Pittsburgh’s Energy Industry Maintains Growth Spurt Despite Challenges from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"By most measures, the energy industry in the Pittsburgh region is growing at a faster pace than many other economic sectors. That’s notwithstanding a recent slowdown in Marcellus Shale drilling activity — a response to stubbornly low natural gas prices — and stunted growth of the region’s largest nuclear company, ...."

River Industry: Anti-Drought Efforts Hurt Commerce from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"River industry officials say drought-fighting measures taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers threaten to further disrupt barge traffic on the Mississippi River or even close the river to commerce, jeopardizing about $7 billion in shipments of grain, coal and other commodities."

Ravenstahl Forms Group for Downtown Retailers from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"An association now in the works is aimed at giving Pittsburgh merchants a greater voice in the decision making that affects them."

Philadelphia’s Energy Industry Hits the Reset Button from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Philadelphia’s energy sector may be moving closer to the cutting edge than it has been in some time. The reasons include new owners for its oil refineries; its proximity to the Marcellus Shale; its legacy in power-grid management; and a federal effort to support energy-efficient building technology."l

REPORT!!

Pennsylvania Among States with Fast-Growing Income Inequality from the Keystone Research Center
"Income gaps widened in Pennsylvania between the late 1990s and the mid-2000s with earnings for low-income families dropping as the income of the wealthiest continued to increase, according to a new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute."

Pittsburgh Planning Commission Approves Several Housing Plans from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The heart of the cultural district may soon become the hub for Downtown living. City planning commission members heard or approved plans Tuesday for another 137 apartment units and four condominiums on a stretch of Penn Avenue running from Sixth Street to the Strip District."

EDITORIAL!!

A Coalition for Good: Squirrel Hill Group Stands the Test of Time from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"One ingredient in that recipe for neighborhood success has been the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, a pioneering, grass-roots organization founded in 1972 as part of an effort to ward off the blight and flight that harmed many other communities."

VIDEO!!

Pittsburgh Teens, One Young World Delegates Paint Bright Future from Imagine Pittsburgh
"Last month the One Young World summit made its first landing in the United States, gathering thinkers and activists age 30 and under in Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center. ... On Oct. 20, the more than 1,000 attendees fanned out across the Pittsburgh region to seminars hosted in local communities, discussing – among dozens of other topics — how to build social businesses, using hip-hop music to engage kids in positive change and furthering equity in women’s sports."

BIG GRANT!!

Heinz Endowments Announces $1.35 Million Grant to Hazelwood-based Center of Life from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A $1.35 million grant to Center of Life, a faith-based outreach organization in Hazelwood, is set to be the largest single investment of The Heinz Endowments' place-based initiative. The foundation announced today that the grant to Center of Life will expand and enhance its arts, education and athletics programs for youth and families."

Pittsburgh Glass Works Expanding from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"The Pittsburgh Glass Works will be hiring as many as 60 new employees as it expands thanks to an upturn in the automotive industry."

EVENT!!

Meeting Set Tonight on New Larimer Homes from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"City Councilman Ricky Burgess is holding a public meeting to discuss the design of 53 new proposed homes in Larimer at 6 p.m. today at the Mount Ararat Baptist Church, 271 Paulson Ave."

Westinghouse-Driven USS Enterprise to be Decommissioned from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Pittsburgh region has a long history with the ship; it has eight A2W nuclear reactors and four steam turbines developed by Westinghouse in West Mifflin."

Gas-fired Plants Planned as Coal Facilities Retired from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Nine new natural gas power plants are planned in Pennsylvania, more than making up for the loss of power generation caused by the retirement of 12 old coal-burning power plants, according to state regulators. But industry analysts say lower power demand and uncertainty over natural gas prices will likely keep more than half of the new gas-burning power plants on the drawing board and out of operation, at least for the foreseeable future."

Petrochemical Facility Building Boom Could Delay Beaver County Cracker Plant, Expert Says from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"A petrochemical building boom planned in the Gulf Coast makes it unlikely that Royal Dutch Shell plc could open a proposed cracker plant in Beaver County sooner than 2020, an industry expert said on Wednesday at a Downtown conference."

