Transit Users, Some in Tears, Warn of Fallout from Proposed Transit Cuts from the Slag Heap blog at the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Tina Janoss's voice broke as she explained the implications of cutting bus service in her Homestead neighborhood. Her son has special needs; her husband also suffers from multiple health issues."
The Post-Gazette has more on the story HERE.

PERSPECTIVE!!

Uphill Climb: Perry Hilltop Struggles to Keep Pace with Changes on the North Side (Jacob Flannick) from Pittsburgh City Paper
"You can't just give money to a community and expect to change it."

OPINION!!

How to Extract Gas Responsibly (Joe Nocera) from the New York Times 
"Fracking isn’t going away. ... One thing I’ve always liked about the Environmental Defense Fund is its hardheaded approach. Founded by scientists, it believes in data, not hysteria. It promotes market incentives to change behavior and isn’t afraid to work with industry. Utterly nonpartisan, it is oriented toward practical policy solutions. And that has been its approach to fracking."

CMU's Aquion Energy to Expand Manufacturing in Pittsburgh Region, Add 400+ Jobs from Imagine Pittsburgh Online
"Innovative grid-level battery maker Aquion Energy is going from university spinoff to major manufacturer. Aquion has leased  a portion of RIDC Westmoreland, the former Sony Technology Center in East Huntingdon Township near New Stanton, which closed in March 2010.  It will move its 70 employees from its headquarters and low-volume manufacturing space in Lawrenceville to the new facility in 2013, and expects to create more than 400 high-tech manufacturing jobs by the end of 2015."

Cutting Deep: Corbett Budget Would Put Social Services Further Out of Reach (Lauren Daley) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"If you're one of the nearly 16,000 Pennsylvanians waiting to receive services for Down syndrome, autism or another intellectual disability, you may be waiting a long time. "The only way a person can get any services or support is if someone passes away or someone leaves the state," says Sheila Stasko, statewide coordinator of the PA Waiting List Campaign."

ANALYSIS!!

On Marcellus Shale, Show Me the Money (Seamus McGraw) from the Pittsburgh Quarterly
"How much economic benefit is the Marcellus Shale bringing to the region and where are those dollars going?"

Pittsburgh to be Home to Massive Movie Production Effort from the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The best film and video production facility for movies outside Southern California will reside in Pittsburgh.
The Tribune-Review has more on the story HERE.

The College Cost Question (Reid Frazier) from the Pittsburgh Quarterly [Fall, 2011]
"Tuition costs are rising. How are so many still putting their children through school?"

Committee to Present Economic-Growth Plan to Washington Council from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Several years ago, the city of Washington coordinated a loan pool program to assist people who wanted to either purchase property or open a business. That program, however, was never fully implemented, said Councilman Matt Staniszewski, who a few months ago was asked by a group of property owners and business people to participate in a think tank they called the Washington Business Development Association's Economic Restructuring Committee. Now, after several meetings, Staniszewski said the committee is prepared to present council with a new plan to spur economic growth in the city. The plan will be presented at council's agenda meeting at 6 p.m. Monday."

Nonprofits Do More with Less Thanks to Forbes Funds from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"For most nonprofits, shoestring budgets used to be long enough to feed the hungry, serve the disabled and pursue the environmental cause. But they're not long enough today, and need is piling up. While more Americans are struggling to cling to self-sufficiency, nonprofits are finding strength in huddles -- "our new reality," said Diana Bucco, president of The Forbes Funds. "Even in better economic times, this is a healthy progression.""

Earthjustice Study Targets Pollution by Small Power Plants from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Some small industrial power plants, which provide heat and electricity to refineries, chemical plants, steel mills and other major manufacturing facilities, play a big, unhealthy role in polluting the air in
Pennsylvania and across the U.S., according to a new study by Earthjustice."

Pittsburgh Metro Region Ranks Among the Best from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"Pittsburgh ranks with Austin, Seattle and Minneapolis among the strongest non-prime real estate markets in the country, a status expected to continue to improve but remain below traditional major markets New York, Boston, Dallas and San Francisco."

Universities Warn of More Subsidy Cuts from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"Cutting more state funding from Pennsylvania's largest universities is forcing them to essentially become private institutions, said University of Pittsburgh's chancellor as he and other top administrators called on lawmakers to again restore their millions in subsidies."

Pittsburgh Public Schools Gets $1 Million Heinz Grant: Achievement Gap, Transition Targeted from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The Heinz Endowments is putting $1 million behind the efforts of Pittsburgh Public Schools to increase equity, reduce the racial achievement gap and help provide a smooth transition as Pittsburgh Oliver High School closes and students are reassigned to Pittsburgh Perry this fall."

State Grants to Fund Rail, Airport Projects in Region from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Gov. Tom Corbett this afternoon announced $33 million in state grants for rail and airport projects across the state, including $9.2 million for seven projects in the Pittsburgh region."

New York Court Affirms Towns' Powers To Ban Fracking (Lena Groeger) from the National Memo
"In a decision that could set a national precedent for how local governments can regulate gas drilling, a New York state court yesterday ruled for the first time that towns have the right to ban drilling despite a state regulation asserting they cannot."

Washington County Leaders Discuss Energy Surge from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Washington County business and government leaders on Thursday talked up the "energy surge" that has led to $200 million in investments and job growth, recently counted among the nation's biggest."

OPINION!!

Now and the Future: A Benchmark Report Captures the Region's Progress from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The region's more diversified economy is creating jobs in education, financial services, energy and medicine. On top of this, other strengths -- a moderate cost of living, a lively arts community, the chance to see three major professional sports teams, and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation -- have enabled the 32-county region to attract more people than are leaving. As Mr. Heuck remarked, "It's a total change for our area."

Taxing Times: Confusion Around County Reassessment Tough on Home Buyers, Sellers (Charlie Deitch) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"A week later, Judge Stanton Wettick told county employees to ignore Fitzgerald. If county workers didn't send out the new bills, he warned, they'd risk being held in contempt of court. Two days after that. Wettick himself decided to postpone using the new values until next year.
Confused? Just imagine how a real-estate agent — or someone looking to buy or sell a home — must feel."

Allegheny County Grants Available for Tourism, Infrastructure from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Feb. 29 is the last day for local governments and nonprofit organizations in Allegheny County to apply for the latest round of infrastructure and tourism grants. The $6.6 million in annual funding for the program comes from taxes on gambling casinos and is administered by the county's redevelopment authority."