Tom Davidson stories, Page 11
Pittsburgh council, activists to talk about ‘mass displacement’ of Black residents
A former Penn Plaza resident who was displaced when the East Liberty apartment building was razed in 2017 is part of a group seeking acknowledgement from Pittsburgh leaders that Black people are leaving the city in large numbers. “This is an injustice,” said Randall Taylor, who now lives in Homewood...
Pittsburgh ‘made a mistake’ on thousands of tax bills
Pittsburgh’s finance department “made a mistake” when it didn’t include tax discounts or abatements on thousands of tax bills this year, city Finance Director Douglas Anderson said Thursday. “The mistake was made,” Anderson said. It means several thousand taxpayers in Pittsburgh who use programs like the Homestead exemption or the...
Peduto announces $115 million in commitments from regional nonprofits for OnePGHVideo
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto released a plan Thursday that could result in $115 million from the region’s nonprofits to fund affordable housing, recreation and social service programs. The funds would go through a new standalone entity called OnePGH. “Today we are setting a new model for cities around the county...
After easing off-street parking requirement, Pittsburgh considers move to limit curb cutsVideo
Pittsburgh officials are working to reduce the number of driveways required for new townhouses in the city. Creating off-street parking requires a curb cut and makes walking on sidewalk potentially dangerous, Councilwoman Deb Gross said Tuesday during a council committee meeting. Under a proposed change in the local zoning law...
Allegheny County Council creates police review board
A divided Allegheny County Council on Tuesday approved creating an independent police review board. The board won’t be created until 2022 and it will only have jurisdiction over Allegheny County Police Department. Other municipalities with police departments in the county can opt-in to the board’s oversight, but that move would...
FNB announces $7 million in funding to support Hill District improvements
As FNB Corp. and the Pittsburgh Penguins work to redevelop the former Civic Arena site that will be anchored by a new FNB headquarters, the company Tuesday announced $7 million in other investments to improve the neighborhood. A new $5 million gap lending program will provide loans of up to...
Pittsburgh officials seek authority to set lower speed limits
Finding ways to get motorists to slow down on residential streets has been a longtime issue in Pittsburgh. City council members Tuesday took action to lobby for more authority to decrease speed limits in some neighborhoods. It’s something they’re not allowed to do under state law. “We know that slower...
Pittsburgh council introduces legislation to help LGBTQIA+ businesses
Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ business owners will be able to register on the city’s online procurement platform and will gain access to business development and trainings under legislation introduced Tuesday by city council members Erika Strassburger and Bruce Kraus. “This bill represents one more step in our march toward equity here in...
Police review board again being considered by Allegheny County Council
Allegheny County residents will again have input about creating an independent police review board. But council may have already approved the legislation if the meeting is even held. “This is a very important issue that establishes a newly created board and I believe every resident that wants to be heard...
Pittsburgh, U.S. Steel commit to become carbon neutral by 2050
Pittsburgh’s leaders and its largest steel company are committing to become carbon neutral by 2050. Mayor Bill Peduto used Earth Day, marked Thursday, to issue an executive order that commits the city to 12 initiatives designed to achieve the goal of eliminating carbon dioxide emissions. The order came the day...
Michael Keaton partners with Pittsburgh-area developer to locate new plant in region
As Michael Keaton prepares to reprise his role as Batman in an upcoming movie, the Pittsburgh-area native also is a partner in a business venture that could create more than 300 jobs in the region. Keaton, a Robinson native, is partnering with Emsworth developer Craig Rippole and Nexii Building Solutions,...
Pittsburgh awaiting federal guidance on stimulus cash
There are many questions, but few definitive answers about exactly how much federal stimulus money the city of Pittsburgh will receive and how it can be spent. City council members Wednesday asked council Budget Director Bill Urbanic and Kevin Pawlos, director of the city’s Office of Management and Budget, a...
