Ryan Deto stories, Page 41
Pittsburgh metro area loses population, leads nation in natural population decline
The Pittsburgh metropolitan area lost 13,755 residents between July 2020 and July 2021, according to U.S. Census estimates. The biggest factor of that loss was the region’s natural decline, which is when an area experiences more deaths than births. The Pittsburgh metro area’s natural decline of 10,383 was the largest...
Business coalition poll says Pennsylvanians support maintaining natural gas as energy source
Energy policy has become a big issue in this year’s political races, as gas prices have risen significantly and questions have arisen about how America produces oil and gas. Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country, and a new poll from the business coalition Pittsburgh Works...
Congressional candidate Steve Irwin endorsed by Western Pa. building trades group
The Laborers’ District Council of Western PA said Thursday it is endorsing Pittsburgh attorney Steve Irwin in the Democratic primary race in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District. “There’s only one candidate in this race who has shown a commitment to protecting blue-collar jobs and growing the middle class, and that candidate...
Spirit Airlines bringing new nonstop service from Pittsburgh to Newark
Low-cost airline carrier Spirit Airlines will start nonstop service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport on June 22. The company announced Wednesday that the new service will connect Pittsburgh to the New York City area with one-daily roundtrip flight between the two airports. The new Pittsburgh service...
Landside terminal construction underway at Pittsburgh International Airport
Cranes and construction crews are making headway at the Pittsburgh International Airport, as work building a new landside terminal is well underway. Airport officials said progress for the $1.3 billion project is on schedule and the new, upgraded terminal is on track to open by 2025. In fact, Allegheny County...
Steve Irwin’s congressional campaign admits some petition signatures were forged
A federal judge said last week that she never signed a petition for local congressional candidate and attorney Steve Irwin, and more forgery allegations related to Irwin’s candidacy have surfaced since. Irwin is running in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, which includes the city of Pittsburgh, eastern and southern Allegheny County...
Highmark reports $22B in revenue
Highmark Health reported Tuesday that its health care system earned $22 billion in revenue last year, up $301 million from the year before. Highmark employs 37,000 people and provides health insurance coverage to patients in the Mid-Atlantic region. It is the parent company of Allegheny Health Network, which operates 14...
Democratic Senate candidates square off in political forum at CMU
Democratic candidates for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat on Sunday agreed on several important party platform items but disagreed when it came to big tech companies and the Supreme Court. Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, Jenkintown Borough Council member Alex Khalil and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb...
What’s the origin of Fern Hollow’s name? Even Pittsburgh historians say it’s a mystery
Since the collapse of Fern Hollow Bridge in Frick Park, many Pittsburghers have been asking: What exactly is Fern Hollow? For one, it’s a ravine in Pittsburgh’s East End that has a creek running through its center. The ravine also partially marks the border between Squirrel Hill and Regent Square....
Are Western Pa. gas prices headed toward $5 a gallon?
Rising gas prices have been causing headaches for drivers across the region and the country. In early March, gas prices hit a record average of $4.21 a gallon in Pittsburgh, slightly above the national average of about $4 a gallon. At some old-school gas stations in the region, such as...
Josh Shapiro unveils tax cut and gas rebate plan during Western Pa. visit
Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro visited Western Pennsylvania Friday to unveil his plan to cut taxes and provide rebates in order to offset some of the rising costs residents are currently facing. Shapiro said global forces — like the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, and supply chain...
Pittsburgh police investigate harassment at Shadyside home, notify FBI
Pittsburgh police are investigating several incidents of what they call “harassment and intimidation” in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood and have notified the FBI. Detectives are looking for individuals who allegedly defaced yard signs with “political and anti-national” messages on an undisclosed property in Shadyside, according to the city’s public safety blotter....
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jake Corman talks energy and gas taxes in Carnegie
Pennsylvania state Senator and candidate for governor Jake Corman visited Bob’s Diner in Carnegie Thursday to meet and greet potential voters. The diner in the former mill town and Pittsburgh suburb is a well-known political stop for Pennsylvania candidates. Bob’s was full with a hungry lunch crowd, and Corman, a...