The Downside Of Cheap Natural Gas from State Impact Pennsylvania
"While low natural gas prices are great for consumers, they aren’t necessarily good for the energy industry itself. For example, the pace of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania  slowed down over the past year, as natural gas prices dropped to their lowest level in a decade."

Food Survey of Homewood, Hill District Ready for Public Meetings from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A two-year study of the eating, shopping and health conditions of about 1,000 households will be revealed at meetings Nov. 28 and Dec. 6."

Pittsburgh Public Schools OKs Equity Plan from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"The city board tonight unanimously approved an equity plan that focuses on improving initiatives already under way. ... The latest version of the equity plan has two substantive changes, one dealing with non-discrimination in employment and the other on school stability."

HISTORY!!

Behind the Smiles from the WESA program, Essential Pittsburgh
"Find out about the history of Eat ‘N Park restaurants, tour Wigle Whiskey in the Strip District, speak some Pittsburghese and meet the creative team behind Pittsburgh Dad."

African Americans' Quality of Life in Pittsburgh from WESA's Essential Pittsburgh program.
"We’ll get the African American perspective on life in the steel city. Dr. Larry Davis from the University of Pittsburgh school of social work offers his views, journalist Ben Schmitt goes in search of the black middle class and we hear from newcomers, and people coming back, to the city."

UPMC, Altoona Regional Talk Affiliation from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is trying to expand its reach again, this time in Blair County where a hospital network has entered exclusive affiliation discussions with the hospital giant."

CMU Merges Project Olympus, Don Jones Center from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"After months of quiet talks it’s finally official. Two of Carnegie Mellon University’s entrepreneurship programs are merging."

Investing in the Future from WESA's Essential Pittsburgh program
"We take a look at how the American JOBS Act can help kick start small business and investment in Pittsburgh.

Granada Housing Moves Forward from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"The same day it authorized its final piece of funding for the Centre Heldman Plaza project, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh board gave site control of twelve Hill District lots to New Granada Housing LP for a project that will revamp both the Wylie and Centre Avenue corridors."

EDITORIAL!!

Slipping Grades: For Pittsburgh's Sake, the Schools Must do Better from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Ask any student. Sometimes a report card is not worth opening. That's how it was with the latest roundup of key indicators on the Pittsburgh Public Schools. The only thing A+ about it was the name of the education advocacy group, A+ Schools, which monitors the city school system and issues the annual report.

Brownfields Conference Now Dec. 10-12 in Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Brownfields conference postponed when Hurricane Sandy ran through Pennsylvania in October will now be held Dec. 10-12 in Monroeville."

PROFILE!!

Constance Parker is Next NAACP Leader in Region from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"She knows the issues important to the Hill District-headquartered organization, such as eradicating violence in communities and providing access to education, health care and jobs, to name a few. Starting next month, she'll have the chance to address those issues as president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the NAACP."

State University Faculty Authorize Strike from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The longest faculty labor dispute in the history of Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities inched closer to a showdown Friday as union professors voted overwhelmingly to give their negotiators authority to call a strike."

DEP Chief: State Can be 'Energy Superpower' from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pennsylvania's opportunity as a major natural gas producer is enhanced because it is "strategically located.""

EVENT!!

Panel Discusses Environmental Impact of Oil Drilling at Pitt from the Pitt News [of the University of Pittsburgh]
"Broder and two other environmental leaders in the area — Detwiler, a Sierra Club representative, and Pitt graduate student Samantha Malone — took turns discussing the environmental impact of oil drilling in front of an audience of about 60 students Wednesday night as a part of the Collegiate Readership Program."

AWARDS!!

Lane Recognizes 10 City Schools for Progress from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Pittsburgh Public Schools recognized 10 schools Monday for being among the top schools in the state for helping students grow academically. ... Besides Dilworth, she honored Pittsburgh Brookline, Fulton, South Hills, Sunnyside, Whittier and Weil schools with Students and Teachers Achieving Results awards, known as STAR awards. The schools received the distinction for showing academic growth on state achievement tests. Specifically, they finished in the top 25 percent statewide in growth."

