Bob Bauder stories, Page 10
Pennsylvania PUC approves sale of Peoples Gas to Aqua America Inc. in $4.3 billion deal
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Thursday approved a settlement that would lead to the $4.3 billion acquisition of Pittsburgh-based Peoples Gas by a Philadelphia-area water and sewer company. Aqua Chairman and CEO Christopher Franklin said the PUC’s action is the last regulatory approval necessary to close on a sale....
Pittsburgh steering new development toward neighborhoods
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto on Wednesday introduced the city’s new economic team to a group of local leaders and outlined plans for steering development toward neighborhood business districts and blighted, city-owned property rather than large-scale projects. Peduto noted that the city owns nearly 17,000 vacant lots, houses and buildings. He...
McDonald’s in Pittsburgh’s Strip District closes without explanation
Pittsburgh’s Strip District has a case of fallen arches. A McDonald’s restaurant that been a longtime fixture along Penn Avenue in the Strip has closed without explanation, according to Dan Kamin, president of Kamin Realty and the property owner. Kamin said McDonald’s corporate offices notified him in late fall that...
Pittsburgh working out glitches in $1.4 million snow tracking systemVideo
A Minnesota company was in Pittsburgh on Tuesday trying to work out bugs in the city’s new $1.4 million system for treating streets in the winter. Pittsburgh last year purchased technology and equipment from Minnesota-based Quetica LLC that permits officials to control and track snowplow operations, including routes, vehicles locations...
Pittsburgh councilman proposes bill that would outlaw ‘hateful activities’
Pittsburgh employees and elected officials would face penalties including censure, suspension, termination and fines if found guilty of “hateful activities” under an amendment to the city’s code of conduct introduced in City Council on Tuesday. Councilman Ricky Burgess of North Point Breeze sponsored the bill, calling it his next step...
Pittsburgh’s new $1.7 million payroll system stumbles in debut
Pittsburgh’s new $1.7 million employee payroll system was touted as cutting edge for its electronic timekeeping capabilities, but city workers were wishing for the old manual system after the new one went awry during its debut at the beginning of the year. Union leaders said members complained of being shorted,...
2nd bankruptcy hearing canceled after no-show by Pittsburgh regatta promoter
The owner of a Ross company blamed for last year’s Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta cancellation and his attorney failed to show for a bankruptcy hearing Monday in federal court, prompting the hearing to be canceled. Rosemary C. Crawford, court-appointed bankruptcy trustee for LionHeart Event Group LLC, said she would file...
State police investigate video of child with vaping device
Charges are pending against two people who appeared in a video giving a 2-year-old a vaping device, according to state police in Indiana County. Police reported that two suspects and the child have been identified. The Troop A, Indiana Criminal Investigation Unit is aware of a video and is investigating...
Pittsburgh rap artist Frzy sets world record for longest freestyle rapVideo
Pittsburgh Emmy-winning music artist Frzy said he saw two sunsets while rapping for 31 straight hours over the weekend at a North Hills mall. Frzy, 34, whose real name is Harvey Daniels, seemed none the worse for the experience after apparently shattering a Guinness World Record for freestyle rap at...
Severe thunderstorm heading for Allegheny County
The National Weather Service on Saturday evening issued a severe thunderstorm warning until 5:45 p.m. for Allegheny County and northern Washington County. The weather service said the storm was moving east from Washington County with heavy rain and wind gusts up to 60 mph. It said residents should expect damage...
Saturday’s 70-degree temperature breaks 130-year-old record
Paul Moylett said he’s fished the Allegheny River plenty of times at a spot under the Tarentum Bridge — but never in January. Moylett, 44, of Tarentum was among scores of Western Pennsylvania residents taking advantage of Saturday’s unseasonably balmy weather as temperatures soared to a record level. “I have...
Pittsburgh police union leader slams new 4-year contract with cityVideo
The Pittsburgh police union president Friday denounced the terms of a new contract determined through arbitration that provides officers with raises totaling 16% over four years, calling the decision “patently unfair” and tilted in favor of the city. Robert Swartzwelder, president of Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge 1,...
