Pittsburg, PA
Online platform hopes to increase access to property data in Pittsburgh region
Allegheny County and Pittsburgh want to increase access to property data in the region.
Now, a new online platform will do just that, and local leaders believe it will also play a role in fighting blight by holding property owners accountable.
Natalie Merola, director of operations for the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments, knows the cost blight has on communities.
“Every municipality in Allegheny County is impacted by blight to a certain degree,” Merola said.
They create eyesores, reduce property values and can be a serious danger hazard. She said tackling the problem can take significant time and resources.
However, they and other agencies in Allegheny County and Pittsburgh have a new online platform at their disposal.
“It’s a tool that will help developers, neighborhood leaders, community leaders, businesses,” Mayor Ed Gainey said.
It’s called Parcels N’at, created by the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, an open data partnership between the county, city, and the University of Pittsburgh. It brings together a variety of data sets for properties in the region.
On one website, you can find county assessment data, foreclosure records, city permits, code violations and more.
Merola said they’ve already integrated the tool into their software, allowing code enforcement inspectors to instantly review owner and parcel data.
“It provides details to aid in action on blighted properties and hold problem property owners accountable,” Merola said.
Code enforcement officer for the council, Alex Coyne, said that with the tool he can see previous code violations and guilty convictions.
“If I see that there are multiple blighted properties across multiple jurisdictions, it can make it easier for me to formulate an argument why the property should be demolished,” Coyne said.
It’s giving him and other municipalities leverage to deny permits and punish irresponsible property owners, reducing the blight in the community.
“It gives me leverage to get them into compliance. We’ve seen it with a lot of previously irresponsible property owners that now I don’t have a problem with,” Coyne said.
If you’re interested in using the new tool, you can find it online.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face the Chicago Bears in a tough interconference matchup, with the Steelers travelling to Chicago to take on the NFC North foe.
With the history of this year’s Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, the game will mean a bit more to him than the rest of the team.
Rodgers spoke to the media about him taking on his former team in the Green Bay Packers’ rival, adding some metaphorical “fire” to the upcoming matchup.
“I’m not in Green Bay anymore. I feel like we can let bygones be bygones. Maybe I can, I guess,” Rodgers said. “It’s a great rivalry in the history of all sports. You talk about the Lakers and the Celtics, and the Red Sox and the Yankees. You gotta talk about the Packers and the Bears, and there’s been some great memories there.”
He then decided to elaborate by rubbing in the relative dominance his former team has over the Bears in recent years, making sure to separate himself from his first employer.
“When I first got to Green Bay, the Bears had the all-time series lead. When I left, the Packers did. Since J-Love [Jordan Love] has taken over, it’s even gotten better. But I hope those fans can put that behind ’em.” Rodgers said.
Finally, Rodgers decided to give praise to the city, but made sure to keep a comedic tone and added how much he has enjoyed playing in Chicago due to his relative success there.
“There’s incentive for every opponent, but I have enjoyed many a Sunday and Monday and many Thursdays in that city,” Rodgers said. “It’s a great sports town. Phenomenal sports fans and great place to play.”
In 29 starts against the Bears in his career, Rodgers is 25-4 with 64 touchdowns to six interceptions. Part of the dominance has to do with the Packers generally having overall more talented teams than the Bears during his career, but he has also been simply unstoppable.
Rodgers’ status is still in the air for the game, as he left last week’s win at the end of the first half with what turned out to be a broken wrist. Due to it being in his non-throwing hand, Rodgers may have a go at the game against the Bears, but it is also possible that Mason Rudolph will throw every pass this weekend for the Steelers.
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For a neighborhood that has been missing discount grocery store choices, the opening of Aldi on Banksville Road meant quite a lot for the community.
From the fresh paint to the extremely stocked shelves, the new Aldi on Banksville Road opened its doors to over 100 customers.
“It’s nice to see new businesses come in here, especially with the Rite Aid [closed] over there, and this [former] Staples, it’s nice to see,” said Jackie Geyer.
Banksville Road is now home to the 51st Aldi in the greater Pittsburgh area, and for this community, it’s helping fill a big gap.
“This particular location was an area where we recognized a lot of customers weren’t being served,” said Kevin Ely, divisional VP. “This can really fill a void in this particular neighborhood to be able to give our customers every day low prices.”
As for its grand opening, the first 100 in line walked away with a gift bag full of essentials, a gift card, and bragging rights. Some of those customers lined up as early as 5:30 a.m. to get the full experience.
“A gift bag, and some fun things, we just want the camaraderie of the line,” said Justin Lavalle, who was one of the first people in line.
What really had people buzzing, more than anything, was the word affordable. Aldi said that shoppers can save up to 36% on average household shopping, and that’s something that many who came out on Thursday said matters.
“I think it’s really important, especially in an area like Banksville, we need a grocery store close to downtown – one in a highly-trafficked area, especially with Sheetz coming next door, so [we’re] excited to have it here,” said Derek Allinder.
An aquatic creature only found in Mexico City was discovered in a Pennsylvania waterway.
Buzz N’ B’s Aquarium & Pet Shop posted on Facebook that somebody brought them an axolotl after finding her swimming in Walnut Creek near Lake Erie. They shared a photo of the axolotl in a tray of water near snow and leaves.
“No domesticated animal can be safely released outside — not even aquatic ones,” the pet shop wrote. “They depend on proper water quality, temperature, and care to survive.”
According to media reports, the axolotl was medicated for a fungal infection but ultimately died.
What is an axolotl?
Axolotls are only found in waterways in Mexico City. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that there are only about 50 to 1,000 mature axolotls in the wild. They’re considered critically endangered.
According to the Natural History Museum in London, axolotls are known as a conservation paradox since they’re almost extinct in the wild, yet they’re widely distributed in pet shops and labs throughout the world. Axolotls are kept as pets, and they’re studied by scientists who want to understand their ability to regenerate body parts. But experts say the captive population is very inbred, meaning there isn’t much genetic diversity, and they’re vulnerable to disease.
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