Julia Burdelski stories, Page 24
UPMC Western Psych nurses warn staffing shortages degrading patient care
Nurses and local officials warned Monday of the dangers of low staffing, high turnover and closed beds at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh amid what they described as a dire mental health crisis afflicting the nation. Several dozen Western Psych workers represented by the SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania union raised...
Pittsburgh councilmen accuse Gainey of dodging questions on $1M NFL Draft pledge
Two Pittsburgh councilmen are demanding answers from Mayor Ed Gainey’s office about his pledge to spend $1 million of city money on supporting the NFL Draft when the high-profile event comes to the city in 2026. “Nobody is filling us in on the situation,” Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, told TribLive...
50 archers to start limited deer hunt Saturday in 5 Pittsburgh parks
A limited deer hunting season will begin this weekend in several Pittsburgh parks. It’s open only to 50 pre-selected archers who had to undergo background checks and archery accuracy tests. Hunting will begin Saturday in the city’s Frick, Riverview, Schenley, Emerald View and Highland parks. The controlled deer cull is...
Bill to ban testing Pittsburgh workers with medical marijuana cards now excludes labor unions
A proposal to bar Pittsburgh employers from conducting cannabis testing on workers or prospective employees who hold medical marijuana cards will exclude labor unions. The amendment was pushed through without the support of the bill’s sponsor, City Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield. Warwick in July proposed a measure that would ban...
Pittsburgh politicians rip mayor’s pledge to spend $1M on 2026 NFL Draft
Some Pittsburgh City Council members are criticizing Mayor Ed Gainey for pledging to spend $1 million in taxpayer money to support the 2026 NFL Draft in a city already on precarious financial footing. “That is just irresponsible,” said Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview. “It seems like a lot of money.” They...
Pittsburgh councilman urges closure of South Side bar after fight injures sergeant
A Pittsburgh city councilman called for closure of a South Side bar after a fight over the weekend left a police sergeant with a gruesome leg injury. Oddballs on the 1500 block of East Carson Street became the scene of a melee early Saturday morning, leaving Pittsburgh Sgt. Andrew Robinson,...
Pittsburgh council rejects proposal for animal shelter study
Pittsburgh City Council rejected a proposal on Tuesday for a feasibility study on creating a city-run animal shelter In an unusually divisive move, council members split five to four on a final vote on legislation that would’ve paid nearly $50,000 to Arlington, Texas-based Shelter Planners of America to determine whether...
Pittsburgh council approves automated red light cameras
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously authorized the use of automated red light enforcement, technology touted by officials and activists as a way to make the city’s streets safer. Council’s vote allows the city to install cameras at high-risk intersections to ticket drivers who run red lights. The technology will...
Former district judge accused of DUI
Here are some of the latest news items for Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024: Former district judge accused of DUI A former district judge who resigned from the position earlier this year after allegations of misconduct with teenage boys is now facing DUI charges. Online court records show Anthony Saveikis, 57,...
Pilot program in Pittsburgh area boosts survival odds for cardiac arrest patients
Mary Fischer didn’t know she had heart problems until she collapsed one day in early June. Fischer, 51, was in her home in Pittsburgh’s West End, slicing pepperoni in preparation for a pizza night with her boyfriend on June 11. While she was trying to plug in her pizza oven,...
Gainey pitches major affordable housing reforms, draws councilman’s ire
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Thursday unveiled sweeping reforms to boost the city’s supply of affordable housing, seen as a key strategy to combating homelessness. The reforms, which involve changing the city’s zoning code, would force new housing developments or those undergoing major renovations anywhere in the city to set...
‘Not acceptable’: Audit finds Allegheny County homeless stuck on waiting lists while beds sat empty
Hundreds of homeless people throughout Allegheny County were placed on waiting lists for transitional housing last year while dozens of housing units sat empty, according to an audit from county Controller Corey O’Connor. O’Connor’s audit — which examined how the county’s Department of Human Services spent state money on a...
Pittsburgh OKs expanding legal aid for low-income renters fighting eviction
Pittsburgh renters fighting eviction could soon have increased access to free legal aid. City Council on Wednesday voted to dedicate up to $2 million to connect low-income renters facing eviction with lawyers who can help them navigate the legal process. The money also could fund mediation between tenants and landlords...
