Tom Davidson stories, Page 15
Pittsburgh City Council accused of ‘grandstanding’ as it seeks involvement in school district’s pandemic response
Pittsburgh Councilman Ricky Burgess on Wednesday proposed setting up a series of televised public meetings with school district officials to update council members on the school district’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The city’s government and school district operate as separate entities. Pittsburgh Public Schools board members are considering a...
Man injured in East Liberty protests sues Pittsburgh officials, police
A man who claims his face and skull were fractured by an aggressive Pittsburgh police response to a protest in East Liberty is suing city officials in connection with his life-changing injuries. The civil rights suit was filed in U.S. Western District Court on behalf of a man who says...
Pittsburgh Planning Commission approves Alcosan, Mt. Washington school projects
A new parking garage and lab that will allow the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority to meet a 2036 deadline to upgrade its facilities was approved Tuesday by Pittsburgh Planning Commission. Alcosan presented plans for the parking garage and environmental compliance building to the commission earlier this month. “We are pleased...
Developer plans apartment building at former gas station site in Oakland
A Chicago-based developer Tuesday presented plans for a 10-story, 300-unit apartment building at the now-vacant site of a former gas station on Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Pittsburgh Planning Commission members heard from Jessica Leo of CA Ventures, the developer of the project, and Jay Silverman of Dwell Design...
Pittsburgh officials condemn Jan. 6 Capitol attack
Pittsburgh officials were united Tuesday in formally condemning the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and affirmed there is no place in Pittsburgh for the views that led up to the Washington insurrection. Council members Erika Strassburger and Corey O’Connor sponsored the will of council that condemns what happened...
Former Catholic school on Mt. Washington poised to become loft apartments
A former school atop Mt. Washington with a commanding view of the Downtown Pittsburgh skyline is set to be converted into loft apartments. Grandview Lofts would be located in the former Bishop Leonard-St. Mary of the Mount Academy building at 115 Bigham St. Its rooftop deck would offer the skyline...
Retired Pittsburgh cop Tony Moreno says he dislikes politics but has what it takes to be mayor
After Tony Moreno retired from the Pittsburgh police in 2018, he intended to move to Florida. But Moreno, 51, of Brighton Heights, said he had ideas about how the city could be improved. He looked for someone to share them with, someone who could run for office. “I started seeing...
Peduto challenger Ed Gainey: Fewer words, more action needed from next mayor of Pittsburgh
Ed Gainey says all the words a Pittsburgh mayoral candidate is expected to say. If elected, he’d like to engage with people who live in each of the city’s neighborhoods, increase affordable housing opportunities, enact meaningful police reform and improve the way Blacks and other minorities are treated in the...
Pittsburgh’s Peduto among mayors asking new administration for financial relief
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is among the more than 280 mayors calling on congressional leaders to “take immediate action” on coronavirus relief legislation proposed by President Joe Biden. The legislation, called the American Rescue Plan, would provide $350 billion to state and local governments. “Providing direct, flexible aid to cities...
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald attends ‘very emotional’ Biden inaugurationVideo
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he was moved beyond words to witness Wednesday’s presidential inaugural events in person. “Standing in the shadows of the Capitol, you could feel the weight of our history on the shoulders of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Fitzgerald said. At 78, Biden is the...
Judge upholds fine against Darlene Harris for failing to file campaign reports
A former Pittsburgh councilwoman’s fine for refusing to file financial disclosure reports in 2019 and the law requiring those reports was upheld Tuesday by an Allegheny County judge who concluded the city is within its powers to require them. “We’re looking at appeal options,” said Jim Burn, the attorney for...
State Rep. Ed Gainey to challenge incumbent Bill Peduto in race for Pittsburgh mayor
State Rep. Ed Gainey announced Tuesday he is challenging Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto in the Democratic primary. “I’m running for mayor because I know that the working people of Pittsburgh need opportunities for good union jobs with a living wage and benefits, affordable housing, genuine public safety, and a city...