Free baby food available Saturday at 2 Pittsburgh locations
Volunteers will distribute free baby food Saturday at two public housing complexes in Pittsburgh, according to the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. East Liberty-based 412 Food Rescue is donating 2,316 jars of baby food and will assist with the distribution at Northview Heights and Allegheny Dwellings along with...
PWSA chair says all lead lines will be replaced by 2026
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority replaced more than 3,000 public-owned lead water lines in the city last year — far more than the 855 mandated by Pennsylvania regulators — and the authority intends to continue that pace in 2020, officials said. PWSA since 2016 has struggled to reduce lead...
Allegheny County reports first flu death of season
A 90-year-old Allegheny County woman with underlying medical conditions has died from flu complications, the county Health Department reported Wednesday. The woman is the county’s first flu fatality of the season, according to Dr. Kristen Mertz, an epidemiologist with the health department. The department said it could not release additional...
Pittsburgh seeking contractors to mow lawns for eligible residents
Pittsburgh on Wednesday began accepting bids from landscape contractors for its City Cuts free grass cutting service available to seniors, disabled residents and veterans. Interested contractors must register through Beacon, the city’s online procurement platform. Feb. 4 is the deadline for submitting proposals. Since its inception in 2018, City Cuts...
Bus rapid transit system is top priority for local officials
Allegheny County’s top transportation priority in the new decade is completion within the next four years of a $225 million express bus system linking Pittsburgh’s Downtown with Oakland and points east, officials say. Construction of the Port Authority’s Bus Rapid Transit system is scheduled to begin in 2021. Officials had...
Lane restrictions planned for Boulevard of the Allies
Drivers on the Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh next week should expect daylight lane restrictions necessary for construction work, according to PennDOT. Single-lane closures in both directions between Bates and Halket streets will occur as needed while Swank Construction Co. works on signs and installs traffic signals and light...
Paid sick leave requirement daunting for Pittsburgh business owners
Pittsburgh employers say their biggest headache in complying with the city’s paid sick leave regulations will be tracking employee hours, particularly for part-time and seasonal employees. Starting March 15, business owners in Pittsburgh will be required to offer employees paid sick leave. The city’s Law Department last month issued guidelines...
Former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette building sold to Moon developer
A Moon company is planning to renovate the landmark Post-Gazette Building at the tip of Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle and build an office tower next to it, a company official said Tuesday. Lisa Hurm, the Post-Gazette’s vice president and general manager, confirmed the sale of its former headquarters at 34 Boulevard...
Hilltop Alliance approved for grant to renovate 2 Pittsburgh buildings
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has authorized a $41,000 grant for a Pittsburgh community group to improve two buildings it owns in the city’s Allentown neighborhood. State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District, said in a statement that the money would go to the Hilltop Alliance, which last...
Pittsburgh City Council lauds, roasts outgoing member Darlene HarrisVideo
Pittsburgh City Council proclaimed Monday Darlene Harris Day despite an ongoing police investigation into allegations that the departing councilwoman stole several curios that had been gifted to the city. Council honored Harris — its longest serving member — for more than a decade of service, including the salvation of an...
Pittsburgh’s historic Oliver Bath House scheduled for renovations in 2020
Ross residents Dan Kerr and Rick Opiela are regulars at Pittsburgh’s historic Oliver Bath House. The two friends visit the indoor swimming pool in the city’s South Side neighborhood about twice a week and say it’s well worth the $45 annual pool tag that non-city residents pay to use the...
Efforts underway to preserve and reuse former Carnegie Library building in HazelwoodVideo
Steve Paulovitch has fond memories of the old Carnegie Library branch on Hazelwood’s Monongahela Street. Paulovitch, 77, of Monroeville, grew up in Hazelwood and said he started going to the library at age 5 or 6. It was one of the town’s main social and cultural centers with a large...
Uber test track adds to developments planned around Pittsburgh airport
Uber’s proposed test track promising up to 200 jobs in Findlay Township is an example of exponential growth happening with near lightning speed around Pittsburgh International Airport, an official said Friday. Uber Technologies last week closed on a $9.5 million deal with Moon-based Imperial Land Corp. to purchase 600 acres...
