Community Corner
🌱 Duran Duran + Franco Harris Promise Memorial + Zoo Welcomes Baby
The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Pittsburgh.
Hello, everybody! It's me, Rachel Tasker, your host of the Pittsburgh Patch newsletter — here to impart everything you need to know about what's happening in the community. Including news on...
- Pittsburgh Public Transit riders calling for reliability
- Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium welcomes a new baby
- Pittsburgh's Downtown Black Music Festival 2023
and more!
Windy; morning rain. High: 69 Low: 40.
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Here are the top stories today in Pittsburgh:
1) A local group known as Pittsburghers for Public Transit is calling for a higher rate of reliability from Pittsburgh Regional Transit. Voicing the needs of the tens of thousands of residents who rely on public transportation in Pittsburgh, the group believe that communication improvements need to be made so that riders aren't left guessing. "According to data gathered by Pittsburghers for Public Transit, the worst service reliability in 2022 was in Pittsburgh's East End neighborhoods."
2) The legendary rock-and-roll band Duran Duran is set to perform in Pittsburgh. The band, notorious for hits like "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio," and "Ordinary World," announced its world tour this week, including a stop at PPG Paints Arena on Sept. 9. "Duran Duran will be joined on all dates by rockers Bastille, as well as well as rhythm and blues stars Nile Rodgers and Chic" "It's remarkable to me that as a band, we are still hitting new milestones, and introducing the sound of DD to new generations of music lovers," lead singer Simon Le Bon said in an online statement.
3) The recent passing of Steeler's legend Franco Harris has kicked off a renewed sense of community support and kindness, shown via donations made to his Pittsburgh Promise organization. Franco's community support organization, which has provided collegiate scholarship money to thousands of city students, has received more than $100,000 in contributions from 330 donors since he died in December. "Franco often said, 'A scholarship changed my life,' and he worked tirelessly to ensure The Promise scholarship would provide that same opportunity for Pittsburgh's youth. Franco's impact on our work is incomparable," Saleem Ghubril, executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise, said.
4) The Pittsburgh Black Music Festival is set for Point State Park in July. Celebrating the history and heritage of Black music in America is the theme of the free public event spanning from July 13 through the 15. Daily lineup genres include a jazz tribute day, a Gospel tribute day, and a RnB-Soul tribute day.
5) The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium has a birth announcement to share: baby Onyx! The birth adds one more family member to the zoo's nyala herd, the spiral-horned and middle-sized antelope animal. The zoo released photos of Onyx with his mother Ruby on their social media channels and reported that both mother and baby are doing well.
Today in Pittsburgh:
- Prime Rib Night (4 PM)
- Taps & Apps Happy Hour (5 PM)
- Special Events, Music, Art and Seniors (6 PM)
- Craft Corner — Plum Community Library (6:30 PM)
- Jazz with the Manchester Craftsman's Guild (7 PM)
From my notebook:
- US National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA: "Hold on to your 👒 and 🗑️! A wind advisory has been issued for strong wind gusts to between 40 and 50 mph on Thursday and Thursday night. Secure those loose outdoor objects and be prepared for the possibility of scattered power outages!" (US National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA via Facebook)
- Pittsburgh Bureau of Police: "Our hearts and thoughts are with family, friends and fellow officers of fallen McKeesport Officer Sean Sluganski, as well as injured Officer Charles Thomas." (Pittsburgh Bureau of Police via Facebook)
- City of Pittsburgh: "Sign up to be Snow Angel and you'll be entered into a raffle to win a date to Valentines on Ice, an evening spent skating under the stars. Snow Angels help disabled and elderly residents remove snow from their walkways in winter." (City of Pittsburgh via Facebook)
- Pittsburgh Regional Transit: "🚨Light-rail riders should expect significant disruptions in downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore while repair work shuts down rail service between First Avenue and Steel Plaza stations for the next two weekends. " (Pittsburgh Regional Transit via Facebook)
- Visit Pittsburgh: "More of the 'bloody Valentine' type? ❤️🔥 Well then this one's for you! We've got a list of events around Pittsburgh that are just a little off from the usual heart-filled holiday. 😈 Check them out here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3YeTVSf " (Visit Pittsburgh via Facebook)
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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!
— Rachel Tasker
About me: Rachel is a native Pennsylvanian with stops in Erie and State College before making Pittsburgh her home in 2020. She's got a background in a little bit of everything... from working in media newsrooms and public health to the 2016 Presidential election in Washington, D.C. and the 2019 Super Bowl where (surprise!) Tom Brady won... AGAIN. She loves good coffee, bad reality T.V., attending local events and trying new food in the 412. She resides in the South Hills.
Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Pittsburgh Patch newsletter? Contact me at pittsburgh@patch.com
