What's The Difference Between Wet And Dry Natural Gas? from StateImpact Pennsylvania
"Nat­ural gas is nat­ural gas, right? Not quite. There are two types of gas locked inside Pennsylvania’s Mar­cel­lus Shale: “wet gas” and “dry gas.” Here’s the dif­fer­ence, and why it matters:"

Alliance to Stem Tide of Blight in Sheraden from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"“I just think it’s disgusting that they’re not fixing these up. A house like this is where drug addicts go to get high,” said Gary referring to the vacant house next door to hers with a broken window. “It’s unclean, unhealthy. It’s just disgusting.” Complaints like Gary’s can be heard throughout the ailing neighborhood. But now Sheraden residents could have their prayers answered thanks to a newly announced revitalization partnership aimed at reducing foreclosure and blight."

Energy Symposium Focuses on Marcellus Shale Industry (Tim Camerato)  from WESA Pittsburgh
"Government and energy officials are in Washington County today for a two day conference discussing the impact of the energy industry in Pennsylvania.    Thursday’s sessions feature insights from natural gas industry officials as well as DEP Secretary Mike Krancer. Friday, employees of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the company Waste Management, and fiscal analysts will speak, according to events moderator and state Senator Tim Solobay (D-Washington County)."

Larimer Plan Factions Split... Development May be Delayed from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"It was supposed to be a done deal. The Larimer Consensus Group, the city and its relevant authorities had agreed on a first phase of housing partially along East Liberty Boulevard built by a Black contractor would jumpstart the multi-year housing and business redevelopment of the neighborhood. Now, however, there is anything but consensus in Larimer as community members have said they do not like selected developer KBK’s designs, calling them horizontal projects."

State of Working PA 2012: Following Lost Decade, Pennsylvanians Earning Less Despite More Productive Economy from the Keystone Research Center 
"Growth in the size of the overall economic pie could have supported rising living standards for all Pennsylvania workers, Keystone’s researchers wrote, but an outsized share of the benefits went to the top 1 percent of earners, preventing board-based prosperity and slowing down the economic recovery."

Robinson Joins South Fayette as Pa. Townships with Marcellus Rules Under PUC Review from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A Robinson resident argues that its gas-drilling rules should prohibit the Washington County township from getting state impact fee money."

Survey Shows Pittsburgh Region’s Universities Exceed $1B in Research from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"The region’s universities spent more than $1.1 billion on government- and industry-sponsored research last year, according to a survey released Monday. The Association of University Technology Managers’ 2011 survey includes research spending at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne and West Virginia universities. The amount nearly doubles with the addition of almost $805 million in Penn State University research."

Local Drilling Law Under State Scrutiny from WESA's program, Allegheny Front
"The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission or PUC this week told a Pittsburgh area suburb it would review their local law limiting drilling in the township. It's the first review of its kind, and could test the state's power to oversee drilling under Act 13, Pennsylvania's landmark Marcellus shale legislation."

Tap Water Torches: How Faulty Gas Drilling Can Lead To Methane Migration from StateImpact Pennsylvania
"Methane migra­tion is what it sounds like — methane gas migrat­ing from deep under­ground to the sur­face. It leads to methane-filled drink­ing wells, flam­ma­ble faucets, and even a 30-foot geyser of water and gas, in one Tioga County instance."

A Cracker Means Jobs, But Environmentalists Worry about Air Pollution from StateImpact Pennsylvania
"Pennsylvania’s shale boom has drill rigs pop­ping up all over rural parts of the state. Pipeline projects, truck traf­fic, and hotel con­struc­tion has fol­lowed. Now, indus­try plans to build large-scale nat­ural gas pro­cess­ing plants. State offi­cials hope to cre­ate jobs. Envi­ron­men­tal­ists won­der how those projects may impact air quality."

Pittsburgh Schools Start to Roll Out Equity Plan from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh Public Schools is starting to put into place a new equity plan aimed at closing the racial achievement gap."

Ravenstahl Presents at White House Forum on Urban Innovation from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl highlighted the Pittsburgh Promise and other local programs Monday at the White House Forum on Urban Innovation."

EDITORIAL!!

Radical Solution: Other Assets Should Not be Hurt to Fund Transit from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"By seeking funds for the Port Authority, the county executive must be careful not to hurt the RAD fund and the groups that rely on it." 

