Tom Davidson stories, Page 23
Masses to resume at Shrines of Pittsburgh churches after covid-19 scare
In-person Masses that had been canceled over the weekend at some of Pittsburgh historic churches will resume Monday. Masses at the Shrines of Pittsburgh grouping in the diocese had been canceled because the spouse of an employee thought the had covid-19. But the test came back negative, the pastor of...
Pittsburgh police chief explains why he took a knee during Beechview protest
Pittsburgh police Chief Scott Schubert explained in a Facebook post Sunday why he participated in a Friday protest in the city’s Beechview neighborhood. Schubert didn’t plan on participating, but said being there helps him gauge how police can best respond to protests, he wrote in a Facebook post. He was...
Western Pennsylvania veterans organization gets $1M for support program
The Veterans Administration has given a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit more than $1 million for its veterans programs. The Veterans Leadership Program has received about $1,030,000 from the VA for its Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. The funding is in addition to the $1.9 million the VA already provides to the...
Sheraden man sentenced for 2018 East Hills murder
A man from Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood was sentenced Thursday to 10 to 20 years in prison for a 2018 East Hills shooting that left a Virginia man dead. Leonard Bernard Hilton, 26, also was ordered to serve 10 years of probation following his release. Allegheny County Judge David Cashman agreed...
Allegheny County reports 13 more coronavirus cases, 13 more deaths
As Allegheny County prepares to enter the least restrictive phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan, county health department officials reported 13 additional covid-19 cases and 13 new deaths Thursday. The county enters the green phase of the state’s reopening plan Friday. That leaves the total number of deaths countywide...
Pittsburgh Zoo to reopen Friday with new guidelines
The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium will open Friday with new guidelines in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. Visitors can buy timed tickets online. For members of the zoo, there is no additional charge for the tickets. Non-member rates are $17.95 for adults, $16.95 for seniors and $15.95 for...
DA: Carnegie man avoids death penalty trial, gets life in prison for 2019 double stabbing
A 59-year-old Carnegie man pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder, rape and assault charges stemming from a 2019 double stabbing, according to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors withdrew a notice to seek the death penalty in the case against Richard Allen “Stretch” Mickens. Allegheny...
East Liberty cleans up after George Floyd protestVideo
Nikhil Mohan scrubbed spray paint Tuesday morning from the storefront of the Domino’s pizza he manages on N. Sheridan Avenue in East Liberty. The 23-year-old lives in Monroeville and attends Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. He understands the reason people across the country are outraged over the May 25 death...
Pastors, hundreds gather in Hill District for peaceful George Floyd protest
Hundreds of people from varied faiths gathered at Freedom Corner in Pittsburgh’s Hill District for about 90 minutes of prayers and speeches as the nation reels from the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “Enough is enough,” the Rev. Glenn Grayson told the crowd that gathered at noon...
Coroner: Unity man found dead after jumping into pond
A 52-year-old Unity man was found early Sunday in a pond off Route 130, Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha said. Patrick A. Takitch was found at 7:45 a.m. by authorities, Bacha said. Takitch jumped into the pond at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday and didn’t resurface. Multiple fire departments assisted in...
Penguins back on board for Lower Hill project; URA approves plans
A long-discussed project to redevelop the Lower Hill District is back on track as Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority on Thursday approved the latest plans for the 28-acre site of the former Civic Arena. The Pittsburgh Penguins are also back on board with project, which will be anchored by a new...
Swinburne Street reopens in South Oakland after $700K slide repair
People can fully use Swinburne Street in Pittsburgh’s South Oakland neighborhood again for the first time in seven months, city Department of Mobility and Infrastructure officials said. A $710,000 project stabilized a slope in the neighborhood that prompted the street to be closed in October between Greenfield Avenue and Edgehill...
Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto urges URA to approve plans for Civic Arena site development
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is urging members of the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority to approve plans for redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site that include a new $200 million headquarters for First National Bank. The URA meets again on Thursday. Last week, its board delayed voting on the plans,...