Pittsburgh Council approves extension of program to require affordable housing in LawrencevilleVideo
A zoning experiment to preserve affordable housing in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood as it continues to grow was given a six-month extension Tuesday. City council members are exploring if the strategy can be used in other neighborhoods. The program started in July 2019. Council created an overlay district in Lawrenceville that...
Ban on no-knock warrants introduced by Pittsburgh City Council
Breonna Taylor’s shooting death last year by police in Louisville, Ky., has inspired cities across the country to enact legislation banning no-knock warrants. Taylor, 26, was shot March 26, 2020, by plainclothes police officers with a no-knock warrant. They entered her boyfriend’s apartment, where she was at the time, and...
Pittsburgh to participate in national remembrance of covid victims Tuesday evening
Pittsburgh will participate in this evening’s national Memorial to Lives Lost to covid-19. The City-County Building Downtown will be illuminated in amber for the memorial at 5:30 p.m. Other government and private buildings are expected to be included. In Washington, President-elect Joe Biden and incoming Vice President Kamala Harris plan...
Seeking 3rd term during pandemic, Peduto says ‘there’s still a lot of work to do’
As he launches his campaign to seek a third term in office, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto isn’t kissing babies, shaking hands or doing any of the usual things associated with a politician. Instead, on Thursday he shared a recorded interview with supporters on Facebook. On Friday, he began a series...
Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb names new deputy
Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb has tapped a former congressional staffer who most recently worked with a federal budget watchdog group to be his deputy. Rachael Heisler replaces Douglas Anderson in the post. In August, Anderson was appointed Pittsburgh’s treasurer and finance director. “Rachael’s experience and expertise, particularly in the areas...
Peduto makes it official, seeks 3rd term as Pittsburgh’s mayorVideo
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto made it official Thursday: He will seek a third term as mayor. Peduto made the announcement in a video streamed on Facebook. During the video, which debuted at 1 p.m., 14 supporters from several of the city’s neighborhoods gave testimonials about the work that Peduto has...
Pittsburgh council gives initial approval to $55 million in bonds for capital projects
With Pittsburgh poised to float more than $55 million in new bonds for its 2021 capital improvement projects, city council members Wednesday heard from the city’s finance director about interest rates reaching historic lows. Council member discussed the potential to borrow even more to pay for affordable housing projects. The...
Target gains approval for Downtown Pittsburgh store, plans to preserve Kaufmann’s legacyVideo
As Target officials worked on plans for a store in the historic Kaufmann’s building in Downtown Pittsburgh, they’ve taken pains to respect its legacy. “We’re well aware of the history and the culture of this building in the hearts and minds of the citizens of Pittsburgh,” Target architect Doug Bartolomeo...
Allegheny County promotes Erin Dalton to replace Cherna as Human Services director
Allegheny County officials are promoting from within to replace Human Services Director Marc Cherna, who will retire in March. Erin Dalton is executive deputy director of the department, and on Tuesday, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald named her as Cherna’s replacement. “With her leadership, the department will not miss a beat....
PWSA enters plea for pumping sludge into Allegheny River
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority isn’t allowed to raise its rates to cover $500,000 it will invest into a compliance program as punishment for seven years of illegal sludge dumping into the Allegheny River from its Aspinwall plant, according to an agreement with federal prosecutors. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady...
‘We need to be uniters,’ Pittsburgh council says in addressing Capitol insurrectionVideo
Three of the nine Pittsburgh City Council members Tuesday addressed last week’s insurrection at the Capitol and the potential for more violence leading up to and during President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Public Safety leaders have said they are prepared for more unrest, should there be protests or...
Pittsburgh legal experts weigh in on Trump’s Twitter ban
With President Trump banned from Twitter and Facebook, he’s lost a favored platform. But the ban also brings into focus questions about how social media giants should be policed and regulated. In the statement that accompanied Twitter’s ban of Trump on Friday, the company said the bloody assault on the...
Gov. Wolf offers support for FNB project at Civic Arena site
Gov. Tom Wolf is supporting a $1 billion project to redevelop the former Civic Arena site in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District. On Monday, he encouraged the groups behind the project to seek more state funding. The Pittsburgh Penguins are leading the redevelopment of the 28-acre site that will be anchored...
