Pittsburgh category, Page 357
Irwin man gets 15 years for role as ringleader of gang’s drug operation
An Irwin man who led a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Western Pennsylvania will serve 15 years in prison. Christopher Highsmith, who was responsible for the distribution of 1,000 to 3,000 kilograms of heroin and fentanyl, pleaded guilty to a single count of drug conspiracy in September before U.S. District...
1st Pittsburgh International Literary Festival to get people talking, reading
The Pittsburgh International Literary Festival, known as “LitFest,” hopes to get people talking through reading. Hosted by the City of Asylum @ Alphabet City based on Pittsburgh’s North Side, the virtual event will feature authors from all over the world discussing topics that encompass Black, Indigenous and all people of...
Covid vaccine appointments available today at Heinz Field
People seeking a covid-19 vaccination can get one Wednesday through a Giant Eagle-sponsored clinic at Heinz Field. Dick Roberts, spokesman for the O’Hara-based company, said appointments remain available at the event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Giant Eagle partnered with Pittsburgh Public Schools for the clinic, with a specific...
Safe at home: Pierogies will once again race inside PNC Park
The racing pierogies are back where many fans believe they belong. Cheese Chester, Sauerkraut Saul, Jalapeno Hannah, Bacon Burt and Oliver Onion will once again be participating in the “The Great Pittsburgh Pierogy Race” inside PNC Park starting Monday. Brian Warecki, Pirates senior vice president for communications, confirmed the races...
Ammonia leak detected at Strip District building in Pittsburgh
A Pittsburgh hazmat crew was able to clear the way for repairmen to fix an ammonia leak in a building in Pittsburgh’s Strip District on Tuesday night, a Public Safety spokesperson said. The leak occurred at Consumer’s Produce on 21st Street, officials said. The city’s hazmat team was alerted around...
Pittsburgh Planning Commission OKs plans for new FNB headquarters in Lower Hill District
The development of the former Civic Arena site in the Lower Hill District cleared another hurdle in approvals for its $1 billion plan. But it took more than five hours of testimony Tuesday at the Pittsburgh Planning Commission before the vote to approve the first phase of the project. It...
Police: Teen missing from Homewood since Sunday has been found safe
Pittsburgh police have safely located a missing teen. Authorities early Wednesday said Jaquaya Dixon, 16, was found safe. Dixon had last been seen Sunday evening in Homewood. Public safety officials thanked the public for their help in locating Dixon....
Pittsburgh man guilty of sharing child sex abuse videos online
A Pittsburgh-area man nabbed by the FBI pleaded guilty to distributing videos of child sex abuse and exploitation, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. George Goodwin, 49, is serving home detention pending his sentencing hearing after paying a $50,000 bond, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman said. U.S. District Judge Nicholas Ranjan...
Local bookstore White Whale and Strip District Terminal developer dispute failed deal for lease
A small crowd rallied outside White Whale Bookstore in Bloomfield on Tuesday, supporting the Pittsburgh shop’s dispute with a developer over a failed plan for a second location. In a series of tweets Monday afternoon, the independent, family-owned bookstore said that until recently, it had been planning to expand with...
Lawsuit against Allegheny County judge over virtual access dismissed
A lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations against an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge has been formally dismissed. In March, the Abolitionist Law Center’s Court Watch program sued Judge Anthony M. Mariani in federal court alleging that he was refusing to provide access to proceedings before him. The program alleged that...
Pittsburgh to consider restrictions on plastic bags
Pittsburgh City Council will be considering legislation to restrict single-use plastic bags under a resolution introduced Tuesday by Councilwoman Erika Strassburger. “It’s not the kind of product that should be used once and then thrown away,” Strassburger said. “If we’re truly going to have a circular economy, we have to...
Carnegie Museum of Art plans free, outdoor summer events
Carnegie Museum of Art is going “Inside Out” for a free summer event series. Featuring DJs, pop-up performances of site-specific commissions, arts activities and workshops, kid-friendly treats and local food trucks and beverages, the event will take place 4-8 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, June 5-Sept. 4, in...
