Ryan Deto stories, Page 39
Accusations of Russian spying, vandalism and ethnic intimidation rattle Shadyside neighborhood
A March 17 news release from Pittsburgh Police didn’t contain much information. It said officers were “investigating several incidents of harassment and intimidation” at a house in Shadyside, provided some photos of the suspects, and added that the FBI had been notified. What happened next didn’t follow the typical narrative...
Fall election could determine future of abortion rights in Pennsylvania
The future of legal abortion access in Pennsylvania could hinge on the outcome of the general election in November after a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court suggests the court is poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case. On Monday, Politico published a story containing a leaked...
Mobile trailer to sell CBD edibles in Pittsburgh region
A new mobile trailer is hoping to bring CBD edibles — cookies, brownies, and pastries infused with non-THC products — to shoppers all over Pittsburgh later this summer. Moodedibles is a company that produces small-batch edibles infused with CBD, Delta 8 and other minor cannabinoids. All edibles contain below the...
Port Authority extends free light-rail service between Pittsburgh’s Downtown, North Shore
Port Authority of Allegheny County board members on Friday approved a funding agreement to extend free fares for light-rail rides between Pittsburgh’s North Shore and Downtown. The free fares have been in place for several years, but used to be subsidized by non-transit groups. From 2015 through 2020, free T...
Closing of Pittsburgh immigration office could result in more deportations, group says
The Executive Office for Immigration Review said it won’t hold hearings at its office on Pittsburgh’s South Side after Friday “due to space and personnel limitations.” This means immigrants from across Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia will have to travel to Philadelphia Immigration Court for in-person hearings. The Pittsburgh office,...
Butler County township backtracks on political sign ordinance after 1st Amendment complaint
Residents of Butler County’s Connoquenessing Township can display political signs on their property without restrictions or without having to obtain a permit, thanks to a resident lodging a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. Connoquenessing, like several municipalities in Butler County, has a political sign ordinance that...
Republican Senate candidates meet in live debate, but without front-runnersVideo
Several Republican candidates participated in a prime-time debate for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey. The debate was chaotic, with most candidates dodging questions, instead speaking out about alleged voter fraud and criticizing other candidates. There are seven Senate candidates running in Pennsylvania’s Republican...
Democratic Senate candidates square off in 2nd prime-time debate
The second prime-time debate in Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate primary featured many of the same well-trodden agreements among Democrats, but candidates also took several opportunities to draw contrasts with, and even criticize, their primary opponents over electability, past controversies and energy policies. Unlike the first televised debate, this contest at Dickinson...
Survey: 93% of Pittsburgh hospital workers are thinking about leaving profession
The pandemic has been extremely hard on health care workers, with hospitals facing record high patient numbers during the past two years. Many workers have reported burnout, long hours, and feeling hopeless. A new survey from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh confirms those reports. So much so that among...
‘Smash burger’ joint Moonlit Burgers to add Duquesne University location
After gaining acclaim as a pop-up restaurant, and then setting up a brick-and-mortar spot in Dormont, the popular Moonlit Burgers is expanding. The restaurant known for its signature “smash burger” is planning to open a new location on the Duquesne University campus in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood later this summer. “When...
Teachers at Urban Pathways K-5 vote to unionize
This week, educators and staff members at Urban Pathways K-5 Charter School in Downtown Pittsburgh voted 15-7 in favor of organizing a labor union under the Alliance of Charter School Employees AFT Local 6056, a branch of the American Federation of Teachers of Pennsylvania. According to AFT, the 15-7 vote...
Argentine restaurant Balvanera coming to the Strip District
A couple years after losing its popular Argentine joint when Gaucho moved to Downtown, Pittsburgh’s Strip District neighborhood will soon be gaining a South American restaurant when New York City-based Balvanera moves into a new ground level space on Smallman Street. Balvanera will occupy 4,400 square feet at the 1600...
How, when to observe the Lyrid meteor shower in Western Pa.
