Julia Felton stories, Page 22
Pittsburgh to begin work on Swindell Bridge, 30th Street Bridge next week
Pittsburgh officials on Friday announced that construction projects at the Swindell Bridge and 30th Street Bridge are slated to begin next week. The city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure will lead the projects. The Swindell Bridge, which connects Perry South and Northview Heights over I-279, is set to see a...
‘Changed all of our lives’: Foundation provides $465K for Western Pa. students
As a single mother, Johnetta Higgins said she couldn’t afford to send her three kids to private school without help. She had started her children — James Cross, 13, Janiyah Cross, 10, and Jamel Cross, 7 — in public schools, but said they were “having a hard time” and weren’t...
2 candidates running to replace outgoing Ricky Burgess on Pittsburgh City Council
Two Democrats are vying for a seat on Pittsburgh City Council in District 9, where Councilman Ricky Burgess will not be seeking another term. Burgess was first elected to council in 2007, but is not seeking reelection. Looking to fill his seat are Khari Mosley, political director of the advocacy...
Traffic calming project in Glen Hazel aims for safety after 6-year-old fatally struck
A traffic calming project in Pittsburgh’s Glen Hazel neighborhood is designed to make the streets safer after a 6-year-old boy was fatally struck by a vehicle while riding his bike there last summer. Mayor Ed Gainey on Friday visited the site on Johnston Avenue to watch as crews constructed speed...
Gainey awaits background checks before announcing police chief nominee
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Friday said he is waiting on candidates’ background checks before announcing his nominee for the city’s new police chief. Those background checks, he said, should be in next week. The mayor said he has not offered anyone the job yet, and won’t move ahead till...
Gainey to headline Pittsburgh conference bringing 1,000 Black men to city
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is slated to headline the opening of a large Omega Psi Phi Fraternity conference that this week is expected to bring more than 1,000 Black men into the city. Iota Phi, Pittsburgh’s graduate chapter of the historically Black fraternity, is hosting Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s 75th...
Pittsburgh to spend $18 million to resurface over 30 miles of roads
Pittsburgh officials on Thursday said the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure this week began the 2023 milling and paving season, which will see about 32 miles of city streets resurfaced. The city is investing over $18 million in the street resurfacing program, which supports asphalt street resurfacing and ADA...
Pittsburgh giving away free mulch
Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works on Wednesday announced they will begin giving away free mulch from recycled Christmas trees this weekend, and they will collect yard waste early next month. Pittsburgh residents will be able to pick up free mulch from the city’s Christmas tree recycling program beginning Saturday, which...
Bethlehem Haven gets approval for renovations, added affordable housing in Pittsburgh’s Uptown
Bethlehem Haven, a nonprofit that provides housing and other wraparound services, received approval Tuesday from the Pittsburgh Planning Commission to renovate its existing Fifth Avenue site and add affordable housing. The nonprofit plans to upgrade its Uptown facility, where it offers supportive housing to 26 women with disabilities or chronic...
Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats could get new sports court for basketball, pickleball
Plans are in the works to build a sports court for pickleball and basketball in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats. The court would be located on the East Lawn at SouthSide Works. Plans presented Tuesday to the city’s Planning Commission call for a 10-foot fence around the court, as well as...
Amera Gilchrist confirmed as Pittsburgh’s EMS chief, becomes 1st Black woman to hold role
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday confirmed Amera Gilchrist’s appointment as the city’s next EMS chief. Mayor Ed Gainey last week announced his nomination of Gilchrist, who is the first Black woman to serve in the role. Gilchrist, 49, has served on the city’s Bureau of EMS for nearly 24 years...
Pittsburgh to provide $600K in city funding for Downtown ambassador program
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday gave final approval to a measure that will dedicate $600,000 in city funding to support a new Downtown ambassador program. The nonprofit Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Golden Triangle Ambassador program employs 11 full-time staff members. The ambassadors will offer a variety of services in Downtown Pittsburgh,...
