Julia Burdelski stories, Page 2
Pittsburgh council members seek to bar cooperation with ICE
Three Pittsburgh City Council members on Tuesday will introduce a bill to bar the city from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, following similar legislation enacted by the county earlier this month. “Many residents have seen the terror wrought by ICE agents in other places in the country and...
Despite Market Square melee, Pittsburgh Public Safety head says area remains safeVideo
Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Sheldon Williams expressed confidence Monday in the city’s ability to keep Market Square safe despite a massive brawl breaking out there Sunday among dozens of juveniles, some of whom deployed pepper spray. “The incident itself is one that we don’t like to see, but they do...
O’Connor proposes multipronged strategy to close Pittsburgh budget gap
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor’s team is preparing a series of budget amendments to close what he says is a yawning budget deficit, fund critical expenses and allow the city to scrape through a challenging year. Among the ways O’Connor hopes to balance an out-of-whack budget: using about $6.5 million from...
Pittsburgh Regional Transit to get $350K to support added services during 2026 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh Regional Transit will receive financial help to boost its services during the 2026 NFL Draft. “The best way for football fans to get Downtown is on public transportation,” Jerad Bachar, president and CEO of local tourism agency Visit Pittsburgh, said during a transit agency committee meeting Thursday. The Greater...
‘Immaculate Collection’ clears 400 tons of litter ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, efforts to clean up the region are kicking into high gear. Allegheny CleanWays, a nonprofit dedicated to removing litter, in September launched a regionwide cleaning and beautification effort dubbed the Immaculate Collection, a play on the famed Immaculate Reception that Steelers legend Franco Harris...
Pittsburgh attorney indicted on charges he embezzled $1.4 million from Duquesne Incline groupVideo
A Pittsburgh attorney is accused of embezzling nearly $1.4 million from the group dedicated to preserving the Duquesne Incline. Christopher Furman, 53, of Pittsburgh was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced Thursday. In 2020, Furman was named...
Pittsburgh council, caught off guard by depths of budget woes, blames data dearth
Pittsburgh City Council members knew last year the city’s 2026 budget would be tight — but not how tight. They were caught off guard last week when Mayor Corey O’Connor revealed projections of a deficit this year that could hit $40 million. How was it possible that council — which...
O’Connor to speak at Point Park University commencement
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor will be Point Park University’s featured commencement speaker this spring. The commencement ceremony is scheduled for May 8 at the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus. “As a true Pittsburgher, Mayor O’Connor understands this region as well as anyone,” Point Park University President...
Pittsburgh police chief orders review after ICE arrest outside Zone 3 station
Pittsburgh’s police chief has ordered a review of footage recorded by officers’ body and dashboard cameras during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest outside a city police station last week. Pittsburgh police did not intervene in the incident, which took place last Thursday near the Zone 3 station on East...
Heinz Endowments to help fund Pittsburgh’s controversial 25-year master plan
A controversial master plan meant to guide Pittsburgh’s zoning policies through 2050 will get funding from a local foundation, saving taxpayers from footing the entire bill. Mayor Corey O’Connor on Monday announced The Heinz Endowments, partnering with The Pittsburgh Foundation, will provide $750,000 for the multimillion-dollar project. “It’s important that...
Budget unbalance: How can different mayors be $40M apart on Pittsburgh’s spending plan?
Pittsburgh’s new mayor says the 2026 budget he inherited might have a $40 million hole that must be plugged. The architect of the previous administration maintains it doesn’t. Who’s right? The answer remained in dispute Friday, a day after Mayor Corey O’Connor warned that his predecessor, Ed Gainey, had left...
How much money would Pittsburgh get if its big nonprofits paid taxes?
If the region’s five largest nonprofits had to pay taxes, they would together annually contribute about $133 million to Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Public Schools, according to the Keystone Research Center. The Harrisburg-based research center this week released a report detailing how much the taxing bodies would rake in...
