Pittsburgh category, Page 60
Gainey, O’Connor talk budget, traffic in mayoral debate
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor laid out their plans on key issues such as traffic and city finances in a brief debate hosted Sunday by the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club, with assistance from the 14th Ward Democratic Committee. The two will face off in...
Abandoned North Side church catches fire
Pittsburgh fire crews put out a fire at a long-shuttered North Side church Saturday afternoon. Crews were dispatched at around 3 p.m. Saturday to St. Wenceslaus Church, located in the 800 block of Progress Street, for reports of smoke and fire coming from the building, said Emily Bourne, a public...
Country up-and-comer MaRynn Taylor opens up about her music ahead of Pittsburgh show
MaRynn Taylor has dreamed of making a life out of music since she was a kid. Now, she’s opening up for one of her idols on a national arena tour — she will perform at PPG Paints Arena on Feb. 7 as an opener for country artist Kelsea Ballerini. “It’s...
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s chief of staff resigns
Jake Wheatley, chief of staff to Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, has resigned, the mayor’s office said Saturday. A statement sent to the media Saturday evening did not list a reason for the departure. Wheatley’s resignation was effective Jan. 29. “Jake has made extremely important contributions to my administration and the...
Quantum Theatre spotlights historical abolitionist with ‘The Return of Benjamin Lay’
Quantum Theatre’s new production will shine a light on a historical rebel you won’t find in textbooks. Benjamin Lay was an 18th-century abolitionist and animal rights advocate. He was also part of the Quakers, a Christian religious community heavily present in Pennsylvania at the time he was alive. Lay was...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Jan. 31-Feb. 2
This weekend, we’ll get to find out whether Phil’s bringing us an early spring or six more weeks of this already-too-long winter. Whatever the weather, here are some things to do around town. Brigid This weekend is a holiday honoring Celtic goddess and Catholic saint Brigid, so come join a...
Pittsburgh woman settles civil rights lawsuit against city, Allegheny County for $70K
A Pittsburgh woman who sued Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh over claims of civil rights violations, false arrest and violent treatment has settled her federal case for a total of $70,000. The county last week paid Joanna Obuzor, 41, of the city’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood, $62,500 after approval from...
Summer Lee, Pittsburgh officials, advocates slam ‘deplorable conditions’ at region’s subsidized housing
Pittsburgh officials and housing advocates are grappling with how to address serious safety issues at privately owned, publicly subsidized housing complexes throughout the region. During a Wednesday City Council meeting, advocates painted a disturbing picture of babies living in apartments plagued by mold, families finding raccoons living in their ceilings...
Tupelo Honey reopens in Station Square after rectifying rodent issue
The biscuits are back. A Southern-themed comfort food bar and restaurant in Station Square has reopened after addressing pest management concerns discovered last year by the Allegheny Health Department. Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar first opened in January 2022. In October, the restaurant closed after receiving several pest citations....
‘You left a hole in our soul’: Man who killed 3 in Homewood gets life
Each person who stepped to the front of the courtroom Thursday wondered the same thing about Ronald Steave. How could he have murdered Nandi Fitzgerald — the mother of his own son — on New Year’s Eve 2021? How could he have seen Fitzgerald’s 12-year-old son, Buddy, who he knew...
Pittsburgh council president says Gainey favors acting police chief for permanent post
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is close to nominating the city’s acting police chief, a 30-year veteran officer, to lead the police bureau on a permanent basis, City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle said Wednesday. If Gainey presses ahead with Christopher Ragland, he will have to make the case for a...
2 more Pittsburgh restaurants to close their doors
Two more Pittsburgh restaurants are set to close their doors soon. Oak Hill Post, based in the city’s Brookline neighborhood, announced its closure via social media Friday after more than seven years in business. “After seven great years we have decided that the time to hang up our aprons is...
Pittsburgh Planning Commission backs Gainey’s zoning proposal for affordable homes
The Pittsburgh Planning Commission on Tuesday voted to support a zoning package Mayor Ed Gainey has presented in an effort to bolster affordable housing. The commission voted against a dueling proposal pitched by Councilman Bob Charland. Gainey proposed to expand inclusionary zoning — a zoning regulation requiring all large-scale developments...