The annual Lyrid meteor shower will peak on Friday, giving Western Pennsylvanians the opportunity to view the spectacle that could bring more than a dozen meteors per hour into view. NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com that this year’s Lyrid shower should produce about 18 visible meteors per hour,...
Allegheny County to offer early, in-person voting at Downtown Pittsburgh election office
Allegheny County plans to offer registered voters the opportunity to apply for a mail-in ballot, have it approved on-site, and then cast that ballot the same day all at the elections building in Downtown Pittsburgh. It’s Allegheny County’s de facto version of early, in-person voting. It all can be done...
Mentor works to counsel, support teens following Pittsburgh Airbnb shooting
A Monroeville man who said he serves as a mentor for several teens who attended the deadly Airbnb party on Pittsburgh’s North Side over the weekend said overcrowded conditions at the party led to the gunfire that left two dead and nine others wounded. The teens who spoke with Jamal...
UPMC disputes report challenging its community benefits
Health care giant UPMC is disputing a report from a health care think tank that gives it low marks on what it spends on charity care and community investment compared to the tax exemptions it receives. The report from the Massachusetts-based Lown Institute says Pittsburgh-based UPMC is the 5th worst...
Travelers happy, weary after end of mask mandates at Pittsburgh-area airports
With the mask mandate for public transportation and air travel lifted, many travelers showed their faces Tuesday at Pittsburgh International Airport. The majority of travelers were mask-free while at the baggage claim, while in security lines, and at check-in locations. On Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down the...
Expert on masks and flying: ‘It is not one size fits all’
On Monday, the mandate for passengers to wear masks on airplanes, in airports and on public transportation was lifted after a federal judge in Florida struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s authority. The ruling has been met with celebration from some — as many passengers on planes...
Poll has Summer Lee with comfortable lead in 12th District Congressional race
A recent poll from political group Emily’s List has state Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, with a 25 point lead over her nearest competitor in the Democratic race for Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional district. Among Democratic primary voters polled, 38% said they would vote for Lee. Squirrel Hill lawyer Steve Irwin received...
2 Pine Township restaurants cited by Health Department for cockroaches
Update, April 21: After an inspection on Thursday, the consumer alert for Thai Place North has been lifted. All major issues have been resolved. The Allegheny County Health Department posted consumer alerts at two restaurants located next to each other in the North Hills, after finding cockroaches in the kitchen...
Pa. House passes bill to bring back whole milk to school lunches
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania state House nearly unanimously passed a bill that would return whole milk to schools in the state. If enacted into law, the Whole Milk in Pennsylvania Schools Act would permit schools to serve whole milk and reduced-fat milk, aka 2% milk, to students. Currently, schools are...
Police say Ross man used Snapchat to proposition teen girls
Allegheny County Police said a Ross man used the social media app Snapchat to proposition teenage girls. Police arrested Jonathan Smith, 33, on Wednesday. Smith faces a total of 21 charges, including felony sexual assault, corruption of minors, and aggravated indecent assault. He is facing several misdemeanor charges, including terroristic...
Perry Academy principal placed on leave as Pittsburgh Public Schools conducts investigation
A principal at Pittsburgh’s Perry Traditional Academy has been placed on leave pending an internal investigation. Pittsburgh Public Schools is investigating his role in breaking up a fight on a school bus outside the school, according to a statement obtained by Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. The school district declined to...
Pittsburgh region’s economy rebounding from pandemic more slowly than other metro areas
The Pittsburgh region has the slowest employment growth coming out of the pandemic among the nation’s 40 largest metropolitan areas, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Pittsburgh’s labor force participation remains nearly 5% below what it was before the pandemic and is well below the U.S....
Former Armstrong County high school softball coach charged with sexual assault of teen
Last month, Pennsylvania State Police filed sexual misconduct charges against a former high school softball coach. She was arrested by state police in Kittanning on Wednesday. Jane Woodside, 29, is a former coach at West Shamokin High School in Armstrong County and was accused of having sexual contact with a...
