Ryan Deto stories, Page 20
Mon Incline closed indefinitely
The Monongahela Incline has been shut down for an indefinite time period, Pittsburgh Regional Transit announced Monday. The 153-year-old incline that shepherds passengers between Station Square and Grandview Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighborhood has had a slew of problems over the years, including several closures. On Friday, the incline...
How Hawaiian wildfires might affect travelers from Western Pa.
Massive wildfires in the Hawaiian Islands have brought devastation and will continue to hurt the Aloha State, as the fires are sure to damage Hawaii’s tourism economy, its biggest source of revenue, said Pittsburgh-area travel agents. Officials confirmed Friday that at least 80 people have been killed in massive fires...
3 men ordered to pay $50K in connection with East Palestine derailment charity scam
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has ordered three men to pay more than $50,000 in fines and restitution because it said they were involved with a phony charity created in the wake of the East Palestine train derailment in February. One of the men is a former campaign manager for...
Nearly all of Downtown Pittsburgh visitors have returned, says report
Downtown Pittsburgh’s transition out of the pandemic has been bumpy with empty office buildings, increases in vagrancy, and lunch spots closing up. A new report, however, shows things might be on the upswing. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) released data Thursday that shows 1.7 million visitors came to Downtown in...
Pittsburgh-area health insurers request rate increases
The Pittsburgh region’s biggest health insurers are seeking rate increases for plans on the individual market, some up to 13%, according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Highmark Inc. is asking for an average rate increase of 11.2% and the Highmark Coverage Advantage Inc. insurance plan is requesting an increase of...
Liquor license auction open for some Southwestern Pa. counties
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) on Wednesday issued an invitation for bids for a set of expired restaurant liquor licenses, including some available in a handful of Southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Twenty expired licenses are being auctioned Sept. 27. One license each is available in 20 counties, which includes one...
In Penn Hills visit, Shapiro announces Universal Free Breakfast Program for Pa. public school students
Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Penn Hills Elementary School on Tuesday to announce a new program to provide universal free breakfast to all public school students in Pennsylvania. The free-breakfast program was part of a $567 million increase in education funding for the state’s public school districts in the recently signed...
Lawrence County added to Pittsburgh metro area
Lawrence County, the birthplace of Donnie Iris, Chuck Tanner and Zambelli Fireworks, is now part of the Pittsburgh metro area thanks to a revised designation from the White House. The move gives the Pittsburgh metro area a population boost of nearly 85,000 people, increasing its total to 2,434,021, based on...
Dems, GOP choose nominees for state House District 21 special election
Another special election is coming for some Allegheny County residents. Democrats and Republicans have chosen their nominees for an upcoming special election for the 21st state House District. The seat was recently vacated by former state. Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, as she prepares her run for Allegheny County Executive. District...
Hallam sues Fitzgerald, other county officials for lack of attendance at jail meetings
Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, D-Brighton Heights, has filed a lawsuit against Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and two other elected county officials in an effort to compel them to attend Jail Oversight Board meetings. Hallam and advocates for better conditions at Allegheny County Jail have long been critical of...
Decision on Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s fate draws reaction from victims’ families, Jewish community, others
Almost immediately after a jury recommended the death penalty for Pittsburgh synagogue shooter Robert Bowers, statements began to pour in from family members of victims and survivors, Jewish leaders, politicians and others. “Although we will never attain closure from the loss of our beloved Rose Mallinger, we now feel a...
Pittsburgh shifts covid relief funding to public safety vehicles, infrastructure projects
Pittsburgh City Council voted Tuesday to reallocate millions of dollars in covid relief funding to invest in public safety vehicles, landslide remediation and infrastructure projects that are on a timeline to be completed before the funds expire. Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act must be allocated and under contract...
Pittsburgh to establish $1M medical debt relief plan
A plan to alleviate medical debt for some Pittsburgh residents received approval Tuesday from City Council. The city will use $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money to contract with a company that will buy dischargeable health care debt from hospitals and forgive the debt of tens of...
