Julia Burdelski stories, Page 20
Vandalism does $50K in damage to Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy vehicles in Frick Park
A trio of vandalism incidents at the Frick Environmental Center in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park has put all but one of the Pittsburgh Park Conservancy’s vehicle fleet out of commission and caused more than $50,000 in damage. The vandalism took place overnight during the past two and a half weeks, with...
Pittsburgh City Council approves 2025 budget with no tax hike
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a 2025 budget that holds the line on taxes, avoids layoffs and trims spending, though officials have warned that the plan may not cover the costs of public safety overtime. Council approved a $665.6 million operating budget and a $120.6 million capital budget. Councilwoman...
Charles ‘Kamikaze Kid’ Bonasorte, former Pitt football player, Oakland kiosk owner, dies
Charles Bonasorte, a former University of Pittsburgh football player and owner of a popular Oakland kiosk, died Friday. Pittsburgh Sports Now’s Harry Psaros said Bonasorte’s death is “a profound loss for the Pitt community.” Bonasorte was raised “just a stone’s throw from the Cathedral of Learning,” Psaros wrote, and frequented...
1 injured after Squirrel Hill Tunnel crash
One person was taken to the hospital after a crash in the Squirrel Hill Tunnel Sunday afternoon. The wreck was reported around 1:50 p.m., according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher, at the outbound side of the tunnel. The dispatcher could not provide details about the extent of the person’s...
More shelter beds allow officials to be proactive in shutting Pittsburgh homeless camps
Often when officials decide to tear down Pittsburgh homeless camps, it’s because serious problems have cropped up. Sometimes it’s the presence of violent crime. In other cases, the location proved to be dangerous, or officials discovered major drug problems. But when city and county leaders recently decided to tear down...
Pittsburgh council gives preliminary OK to Gainey’s 2025 budget
Over the past several weeks, Pittsburgh City Council has questioned whether Mayor Ed Gainey is setting aside too little money in his 2025 proposed budget for major expenses like police overtime. Members have worried about how Gainey is addressing projected declines in the city’s vital reserve fund. And they’re not...
‘We deserve a better Pittsburgh’: Corey O’Connor formally launches mayoral bid to oust Gainey
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor on Tuesday formally declared his candidacy for Pittsburgh mayor, saying the city deserves transparency, thriving neighborhoods, safe streets, booming businesses and improved public safety staffing. The announcement sets up what will likely be a fiercely fought Democratic primary on May 20 as O’Connor tries to...
Steelers vs. Browns: What they’re saying in Cleveland after the loss
Nick Camino can’t wait for the Cleveland Browns’ season to be over. The sports anchor for WKYC-TV 3 in Cleveland lambasted his home team after the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated them 27-14 at Acrisure Stadium Sunday. “How many more weeks of the season do we have left?” Camino wrote. “We are...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured in Carnegie fire
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Dec. 9: 1 injured in Carnegie fire One person was injured in a house fire in Carnegie Sunday night. Crews were called to a blaze in the 500 block of Lincoln Avenue before 5:30 p.m., TribLive news partner...
2 killed in Washington County crash
Two people were killed in a Washington County crash Sunday. The Washington County coroner identified the driver as Brittany Therese Crile, 36, of Waynesburg, TribLive news partner WTAE reported. She was driving the car and was ejected from the vehicle. Also killed was Joseph Crile, 46, of Marianna. According to...
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor to run for Pittsburgh mayor
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor will announce next week that he is running for mayor of Pittsburgh, looking to unseat Mayor Ed Gainey after his first term. “I’m really excited,” O’Connor told TribLive on Friday. “I took the holiday to talk the decision out with family and friends, and we...
Pittsburgh home of famed photographer Charles ‘Teenie’ Harris to be preserved
The home of famed Pittsburgh photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris will be preserved after the Pittsburgh Land Bank purchased the property this week. The goal is for the Homewood house to be restored and converted into a museum and educational space, said Matthew Falcone, who heads Preservation Pittsburgh, which has been...
