Julia Burdelski stories, Page 5
Will Mupeta disliked police but now wants to join the force — a high school program changed his mind
Will Mupeta didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. Then he attended a career fair the city of Pittsburgh hosted Downtown. He learned about public safety jobs and wondered whether a career as a firefighter or EMT might be in his future. That encouraged him to sign...
O’Connor ramps up Clean and Lien program attacking blight in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor on a frigid Friday morning stepped over scraps of multicolored wrappers and chunks of concrete in a blighted lot on Dove Way in Knoxville. Behind him sat a city dump truck packed full of trash that crews had cleaned from the property that morning: heaps of...
Plans for $500M Bakery Square expansion retooled by Walnut Capital
Dwindling demand for office space has forced a developer to rethink a major expansion of its sprawling Bakery Square development in Pittsburgh’s East End and focus on retail and housing instead of office space. Pittsburgh-based developer Walnut Capital for years has been eyeing a 14-acre, $500 million extension of its...
Pittsburgh councilman pushes referendum to avert future budget pitfalls
It could have been a deadline-busting budget disaster. Late last year, a dissatisfied Pittsburgh City Council ripped up parts of the 2026 spending plan submitted by then-Mayor Ed Gainey and inserted a 20% property tax hike. A Dec. 21 council vote sent the $693 million spending plan to Gainey. He...
New mayor, new effort by Pittsburgh council to kill master plan contracts
Pittsburgh City Council is trying once again to kill two controversial contracts. Legislation introduced Tuesday proposes to terminate a pair of costly contracts totaling about $6 million for consultants working on a citywide comprehensive plan meant to guide zoning and development for the next 25 years. Council already passed the...
‘It’s the Wild West’: Pittsburgh council eyes short-term rental crackdown
Pittsburgh City Council is once again grappling with how to regulate short-term rentals, like the Airbnb and Vrbo properties that have become popular in recent years. Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, in July introduced legislation aimed at regulating the rentals. The measure died at the end of the year, as...
O’Connor unveils Main and Main initiative to revitalize Pittsburgh business districts
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor on Tuesday promised to help rebuild neighborhood business districts, like the stretch of Homewood Avenue in the city’s East End that he toured as he launched his Main and Main initiative. Main and Main, O’Connor said, will promote revitalization and investment in business districts throughout the...
Pittsburgh councilwoman seeks $20M annually to dedicated fund for city fleet
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Barb Warwick on Tuesday plans to introduce legislation to create a $20 million trust fund dedicated to buying new vehicles. The effort aims to address the city’s longstanding problems with a fleet of aging vehicles that are prone to breakdowns and often in need of costly repairs....
‘It looks like he’s everywhere’: O’Connor’s busy 1st week as Pittsburgh mayor
Moments after delivering an election night victory speech, Corey O’Connor told reporters that, as Pittsburgh’s new mayor, “We have to start on day one.” He’s done just that. O’Connor, 41, spent the day before his inauguration setting up his new workspace, bringing paintings by his young kids and family photos...
O’Connor vows Pittsburgh won’t cooperate with ICE
Days after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor reaffirmed that he will not cooperate with ICE. Former Mayor Ed Gainey had taken the same position. “My stance never changed,” O’Connor told TribLive on Friday. “We’re not going to cooperate.”...
O’Connor tackles Pittsburgh’s problems clearing snow
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor’s first week in office has been unseasonably warm, but the new mayor nonetheless has been preparing for snow. The city often faces criticism for how long it takes to plow and treat roads after snowfalls. When snow blanketed the city’s streets in December, some roads remained...
O’Connor fills top roles, installs Jason Lando as acting Pittsburgh police chief
Jason Lando is serving as Pittsburgh’s acting police chief as Mayor Corey O’Connor fills top roles in his administration and waits for City Council to vet and approve certain positions. After O’Connor was sworn in Monday, he submitted to council various appointments to fill key posts, mayoral spokeswoman Molly Onufer...
Shapiro formally launches reelection campaign in Allegheny County
Gov. Josh Shapiro promised to be “a governor for all Pennsylvanians” as he formally announced his reelection campaign Thursday in a Pittsburgh suburb. “Most Pennsylvanians want the same few things,” Shapiro told a crowd of officials and supporters at the Carpenters Union Local 432 building in Collier, six miles southwest...
