GoBurgh Releases Transit-Oriented Development Study, Road Map for Advancing Region's Transit from Pop City Media
"A new study was released last week making the case for transit-oriented development (TOD) in the Pittsburgh region. GoBurgh’s Chris Sandvig says the new report offers a clear strategy for advancing TOD, a type of development he calls an economic engine where investments should be made. His organization’s previous reports have offered ideas on why TOD is important; now they’re showing how it can be done."

Pittsburgh Teens Who are Changing our World from Pop City Media
"This is exactly the sort of activism the Girls Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania wants to encourage by bringing Charlotte and other young female activists to talk to local girls at Be Inspired: Girls Can Change the World on Feb 23, 9 a.m. until noon at the Sheraton Station Square."

PROFILE!!

Executive Year in Review from the WESA program, Essential Pittsburgh 

"Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald looks back on his first year in office and the challenges ahead."

Pittsburgh Nonprofits begin to Focus on Green from the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
"The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Global Links are by mission already in the green movement. Both nonprofits divert supplies that would otherwise be wasted to people in need. But they have amped up their efforts to reduce waste in-house, and that side mission inspired a recent workshop Downtown for other nonprofits."

Manufacturers, Educators Brace for Budget Cuts from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"...she is wary about the future based on the uncertainty surrounding the looming across-the-board federal spending cuts. “If people lose their jobs they can’t afford to go shopping and the stores are in trouble,” and if the stores don’t have customers who are building or remodeling, that means air curtain and air door orders could drop, she cautioned. “It is a crazy thing to allow to go through,” she said of the possible cuts. “(It’s) just irresponsible.”"

Pittsburgh Seeks Partners for Youth Employment Summer Program from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office said the program is slated to employ 225 teenagers ages 14 to 21 this summer, paying them $7.25 an hour."

Pa. Officials Mull Consolidating Transit Agencies from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"Some southwestern Pennsylvania officials are broaching the idea of consolidating the region's 10 transit agencies into one, arguing that such efforts could save taxpayers millions."

Consolidation of Transit Systems in Southwestern Pa. Gains Momentum from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Western Pennsylvania would be better served by one transit agency than 10, says Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Thirty percent of Downtown workers live outside of Allegheny County, while many Allegheny County residents work and shop in Cranberry, Butler County, or Washington County's North and South Strabane, he testified last week before state lawmakers meeting at Station Square. “It's frustrating when you watch buses come across the (Allegheny) county line and they don't pick up another person as they drive into Downtown using the same route as a Port Authority bus,” he said."

Western Pa. Inches Closer to Goal of Energy Independence from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"The once-distant concept of energy independence, given a national spotlight in the 2012 presidential race, is closer to becoming a reality on a regional level, energy analysts say. Pennsylvanians rely on in-state sources for at least 64 percent of their energy, a relatively high figure among states, according to the Washington & Jefferson College Energy Index. Its most recent numbers show a one-year surge of nearly 10 percentage points from 2009 to 2010, driven by the popularity of domestic natural gas in manufacturing, transportation and power generation."

CMU Continues to be an Incubator of Innovation from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Romibo, like hundreds of other products, concepts or ideas, was spawned on Carnegie Mellon University's 100-acre Oakland campus. More than 300 companies have gotten their start there since the mid-1990s. The spinoff companies represent about a third of companies established in Pennsylvania based on university technologies in the past five years. The school nationally is the “gold standard” for developing viable ideas and turning them into marketable companies, said Rich Lunak, a Carnegie Mellon graduate and president and CEO of Innovation Works, a South Oakland-based tech incubator. The Governor's Manufacturing Advisory Council last year commended Carnegie Mellon as a model for having “a highly effective practice of commercializing research into new companies, processes and products.”"

Shale Fees to Benefit Southwestern Pennsylvania Conservation Districts from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Five southwestern Pennsylvania counties will receive $272,000 in state grants funded by Marcellus shale drilling fees to promote local conservation efforts. The grants are from the state Unconventional Gas Well Fund, created by the Legislature in 2012 to help all county conservation districts continue services."