DEP Proposes New Rules for Shale Industry from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"A state proposal indicates stronger rules are needed to protect Pennsylvania's surface and groundwater resources."

Pitt to Guarantee Internship for All Students from the Pitt News [of the University of Pittsburgh]
"Pitt sent out a press release detailing the new program, run by the Office of Career Development and Placement Assistance, that will allow students to participate in six walk-in sessions focusing on
internship-related skills at the CDPA over the course of a semester. Starting this spring and summer, any student who completes the course will be guaranteed an internship."

Sinking Gas Prices Put Hopewell's Fortunes on Hold from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"In recent years, Hopewell Township in Washington County has been a center for Marcellus Shale drilling, but activity is slowing."

Pittsburgh Looking to Increase Immigrant Population from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Businesses and nonprofit groups are mounting a renewed effort to restore Pittsburgh's luster as a magnet for immigrants."

Pittsburgh's Immigrants Cautious About New Policy from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" policy provides those eligible with two years to legally work without the fear of deportation. ... Origin and means aside, their stories resonate with themes often left untold in the great immigration debate of our time, which is dominated by calls for tighter borders."

Public Funds Dwindle, Putting Squeeze on Western Pa.’s Foundation Resources from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Whether getting the fountain at Point State Park to spout again or opening the sun-dappled Aspinwall Marina to the public, some jobs once handled by government fall on the shoulders of nonprofit groups. The downturn in the economy squeezed governments at all levels, nonprofit leaders say. But some foundations facing financial strain are re-evaluating how much cash they dole out for public projects."

Mistick's Hatfield Housing Project Under Way from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Construction has begun on one of the first new housing projects in ages in central Lawrenceville, a 14-house development called Hatfield + Home."

No PAT Cuts, New Contract Saves Transit from the New Pittsburgh Courier 
"By a decisive 10-1 margin, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 approved a concession-laden new contract in an effort to stave off the elimination of more than 500 jobs and 35 percent of Port Authority of Allegheny County bus and trolley service. That vote, saving an estimated $60 million over the four-year contract, led to a cascade of events culminating in an Aug. 21 Press conference where PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch announced the state would provide Between $30-35 million per year over the life of the contract."

Transportation, Conservation & Innovation (AUDIO) from the public radio program, Essential Pittsburgh
"We'll talk about the major concessions being made to spare the city of historic transportation service cuts, Downtown Pittsburgh companies pledging to make big conservation efforts in the coming years and an innovation update from Pop City."

Pittsburgh Mayor Ravenstahl Cautious About Idea to Fund Transit via Asset District from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Mayor Luke Ravenstahl expressed disappointment over a plan to use money from the Regional Asset District to bail out Port Authority."

Peduto Skewers Mayor on RAD Stance from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 
"A likely candidate in next year’s Pittsburgh mayoral race on Thursday ripped Mayor Luke Ravenstahl for questioning the use of Allegheny Regional Asset District sales tax money as part of a deal to help the cash-strapped Port Authority."

County Parks Seek $20M in Grants for Next Year from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Allegheny County Regional Parks wants to upgrade swimming pools, demolish buildings and repair picnic shelters with the help of the Allegheny Regional Asset District. Andrew Baechle, director of the county parks department, asked RAD on Thursday for more than $18.4 million for
operations next year, an increase of 5 percent."

OPINION!!

Road Work: Only Corbett's Green Light Can Fix Transportation from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"After state and federal cuts on road and bridge funding, only Gov. Corbett's support for his funding commission's plan can save Pennsylvania."

‘Not Just Flipping Burgers’ from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"The Rice family recently reopened its beautiful McDonald’s restaurant in Mt. Oliver in which they built from the ground up illustrating why they are one of the largest franchises overall and the largest Black owned and operated business in western Pa."

$40 Million in Pa. Transit Funding Delivered: Officials Dig Deep to Maintain Bus, Rail Service from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"While many of the details haven't been worked out, state and local officials said Tuesday that they have forged a long-term solution for chronic funding problems at the Port Authority. For transit riders and advocates, it was one of the better days in a long time as these events unfolded:"
The Tribune-Review covers this story HERE.

Marcellus Flowback Recycling Reaches 90 Percent in SWPA from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Finally, the numbers released by the DEP last week support the Marcellus industry’s assertion that more than 90 percent of its flowback fluid is being reused. At least that’s the case in southwestern Pennsylvania."

