Meteor Over Downtown Pittsburgh + Millvale Mural + Hip Hop Summit

Hello all- It's Saturday in Pittsburgh! It's me, Rachel Tasker, your host of the Pittsburgh Daily — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days. In today's issue, you'll find news about these stories and more...

• How one goodness story turned into one giant Millvale mural
• 4-year-old girl dies after shooting in Pittsburgh
• Hip Hop Summit showcases Pittsburgh emcees, DJs, street artists, and more

But first, today's weather:

Windy. High: 54 Low: 24.

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Here are the top stories in Pittsburgh today:

1) Downtown Pittsburgh experienced a meteor event on Thursday evening. It can be seen by a sky camera from the local National Weather Service office. On December 1st, around 7:30 p.m., the video showcases a bright, glowing burst of light streaking across the screen. The streaking fireball turned out to be a meteor that was observed in 13 states in the eastern United States and in Ontario, Canada, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS), which keeps a detailed listing of fireball reports.

(The Sentinel)

2) Grant Street in Millvale is home to a new mural art piece. The idea for the mural sprang from a recent news story about a new nonprofit in the Triboro (made up of Sharpsburg, Millvale and Etna) which aims to formalize the area's already-bustling public art scene. And the artist who created Millvale's newest mural wanted in on the good deeds. "we just thought 'wouldn't it look good as you enter Millvale as a welcoming sign?'" The piece depicts a wide tree trunk that holds up the word 'Millvale' in a font that seems to jump off of the brick it is painted on, as well as other imagery like a moon, fireman's hat, a sun and a family of raccoons that all represent special meaning to the artist and the former use of the building.

(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

3) Following a 4-year-old girl being shot and killed in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh police made a passionate plea for mothers and fathers to get involved with their kids and monitor their activities and social media to stop the ongoing gun violence. Kaari Thompson’s family members say the young girl was vibrant. She was shot and killed while with her mother Thursday night on Lincoln Avenue. “I am very touched by this tragic situation that occurred yesterday and this 4-year-old baby who won’t be able to enjoy the holiday season like any other girl would do,” said Assistant Chief Lavonnie Bickerstaff with Pittsburgh police. At the scene, neighbors say enough is enough.“We need to talk to our children. We need to talk to the youth. We need to talk to them and tell them to put the drugs and guns down,” said Derek Scott, who lives near where the shooting occurred. “This is no way to solve any issues that we have going on in the community.”Police have not released a motive for the shooting, but it is reported that Kaari’s mother, who was also wounded and is in critical condition, was out on bond awaiting trial on attempted homicide charges. She’s accused of shooting two teenagers in Homewood last August. Authorities would not say if the mother was targeted, but they urged parents to get involved and monitor their kids and their social media accounts.

(WPXI Pittsburgh)

4) The Pittsburgh Land Bank has approved a $10M spending plan for COVID-19 relief money. The Land Bank’s plan calls for using $10 million in ARPA money over four years, Land Bank manager Sally Stadelman said in a presentation to the board. “Our Land Bank is here to support and increase the supply of affordable housing and to reduce the spread of urban blight in the city of Pittsburgh,” Stadelman said, adding that the federal covid relief funding would help the group expand on those efforts. More than $5 million in ARPA money would be spent on property acquisition, holding costs and title clearance for properties the Land Bank would buy and resell. Stadelman said she is hoping the Land Bank could buy and then sell more than 650 properties over that four-year span.The Land Bank’s spending plan also includes nearly $3 million to complete necessary work on properties purchased through the Land Bank, with another $1 million is earmarked for staff and consultants.

(TribLIVE)

5) The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is hosting the first-ever Hip Hop Summit, a full day of activities described as celebrating the four elements of the genre - the Emcee, the DJ, Graffiti, and Breaking. Taking place today at the Trust Arts Education Center, the Summit will include five free community workshops and events led by local musicians and artists. The day will conclude with a ticketed Emcee & DJ Showcase featuring DJs Nate da Barber, Inception, and Yamez, and a performance by 1Hood Media artists Saïd, Treble NLS, JM the Poet, SpeciàlK, and DJ QRX. A press release says the event came together through a partnership with Rivers of Steel, which organizes programming at the repurposed Carrie Blast Furnaces, and 1Hood Media, a Pittsburgh group working to promote activism through the arts. In addition to the music, guests can participate in a Spray and Style Write Workshop and Graffiti Gallery Tour led by local artists Max Gonzales and Shane Pilster. The activities continue with an All-Styles Dance Battle and a Basics of Popping & Animation workshop by Mario Quinn Lyles of the Garfield-based Level Up Studios.

(PGH City Paper)

Today in Pittsburgh:

• Dazzling Nights Pittsburgh (5:30 PM)
• The Dinner Detective Comedy Murder Mystery Dinner Show (6:00 PM)
• Pittsburgh Penguins vs. St. Louis Blues (7:00 PM)
• Pittsburgh Concert Chorale’s Sounds of the Season (7:30 PM)
• Heinz Chapel Choir Holiday Concert #1 (8:00 PM)
• Handel's Messiah - The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (8:00 PM)
• DJ Sports & Social Steel City (10:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Pittsburgh Bureau of Police: "MISSING: Pittsburgh Police Special Victims Unit detectives are asking for the public's help to find a missing female. Sherri Keefer, 60, is described as 5'6, 150 pounds, with brown eyes, and reddish brown hair."(Pittsburgh Bureau of Police via Facebook)
• Pittsburgh Public Schools: "Pittsburgh native, CAPA alumni, and Superstar Billy Porter receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame⭐ Read more here https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-native-billy-porters-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star-unveiled/" (Pittsburgh Public Schools via Facebook)
• Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: "Looking for fun holiday plans? Join us for our Zoo Lights Drive-Thru! Enjoy over 100 animal lights, festive music, and holiday treats all from the comfort of your car. Learn more ➡️ http://bit.ly/3jU3G6r" (Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium via Facebook)
• Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: "After months of planning, the ideas on paper have finally been brought to life. View how Associate Director of Exhibits, Jordyn Melino, created our beautiful Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show Displays!" (Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens via Facebook)
• Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh: "As #GivingTuesday 2022 comes to a close, we at Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh would like to say #thank you for helping us reach our goal of raising $100,000 to save animals. " (Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (December 6)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar at Rodef Shalom Congregation (December 8)
• North Hills Cares Community of Music (December 9)
• North Hills Cares Kids Day (December 10)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update.

— 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 Daily? Contact me at pittsburgh@patch.com