Julia Felton stories, Page 43
The Lemington brings affordable senior housing with on-site medical center to Lincoln-Lemington
A ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday celebrated the completion of The Lemington, an affordable senior living center with on-site medical, dental and behavioral health services. Beacon Communities — a privately-owned real estate firm that develops, acquires and manages multi-family housing — launched the new facility at the former site of...
Pittsburgh City Council approves department director appointments
Pittsburgh City Council on Monday approved the appointments of three department directors nominated by Mayor Ed Gainey. Council unanimously approved Chris Hornstein as director of Public Works, Kim Lucas as director of Mobility and Infrastructure and Kathryn Vargas as director of Parks and Recreation. All three had been serving as...
Salem’s Market and Grill delays opening of Hill District grocery store to next year
Salem’s Market and Grill has secured a $1.4 million loan from Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority to develop a grocery store in the city’s Hill District, but the company has pushed back the planned opening until next year. The locally-owned, family-run grocery store will take over the Centre Heldman Plaza space...
6-year-old boy shot in the head in Pittsburgh
A 6-year-old boy was in critical condition after suffering an apparent accidental gunshot wound to the head Sunday, Pittsburgh police said. The incident was reported shortly before 8:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Johnston Avenue in the city’s Glen Hazel neighborhood. The boy was taken to an undisclosed hospital....
Former State Sen. Jim Ferlo dies at age 70
Former State Sen. Jim Ferlo has died. Ferlo represented the 38th Senatorial District, encompassing portions of Pittsburgh and parts of Allegheny, Armstrong and Westmoreland counties. He served in that seat from 2003 until 2015 and served as the Democratic Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee. Ferlo also was the...
No bomb discovered after bomb threat at Pittsburgh AAA offices Saturday
No bomb was found after AAA received a bomb threat at its offices in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety officials. Officers responded to the 5900 block of Baum Blvd. for a threat made over the phone around 6:45 p.m., officials said. The caller said there was...
Pittsburgh Buddhist Center celebrates Vesak, a holiday celebrating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha
The Pittsburgh Buddhist Center in West Deer on Sunday celebrated Vesak, a holiday that commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. “The belief is that all of these events happened on a full moon in May,” said Bhante Pemaratana, chief abbot at the temple, explaining Sunday is May’s...
Dennis Hall, a miner rescued from Quecreek Mine collapse, dies at 68
Dennis Hall, one of nine men rescued from the Quecreek Mine collapse in 2002, died Friday. He was 68. Hall and eight other coal miners were trapped 240 feet below ground for 77 hours when the Quecreek mine collapsed in Somerset County in July 2002. “We lost a unique individual...
Woman’s body found at Lower Burrell storage facility, man charged with homicide
A man is charged with homicide after an Apollo woman was found dead Saturday morning at the U-Haul storage facility in Lower Burrell. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Kelly R. Steele, 41, of North Ninth Street. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli identified the suspect as...
Hundreds rally in Pittsburgh against abortion restrictions
Hundreds of people congregated Saturday at Pittsburgh’s City-County Building to rally against abortion restrictions. This comes after a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion suggesting the high court was poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide was leaked earlier this month. The Bans off Our...
Community markets support small businesses, help revitalize New Kensington
Two community markets in New Kensington held less than a block apart, at Voodoo Brewing and Knead Community Cafe, on Saturday gave local vendors an opportunity to showcase their wares and attract new customers. Michelle Thom, who owns Voodoo Brewing, and Jamie Parker, who owns a New Kensington bakery called...
Newly elected state Rep. Martell Covington faces primary challenge from 2 Dems
Just weeks after a special election determined who would finish out newly elected Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s term in the state House, three Democrats are running to win a full, four-year term in the seat starting early next year. Democrat Martell Covington, a former legislative aide to state Sen. Jay...
Pittsburgh Controller’s Office releases audit in response to tax collection delays
An audit of Pittsburgh’s Real Estate Division released Wednesday said the division should encourage taxpayers to make virtual payments, while City Council should do a better job of considering how new tax laws will be implemented. The Pittsburgh City Controller’s Office audited the Department of Finance’s Real Estate Division in...