New council bill could set stage for tiny houses to shelter Pittsburgh’s homeless
A zoning change that would allow for tiny houses and other temporary managed communities to provide safe shelter for Pittsburgh’s homeless population is back on the table. Nearly a year ago, City Council members Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, and Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, introduced a proposal to allow such temporary communities...
Pittsburgh’s Bakery Square expansion plan passes zoning hurdle, heads to City Council
Pittsburgh-based developer Walnut Capital is one step closer to expanding its flagship Bakery Square site in the city’s East End. The commercial and residential development, which opened in 2009, now spans 20 acres in the city’s Larimer and Shadyside neighborhoods. Walnut Capital is seeking to expand office, residential and retail...
Landslide work to close Pittsburgh’s P.J. McArdle Roadway for 5 days
Pittsburgh’s P.J. McArdle Roadway is set to close for five days for landslide work. The closure of the steep road linking the Liberty Bridge to Mount Washington is scheduled to start at 5 a.m. Wednesday. Officials said the road will reopen by 7 p.m. Sunday. During the closure, a contractor...
Mayor Ed Gainey launches re-election campaign
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey has launched a re-election campaign. The first-term mayor launched a new website announcing his bid for another four-year term. “I’m running for re-election because I know that Pittsburgh can be the safest, most welcoming, and most thriving city in America,” Gainey wrote on the site. “Over...
Pittsburgh leaders divided over proposal to limit discounted land sales
Some Pittsburgh leaders on Wednesday voiced concerns that a proposal to ban landlords from purchasing properties at a discounted rate through the city’s Side Yard Sale Program could inadvertently lead to blight. Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, sponsored legislation that would limit the Side Yard Sale Program — which allows...
Gainey, top budget official say Pittsburgh revenue dips mean ‘some difficult years ahead’
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Thursday acknowledged the city is bracing for tight financial years ahead, but told residents there’s no reason to worry about major cuts in city services. “The sky’s not falling, but we do have some difficult years ahead,” Gainey said. Gainey and Director of the Office...
Pittsburgh mulls study on whether city should build its own animal shelter
Pittsburgh officials are looking into whether it would be more efficient for the city to open its own animal shelter instead of paying a local nonprofit for services. Currently, the city pays Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh $375,000 a year to house abandoned animals, according to Emily Bourne, a public...
$2.4 million grant to help Pittsburgh install electric vehicle charging stations
The city of Pittsburgh plans to install dozens of new electric vehicle charging stations through nearly $2.4 million federal grant. Officials on Wednesday announced Pittsburgh will receive money from the U.S. Department of Transportation to bolster public access to electric vehicle charging sites throughout city parks, parking garages and curbside...
Pittsburgh council goes back to drawing board with tiny house bill
A proposal before Pittsburgh City Council to permit regulated homeless camps Downtown, complete with utilities and services and possibly tiny houses, was withdrawn Wednesday. Two council members spearheading the initiative, however, said they intend to reintroduce the idea soon. Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, said she and co-sponsor Anthony Coghill,...
Pa. AG probes missing funds, financial irregularities at Allegheny County police union lodge
A local Fraternal Order of Police lodge that represents most Allegheny County police departments is implementing new safeguards to ensure money is handled properly as the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office investigates missing funds. FOP Lodge 91 President Mike Slawianowski, a Leetsdale police sergeant, said he asked the state attorney general’s...
Morning Roundup: 8 students, driver injured in Fort Cherry bus crash
Here are the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Aug. 23: 8 students, driver injured in Fort Cherry bus crash Eight students and their bus driver were injured in a crash Thursday afternoon in Washington County. The students from Fort Cherry Jr./Sr. High School attend the Western Area Career...
Medical examiner identifies Penn Hills man found fatally stabbed in his home
A man was fatally stabbed Thursday inside his Penn Hills home, Allegheny County Police said. The county’s 911 center was notified at 4:20 a.m. of a stabbing in the 100 block of Pennoak Drive. First responders said they found the victim, who had been stabbed multiple times. The man was...