Pa. Region Granted Funds to Tackle 'Tremendous Amount of Blight' from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $600,000 grant to 41 municipalities in southeast Allegheny County to develop a list of potentially contaminated sites, or brownfields, to clean up and redevelop. The Brownfields Coalition Assessment Grant, announced Tuesday, was formally allotted to the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments, the Twin Rivers Council of Governments, and the Steel Valley Council of Governments."

Private Schools Embrace Opportunity Scholarships from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Officials from Catholic and other private and religious schools have been quick to sign up their institutions to accept students who qualify. ... The scholarships are available to students who live within the boundaries of the lowest-performing 15 percent of schools in the state and whose families earn below certain income levels."

Hill District Residents Pleased with Planned Transformation of Miller Elementary School from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Hill District residents on Tuesday lauded a Pittsburgh developer that plans to restore historic Miller Elementary, which has been a neighborhood focal point for generations. Downtown-based Trek Development Group plans to transform the school on Miller Street into apartments and office space as part of a $9.4 million project that includes 26 apartments and town houses."

Shell Moving Forward with Plans for Proposed Petrochemical Plant from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Shell Oil Co. officials have started planning the layout of their proposed petrochemical plant and have been talking with potential business partners about supplying them land on the site, a company executive told a Beaver County audience on Wednesday."

Boosting Black Women in Corporate America from the New Pittsburgh Courier 
"The Executive Leadership Council recently hosted more than 200 African-American women executives for the annual Women’s Leadership Forum and Black Women On…Power series at Target Field in Minneapolis. The meeting focused on leadership development and increasing the representation of African-American women in senior leadership positions in corporate America."

A Big Win for a “Mega-Region” (Dennis Yablonsky) from Imagine Pittsburgh 
"A spirit of collaboration and public-private partnership has set the stage for the western PA-eastern Ohio-northern West Virginia “Tech Belt” to lead the way in revitalizing American manufacturing. The White House announced Thursday that the Department of Defense will provide $30 million to establish a National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Youngstown, Ohio. The federal grant will be matched with about $40 million by the winning consortium from our region."

Pittsburgh's East End Project Gets a Boost from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A plan to turn the former Reizenstein school into a $120-million-plus, mixed-use development called Bakery Square 2.0 is in line to get a big boost from the federal government."

EDITORIAL!!

Best Face Forward: While Building New, Pittsburgh Polishes the Old from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A new $4 million state grant will help Pittsburgh leaders put a new shine on prominent building facades Downtown."

EVENT!!

Robots Destroy Each Other, Build Fans at Consol Arena Event from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"The Lockmans were among about 500 children ages 6 to 14 who attended the event Sunday with their parents. Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, FedEx Ground and Consol Energy, the event allowed youngsters to watch presentations of robots and chat with their high school makers while a NASA robot called the Curiosity rover explores Mars. The goal is to encourage more children in technology, engineering, the art, math and science."

2 Pittsburgh-area Charter Schools to Move Forward on Own from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Environmental Charter School at Frick Park and the Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School have decided to move forward on their own."

Filmmaker Promotes Pittsburgh's Western Areas from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Michael Capozzoli has found that he can go home again and even preserve the old neighborhood for posterity."

PA Crop Conditions and Quality of Life from the radio program, Essential Pittsburgh
"Record heat and drought has hurt many American farms, especially in the Midwest. Pennsylvania has seen its share of abnormal weather conditions as well. We’ll take a look at how local farms have faired this season and talk to Daniel Capstick, Deputy Director of the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service Pennsylvania Field Office "

Two Downtown Pittsburgh Buildings Face Shaky Fiscal Future from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The Union Trust and James Reed buildings are in bankruptcy triggered by a mortgage default by California investors."

County Marcellus Shale Yield Skyrockets: Report Says Amount Doubled in First Half from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The amount of Marcellus Shale gas produced in Allegheny County more than doubled in the first half of 2012, with nine online wells concentrated in Frazer and Fawn producing more than 3.6 billion cubic feet of gas, according to new data released by the state Department of Environmental Protection."

PERSPECTIVE!!

Pennsylvania Shuts Down Its Safety Net of Last Resort (Liz Schott) from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
"Pennsylvania ended cash assistance today for very poor residents who cannot work and don’t qualify for other assistance, joining many other states that have scaled back or eliminated their General Assistance programs even as the need has grown."

