Julia Felton stories, Page 58
Pittsburgh requiring city employees to be vaccinated against covid-19
Pittsburgh is requiring all city employees without medical or religious exemptions to be fully vaccinated against covid-19 by Dec. 22, officials announced Monday. Employees are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks after one dose of...
Hays Woods purchase gets final OK, to be Pittsburgh’s 2nd largest park
Hays Woods is set to become Pittsburgh’s next public park, after City Council voted Monday to authorize the city to take ownership of the 624-acre site. Pittsburgh will buy the property from the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority for $1, plus costs. The URA bought the site in the city’s Hays...
2 development projects bring $27M in affordable housing units to East Liberty
Local officials and members of the East Liberty community gathered Thursday in a new housing development to celebrate $27 million worth of affordable housing units in the neighborhood. The ceremony marked the completion of one development — Mellons Orchard South — and the groundbreaking of a second — Harvard Beatty...
Ed Gainey, Tony Moreno lay out platforms ahead of Pittsburgh mayoral race
State Rep. Ed Gainey and retired police officer Tony Moreno say they’re running for Pittsburgh’s highest office to tackle a range of problems in need of solutions right away. If elected, Gainey, a Democrat, would become the city’s first Black mayor. Moreno, running as a Republican after finishing a distant...
Pittsburgh poised to turn Hays Woods into newest city park
Pittsburgh is poised to take ownership of Hays Woods and turn it into the city’s newest public park. City Council on Wednesday advanced legislation that would allow the city to buy the land from the Urban Redevelopment Authority for $1 plus costs. “This is going to be a really unique...
Proposed composting program in Pittsburgh awaits vote on funding
Pittsburgh City Council is expected to vote next week to authorize funding for a two-year pilot program on composting in the city. Next week’s vote would clear the way for the city to use $90,000 in grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the composting program. The program...
Pittsburgh City Council renews push for rental registration, inspections
Pittsburgh City Council has reintroduced a proposal to create a rental registration and inspection schedule for the city’s rental units, a measure that was stopped by a judge when officials previously tried to implement it. The proposal, advanced unanimously by council, would allow the city to identify all of Pittsburgh’s...
Pittsburgh considers converting all streetlights to LED in proposed $16M project
A proposed $16 million project would upgrade Pittsburgh’s streetlights to more efficient LED lights, though two council members said they’ve already heard pushback from residents. The city has identified The Efficiency Network, an independent energy services company, to handle the proposed citywide project. The company would survey the city’s streetlights...
Political candidates in Pittsburgh will be allowed to use campaign funds for childcare
Candidates seeking political office in Pittsburgh will be allowed to use campaign funds for some childcare costs incurred because of their campaigns starting next election cycle. Under legislation passed by City Council on Tuesday, candidate committees will be able to use campaign funds to pay for childcare expenses incurred during...
Pittsburgh City Council introduces lead safety bill
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday introduced an ordinance that it said would address lead exposure, and it also urged Pittsburgh Public Schools and utility companies to take action to reduce potential lead exposure. “About 400 children each year in the region are found to have elevated blood lead levels,” Councilwoman...
Pittsburgh police now required to publish incident data with race, gender breakdowns
Pittsburgh police will be required to publish data about certain incidents with breakdowns by demographics like race and gender. City Council on Tuesday approved legislation that requires city police to collect data including information on pedestrian stops; use of force and physical restraints; citations and warnings issued; misdemeanor and felony...
Pittsburgh police to lease former Steamfitters building in Duquesne Heights
Pittsburgh will lease a former Steamfitters Local Union 449 building in the city’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood to consolidate police operations, allowing the city to redevelop other sites that police are currently using. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved legislation allowing the city to lease 1517 Woodruff St. The city will...
New rule limits how much of Pittsburgh’s Stop the Violence Fund can be spent internally
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a measure requiring at least 80% of Pittsburgh’s Stop the Violence Fund to be spent on community-based, non-government organizations. The ordinance, sponsored by Councilman Ricky Burgess, will allow no more than 20% of the fund’s money to be spent on internal operations. Limiting how...
