PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

Is there anyone who doesn’t know the words to “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

In the iconic song, Pittsburgher Fred Rogers gently asks Mister Rogers viewers to be his neighbor, singing he has always wanted a neighbor just like you. The tune is widely noted to be about care, connection and belonging.

The welcoming lyrics clearly resonated with Lady Gaga, who is taking on the beloved theme song for a Redfin ad set to air during Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8.

“You know, when I think about watching the neighbor, I just think about my earliest memory for the kid watching Mr. Rogers, and I think about how much he loves people, especially kids at home,” Gaga says in a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the commercial at Shangri-La Studios in California.

According to a press release from Rocket and Redfin, part of Rocket Companies, the spot is part of a new campaign centered on home, community and connection.

In the teaser for the Super Bowl ad, which has been viewed more than a million times on Youtube since it was posted on Jan. 27, the Grammy winner is seen trying to capture the heartfelt emotions that resonate throughout the song.

“I need to figure out if I’m gonna take it up, or if I’m gonna sing it like the original,” she says at one point.

Later, a clearly emotional Gaga reflects on what covering the song means to her.

“Mr. Rogers was so clearly someone that stood for something, and it is powerful to think of what he would say right now, and it’s kind of a special song to revisit at this time,” she says.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE MCCARTHY IS INTRODUCED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE. PHOTO BY KARL ROSER/PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Aaron Rodgers once described Mike McCarthy as “Pittsburgh toughness and grit on the outside and a big, soft teddy bear on the inside, a great combination to have.”

We saw the teddy bear on Tuesday at Acrisure Stadium, when McCarthy, a Greenfield native, was introduced as the 17th head coach of the Steelers and failed to make it through his opening statement without blubbering.

Will we next see a McCarthy-Rodgers reunion?

A few things will need to be sorted out first, specifically whether Rodgers has any interest in playing a 22nd NFL season at 42 going on 43, and what type of compensation he’d be expecting in return.

But in the event neither of the above complications prove to be a deal-breaker (a reasonable assumption), McCarthy sounds like he’d be all in on getting the band back together.

“Definitely, I don’t see what you wouldn’t,” McCarthy maintained.

As for Rodgers, he signed on with the Steelers to play for Mike Tomlin.

And upon Tomlin’s departure, even Steelers president Art Rooney II acknowledged Tomlin’s exit would “most likely affect” Rodgers’ decision.

But that was before McCarthy entered the picture.

PHOTO BY EVAN SIEGLE, GREEN BAY PACKERS

Rodgers and McCarthy spent almost 13 complete seasons in Green Bay together. And as of November 2022, when Rodgers offered up his Pittsburgh-grit-and-teddy-bear assessment, Rodgers was remembering his “longest-tenured coach” and “longest-tenured play-caller” with great appreciation.

The occasion then was an impending visit by McCarthy’s Dallas Cowboys to Lambeau Field in Green Bay to take on his former quarterback and his former team.

Rodgers, understandably, was peppered with questions by media covering the Packers about his relationship with McCarthy, and what he remembered most from their time together.

If there was any lingering bitterness, Rodgers kept it well hidden while expressing, beyond anything else, “thankfulness, gratitude” and fond memories.

“There’s a lot of things,” Rodgers offered. “Getting sized [for championship rings] the night before the Super Bowl will always be a special memory.”

That was the night before the Packers beat the Steelers, 31-25, on Feb. 6, 2011, in Super Bowl XLV.

“That whole night, we delayed the team meeting, I don’t know, 15 minutes or so, because a couple guys were on the piano, playing some songs,” Rodgers continued. “You just kinda felt that moment was special and I appreciated us delaying things and allowing that moment to exist. And then getting sized for your ring, just the confidence that kind of we had and what that statement meant was always really special.

“Mike and I started meeting Thursdays after practice for many, many years, in 2009 or 2010, I think it was, and those were always fun. Those could go 30 minutes or four hours, just start getting into story time. It just bonded us, I think, over the years, those conversations, and I always appreciated that.

“I have a lot of gratitude for the off-seasons that we went through. It was long, obviously the rules were a little bit different. That helped me become a better player and I’ll always be really thankful for that time, especially those early off-seasons.”

PITTSBURGH STEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE MCCARTHY IS INTRODUCED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE. PHOTO BY KARL ROSER/PITTSBURGH STEELERS )

McCarthy has forged a career out of helping quarterbacks become better players.

At 62, he might not fit the Steelers’ traditional hire-a-head-coach-for-the-long-haul mold.

But in reminiscing back in November of 2022, Rodgers focused on far more than just fundamentals, X’s and O’s.

“There were definitely some tears over the years both in team settings and also some 1-on-1 settings,” Rodgers revealed. “Him and I definitely shed some tears over the years together in conversations, usually happy tears, I would say. Mike’s a big-hearted guy. There were a lot of real private conversations that we had over the years that I just appreciated his honestly in some of those moments.

“We had a really memorable time, 2013, on Christmas, actually. I hit him up in the afternoon and said, ‘Hey, once things are winding down with the kids, I’d like to come over and have a conversation with you. So I went over, I think he had a couple Iron Citys. I might have had one just to make him not drink alone but I wasn’t ever really an Iron City guy. But we had a long conversation about my desire to play in the following week against Chicago. (Rodgers had missed the previous seven games).

“That was a really memorable conversation. Obviously, it was Christmas and that has a whole myriad of emotions it brings into it. But that time and that conversation is always one that stands out for me.”