Portion of Eliza Furnace Trail closed through Wednesday
A section of the Eliza Furnace Trail will be closed through Wednesday between the Hot Metal and Birmingham bridges for tree trimming. The project is being done by PennDOT with cooperation from Pittsburgh city officials and the organizations Friends of the Riverfront and Tree Pittsburgh. Cyclists and pedestrians won’t have...
Pittsburgh moves to easier online permitting services
Pittsburgh’s move toward offering more permitting services online “couldn’t come at a better time,” Mayor Bill Peduto said . The city’s OneStopPGH website was launched a year ago. It allows residents and businesses to apply, pay for and receive licenses and permits online. They also can upload development plans and...
Pennsylvania to send property tax/rent rebate checks sooner because of pandemic
About 500,000 Pennsylvanians who benefit from the state’s property tax and rent rebate program will be receiving their checks six weeks earlier than usual, state officials announced Tuesday. The move will help some of the state’s most vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic, state Treasurer Joe Torsella said. The rebates,...
Judge dismisses lawsuit tied to fires at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by two environmental groups against U.S. Steel over alleged Clean Air Act violations at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. The suit was filed last year after fires on Dec. 24, 2018 and June 16, 2019. U.S. District Judge Marilyn Horan sided with...
Free street parking ending in Downtown Pittsburgh as businesses reopen
People who park in Downtown Pittsburgh will have to pay up at meters again. City officials announced that enforcement will restart on Wednesday. City and Pittsburgh Parking Authority officials hadn’t been enforcing metered parking since mid-March because of the shutdown spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. But now that Allegheny County...
Man missing after falling in Ohio River was standout athlete at Allderdice
The 23-year-old who fell from a boat dock into the Ohio River Saturday evening while fishing with friends on Neville Island has been identified. Ohio Township police Chief Joseph Hanny said the search for Kenneth Robinson resumed Monday morning. Robinson, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, was a graduate of Allderdice High...
Allegheny County records 38 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Allegheny County on Monday reported no new covid-19 deaths and 38 new cases. The latest figures bring the total number of covid-19 cases in the county to 1,641 since the first case was reported here March 14. Total deaths remained at 143, and total hospitalizations rose by two from Sunday’s...
Penn Hills woman caught with unloaded revolver at Pittsburgh International Airport
A Penn Hills woman was arrested Friday by Allegheny County police after an unloaded revolver was found in her carry-on bag at Pittsburgh International Airport. A Transportation Security Administration officer spotted the gun when the woman was going through a checkpoint at the airport. Allegheny County Police charged Kierra Allen,...
Victim of fatal McKeesport stabbing identified
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim of a fatal stabbing Sunday evening in McKeesport. Gordon Danielson Jr., 57, was found dead Sunday evening in McKeesport. At about 6 p.m., McKeesport police were called to the 500 block of Sinclair Street where they found the man dead. Allegheny...
Water main break reported in Blawnox
A water main break Sunday evening in Blawnox left some of the borough’s customers without service. The break happened shortly before 8 p.m. near the intersection of Maple Way and Cable Avenue, according to a tweet from Allegheny County. The county tweeted that officials were requesting a water buffalo to...
Authorities search for man who fell into Ohio River from Neville Island dock
Authorities were searching for a man who fell into the Ohio River on Saturday night near Neville Island, according to Ohio Township police. The 23-year-old was fishing with friends on a dock on Neville Island fell into the river late Saturday, police said in a Facebook post. Numerous agencies searched...
Washington Boulevard flood gate test slated Thursday morning
People driving on Washington Boulevard on Thursday morning may be delayed as Pittsburgh Public Safety workers test the road’s emergency flood gates. The testing, done quarterly, will be done between 8 and 8:30 a.m. The road will be temporarily closed. People should expect delays and avoid the area during that...
