Julia Burdelski stories, Page 5

Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Wednesday, July 9: Police investigating after stolen car crashes into Brookline vape shop Pittsburgh police are investigating after a vehicle smashed through the doors of a Brookline vape shop as part of a robbery early Tuesday morning. Police were...

Last month, Pittsburgh Councilwoman Barb Warwick said she hoped a package of bills she was introducing would spark a larger conversation about supporting LGBTQ+ people and signal that everyone is welcome at a Pittsburgh, even as the Trump administration put vulnerable communities “under attack.” On Tuesday, Warwick claimed a victory...

Pittsburghers with a green thumb will now be able to cultivate native and pollinator gardens. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved legislation that would exempt people planting vegetation native to Pennsylvania from the city’s ban on plant growth more than 10 inches high on residential properties. People will be able...

Pittsburgh City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle on Tuesday said he was not seeking any punishment for the sergeant at arms who called for backup during a heated council meeting last week despite issuing a public statement calling for an investigation into the incident. John Svitek, a uniformed Pittsburgh police...

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday struck down one of two competing zoning proposals that have sparked controversy and outlined different paths to creating more affordable housing. Inclusionary zoning — which mandates that a percentage of housing units in large new developments be designated as affordable for low-income people — already...

Oversight will increase for a multimillion-dollar fund to combat violence in Pittsburgh amid City Council concerns that supervision was weak. Council voted unanimously to add reporting requirements and other safeguards to the Stop the Violence fund, which has around $15 million in taxpayer money that is allocated to numerous grassroots...

UPMC was among several hospitals that were sent a letter by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services before ending gender-affirming care for patients under 19. The letter, dated May 28 and signed by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the agency’s administrator, warned of “significant issues concerning quality standards and specific...

Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Tuesday, July 8: Woman injured in serious crash in Beltzhoover A woman was trapped in her vehicle after a serious crash Monday in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood. First responders were called to the 400 block of East Warrington Avenue for...

A Pittsburgh councilman whose district includes the troublesome East Carson Street entertainment district is mulling strategies to curb unruly crowds there, from asking bars to voluntarily close earlier to using horse-mounted police more frequently. Councilman Bob Charland, D-South Side, acknowledged that violent incidents in the area over the past few...

Two Pittsburgh City Council members are calling for an investigation and report on why council’s sergeant at arms — a uniformed Pittsburgh police officer — requested backup during a heated public meeting last week. In a statement over the weekend, Councilmen R. Daniel Lavelle, D-Hill District, and Khari Mosley, D-Point...

Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Monday, July 7: Teenager shot in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood A teenager was shot Sunday night in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood, public safety officials said. Police were dispatched around 10 p.m. to the 200 block of East Amanda Avenue for a...

Officials this week shut down a homeless camp along the Southside Riverfront Trail in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood, making it the latest in a string of closures meant to relocate people from streets to shelters. Close to 50 people lived along the trail at its peak, Councilman Bob Charland, D-South...

Allegheny County officials on Thursday announced the closure of a bridge described as a “vital link” spanning Interstate 279 in Ross after inspectors discovered corroded steel. The Department of Public Works closed Jacks Run Road Bridge No. 3, which sits between Bellevue Road/Bellpark Drive and Kane Lane in Ross. There...

Pittsburgh officials are looking to formalize “guard rails” to ensure accountability and proper use of the Stop the Violence fund. Legislation before City Council aims to ensure organizations receiving grants from the fund report to the city on how it spends the cash. It outlines the responsibilities of a steering...

Pittsburgh City Council members are sharply divided on whether to spend nearly $2 million to advance plans for a new public safety training facility amid concerns that it could become the kind of “cop city” that sparked protests elsewhere. Council is considering a proposal to launch a $1.8 million master...

Allegheny County’s financial position is unsustainable, according to Controller Corey O’Connor, who said leaders must prioritize economic growth. O’Connor, who also is the Democratic candidate for Pittsburgh mayor, released financial reports Monday that show the county’s property, sales and drink tax revenue declined last year. The county spent $45.5 million...

Dozens of LGBTQ+ advocates, elected officials and supporters gathered outside UPMC’s Downtown Pittsburgh headquarters Sunday to rally against the health care giant’s decision to stop providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth. UPMC has confirmed it will end gender-affirming care for patients under age 19 in response to an order from...

Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies took a woman from Duquesne into custody after she plowed her car through barricades at Sunday’s OpenStreetsPGH, an event that allows pedestrians and bicyclists free rein on certain roads. The sheriff’s office filed charges, including first-degree aggravated assault and assault of a law enforcement officer, against...

Joe Fidanzato loves to flaunt his shiny, silver 1981 GMC Caballero Diablo any chance he can get. Fidanzato, 75, of Monongahela polished the wheels after parking the car Saturday morning off a dusty road at the West­moreland Fairgrounds in Mt. Pleasant Township for the Whiskey Throttle Fair. The fair featured...

Pittsburgh public safety officials said a man was arrested near PNC Park after allegedly stabbing a convenience store employee Downtown. Police were dispatched to the 600 block of Liberty Avenue for reports of a stabbing around 1:14 p.m. Friday. Officers found a man who had been stabbed in his ribs....

Five teenagers are facing charges connected to an armed carjacking and police chase Friday. TribLive news partner WTAE reported the teenagers were armed with at least one rifle and two handguns when they carjacked a woman and led police on a chase along Route 65. They crashed on the West...

Kids ages 15 and younger will need adult supervision at Ormsby Pool in Pittsburgh’s South Side. Pittsburgh officials said the new policy goes into effect Saturday following “repeated violations” at the outdoor pool. Anyone 15 or younger must be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older. Chaperones will have...

Pittsburgh City Council will consider spending $1.8 million on a master plan for a sprawling public safety training center that has been long delayed. Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, who chairs council’s public safety committee, said he doesn’t want to spend so much money on a new public safety training site...

Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Barb Warwick on Tuesday introduced legislation that aims to protect LGBTQ+ people and reduce the penalty for sex workers. The bills come at a time when the LGBTQ+ community is “under attack” by federal officials, Warwick, D-Greenfield, said during a news conference outside the City-County Building. “These...

Republicans’ proposed cuts to Medicaid, the federal program that provides health coverage to poor Americans, could leave hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians without health insurance and force rural hospitals and medical centers that cater to vulnerable communities to shut their doors, Democratic officials warned Tuesday. They urged people to call...