Julia Burdelski stories, Page 11
Pittsburgh councilwoman raises red flag on winner of $1.8M bid to design public safety facility
A Pittsburgh councilwoman is raising concerns about paying an engineering firm $1.8 million to plan a public safety facility because of a report the company has placed opponents of its projects under surveillance. City Council this week delayed a vote on the measure after Councilwoman Deb Gross said she did...
Pittsburgh’s annual holiday market to relocate amid Market Square upgrades
The annual holiday market that pops up in Pittsburgh’s Market Square each winter will have a new home this year. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership on Thursday announced the Peoples Gas Holiday Market will relocate to the Cultural District because of ongoing construction in Market Square. The holiday market, which will...
Pittsburgh councilman mulls checkpoints, private security to quash East Carson Street chaos
A Pittsburgh councilman is exploring the use of checkpoints along a stretch of the South Side’s East Carson Street to counter the pandemonium that has rocked the entertainment district in recent weeks. The idea would be to regulate pedestrians and possibly vehicles on weekend nights and require anyone entering the...
Striking workers from Springdale’s Greco Steel Products push for improved safety, benefits
Worries about safety and his poor life insurance policy pushed Jerry Harris to go on strike from Springdale-based Greco Steel Products. Harris, 35, of Jeannette recalled watching a co-worker fall through a roof and die on the job in June 2023. Several of Harris’ striking colleagues pointed to that moment...
Pittsburgh aims to slash red tape for vendors ahead of NFL Draft
Pittsburgh officials want to make it easier for vendors to set up retail and food stands throughout the city. Food or retail vendors with mobile licenses are currently required to operate almost exclusively in metered parking spots and must move every four hours. Permanent vendors, who stay in one place,...
Pittsburgh councilwoman wants to crack down on Airbnb, Vrbo rentals
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Deb Gross on Tuesday introduced legislation that would create new regulations for short-term rentals, like those through Airbnb or Vrbo. The bill would permit short-term rental units solely for overnight accommodations for registered guests. People could not use them to host “public assemblies, recreational entertainment, or hospitality...
Proposed Heinz History Center expansion clears Pittsburgh Planning Commission
The Pittsburgh Planning Commission on Tuesday approved plans to expand the Senator John Heinz History Center. The museum, located in the city’s Strip District, is tearing down four buildings on Penn Avenue to expand its facility. Additions include a new theater, exhibition space and classrooms. The history center owns the...
Pittsburgh expands limited archery season in various city parks
Pittsburgh officials are expanding a limited archery season to cull the deer population in various city parks. The city is selecting archers to hunt white-tailed deer in Frick, Riverview, Emerald View, Schenley, Highland and Southside parks, Hays Woods, Hazelwood Greenway and Seldom Seen Greenway. Nearly 200 deer were culled during...
Gainey seeks to derail councilwoman’s proposed changes to city planning processes
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is urging City Council to reject legislation that would revamp the city’s planning processes and restructure city departments. Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, D-West End, last month introduced a series of bills she hopes will create a smoother process for developers looking to build in the city. The...
Allegheny County prepares for ‘painful reductions’ due to federal spending cuts
Allegheny County officials are bracing for gaping holes in the county’s budget as federal spending cuts could impact health care, housing and infrastructure. County Manager John Fournier said officials are still working to understand the full scope of the cuts and how they’ll impact local programs. But it’s clear, he...
Pittsburgh housing authority pares voucher programs over fears of 2026 federal budget cuts
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh intends to scale back some programs benefiting low-income residents, landlords and developers amid fears of massive federal budget cuts next year. The government is proposing to slash nearly $27 billion for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Any such cuts...
Morning Roundup: 2 pit bulls fatally attack smaller dog in Carrick
Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Friday, July 11: 2 pit bulls fatally attack smaller dog in Carrick A pair of pit bulls fatally attacked a smaller dog in Carrick, Pittsburgh police said Thursday via a social media post. Police and Animal Care and Control...
