Artist Profile

The Carrie Furnace was one of Andrew Carnegie’s original steel mills and sits on more than a hundred acres in Pittsburgh’s industrial heartland. The sculptor Tim Kaulen and a group of covert artists erected a sculpture in the abandoned mill…so Larkin Page-Jacobs set out to find it. Click here to listen to the story. 

Pharmacy Opens in Hill District

For the first time in ten years, a pharmacy is open for business in Pittsburgh's Hill District. Duquesne University's Center for Pharmacy Services is located at 1860 Center Avenue in the Triangle Shops. But Dr. Douglas Bricker, head of the university's School of Pharmacy says it won't look like your typical pharmacy; Customers will be met by a staff member who will counsel them in private about their prescription. The Center will also provide follow-up visits that include blood pressure and cholesterol measurements to see if chronic disease states are being held in check. The pharmacy will be fully staffed and will also serve as an on-site training facility for Duquesne pharmacy students. Bricker says the proximity to the university made it a natural fit. "It is our intention to be better neighbors...and it's also intended to help a population, a predominantly elderly population, but a population that hasn't had a pharmacy in the last ten years. They've had to travel a distance in order to receive their medication." He says they will offer the same medications customers can find in any full service pharmacy, with an exception, "because of the Catholic mission of Duquesne University, we will not be dispensing birth control medications, however, patients will be directed to where they may be able to receive those medications if necessary." The pharmacy will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Rustin Leaving for New Mexico

Allegheny County Jail Warden Ramon Rustin has resigned effective January 14. Rustin came to Pittsburgh in October 2004 after serving as deputy warden at the Chester County Prison. Rustin has accepted a position as Chief of Correction in Bernalillo County in New Mexico. Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato announced the resignation in a statement....
"Warden Rustin has been a valuable asset to Allegheny County. In addition to his day to day responsibilities, he played a key role in the Jail Collaborative which supports former inmates and their reintegration back into their community. I wish him continued success in his new position."

Onorato said he would appoint an interim warden while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement.

Altmire GI Bill Amendment Passes

As the U.S. Congress renewed the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill it also closed a loophole thanks to a change put forth by a Pittsburgh area Congressman. The act is aimed at getting traditional education benefits given to veterans into the hands of more National Guard members and Reservists.

When the bill was originally passed it excluded Guardsmen who served stateside. Congressman Jason Altmire of McCandless says local members of the National Guard brought this to his attention. Under the amendment introduced by Altmire and passed today, members who are called up for border security, natural disaster or other domestic duties can receive the G.I. Bill benefits. Altmire says by closing the loophole approximately 130,000 additional National Guardsmen qualify for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill’s benefits.

“The point is that this is an issue of fairness, these are people who have served their county,” says Altmire, “ and we want to make sure that everyone who has served… is able to qualify.”

Altmire says, “America’s National Guardsmen provide invaluable service to our country during times of crisis. It is only right that they too should benefit from the largest expansion of veterans’ education benefits since World War II.” To qualify for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill’s benefits, veterans must have completed at least 90 days of active-duty service since September 11, 2001. Until the amendment was passed only days served overseas counted.

The G.I. Bill benefit caps are based on the cost of education in the recipient’s home state. Altmire says for a Pennsylvanian that adds up to $24,000 in tuition reimbursement plus an additional $1,000 to offset the cost of books and other educational expenses. Veterans can also pass along the benefits to their children.

The law still needs to be signed by the President but Altmire says that should not pose a roadblock. It will go into effect January 1st.

PDP to Lose President in February

Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership President Mike Edwards will leave his post next February to take a position with the City of Spokane, Washington.

PDP Board Chair Rich Beynon says Edwards accomplished much for downtown Pittsburgh since he was named president in May 2005, including Wi-Fi service, ZipCar car-sharing, and the renovation of Market Square.

Beynon says Edwards will leave behind some unfinished business, but that can’t be helped.

“To be honest, it’s never a good time for something like this to happen,” says Beynon. “There is always more work to do.”

Beynon says the PDP has organized a search committee to look for a new president both locally and nationally. The Board Chair says the next president must be creative and willing to work with both businesses and politicians downtown.

814 Area Code Split Map Approved

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has decided to go forward with a geographic split of the 814 area code. The area code covers a huge swatch of Pennsylvania stretching from Erie in the north to Bedford in the south. PUC Spokesperson Jennifer Kocher says the increased demand for phone numbers has stressed the 814 area code. The 814 area code is projected to run out of telephone numbers in the first quarter of 2013.

The PUC took public input over the last year on how to best divide the area code including the possibility of an overlay plan. Kocher says the commission felt the geographic split was the best. The area code boundary will roughly run along Jefferson, Elk and McKean counties with the new area code being applied in those counties and to the west. (See map above.) (A more detailed map can be found here.) With the geographic split, consumers may continue to dial seven digits for local calling.

