PROFILES!!

From Iraq to Pittsburgh Seeking Work: Two Men Share Their Job-seeking Journeys from the Pittsburgh Business Times
Nine years ago this month, as the Iraq War began, Samir Alqass was working in his electronics store in Baghdad, unaware of the contortions his professional and personal paths were about to take. In a different part of town, another electronics store owner, Mohammed Mahmod, was about to be put out of business by the war’s aftermath."

INTERVIEW!!

On the Record with Port Authority of Allegheny County CEO Steve Bland (Lauren Daley) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"The leader of the oft-criticized transit agency took time March 23 to talk about some of the issues facing the agency."

Seven Communities File Suit to Oppose Marcellus Shale Law from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The seven municipalities that banded together in recent weeks in opposition to the state's Marcellus Shale gas drilling law filed a suit Thursday, arguing that lawmakers unconstitutionally intruded on local zoning duties by mandating where drilling can occur."
The Tribune-Review's coverage of this story is HERE.

ACH Clear Pathways Earns United Way Designation from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"Housed out of Ammon Recreation Center on Bedford Avenue, ACH Clear Pathways picks up after traditional daycare ends. And from 6 to 8 p.m. children are trained in ballet, acting, hip-hop dance, and Martial Arts; there is also a Girl Scout program—Girl Scout Troop #53611. There is a small fee of $25 per month with a limited number of scholarship positions available."

Shell’s Major Investment in the Region from Imagine Pittsburgh Online
"Shell’s announcement of a proposed petrochemical complex in Beaver County represents the single largest “from the ground up” industrial investment in the region in a generation."

Pittsburgh Ranks High in Health Care Costs: Study from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The high number of doctors and hospitals that are the core of Pittsburgh's meds and eds economy is inflating the overall cost of health care for individuals and businesses, according to the new study that compared Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St. Louis and Cincinnati."

Cracker's Emissions Could Rank High in Region (AUDIO) from the Allegheny Front program [on Essential Public Radio of Pittsburgh]
"What kinds of air pollution could the ethane cracker announced by Shell this month create? What impact would it have on the region's already poor air quality? The Allegheny Front's Reid Frazier took a look at the numbers and found the cracker may have a large footprint in one important aspect of air quality."

EPA Proposes First Carbon-Emission Rules for New Power Plants from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The rules limiting carbon emissions to a maximum 1,000 pounds for every megawatt produced would not apply to existing plants."

OPINION!!

Toxic Status Quo: There's a Long Way to Go in Cleaning Up Waterways from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The numbers make it clear that tough regulation and strict enforcement by the EPA are essential."

Pitt, Oakland Community Meet Over Improving Relations (Aaron Stier-Cohen) from the Pitt News [of the University of Pittsburgh]
"Students moving off campus next year might be required to attend informational sessions about off-campus living as part of a new initiative developed by Pitt in collaboration with Oakland residents. Pitt administrators, student leaders, members of the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation and Oakland residents gathered at the O’Hara Student Center Friday to discuss possible solutions to issues between student and non-student Oakland residents."

Pittsburgh as “Best of the World” Campaign Kicks Off from Imagine Pittsburgh Online
"Pittsburgh’s arts and cultural organizations and businesses are pulling together with the city, county and state to focus attention on what’s “world best” about Pittsburgh in 2012. The initiative – dubbed the “Best of the World Pittsburgh Partnership” – aims to increase visits and economic investments to the region by leveraging attention brought by a National Geographic Traveler article that named Pittsburgh among the world’s 20 must-see places to visit in 2012."

Climbing the Professional Ladder Through the Community (AUDIO) from Essential Public Radio
"Coro Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE) have trained a generation of business and community leaders who’ve found their professional footing through civic engagement and volunteering. On Essential Pittsburgh, Greg Crowley, President and CEO of CORO Pittsburgh and Chris Cooke, Executive Director of PULSE, talk about shaping the future of professional Pittsburgh."

NEED Funds Up $500,000 from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"As the oldest community-based, nonprofit, minority, higher education assistance program in Pennsylvania, NEED has provided scholarships for African-American students pursuing post secondary education for nearly a half century. The theme of the 49th Annual NEED Benefit Dinner was “Building on Our Legacy: Rooted in the Past, Growing Towards Our Future.”"

Marathon Could Boost City Economy, Organizers Say (Timothy McNulty) from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"VisitPittburgh estimates the event could fill 5,000 local hotel rooms and pump $8 million into the Pittsburgh economy through hotel, restaurant and related spending."

Don't Forget the Other Crackers: Aither Chemical Still on the Prowl from the Energy Inc. blog of the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Shell’s not the only company throwing around the cracker promise. As we’ve reported, West Virginia startup Aither Chemicals LLC is also fishing for sites to build, first, a $750 million cracker, and then several others, according to CEO Len Dolhert."

OPINION!!

Gas Central: The Pa. Cracker Site is Brimming with Promise from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Now this could be a game changer. The announcement Thursday that Western Pennsylvania had won the multistate competition for Shell Oil Co.'s petrochemical "cracker" plant is worth applauding. The option purchased on the 300-acre site in Potter Township, Beaver County, means that if preliminary studies and plans go well, work on the billion-dollar-plus facility could begin in two years."

CCAC Brings ‘The Big Read’ Literacy Program to Pittsburgh from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"The Big Read in Pittsburgh kickoff occurred on Sunday evening, March 4th at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture. The event attracted a diverse crowd across racial and generational lines as many gathered to appreciate and promote the importance of literacy."

Cracker Means More, Sustained Drilling from the Energy Inc. blog from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Following Thursday afternoon's announcement that Shell expects to build an ethane cracker in Beaver County, there is one theme echoing in the natural gas industry: this means more drilling, more sustained drilling, and specifically more drilling in wet gas areas."

Fracturing Safe, Say University Studies from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Two recently released university studies have concluded the hydraulic fracturing method of extracting natural gas from shale formations such as the Marcellus is safe."

New Cab Service Coming to Downtown from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review 
"The Pittsburgh Transportation Group and city officials will announce a new taxi cab service Tuesday for Downtown, the North Shore, South Side and Oakland."