Julia Burdelski stories, Page 20
Man killed trying to cross road in Perryopolis
A man was killed trying to cross Route 51 in Perryopolis in Fayette County Monday evening. Matthew Warman, 51, of Braddock, was pronounced dead at 9:25 p.m., according to Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker. The coroner said he was struck by an SUV. Additional details were not immediately available....
Pittsburgh resumes in-person permitting Downtown for first time since pandemic
For the first time since March 2020, Pittsburgh is providing in-person services for people seeking various types of permits. City officials on Monday unveiled the new One Stop PGH permitting counter at 412 Boulevard of the Allies in Downtown. Residents and developers will be able to seek help in person...
Morning Roundup: Schenley Skating Rink to reopen this season; possible snow in forecast
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Nov. 18: Schenley Skating Rink to reopen this season The ice skating rink in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park is expected to reopen this season after delays in installing a new chiller system kept the rink closed last winter. The...
Developer of North Shore’s $740M Esplanade seeks massive tax break
The for-profit company behind the planned $740 million Esplanade development on Pittsburgh’s North Shore is asking the city, Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Public Schools for a long-term massive tax break. Canonsburg-based Piatt Companies is requesting a deal that would take nearly $54 million in property tax revenue and plow it...
Gainey’s 2025 austerity plan plays well with Pittsburgh council budget director
Pittsburgh City Council’s budget director indicated Wednesday that Mayor Ed Gainey’s austerity plan for 2025 makes sense given the fiscal pressure facing the city. Presenting an overview of Gainey’s budget and financial forecast to City Council, Peter McDevitt acknowledged that several city departments will likely ask for additional resources during...
Pittsburgh eyes extending controversial purple curb parking program
Pittsburgh may indefinitely extend a controversial program that aims to discourage drivers from monopolizing much-needed parking spots in certain busy areas. Marked by purple curbs and matching signage, smart loading zones are areas where a graduated payment system encourages drivers to get in and out of parking spots quickly, freeing...
North Shore’s Esplanade development gets green light, giant Ferris wheel and all
Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday approved the master plan for a riverfront development that intends to bring a nearly 200-foot-tall Ferris wheel, housing, entertainment and shopping to the city’s North Shore. Dubbed Esplanade, the development would revitalize a roughly 15-acre brownfield along the Ohio River in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood. Canonsburg-based...
Pittsburgh officials want to resume free spay, neuter services for cats, dogs
Pittsburgh City Council will consider resuming a program offering free spay and neuter services for pet cats and dogs as well as stray cats. Proposals introduced Tuesday would expand contracts for Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh to perform the work from 2025 through 2027. Contracts for spay and neuter services...
‘Mission remains the same’: Gainey focuses 2025 budget on boosting core services
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Tuesday used his annual budget address to applaud his administration’s efforts to improve core city services, make bridges safer, respond faster to snowstorms and revitalize a Downtown that has seen increasing vacancies since the covid-19 pandemic. The mayor told City Council his proposed budget for...
As Gainey prepares 2025 Pittsburgh budget address, some wonder how realistic his plan is
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Tuesday will formally present a budget proposal that curbs spending without reducing services or hiking taxes, even as the city’s revenues dip. While Gainey will likely use his annual budget address as an opportunity to paint a rosy picture of a spending plan that funds...
McCormick, appearing in Pittsburgh, declares victory over Casey
Republican David McCormick appeared Friday morning in Downtown Pittsburgh to declare victory in his tight U.S. Senate race against incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, who has yet to concede. The Associated Press called the race Thursday in McCormick’s favor, and the Republican claimed there’s no path for Casey to...
With 2nd term secured, Deluzio to reach across the aisle to GOP, but cautiously
Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio on Wednesday vowed to reach across the aisle to work with Republicans where he could and to hold them accountable when their proposals could hurt his constituents after an election night that saw the GOP take control of the White House and the U.S. Senate. Control...
Deluzio defeats Mercuri in 17th District race
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio defeated challenger Rob Mercuri, a Republican state representative, in a key congressional district that could be crucial to determining which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives. The Associated Press called the race in Deluzio’s favor shortly before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Deluzio received more than...
Vice President Kamala Harris rallies supporters in Rankin on eve of Election Day
Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit Monday to Pittsburgh region was succinct. It was the fourth of five stops in Pennsylvania on the eve of an election where the Keystone State has lived up to its nickname. Harris urged her supporters at Carrie Blast Furnaces in Rankin to get out and...
Republican member of FCC claims Harris’ ‘Saturday Night Live’ appearance could violate equal time rules
A Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission voiced concerns that Vice President Kamala Harris’ appearance on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend may have violated a rule that requires networks to provide equal airtime to both candidates. “The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased...
Kamala Harris campaign event moved to Carrie Blast Furnaces; Donald Trump set for PPG Paints Arena
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign rally originally scheduled for Point State Park on Monday has been moved to the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Rankin. The evening rally was originally to be held at Point State Park, but the Harris campaign’s website now lists the new location. Harris’ campaign on Sunday...
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...