Audit: Pittsburgh Minority- and Women-Owned Contracting Not Tracked Well from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Controller Michael Lamb says Pittsburgh isn't adequately tracking contracting for minority- and women-owned businesses as it's supposed to."

$30M Grant Targets Manufacturing from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"The governor announced Thursday that a public-private team made up of businesses, universities and nonprofits from Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia received $30 million in federal funds to create an initiative that targets workforce training in additive manufacturing."

Obama Officials Announce Regional Manufacturing Initiative from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A $70 million initiative to promote advanced manufacturing in Western Pennsylvania, northeast Ohio and West Virginia was announced today by Obama administration officials in Youngstown."

Success Schools Takes Charge of 3 More Schools from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"In the fall, three schools in the Pittsburgh Public School District will begin implementing an alternative education model in the hopes of transforming their school culture and creating a positive learning environment."

Beaver School Board President Stresses Preparation from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"Cynthia Cook, president of the Big Beaver Falls Area School Board, says that in order for our students to be prepared for today’s evolving job market requirements, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania needs to adjust their budget and contribute to the school districts the amount that is required to operate efficiently."

Urban Gardeners Wanted to Make Unused Plots Bloom from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"City Growers is taking applications from Allegheny County groups who want to get gardens next spring."

Residents Ask for Alcosan to Go Green on Stormwater Strategy from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Of all the concerns discussed at the first public meeting on Allegheny County Sanitary Authority's much-debated stormwater control plan Thursday night, green infastrucure was, as its executive director said, "the 500 million-pound elephant in the room.""

Hulton Bridge Replacement Tops Project List from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"About $150 million will be spent on improving roads and bridges in the Alle-Kiski Valley over the next four years, according to a State Transportation Commission plan to upgrade transit systems. The commission last week approved its 12-year, $41.6 billion statewide plan."

An Industrial Renaissance: Why Pittsburgh is Poised to Become the Nation’s Energy Capital from the Pittsburgh Quarterly
"When the reserves of Marcellus Shale gas in the tri-state area proved vast—84 trillion cubic feet by one estimate—it was no surprise when the region became the epicenter of a thriving new industry. What may have been unexpected was the extent to which the Marcellus boom would invigorate the economy generally."

PROFILE!!

Heinz Women’s Negotiation Academy Strives to Close Gap in Earnings, Opportunity from Imagine Pittsburgh
"Helping women to become better negotiators for themselves is something of a calling for MJ Tocci. ... Tocci is now turning her attention full-time to directing the Heinz Negotiation Academy for Women at Carnegie Mellon University, which will offer its first executive education classes in January."

Fracking Hazards Obscured in Failure to Disclose Wells from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Seeking to quell environmental concerns about the chemicals it shoots underground to extract oil and natural gas, Apache Corp. (APA) told shareholders in April that it disclosed information about “all the company’s U.S. hydraulic fracturing jobs” on a website last year. Actually, Apache’s transparency was shot through with cracks. In Texas and Oklahoma, the company reported chemicals it used on only about half its fracked wells via FracFocus.org, a voluntary website that oil and gas companies helped design amid calls for mandatory disclosure."

Pgh Decline in Student PSSA Scores from the New Pittsburgh Courier 
"For the first time in five years, the Pittsburgh Public School District saw a decrease in overall student performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests. This decrease marks the greatest year-to-year decline in PSSA performance in the past 10 years."

Sound Plans: Recording Studio to Become "Refuge" for Area Youth from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"After recording a handful of local bands, including Shades of Scarlet and Paejac, Wilson turned his attention to fulfilling another dream — teaching his craft to area youth. Next month, in the same house, Wilson plans to open Refuge Studio, a state-of-the-art, teaching recording studio. Wilson is currently renovating the house/studio into a more education-friendly environment."

Allegheny County Got an Earful on Toxic Air Standards from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The effort to update Allegheny County's 1988 guidelines for controlling air emissions of toxic chemicals was controversial when it began seven years ago and remains so, as the very active public comment period on the latest proposal closed Monday."

Pittsburgh Reinvents Itself as the New Hollywood from CNN
"Once known for its steel mills and smog, Pittsburgh is fast becoming the Tinseltown of the East. A generous film tax credit, coupled with the region's diverse landscape and skilled labor unions, have made the city a hot destination for recent productions -- and the firms that cater to them."