Allegheny River Towns Enterprise Zone Receives $350K for Municipal Projects from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Millvale is one of seven member communities of the Allegheny River Towns Enterprise Zone, a community economic development organization that received $350,000 in grants last week. The organization received $200,000 from the Heinz Endowments and $150,000 from the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County. ARTEZ, as it's known, hired Iris Whitworth as the organization's executive director. “It's an unprecedented opportunity for communities to basically create an economic development engine for the local economy of our seven communities,” Whitworth said."

Pittsburgh Invited to Consider Playing Host to 2024 Olympics from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The region's leaders say they will consider mounting a bid for that year's Summer Olympics. Being the host could cost $3 billion.  Here's what it would take for Pittsburgh to be the host of the 2024 Summer Olympics: thinking big and building bigger. And $3 billion. Consider goal one accomplished."

EDITORIAL!!

Go for It: Pittsburgh Should Explore a Summer Olympics Bid from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Dream big, Pittsburgh. As in Olympic gold. The invitation from the U.S. Olympic Committee for this city to be among 35 in the country to bid for the 2024 Summer Games is a privilege. More than that, it's an opportunity and Pittsburgh should go for it."

Winning Bid for Schenley Presented from the New Pittsburgh Courier 
"If approved by the Pittsburgh Board of Education, PMC/Schenley HSB Associates’ $5.2 million recommended bid for the former Schenley High School building will yield the district slightly less than when submitted. That’s because in January, the board also approved spending $17,000 for two reassessments of the costs to reopen the building as a district school. Schenley alumni have complained that $50-$80 million estimates given prior to the district closing the iconic building in 2008 were grossly inflated."

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Workers Never Too Old to Lend a Hand from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Mr. Divack, 68, of Squirrel Hill, is just one example of how seniors and retirees can find fulfilling work after their careers have ended and the nest is empty. And now, Pittsburgh Cares, which matches volunteers with nonprofit organizations, is making it easier for seniors to help their communities by restarting the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, part of the federally funded SeniorCorps program."

Retired volunteer John Cokley passes collected trash to Joseph Divack of Allegheny CleanWays as RSVP volunteers pick up litter above Steuben Street in the West End section of Pittsburgh.

Youthful Lions Club Forms at Pitt from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"As a boy, Matt Bohince volunteered with the youth Leo Club sponsored by the Trafford Lions Club and helped in community projects, such as picking up litter and helping senior citizens. As a student at the University of Pittsburgh he wanted to continue making a difference in his community, so Mr. Bohince, 20, formed his own club. Sunday, the University of Pittsburgh Lions Club celebrated its chartering with a ceremony in the Pitt Student Union attended by 70. In addition, 23 of the new club's 35 members were installed."

Pittsburgh Officials Want to Create a Downtown ‘Urban Village’ Atmosphere from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Pittsburgh planners abandoned efforts to transform Downtown with big-box retailers anchoring the business district and instead envision an “urban village” where people can walk to unique locations to live, shop, dine and be entertained. City leaders want to make the Golden Triangle the regional destination it was 60 years ago."

Maria Kenan, who moved to a Downtown apartment in November, walks Fat Chance Jack, her 12-year-old beagle, at Point State Park. Officials are considering a leash-free dog park for the neighborhood. Andrew Russell | Tribune-Review

REPORT!!

Your Culture is Valued Here: Lessons from the DHS Immigrants and Internationals Advisory Council from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services via Vibrant Pittsburgh
"Over the past several years, the Pittsburgh area’s resurgent economy has enhanced its attractiveness as a place in which to live and work. As a result, Allegheny County, which had not experienced the growth in diversity of other major American cities in recent decades, is beginning to attract increasing numbers of immigrants and internationals who are making the region their home. While this growth is still modest when compared to that of other major metropolitan areas, it is significant enough to be reversing the downward trend of past years."

Seven Myths About Arts Funding (Bill O'Driscoll) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Think ticket price covers production cost? Or foundations pay for it all? Think again. ... In short, arts money might not come from, or go, where you think. Here are seven myths about arts funding."