The insights Rodgers offered then were a rare look behind the curtain on the head coach-quarterback relationship curtain, but to Rodgers also appropriate.

“I think it’s normal to think about the things that you really loved about that relationship or that style or that program and just contemplate how special some of those moments were,” he said.

Doesn’t sound much like a guy who would be opposed to playing for McCarthy again, does it?

The Steelers should be so lucky.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

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JEREMY WALDRUP | PHOTO BY ELAN MIZRAHI

Jeremy Waldrup has done some outlandish things to entice people back Downtown.

Like the time he bought a $25,000 Heinz pickle balloon, which turned out to be a great idea. Or the time he rented a curling mat and set it up outside an art gallery crawl, which, it turned out, was not such a great idea. (No one wanted to play the niche winter Olympic sport in a gravel parking lot.)

The president and CEO of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership likes to experiment. He doesn’t mind if people sometimes question his sanity, as they did when he asked his PDP board to not only foot the bill for the ginormous Picklesburgh balloon — but also to insure it. The balloon, known for floating over city streets, has become the emblem of the wildly successful July street fair for 10 years.

PHOTO BY ELAN MIZRAHI

His suggestion to erect a 60-foot Ferris wheel atop the Roberto Clemente Bridge drew some funny looks. It was a fun idea, being that inventor George Ferris was a Pittsburgh guy, but county officials wondered if the bridge would collapse. Some $20,000 in engineering reports later, Waldrup became one of the first people to ride the Ferris wheel, now a popular attraction during the annual Oktoberfest, which kicked off two years ago.

You might call that a high point — literally — of Waldrup’s 14-year career in town. The low point was the 2020 pandemic shutdown, when the Golden Triangle ground to a halt, the hum of office workers and traffic suddenly silent, leaving behind people experiencing homelessness, who were camped out in doorways.

More than a decade into his job, Waldrup is working harder than ever to revitalize Downtown, combating complaints that it’s still not safe and that there are too many empty storefronts. PDP is overseeing the renovation of Market Square, doubling the outdoor dining area and adding an open-air steel anchor pavilion and 33 more trees. Waldrup also played a role — along with government leaders, foundations and organizations — in securing $600 million in state-led investment in Downtown. The funding will include modernizing Point State Park and creating the Arts Landing public space in the Cultural District as well as adding hundreds of new housing units to the Golden Triangle.

For his leadership, creative thinking and vision, Pittsburgh Magazine has selected Jeremy Waldrup as its 2025 Pittsburgher of the Year.

“There is no one who is more critical to the success of Pittsburgh than Jeremy Waldrup,” says Herky Pollock, the real estate developer, broker and entrepreneur who moved from the East End to Downtown during the pandemic. “He has been the fabric and glue that has kept Downtown together.”

“I never met a person who didn’t like Jeremy,” he says. “He’s very easygoing and kind of ‘aw shucks,’ but he’s very smart and very shrewd and gets everything done.”

Related: Celebrating our Previous Pittsburghers of the Year

PHOTO BY ELAN MIZRAHI

A Beacon for Downtown

On a sunny day in early November, backhoes dig into the concrete of Market Square while office workers maneuver around the obstacle course of orange fencing.

Some passersby look confused, but Waldrup seems at home. He chats up merchants, grabs his regular coffee order at the 106-year-old Nicholas Coffee & Tea Co., and greets the mail carrier. When he walks by The Original Oyster House, co-owner Renee Grippo, known as Mama G, yells out “Jeremy!” She hugs him and he compliments her on the winter cutouts in the window. Her daughter and co-owner, Jennifer Grippo, comes out to greet him. They talk about him making a point to come to their 155th anniversary party fresh from Oktoberfest in his lederhosen.

Waldrup, 50, has pale blue eyes that peer out of Kent Clark-style glasses, a thick wave of gray hair sweeping across his forehead.

He stops to get updates from the construction crew that’s busy working on a new Market Square in time for the NFL Draft, scheduled for April 23-25 and likely drawing some 700,000 visitors to the city. “It will be like a European plaza, pedestrian-first,” he says.

Though PDP is a nonprofit community-development organization created to enhance Downtown, this is the first time the group has overseen a construction project — and it’s a big one, at $15 million. Waldrup has learned the intricacies of the permitting process and the logistics of supporting the operations of local businesses, from accommodating food delivery drivers and customer access to delivering hundreds of pounds of ingredients to restaurants, all with barricades all around them.

He talks to Mike Schoeneman, superintendent at Mascaro Construction Co., about shifting traffic patterns from the south part of the square near PPG to the now completed north side of the square. They discuss the route pedestrians will take for the Block Party that was planned later in the month to mark the halfway point of the revitalization project.

“It will be ready, right?” Waldrup asks playfully.

Schoeneman nods. The Saturday night Block Party was a reminder that dozens of Market Square businesses are still there amid the chaos of construction that has depressed sales during the all-important holiday shopping season. The PDP planned weekly family-friendly events, dubbed the Yinzer Wonderland, in Market Square during the holiday season. Waldrup’s team also coordinated November Light Up Night, when thousands converged on the Golden Triangle to watch the tree lighting.

Making his way to the eastern corner of Market Square, Waldrup passes a haggard-looking man sitting on the sidewalk, wrapped in a plaid blanket. A young woman hands him a sandwich.

Scenes like this have become more visible after the COVID-19 shutdown.

