This weekend’s traffic disruptions: Blue Line on the light rail, McKnight Road, Parkway East
This weekend’s traffic disruptions focus on Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s light rail system but also include regulars McKnight Road and the Parkway East. Pittsburgh Regional Transit A series of four weekend closures of stations on the Blue Line begin at 8 p.m. Friday at McNeilly Station, which will be closed until the start of service on…
Allderdice community shocked, saddened by death of longtime football coach Jerry Haslett
Just a month before he was set to begin his 16th season as Allderdice’s football coach, Jerry Haslett died Wednesday at the age of 59. In 15 years at the helm, Haslett helped transform the Dragons from City League cellar-dwellers to perennial title contenders, taking his team on nine trips to the championship game while…
Lucky’s steel mill eagle parents are empty nesters
The bald eagle faithful who have been watching Claire, Irvin and Lucky over the past month should not worry if they have not spotted the juvenile in the U.S. Steel Mon Valley Irvin Works nest. He has not been there, plant manager Don German said. “Right now, Lucky has not been back to the nest…
A Penn Hills candy factory is making life sweeter for folks on the autism spectrum
It’s a dog day summer afternoon and Nathan Amorino, Joe Pawlowski and Amalia Insogna are busy making bark. After shattering sheets of solid chocolate, they weigh the bite-sized pieces, bag and heat-seal the treats, then gleefully slap a Spectrum Fudge label on each package. It’s a simple job, but one that has an extraordinary impact on people…
Rail safety measure needed to prevent ‘ticking time bombs’ in rail yards, House members hear
Big rail companies’ obsession with increased profits is leaving a trail of carnage in American communities as well as in rail yards, lawmakers heard Tuesday. The list of victims includes the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, who continue to deal with the fallout of a toxic Norfolk Southern train derailment in February 2023. One union…
‘Quick build:’ Speed humps, brighter crosswalks, better sidewalks improving street safety in Pittsburgh neighborhoods
Pittsburgh is putting an extra emphasis on improving the safety of the streets in its neighborhoods, and the effort is beginning to show positive results. The city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure is using its discretionary funds to pay for relatively inexpensive improvements such as sidewalks, speed humps, crosswalk improvements, parking restrictions near intersections, and…
Free ride: Pittsburgh Regional Transit to offer employers and other groups bulk transit passes at reduced cost
After a successful trial last year, Pittsburgh Regional Transit will start a program early next year to offer employers, apartment owners and schools the opportunity to buy blocks of transit passes at sharply reduced prices. The program, called the PRTner Pass, would make 31-day passes that normally sell for $97.50 available to groups for $28…
Hazelwood summer camp teaches life lessons along with rowing on the Mon River
Hazelwood rises above the Monongahela River’s banks. Most of its residents, including its youngsters, have little contact with it, including water sports. The Center of Life summer camp program has challenged that with a rowing program for its 11- to 14-year-old participants through a partnership with Central Catholic High School’s crew team, led by alumnus…
‘Give Back King’: Go-getter Jamal Woodson a leader on and off the court
The rumor that Jamal Woodson never sleeps turns out to be unfounded. “I sleep 3½ hours a night,” said Woodson, a Murrysville resident. Woodson, 45, seems to always be on the go, just as his long list of job titles would indicate. Basketball is close to Woodson’s heart. A former player at Pitt Greensburg, Woodson…
In other news …
East Allegheny builds on its past with revitalized, ‘remarkable’ Chestnut Street
Erik Kath, an architect by profession, had lobbied Pittsburgh officials to respect the history of Chestnut Street in East Allegheny as plans moved forward to rehabilitate the street. Kath, a member of the board at Community Alliance of Spring Garden — East Deutschtown, and many of his neighbors especially wanted to keep the brick surface…
Heritage plans to remodel Braddock building as new headquarters, kitchen for nutrition program
As it enters its 41st year as a human services agency in the Monongahela Valley, Heritage Community Initiatives has become a victim of its own success. Based in a former Mellon Bank building in Braddock, the agency operates programs in transportation, nutrition and early childhood education. Fueled by needs during the pandemic, Heritage’s budget has…
The Chosen One: Franklin Regional grad, local wrestling prodigy Spencer Lee heading to Paris in pursuit of lifelong dream with Olympic gold medal in sight
For as long as he can remember, Spencer Lee has always been “the chosen one.” A three-time PIAA champion at Franklin Regional, a three-time NCAA champion at the University of Iowa and a three-time age-level World champion during his scholastic career, Lee is a certified wrestling wunderkind and a prodigy of the highest order. Yet…
