegheny County police allege a Homestead business owner was selling narcotics. Detectives with the Allegheny County Police Department’s Narcotics Unit over the last several weeks received information about narcotics sales from The Dankery Social Club, a business in the 100 block of East Eighth Avenue in Homestead, officials said. While...
Man in critical condition after motorcycle crash
A man is in critical condition after a motorcycle crash Saturday evening, according to Pittsburgh public safety officials. Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Route 28 northbound and East Ohio Street for a wreck involving a motorcycle. A man was taken to the hospital in critical condition, officials said....
Man shot after armed robbery in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny
Pittsburgh police are investigating after officials said a man was shot after an armed robbery in the city’s East Allegheny neighborhood early Saturday morning. The incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. Saturday, inside a fourth-floor apartment at 601 Pressley St. The victim, whose identity officials did not disclose, was shot in...
Carson Street comeback: South Side works to spiff up tarnished image
Pittsburgh’s best-known bar and nightlife district has been attracting attention lately for all the wrong reasons. This summer, a spike in trouble on South Side drew a heavy police response to control unruly crowds. Malcontents threw fireworks at officers, leading the head of the police union to label the neighborhood...
2 taken to hospital in Swissvale fire
Two people were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in Swissvale on Saturday afternoon, according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher. The blaze was reported after 12:30 p.m. at the 500 block of Smokey Wood Drive, the dispatcher said. The fire department was still on the scene...
Couple displaced by massive Squirrel Hill fire try to help others while recovering themselves
Jonahcharis Brown was certain her wedding dress had been in her apartment when a massive fire ripped through the building Tuesday. “We really, really thought for certain that the wedding dress was in the apartment,” said Brown, who was one of about 30 people displaced from a Squirrel Hill apartment...
Thousands celebrate Scottish heritage at Ligonier Highland Games
Wayne Bunch thinks he might have some Scottish heritage, but that’s not really what drew him to the Ligonier Highland Games on Saturday. Bunch, 41, of Uniontown, was there for the chance to try out the unique sporting events. Athletes donning kilts participated in Scottish games like the stone put...
Carson Street comeback: South Side works to spiff up tarnished image
Pittsburgh’s best-known bar and nightlife district has been attracting attention lately for all the wrong reasons. This summer, a spike in trouble on the South Side drew a heavy police response to control unruly crowds. Malcontents threw fireworks at officers, leading the head of the police union to label the...
PRT avoids service cuts, fare hikes with over $100 million in state funds
Pittsburgh Regional Transit on Friday announced it will receive over $100 million in state funds to prevent drastic service cuts and fare increases. The money will be used to plug a $100 million deficit projected in the transit agency’s budget. PRT will not need to move ahead with plans to...
Man killed in Homewood shooting
A man was fatally shot Friday night in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. Public safety officials said the shooting occurred on Neuman Way at the intersection with Felicia Way. Officers responding to the scene found a man, who has not yet been identified, with a gunshot wound to the neck. Officers rendered...
Pittsburgh Land Bank pitches way to cut costs, red tape through sheriff’s sales
The Pittsburgh Land Bank wants to strike an agreement that would make it easier to buy tax-delinquent properties for conversion to other uses including affordable housing and community gardens. The land bank is looking for the city, school district and county to sign off on a deal that would let...
Audits flag longer response times for Pittsburgh police, EMS; urge better 911 center staffing
A pair of audits from the Pittsburgh and Allegheny County controllers on Wednesday recommended increased staffing for the county’s 911 call center, more focus on tracking emergency response times and improvements to programs that ensure first responders’ well-being. “While funding and operational challenges exist in each of our respective governments,...
Advanced practitioners at UPMC’s Magee-Womens Hospital vote to unionize
A group of 60 advanced practitioners has voted to join hundreds of nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in forming a union. The advanced practitioners — including certified registered nurse practitioners, neonatal nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and other positions — voted to join SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, following about 800 nurses...
Pittsburgh’s $14M automated red light enforcement program cleared to roll out this winter
Drivers speeding through red lights in parts of Pittsburgh will soon receive tickets through an automated camera system to be installed this winter at several intersections. “This will change the way people drive in the city,” Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, said Tuesday, adding the new system is meant to...
Pittsburgh council overcomes transparency concerns to approve $1.7M in anti-violence grants
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to provide about $1.7 million in grants to community groups combating gun violence, despite concerns raised last week by one councilman about how officials picked the recipients. Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, questioned why the grants didn’t go to the applicants who ranked...
Covid shots not yet available at CVS without prescription despite Pa. policy change
Pennsylvania officials this week authorized eligible people to get a covid-19 vaccine without a prescription. The state said the change took effect immediately. But, as of Friday afternoon, patients hoping to get the vaccines at CVS locations were still being told they needed a doctor’s order. CVS has about 500...
Pittsburgh councilman questions why Gainey administration passed over some groups for anti-violence funds
A Pittsburgh councilman is upset that some community groups are being bypassed for city grants to fund anti-violence programs in favor of others he says might be less deserving. Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, is blaming the Gainey administration for what he views as an opaque award system that doesn’t...
Pittsburgh restarts overhauled spay, neuter program for city cats, dogs
Pittsburgh pet owners will again be able to apply for free spay and neuter surgeries for cats and dogs. City officials in February 2024 abruptly halted to the free spay and neuter program, raising concerns that suburban pet owners were abusing the program by using fake Pittsburgh addresses to get...
