Julia Burdelski stories, Page 9
2 taken to hospital in Swissvale fire
Two people were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in Swissvale on Saturday afternoon, according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher. The blaze was reported after 12:30 p.m. at the 500 block of Smokey Wood Drive, the dispatcher said. The fire department was still on the scene...
Couple displaced by massive Squirrel Hill fire try to help others while recovering themselves
Jonahcharis Brown was certain her wedding dress had been in her apartment when a massive fire ripped through the building Tuesday. “We really, really thought for certain that the wedding dress was in the apartment,” said Brown, who was one of about 30 people displaced from a Squirrel Hill apartment...
Thousands celebrate Scottish heritage at Ligonier Highland Games
Wayne Bunch thinks he might have some Scottish heritage, but that’s not really what drew him to the Ligonier Highland Games on Saturday. Bunch, 41, of Uniontown, was there for the chance to try out the unique sporting events. Athletes donning kilts participated in Scottish games like the stone put...
Carson Street comeback: South Side works to spiff up tarnished image
Pittsburgh’s best-known bar and nightlife district has been attracting attention lately for all the wrong reasons. This summer, a spike in trouble on the South Side drew a heavy police response to control unruly crowds. Malcontents threw fireworks at officers, leading the head of the police union to label the...
PRT avoids service cuts, fare hikes with over $100 million in state funds
Pittsburgh Regional Transit on Friday announced it will receive over $100 million in state funds to prevent drastic service cuts and fare increases. The money will be used to plug a $100 million deficit projected in the transit agency’s budget. PRT will not need to move ahead with plans to...
Man killed in Homewood shooting
A man was fatally shot Friday night in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. Public safety officials said the shooting occurred on Neuman Way at the intersection with Felicia Way. Officers responding to the scene found a man, who has not yet been identified, with a gunshot wound to the neck. Officers rendered...
Pittsburgh Land Bank pitches way to cut costs, red tape through sheriff’s sales
The Pittsburgh Land Bank wants to strike an agreement that would make it easier to buy tax-delinquent properties for conversion to other uses including affordable housing and community gardens. The land bank is looking for the city, school district and county to sign off on a deal that would let...
Audits flag longer response times for Pittsburgh police, EMS; urge better 911 center staffing
A pair of audits from the Pittsburgh and Allegheny County controllers on Wednesday recommended increased staffing for the county’s 911 call center, more focus on tracking emergency response times and improvements to programs that ensure first responders’ well-being. “While funding and operational challenges exist in each of our respective governments,...
Advanced practitioners at UPMC’s Magee-Womens Hospital vote to unionize
A group of 60 advanced practitioners has voted to join hundreds of nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in forming a union. The advanced practitioners — including certified registered nurse practitioners, neonatal nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and other positions — voted to join SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, following about 800 nurses...
Pittsburgh’s $14M automated red light enforcement program cleared to roll out this winter
Drivers speeding through red lights in parts of Pittsburgh will soon receive tickets through an automated camera system to be installed this winter at several intersections. “This will change the way people drive in the city,” Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, said Tuesday, adding the new system is meant to...
Pittsburgh council overcomes transparency concerns to approve $1.7M in anti-violence grants
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to provide about $1.7 million in grants to community groups combating gun violence, despite concerns raised last week by one councilman about how officials picked the recipients. Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, questioned why the grants didn’t go to the applicants who ranked...
Covid shots not yet available at CVS without prescription despite Pa. policy change
Pennsylvania officials this week authorized eligible people to get a covid-19 vaccine without a prescription. The state said the change took effect immediately. But, as of Friday afternoon, patients hoping to get the vaccines at CVS locations were still being told they needed a doctor’s order. CVS has about 500...
Pittsburgh councilman questions why Gainey administration passed over some groups for anti-violence funds
A Pittsburgh councilman is upset that some community groups are being bypassed for city grants to fund anti-violence programs in favor of others he says might be less deserving. Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, is blaming the Gainey administration for what he views as an opaque award system that doesn’t...