Historic Troy Hill Fire House to house tap room, farm-to-table community market
The historic Troy Hill Fire House is slated to house a taproom and farm-to-table community market. Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority board on Thursday unanimously voted to sell the Ley Street site to QGE Holdings LLC for $300,000, contingent on a cooperation agreement with the URA and the city. A renovation...
Uptown redevelopment project to include space for food trucks, patio seating
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority board on Thursday approved plans to sell an Uptown site to a developer that is aiming to bring commercial space and food trucks. The board unanimously approved plans to sell the property at 23 Miltenberger St. for $60,000 plus costs to Pittsburgh-based Epic Development LLC. Plans...
New Pittsburgh Courier recognizes 40 young Black professionals
The New Pittsburgh Courier on Friday will honor 40 local young Black professionals with its annual FAB 40 Under 40 Awards. The awards recognize 40 Black men and women “who encourage others through their leadership, achievements and service in their communities and professional fields,” the publication said in a news...
Shooting near Edgewood Towne Center sent bullet through school bus
Swissvale police said no one was injured in a shooting incident that sent a bullet through a school bus Friday afternoon. Around 3 p.m., two vehicles exchanged gunfire in an incident that started in the Edgewood Towne Center, Swissvale police said. The incident then extended into Swissvale, police said, where...
Penguins give part of Lower Hill development site to Bethel AME Church decades after it was displaced by arena project
More than six decades after its church was displaced to clear the way for construction of the former Civic Arena, Bethel AME Church will once again get land in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District. The church is set to develop a 1.5-acre site at the corner of Crawford and Bedford avenues,...
Urban Redevelopment Authority’s affordable housing preservation program launches Friday
The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority’s affordable housing preservation program launches Friday. The program, first presented to the URA board in January, aims to provide financial assistance to owners of affordable housing units. The URA hopes the help will dissuade the owners from shutting down the affordable units or converting them...
Urban Redevelopment Authority to sell Hill District plaza to Salem’s Market and Grill
A local grocery store is set to buy a shopping plaza in Pittsburgh’s Hill District from the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. The URA board on Thursday approved plans to sell the plaza on Centre Avenue that previously housed a Shop ‘n Save to Salem’s Market and Grill, which is expected...
Public weighs in on Pittsburgh’s Spin electric scooter ride-share service
Pittsburgh City Council heard mixed opinions about Spin’s electric scooter ride-sharing service during a public hearing Wednesday. The Spin service was authorized in July 2021 after the state government approved a pilot program that made Pittsburgh the first city in Pennsylvania to allow e-scooters. That pilot program ends in July...
Amera Gilchrist nominated to be Pittsburgh’s next EMS chief
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is nominating Amera Gilchrist to be the city’s next EMS chief. Pending approval from City Council, Gilchrist would become the first Black woman to serve in the role. “I may be the first, but since that barrier (is poised to be) broken, I most certainly won’t...
Pittsburgh City Council gives preliminary approval to $600K in funding for Downtown ambassador program
Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to provide $600,000 in funding to support a nonprofit’s Downtown ambassador program. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Golden Triangle Ambassador program already employs 11 full-time staff members. They will provide a variety of services in the Downtown area, including connecting people with mental health...
Trib Total Media nominated for 26 Golden Quill Awards
Trib Total Media’s coverage of a variety of topics — including Roberto Clemente, the 20th anniversary of the Quecreek mine rescue and cultural organizations’ efforts to rebuild after the pandemic — has earned the news organization 26 nominations for the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania’s Golden Quill Awards. The Golden...
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Deb Gross faces primary challenge from Jordan Botta
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, is facing a primary challenge from Jordan Botta. Gross, 56, has served on council since January 2016, representing a district that includes Bloomfield, Friendship, Highland Park, Lawrenceville, Morningside, Polish Hill, Stanton Heights and the Strip District. Botta, 32, of Bloomfield, has worked as...
Year after fatal Airbnb shootings, Pittsburgh Police have no update
Nearly a year after two teenagers were killed and eight others were injured in an Easter morning shooting at an Airbnb rental property in Pittsburgh’s North Side, city officials have not passed any legislation to regulate short-term rentals, and police have no updates on their investigation. Police said about 200...