Program Designed to Expand Artwork Through Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh officials hope to encourage more of that kind of innovation -- and to better infuse art into buildings, infrastructure and public spaces citywide -- through a pair of initiatives announced last week."

Range Resources Campaign: Drilling is Just the Beginning from the Observer Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Range Resources has been drilling for natural gas in Pennsylvania for more than five years, setting numerous production records, but its latest advertising campaign tells viewers that “Drilling is just the beginning.” "

Officials from Shell, Beaver County to Talk About Petrochemical Plant from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Residents around the site of a proposed petrochemical plant near Monaca can raise concerns and learn more about the facility during two community sessions this month. Beaver County officials and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, a regional economic development organization, will offer their take on the operations and impact of the proposed Shell Chemical petrochemical facility."

ReuseFest Aims to Help Residents Reduce Clutter, Find New Uses for Unwanted Items from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The first ReuseFest, hosted by the Pennsylvania Resources Council Inc., gives residents an easy solution for what to do with all that junk collecting dust. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the parking lot at 26th and Sidney streets on the South Side, residents have the chance to drop off those gently used items they've been stowing away. "We hope to give a lot of materials a second use,""

EDITORIAL!!

Hope Takes Flight: The News Gets Better for the Survival of the 911th from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Recent moves have reduced the likelihood of the 911th airlift base closing."

KY, OH, and PA Earn Top Spots Among "Toxic 20" from the Energy Inc. blog of the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Natural Resources Defense Council ranked Pennsylvania third among the "Toxic 20," a list of 20 states with the most toxic air pollution caused by Coal fired power generation. Kentucky took the top spot on the list compiled by the nonprofit environmental organization. Ohio came in second."

Lots of Development in Cranberry from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"Cranberry Patch has a look at what's being built in the township, which includes new hotels and work toward the Cranberry Crossroads retail center."

County Report Confirms Minority Pay Inequities from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"Though it was begun under his predecessor, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald fully supported an audit of the county’s hiring, pay and advancement procedures to determine if minorities and women were being short-changed. Now that the Gender and Race Equity Audit appears to show they have, he is working to see what remedies can be enacted. “I am turning this report over to new County Manager Willy McCain and his deputies and asking that he review (it) to determine what recommendations we may be able to implement and possible action plans for other steps.”"

Natural Gas Giant Tries To Shift Gears from NPR's Morning Edition
"After 23 consecutive years of touting its increasing natural gas production, Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon told investors during a conference call Tuesday that the company projects its gas output will drop about 7 percent in 2013."

Hill District Master Plan Completed from the New Pittsburgh Courier 
"With the completion of the Greater Hill District Master Plan, the Urban Redevelopment Authority has issued a massive Request for Proposals to begin developing public and private properties centering on the Centre Avenue business corridor. City Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle hailed the announcement. “This is a milestone for the Hill District and presents a rare opportunity in which neighborhoods’ interests and markets can be aligned,” he said. “It will be a process of rebuilding and that’s always tough. But I’m ready for all that it brings.”"

Pittsburgh Public Schools Fail to Make Adequate Yearly Progress from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"State PSSA test results show Pittsburgh Public Schools students scored lower for the first time since 2006."

City of Pittsburgh a Partner in Preservation from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"City leaders, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation on Thursday kicked off a $4 million renovation project to restore and preserve the facades of seven buildings on Wood Street and Fifth Avenue dating from 1875 to 1930."

Project Offers Face-lifts for Downtown Pittsburgh Facades from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Mr. Kashi is restoring the storefronts, replacing windows and making other improvements to the buildings he manages at 254 and 256 Fifth Avenue and 445 Wood Street as part of a new program to help rejuvenate older buildings Downtown. "We're revitalizing Downtown. This is a very major corner, Fifth and Wood. And it's going to really help a lot to do what is necessary to make Downtown what it should be," he said."

'Trouble and Drama Every Day' in Struggling McKeesport from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Escalating violence in McKeesport brought residents to the National Night Out at the McKeesport Alliance Church."