$500K program to spruce up Pittsburgh business district facades
A new effort to beautify storefronts will help local businesses throughout Pittsburgh, Mayor Corey O’Connor announced Tuesday. The mayor unveiled a $500,000 investment from Pittsburgh Urban Initiatives — an arm of the Urban Redevelopment Authority — to improve building facades. The program is part of O’Connor’s Main & Main initiative...
Police probe threats against Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena ahead of meeting on ICE bill
Police are investigating threats against Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena made ahead of a public meeting related to immigration enforcement. Catena, a Carnegie Democrat, joined a council meeting Tuesday evening virtually, explaining he had received a threat and was staying home with his family. He linked the threat to...
‘Contagious’ courage: Pittsburgh honors EMS crews who plunged into icy Mon after fatal crash
Greg Tersine, a Pittsburgh paramedic and crew chief diver, wasn’t assigned to patrol the city’s waterways on Jan. 29. But when first responders received a call that a car had careened off the Parkway East and landed in the icy Monongahela River, Tersine was the first to put on his...
Planning Commission, Pittsburgh Water board picks pass muster, but with friction
A slate of candidates Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor tapped to fill seats on various boards and commissions earned City Council approval Tuesday — though a couple of the nominees met some resistance from members of the public. Former Pittsburgh Finance Director Scott Kunka will once again sit on the board...
19th-century North Side church gets demolition reprieve from Pittsburgh’s Historic Review Commission
St. Joseph Church has stood in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood since the late 19th century. Thanks to a vote from the city’s Historic Review Commission last week, it will stand for at least 90 days longer. The church, located on Liverpool Street, was facing the threat of demolition. Pittsburgh Department of...
O’Connor unveils Pittsburgh permitting system reforms
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor on Monday announced permitting reforms to make it quicker and easier to build in the city, following through on a campaign promise to slash red tape for new development. “My goal as mayor is to see growth across Pittsburgh and to have a transparent and efficient...
Pittsburgh leaders bullish on plans for Downtown leading up to, after 2026 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh officials on Thursday painted a bright picture of a Downtown in the midst of revitalization efforts that will allow the city to shine during the 2026 NFL Draft next month. They vowed also to build on efforts to make the Golden Triangle safe, clean and vibrant long after the...
Pittsburgh set to roll out red light cameras this summer
Pittsburgh this summer will roll out automated red light cameras in an effort to curb dangerous driving at intersections throughout the city. City officials in 2024 approved legislation paving the way for such technology to be implemented. It’s part of a broader effort to reduce traffic fatalities and make Pittsburgh’s...
As 2026 NFL Draft nears, secrecy dominates vendor selection
Davis Ellis hoped to head to Downtown Pittsburgh and cook soul food for the throngs of football fans expected to jam the city for the 2026 NFL Draft. He won’t get the chance. The NFL denied his vendor application, and the owner of the ChefnaBox food truck said Wednesday he...
Event organizer feuds with Pittsburgh over 2026 NFL Draft permit
An event organizer with a history of clashing with Pittsburgh officials is once again at odds with the city, accusing it of slow-walking his permit application to host 100 Black vendors Downtown for the NFL 2026 Draft. William “B” Marshall is alleging the city, a Downtown nonprofit and the NFL...
Oliver Bath House, Pittsburgh’s only indoor public pool, to reopen this weekend
Oliver Bath House, Pittsburgh’s only indoor public pool, is scheduled to reopen this weekend after a yearslong closure for renovations. Located in the city’s South Side neighborhood, the two-story structure is more than 100 years old. “It means a lot to South Side, but it’s not just South Side,” Councilman...
How many new housing units are built in Pittsburgh each year? A new tool will track that
Discussions about Pittsburgh’s housing stock last year led to public bickering by the city’s mayoral candidates. During a debate before the May primary, Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor slammed his predecessor over the topic. Did Ed Gainey deliver 1,600 units of affordable housing as he boasted? Or, as O’Connor put it,...
Bill to bar Allegheny County cooperation with ICE advances to council vote
Allegheny County Council’s public safety committee on Monday voted to move ahead with a bill that would prohibit county employees from cooperating with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement. The 4-3 vote followed about an hour of debate among council members about whether to amend the bill, whether existing policies already...