Pittsburgh’s bike share rolling out new fleet, including e-bikes
After seven years known as Healthy Ride, Pittsburgh’s bike share revealed a rebrand on Wednesday that includes new station locations and a new fleet that will include some electric-assist bikes, also known as e-bikes. The new system is called POGOH. The name is designed to suggest hopping — as if...
Allegheny County GOP Chairman Sam DeMarco opts against congressional run
Allegheny County Republican Chairman Sam DeMarco said Tuesday he will not run for Congress this year in Pennsylvania’s 17th District. DeMarco, a county councilman from North Fayette, said last week that he was mulling a run and gathering petition signatures required to formally enter the race. But on Tuesday he...
PennDOT to spend $317M on infrastructure projects in Pittsburgh region
PennDOT said Tuesday it plans to spend $317 million on more than 90 infrastructure projects in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties this year, up slightly from last year. PennDOT District 11 Executive Cheryl Moon-Sirianni said funding from the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure package passed last year was critical in allowing...
Sammy’s Famous Corned Beef to close Downtown Pittsburgh bar after 35 years
After 35 years serving Downtown Pittsburgh customers corned beef sandwiches and frosted mugs of beer, Sammy’s Famous Corned Beef is closing at the end of March. Sammy Firman has operated the Sammy’s location on Liberty Avenue since its inception, and he said the bar and restaurant “had a good run.”...
Bhavini Patel ends her run for Congress in 12th District
Edgewood Councilwoman Bhavini Patel said Friday she is ending her campaign for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 12th District. Patel was one of four Democratic candidates running in the newly drawn district that stretches from Pittsburgh to Westmoreland County. She launched her campaign in January. “The campaign didn’t gain the momentum needed...
Pittsburgh to hold public meetings for Oakland Plan
Pittsburgh city officials on Wednesday released a draft of its Oakland Plan and have scheduled two upcoming public meetings later this month about the neighborhood. The plan contains goals, policies, and a vision for the Oakland neighborhood, officials said.. It provides information on projects and programs for organizations, institutions, and...
Duquesne University proposes new medical school building in Pittsburgh’s Uptown
Duquesne University officials on Tuesday briefed Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on its plans for a five-story building that would house the university’s new College of Osteopathic Medicine. Rodney Dobish, chief facilities officer at Duquesne, said the new medical school will be a key project for the university. “One of the things...
Allegheny County Councilman Sam DeMarco exploring run for Congress
An Allegheny County councilman who heads the county’s GOP committee said he’s exploring a run for Congress in a district representing Beaver County and much of suburban Pittsburgh. Allegheny County Councilman Sam DeMarco, R-North Fayette, said Tuesday he is gathering signatures to get on the ballot in the upcoming primary...
Fern Hollow Bridge construction expected to begin in April
Less than two months after the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh, PennDOT officials are announcing both design and construction efforts are underway to replace the bridge. The new structure will remain along the same roadway, with four lanes for vehicles, shoulders, a sidewalk, and a shared-use path. Construction is...
‘Jeopardy!’ run ends for Pittsburgh woman: ‘I got to live my dream’
After four consecutive wins on the “Jeopardy!” television game show, Pittsburgh resident Margaret Shelton was defeated on Monday, ending her nearly weeklong run. Shelton risked all of her $12,300 in Final Jeopardy! and was defeated by Maureen O’Neil of New Hampshire. Shelton amassed $79,700 in earnings over her four-game win...
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey comes to terms with developers on proposed Oakland Crossings project
After putting the proposed Oakland Crossings project on hold for a couple of months, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said Monday that his office has reached a deal with developer Walnut Capital on proposed zoning for the large-scale development in central Oakland. The proposed 17-acre project initially included denser housing development,...
Another Pittsburgh Starbucks store files to unionize
Baristas at a Starbucks location in Oakland have become the second set of Starbucks workers in Pittsburgh to file to unionize. On Friday, the workers at the Amos Hall Starbucks on Fifth Avenue in Oakland filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. The Amos Hall baristas...
