East Carson Street on Pittsburgh’s South Side will be closed off to cars, people under 21 years old and anyone who has previously committed a crime in the space as part of a new plan aimed at replacing what can be a chaotic late weekend evening in the bar-filled corridor with what’s being dubbed the South Side Street Fest.

The street fest will fill East Carson Street on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. between 12th and 18th streets. During that time, people entering must pass through metal detectors and IDs will be scanned to verify that individuals are at least 21 and that they aren’t on a list of people not allowed to enter. 

“Pittsburghers love the South Side,” said Peter Margittai, president of the Southside Chamber of Commerce. “And they want to come back. They’re just scared, and this is giving them a great reason to come back. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be safe.”

The plan was revealed at a community meeting on Thursday involving Pittsburgh Public Safety, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the South Side Community Action Network, and the Chamber of Commerce. 

The Southside Hospitality Partnership is the official sponsor of the festival, which is scheduled to begin on June 20 and will run on Fridays and Saturday nights until Sept. 12.

Compared to the restrictions placed on Market Square, which banned children from entering that space, this plan is being done in closer conjunction with city police, a public safety spokesperson said. 

“We want to change the behavior down here,” Zone 3 Police Commander Jeff Abraham said. “In 2026, we’ve seized 62 firearms, illegal firearms down here, and we’re just trying to get those type of bad actors to stop coming to East Carson Street.” 

Road closures will start at 9 p.m. At that time, people inside the footprint will either be given wristbands or be asked to re-enter at the security entry points. Residents will be able to park their cars on side streets, but if they are on East Carson Street, they’ll have to go. 

“It’s a really exciting plan for the South Side,” said John DeMauro, a member of the South Side Hospitality Partnership and owner of South Side businesses. “This plan really provides structure and expectation for people coming to East Carson Street, but it’s also going to provide things to do.”

They’ve already had discussions, he said, about activating storefronts outside during the festival. 

“So, for instance, at my storefront, I’ll be selling food outside,” DeMauro said. “We want to implement some music on the street, we want to implement some art on the street.”

As for open-container rules, people won’t be allowed to bring their beers outside of bars onto the street. They will be allowed to purchase beers from designated tents in the street. Those beers will be priced at a “premium,” one of the speakers during the informational meeting on Thursday said. 

“You’re going to be safe when you come to East Carson Street, you’re going to be able to enjoy yourself, you’re going to be able to have fun, like many people have for the past 30 years,” DeMauro said. 

Rosemarie Berman of the Southside Community Action Network was tasked with taking the questions of those in attendance and posing them to officials. 

“People are concerned about what if I live on Carson Street. How do I get to my place? How are we going to handle people on the side streets? And I think they addressed all those concerns pretty much this evening,” Berman said. 

Asked if people thought the plan would work, she said that people are optimistic. She added that people expect bumps in the road early, but in the end, it will evolve into something “wonderful.”

“I don’t think it’s perfect, but I don’t think anyone really does. But it’s a really good plan,” said Margittai. 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Looking for a free way to stay cool this summer in Connecticut?

Parks, recreation centers and beaches across the state are opening as temperatures continue to climb.

See News 8’s developing list below:

New Haven

• Foote Park in Brandford
• East Haven Town Beach
• Quasy Amusement Park in Middlebury
• Lighthouse Point Park
• Nolan Athletic Complex in Ansonia
• Villano Park in Hamden

Hartford

• Verplanck Elementary School in Manchester
• Nathan Hale in Beach in Manchester
• A.W. Stanley Park Pool in New Britain
• Willow Brook Park Pool in New Britain
• Chesley Park in New Britain
• Willow Street Park in New Britain
• Beachland Park in West Hartford
• Fernridge Park in West Hartford
• Kennedy Park in West Hartford

Middlesex

•  Watrous Park in Cromwell
• Clinton Town Beach
• Veterans Memorial Park in Middletown

New London

• The Dinosaur Place in Montville

Windham

• Paderewski Park in Plainville

Splash pad locations operate at different times. Contact each location for specifics on parking, opening times and residency requirements.

Have a splash pad to add to our list? Email webproducer-wtnh@nexstar.tv

Politics
Our political journalists are based in the Maine State House and have deep source networks across the partisan spectrum in communities all over the state. Their coverage aims to cut through major debates and probe how officials make decisions. Read more Politics coverage here.

