Julia Burdelski stories

Pittsburghers voting in Tuesday’s primary will select the candidate to represent their party in November’s general election for mayor and, in some wards, for City Council. They will weigh in on a series of ballot referendums and openings for judges on Allegheny County Common Pleas and appellate courts. They’ll also...

A report commissioned by Pittsburgh’s Sports and Exhibition Authority places blame solely on the Pittsburgh Pirates for a controversial decision to scrap personalized, fan-purchased bricks at PNC Park without telling anyone. “It was the Pirates, not the SEA or any of its contractors, that made the decision to dispose of...

When Aaron Allen took a minimum wage job in 2009, he found the $7.25-an-hour rate was barely enough to pay his rent. Allen worked more than 40 hours a week at a restaurant but put off medical treatments because he couldn’t afford to see a doctor. He recalled how he...

Football fans wondering how long they have to wait until Pittsburgh hosts the 2026 NFL Draft can now stop by the North Shore for a to-the-second countdown. The 18-foot tall clock — now showing just over 346 days — sits in the sprawling lawn across from Stage AE. The massive...

The inaugural Jim Roddey Leadership Awards will recognize two local leaders and honor the legacy of the first Allegheny County executive. The first recipients are Laura Ellsworth, partner-in-charge of global community service initiatives at law firm Jones Day, and Mark Nordenberg, former chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. Roddey died...

Speaking late last month at a Hill District rally, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey claimed to be building “unprecedented unity” in his bid for a second term. That may be more wishful thinking than reality. Neither Gainey nor his primary election rival, Corey O’Connor, appears to be a surefire winner with...

When severe storms rolled through the region last week, Bill Robinson watched the downpours and battering winds wreak havoc on his yard in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood The winds were so strong that he struggled to open his door to let his dog, Lola, in the house. By the time the...

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, May 9: Police investigate after woman shows up to hospital with gunshot wound Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting after a woman showed up at a local hospital with a gunshot wound. Police said a 34-year-old woman was...

Pittsburgh’s top emergency management official, who was away during last week’s severe storms, violated protocol by failing to notify city leaders of his absence and who would take over for him. Darryl Jones, the city’s emergency management coordinator and fire chief, acknowledged Thursday he did not alert Controller Rachael Heisler...

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, May 8: 2 injured in Apollo fire Two people were taken to the hospital after a fire in Apollo early Thursday morning. The blaze started around 1:10 a.m. Thursday in the 400 block of Kiski Avenue, according to...

The developer looking to build a Ferris wheel, housing, entertainment space and other amenities to a sprawling riverside property in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood cleared a major hurdle Tuesday as Allegheny County Council provided the last needed approval for a critical tax diversion. Cecil-based Piatt Companies has now earned approval from...

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, May 7: Pittsburgh man turns himself in after firing gun near recreation center A man who fired a gun Monday near Pittsburgh’s Brookline Recreation Center turned himself in to police, officials said. Joseph Drewery, 35, of Pittsburgh faces...

Tracy Moffat experienced only a minor hiccup with her Real ID as she used it for the first time Wednesday to fly from Boston to Pittsburgh. The identification requirement, which went into effect Wednesday, mandates anyone 18 or older present a Real ID or other acceptable identification — like a...

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved letting developers build housing on smaller lots than they now can. It may seem like an esoteric issue, but the move to shrink minimum lot size requirements is seen as an important step to unlock more land for residential development in the city and...

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, May 6: Woman shot in Rankin A woman was shot multiple times in Rankin early Tuesday morning, according to Allegheny County Police. County 911 was notified at 12:39 a.m. of a shooting in the 200 block of 4th...

A PNC Park employee was suspended after fighting with a fan after Sunday’s Pirates game. As fans were leaving the North Shore ballpark, an argument broke out between two male fans and a female food and beverage employee, said Brian Warecki, senior vice president of communications for the Pittsburgh Pirates....

PennDOT is set to begin installing wrong-way detection technology along Route 28 on Monday. The technology will be added to off-ramps in Pittsburgh, Millvale, Sharpsburg, Etna, Aspinwall, Shaler, O’Hara and Harmar. Shoulder restrictions will occur weekdays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Millvale exit through Friday. Officials will...

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, May 5: Pittsburgh police take man in custody after standoff On Sunday morning, Pittsburgh police took a man into custody following a SWAT situation in the city’s Lincoln Place neighborhood. Police reported SWAT activity in the 5700 block...

West Mifflin police officers left a visibly injured assault victim untreated in a holding cell for more than nine hours after arresting him last summer, leading to his death three days later, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Monday. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh,...

The Highland Park Community Council will hold a public meeting Thursday on the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium’s proposal to build a new giraffe barn, part of a 20-year makeover unveiled in the fall. The zoo will seek approval from Pittsburgh’s Public Art and Civic Design Commission for the structure, which...

Pittsburgh’s marathon route has been cleared of downed wires and debris from this week’s storms, officials said Friday, and runners this weekend can look forward to “optimal” conditions and a massive public safety presence. The Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend, which is expecting record-breaking attendance, will draw tens of...

Pennsylvania State Police on Thursday announced charges in an animal cruelty case in Fayette County. Police have charged Ryan Murphy and Paige Miske with aggravated cruelty to animals, neglect of animals and several other charges. Troopers responded two weeks ago to a home in the 800 block of Clover Street...

PennDOT announced nearly a month of weeknight closures of the Parkway East eastbound in Pittsburgh, set to begin Monday night and run through late May. The overnight closures on Interstate 376 will last Mondays through Thursdays from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. at the Birmingham Bridge. An additional overnight closure...

Another round of storms could hit the region Friday even as crews work to restore power to thousands who have been in the dark since Tuesday. The National Weather Service in Moon says there is a chance of damaging wind, large hail and heavy downpours in the Western Pennsylvania region...

Pittsburgh is facing concerning but manageable financial challenges amid declining revenues, an end to federal pandemic relief money and broad economic uncertainty, city Controller Rachael Heisler said Thursday. “I am very concerned about where things are headed,” Heisler said as she released the 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, which outlines...