squirrel hill

More Than A Name: Mars Borough Celebrates NASA's InSight Mission To The Red Planet

By Megan Harris & • Nov 26, 2018
NASA/JPL-Caltech / NASA.gov

Mars, Pennsylvania wasn't named after the Red Planet, but it's fully embracing those celestial connections. 

Changes To U.S. Immigration Policy Are Affecting Pittsburgh's Restaurant Scene

By Megan Harris & • Nov 21, 2018
Steph Chambers / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 


Hand-pulling noodles is a coveted culinary craft that takes years to learn and even longer to master. The chefs are part athlete, part artist, and restaurants like Everyday Noodles in Squirrel Hill need immigrants to make their business model work. 

Colfax Elementary School Cleared By Police After Being Placed On Lockdown

By & Amy Sisk • Oct 31, 2018
Googlemaps

Colfax K-8 school in Squirrel Hill has been cleared after being placed on lockdown for more than two hours Wednesday morning. 

What's Known About Robert Bowers, The Suspect In The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

By editor • Oct 27, 2018

Robert Bowers, the suspect in the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday, surrendered to police, and officials say he is in fair condition at Allegheny General Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.

Authorities say that while Bowers' motive remains unknown, "we believe he was acting alone." Eleven people were killed in the attack, and six were injured.

Pittsburghers Gather For Saturday Evening Vigil Following Squirrel Hill Shooting

By WESA Staff • Oct 27, 2018
Gene J. Puskar / AP

Thousands of people jammed into the corner of Murray and Forbes in Squirrel Hill amid a light rain for a vigil Saturday evening for the victims of a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue earlier in the day. The gathering included prayers and singing in memory of those killed and wounded.

Prosecutors File 29 Charges Against Synagogue Shooter

By • Oct 27, 2018
Google Maps

The man suspected of killing 11 people at Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Squirrel Hill has been charged with obstructing the exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death.

Federal prosecutors say Robert Bowers was charged Saturday night in a 29-count criminal complaint. It wasn't immediately known if he has an attorney.

11 Killed, More Injured In Shooting At Squirrel Hill Synagogue

By WESA Staff • Oct 27, 2018
Gene J. Puskar / AP

Officials say 11 people were killed when a shooter opened fire during a baby naming ceremony at a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday.

PWSA Using 'Pulling' Technique, A Less Invasive Way To Replace Lead Lines

By • May 7, 2018
Kathleen J. Davis / 90.5 WESA

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is replacing 2,100 lead lines in the city by the end of the year, and using a less invasive process to switch them out called “pulling.”

A Guide To Who's Running In Pittsburgh's District 8 City Council Race

By • Mar 2, 2018
Photos courtesy of the candidates and Kathleen J. Davis / 90.5 WESA

In December, City Councilman Dan Gilman of Pittsburgh's District 8 left his seat to become Mayor Bill Peduto's chief of staff. This was one month after he won reelection to another four-year term. 

High Hopes: PA's First Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Serve As Salve For Patients In Chronic Pain

By Megan Harris • Feb 16, 2018
Keith Srakocic / AP

It's been nearly two years since Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana, and this week, a handful of dispensaries began selling it.

Pittsburgh's First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens In Squirrel Hill Neighborhood

By • Feb 15, 2018
Sarah Boden / 90.5 WESA

At about 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, the door at the Solevo Wellness medical marijuana dispensary in Squirrel Hill opened, allowing in a line of patients that wrapped around the building.

Racist Business Cards Found In Jewish Section Of Pittsburgh

By • Sep 6, 2017
Google Maps

Racist business cards bearing an image of a noose and a swastika have been found in a Pittsburgh neighborhood that is a hub of the city's Jewish community.

The cards have the swastika on one side with the message, "It's not illegal to be white ... yet" on the back next to an image of a noose.

The FBI says neo-Nazi and white supremacist literature and stickers have been showing up for more than two weeks in Squirrel Hill.

