Julia Felton

When the covid-19 pandemic struck, local event organizers like Dena Stanley were left scrambling to find ways to keep their celebrations alive. Stanley, co-founder of Pittsburgh Pride Group, said the organization couldn’t put its annual Pride parade and festival together during the pandemic because of a lack of funding. The

Pittsburgh City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle on Wednesday defended council’s decision to hold two closed-doors meetings next week despite concerns from legal experts and good-government advocates who say such sessions should be open to the public. Lavelle, D-Hill District, said at least one of the off-limits sessions scheduled for

Pittsburgh has figured out a way to defuse a controversy over dueling Juneteenth celebrations: Give money to both. The city is now poised to help fund two separate Juneteenth events next month after a longtime event organizer last week condemned Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration for initially proposing to steer cash

A citywide master plan meant to guide Pittsburgh for the next 20 years has faced criticism for being nonbinding, too expensive — and vague. On Tuesday, a top city official rendered that last complaint moot by providing details about the $6 million project to the city’s Planning Commission. The master

Meredith Peterson looks at parks differently from most. As executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Pittsburgh and the mother of a 16-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome, she knows that many people outside the disability community don’t realize how inaccessible parks can be to some. Something as simple as

Scoring the 2026 NFL draft is a major win for Pittsburgh and will likely be the biggest event the city has ever hosted, enthusiastic local leaders said at a formal announcement Thursday at Acrisure Stadium. Officials touted the three-day celebration as an opportunity to attract visitors, bolster the local economy

The longtime organizer of Pittsburgh’s most well-known Juneteenth festival harshly condemned Mayor Ed Gainey on Wednesday after learning that the city will not fund his event but will instead pay for a separate celebration of the federal holiday by a different promoter. The move marks a shift by Pittsburgh, which

Pittsburgh Public Schools announced it will transition students and staff to remote learning Tuesday and Wednesday at more than half its schools because of hot weather. Thirty-nine facilities that lack air conditioning will be closed as the district triggers its extreme heat protocol. Teachers will conduct classes over Microsoft Teams.

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, May 17: Hopewell Area school bus driver suspended after alleged gun incident A Hopewell Area School District bus driver was suspended after he was accused of bringing a gun on a school bus while transporting students. Superintendent Jeff

Touted as a “one-of-a-kind fusion of nature, community and craft brews,” the inaugural Parks on Tap Tour is set to hit Pittsburgh parks this summer. The event marks a new collaboration between the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and Lawrenceville-based Eleventh Hour Brewing. The brewery will donate a portion of proceeds from

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, May 13: Police say fired car dealership worker threatened extortion A former car dealership employee in Indiana County, who had been fired from his job, allegedly threatened to release customer data if the dealership didn’t give him more

Pittsburgh’s top fiscal watchdog has launched an investigation into more than $18,000 in payments made by the city to a former employee turned contractor. Controller Rachael Heisler said Monday that she was looking into possible violations of the state ethics law and, more broadly, rules governing the use of city

Sunday morning was all about testing limits and inspiring others — one step at a time — at the 2024 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. Karen Losego, 39, of Mt. Lebanon was in tears after finishing her first half marathon. “I’ve just always really hated running and I just wanted

Controversy is flaring over this year’s Pittsburgh Pride festival after event organizers claimed that state officials prevented them from holding the annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community at Point State Park in the Golden Triangle. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which runs the park, countered that there

Pittsburgh officials on Tuesday unveiled the newest addition to the city’s art collection: a bronze sculpture in the Highland Park entry garden. The statue, part of the city’s Art in Parks program, is the first to depict a woman of color in the city’s art collection. Titled “Flora,” the statue

A New Kensington man is suing Kennywood, contending the West Mifflin amusement park withheld information about a seasonlong closure of its flagship attraction to bolster its season pass sales. Kennywood officials last week announced the Steel Curtain roller coaster would not open in the 2024 season, disappointing riders and leaving

New Castle police are investigating a fatal shooting that left one man dead Sunday. Police were dispatched to the area of East Moody Avenue and Carlisle Street for reports of gunshots Sunday, officials said. Officers found a parked Green Chevrolet Tahoe at the scene with a man dead in the

For years, Pittsburgh City Council members have gathered behind closed doors to talk in private about public policy. No one keeps a log of who attends. No minutes are maintained of what is said. And council members, desperate to ensure they don’t have too many people present, sometimes duck out

Two women charged in the shooting death last month of a 16-year-old boy in Wilkinsburg were held for trial Friday following a preliminary hearing in Pittsburgh Municipal Court. Kira Jackson, 23, and Alicia Johnson, 23, are charged with homicide and other offenses in the death of Kevin Wilson on March

The former George Westinghouse Research and Technology Park in Churchill is being sold at auction. The property was once going to house an Amazon warehouse, but the company scrapped those plans in March 2022.The warehouse plan drew ire and a court challenge from some community members who fought against the