ShaleNET: Government-Funded Program Helps Job-Seekers Find Work in energy industry from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"ShaleNET's new round of funding is being used to add training for more stable career paths."

Dan DeAugustine of Greensburg reviews material on the board in the Intro to Oil & Gas Operations class at the Bushy Run Center near Export.

ShaleNET’s Job Placement Successes Make Front Page in Post-Gazette Story from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"ShaleNET will soon be expanding its reach, both in terms of geography and skills training. Started in 2010 as an entry-level jobs training program supported by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, last fall ShaleNET was awarded an additional $14.9 million follow on grant. With the maturing of the industry and with the additional money, participants will be able to continue their education and training by earning certificates and two-year degrees that will help them find jobs in the midstream and downstream part of the industry – that is, beyond the drill rigs and in the processing of oil and natural gas."

One of the Planet’s Greenest Buildings – in Pittsburgh – Opens to Public from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"The city and the entire 10-county Pittsburgh region of southwestern Pennsylvania are globally recognized for innovation in sustainability and green building techniques and products, as they relate to energy – one of the region’s key economic sectors – and its efficiency."

Farmers Making Their Plans for Spring from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Last year, Pennsylvania farmers said they wound up having a pretty good year and most are sticking to what worked. Carolyn Beinlich, one of the owners of Triple B Farms in Forward, where they grow both fruits and vegetables, said last year was dry early in the season, but they got through with irrigation, even having to fill one of their irrigation ponds with municipal water. She said the farm was less profitable because they kept their prices steady from 2011, but costs rose because they had to pay for the water to irrigate the crops."

Heaven Sent from WESA's program, Essential Pittsburgh
"Business contributor Rebecca Harris on why Pittsburgh is one of the best U.S. cities to start a business."

Hilltop Neighborhoods Shape Green Strategy; Organizers Hope to Lure Investors from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh's southern Hilltop neighborhoods haven't changed much in appearance in six years. Hundreds of lots and houses remain vacant. A few cultural amenities still exist but no big market drivers or institutions. A series of steps since 2007, however, has led to a new strategy for making green improvements to lure bigger investment that for decades has eluded Beltzhoover, Bon Air, Carrick, Knoxville, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Allentown, St. Clair, Mount Oliver and Mount Oliver Borough."

OPINION!!

The Semantics of Subsidy (Tim Schooley) from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Yesterday at the groundbreaking for the second phase of Bakery Square, a host of public officials tussled over the semantics of a $4 million grant Gov. Tom Corbett made for the $100 million project. On hand to celebrate the groundbreaking, Corbett said that the funding was not an RACP grant, the long-standing name which stands for Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, but an Economic Growth Initiative Award. ... Ravenstahl nonetheless thanked Corbett for the funding, the first grants (or awards) of their kind of the governor’s choosing after following through on granting the then-RACP awards of his predecessor, former governor Ed Rendell."

Governor Tom Corbett

Uncertain Job Prospects, Growing Student Debt Suppressing Applications to Law School from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Duquesne is hardly alone among law schools experiencing a dramatic decline in applicants. Nationwide, applications fell by nearly 11 percent in 2011 and by almost 14 percent in 2012, according to the Law School Admission Council, based in Bucks County. Despite those statistics and a legal job market that has been bleak since the economic crash of 2008, Mr. Gormley takes the approach that smaller enrollments and more specialized curriculums can benefit law schools and their students in the long run."

Single Moms Can Find Little Relief from Chronic Stress from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Stress is to single motherhood what mud is to rain and dirty dishes are to cooking, with more severe consequences. It's an expected but unwelcome consequence that must be cleaned up before it gets messy. Unfortunately, like a NASCAR driver, the single mother faces stress at every turn.

PROFIE!!

Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Linda Lane Sees Room for Growth from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Increasing student achievement was on the top of Ms. Lane's mind as she discussed her time at the helm in a recent interview. Accelerating student achievement -- along with eliminating racial disparities and becoming the district of first choice -- is one of the top goals of the district."