Pittsburgh pilot program will repair damaged, heavily used sidewalks at lower cost
A pilot program approved Tuesday by Pittsburgh City Council will have city crews repair damaged and heavily used sidewalks for residents at a lower cost. Under city law, landowners are responsible for sidewalk maintenance on their properties. The one-year pilot program, introduced in July, will prioritize sidewalks that are heavily...
Shapiro signs executive order in Pittsburgh to create statewide workforce development program
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order Monday in Pittsburgh’s Esplen neighborhood, creating a statewide workforce training program. The move comes after Pittsburgh was designated a “workforce development hub” by the White House, with the first lady visiting the region to sing the praises of the region’s workforce development efforts....
Allegheny County Councilwoman Liv Bennett not running for reelection
One of Allegheny County Council’s progressive members announced Monday that she will not be seeking reelection. The campaign of Allegheny County Councilwoman Liv Bennett, D-Northview Heights, tweeted that Bennett has dropped her independent run for reelection. Earlier this year, Bennett was running for Allegheny County Executive and her council seat...
Squirrel Hill community group may rethink contentious Irish Centre development
A proposal to build housing at the Irish Centre site near Pittsburgh’s Frick Park that received immediate outrage from community groups may be getting a second chance. Toronto-based Craft General proposed a 162-unit apartment complex in May at the former Irish Centre site in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. The proposal...
Congressional resolution calls for Oakmont teacher Marc Fogel’s release from Russian prison
Support for the Oakmont teacher who was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison for possessing a small amount of medical marijuana has been growing steadily in Congress, and a new effort was introduced Wednesday. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a resolution in both the Senate and House...
Fitzgerald, Catena spar over vetoed Allegheny County property assessment bill
Two of Allegheny County’s top elected officials are trading barbs over a bill that sought to address the county’s property tax assessment role. Allegheny County Council passed a bill by a 9-6 vote early this month to establish a new chief assessment officer appointed by council that would render calculations...
Sara Innamorato’s state House exit triggers Allegheny County special election
Allegheny County will see another special election this September, the fourth time in 2023 that voters in the county will pick a replacement for state representative. With State Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, resigning to focus on her run for Allegheny County Executive, the 21st state House District is vacant and...
PennDOT secretary, Pittsburgh officials call for transit funding during budget impasseVideo
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration met with local officials Thursday in Downtown Pittsburgh to stress the importance of transit and infrastructure funding as the state and region looks to repair hundreds of roads and bridges. PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll met with officials on the Smithfield Street Bridge, a 140-year-old span undergoing...
Pittsburgh International to get additional flights to California, Florida
The expansion of flights at Pittsburgh International Airport continues as the airport announced two sets of expanded service this week. United Airlines is adding another daily round-trip flight from Pittsburgh to San Francisco International Airport starting Aug. 1, according to a release. The flight will provide daytime flight service between...
Acting labor secretary explains Pittsburgh’s ‘workforce hub’ designation
Pittsburgh was designated a “workforce hub” by the White House in May because of its success in innovation, growth in advanced manufacturing like robotics and increase in the clean energy sector. The designation was recently touted by First Lady Jill Biden, who visited the Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesday. Five...
Magisterial District Judge Mik Pappas resigns
The magisterial district judge for several of Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhoods has resigned, according to a letter obtained by the Tribune-Review. Mik Pappas was elected to Allegheny County’s 31st magisterial district in 2017, and announced last year that he would not seek reelection. District 31 includes the city’s Bloomfield, East...
Jill Biden touts airport funding, workforce development during Western Pa. visit
Flanked by scores of cranes, first lady Jill Biden visited the Pittsburgh region Tuesday in an effort to remind the region that the Biden administration supports, and provided funding for, many of its largest infrastructure projects. In a speech just outside of Pittsburgh International Airport, she praised Western Pennsylvania for...
