Yinzers, it’s Thursday! The weekend is ahead, but before we get there, let’s talk about all the things you should know for today, Sept. 15.
Take caution with morning fog, followed by hazy sun. High: 76 Low: 55.
Here are the top stories today in Pittsburgh:
1) The only thing worse than having a carjacking happen to you once, is having it happen TWICE. A local man from Hazelwood reports that the same teenager carjacked his vehicle two times in a row from its parking spot in a lot beside his house. Robert Dunham says he had no choice but to give up his keys as the perpetrator put his arm around his neck as he sat in the driver’s seat and pointed a gun at his head. After handing over the keys and his cellphone, Dunham walked about half of a mile to a nearby RiteAid to call police. At this time, Dunham makes a plea to law enforcement to catch the teenager. According to reports, the youth may be in police custody following the carjacking.
2) With food prices rising, Pittsburgh-area food banks report that their demand is soaring near the same level it was at the peak of the pandemic. Families struggle with inflation has lead more people to fill up bags and boxes with food onsite at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s warehouse. Beth Burrell, the organization’s communications director, said that their current numbers are close to what they were seeing at the beginning of the pandemic. She reported that they typically see about 80 families in their warehouse per day, but that number has gone up to 97 recently. For reference, at the beginning of the pandemic, they would see about 100 people a day. According to the Consumer Price Index, grocery store prices rose 12.2 percent compared to a year ago, a one-year surge not seen in more than four decades. Luckily, Burrell shares that the food bank’s inventory is strong now, and they’re doing their best to keep up with the demand.
3) Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam was planning an upcoming trip using the popular lodging rental site Airbnb—until she realized she had been banned from the service. Hallam reported that she received an email from Airbnb, prior to her scheduled October stay, notifying her that her reservation was canceled. The email also stated that moving forward, she was banned from the platform after a background check performed by Airbnb revealed a “criminal record match.” The Democrat from Pittsburgh’s North Side has been very open about her criminal history, which mostly involved an opioid addiction and drug possession convictions. She spoke during her campaign in 2019 about her rehabilitation, and how others aren’t as fortunate as her. As an Airbnb user for years, Hallam took to social media, tagging Airbnb in a tweet that included the email she received. After her tweet started to go viral, Airbnb responded. Hallam said after some back and forth emails, she was unbanned.
(TribLIVE)
4) The Pittsburgh Steelers and its WOMEN OF STEEL platform have collaborated with PNC Bank to launch a Small Business Spotlight program. The goal of this program, which launched yesterday, is to recognize and support women-owned small businesses in the Pittsburgh area. The program will offer four small businesses with marketing support, as well as mentorship from Steelers and PNC Bank executives and PNC-Certified Women’s Business Advocates. The Steelers and PNC Bank worked with local Chambers of Commerce, including the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western PA, Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Three Rivers Business Alliance, to select the following four small businesses to kick-off the program: Open Space Counseling, Consulting, and Wellness, Self-Care Señorita, Advance Sourcing Concepts LLC., and Café Tu Y Yo.
5) Three new breweries are open for business in the Pittsburgh area. You’ll find Back Alley Brewing Company in Dormont not in a back alley, but in what used to be the old borough building on West Liberty Avenue. The business sells to-go cans from the brewery location on Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 12 to 6 p.m., and is served at several Pittsburgh-area restaurants and beer stores. Mindful Brewing Co., a South Hills-based brewery with locations in Castle Shannon, Bloomfield and Carnegie, has relaunched its Carnegie restaurant concept Asadero by Mindful as Mindful Carnegie. The rebrand in the borough comes with a full menu refresh, a new open-concept kitchen and additional outdoor seating at 1001 Washington Ave. They’ll also host live music, trivia and chess club. Finally, Voodoo Brewing Co. opened their latest location on North Shore Drive between the two stadiums in late August. In addition to the “similar beer lineup that customers have come to know and enjoy at our locations,” the North Shore location will offer hard seltzers and ciders, barrel-aged batch cocktails, wine and a full mixed drink menu.
Today in Pittsburgh:
- CDC Career Counseling – Mount Lebanon Public Library (9:00 AM)
- Market Square Farmers Market – Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (10:00 AM)
- RADical Day 2022, Featuring FREE admission (10:00 AM)
- Family Storytime – C.C. Mellor Memorial Library (10:30 AM)
- Highmark Blues and Heritage Festival – Highmark Stadium (5:00 P.M.)
From my notebook:
- Carnegie Museum of Natural History: “Spotted lanternflies are still a problem in the region. If you see them: squash them! And then report the sighting here: https://fal.cn/3rSGV This invasive species has very few predators in the United States, which is why their populatio…” (Carnegie Museum of Natural History via Facebook)
- Visit Pittsburgh: “Rainbow Road isn’t just a course in Mario Kart 🌈 🛣️ 🎨 It’s now the brand new street mural on Strawberry Way, a collective effort of 37 Friends of CAPA visual arts students, led by artists Shane Pilster and Max GEMS Gonzales.” (Visit Pittsburgh via Facebook)
- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: “🚨 New class alert 🚨 Register today for the Zoo U: Elephants in the Spotlight class that takes place on September 24 and October 1 for students in grades 9-12. In this two-session class, students will learn all about elephant.” (Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium via Facebook)
- The Andy Warhol Museum: “RADical Day is tomorrow! Bring the whole family to The Warhol for a unique day of art and fun. Get tickets: https://bit.ly/3S99EQ9” (The Andy Warhol Museum via Facebook)
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Now you’re in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday! I’ll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with another update.
— Rachel Tasker
About me: Rachel is a native Pennsylvanian with stops in Erie and State College before making Pittsburgh her home in 2020. She’s got a background in a little bit of everything… from working in media newsrooms and public health to the 2016 Presidential election in Washington, D.C. and the 2019 Super Bowl where (surprise!) Tom Brady won… AGAIN. She loves good coffee, bad reality T.V., attending local events and trying new food in the 412. She resides in the South Hills.
Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Pittsburgh Daily? Contact me at pittsburgh@patch.com
Source: patch.com