Pa. regulators assess how electric companies handled deadly April storm
A comprehensive report issued this week by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on the deadly April 29 storm in Southwestern Pennsylvania found utility companies’ preparations were “generally appropriate” but said there was room for improvement. The commission analyzed how electric companies responded to the massive storm whose 70-80 mph winds...
Pittsburgh investment manager pleads guilty to $3.7M wire fraud
A Pittsburgh investment manager pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single count of wire fraud to resolve accusations he diverted more than $3.7 million from a family’s investment fund. Thomas Pipich Jr., 74, will be sentenced May 12 in federal court. The maximum sentence can include up to 20 years in...
O’Connor tours Downtown with an eye to fixing it up
As Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor led a cadre of city officials on a walk through Downtown on Tuesday afternoon, he stopped every few blocks to point out something that could be improved. An old sign needed to be taken town. A sunken crosswalk should be fixed. Spray paint markings that...
O’Connor’s 1st executive order aims to streamline permitting process in Pittsburgh
On the campaign trail, Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor vowed to attract more businesses, housing and development. On Tuesday, his first full day as mayor, O’Connor signed an executive order that he hopes will be a starting point for that goal. The order gives various city departments — including the Department...
Amy Weise Clements becomes acting Allegheny County controller
Amy Weise Clements on Monday stepped into the role of acting Allegheny County controller, replacing Corey O’Connor, who left the post to become Pittsburgh’s mayor. Weise Clements has served as deputy controller since O’Connor’s predecessor, Chelsa Wagner, appointed her in 2012. Previously, she was Allegheny County’s budget director for eight...
Pittsburgh council welcomes fresh face to its ranks, District 2’s Kim Salinetro
Pittsburgh’s newest City Council member, Democrat Kim Salinetro, who will represent the city’s West End neighborhoods, took the oath of office on Monday. Salinetro was sworn in alongside returning council members Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, R. Daniel Lavelle, D-Hill District, and Erika Strassburger, D-Squirrel Hill, all of whom won another term....
Corey O’Connor sworn in as Pittsburgh’s 62nd mayorVideo
Corey O’Connor, the Squirrel Hill native, former Pittsburgh councilman and champion of paid sick leave and gun reform, on Monday became the city’s 62nd mayor, following in the footsteps of his father and vowing to foster growth and opportunity for his hometown. District Judge James J. Hanley administered the oath...
Liberty Avenue lane closures in Pittsburgh’s Strip District to start Monday
A portion of Liberty Avenue in the Strip District will close starting Monday as Pittsburgh Water replaces a water valve under the road. Three of four lanes of the street will be closed from 2525 to 2625 Liberty Ave., including both outbound lanes and one inbound lane. A detour will...
Taxes, rent, ballots: What the new rule on postmarks means for your mail
People relying on the U.S. Postal Service to mail time-sensitive documents may need to take additional steps to make sure postmarks aren’t late if they’re cutting it close to key deadlines. A new federal rule that took effect last week clarifies the postmark — the stamp that provides proof the...
O’Connor to be sworn in as Pittsburgh’s 62nd mayor in ceremony at Carnegie Music Hall
Corey O’Connor will be sworn in as Pittsburgh’s 62nd mayor Monday afternoon in a ceremony at Carnegie Music Hall in the city’s Oakland neighborhood. O’Connor, who previously served on Pittsburgh City Council for a decade before becoming Allegheny County controller, defeated outgoing Mayor Ed Gainey in the Democratic primary. He...
Ousted after 1 term, Ed Gainey leaves complex legacy as Pittsburgh’s 1st Black mayor
Ed Gainey swept into office four years ago as Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor, vowing to be a changemaker who would reimagine policing, make the city affordable for everyone and uplift minority voices. He strode into City Hall with bold ambitions. He was immediately confronted with challenges. Gainey had been in...
Pittsburgh Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith retires
After 16 years on Pittsburgh City Council, Theresa Kail-Smith is retiring. That doesn’t mean she plans to stay away from council chambers, however. Kail-Smith said she expects to return to offer her perspective during the public comment periods that open each meeting. “Being a council member’s not all glitz and...