Heinz Brand Symbolic of Pittsburgh from the Associated Press
"A company with its roots in a teenager selling bottles of horseradish is now as much a symbol of Pittsburgh as steel. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs at Heinz Hall. The city’s regional history museum is named for the ketchup patriarch’s grandson, the late U.S. Sen. John Heinz. One of the city’s richest charities is fueled by the Heinz family fortune. Love-struck couples wait for months to be married at Heinz Memorial Chapel, the family’s Gothic limestone gift to the University of Pittsburgh campus. And, of course, the city’s beloved Steelers play their home games at Heinz Field. Those are just a few reasons why the $28 billion sale of the ketchup-making food giant H.J. Heinz Co. resonates so profoundly with Pittsburghers."

Briney water flows into Southwestern PA streams from Public Source 
"On that January day, Dufalla and Hunnell, 69, were testing the orangey-red acid mine discharge from the abandoned Clyde Mine running into the creek. Recently, Dufalla’s group has found there’s something unexpected in mine waste -- bromide."

Most Likely to Succeed? Facing an Uphill Battle, a Group of Schenley Grads Want to Keep the Building Full of Students from the Pittsburgh City Paper 
"Pittsburgh Public Schools are looking at four developers interested in purchasing the former Schenley High School in Oakland. Inside Schenley High School, Pete Camarda steps around the ceiling tiles that have dropped about 14 feet to land on the floor of the vacant hallway. ... "It's not over until the actual deed to the property and the building are handed over.""

EDITORIAL!!

Smart Plan: East Liberty Can Take Another Step Forward from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"After a ban on vehicular traffic through its core all-but killed the East Liberty business district and its surrounding residential streets, the neighborhood sat for too long as an indictment of 1960s urban planning theory. The first big move in a better direction came in 2000, when a new Home Depot opened its doors. Other retailers soon followed -- Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and more. Now commerce is alive and well again in East Liberty. In an ironic twist, implementing a plan that exemplifies the latest theory in urban planning could be very good for East Liberty now. The goal of "smart growth" is to build housing and retail that is walkable, bicycle-friendly and close to public transit."

Federal Charges Filed in Youngstown Brine Dumping Incident from the Beaver Times
"Federal charges were filed against the man accused of dumping more than a quarter million gallons of fracking wastewater and drilling mud into the Mahoning River Watershed, officials announced Thursday."

Daughterty Residents Unhappy with Lack of Progress of Drilling Ordinance from the Beaver Times
"A lack of ordinances regarding gas drilling in Daugherty Township could be driving some companies away, and residents want answers."

Transit Hub, Apartments, New Shops in Works for East Liberty from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"After bringing big developments such as Whole Foods and Target to East Liberty, a local developer is switching gears, with plans for more than 360 apartments and 50,000 square feet of retail in a project designed to work in concert with a new $52 million transit center. The Mosites Co., based in Downtown, sees the $65 million development as the final phase in a series of so-called "Eastside" projects that have helped to trigger a commercial renaissance in the East End neighborhood."

Transit Supporters Rally for More State Funding from the Beaver Times 
"Gov. Tom Corbett is talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in new transportation spending in his proposed 2013-14 budget, but transit proponents don’t like what they’re hearing and many of them took the bus to tell him about it on Monday."

Immigrant, Refugee Assistance Available in Pittsburgh Region from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"Through the latter part of the 20th century, the Pittsburgh region’s population has been less ethnically diverse than that of other U.S. cities of similar size. That is slowly changing, however, as a small-but-growing number of immigrants and internationals are drawn to our stable economy and educational offerings, including the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program to city school graduates."

EDITORIAL!!

New Star at CMU: The Incoming President Shares its Global Ambitions from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"... as the university is right to say, these days it is a global leader in research and ideas. In addition to Pittsburgh, it has campuses in Qatar and Silicon Valley, California, and it offers degree programs to students in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. Approximately 35 percent of Carnegie Mellon's students come from 115 nations outside the United States, marking the student body as one of the 10 most international among four-year U.S. institutions. While it ranks among America's best schools, it also competes as one of the best on the planet."