Zappala won’t charge cops who killed Upper St. Clair man amid mental health crisis
After a nearly yearlong review, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. announced Friday he will not charge the South Hills police officers who in January fatally shot an Upper St. Clair man wielding a knife while in the throes of a mental health crisis. The DA, however, criticized...
Pa. pledges $3.4 million to upgrade Point State Park ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
A $3.4 million state investment will help upgrade amenities, walkways and lighting at Point State Park ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The sprucing-up project, announced Thursday by the state, will include improvements to lighting at the park’s iconic fountain, which sits in Downtown Pittsburgh at the confluence...
Audit flags Pittsburgh Public Schools for issuing employees too many credit cards
City Controller Rachael Heisler is urging Pittsburgh Public Schools officials to cut back on the millions of dollars charged each year to hundreds of district credit cards for business expenses, warning of the potential for abuse. From January 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024, there were 59,936 credit card transactions...
Market Square facelift pitched by urban design group behind NYC’s High Line
A proposal to reimagine Market Square, a hub of Downtown Pittsburgh since the 1700s, would limit vehicle traffic, add more greenery and seating and install a semi-circular trellis canopy under which events could take place throughout the year. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership pitched the plans to the city’s Historic Review...
1,000 UPMC nurses sign open letter urging hiring, raises, more time off
Nurse Kelly Poholsky has worked at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital for 36 years. All that time, she has felt the hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood needed more nurses. Poholsky, 61, of Penn Township is one of more than 1,000 nurses throughout the sprawling UPMC network who have signed an open letter...
With Pittsburgh EMS contract settled, union targets residency requirement
Two weeks after securing a new contract, the union representing Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Services personnel said Wednesday it intends to sue the city to eliminate a residency requirement for its members as a way to address chronic staffing problems. If a lawsuit is successful, the bureau’s members will be able...
Dueling bills propose conflicting approaches to affordable housing in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods, but only four of them require large housing developments to include affordable units for lower-income people. Mayor Ed Gainey wants to expand that mandate, known as “inclusionary zoning,” to all parts of the city. Gainey’s administration is pushing for a blanket strategy, arguing that affordable housing...
Roof leak wipes out toy drive contributions at Pittsburgh health center; donations sought
Staff at the UPMC Mathilda H. Theiss Health Center in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood were met with an unwelcome surprise Friday morning. A roof leak on Thanksgiving damaged the health center and ruined the donations they had collected so far for an annual holiday toy drive. Dr. Jonathan Yadlosky, the...
UPMC sees $371 million operating loss in first 9 months of 2024
UPMC in its most recent financial disclosure blamed a $371 million operating loss on increased medical utilization and rising pharmacy costs. The Pittsburgh-based health care giant reported a $371 million operating loss in the first nine months of 2024. That’s up from the $177 million loss reported during the same...
Owners of shuttered Panther Pit nuisance bar face criminal charges
The owners of the troubled Panther Pit Bar and Grill in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood are facing criminal charges. This comes after Common Pleas Judge Dan Regan earlier this month ordered the bar be closed for at least a year amid allegations it was a nuisance bar without a liquor license....
Record number of travelers expected to take to skies, roads over Thanksgiving holidayVideo
Annette Santilli was pleasantly surprised when she arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport early Tuesday. With some forecasts calling for a record number of travelers over the Thanksgiving holiday, Santilli, 62, of Clarksburg, W.Va., had expected to see long lines at the Findlay airport. Instead, Santilli and her 20-year-old daughter, Stephanie...
Pittsburgh officials to tear down homeless camp under 16th Street Bridge
Pittsburgh officials plan to tear down a homeless camp under the 16th Street Bridge at the border of the city’s North Shore and Troy Hill neighborhoods. City officials on signs posted around the encampment said the decision to remove the camp was based on concerns at the site, including “evidence...
Trib Total Media accepting applications for scholarship opportunities
Trib Total Media is accepting applications for three scholarships, which provide students an opportunity to gain experience in reporting, business and marketing. Recipients will receive scholarships and annual internships. Those who complete the program are offered full-time jobs upon graduation. The Jim Borden Memorial Scholarship, which launched in 2019, honors...