“What makes Downtown feel safer is people. If they are not in here, you are in a cavernous place and you feel like, ‘If I yell, [there is no one to help.]’”

Waldrup says 65% to 75% of workers have returned to Downtown’s offices. But the pandemic showed that the city was overdependent on office space and had too little residential space — something he hopes to change.

Downtown crime became a hot topic and generated headlines, particularly after some highly publicized attacks on bystanders, including an 18-year-old intern who was assaulted by a stranger in the summer of 2024 and a 65-year-old man who was stabbed on the street in 2025. Some merchants left town as safety concerns grew. Robert Fragasso, chairman of the board of Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc., had been working Downtown for 50 years before leaving in 2023. He says his building on the corner of Smithfield Street and Sixth Avenue was at the epicenter of crime, a few doors down from a no-barrier homeless shelter that has since closed.

“We had drug dealers parked in front of our building, dealing. Police were prevented from policing that activity. Drug dealers were preying on the poor homeless people. Our building custodian was cleaning up feces and squirting urine off our sidewalk every morning. We had shootings, fights, overdoses all the time. Our clients told us, ‘We are not coming down.’ … It was like wading through a crime scene of a movie every day. It was untenable.”

He says he was frustrated when he called former Mayor Ed Gainey’s office about the lack of enforcement and social services for those in need. “There was a complete absence of participation. The police expressed frustration to me,” he says.

For all his complaints about the outgoing mayor, Fragasso praised Waldrup for doing all he could through his nonprofit. “Jeremy is a beacon,” he says.

Fragasso also says police began making arrests, and Downtown has improved — but not as much as it should. Merchants say a new police substation that opened on Wood Street two years ago has helped combat crime.

Gainey calls claims that he directed police not to make arrests Downtown categorically untrue, adding that data shows crime in the city decreased under his administration. He noted he thanked officers, PDP, PNC and other partners for their work in improving the city’s “living room” during a press conference held at the Downtown Police Substation in 2025.

“Specifically for Downtown, we held quarterly meetings with corporate leaders, business owners and other stakeholder organizations over the course of two years to provide a forum for open and honest dialogue about the challenges and opportunities for partnership to address those same challenges,” Gainey said in a statement. “While those were difficult conversations, no one was ignored. These discussions were critical in informing the work that ultimately led to the $600 million comprehensive reinvestment plan for Downtown.”

For all the publicity about unsafe streets, Waldrup says, “crimes against people who don’t know each other are very uncommon Downtown.”

PDP also stepped up its efforts to clean up and connect with people. In their bright gold uniforms, the On-Street Services Team picks up trash, removes graffiti and power-washes sidewalks and alleys. The outreach team interacts with the homeless and panhandlers in a nonjudgmental way and connects them with social services.

“I don’t think anybody really wants to sleep on the street. So we have this day in, day out engagement, to get this person into stable housing,” Waldrup says.

Pollock, the real estate developer, refutes the narrative that Downtown is dangerous. “The people who are most critical of Downtown Pittsburgh are the people who live in the suburbs and never come Downtown,” he says.

Service of Others

The guy who is now known for revitalizing cities grew up in tiny Fletcher, North Carolina, population 8,320, on the outskirts of Asheville. An only child, Waldrup worked one summer at age 14 at the local trail riding stable in exchange for a horse.

His father, Chuck, was a police officer turned Pentecostal preacher, and his mother, Libby, led the prayer worship team at the church. The two had met in a Southern gospel touring band — he played drums and she sang — and appeared on the “PTL Club,” Jim and Tammy Faye Baker’s Christian TV show.

As a teenager, Waldrup helped with the children’s ministry at their church. He inherited his mother’s singing voice, crooning the national anthem at high school football and basketball games and performing a solo at his graduation. Though no longer active in the Pentecostal church, he says, “I grew up in the service of others, and I do feel like this job is similar. You are sharing people’s happiness when things are good and you are there for the not-so-great issues with construction or public safety.”

Even as a kid playing Little League, he had a way of defusing conflict among players if things got tense, Chuck Waldrup says. “In the South, we call it unruffling feathers. He would be a jokester and get everyone laughing and calm things down.”

Yearning to attend college in a city, he chose to get his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Many of his classmates went into banking, but he knew that wasn’t for him. Intrigued by a city development organization called Charlotte Center City Partners, the 21-year-old walked in and asked if he could volunteer.

“They looked at me like I had three heads,” he recalls. No one had ever asked to volunteer before.

He was sent out into the streets with a push cart to hand out pamphlets and field questions about local attractions.

Rob Walsh, then the CEO of the organization, knew immediately that “he was someone special. He had this knack with people.” That summer gig led to a full-time job in economic development. After Waldrup received a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado, Walsh, his old boss — who had become NYC Commissioner of Small Business Services under Mayor Mike Bloomberg — offered him a big opportunity. Waldrup was hired by the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp.

At first, New Yorkers rolled their eyes at the young hire. “They counted his niceness against him. They underestimated him,” Walsh says.

Waldrup then became assistant commissioner of district development for the Department of Small Business Services, overseeing 64 Business Improvement Districts.

As he moved up the ladder, the kid who could calm down his Little League teammates proved that he could work with the heads of Business Improvement Districts. “They had egos the size of Arkansas,” Walsh says “They thought, ‘Who was this kid who didn’t grow up in New York telling us what the rules are going to be? How dare you?’ But he managed to do it all with grace and professionalism.”

