Julia Burdelski stories, Page 3
Heinz History Center to host special pop-up exhibits during NFL Draft
Football fans looking to learn about the sport’s history when the 2026 NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh will find exhibitions and programs catered to the event at the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District. The museum on Tuesday announced special plans to cater to football fans around...
Pittsburgh council approves O’Connor’s picks to head city departments
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved Mayor Corey O’Connor’s picks to head the city’s departments of Public Works and Mobility & Infrastructure. Both are longtime city workers. Jeff Skalican will take the helm as the director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. During a recent interview with City...
Pittsburgh officials again tackle possible changes to 2026 budget
Pittsburgh officials are again contemplating changes to the 2026 budget. City Council last year made sweeping revisions to the spending plan first pitched by then-Mayor Ed Gainey. They added a tax hike, increased funding for new vehicles and tried to plug what they saw as holes in the former mayor’s...
Pittsburgh prepares for NFL Draft with extra police agencies, canines
The 2026 NFL Draft, which is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of fans to Pittsburgh next month, will require a major police presence. The city will need to bring in outside help, Pittsburgh police Commander Eric Baker told City Council members last week. City Council on Tuesday approved agreements...
Allegheny Riverfront Park renovations to boost Pittsburgh’s event capacity
Freshly planted trees and new pavers are easily visible through the chain-link fence that is keeping people out of Downtown Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Riverfront Park while renovations are underway. Work is nearly completed, with a ribbon cutting scheduled for Thursday morning. Riverlife, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining and activating Pittsburgh’s riverfronts,...
Efforts to clean, beautify Pittsburgh ramp up before 2026 NFL Draft
Sam Williams rolled a yellow garbage can down the sidewalk in Pittsburgh’s Market Square, pausing to grab his broom and sweep up some debris. Then, he reached his gloved hands into a metal trash can, tied off the overflowing bag and replaced it with a new one. Williams is one...
University of Pittsburgh investing $5M in city parks, public safety
The University of Pittsburgh on Monday announced it will invest $5 million in Pittsburgh’s parks, business districts and public safety efforts. The contribution will be spread over the next five years, according to the university. “Since our founding 239 years ago, the success of the city of Pittsburgh and the...
Fort Pitt Museum, Flight 93 National Memorial included on new Highway of Heroes historic trail
History lovers looking for a road trip can trace a new trail across the Keystone State to visit sites representing key moments in American history. The Highway of Heroes trail links six destinations along the historic Lincoln Highway, or Route 30. Stops include Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia, Valley...
Pool party: A modernized Oliver Bath House delights swimmers
Renee Gielewski has decades of fond memories at Pittsburgh’s century-old Oliver Bath House, interrupted only by its six-year closure for renovations. With the historic swimming pool recently opened once again, the 83-year-old Gielewski is already hard at work making new memories. For the last few weeks since the pool invited...
Pittsburgh’s budget is a mess: What you need to know
Pittsburgh’s $693 million budget is back on the drawing board … again. Earlier this month, Mayor Corey O’Connor flagged serious concerns about the city’s finances. He said this year’s budget — the plan that finances every facet of city operations — faced a shortfall of up to $40 million. Crafting...
Allegheny County Council passes bill to strengthen tenants’ rights
Allegheny County Council on Tuesday approved legislation aimed at protecting tenants’ rights and stopping landlords from retaliating against renters who flag problems. The measure bans landlords from punishing renters who join tenants’ associations, request repairs to ensure housing conditions are safe, file complaints with government agencies, speak with media outlets...
One Pittsburgh councilwoman’s fix for avoiding future budget anguish: Talk early and often
Pittsburgh City Council members blamed their budget-drafting woes on a lack of critical information. The result: a 2026 spending plan crafted by council that the mayor says is underfunded by tens of millions of dollars. Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, who chairs the finance committee, is hoping to avoid repeating that mistake....
Pittsburgh City Council approves plans to create inventory of areas that need to be cleared of snow after storms
A measure aimed at helping Pittsburgh officials identify sidewalk, transit stops, handicap parking spots and other areas that need to be cleared after a snowstorm earned City Council approval Tuesday. The measure, sponsored by Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, was introduced in the wake of a major snowstorm that dumped about...
Pittsburgh seeks pacts with 18 law enforcement agencies to help with 2026 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh wants to formally partner with 18 outside law enforcement agencies to help provide security during next month’s 2026 NFL Draft, a spectacle expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to the city. A bill introduced Tuesday to City Council would allow Pittsburgh to enter cooperation agreements with municipal,...
Allegheny County Council trio pushes for regular property reassessments
A bill introduced Tuesday to Allegheny County Council would mandate regular countywide property reassessments. Under the proposed legislation, the county would reassess property values every three years, with the first reassessment mandated in 2028. The measure would ensure everyone pays a fair amount in property taxes and provide predictability for...
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...