Could Pittsburgh Become a Major Airport Hub Again? from NPR's program, Essential Pittsburgh
"When the new airport opened in 1992, Pittsburgh International Airport was US Airways’ largest hub, but by 2004, the airline had moved most of its flights to Charlotte and Philadelphia. Today, some are making the case for Pittsburgh to become a major airport hub again as a cheaper alternative to New York or Chicago."

URA Seeks Developer for Former Saks Site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"The city's Urban Redevelopment Authority is seeking developers to pursue potential retail or residential opportunities in conjunction with the construction of a parking garage at the site of the former Saks Fifth Avenue department store Downtown."

Construction Boosted by Gas-Drilling Boom from the Charleston [West Virginia] Gazette
"In recent months, the Marcellus Shale boom has saved the region's construction industry, a Charleston construction company owner said last week."

EVENT!!

Energy Inc. Conference Kicks Off Tuesday, Aug. 14 from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Next week's Energy Inc. conference will spotlight some of the key developments in western Pennsylvania's growing energy industry. Energy Inc. will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh."

Do We Need More GED Programs? from NPR's program, Essential Pittsburgh 
"According to the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC), there is a great demand for GED programs. GPLC Executive Director Donald Block joins us, along with Alishia Knight, a recent graduate of the GLPC’s GED preparatory program, to discuss the issue."

PROFILE!!

Tillotson Fleming: Advocacy Key to Pittsburgh (Photos) from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Chairman and CEO of Hefren-Tillotson, Inc., a privately-held wealth management firm, has sung Pittsburgh’s charms so convincingly that one listener asked if she was the mayor."

Molycorp Cleanup Nearly Complete from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"A decadelong cleanup of radioactive waste and contaminated soil at the former Molycorp Inc. plant in Canton Township is nearing completion. Chevron Mining Inc., which now owns the 73-acre site and is responsible for its remediation, may someday develop the property."

Marcellus Poised to Take Top Gas Spot in US from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Marcellus Shale is showing its power beyond Pennsylvania. The Associated Press (via the Philadelphia Inquirer) cited federal data that suggests the region's natural gas reserves will soon be the most productive in the United States. That's quite a leap for the Marcellus, which in 2008 was hardly much of anything. Now, it's likely to overtake the Haynesville Shale in Arkansas and Texas."
The Philadelphia Inquirer story is HERE.

Ohio Valley Changing Fast; Residents, Pipeliners Share Same Space from the Intelligencer/Wheeling News Register
"For some, living in an RV in the recently opened campground along National Road between Triadelphia and Valley Grove may not seem very appealing. But for the Beaumont, Texas-based Jinks family, which has earned a living building pipelines across the country for almost 30 years, it is just a way of life."

OPINION!!

Get It Right on Gas (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"We can have a natural gas revolution that transforms our whole country or one that just transforms the electric grid. What’s it going to be?"

‘New Future’ Gone: Analyst: RG Lacked Capital from the Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register
"Less than a decade ago, company officials and local steelworkers heralded Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp.'s new $115 million electric arc furnace as the company's chance for a new future."

EDITORIAL!!

Danger Ahead: Something Must be Done to Stop Bike Fatalities from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Cyclists and motorists must learn to share the roads. ... Bicyclists in town for this month's 15-day BikeFest will ride through Pittsburgh's East End communities on Tuesday to help city officials and consultants plan transportation improvements for the area."

Allegheny County Urged to Create Jobs Office for Disabled from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A new study recommends that Allegheny County create an office of
employment accessibility and inclusion and set specific goals."

EDITORIAL!!

Failed Schools: Congress Must Fix the For-profit College Industry from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A Senate committee report lays out the failures of the for-profit college industry, which misleads students and eats up federal dollars."

Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank Took in Record-breaking Donations from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank received record-breaking donations last year, enabling it to distribute 27.4 million pounds of food."

Local Businesses Pitch in for School Supplies from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Back-to-school costs are expected to increase this year, but local corporations and nonprofits are stepping in to help low-income families."

Black Male Success Model Grant to Robert Morris from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"With an unemployment rate of more than 14 percent for African-Americans, almost twice the national average, and reports that Black men are far less likely to graduate from high school or even attend college, Robert Morris University is committed to turning around the statistics. With a $900,000 grant from the Heinz Endowment, the university announced they will create the RMU Research Center on Black Male Educational Student Success to identify the factors of successful African-American males to develop a model for educational achievement that can be emulated."