He was only 35 when he was recruited to PDP, moving to Pittsburgh with his wife, Wesley, a counselor, and their three kids — the youngest just an infant. Waldrup figured since he was heading up the Downtown group, he would live Downtown. Then the couple found out there were hardly any young kids around, and the closest playground was on the North Side. The family moved to Shadyside and then bought a house in Friendship; they managed with one car until the pandemic, relying often on public transit, Wesley says. Weather permitting, Waldrup commutes via ride-share bike Downtown.

The nonprofit has garnered national attention for Picklesburgh. Waldrup had seen another group, Riverlife, unveil Pierogi Fest, and wished he had thought of the idea based on the energy it created around something so authentically Pittsburgh. He told his staff at a meeting 11 years ago that he wanted to come up with something similar. Russell Howard, the PDP’s former vice president of special events and development, suggested an event centered on the lowly pickle. The marketing director christened it Picklesburgh.

“I knew it was a good idea,” Waldrup says. “I didn’t know it was a great idea.” That became apparent when they ran out of T-shirts the first night of the 2015 festival and had to ask the printer to do an overnight rush order. Four times, USA Today has named it the No. 1 Specialty Food Festival in the country, including in 2025.

Waldrup himself judges the pickle-juice slurping contest. “It can get contentious. You have several thousand people who also watch it with you and have very strong opinions. So thank God for video playback.”

While festivals like Picklesburgh, Oktoberfest and the Holiday Market have given PDP the most attention, Waldrup is proudest of how he reacted to the dire needs of restaurants during the pandemic shutdown. His organization paid for restaurants to create nourishing meals and provide them to people in need.

Now he is looking ahead to rebuilding the city after the trauma of the pandemic, including bringing in more shops and services. “We want to double the residential population in the next 10 years,” he says, which would bring the current 7,300 residents to about 15,000.

To do that, he says, he wants the next young couple considering a move Downtown to find other young families and parks and playgrounds. He’s excited that the 4-acre Arts Landing will include the city’s first children’s playground Downtown.

He adds the NFL Draft is a catalyst and a deadline to improve public spaces.

“We are getting ready to welcome several hundreds of thousands people, and millions will watch this on TV. We want that B-roll shot of Downtown Pittsburgh to show the vibrancy and beautiful architecture and amazing public spaces. But our real focus is on what’s happening beyond the draft.”

PHOTO BY BECKY THURNER BRADDOCK

Acclaimed guitarist Reb Beach has shredded on stages from Japan to Finland, Greece to Puerto Rico — and literally thousands of different venues in the United States and England.

When he’s at home, though, he prefers the familiar haunts of Oakmont.

“Oakmontians basically stay in Oakmont,” Beach says. “I’m kind of like Norm on ‘Cheers.’ I walk into Hoffstot’s and hear, ‘Hey, Reb!’ Everybody knows me. People even know me driving down the street — they yell out of their cars.”

PHOTO BY BECKY THURNER BRADDOCK

The easygoing suburban enclave is a far cry from legendary venues like the fabled Rainbow Bar and Grill on Santa Monica Boulevard, where Beach has played dozens of times. He was last on the Rainbow stage on Aug. 31, in what was billed as the final gig for his most consistent outfit: Winger, the hard-rock heroes known for their radio hits as well as their lineup of skilled players. Beach has been with Winger, barring a handful of hiatuses, since 1987; now, Beach says, frontman Kip Winger is ready to move on from singing well-remembered but somewhat chronologically inappropriate lyrics.

“He was nominated for a Grammy for his classical album,” Beach explains. “He’s way more into doing that than … singing stuff that’s way up there [vocally]. He sings ‘She’s Only 17,’ and he’s 64. He doesn’t really want to do that anymore.”

The show at the Rainbow — and an Aug. 8 show at Pittsburgh Brewing Co.’s outdoor stage in Creighton, where they opened for Joan Jett — capped a 21st-century comeback for Winger. The group were music-video darlings at the height of the MTV era, complete with Beach appearing on trading cards, but became a “Beavis and Butthead” punchline in the age of grunge.

“Our third album, [1993’s “Pull,”] came out, which was arguably our best record. And ‘Beavis and Butthead’ came out with a character wearing a Winger T-shirt … Every episode, they made fun of him. Instantly, people stopped coming to Winger shows.”

At the time, Beach sold a home in Florida and moved back to the Pittsburgh area, settling just a few miles from his hometown of Fox Chapel.

He wouldn’t be at rest for long. At one point or another, he’s been a member of Whitesnake, Dokken, Night Ranger, the touring band for Alice Cooper and others; he’s recorded with dozens more artists, from fellow MTV darlings including Twisted Sister to unlikely bedfellows such as the Bee Gees and Chaka Khan.

Then, starting in 2002, Winger reformed and hit the road again. “I wrote those songs. I know them inside and out; I can play them in my sleep. I don’t even have to think about them; it’s like an old pair of jeans,” Beach says.

Without the posturing of the disaffected ’90s to interrupt things, fans eagerly returned. “That’s what people want to hear — they want to hear the songs that they know … It’s great playing in a club when you’ve got all those people singing along.”

While the unfamiliar may see Beach’s resume and imagine a string of power chords, his musicianship elevates his reputation. “I think a lot of guitarists that are his contemporaries in the metal [and] guitar-shredder world are capable and adept at other styles, but Reb is one of those guys who can effortlessly change hats and excel playing blues, Americana, rock ’n’ roll and jazz — as well as Whitesnake and Dokken,” says Randy Baumann, host of the “DVE Morning Show.” “His playing always seems a very natural extension of his sensibilities and never overly technical. His fluidity as a guitarist is astounding.”

