Ready or not, politics is back; this time it’s all local as O’Connor launches his bid for mayor
Tuesday was a perfect day for Pittsburghers who emerged from the just-finished and exhausting presidential campaign with a yearning for more talk of hopes and visions and failures of leaders past. Need another debate about crime and budgets and government waste? The ’Burgh has got your back. For those desperate to break from politics ……
PennDOT seeking public comment for state’s five-year rail plan
Pennsylvania is developing its next federally required five-year plan for rail service, but many of the projects are already known and underway. At an online meeting Tuesday on the 2025 plan, Department of Transportation officials outlined work that will bring back a second Amtrak passenger train between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and renew service between Scranton…
Conservancy events aim to ensure all ages can enjoy winter activities in Pittsburgh’s parks
Winter weather has arrived in Pittsburgh, but it’s no reason to stay inside all the time. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy staff has planned a schedule of free and accessible programs for all ages in the city’s green spaces despite the cooler temperatures and the possibility of white stuff. Its winter programming started last month with the unveiling…
‘To play in that arena, it’s as close to a big-time college atmosphere that some of these guys will get’: Pittsburgh Holiday Hoops Classic returns to PPG Paints Arena for second year
On its way to winning a WPIAL boys basketball title last season, Moon played at some cool venues and in front of some big crowds, the highlight being its championship win at Petersen Events Center. But one place the Tigers didn’t dribble a ball or fire up a shot was PPG Paints Arena, which hosted…
Tuesday basketball rundown: Upper St. Clair coach Danny Holzer joins 500-win club with win over Norwin in section opener; Deer Lakes boys outlast Mohawk in 2OT
After opening section play with a 57-42 home win against Norwin on Tuesday night, Upper St. Clair coach Danny Holzer didn’t exactly sound like a man who had just reached one of the pinnacles of his 30-year coaching career. “We were terrible,” Holzer said after becoming the 21st coach in WPIAL history to reach 500…
PUP girls basketball notebook: New Mt. Lebanon coach Mark “Knobby” Walsh off to a promising start as he transitions to being a girls coach for first time
Mark “Knobby” Walsh had made a career of being a high school boys basketball head coach, which included a highly successful 13-year run at Seton LaSalle. But Walsh, to the surprise of many, decided in June to become a girls coach for the first time when he accepted the head coaching position at Mt. Lebanon.…
PIAA championship notebook: Fresh off historic playoff run, Luca Neal’s return gives Avonworth plenty to look forward to in 2025
They say every day a star is born — but in high school football, stars are rarely born this late in the season. As a complementary piece in Avonworth’s backfield alongside his older brother, Luca Neal rushed for only 213 yards on 26 carries during the regular season. But Avonworth made a late-season switch to the…
District college football: Slippery Rock’s revenge tour continues with victory against California in Super Region One championship; Carnegie Mellon hangs tough, but falls to Mount Union
For the second consecutive week, Slippery Rock had unfinished business against an NCAA Division II playoff opponent on the road. The Rock emphatically continued its revenge tour Saturday afternoon. No. 11 Slippery Rock dominated host No. 20 California University of Pennsylvania from the onset of the NCAA Super Region One championship game, racking up 399…
In other news …
Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities’ project helps cat folx keep the strays they care for and their own pets healthy
Sue Kerr loves cats and especially the stray cats living in Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhoods and adjacent communities that she and a community of people care for daily. She’s equally passionate about the people who care for them, whom she calls “cat folx” to avoid gendered language and include cat people’s racial and ethnic diversity.…
McKeesport Community Newsroom grateful for early holiday gift that will keep it operating for another year
Martha Rial and her McKeesport Community Newsroom participants and friends will celebrate the holiday season this Thursday. The occasion, though, will fete something much bigger for the project: funding that will keep it running for another year. Point Park University had sponsored the program for five years with help from the Allegheny and Pittsburgh foundations.…
Hiring leads to sharp drop in missed trips for Pittsburgh Regional Transit
After years of chronic driver shortages, Pittsburgh Regional Transit ramped up its recruitment and training efforts in the past year. That work is beginning to pay off. CEO Katharine Eagan Kelleman told the authority board last month that for the first time since before the pandemic the agency is able to fully staff its route…
