COVID-19
Pennsylvania COVID-19 cases top 11,000; state deaths total 150
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Pennsylvania's count of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to rise. Local and state officials have taken strict action to limit exposure.
COVID-19
How local officials and institutions are responding to coronavirus
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As novel coronavirus cases are reported in the Pittsburgh area, PublicSource has compiled information on how local leaders and institutions are responding as public health experts urge residents to practice “social distancing” and avoid large gatherings.
COVID-19
Pittsburgh-area grocers implement purchase limits on hard-to-find items and new disinfecting routines amid coronavirus shopping rush
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Editor’s note: A reader wrote in to PublicSource about what local grocers are doing to restock and stay safe. Below we have some information from two of the area’s largest grocers and we will update if we get additional information. Email nicole@publicsource.org with new questions. That hard-to-find case of water or package of toilet paper is getting restocked on shelves locally. But you might be limited to the number of packages you can snag on your next trip to the grocery store.
COVID-19
How to protect yourself from coronavirus and understand the global context
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Proper hand washing for at least 20 seconds is the best way to protect yourself against the coronavirus, according to Allegheny County health officials.
MONEY & POLITICS
Eleven weeks before the primary, Allegheny County officials outline a plan for the new election system rollout
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The county recently signed a $20 million deal for a new voting system that largely relies on hand-marked paper ballots to comply with a Pennsylvania lawsuit settlement requiring a paper trail ahead of the primary election.
MONEY & POLITICS
Allegheny County’s $20 million deal for a new voting system moves forward, but plans on installing and training are still in the works
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Update (1/24/2020): The Allegheny County Board of Elections will meet at 2 p.m. on Feb. 11 to discuss the rollout of new voting machines and training for poll workers for the April 28 primary election. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held in Conference Room 1 in the Allegheny County Courthouse at 436 Grant St. Allegheny County voters who head to the polls in three months for the primary election will cast their votes on a new $13.4 million system that largely relies on hand-marked paper ballots.
The change from electronic machines, in place since 2006, includes an additional $6.6 million for software, updates and training. Many security experts consider paper ballots to be more secure because they create a paper trail and voters don’t have to rely on a computer to accurately reflect their votes.
MONEY & POLITICS
Pittsburgh City Council is considering the first city budget in more than a decade without state oversight
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“Any major market shift will undo the progress we’ve made,” Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said.
Dozens of Pittsburgh residents share stories of racism as city council members consider declaring it a public health crisis
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Some came angry. Others hurt, their eyes brimming with tears, their voices wavering with emotion. More than 100 Black men and women turned out Thursday night at Ebenezer Baptist Church to share their experiences with discrimination for the public hearing on Pittsburgh City Council’s “All-In Cities” initiative.
MONEY & POLITICS
With Allegheny County Council set to adopt its 2020 budget, here’s a review of some budgetary trends over Fitzgerald’s tenure
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The average annual increase since 2012 is 2.6%, but not all departments have kept pace.
DEVELOP PGH
Imperiled Downtown homeless shelter may get money for repairs from Housing Opportunity Fund
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Safety issues had threatened the shelter’s expected Nov. 15 opening. The shelter has remained open through the winter months for 19 years and, last year, served 900 people experiencing homelessness.