Since the turn of the century, he’s been putting out records under his own name — 2002’s “Masquerade” is a style-hopping journey — and as The Reb Beach Project, a collection of fellow virtuosos.

Now, he says, he’s working on instrumental music that melds progressive rock, jazz and dozens of other flavors in a fusion melting pot. He released the well-received instrumental album “A View From the Inside” in 2020.

“I’ve always been the guy that plays the ’80s songs, with that ’80s stamp on my head. But if I could get more into the instrumental thing,” Beach says, “[it would] be a whole other market for me … People really seem to like watching me and listening to me play guitar.”

Unless, of course, the road — or some monsters of rock — come calling.

“Who knows — I could get a call from another band and go out on tour,” he says. “If I get a big tour, baby, I’m on it … Get me out on the road, stick me on a bus, get me a hotel. I’m happy. That’s where I’m the happiest.”

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

It was no chilly reception for Pittsburgh’s UPMC Rink at PPG Place: our own beloved ice-skating rink was voted the most beautiful in the United States.

The honor was bestowed by travel group Premier Inn, which used eye-tracking technology to determine which rinks were most visually appealing to observers. More than 50 international ice rinks were included, and Pittsburgh was the only North American city to land in the top ten — at an impressive #9.

The Kö on Ice Rink in Düsseldorf, Germany, took the top overall spot. Other close U.S. competitors were the Rink at Rockefeller Center (New York City, #14), Curry Village Ice Skating Rink (Yosemite Valley, #16) and Frankenmuth Ice Rink (Michigan, #19).

Remind your sweetheart that size matters — Rockefeller Center may get more press, but our own downtown rink is a whopping 67% larger. Plenty of space to show off your triple axel, and there’s a buy-one-get-one-half-off deal on Valentine’s Day.

The UPMC Rink at PPG Place celebrates its 25th birthday this year, surrounded by the gleaming towers of PPG Place. Depending on the weather, skating typically lasts through early March.

W LOFTS RENDERING COURTESY OF FOURTH RIVER DEVELOPMENT LLC

Once a warehouse, the historical Bittner Building in the Strip District is set to get a second life — as residential condos.

Near the end of December, Pittsburgh-based Fourth River Development LLC acquired the 80,000 square foot, four-story brick building at the corner of 26th and Smallman streets, with plans to turn it into 39 residences.

Called W Lofts, the project will include 33 one- to three-bedroom condominium units that range in size from from 791 to 1,851 square feet. The condos also will include optional home office layouts, private balconies, dedicated storage and on-site parking.

In addition, there are plans for four two-story rooftop townhomes with private rooftop terraces, as well as two single-family rooftop flats.

“This acquisition is an exciting opportunity to deliver new residential options in the Strip District,” says John Watson, managing principal of Fourth River Development LLC, in a statement. “With W Lofts, we plan to preserve the character of the historic building while creating high-quality condominium residences for today’s buyers.”

Watson says the company is now finalizing all floor plans for the building, including what the exterior will look like.

“We will be adding more glass to the existing building, cleaning and pointing the brick and adding balconies for the condominium units,” Watson says. “The roof top units will give us the opportunity to bring a modern contrast to the redbrick building, with glass and aluminum.”

Watson says he expects construction on W Lofts to begin in the summer.

 

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That isn’t the only new residential project slated for the Strip District.

Oxford Development Co. has started construction along Railroad Street for Station 28, a multi-family residential building that’s part of the 3 Crossings development.

The $61 million project will include 224 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units in a six-story building, according to RDC Design + Build, the contractor for the project. Among the property’s amenities are a golf simulator, game room, business center, conference rooms and lounge area. There will also be a patio space with fire pits and bike storage.

Located along the Allegheny riverfront, the 3 Crossings project already includes 75 Hopper Place, a six-story, 146,000-square-foot office building that sits adjacent to a public plaza, Hopper Park, and houses the headquarters for GNC.

Once a box factory, the Stacks is another development within 3 Crossings; The 110,860-square-foot facility includes offices for Smith+Nephew, an international medical technology company.

CHEF KRISTIN BUTTERWORTH. PHOTO COURTESY OF CORK & CRUST

On Sundays in her childhood, Kristin Butterworth remembers opening her grandmother’s front door in Johnstown and being met head-on by an enticing fragrance; It was two things at once — bread dough rising on the radiator and tomato sauce hours into a simmer on the stove.

“That was every Sunday, a core memory,” Butterworth says. “Before coats were shrugged off, before hellos, before we left for church as a family, there was the smell. She would make bread for the entire week for the entire family. When we came back from church, she’d start cooking the pasta. It was a ritual that brought everyone together.”

Even now, decades later, Butterworth says the smell of tomato sauce can snap her back instantly. “You smell it,” she says, “and you’re 8 years old again.”

At Oakland’s Cork & Crust, where Butterworth now leads the kitchen, that sensory memory is never far from the surface. Located on the ground floor of The Oaklander Hotel, the highly anticipated pizza-and-wine bar opened on Monday

Butterworth herself is a three-time James Beard Foundation semifinalist who has worked at the highest levels of American luxury dining for more than two decades. Her resume includes leading the kitchen at Lautrec at Nemacolin, where, at age 27, she helped earn the restaurant Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond level accolades.

