Julia Burdelski stories, Page 20
Deluzio, Mercuri face off for pivotal 17th Congressional District seat
Republican Rob Mercuri, a Pennsylvania state representative, is looking to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio in a pivotal congressional race that could be crucial in determining which party controls the U.S. House. Fox Chapel’s Deluzio, a voting rights attorney and Iraq War veteran, defeated former Ross commissioner Jeremy Shaffer...
Deluzio, Mercuri face off for pivotal 17th Congressional District seat
Republican Rob Mercuri, a Pennsylvania state representative, is looking to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep Chris Deluzio in a pivotal congressional district that could be crucial in determining which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives. Fox Chapel’s Deluzio, a voting rights attorney and Iraq War veteran, defeated former Ross commissioner...
Acting Pittsburgh police Chief Ragland wants to be a steady hand, not a ‘superhero’
After working in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for more than three decades, Christopher Ragland this week said he’s hoping to provide steady leadership and bolster recruitment as he steps into the role of acting chief during a turbulent time for the force. Ragland takes the helm of an understaffed...
‘In the dark’: Pittsburgh council rips Gainey cabinet over secret deal with Scirotto
Pittsburgh City Council members were livid Tuesday after learning that three top aides to Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey knew about a secret deal to allow police Chief Larry Scirotto to return to refereeing college basketball after a year on the job but said nothing. The chief last week announced his...
Pittsburgh puts early end to $1.8M annual tax break for Squirrel Hill property
A blighted piece of land in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood will return to the tax rolls nearly a decade earlier than expected. The property, an old slag heap that overlooks the Parkway East near the Squirrel Hill Tunnel, had a 20-year tax break to spur development. But that will...
Pittsburgh to spend $600K on 11 public restrooms throughout city
Mobile bathrooms will be popping up throughout Downtown Pittsburgh and other parts of the city over the next two years. City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to allocate $600,000 in federal covid-19 relief money to bring 11 public restrooms to areas where bathrooms are hard to find. The city will...
Audit blasts city for ‘mismanagement’ of payments for Phipps’ steam usage
The City of Pittsburgh failed to collect more than $800,000 from Phipps Conservatory, the botanical garden complex in Oakland, as part of a longstanding utility reimbursement agreement, according to an audit released Tuesday by Controller Rachael Heisler. Phipps, a nonprofit, has since paid the city the bulk of that sum....
Pittsburgh halts discounted vacant land sales program
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday voted to halt a program that allows property owners to buy vacant city-owned properties for a steep discount. The Side Yard Sale Program allows property owners to purchase certain vacant, city-owned parcels that sit adjacent to their own for $200. But City Council on Tuesday...
Pittsburgh council wants answers about Scirotto’s referee deal with Gainey
Pittsburgh City Council will try today to uncover details about how lame-duck police Chief Larry Scirotto struck a secretive deal with Mayor Ed Gainey to return to part-time college basketball refereeing while also running the city’s police force. Council is expected to question Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt and Acting...
‘We can do big things’: Shapiro unveils $600M makeover for Downtown Pittsburgh
Buoyed by nearly $600 million of investments, a new plan for Downtown Pittsburgh unveiled Friday by Gov. Josh Shapiro includes nearly 1,000 new housing units, improvements to public spaces in the Golden Triangle and increased public safety efforts. “To have a strong and vibrant commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you have to...
Pittsburgh leaders argue over discounts for landlords buying vacant city land
Pittsburgh City Council is considering halting a program to sell vacant blighted properties on the cheap while council members debate who should be allowed to enjoy the discount. The Side Yard Sale Program allows property owners to purchase certain vacant, city-owned properties adjacent to their own for $200. Some council...
Pittsburgh police chief plans pay cut so he can referee collegiate basketball
Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto said Wednesday that he will take a salary reduction as part of his deal to return to refereeing NCAA college basketball games. Scirotto last week announced he would resume refereeing, something he had given up when Mayor Ed Gainey named him chief last year. He...