REPORT!!

Commission Suggests Changes to Pa. Higher Education from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The group assembled by the governor issued a set of recommendations intended to make post-secondary study more accessible and affordable."

Jobless Rate Drops Slightly in Pennsylvania from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Pennsylvania's unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point to 8.1 percent in October as Keystone State companies increased employment by 7,500 jobs. October's 5.75 million jobs are the highest in Pennsylvania since November 2008, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry said."

EVENT!!

Trading Gas for Gasoline from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Leaders in the oil and gas industry, along with state and local government officials and other stakeholders, gathered at Waynesburg University Friday for a presentation on the future of transportation fuels. Entitled “Fill it up, what’s in your tank?,” the multiphased event, sponsored by Tri-County Oil and Gas Expo, enlightened participants in the slowly growing trend of using compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel source."

REPORT!!

Pennsylvania Among States with Fast-Growing Income Inequality from the Keystone Research Center
"Income gaps widened in Pennsylvania between the late 1990s and the mid-2000s with earnings for low-income families dropping as the income of the wealthiest continued to increase, according to a new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute."

Healthy Heart: In Wilkinsburg, Kathy Homrok Provides Care to Those Who Struggle to Find it Anywhere Else (Abby Mendelson) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Homrok and her colleagues treat some 5,000 patients each year. Their clients are racially diverse, typically uninsured, and often members of the LGBT community. "We treat people like human beings," says Homrok with a shrug. "A lot of our patients have had experiences elsewhere with homophobia.""

Graduating Into the Gap from the WESA program, Essential Pittsburgh 
"Women still make less than their male counterparts for doing the same work. We'll look at how women in Pittsburgh fare when it comes to the wage gap."

Marcellus Pushes Boom in Regional Short Line Rail Traffic from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"At Allegheny Valley Railroad’s Glenwood Yard in Hazelwood, train tracks laid in the heyday of steel and steam trains are being straightened, strengthened and spaced out for the age of Marcellus shale."

Study Finds Lower Bromide Levels in Mon, but Not in Allegheny from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Salty bromide concentrations in the Monongahela River returned to normal levels in 2011 and this year."

Hill District Grocery…Finally from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"Ross joined city, county and state officials, and community stakeholders for a Nov. 9 announcement at the Hill House Association’s Kaufmann Auditorium that three years and two groundbreaking ceremonies later, the grocery store project was finally ready to begin."

UPMC Aggressively Signing New Doctors from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"While health insurer Highmark Inc. and West Penn Allegheny Health System battle it out in court, rival University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has been aggressively snapping up doctors, juicing long-term revenue for the system and stretching its market reach."

REPORT!!

Urban League Works to Improve ‘State of Black Pgh’ from the New Pittsburgh Courier 
"On Nov. 10, the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh presented their annual State of Black Pittsburgh report at Carnegie Mellon University as part of a daylong event. While previous reports focused on devastating statistics showing dire conditions for African-Americans, this year’s report focused on their positive efforts to address issues in the Black community." 

Allegheny County Out $1 Million in State Money for Public Works Projects from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Allegheny County lost out on more than $1 million in state money for two public works projects because the county began construction before PennDOT gave final approval, officials confirmed Tuesday. ... “It’s unacceptable that we didn’t have systems in place to obtain all the money that this county is entitled to, and I hold people responsible for that,” McKain said."

Millions in Updates Called for to Revive Pittsburgh's Downtown Retail from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A task force is calling for millions of dollars in improvements, including new bike lanes, facade renovations and better street lights and trees, as part of a three-year plan to enhance the retail climate Downtown. The Downtown Retail Task Force, convened by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, also is proposing strategies to attract and retain retailers as well as a marketing campaign to tout the city and its center core."

Ravenstahl Issues New Downtown Pittsburgh Retail Strategy from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced a three-year plan Wednesday to revitalize retail in downtown Pittsburgh. As the culmination of the his Downtown Retail Task Force, the mayor debuted a three-year downtown Action Strategy, a broad-based proposal to make downtown Pittsburgh a retail destination through new branding and marketing, significant infrastructure improvements, a new organization and others."