She most recently worked as the executive sous chef with Sea Island Resort in Georgia, and also spent time The Windsor Court in New Orleans and Patrick O’Connell’s Inn at Little Washington.

Her new work at Cork & Crust is not a retreat from that fine-dining world; “In many ways, it is a return,” she says.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORK & CRUST

From Southwestern Pennsylvania to Italy — and Back

Butterworth’s path to cooking was established early, and articulated often to her parents, when she was barely out of elementary school.

“I didn’t know French fries came out of a bag until I was in college, or the concept of ranch,” Butterworth says. “As a kid, I didn’t recognize this as values or intentional eating. It was just dinner; quality food [was] foundational at home”

After enrolling in the culinary program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Butterworth was placed in northern Italy at a culinary school housed in an old castle near Turin. Perched on a hill overlooking a village, the castle and surrounding area were “exactly what you imagine a quintessential Italian town looking like,” she says.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORK & CRUST

The program was immersive to the point of overload. Butterworth and her classmates visited prosciutto producers along the Po River, where curing rooms were designed to let salty air pass through the meat just so. They toured a Grana Padano facility and learned how every byproduct was used, from cheese to butter to whey; nothing was wasted. They went to the Lavazza factory to understand coffee culture and roasting. Meals were typically accompanied by wine.

“It was jam-packed with as much education in wine, food and culture as it possibly could be,” Butterworth says. “That was really when it clicked. Italian food is about time. About respect. I always knew I wanted to be a chef — but that’s when I understood what kind.”

That understanding carried her through years of working in upscale kitchens, until life intervened. She became a mother, lost her father and took on the care of her mother.

“At a certain point,” she says, “being close to family becomes the priority.”

Pittsburgh was calling her home.

Her arrival at Cork & Crust after spending close to two years at Sea Island in Georgia came together through long-standing relationships, and a bit of serendipity. Butterworth had known Perry Ivery, general manager at The Oaklander, for years. When an opportunity surfaced for a new restaurant at the upscale hotel, it came with creative latitude for Butterworth and a chance to cook at the same elite level of fine dining, but for more people.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORK & CRUST

Building a Pizza From The Inside Out

Opening a pizza restaurant in Pittsburgh is not a neutral act. The city’s Italian heritage runs deep, and pizza is everywhere. Butterworth knew Cork & Crust had to earn its place in the hearts of discerning diners carefully.

“We started with one question,” she says. “How can we be unique?”

Pizza, Butterworth will tell you, is deceptive. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone thinks they know it. And everyone will notice if you get it wrong.

Neapolitan pizza, in particular, posed a problem. Traditional versions don’t travel well. They are meant to be eaten, immediately, straight from the oven. But Cork & Crust needed the pizza to work not just for guests in the dining room, but for hotel boarders ordering a meal upstairs, or for anyone ordering a takeout to bring home.

So Butterworth engineered a durable hybrid, the “Neo Neapolitan.”

To get there, she stripped everything back to its bones. Before any toppings were considered, the team spent months eating nothing but cheese pizza. Dough, sauce, cheese — nothing else. The goal, Butterworth says, was to make a pizza that could stand entirely on its own.

“The toppings shouldn’t carry the pizza,” she says. “The pizza should carry itself.”

The resulting Neo Neapolitan is somewhere between a Neapolitan and a New York in terms of pizza style. The crust has the airy puff and blister of a pie from Naples, combined with the bend and structure of a New York slice.

The dough ferments for 24 to 48 hours and incorporates black garlic molasses instead of sugar or honey, lending subtle depth without sweetness. The sauce is uncooked, made from fresh tomatoes, basil, salt, sugar, roasted garlic and garlic oil, and designed to cook only once in the pizza oven itself. The cheese blend is a 50/50 mix of Grande mozzarella and provolone, chosen for melt, balance and stretch.

Only after the cheese pizza passed muster did toppings enter the picture.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORK & CRUST

The Joy of Obsessive Details

This is where Butterworth’s fine-dining pedigree reveals itself.

Cork & Crust’s Spicy Pepperoni layers pepperoni with jalapeño and house-made hot honey, finished with basil. Butterworth uses a 38-millimeter Ezzo cupping pepperoni, chosen because it curls and crisps without burning, to add texture as much as flavor. The hot honey that finishes the pie is made in-house with local honey, jalapeños, garlic and chili flakes, then reused on the pizza itself, so nothing is wasted.

The Spicy Pepperoni may get top billing, but it’s not the only star of the menu. The Holy Shiitake brings pesto, mushrooms and pickled onions into an umami-bomb, while Nonna’s Rebellion makes a case for leoncini ham, pineapple and hot honey jalapeños sharing the same slice.

On the table, instead of parmesan shakers and generic chilli flakes, guests have access to curated finishing touches: Italian chili crisp, proper parmesan and thoughtfully selected olive oil.

And if you came for pizza only, the rest of the menu would like a word. The Gnocchi Con Pesto is made with lemon ricotta, basil, toasted pine nuts and parmigiano reggiano while the Yinzer “Ravioli” swaps pasta for potato pierogi in a cracked black pepper cream with charred pearl onions.

Then there’s the Cauliflower Pitcata, a vegetarian dish that’s one of Butterworth’s favorite dishes, and one that satiates diners as much as any meat-based entree. A thick slab of cauliflower is roasted until deeply caramelized, then finished with lemon-caper butter, basil pesto, chili flake and blistered parsley.