The PUC plans to split the area code starting in February of 2012. “There will be plenty of time for people to get used to the new area code,” says Kocher. The North American Numbering Plan Administrator will choose a new number soon. Kocher says there will be a great deal of public outreach to let people know if they will switch or not. She says cell phone customers will have to talk to their provider. A permissive dialing period of about six months is allowed while customers adjust to the change. Once the permissive dialing period has ended, customers will receive a recorded message telling them to hang up and redial the numbers using the new area code. The split will give the 814 area code another 18 years of life and the new area code is expected to be able to keep up with demand for the next 22 years.

Harrisburg Now Under Act 47

State officials have deemed Harrisburg “financially distressed,” and are moving forward with a plan to provide the city with financial protection.
Harrisburg is the 20th Pennsylvania city to be under Act 47 supervision joining Pittsburgh, Scranton, Reading, Chester and 15 others in seeking state help for financial problems.
Richard Schuettler of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities says it’s a troublesome trend.

"If all of the core communities in Pennsylvania are starting to fail, what does it say for Pennsylvania as a state, and our ability to grow? I think we need to focus on that fact, and focus on - we need these communities to be healthy. The healthier they are, the healthier the state is. And the more attractive we are to businesses and residents."

Schuettler says municipalities’ problems are due to what he calls an antiquated tax structure, on top of burdensome service demands. He says population shifts from cities to suburbs have hurt, too.
"We have this hollowing out of our core communities. And the way that the tax structure in Pennsylvania and the system they’re operating under simply antiquated and won’t work. Certain expenses are forced upon them, and they simply don’t have the revenue streams to support that."

Act 47 designation lets cities work with state-appointed coordinators to create recovery plans. It also provides access to state loans and grants, and lets municipalities restructure their debt.

Bird Watchers Prepare for Annual Count

Each year the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania conducts the annual Christmas Bird Count. Pittsburgh's will be held on Saturday, January 1. But they break up the region in geographic circles. The Pittsburgh count covers the city and much of the North Hills of Allegheny County. Separate counts are held on other days in surrounding communities. Nancy Page, compiler for the Pittsburgh-South Hills area, urges volunteers to participate. She says the

purpose of the bird count is to gather information for local, national, and international weather, migration, and population patterns.

Not only are the number of birds counted, but also species. Page says, "We count anything within the 24 hour period. Night birds, owls, day birds, ducks, water fowl, anything that flies, we count."
Certain conditions alter results. Page notes that stormy weather may give misleading results. Overall weather changes are also a concern. Page says that ducks would usually migrate south, but now they are noticing that they are staying for the winter.

The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania has helpful tips on their website, www.aswp.org. It lists bird count results dating back to 1959.

PA's Mid-Year Budget Update

Governor Ed Rendell says Pennsylvania will likely face a modest deficit next year.
But that won’t make life any easier for Governor-elect Tom Corbett and incoming legislative leaders.
Halfway through the fiscal year, the estimated budget deficit is just 63 million dollars, compared to the hundreds of millions and billion-plus shortfalls predicted halfway through the last few budget years.
Rendell points out next year’s budget will still be a financial minefield, though.

"Mandatory costs for health care, prisons and debt service will continue to increase. Contractual salary increases and pension funding obligations will continue, and there’s no way those can be legally terminated. There was a contract salary increase in October, and one in January this year."

Not to mention more than two billion dollars in stimulus money that will disappear. Sales tax and corporate tax revenue is up, but income tax figures are lower than expected.
Pennsylvania added jobs last month, but Rendell says the growth is likely coming too late in the fiscal year to turn around income tax figures.

Rendell’s budget secretary, Mary Soderberg says the Corbett Administration will need to come up with a lot of money, just to produce a status quo budget.

"It’s going to be somewhere between 3.2 to 3.8 billion, depending on what their assumptions are on the expenditures side."

Republicans say they plan on cutting spending when they take power next year.

McKnight Water Break Snarls Traffic

UPDATE: 12/17/10 9:45am Ross Park Mall says it will open at 10:30am. PennDOT says southbound McKnight Road is now fully reopened and one northbound lane is open. Two northbound lanes will remain closed until repairs are completed.

Original Story

McKnight Road in the North Hills of Pittsburgh is closed between Peebles Road and Seibert Road due to several water main breaks in the area.

The North Hills School District says “As a result, buses may be running late and in some cases will not be able to reach bus stops in communities along that portion of McKnight Road. Specifically, buses will not be able to reach students in the Johanna/Teal Trace area and Waldorf Apartments. Buses throughout the district will be running late due to traffic.”

The Port Authority of Allegheny County says five routes are being detoured. Inbound routes are leaving McKnight at Peebles, traveling south on Babcock and the getting back on McKnight at Seibert. Traffic is slow in the area and longer than expected travel times can be expected.

Ross Park Mall is closed until further notice. Several other businesses in the area have made similar announcements. Mall Security says the building has water and should be able to open as soon as McKnight reopens. All three mall entrances are on McKnight Road.