EVENT!!

Allegheny County Schedules Hearing on UPMC Properties; Health Care Giant's Tax-exempt Status of Holdings is Focus from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"Allegheny County Council will take a look at the tax-exempt status of UPMC real estate at a public hearing Dec. 5. "People have been asking a lot of questions about this [topic]," Councilman John DeFazio said at a council meeting last week. "It's a good idea to have this meeting and air it out properly in front of everybody." His comment was met with loud applause from the two dozen people who attended Wednesday's council meeting to show their support for a public hearing."

EVENT!!

How Allegheny County Residents can Register for UPMC Hearing from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Allegheny County residents and taxpayers who want to speak at county council's public hearing about UPMC's tax-exempt property must register at least one day before the Dec. 5 event. Presentations must be limited to three minutes."

Kennametal Wants More Veterans in its Ranks from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Tooling maker Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) is launching an initiative to hire military veterans. Already, this fiscal year, which started July 1, the company has hired four military veterans and intends to hire at least 50 veterans by the end of the fiscal year."

Coal Industry Takes Hits but Future Looks Brighter from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Coal is getting no love, not from the markets nor from the government. ... This week's Pittsburgh Business Times has a special section on the coal industry."
This story links to an important series of articles on the coal industry in our region and nationally.

BuyPittsburghFirst.com Connects Local Businesses, Fosters Sustainable Growth from Imagine Pittsburgh
"Buying local produce is in. Who doesn’t like helping the farmer in the dell, and putting fresher fruits and vegetables touched by fewer chemicals into our bodies just feels right. But when businesses buy local, the benefits increase exponentially. By procuring supplies and services locally, smaller businesses can grow, hire and retain employees and contribute to the local tax base. This is especially helpful for women and minority-owned businesses, which sometimes struggle to make those B2B connections. And buying local is good for our communities."

A+ Schools Finds Much Needing Improvement in Pittsburgh Public Schools from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"In its eighth annual report, A+ found decreases in the graduation rate and regression in some grades' proficiency in reading and math."

Overseas Students Set Record for U.S. Enrollment from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The number of international college students in America is up by 6 percent, due largely to a surge from China, whose residents now account for 1 of every 4 foreign students on U.S. campuses. The increase of 23 percent involving a country already the biggest exporter of students to this nation is among the findings of a report released today by the Institute of International Education."

URA Clears Way for Hill District Grocery Store from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority board voted 4-0 with one abstention to approve a revised timetable and other details."

Center to Bring Much-Needed Services to Clairton from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"After eight years of planning and setbacks, the Clairton Southside Community Human Resource Center is open for business. “We’re looking for tenants. Hopefully people will look at the building and decide to come to our facility because people in our area need services like GED courses,” said Cheryl Hurt, of the Community Economic Development Corp. of Clairton, which is renting an office at the building."

PROFILE!!

Giant Eagle CEO says Adaptability is Key to Success from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"At a sold-out event hosted by Chatham University on Friday morning, Laura Karet, CEO of Giant Eagle, shared her thoughts on leadership and discussed the significant growth Giant Eagle has experienced over its 81-year history."

EDITORIAL!!

Clearing the Air: County Finally Rewrites Pollution Guidelines from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The county's Board of Health finally updated the rules on Wednesday, making changes that will bring long-term health benefits to the region."

All-boys Christian Academy to Open in Fall in Lemington from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Destiny Leadership Academy will open in the former Lemington Elementary School in fall 2013."

Allegheny County to Use Gambling Funds to Repair Landslides from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Crescent and East Pittsburgh each will receive $200,000 from a state tax on casinos to help repair landslide damage to roads in their communities."

Pitt Receives $5.4 Million in Grants from the Pittsburgh Business Times  
"Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have received two grants valued at $5.4 million to see whether a new medical imaging tool can accurately diagnose traumatic brain injuries, the university announced on Friday. The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the grants and the new tool is called high definition fiber tracking." 