“It’s very simple, but it highlights the quality of the products we’re using,” Butterworth says. “That’s really the focus.”

The beverage program mirrors the kitchen’s quality-first philosophy. Cocktails pull from Italian aperitivo culture with Negroni variations, spritzes and citrus-forward builds, while the wine list leans Italian without rigidity, offering prosecco, nebbiolo, pinot noir and cabernet alongside familiar California producers

For Butterworth, the meaning of luxury has evolved over her 20-plus years working in fine dining.

“I think luxury is feeling taken care of,” she says. “It doesn’t need to be caviar and champagne. This chapter is about creating memories for everyone.”

And if it starts with the smell of bread and sauce? All the better.

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

Most drivers avoid Rialto Street.

As the fifth steepest street in the city, navigating it can be a white-knuckling experience.

What drivers avoid in Troy Hill, snowboarders seek out. That was the case this weekend, anyway, when a Reddit user posted a video titled “Shredding down Rialto St.” The 20-second clip shows a snowboarder making it from the top of Pig Hill to the bottom.

“Get it in while you can!” the video is captioned.

That’s not the only spot around town where Pittsburghers turned the streets into slopes.

Reddit user u/negley_ave_ski_club made dreams come true with this uploaded video that shows a skier swiftly heading down Negley Avenue.

Also on Negley Avenue, a group of skiers set up a makeshift snow mogul, while a snowboarder and skier tackled North Winebiddle Street.

Where have you been seeing winter activities around the city?

APTEKA PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Pittsburgh made a strong showing when the James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists this week.

Apteka was named a semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. Jamilka Borges, co-owner and chef at Lilith, earned a semifinalist nod for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, a category that spans Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The honors place Pittsburgh squarely in the national culinary conversation ahead of finalists being announced on March 31. Winners will be revealed at the James Beard Awards ceremony on June 15 in Chicago (at the Lyric Opera of Chicago).

PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Apteka’s Beverage Program Gets Its Moment

While Apteka has long been celebrated for its plant-based takes on dishes rooted in Polish, Ukrainian and broader Eastern European traditions, the James Beard nod shines a spotlight specifically on its wine and beverage program.

The Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category is specifically about a restaurant’s beverage program, and the James Beard Foundation notes that eligible restaurants must have been operating for at least three years, making the semifinalist nod a signal of sustained excellence and longevity.

Opened in 2016 by Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski, Apteka operates not just as a restaurant but also as a ‘Vinoteka,’ with a tightly defined philosophy guiding what makes it onto the list. The wine program focuses exclusively on natural, organic, and biodynamic wines, typically fermented with native yeast, unfined and unfiltered, vegan, and kept to low sulfur levels.

Apteka regularly highlights small producers from lesser-represented European regions — including Austria’s Weingut Jurtschitsch, France’s Olivier Cousin and Burgenland’s Wachter-Wiesler — alongside a rotating selection of similarly minded bottles.

The restaurant also runs VINOTEKA on Thursdays, a wine-forward service with a shortened food menu designed around the bottle list rather than the other way around.

Wine is only part of the picture. One of the program’s most distinctive elements is its foraged tea and non-alcoholic beverage program, led by kitchen team member Zach Rihn, who harvests wild plants across Western Pennsylvania.

“He picks a bunch of wild Western Pennsylvania teas — things I’ve never seen anywhere else as beverages,” Lasky says. “Things like sycamore or bark tea; they’re exceptional, and he does them seasonally.”

APTEKA PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

That same foraging ethos carries into Apteka’s cocktail program, which is built almost entirely from scratch. During the summer months, the team gathers “hundreds and hundreds of pounds of fruit,” Lasky says, which are later transformed into house-made cordials, juices and ferments that form the base of both cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.

Recent examples include a fermented rose hip soda paired with Slavic bitters, and a poppy seed milk cocktail made with house-ground poppy seeds, raisins and rum.

Wine decisions are handled collaboratively yet deliberately. Lasky and Skowronski select all bottles, and the front-of-house team plays a central role in translating those choices to guests.

Longtime front-of-house manager Kolin Smith, who is wrapping up his tenure at Apteka, helped shape the program’s service approach.

“Our approach to wine education isn’t about memorizing regions or grape varieties,” Lasky says. “It’s about understanding how wine is made and learning about producers and their projects — especially in Central and Eastern Europe, which a lot of places overlook.”

That philosophy also shapes how Apteka talks about wine with diners.

“The world of wine is so vast,” Lasky says. “We’re more interested in people approaching it with curiosity than coming in with fixed expectations.”

LILITH PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Jamilka Borges Recognized for Culinary Leadership

At Lilith, chef Jamilka Borges’ semifinalist nod for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic reflects both the restaurant’s rapid ascent and her long-standing influence on Pittsburgh’s dining scene. Now in its third year, Lilith represents a culmination of Borges’ nearly two decades in Pittsburgh kitchens.

Borges learned about the nomination while on a winter break in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the one week Lilith is closed each year. She was out on a run with Lilith’s co-owner, Dianne DeStefano, when Nick Forsberg, chef and owner of Fet-Fisk, texted to congratulate her.

“I was completely surprised,” Borges says. “We work really hard, and our staff works really hard, so it felt really good to see that collective effort recognized.”

The timing carried extra meaning: Borges turns 40 this week, making the recognition feel like a personal milestone layered onto a broader moment of reflection.