Son of Holocaust survivors, designer of Berlin’s Jewish Museum chosen to lead Tree of Life rebuildVideo
The son of Holocaust survivors will help rebuild the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the congregation’s board of trustees announced Tuesday, 2½ years after the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in the country. Daniel Libeskind was selected unanimously by the Tree of Life - Or L’Simcha board of trustees to...
1 person taken to hospital from fire in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood
Pittsburgh fire marshal is investigating after a fire at an Allentown home resulted on one person needing hospitalization. Allegheny County dispatchers said the two-alarm fire started around 9:45 p.m. Monday along the 400 block of Iberia Street. FINAL UPDATE:This fire was declared under control at 10:17 p.m.All occupants are accounted...
Fire in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood injures 1
One person was taken to a hospital in connection with fire in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood. Allegheny County dispatch said a fire broke out in a home at 3010 Bergman Street around 5:45 p.m. Monday. City fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire. Dispatch said emergency responders began clearing...
Pittsburgh to track gun violence data with help from ‘Everytown’ grant
Gun violence is on the rise in Pittsburgh and city officials are coming up with a variety of ways to combat it. Legislation being introduced to City Council Tuesday would accept a $200,000 grant from Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country, to support...
Fountain flows for the season at Point State Park
The fountain at Point State Park is flowing for the season. This is the 47th year for the fountain, which has become a landmark at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh. An old friend in @DowntownPitt is back for its 47th...
Plans for redevelopment of Civic Arena site set for approval
The Pittsburgh Planning Commission on Tuesday will consider approving plans for the first phase of development of the former Civic Arena site in the city’s Hill District. The plans are centered on a 24-story, $200 million office tower that will be the new headquarters for FNB Corp. Construction on the...
Pittsburgh council, activists to talk about ‘mass displacement’ of Black residents
A former Penn Plaza resident who was displaced when the East Liberty apartment building was razed in 2017 is part of a group seeking acknowledgement from Pittsburgh leaders that Black people are leaving the city in large numbers. “This is an injustice,” said Randall Taylor, who now lives in Homewood...
Former Pitt player Rashad Weaver charged with assault in April incident on South Side
Former Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver — drafted into NFL by the Tennessee Titans over the weekend — is facing assault charges related to an incident last month on Pittsburgh’s South Side. The alleged assault — an altercation with a woman on East Carson Street — happened April 18, according...
Hood ornament exhibition opens at The Frick PittsburghVideo
They sit perched on the front of a car. Each represents a specific brand. At first they had a purpose. These days, they are mainly for show. A collection of car hood ornaments are on display at “Cast in Chrome: The Art of Hood Ornaments,” an exhibition at The Car...
Homewood man dies after being rescued from fire
A Homewood man died after being pulled from his burning apartment early Monday, authorities said. Emergency crews responded at 3:40 a.m. to a blaze in the 500 block of Clawson Street and found flames shooting from the second story, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews. Firefighters were able...
Cyril Wecht’s memoir tells renowned forensic pathologist’s personal storyVideo
Cyril Wecht has never been one to hold his tongue. When the former Allegheny County coroner and county commissioner is bothered by something, he speaks his mind. The same holds true for his recently published memoir, “The Life and Deaths of Cyril Wecht: Memoirs of America’s Most Controversial Forensic Pathologist.”...
Team DetermiNation races through North Park in lieu of canceled Pittsburgh Marathon
The Pittsburgh Marathon may have been canceled Sunday but not runner Cathy O’Brien’s will to compete. The mother of four from Marshall Township joined an impromptu race at North Park in lieu of the 13-mile half-marathon she trained for. She was among 10 members of the American Cancer Society’s (ACS)...
Guardian Angels on earth: Highmark sponsored service dogs assist veterans
Charlie and Blue are more than a man’s best friend. The German shepherds are lifesavers. If Dan Smith’s blood sugar is approaching dangerous levels at night, Charlie, who sleeps on a cot next to Smith’s bed, wakes him up. Right before Shar’Ron Harris is about to have a seizure, Blue...