DEP Says Air Quality in Pennsylvania is Improving from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Air pollution in Pennsylvania has declined significantly since 2008 because of regulations mandating pollution controls and increased use of natural gas for power production, according to 2011 emissions data released today by the state Department of Environmental Protection."

Shale Permits Not on 'Trigger List' for Extra Review in Poor Areas from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Hundreds of the permits for Marcellus Shale gas development were issued in Pennsylvania's poor and minority communities. None of those permits for gas wells, wastewater impoundments or compressor stations has triggered intervention by DEP's Office of Environmental Advocate to inform residents of those communities about potential health and environmental impacts from proposed industrial developments."

Potholes: Health Indicators of the City Streets (Emily DeMarco) from Public Source [from November]
"As the time it takes to fill potholes climbs, so does the continuing degradation to Pittsburgh’s 1,000 miles of streets. The health of its streets already is compromised because of the city’s age, weather, topography and budget."

Zoning Changes Prepare Homewood for Long-term Redevelopment (Noah Brode) from WESA Essential Public Radio
"Now that construction has begun on a low-rise apartment building for seniors in Homewood, the Pittsburgh City Councilman who represents the neighborhood has rezoned the community's business district to accommodate three or four additional apartment buildings."

State Announces Grants for Projects in Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Three high-profile Pittsburgh projects are among 54 statewide that have been awarded state redevelopment capital assistance grants totaling $124.7 million by the Corbett administration. The Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority will receive a $5 million grant to help cover the cost of installing water, storm and sanitary sewers and other infrastructure in preparation for the redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site for housing and offices. The SEA had requested $15 million to help fund the estimated $40 million it needs for that work."

Infrastructure OK'd for Buncher Co. Project from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The board of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority approved an infrastructure proposal by Buncher Co. in the Strip District."

Despite Indictment, Pittsburgh Landlord Expands his Business from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"He continues to buy and rent out low-end properties -- often tangling with his tenants -- while shifting ownership of the houses overseas."

Civic Arena Site Among Development Projects Getting State Grants from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Three high-profile Pittsburgh projects are among 54 statewide that have been awarded state redevelopment capital assistance grants totaling $124.7 million by the Corbett administration. The Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority will receive a $5 million grant to help cover the cost of installing water, storm and sanitary sewers and other infrastructure in preparation for the redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site for housing and offices. The SEA had requested $15 million to help fund the estimated $40 million it needs for that work."

Investing in the Region from the WESA program, Essential Pittsburgh 
"We’ll discover how the lawsuit against Standard and Poor’s could impact our daily lives,  learn about transit-oriented development in the region and find out what drives Pennsylvanians to celebrate."

Ready for Takeoff? Fracking at Pittsburgh Airport Could be Reality by '14 from the Allegheny Front
"Less than a day after a raucous meeting over plans to drill at Pittsburgh International Airport, the airport’s governing body gave its imprimatur to a plan. The Allegheny County Airport Authority approved the plan to lease gas drilling rights to Consol Energy, in a plan that would net the airport upwards of $500 million over the next 20 years."

Robinson Leaseholders Anxious for Natural Gas Drilling to Start from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Duran and nearly 40 other natural gas leaseholders in Robinson Township met this week to discuss the benefits of gas drilling and their frustration that the industry has stalled in Robinson, even though it’s a prime location for the prized “wet gas” that extraction companies want."

REPORT!!

Shale Gas: From Poland to Pennsylvania from the Calkins Media and the Pulitzer Center
"POLAND HAS SIGNIFICANT DEPOSITS OF SHALE GAS. Like Pennsylvania, it has embraced the promises and risks of extraction in an attempt to spur economic growth and achieve energy independence.  In the last few years, no other energy topic has managed to garner so much global attention and generate so much controversy."