Sitting in third place in the tight Democratic gubernatorial primary, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson has gone off the grid, fishing and spending time with family in Aroostook County for a long weekend with little to no phone service.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, currently fourth but still with a shot to become the Democratic nominee, posted a Wednesday photo with her husband at an Augusta brewery. Former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree headed home with family in North Haven Wednesday after her primary party in Portland the night before.

“Now it’s just a matter of patience,” Pingree spokesperson Mary-Erin Casale said.

After a primary night without closure, several candidates aiming to replace Gov. Janet Mills are playing the waiting game, spinning the results and trying to relax at home with families after barnstorming the state for months, watching late results trickle in or readying to keep close watch of Augusta’s ranked-choice counting starting Friday.

The next phase of the primary marks a lull that could take about a week following an increasingly bitter season on both sides of the aisle. Law enforcement officers are delivering results from towns across Maine to Augusta, where election officials on Friday will begin tabulating both parties’ gubernatorial primaries and the tight Democratic battle for the 2nd Congressional District. The state hopes to wrap up before next Friday.

The wait has given way to calls for party unity by the Republican and Democratic frontrunners, lawyer Bobby Charles and former Maine public health chief Nirav Shah, respectively. It also opened a door for the only independent on the ballot in November, state Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford. With stops in Waterville and Bangor, the former Republican launched a statewide tour Thursday focused on affordability, Maine’s economy and restoring trust in government.

Keeping in style with his aggressive year-long campaign, Charles has been active on social media since racking up just over 37% of first-round votes on Tuesday. But he said he wanted to “take an unusual moment” to thank his supporters and those who voted for his opponents in a Facebook video Thursday morning. He also said he’d reach out to every candidate, several of whom traded blows with him over policy and tactics for months.

“At the end of the day, we hang together or we hang separately,” Charles, who attended a Thursday fundraiser for state Rep. Ken Fredette’s political committee in Newport, said. “This is one team, one fight to save Maine.”

Shah on Wednesday afternoon thanked his opponents, including former energy executive Angus King III, saying “our party is stronger” because of the group’s dedication to Maine.

Bellows, Jackson and Pingree formed a ranked-choice alliance backed by U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner. All expressed confidence about their individual performance. It remains to be seen who picks up most of King’s lower-ranked votes. The son of independent U.S. Sen. Angus King got just over 8% of votes.

Christine Kirby, Jackson’s spokesperson, noted the Allagash logger won both Portland and Bangor on Tuesday, a strong performance in a race “largely overshadowed by the U.S. Senate race and dominated by legacy names and high profile figures.”

Casale said at first glance it’s odd to be excited about second place. But given the dynamics of ranked-choice voting and recent polling showing Pingree rising “at a critical time in the race,” it means “we are in a good position,” she said. Bellows’ team highlighted a Bangor Daily News simulation showing her as a narrow favorite due to strong second-choice support.

On the Republican side, fitness executive Ben Midgley and entrepreneur Jonathan Bush trail Charles after picking up 20.2% and 20% support, respectively. Bush had recently polled in second place, while Midgley has been anywhere from 2% to 10% in recent surveys.

“No campaign outperformed the polls the way Ben Midgley did,” Brent Littlefield, his strategist, said.

Bush and former Maine Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason and their allies spent almost $8.5 million combined in ads. Midgley’s team booked only about $264,000 according to AdImpact, and he loaned his campaign $750,000. Charles spent less than all of them at just over $240,000 on advertising.

Mason, who received about 11% of the vote, said the results marked “the end of my final statewide campaign” in a Thursday post on X thanking supporters, family and staff. He encouraged voters to back U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Republicans in the Legislature but did not mention his rivals.

Charles noted on social media that his campaign has “witnesses, lawyers and tough voter integrity experts working with us” during the ranked-choice count. One of his posts Thursday included images of Shah and Jackson alongside Mills, claiming they amounted to “more of the same.” Bennett’s face was lumped in with the Democrats.

“I’m sure I’m in his [and Democrats’] minds,” Bennett said in an interview between conversations with voters and volunteers at Geaghan’s Pub in Bangor on Thursday. “I’m sure they have numbers that show there’s a good chance I will be Maine’s next governor … because what they’re serving up is just more finger-pointing, no problem solving.”