Pittsburgh restarts overhauled spay, neuter program for city cats, dogs
Pittsburgh pet owners will again be able to apply for free spay and neuter surgeries for cats and dogs. City officials in February 2024 abruptly halted to the free spay and neuter program, raising concerns that suburban pet owners were abusing the program by using fake Pittsburgh addresses to get...
Acrisure Stadium announces upgrades ahead of Steelers season, 2026 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh Steelers fans will see a slew of Acrisure Stadium upgrades, new food options and technology improvements ahead of the upcoming NFL season. The enhancements come before Pittsburgh hosts the 2026 NFL Draft in April. The weekend-long event is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of football fans to the...
Thousands celebrate Labor Day weekend at annual festival in Northmoreland Park
Jackson Clark laughed with delight as a tan-colored goat chased him through a petting zoo in Northmoreland Park, trying to get the bottle in his hand. He was one of thousands of people who flocked to Northmoreland Park for the annual Labor United Celebration, a two-day festival that featured everything...
Community group rails against Esplanade in Pittsburgh, despite assurances from developer
A community group on Thursday raised environmental concerns about the Esplanade development, a $740 million project that aims to transform a brownfield in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood into a vibrant entertainment district. Manchester Neighbors, representing a group of residents, opposes the project. In a report released Thursday, the group highlighted environmental...
Pittsburgh moves ahead with tiny houses as alternative spaces for homeless
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday in a preliminary vote unanimously supported a measure that would allow for tiny houses and other temporary communities for homeless. The proposal, first pitched in November 2023, aims to provide safe, dignified spaces for homeless people who may be wary of living on the streets...
Pittsburgh moving ahead with automated red light enforcement
Pittsburgh is moving ahead with an effort to crack down on motorists running red lights. Pittsburgh City Council last year authorized the use of automated red light enforcement, technology that would use cameras to ticket drivers who don’t stop at red lights without requiring officers to monitor the intersections. Legislation...
Allegheny County prepares to dispatch mail-in ballots for election
Allegheny County officials are expecting to send mail-in ballots for the upcoming general election in the beginning of October, officials said. David Voye, manager of the county’s Division of Elections, said there are no major changes expected for mail-in ballots. Officials are beginning ballot preparations this week, he told the...
Art component aims to highlight Pittsburgh’s annual Garbage Olympics
A new art contest is looking to draw additional interest in Pittsburgh’s Garbage Olympics. The Garbage Olympics — an annual litter pickup event that pits neighborhoods against one another to compete to see which community can clean up the most trash — takes place Sept. 13, a Saturday. The inaugural...
Market Square on schedule to be finished before NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
An ongoing effort to revitalize Pittsburgh’s Market Square is on track to be finished before the city hosts the NFL Draft next year. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership on Monday said the project — which will limit vehicle traffic and add greenery, lighting, seating and a canopy where people can gather...
Group accuses Trump of delaying tighter pollution monitoring at steel plants like Clairton Coke Works
An environmental group on Thursday called for stricter pollution monitoring at steelmaking facilities like U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, a longtime polluter and site of an explosion last week that killed two workers. A report from the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project documented potentially dangerous levels of pollutants at steel...
Pittsburgh council members slam contract with city vendor for vehicle repairs amid $400K dispute
On Friday, Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler left her Grant Street office, hopped in her vehicle and took a field trip to the city’s maintenance garage in the Strip District. She was being blamed for delays in trash collection and wanted to see for herself what all the fuss was about....
Animal Friends launches free spays, neutering for Pittsburgh dogs, cats after city scaled back program
Animal Friends is offering Pittsburgh pet owners free spay and neuter services after the city scaled back a similar program. The Ohio Township-based nonprofit on Thursday announced the “Short Term Fix” spay and neuter program, which will provide free spay and neuter surgeries to dogs and cats owned by Pittsburgh...