Public hearing on proposed Amazon site in Churchill ends after 50-plus hours of testimony
A public hearing that spanned 14 days and included more than 55 hours of testimony regarding a proposed Amazon distribution center in Churchill has concluded, meaning local officials will render a decision on the project’s future within 45 days. A vocal group of residents has strongly opposed the project, which...
New tech learning center for young people opens in Pittsburgh’s Hill DistrictVideo
A new technology learning center at Ammon Recreation Center in Pittsburgh’s Hill District aims to provide the city’s young people an opportunity to learn about technology and spark their interest in fields such as computer science and artificial intelligence. Part of the Rec2Tech program, the new site will give young...
Pittsburgh Councilman Anthony Coghill faces election challenge from Connor Mulvaney
First-term Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill is being challenged in the Nov. 2 election by political newcomer Connor Mulvaney in this year’s only contested race for council. The winner will represent District 4, which includes the neighborhoods of Beechview, Bon Air, Brookline, Carrick, Mt. Washington and Overbrook. Coghill, 55, is...
West Ohio Street Bridge on Pittsburgh’s North Side reopens
The new West Ohio Street Bridge over Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks in Allegheny Commons Park on Pittsburgh’s North Side has reopened for vehicles, pedestrians and transit as the project nears completion, Department of Mobility and Infrastructure officials announced Friday. The $6.25 million project should be completed in early December. The...
Former Larimer School to be renovated in Pittsburgh housing development project
The latest phase of a development in Pittsburgh’s Larimer section will bring more mixed-income housing to the neighborhood and renovate the former Larimer School, which has sat empty for over 40 years. Officials broke ground Thursday on Phases III and IV of Cornerstone Village, which is being developed by St....
Pittsburgh City Council proposal would provide oversight of Stop the Violence Fund
Pittsburgh’s Stop the Violence Fund would be required to spend at least 80% of its money on community-based, non-government organizations under a proposal discussed Wednesday by City Council. The measure, sponsored by Councilman Ricky Burgess, would require that no more than 20% of the Stop the Violence Fund be spent...
Proposal requiring Pittsburgh police to share race, gender data for incidents moves forward
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced legislation that would require Pittsburgh police to improve their data collection and publicly share how certain incidents are handled, with demographic breakdowns. Under the proposal, recommended by the Pittsburgh Community Task Force for Police Reform last October, city police would collect data including information...
Pittsburgh City Council advances proposal to allow campaign funds to be used for some childcare
A measure that would allow people running for elected office in the City of Pittsburgh to use campaign funds for certain childcare expenses was advanced by City Council on Wednesday. The legislation would permit candidate committees to use campaign money to pay for childcare expenses incurred during an election cycle...
Pittsburgh looks to lease former Steamfitters building to consolidate police operations
Pittsburgh city officials are looking to lease the former Steamfitters Local Union 449 building in Duquesne Heights to consolidate police operations, paving the way for redevelopment at other sites now used by police. Mayor Bill Peduto on Tuesday introduced legislation that would allow the city to lease 1517 Woodruff St....
Pittsburgh to use over $560K in grant money on street safety, traffic improvement projects
Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure said Tuesday it plans to use more than $560,000 in grant money on three transportation improvement projects. Mayor Bill Peduto’s office said the projects support the mayor’s Complete Streets and Vision Zero policies, which aim to ensure all Pittsburghers — motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians...
Pittsburgh City Council approves appointments in Mayor Peduto’s waning days in office
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved more than a dozen appointments and reappointments to city boards and commissions, despite concern from at least one council member that Mayor Bill Peduto has only a few months left in office. Council approved four new appointments and 14 reappointments to several boards, including...
Pittsburgh City Council approves plan to buy West End senior center
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a plan for the city to buy the building that houses the West End Healthy Active Living Center. The building at 80 Wabash St. in the city’s West End Village has been home to the senior center for 21 years. It will continue serving...