UPMC Settles Dozens of Unfair Labor Practices Complaints Filed by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"In a news release, SEIU said the Pittsburgh health system will be required to rescind its policies regarding preventing employees from talking about the union-organizing effort as long as it is not done in patient care areas. UPMC managers and supervisors also will undergo training about complying with labor laws."

Pa. Lawmaker Wants to Spend Impact Fee Money on Fracking Health Study from State Impact Pennsylvania
"Suburban Philadelphia Republican State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf is working on a bill that would allocate $2 million from the state’s impact fee fund to study the public health impacts of Marcellus Shale drilling."

West Virginia Governor Optimistic on Cracker Plant from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Shell is working toward locating a petrochemical plant in Beaver County but West Virginia's governor is still hopeful a cracker could be built in the Mountain State, too. The News-Register reported that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin didn't say much more during an interview with reporters in South Charleston, W.Va., but said the state is talking to "those interested" in a potential plant."

Auberle Employment Institute Helps At-risk Youths Build Foundations for Life from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Steadman and William Mitchell, 20, of the Hill District helped cut a path for a 10-foot-wide, two-mile trail for hiking and cross-country skiing at the garden, which is being developed on 460 acres of land, much of which was mined. Their work is part of a McKeesport-based nonprofit's year-old Employment Institute, which partners with private companies to provide at-risk youth with job skills. Auberle , a 61-year-old Catholic charity, created the institute about a year ago by pulling together several existing job-training programs."

Allegheny Conference Hails Corbett's Transportation Plan from the Pittsburgh Business-Times 
"Corbett called for legislative approval of a five-year plan to spend $1.2 billion to repair state-maintained roads and bridges, $200 million on the repair or replacement of local roads and bridges and $250 million for mass transit. ... Corbett said the average bridge in Pennsylvania is 51 years old and more than 4,000 statewide are structurally deficient."

Mayor Proposes Spending $135,000 to Make Pittsburgh More Bike-friendly from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Mayor Luke Ravenstahl on Tuesday introduced legislation to spend more than $135,000 on new bike infrastructure in Pittsburgh, his office said. The city also will install its first green bike lane and launch a $100,000 educational campaign to encourage bike safety, mayoral spokeswoman Joanna Doven said in a news release."

EDITORIAL!!

Transit Expert: Port Authority Needs a Professional, Not a Politician from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The chief executive officer should have experience in the field of transit and the ability to run a complex organization, including personnel management skills, financial acumen and connections in the industry sufficient to ensure that Port Authority leadership is attuned to trends and improvements being made at other transit systems. In other words, a transit expert."

EDITORIAL!!

All Aboard: Pennsylvania Train Service Must be Maintained from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh has only two remaining Amtrak routes and one of them -- linking Pittsburgh to Harrisburg, Philadelphia and New York -- may be lost come October because state officials are balking at paying a $5.7 million annual subsidy for the Pittsburgh-Harrisburg segment."

Pittsburgh Promise Works to Bring College Grads Back Home from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"With the Pittsburgh Promise now beginning its sixth year of offering college and technical school scholarships to city students, the nonprofit is also looking to bring those newly minted college grads back home – and to help connect them with some of the thousands of jobs available now in the Pittsburgh region. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently profiled efforts by the innovative program to assist its college and tech school grads with career fairs, interview trainings and networking opportunities, while the New Pittsburgh Courier highlighted a mentorship program of 150 African American male high school students interested in participating in the Pittsburgh Promise.  (Here’s another story about getting those students “Promise Ready.”)"

Pittsburgh Promise student Brianna Smith.

EDITORIAL!!

Narrow the Skills Gap: Community Colleges are Critical in Training the Work Force We Need (regional community college presidents) from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"In a report submitted last year by the Governor's Manufacturing Advisory Council it was noted that the number of new workers entering manufacturing, coupled with the manufacturing sector's growth, has left a staggering gap of available skilled workers. Simply put, every decent-paying job today takes more skill and more education, but too many Americans aren't ready."
Laura Fisher at the Allegheny Conference comments on this editorial HERE. 