Steelers plan $3.5M in improvements to Acrisure concessions ahead of NFL Draft
Steelers fans can expect to see some concession stand upgrades at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. PSSI Stadium LLC, an affiliate of the Steelers, on Thursday got the green light from the Sports & Exhibition Authority to convert two existing pantries at the UPMC and West Clubs into walk-in...
Bucco Bricks remedy: Pirates to install bronze plaques that carry fans’ personalized messages
The Pittsburgh Pirates are planning to install bronze plaques on PNC Park’s facade to replace the personalized, fan-purchased bricks that were removed amid controversy. Sixty bronze plaques to be installed on the outside walls of the stadium along West General Robinson Street and Mazeroski Way will be “a deserving and...
Judge rejects effort to keep Montour Trail fatal stabbing defendant in psychiatric hospital
An Allegheny County judge on Thursday ruled the person accused of fatally stabbing a Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement agent last year along the Montour Trail in Moon could not spend more time in a state psychiatric hospital. Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski said he believes Anthony Quesen,...
Proposed $500M Bakery Square expansion on track for council vote
A $500 million proposal to expand the Bakery Square development in Pittsburgh’s East End is inching forward nearly a year after it earned approval from the Planning Commission. City Council on Tuesday held a public hearing on the matter, a required step before council can vote on the legislation that...
Pittsburgh agent among 6 Secret Service members suspended over Trump assassination attempt in Butler
Six Secret Service agents were suspended over “failures” during a July 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump — then a presidential candidate — at a rally in Butler, ABC News reported. The suspensions were confirmed just before the one-year anniversary of the July 13 shooting, which left Trump’s ear...
Morning Roundup: Police say convicted felon had drugs, guns during Kittanning traffic stop
Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Thursday, July 10: Police say convicted felon had drugs, guns during Kittanning traffic stop A man was arrested after police said they found drugs and guns in his duffel bag during a traffic stop in Kittanning. According to federal...
Pittsburgh officials bullish on police recruiting, but union stays skeptical
Pittsburgh officials on Wednesday struck a cautiously optimistic tone about police recruitment efforts after struggling for years to attract officers to a shrinking police force. “It’s a little too early to bring the champagne into the locker room,” Councilman Khari Mosley, D-Point Breeze said. “But by all indications, it seems...
Morning Roundup: Brookline vape shop robbed; pedestrian fatally struck in Mercer County
Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Wednesday, July 9: Police investigating after stolen car crashes into Brookline vape shop Pittsburgh police are investigating after a vehicle smashed through the doors of a Brookline vape shop as part of a robbery early Tuesday morning. Police were...
Pittsburgh boosts protections for LGBTQ+ people, pares prostitution penalty
Last month, Pittsburgh Councilwoman Barb Warwick said she hoped a package of bills she was introducing would spark a larger conversation about supporting LGBTQ+ people and signal that everyone is welcome at a Pittsburgh, even as the Trump administration put vulnerable communities “under attack.” On Tuesday, Warwick claimed a victory...
Pittsburgh exempts native, pollinator gardens from plant-height limits
Pittsburghers with a green thumb will now be able to cultivate native and pollinator gardens. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved legislation that would exempt people planting vegetation native to Pennsylvania from the city’s ban on plant growth more than 10 inches high on residential properties. People will be able...
No penalty sought over Pittsburgh cop’s call for backup at heated council meeting
Pittsburgh City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle on Tuesday said he was not seeking any punishment for the sergeant at arms who called for backup during a heated council meeting last week despite issuing a public statement calling for an investigation into the incident. John Svitek, a uniformed Pittsburgh police...
Pittsburgh council rejects 1 of 2 competing zoning reform bills
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday struck down one of two competing zoning proposals that have sparked controversy and outlined different paths to creating more affordable housing. Inclusionary zoning — which mandates that a percentage of housing units in large new developments be designated as affordable for low-income people — already...
Pittsburgh council strengthens oversight of $15M Stop the Violence fund
Oversight will increase for a multimillion-dollar fund to combat violence in Pittsburgh amid City Council concerns that supervision was weak. Council voted unanimously to add reporting requirements and other safeguards to the Stop the Violence fund, which has around $15 million in taxpayer money that is allocated to numerous grassroots...
