Stolen Ambulance + Steel City Con + Dormont Bank Robbery

Welcome back, Pittsburgh! We made it to Friday! I'm here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on in town. Today you'll read about:

• Pittsburgh ambulance stolen while medics treating patient
• Pittsburgh packed with stars for Steel City Con
• Arrest made in Dormont bank robbery

Patchy fog, then sun. High: 48 Low: 35.

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Here are the top stories today in Pittsburgh:

1) A slew of famous folks will be in town this weekend for one of pop culture's greatest gatherings: Steel City Con. Some of the big names scheduled to appear include Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Charlie Hunnam, Vicki Lawrence, Christie Brinkley, Gaten Matarazzo, Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin and Paula Abdul. One of the largest pop culture conventions in the country, Steel City Con is being held December 9th through 11th in 100,000 square feet of the Monroeville Convention Center. There are 750 vendor tables and artists, and meet-and-greet opportunities with TV and film celebrities. Some celebrities participate in Q&A panels and photo ops, while fans can take part in cosplay, trivia contest and costume contests. Click here for more information and tickets.

(WPXI Pittsburgh)

2) It's a busy upcoming weekend in Pittsburgh. The 31st annual production of "A Musical Christmas Carol," will begin on Friday at the Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St., Downtown. Broadway veteran and Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris takes on the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge, alongside a host of other familiar faces from the Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale of redemption. For information and reservations, visit pittsburghclo.org. Next up: The Winter Artists' Market is planned for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media, 1047 Shady Ave., Shadyside. More than 30 artists and artisans are scheduled to participate, offering jewelry, ceramics, prints, jewelry, woodwork, fiber arts and other wares. Refreshments will be available from Farmer x Baker and Trace Brewing. For information, visit pghartsmedia.org. Finally, vinyl enthusiasts can buy, sell and trade at the Pittsburgh Record Fest, set for 2-8 p.m. Sunday at Spirit, 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. The all-ages event will include DJs spinning music, drink specials and food. Admission is $3. For information, visit spiritpgh.com.

(TribLIVE)

3) A Pittsburgh ambulance was stolen early this morning and taken out of city limits. Just before 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 9, medics responded to a call in the 200 block of West Sycamore Street in Mount Washington, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. While they treated the patient, a male stole the ambulance and fled the city, driving into Beaver County. State police were able to track the vehicle to Hopewell, where the suspect was taken into custody and the vehicle was recovered. Channel 11 saw multiple police cars surround an ambulance on the Parkway West outbound around the Hopewell exit. The story is developing.

(WPXI Pittsburgh)

4) Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has announced its Highmark First Night lineup. An ice maze is one of the highlights of the New Year's Eve celebration. Richard Bubin, a master ice carver and founder of Ice Creations, will create an immersive wale-though maze of giant ice blocks five feet high for Highmark First Night. It will be specially designed and carved for the Backyard at 8th and Penn. Other highlights include "Intensional Particle," from choreographer and multidisciplinary artist Hiroaki Umeda. It's a high-intensity dance and digital imagery installation at Wood Street Galleries. Familiar favorites and traditions will also be part of First Night, starting with the Dollar Bank Children's Fireworks at 6 p.m. in front of the Benedum Center. Immediately after the kick-off event, the winner of the Williams Sing-Off Competition will perform. Inez, a Homewood resident, will be the headliner on the Highmark Stage from 10:45 p.m. to midnight. All events are free, though VIP tickets are available. Additional information is available at trustarts.org.

(Observer-Reporter)

5) A Brookline man is facing charges after police arrested him for allegedly robbing a Dormont bank Wednesday. Police were called to the Dollar Bank in the 3000 block of West Liberty Avenue around 3:45 p.m. Investigators learned that a male suspect wearing a surgical mask handed a note to a teller demanding money. The note indicated that the suspect would kill people unless his demands were met. The suspect fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash. A tip led police to the 700 block of Brookline Boulevard. Early Thursday morning, a search warrant led to the discovery of the stolen cash and a suspect vehicle, police said. Ahmed Ali Asiri, 26, was arrested and charged with robbery, theft and terroristic threats.

(WTAE Pittsburgh)

Today in Pittsburgh:

• Holy Spider - The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (5:00 PM)
• Dazzling Nights Pittsburgh (5:30 PM)
• Artists' Talk: Industrial Grit and Graffiti (6:00 PM)
• Live Music: Donna O at Tony's Pub (6:00 PM)
• Ugly Sweater Holiday Party - Northland Public Library (6:30 PM)
• Dungeons & Dragons -- on Discord! - Northland Public Library (7:00 PM)
• The Dinner Detective Comedy Murder Mystery Dinner Show (7:00 PM)
• Holiday Pops at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (7:10 PM)
• WWE Friday Night SmackDown - PPG Paints Arena (7:45 PM)
• Heinz Chapel Choir Holiday Concert #3 (8:00 PM)
• Fourth Annual "We Want the Funk Festival" December 9-10 at AWAACC (8:00 PM)
• DJ Sports & Social Steel City (10:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Pittsburgh Public Schools: "The Magnet Program application deadline is tomorrow December 9, 2022. For more information please visit www.pghschools.org/magnet" (Pittsburgh Public Schools via Facebook)
• Visit Pittsburgh: "Day 2️⃣ of the 10 Days of #LovePGH Giveaways is a tasty one! 😋 Enter to win a gift card to one of Pittsburgh's delicious restaurants, food stores, cafés, juicerys or food tours. 🍴🥞🍕🌮 HOW TO ENTER: ➡️ Like this post & follow our page." (Visit Pittsburgh via Facebook)
• Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: "Our Gifts and Greens Market is now open at our Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park! Stop by from today from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Fri. – Sat. from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Sat. Get all of your holiday gifts and décor needs this season!" (Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens via Facebook)
• City of Pittsburgh: "It's that time of year again! It's the 12 Days of Snow Angels where we will be giving fun prizes for people who sign up to be Snow Angels! Keep an eye on our social media throughout these next 12 days to see what we will be giving away!" (City of Pittsburgh via Facebook)
• The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: "Calling all artists and performers! The application window is now open for the 2023 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. Learn more and apply today ➡️ TrustArts.org/TRAFApply" (The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust via Facebook)
• Carnegie Museum of Natural History: "Join our team! Help visitors connect to the natural world and deepen their sense of wonder! We're currently hiring part-time Natural History Interpreters to facilitate engaging learning experiences during guided tours and interactions." (Carnegie Museum of Natural History via Facebook)

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Events:

• North Hills Cares Community of Music (December 9)
• North Hills Cares Kids Day (December 10)
• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (December 13)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! 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 Daily? Contact me at pittsburgh@patch.com