Carnegie woman identified as pedestrian killed when struck by vehicle in Point Breeze
Authorities say a Carnegie woman was killed when she struck by vehicle Wednesday morning in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Vira Petrakh, 51. She was a pedestrian who was struck at the intersection of South Dallas Avenue and Reynolds Street at...
Wanted: Buyer for Pittsburgh Municipal Courts Building with costly maintenance, jail views
Pittsburgh will try to sell the Downtown Municipal Courts Building, described by City Council as a money-sucking facility that will cost more than $1 million to maintain. But whether anyone wants to buy the building, and for how much, remain open questions. Council voted Tuesday to send legislation authorizing the...
Pittsburgh to implement new garbage citation system
Pittsburgh officials will more easily be able to cite people who leave garbage on their property, improperly store trash cans or leave their cans at the curb too long before and after trash pickup. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved legislation that will allow inspectors to issue quality-of-life tickets to...
Pittsburgh councilman demands answers on police Chief Scirotto’s part-time refereeing gig
A Pittsburgh councilman called Tuesday for public answers about the police chief’s decision to referee NCAA college basketball games while running the 751-member force. Chief Larry Scirotto last week announced he would resume refereeing part time, something he had given up when he was named chief last year. “We need...
DA files felony charge against Mon View Heights owner
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. has charged the owners of the Mon View Heights subsidized housing complex in West Mifflin with a felony amid allegations of failing water systems, rodent and insect infestations, mold growth and a child falling through the floor. The felony count of causing...
Steel truss concerns prompted Pittsburgh to close Panther Hollow Bridge
Pittsburgh’s top engineer said concerns about steel trusses spurred the closure this weekend of the Panther Hollow Bridge in Schenley Park. Eric Setzler, the city’s chief engineer, could not say when the bridge might reopen. The 640-foot-long bridge, which spans Panther Hollow near Anderson Playground in the city’s Squirrel Hill...
Second Avenue Commons homeless shelter to reopen after fire
Downtown Pittsburgh’s Second Avenue Commons homeless shelter is scheduled to reopen next week nearly five months after a fire forced it to close. People are expected to begin moving back into the shelter on Oct. 28, with full operations resuming the next day, according to Allegheny County officials. That will...
Gainey pitches vision of Downtown Pittsburgh as entertainment, residential hub
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey made a pitch Wednesday for his vision of Downtown as a vibrant residential neighborhood that serves as a hub of art, culture and entertainment. During a forum on development held at Point Park University, Gainey trumpeted progress in revitalizing the Golden Triangle and painted a rosy...
Pittsburgh seeks early end to $24M tax break for Squirrel Hill parcel
A formerly blighted parcel of land in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood that enjoyed a 20-year tax break to spur development could return to the tax rolls next year — nearly a decade earlier than expected. If City Council agrees, Pittsburgh, its school district and Allegheny County will see estimated total...
Pittsburgh to clear Downtown homeless camp due to drug problems
Pittsburgh officials are clearing out a Downtown homeless camp after reports of drug use there, Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said Tuesday. The camp sits next to the Fort Pitt Commons office building off Grant Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard. People living at the camp will be offered shelter elsewhere...
Gotta go? Pittsburgh pushes for more public potties Downtown
Pittsburgh officials want to expand access to public bathrooms Downtown, where restrooms can be hard to find. City officials and the nonprofit Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership last September rolled out the “Pittsburgh Potty” initiative, which saw temporary bathrooms installed near the Gateway Center T Station Plaza and the intersection of Smithfield...
JD Vance to visit Pittsburgh this week
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican candidate for vice president, is set to visit Pittsburgh Thursday. Vance is expected to deliver remarks at 12:30 p.m. at The Pennsylvanian on Liberty Avenue Downtown, according to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign. Doors will open for the event at 10:30 a.m. Vance...
‘This is the place’: Tech leaders, Shapiro tout Pittsburgh as AI hub
With top-notch universities, a plethora of tech companies and support from local and state leaders, Pittsburgh is at the forefront of innovations in artificial intelligence, industry experts said Monday during an artificial intelligence summit in the city’s East End. Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent in daily life, bringing conveniences,...
