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🌱 SWAT Team Responds To Garfield Home + Mayor of Kingstown + Aviary

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HAPPY ALMOST WEEKEND! It's Friday in Pittsburgh and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening locally... because community news matters! Today you'll find these stories and more...

  • Man charged after SWAT team responds to home in Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood
  • Filmed-in-Pittsburgh 'Mayor of Kingstown' debuts 2nd season
  • UPMC Health Plan cuts insurance for many Pittsburgh-area pharmacies

Here we go!

Colder with a little snow. High: 34 Low: 24.

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Here are the top stories in Pittsburgh today:

1) A SWAT team responded to a home in Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood Thursday evening, resulting in one man being taken into police custody. Officers were called to the 5000 block of Columbo Street, where they said a man, identified as 21-year-old Phillip Hughson, was barricaded inside a home with his 4-year-old daughter. Authorities said there was a protection from abuse order involving the mother of the child. "The female was inside, and she came outside of the house of fear for her safety, and then informed us that the male was still inside with the child, barricaded inside the house," Cmdr. Stephen Vinansky said. Vinansky said SWAT officers eventually entered the home and took Hughson into custody. No force was used, and no injuries were reported, Vinansky said. The child was safely reunited with her mother, Vinansky said.

(WTAE Pittsburgh)

2) Viewers of Paramount+'s series "Mayor of Kingstown" might recognize some scene locations, as the show filmed its second season in Pittsburgh. Episodes will start streaming weekly this Sunday. Producer Hugh Dillon moved the show to Pittsburgh for second season filming from Kingston, Ontario, where season one filmed. "We wanted to scale up for season two," Dillon said. "Pittsburgh had all of these decommissioned prisons. And when I scouted it (again for season two), I just fell in love with it. That place is it. We got 10 seasons mapped out. So yeah, we're not leaving. 'Kingstown' will never leave Pittsburgh." Kennywood's roller coasters can also be seen in the background of some scenes. Other locations include St. Mary's Ukrainian Church in McKees Rocks, Hartwood Acres Mansion, Station Brake Café in Wilmerding and the City County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh.

(TribLIVE)

3) Starting on January 1st, 2023, thousands of Pennsylvanians lost insurance coverage for prescriptions at their corner drugstores. UPMC Health Plan narrowed pharmacy coverage for individuals and employers who bought plans through the state-run health insurance exchange, known as Pennie. UPMC said it dropped roughly half of pharmacies from its Pennie network; the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association estimates the figure approaches 70%. UPMC and the pharmacy association are scheduled to meet next week, along with the Pennsylvania Health Care Association and Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists. Pharmacy association president, Pat Lavella, said he could not understand why UPMC's network includes certain drugstores within his trade group but excludes others. Among large chains, RiteAid, Giant Eagle, Sam's Club and Walmart all remain in UPMC's Pennie network; but Walgreens and CVS are out.

(90.5 WESA)

4) The National Aviary in Pittsburgh has announced that "Seaside Escape" is its new seasonal theme. "Seaside Escape" offers new daily activities, many included with admission, a special new Jr. Toucan Animal Encounter designed for children, and more. With each season at the National Aviary, guests can explore the world of birds and conservation though a different lens with interactive programs, educational signage, fun play spaces and decor. "Seaside Escape" lets guests know how they can protect coastal and tropical species. The new season at the Aviary runs through Friday, May 26. Additional information is available at aviary.org.

(The Almanac)

5) An Allegheny County Common Pleas judge has issued an order stopping any apartment tenant evictions from the Roosevelt Building. The eviction was first ordered so that repair work and remediation to water and fire damage from an apartment fire last month could begin. A group of low-income tenants, both elderly and some with disabilities, went to court, fighting to stay, saying they have nowhere else to go and would become homeless. There are eight plaintiffs in the lawsuit, but as many as 36 tenants of the Roosevelt Building still need placement in other housing. Of the 191 apartment unit tenants, 108 receive HUD (Housing and Urban Development) housing subsidies to help pay their rent. Judge Patrick Connelly said from the bench at the end of a second day of hearings that "all need to work together and find a place for these folks. That's time better spent. Time is of the essence." While this order buys tenants more time to secure housing, they will still be forced to leave.

(WTAE Pittsburgh)

Today in Pittsburgh:

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with another 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

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