The Joe Beretta Foundation with Bradford Woods connection assists patients suffering advanced heart failure
Patients receiving treatment for advanced heart failure in Pittsburgh can receive help from the Joe Beretta Foundation, a nonprofit dedicating to supporting patients and their families. The nonprofit is named for Joe Beretta, who died in the summer of 2016 after battling advanced heart failure. His wife, Lillian, and their...
Auditor general cites concerns with retired non-uniformed pension plan in McCandless; police pension fund 90% funded
The auditor general in a report analyzing local pension plans highlighted concerns about the retired non-uniformed pension plan in McCandless, though those concerns do not extend to the active non-uniformed pension or police pension plans. Auditor General Timothy DeFoor released reports for McCandless on May 9, along with more than...
2 Republicans look to unseat state Rep. Dan Deasy
Two Republicans are seeking their party’s nomination in a primary race to challenge incumbent state Rep. Dan Deasy, D-Westwood, in the November election. Deasy represents the 27th State House District, which includes neighborhoods in the city’s West End and South Hills, along with the suburban communities of Crafton, Green Tree,...
Pittsburgh city government to provide support for this year’s Juneteenth festivities
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said Wednesday that the city will provide in-kind services to support Juneteenth celebrations hosted by Stop the Violence Pittsburgh. Stop the Violence Pittsburgh last month unveiled plans to celebrate the holiday from June 17 through June 19, with events including a parade, a music festival and...
Pittsburgh City Council cuts ‘red tape’ by eliminating several business licenses
Pittsburgh City Council voted Tuesday to eliminate several business-related licenses that the Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections deemed unnecessary. Licenses eliminated included ones for transient merchants, trade fairs and amusement places and producers. It also nixed a sign maintenance certification. “It’s a good example of cutting some of this...
Construction of new Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park begins
Construction has started on the new Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park. A former bridge at the site collapsed more than three months ago, sending a Port Authority bus and other vehicles into a ravine below and injuring 10 people. PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said drilling at the site...
Newly elected state Rep. Aerion Abney, Glenn Grayson square off in Pittsburgh state House district
Just weeks after winning a special election to finish out former state Rep. Jake Wheatley’s term in Harrisburg, newly elected state Rep. Aerion Abney once again finds himself matched against the Rev. Glenn Grayson in a race for the seat. Abney, 33, and Grayson, 62, are seeking the Democratic nomination...
Pittsburgh firefighters no longer required to live within city limits
Pittsburgh firefighters are no longer required to live within city limits, but they will have to live nearby. The city reached a settlement with firefighters Monday to eliminate the longstanding requirement that firefighters live within the city, said Maria Montaño, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey. The agreement stipulates that...
Gecko Robotics unveils new office space in Pittsburgh’s Nova Place
Gecko Robotics, a company that makes robots to inspect infrastructure, has moved into an expanded office space in Pittsburgh’s North Side. The company on Monday held a grand opening at its new 70,000-square-foot office at Nova Place. The company employs about 110 people, but is looking to expand its workforce...
Intersection of Penn Avenue and Sixth in Downtown Pittsburgh to close
The intersection of Penn Avenue and Sixth Street in Downtown Pittsburgh will be closed today through early June. The intersection, with Heinz Hall at one corner, will be closed to allow the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to replace broken and sunken brick crosswalks at the site. The crosswalks...
Work on West End Trolley Trail in Pittsburgh pushed back a year
Work on the West End Trolley Trail has been delayed, with construction now scheduled to begin next summer. The trail follows the former path of a public transit trolley and includes on-street shared lanes, as well as a path reserved only for pedestrians and bicyclists. Plans for the trail include...
Mask requirement reinstated at Woodland Hills High School
Face masks are once again required at Woodland Hills High School. Acting Superintendent Daniel Castagna announced this week that a mask mandate went into effect Thursday at the high school. The requirement is set to remain in place through the end of next week. The measure is meant to help...