Pittsburgh Region Outpaces Nation, State in Opportunity; Labor Force Grows from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"The 1980s and 1990s were very painful times here, but that’s changed for the Pittsburgh region overall. In the past several years, this has emerged as a place with a hardy, diversified economy, where more people are employed now than even during steel’s zenith. These reports underscore that new reality."

Marcellus Shale Industry Offers White Collar Work from WESA"s program, Allegheny Front
"The Marcellus shale gas boom has been changing the landscape of Pennsylvania for the last few years. But before every drill rig, well pad, or pipeline is constructed, another type of work must be completed. Paperwork. A day was spent with someone at the forefront of one part of the drilling boom. "

Sharing the Property Tax Burden from WESA's program, Essential Pittsburgh 
"In order to meet fiscal challenges should nonprofits pay taxes? We’ll address the issue with State Senator Jim Ferlo, get an update on the city council ..."

New Supercomputing Program “Sherlock” Unveiled Friday; Keeps Pittsburgh in High-Performance Lead from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center is about to take its cutting-edge capabilities to a whole new level. On Feb. 1 the Oakland-based center will unveil Sherlock, a high-performance data handling system that will allow researchers to discover otherwise hidden patterns among what can amount to massive amounts of data."

W.Va. Coal Dust Standards Not Enforced from the Associated Press via the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"State standards are aimed at reducing buildups of explosive coal dust in underground mines, but regulators haven’t been enforcing those standards."

STUDY!!

African Americans in Pittsburgh: The Data in Black & White (Jeffery Fraser) from the Pittsburgh Quarterly
"It's heartening to report that what residents have in common outweighs what divides them, even when race is considered. Yet in several cases, the survey reveals sharp differences in both their circumstances and their perspectives."

U.S. Steel Touts Coke Plant Project as Good for Jobs, Air from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"U.S. Steel today formally commissioned a new battery of ovens at its Clairton coke plant, a $500 million project the company said will preserve steelmaking jobs in the Mon Valley and improve the region's air quality. The project is a scaled back version of the $1 billion proposal the Pittsburgh steelmaker announced in late 2007, before the global recession decimated steel demand and caused the industry to retrench."

Heinz Endowments Gives Grant to Promote Water Control Technology from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"The Heinz Endowments gave $31,000 to encourage municipalities to incorporate green technology into their plans to prevent sanitary sewers from overflowing during storms. Announcement of the grant Thursday came days after the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority asked federal authorities to allow it 18 months to consider adding green infrastructure to its $2 billion plan to prevent excessive rain from entering sewers."

Governor Touts Private Funding of Transportation from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The governor told an audience of local officials and businesspeople that the private sector knows its infrastructure needs and -- as evidenced by the $40 million project, mostly backed by business, to connect a planned commercial park with a major road -- will foot the bill."

EDITORIAL!!

Fiscal Lesson: The State University System Has More to Learn from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The State System of Higher Education learned a lesson from the risky construction financing moves that unraveled at California University of Pennsylvania shortly before the ouster of the school's president. However, the system hasn't yet mastered Fiscal Management 101. The state system, made up of 14 universities including California, announced last week that campuses will have to put their own share of funding into system-controlled accounts before they begin work on projects financed with system-backed bonds. This measure is akin to requiring a home buyer to put some cash into a purchase before acquiring a mortgage, and it just makes sense."

Richard King Mellon Foundation Gives $4M for Grove City College Building from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"The Richard King Mellon Foundation gave Grove City College $4 million for a new science, engineering and mathematics building, school officials said Thursday. “It sends a message that they see what we do here, and they want to be a partner,” said Richard G. Jewell, president of the private four-year liberal arts college in Mercer County."

Corbett: Shell Not Considering Other Sites for Beaver County Ethane Cracker from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Royal Dutch Shell is not scouting other states for sites to put the massive petrochemical plant that it has delayed building in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Corbett said Wednesday. "If they're going to build it, they're going to build it here," said Mr. Corbett in an interview following a morning speech at a natural gas conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown."