Design Challenge: Concerns About Piatt's Market Square Development are Legitimate from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Improvements to Downtown's Market Square were a long time in coming, but the good work that finally produced a vastly better public space surrounded by a mix of new and old businesses easily could be undone if nearby projects throw off the atmosphere and scale. That's the fear triggered by Millcraft Industries' plans for The Gardens at Market Square, which would occupy land on Forbes Avenue between the square and just before Wood Street."

Town Meeting Set on Pollution Guidelines from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"A committee that's spent more than two years formulating new air toxics guidelines for industrial operations in Allegheny County will hold a public meeting Monday in Clairton to assess community concerns. One of the big concerns, expressed at Allegheny County Health Board meetings in recent years, is that it's taking too long to come up with the new limits on hazardous air pollutants, and that's putting the health of residents at risk."

Jobless Claims Down in Pennsylvania from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"Pennsylvania was one of the leaders in a drop of unemployment claims nationwide to the lowest level in four years."

Demolition Gives Homewood Residents Hope from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"Mr. Ravenstahl called the demolition a "long-awaited step forward" for Homewood, which has large numbers of abandoned houses, low property values, a high rate of tax delinquency and a reputation for crime. The row houses straddle about two blocks of Formosa, from North Braddock Avenue to Collier Street."

Demolition Man: Ravenstahl Kicks Off "Demolition Season" in Homewood (Lauren Daley) from the Slag Heap blog at the Pittsburgh City Paper 
"The city will use "green-up strategies" for the vacant parcels, Ravenstahl said, such as community gardens and playgrounds with the ultimate goal of redevelopment."

U.S. Steel Could Be Looking to Move from Downtown from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The talk that the company could be leaving its longtime headquarters, perhaps for the suburbs, is creating shock waves."

Mentoring Group Strives to Help Clairton Students from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"A group of Clairton High School graduates who have gained success in their chosen professions and life have banned together to help current Clairton High School students do the same thing through the Clairton High School Mentorship Program."

Centerville Drops Volunteer Program from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington and Greene counties]
"A program that has provided hundreds of volunteers to nonprofit organizations in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties for three decades has come to an end because of cuts in federal spending."

Central Greene Gets OK to Raise Taxes from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington and Greene counties]
"Central Greene School District received approval from the state to raise property taxes for its 2012-13 budget greater than the inflation index established under the Taxpayers Relief Act."

Councilman to Speak About Jobs, Going Green from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"City Councilman Bill Peduto and two other Pittsburghers today will address a regional environmental conference about steps the city has taken to clean up its air and water. Tom Hoffman, Western Pennsylvania director for Clean Water Action, and Barney Oursler, executive director of Pittsburgh United, are joining Mr. Peduto in Philadelphia for the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference."

Taxed Property: Proponents say improvement district would give South Side needed extra services from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"The city has been clear that we aren't getting any more services than what we have now""

County Council Says Shale Fee Doesn't Go Far Enough from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Allegheny County residents will share in the $180 million expected this year from an impact fee to be imposed on natural-gas wells."

Hundreds Gather in Oakland to Protest Plan to Close Air Force Base from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Nearly 300 active military personnel, veterans and elected officials turned out for a rally on Tuesday evening at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Oakland to protest the announced closing of the Air Force Reserve's 911th Airlift Wing."

Entrepreneurs Compete for Grant Money from the Pitt News [of the University of Pittsburgh]
"The next year, Erickson pitched Barre at Pitt’s 2011 Randall Family Big Idea Competition. She won second place in the Business Growth Idea category, and now the energy bars are sold at more than 150 locations across the country. “I felt like the competition was a great way to flesh out the elements of the business that we maybe had not fully developed,” Erickson said."

School Districts Get OK to Raise Taxes from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"KDKA-TV reports on the 199 school districts -- including 35 in southwestern Pennsylvania -- who received state approval to possibly raise taxes more than allowed by law. The districts include Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, North Allegheny, Mount Lebanon, Franklin Regional and Peters, KDKA said."

Top 7: Largest Pittsburgh-area Private Companies from Pittsburgh Business Times
"This week, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked the largest Pittsburgh-area private companies."

Aliquippa's First Black Mayor Walker Fights City's Stigma from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"In January, Dwan Walker took the oath of office as the Beaver County city's first black mayor under the "One Aliquippa" slate in May 2011."

African American Engineers Convene in Pittsburgh to Talk Shop, Promote Their Field from Imagine Pittsburgh Online
"Pittsburgh’s largest conference of 2012 kicks off at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on March 29, as nearly 8,500 professional engineers and engineering students gather for the National Society of Black Engineers convention."

HISTORICAL RESOURCE!!

Interactive Website Maps Pittsburgh's History (Diana Nelson Jones) from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Though inspired by his interest in history and a connection to Pittsburgh -- his wife is a Pitt graduate whom he married in Heinz Chapel -- it was meant to be a work tool. Then a colleague of his blogged proudly about it, and in recent weeks, Mr. Olsen's moving, zooming, time-traveling map has become a bit of a local sensation."

HISTORICAL STORY!!

Historical Oakland: Neighborhood Once the Center for Pittsburgh Sports (Patrick Wagner) from the Pitt News
"In 1909, The Pittsburgh Post situated Oakland as the apex of the sports world. “World’s finest baseball grounds,” wrote journalist James Jerpe, calling it “an athletic park far in advance of anything of its type.” Forbes Field and other structures made the neighborhood a sports paradise for much of the 20th century..."