Business as Usual for Oil and Gas Under Obama? from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Given President Obama’s reelection, is it safe to assume oil and gas development will go on as it has during the past four years? Maybe, maybe not. For now, the industry is being diplomatic about the election result."

Kittanning Targets Blighted Homes from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 
"Council is getting serious about dealing with blighted homes and  irresponsible absentee landlords."

Tech Council Highlights the Pittsburgh Pivot from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"For a quick look at the evolution of the Pittsburgh tech scene, the Technology Council has a slick video produced by Wrecking Crew Media up on their Youtube channel, embedded below."
The video can be seen HERE.

North Fayette Plans Development Blueprint from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Developing ways to define North Fayette will be one of the objectives in its comprehensive plan, which is a community development blueprint addressing land use, housing, transportation, protection of natural resources, population changes and more."

Lawmaker Challenges Pennsylvania DEP's Reporting of Gas Well Water Safety from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection produces incomplete lab reports and uses them to dismiss complaints that Marcellus Shale gas development operations have contaminated residential water supplies and made people sick, according to court documents."

How UPMC's Overseas Operations Blossomed in 14 Years from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Missed this gem from earlier this year.
""You wouldn't know it from the 1,300 employees running 14 operations in six foreign countries and the nearly $100 million in annual revenue from records management, cancer centers, general hospitals, biomedical research and a transplant center, but UPMC did not have any grand strategy when it started its international efforts nearly 14 years ago. "It was sort of by chance," said Charles Bogosta, president of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's International and Commercial Services Division."

UPMC Pays $25M Cash for South Side Building; Site First Financed by Taxpayers Could Later be Tax-Exempt from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"UPMC recently has been claiming it isn't as profitable as people believe. But last month, the health care giant paid $25 million cash to buy an office building in the SouthSide Works development that it has leased for a decade -- by far the most UPMC has ever paid for a non-hospital building in its 30-year history."

Commission Close to Announcing Funding for Beltway Corridor from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"A state lawmaker claims the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is close to announcing a funding source to begin construction of a long-stalled Southern Beltway toll road corridor linking Southpointe to Pittsburgh International Airport."

Homewood Residents Work to Take Back Their Neighborhood from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"After a double homicide near Fluker’s house, enough became enough four years ago for him and his neighbors who reside on a four-block stretch between Bruston and North Lang avenues. They decided to clean and beautify Race Street and formed a committee to do it."

Boston Company Considers Hydropower for Pittsburgh Area Dams from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"A Boston energy company has applied to federal regulators to install hydropower on four dams in the Pittsburgh area. Prompted by tax incentives for renewable energy, Free Flow Power is one of several companies interested in installing power on the dams."

Bill Would Create Land Bank for Pittsburgh Vacant Property from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A proposed land bank would acquire and expedite the handling of as many as 16,000 vacant, delinquent and abandoned properties."

EDITORIAL!!

Good Land: Councilman Burgess Sees Promise in Vacant Lots from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh City Council must give some thought to Ricky Burgess's proposal to clean up empty lots and vacant buildings with a land bank."

EVENT!!

CMU Team Advances to Genetically Engineered Machines Championship at MIT (with video) from Imagine Pittsburgh
"They came – a swarm of 275 brilliant, young, scientific minds – to Pittsburgh to compete in the Americas East Regional Jamboree for the International Genetically Engineering Machines (iGEM) competition. From institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Georgia Tech and Penn State, the competing teams of undergrads spent a weekend on Duquesne University’s campus in October. There they showcased to expert judges their efforts to engineer – at the molecular level – new synthetic organisms with the potential to impact medicine, energy and the environment for the better."

Education Management Lost $13.1M in 3Q as Student Enrollment Fell from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Education Management Corp. reported a $13.1 million loss for the quarter ended Sept. 30, as student enrollment fell at its for-profit, postsecondary schools."

U.S. District Court to Begin Program for Veterans from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The local U.S. District Court will operate a new Veterans Treatment Court to help vets successfully rejoin society."