Megan Trotter stories, Page 2
$3.3M state investment aims to boost Downtown Pittsburgh revival
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is getting more than $3 million from the state to help revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger joined local government officials and business leaders inside Origin Story Coffee on Thursday to announce how the investment plans to renew...
Hazelwood home renovation tests power of recycled building materials
A single-family home in Hazelwood is serving as a testing ground for a renovation project exploring how recycled building materials could cut construction costs and carbon emissions. “Communities can save a lot of money by not having to purchase new materials,” said Chris Cieslak, COO of Green Building Alliance, from...
Winter is not done with Pittsburgh yet with midweek storms, cool temperatures on the way
If the sunny skies and springlike warmth over the weekend made winter seem like a distant memory, Pittsburghers may want to hold that thought. Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Moon say a midweek cold front is expected to sweep through Western Pennsylvania on Wednesday, bringing the potential for...
NFL Draft sustainability plan calls for tree planting, food recovery
The organizing committee for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh released an environmental and sustainability plan for Allegheny County aimed at minimizing waste and boosting the region after what officials say will be the city’s largest tourism event ever. The Pittsburgh Local Organizing Committee, made up of government officials as...
Pittsburgh hotels for NFL Draft are nearly sold out
A hotel booking surge has swept through Pittsburgh as visitors secure lodging for the NFL Draft in April, pushing North Shore and Downtown room rates to about $1,000 a night and selling out many hotels — even as numerous homes listed for rent remain available. “We’re absolutely ecstatic about the...
Ultimate guide to Pittsburgh’s finest pizzerias during the NFL Draft
There are a few things visitors need to be aware of when traversing Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft: how to navigate the city’s bridges, how to properly use Pittsburghese slang and — most important, of course — where to find pizza that is cheesy, delicious and fit for a...
Democrats react to firing of Kristi Noem from Department of Homeland Security
Democrats took to social media Thursday to respond to criticism of ex-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after her ouster. President Donald Trump announced on social media that Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin would fill the role, two days after Noem faced tough questioning on Capitol Hill about her handling of the...
Parkway East to close for 25 days during bridge replacement project
PennDOT announced a 25-day closure of the Parkway East while crews work to complete the $95 million Commercial Street Bridge Replacement project. All Parkway traffic between the Wilkinsburg exit (78B) and the Forbes Avenue/Oakland exit (72A) will be closed July 10 through Aug. 3. “While the one-month closure will still...
Stranded in Dubai, Western Pa. residents await uncertain departure
The attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel has left some Western Pennsylvania residents stranded in Dubai as escalating tensions in the Middle East disrupt international travel. Jackie Graham of Marshall and Karen Hasenkopf of Brookline received the news of the attack while on a tour in the middle...
Redding up the river: New law helps removal of abandoned boats before NFL Draft
As crews build out the North Shore for the NFL Draft that opens in 50 days, another project is now underway: clearing abandoned boats from the rivers. Michael Hills, president of the Pittsburgh Safe Boating Council, said there has long been an effort to rid Allegheny County of abandoned boats....
Partnership provides resources for community cleanups ahead of America 250
The nonprofit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation, is offering free cleanup supplies and reduced waste disposal rates through the end of May as communities prepare for America’s 250th anniversary. On Thursday, volunteers at Pittsburgh’s kickoff cleanup event located...
Reading nooks surface across Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh locations
The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh launched a new initiative designed to support language skills and emotional regulation in children. The Early Literacy Initiative — launched during National Read Across America week and led by pediatrician Johanna Vidal-Phelan, who is The Children’s Institute’s president and CEO — added nine reading nooks...
Shaler teen charged in fatal Route 8 crash
A Shaler teenager has been charged with felony homicide in connection with Route 8 crash in Hampton over the summer. On Monday, 19-year-old Caleb Stevens was charged with a June 28 crash that killed a 72-year-old woman. Stevens had been driving on Route 8 at approximately 91 mph just before...
Study ties up to 12.5% of Pittsburgh area adult deaths to air pollution
Air pollution in the Pittsburgh region was linked to as many as 12.5% of adult deaths in 2019, according to a study published in the journal Annals of Global Health, with the highest levels of fine particulate matter recorded in Allegheny County. Researchers from Boston College over a two year...
Mark Cuban joins Pittsburgh AI startup panel during NFL Draft week
More than $1.2 million in artificial intelligence startup funding will be awarded in Pittsburgh during NFL Draft week, with Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban serving as a judge. On April 22, Carnegie Mellon University in partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the AI Strike Team will host Powering the Future...
Breaking into the trades: 4 blue-collar women from Western Pa. share their stories
When the explosion thundered through the U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, Renee Hough thought her life was over. She was about 500 feet away when the blast went off in August. The experience left her in therapy for her mental health. Nearly 30 years ago, her job in the male-dominated...
Breaking into the trades: 4 blue-collar women from Western Pa. share their storiesVideo
When the explosion thundered through the U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, Renee Hough thought her life was over. She was about 500 feet away when the blast went off in August. The experience left her in therapy for her mental health. Nearly 30 years ago, her job in the male-dominated...
Gov. Shapiro discusses AI regulation in schools during Carnegie visit
High school students are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for homework help, advice and even companionship — leaving school administrators wondering where to draw the line. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro brought that discussion to the Carnegie Clubhouse at Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania on Friday, meeting with students...
Service disruptions for Pittsburgh area riders coming to the T
Stops along Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Silver Line will be temporarily disrupted next week due to electrical work Pittsburgh Regional Transit said that service on the Silver Line will be temporarily suspended in parts of South Park and Bethel Park so that crews can replace and reinforce overhead electrical lines. Serve...
School zone stop sparks foot chase, immigration arrest in Washington County
A traffic stop at an elementary school in Washington County led to a foot chase and a federal immigration arrest. On Tuesday, Greene Washington Regional police were patrolling the streets in an unmarked vehicle near Joe Walker Elementary School in South Franklin Township, when an officer saw a white Chevrolet...
Police charged Sewickley man arrested by ICE with making false statements while trying to buy gun
The Sewickley man and Brazil native arrested Sunday by immigration agents made false statements on federal paperwork when he tried to buy a gun in 2024, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint, filed in January by McCandless police, said Bruno Guedes da Silva had answered “no” to a question...
Aspinwall pharmacy owner pushes for fair shake for independent drugstores
Hours before the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, Aspinwall pharmacy owner Jonathan Akanowicz sat alongside U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio to advocate for reforms they say would rein in national monopolies and protect independent pharmacists from being squeezed out of the market. “We’re looking for a level playing...
Pittsburgh tourists find safety in Puerto Vallarta resorts amid unrest and violence
Barbara Melone saw “huge, black, billowing” clouds of smoke from her eighth-floor balcony at the Sunset Plaza Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at the start of the week. “It was a normal day, and we started realizing there were all these fires,” said Melone, 77, who grew...
Spring break plans scrapped as violence erupts in Mexico
Rising tensions in Mexico are forcing students to rethink their spring break getaways. Tina Devita, a mother of a Penn State University student, was already uneasy about her 19-year-old son’s planned trip to Puerto Vallarta. After watching political tensions escalate this week, she decided to tell him to cancel it....
Ice jams cause flood watch in 4 counties
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch alert Friday for areas north of Allegheny County as rain and warm temperatures cause river ice to break apart and jam the region’s waterways. The alert is in effect until 9 a.m. Saturday portions of northwest and Western Pennsylvania, including Armstrong, Butler,...