Excela: Highmark Wants to 'Destroy' Rival from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Highmark Inc. threatened to "destroy" hospital network Excela Health if the Greensburg-based health care provider refused to affiliate with the health insurer as it builds a $1 billion provider system, Excela officials were to testify on Wednesday."

Gas Industry’s Interest Called ‘Godsend’ for W.Va. from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"In West Virginia, the boom is on. From Brooke County in the panhandle just an hour’s drive from Downtown Pittsburgh, to more than 100 miles south in Doddridge County, the region is the place to be for the natural gas industry, especially its middlemen."

State OKs Gas Drilling at Dutch Fork Lake from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will allow natural gas drilling on state-owned land at Dutch Fork Lake in Donegal Township. The announcement late Thursday came in advance of a public meeting to be held Wednesday at the Claysville Community Center at 212 Main St., Claysville, to discuss the status of the lake restoration project."
State grants approval -- and then takes public comments?!

Mars Rover Powered by ‘Little Bits’ of CMU from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"When NASA’s newest rover, “Curiosity,” lands on Mars early Monday, it will carry a byte or two from the ‘Burgh. The rover, about the size of a Mini Cooper, will use navigation software developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Carnegie Mellon researchers also did traction studies on the vehicle’s wheels."

Black School Directors React to Teacher Cuts from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"When the Pittsburgh School Board voted to lay off nearly 300 teachers July 25, the vote was a unanimous 6-0, even if directors Mark Brentley, Sharene Shealey and Regina Holley had attended it would not have made a difference. The furloughs, it is hoped, will save the district more than $42 million through the next two years. Even so, Brentley said the cuts disproportionally target Black students and he would have voted against them."

Water a 'Way of Life’ for Fredericktown from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Fredericktown had a head start on efforts to refocus attention on the Monongahela River when conservationists came calling last year while searching for towns willing to make better use of the waterway to rebuild their economies."

Tech & Innovation in Pittsburgh (AUDIO) from the NPR program, Essential Pittsburgh
"Debra Diamond Smit joins us from our content partner, Pop City, to discuss the latest news in technology and innovation in Pittsburgh. We’ll talk about some of the latest news from Carnegie Mellon, news from startups and tech giants, and we’ll see who’s hiring in Pittsburgh now."

PRESS RELEASE!!

Pa’s Job Growth Advantage Over Other States Slipping Away as State Budget Cuts Yield Pink Slips from the Keystone Research Center
"Pennsylvania’s strong job growth coming out of the recession has slipped away in large part because of state budget cuts to education and other services, according to a new analysis by the Keystone Research Center."

PRESS RELEASE!!

With General Assistance Set to End, Costs Will Shift to Homeless Shelters, ERs from the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
"The state will pull the plug on General Assistance (GA) on Wednesday, ending a decades-old benefit of last resort for low-income people who are sick, living with a disability, or escaping an abuser."

ALCOSAN's Wet Weather Plan (AUDIO) from the NPR program, Essential Pittsburgh
"ALCOSAN released its Wet Weather Plan yesterday, presenting two possibilities: its Recommended Plan, which could double rates and be one of the biggest, most expensive construction projects in the region’s history and still fall short of EPA standards, or the Selected Plan, which would fulfill all federal requirements, but could triple rates."

Lawrenceville Preservation Committee Wants Answers on Iron City Brewing Demolitions from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Portions of the former Iron City Brewing Co. site in Lawrenceville that were protected from demolition by the city of Pittsburgh more than two years ago have seemingly been torn down, leading neighborhood preservationists to ask for the city's intervention."

Pa. Officials Seek Review of Act 31 Shale Drilling Ruling from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Officials want a speedy review by the state Supreme Court of their appeal to a decision overturning statewide zoning of shale gas drilling."

Transit Service for Disabled Riders Protected; Outlook Still Uncertain for Rest of System (Lauren Daley) from the Slag Heap blog at the Pittsburgh City Paper
"... at a monthly board meeting this morning, Port Authority CEO Steve Bland said the agency has received funding from the Federal Job Access Reverse Commute and Federal New Freedom Program, as well as matching dollars from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The result: an estimated $6.2 million to keep ACCESS afloat. The authority says it will request to stretch that money out for the next two years. "This is huge," Bland said following the board's monthly meeting. "We had 2,000 individuals who frankly were thinking 'What am I going to do?'""