Pittsburgh officials apologize for backlog in processing property tax payments
Nobody likes paying taxes. But after they’re paid, it’s easier if the check clears quickly so one can forget about them (until the next time they’re due). In Pittsburgh, that hasn’t been the case. There’s a six- to eight-week backlog processing real estate and parks tax payments, according to a...
Peduto issues order for new ‘deconstruction’ policy to fight Pittsburgh blightVideo
Highlights of home improvement shows on television generally include “demo day” — when sledgehammers and pry bars bash walls and cabinets to give way to the open concept that people covet. The demolition makes for good TV as plaster crumbles, wood cracks and there’s a cloud of dust and debris....
Neighborhood jobs center to open before construction on Lower Hill redevelopment
Hill District residents and others who want one of the thousands of jobs when construction starts on the redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site will soon have a resource to seek employment. The Lower Hill First Source Employment Opportunity Center will open in mid-May at the Hill House, 1835...
‘We’re certainly asking for peace’: Pittsburgh preps for Chauvin verdict reactionVideo
Pittsburgh leaders are preparing for local reaction to the Derek Chauvin verdict in Minneapolis. The former police officer’s fate is in the hands of a jury that’s deliberating whether he’s responsible for the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd. Deliberations began Monday and will continue today. Floyd’s death was...
‘Blood is on our hands’: Pittsburgh leaders call on community response to violent crimeVideo
Combating a surge in violent crime in Pittsburgh that mirrors the problems faced across the nation requires everyone to become involved and work to put a stop to it, city officials and community members said Monday. They took to the podium outside a building in the city’s California-Kirkbride neighborhood and...
4/20 munchies? Gobbleritos on the menu at Mad Mex
You’ve heard of Christmas in July. How about Thanksgiving in April? Mad Mex, the regional restaurant with 12 locations in the Pittsburgh region, will be selling its signature Gobbleritos on Tuesday. The Gobblerito is among the biggest burritos crafted at Mad Mex, the flagship of Big Burrito Restaurant Group, and...
Homicides, violent crimes surging in Pittsburgh this year
Six people have been killed in 17 shootings throughout Pittsburgh since April 3, part of a surge of violent crime in the city this year, officials said Monday. As of Monday, police have investigated 20 homicides and nearly 50 non-fatal shootings in 2021, according to numbers provided by the city’s...
Peduto orders crackdown on contractors committing tax fraud
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto used Thursday — April 15, traditionally the deadline for tax filings — to announce an executive order to crack down on construction companies that skirt tax laws. Although the tax deadline has been extended until May 17 this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Peduto used...
Jefferson Hills native relishes appearance on ‘Wheel of Fortune’Video
After winning a $7,100 trip to Costa Rica against two retired teachers, Jefferson Hills native Ryan Muldowney had a shot at winning a $1 million prize during the “Wheel of Fortune” episode that aired Wednesday. He was faced with filling in this phrase, a response to “What are you doing?”:...
Parking app breach affects 20 million users, including Pittsburgh Parking Authority customers
More than 20 million users of an app used to pay for parking were exposed to a data breach last month, the company that administers the app said. Included among them are those who use the Pittsburgh Parking Authority’s app, Go Mobile Pittsburgh. The data that was accessed includes license...
Pitt law professor Jerry Dickinson will run for seat held by Rep. Mike Doyle in 2022
A Swissvale attorney and law professor who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle in the 2020 Democratic primary will run for the seat again in 2022 when Doyle’s term expires. Jerry Dickinson, 34, announced his candidacy for the seat Doyle has held since 1995. A constitutional law professor at the...
Attorney says Aaron Donald beat up his client on South Side, seeks investigationVideo
Authorities have been asked to investigate a man’s claims that he was beaten up by Aaron Donald, the Pittsburgh native who was chosen as the top defensive player in the NFL last year. It happened in an alley outside Cosmo on Carson on the city’s South Side, either late Saturday...
Increased water rates would help PWSA fund system improvements
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority plans to use the $32 million in additional revenue from a proposed 17% increase in rates to pay for continued improvements to the water system. “As a publicly owned and controlled utility, every dollar we receive from our customers is invested back into your...