Squirrel Hill Volunteer Makes Sure Seniors Aren’t ‘Forgotten,’ Connects Them To Community

By • Aug 28, 2017
Courtesy of Rochel Tombosky

Rochel Tombosky was born in California, but she and her parents moved to Squirrel Hill to become a part of the Jewish community there.

'Legendary' Jerry Weber Bids Adieu To His Record Store, But Never The Music That Made His Career

By Brian Siewiorek • Jul 27, 2017
Joaquin Gonzalez / 90.5 WESA

After 42 years selling used vinyl records, Jerry Weber will walk away from his namesake record store in Squirrel Hill for the last time this Sunday.

Affordable Housing Complex Contractors To Break Ground In Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill Neighborhood

By • Jul 18, 2017
Google Maps

Construction of a 33-unit affordable housing complex in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood is expected to start this week. Action-Housing Inc. will build the six-story Krause Commons at the former Poli’s Restaurant property on Murray Avenue.

Lena Andrews, development officer with Action-Housing, said the site was ideal because of the community surrounding it.

“We really like to build our projects in strong neighborhoods that have access to a lot of amenities,” Andrews said.

Port Authority Wants You To Weigh In On Bus Rapid Transit Plans

By Virginia Alvino Young • Jun 19, 2017
Margaret Sun / 90.5 WESA

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is seeking public input as it finalizes plans for Pittsburgh's long-awaited bus rapid transit system.

Riders can offer suggestions at upcoming neighborhood meetings about street design, station locations and what amenities they’d like to see at each station, like benches and Connect Card machines. They'll also offer general updates and allow for questions about the planning process, spokesman Adam Brandolph said.

Chinese Food Is 'Communication,’ Connecting Cultures In Pittsburgh

By Margaret Sun • May 18, 2017
Margaret Sun / 90.5 WESA

Chopsticks clink against bowls over hushed conversations in Chinese, as the unmistakable smells of stir fries and rich sauces greet customers at the door of the Taiwanese bistro, Café 33, in Squirrel Hill.

Beloved Revolution-Era Translator Or Villainous Spy? Depends Which History Buff You Ask

By Mark Nootbaar • Apr 10, 2017

Some called him a hero of high moral values. Others dubbed him a traitor. Either way, the infamous Simon Girty will soon be remembered with an historical marker in Greenfield.

The installation is the culmination of nearly 30 years of research on the part of his great-great-great-great-great nephew, 83-year-old Ken Girty, who as a child believed his ancestor to be a good-for-nothing "baby-killer."

He's since changed his mind.

Pittsburgh's Long History With Coal Mining Isn't So Buried In The Past

By • Mar 23, 2017
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh collection

When Emily Eckel moved to Knoxville, a neighborhood south of downtown Pittsburgh, she was told to buy special subsidence insurance, just in case the abandoned coal mine beneath her house ever caved in. She'd never heard of it.

NextGen: Pgh Hosts Squirrel Hill Night Market

By • Sep 27, 2015

Local merchants, food vendors, artists and entertainers were featured at the second Squirrel Hill Night Market hosted Saturday by NextGen: Pgh. 

The event drew twice as many patrons as the first market, NextGen founder and executive director Alec Rieger said.

Rieger said that around 10,000 people attended the August night market. Early totals for this weekend weren't immediately available. 

“I think we kind of hit it out of the park,” he said. “It was much larger than I ever anticipated, this was just a self-financed proof-of-concept… Pittsburgh really crushed it."

Seldom Used Parking Ordinance Causes Confusion in Squirrel Hill

By Katie Blackley • Sep 26, 2013
Nothlit / Flickr

After living in his Squirrel Hill home for 18 years, Dr. Jeff Freedman was surprised to receive a letter from the Bureau of Building Inspection asking him to acquire a Certificate of Occupancy.

When he visited the specified location said to provide the certificate, he was told the document was unattainable. Thanks to a 1958 ordinance in Squirrel Hill, many residents are finding parking tickets on vehicles parked in their own driveways.