Pittsburgh businessman Thomas West announces run for mayor on GOP ticket
Yet another candidate for Pittsburgh mayor has entered the race to unseat Ed Gainey. Thomas West, a 48-year-old businessman from Highland Park, is running as a Republican. He will battle Anthony Moreno, a former Pittsburgh police officer, for the GOP nomination in the May primary. West announced his candidacy Tuesday...
Pittsburgh pays $200K to man hurt by police during 2020 George Floyd protests
The City of Pittsburgh agreed in September to pay $200,000 to settle a lawsuit by a man who said police knocked out two of his teeth with a projectile while quashing the May 30, 2020, George Floyd protests Downtown. City Council unanimously approved the payment at its meeting Dec. 10....
Pittsburgh Planning Commission approves apartments at Hazelwood Green
Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a new 50-unit apartment complex at the Hazelwood Green development in the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood. The five-story building will designate half of its units as affordable housing for low-income residents. Thirteen apartments are to be set aside for single parents seeking housing while pursuing...
Pittsburgh, police review board probe 2 use-of-force incidents
Pittsburgh’s Office of Municipal Investigations and the independent Citizen Police Review Board are scrutinizing two unrelated incidents last month in which city police used force to make arrests. The arrests have elicited concerns among the NAACP’s Pittsburgh branch and other leaders in the city’s Black community, who have a meeting...
Pittsburgh council mulls referendum to bar sale of water, sewer systems to private entities
Pittsburgh voters may be asked to vote in May on whether the city should be restricted from leasing or selling its water and sewer systems to private entities. Legislation introduced Tuesday to City Council would pose the question to voters as a ballot referendum, which a majority would need to...
$4,000 murder-for-hire scheme sends Mt. Lebanon killer to prison for up to 36 years
A Mt. Lebanon man who was paid $4,000 in drugs and cash to kill a McKees Rocks woman in 2022 will serve at least 18 years in prison. Alec Stefanovits, 30, told the judge on Tuesday that he was in a drug-fueled craze when he killed Ashley Roberts on Jan....
Super Bowl Sunday FanFest at Acrisure Stadium reaches maximum capacity
The first Super Bowl FanFest in Pittsburgh, a free event, is at capacity. Verizon is bringing a Super Bowl LIX experience to 30 NFL cities across the country, including 20 NFL stadiums. Acrisure Stadium is one of them. Fans will have access to the UPMC Club Level and FedEx Great...
Diona Jones takes the helm at Pittsburgh’s East End Cooperative Ministry
Diona Jones has dedicated her life to her passion — community service. The new president and CEO of East End Cooperative Ministry has been in the new role for little over a week, but she’s already making an impact. “This definitely has been a blessing. This door opened up, so...
Morning Roundup: Fire crews called twice to Carrick home; latest police arrest numbers
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Jan. 28: Fire crews called twice to Carrick home After extinguishing flames at a home in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood early Tuesday morning, fire crews were called back to the scene hours later. Firefighters were first dispatched to the...
Carrick man who won new trial in 2017 slaying gets reduced sentence in plea deal
A Carrick man whose conviction for third-degree murder was overturned because of a faulty jury instruction had his sentence vastly reduced after pleading guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter, a lesser charge. Derek Vasos, 45, already served 7 1/2 years in prison on the case and will not have any additional...
Gainey rejects Pittsburgh cooperation with ICE amid immigration crackdown
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Monday said his administration would not work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His comments during an appearance in Harrisburg come amid heightened concerns from the local immigrant community about ICE raids. President Donald Trump has issued quotas for the immigration enforcement agency to ramp...
‘No remorse’: 2 men get life in prison for murder at Larimer gas station
Two men will spend the rest of their lives in prison after being sentenced Monday for a murder four years ago outside a gas station in Larimer. Michael A. James, 30, of Beaver Falls, and Randall Jones, 32, of Chicago, were sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J....