Named one of Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best Restaurants in 2025, Lilith opened in 2023 as a deeply personal project for Borges and DeStefano, drawing on Borges’ Puerto Rican roots and DeStefano’s Sicilian heritage.

Borges has been careful not to frame Lilith as a traditional Puerto Rican restaurant. Instead, she describes her cooking as personal, shaped by what she learned from her mother and grandmother and adapted to local, seasonal ingredients.

PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

That personal history shows up in specific ingredients Borges returns to again and again — plantains, taro root, guava, tamarind, passion fruit and sofrito-driven aromatics — folded into seasonal cooking rather than presented as strict reproductions. Recent menus have included dishes like crab and halibut cakes with taro root purée, tuna tartare with pan sobao crostini, and ricotta ravioli layered with pork ragu, sofrito, and saffron.

Borges has been in Pittsburgh for 19 years, with leadership roles at Legume Bistro and Bar Marco, alongside years of community work focused on food education, preservation and fundraising. Outside the restaurant, Borges has long tied her work to community causes, including fundraisers for 412 Rescue and Action Against Rape, as well as an annual multi-chef fundraiser in Kentucky that supports women in the industry.

In the kitchen, she leads by example.

“I show up and I work really hard,” she says. “I’m not afraid to jump on the dish pit or do anything in the restaurant. That’s what I expect from others, too.”

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

Bundle up, Pittsburgh.

The cold weather has brought with it freezing ice that has put the Allegheny River on pause. The ice even caused a blockage at the city’s water plant on Tuesday.

Local photographer Dave DiCello braved the cold to capture these photos of the ice.

“I was able to capture some panoramas of the sky as it lit up over the frozen river, creating one of those fire and ice sunrises,” DiCello wrote on a Facebook post in reference to the above photo.
“I’ll have a lot more to share, but I think that this one is my favorite.”

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

DiCello on Monday night tried to capture the Northern Lights.

“… while I did capture a faint purple glow that was clearly the aurora, by the time conditions were favorable the clouds rolled in, so unfortunately I struck out,” DiCello wrote on Facebook.

He tried again Tuesday morning.

“Not wanting to waste a trip into the city, I headed down between the Sister Bridges as I was surprised to see so much ice on the river already,” DiCello wrote, describing the above photo.

“There were some huge spots along the dock, allowing for some fun compositions like this one of the Andy Warhol Bridge. I just love how the frozen rivers really make those bridge lights shine.”

PHOTO BY CAITLIN HARTZ

After popping up across the Pittsburgh region in a mobile coffee truck, The Roaming Bean has found a home — in the Strip District.

Penny Folino, owner of the popular beverage truck — which won “Best Local Coffee Shop” in Pittsburgh’s Magazine’s 2025 Best of the ‘Burgh contest — is opening a brick-and-mortar storefront at 1455 Smallman St., adjacent to Tapville Social.

The location officially opened on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

PHOTO BY CAITLIN HARTZ

Featuring warm, neutral shades, the cafe’s cozy, plant-filled interior has large-scale wooden cutouts shaped like coffee beans scattered across the ceiling.

Known for its decadent lattes — among the flavors are Cookie butter, Fluffernutter and a Tiramisu Latte topped with a lady finger — The Roaming Bean’s new shop also will feature baked goods, including treats from Finleyville-based pastry caterer, Icing on the Cake.

PHOTO BY CAITLIN HARTZ

Those craving caffeine can still get their fix with The Roaming Bean’s mobile truck, which continues to pop up around Pittsburgh. As for where the Bean will be, the truck’s schedule is posted weekly on the business’s Instagram page.

The opening of The Roaming Bean’s first cafe comes just after another coffee retailer in the neighborhood shut its doors.

PHOTO BY MATT RAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Staffed by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Bitty & Beau’s Pittsburgh location closed near the end of December, citing“unsustainable financial loss,” according to a letter posted on the Smallman Street store’s window.

Days later, Bitty & Beau’s announced on its social media accounts that the company would roll out a mobile business, dubbed “Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Cruiser” in Pittsburgh.

“Stay tuned… this is just the beginning,” the post said.

Named after their daughter, Lillie, who was born with autism, and children Bitty and Beau, who both have Down syndrome, Amy and Ben Wright founded Bitty and Beau’s in 2016 in Wilmington, N.C. The Strip District location opened in April of 2024 with 18 employees, who worked side-by-side with typically developing supervisors.

The chain has more than a dozen locations in 14 states and gives meaningful employment to more than 450 people with disabilities, according to the Bitty & Beau’s website.

PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK

The Pittsburgh Walk of Fame highlights notable Pittsburghers who have made meaningful contributions to the area. What about seeing the original Hollywood Walk of Fame up close and personal?

Starting March 29, United Airlines will offer daily, nonstop service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Flights are already on sale.

United Airlines joins American Airlines, which started daily service to LAX last year, and Breeze Airways, which also offers flights to The City of Angels.

THE NEW RH AT THE CORNER OF WALNUT AND IVY STREETS. PHOTO COURTESY RH

A makeover for Shadyside’s Walnut Street is well underway thanks to the recent openings of two new businesses — with one still on the way.

On Jan. 16, RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) made its debut in the former Banana Republic store on the corner of Walnut and Ivy Streets. The 15,000-square-foot space had been empty since last March.

INTERIOR OF THE RH IN SHADYSIDE. PHOTO COURTESY RH

Spanning four levels, the new RH Pittsburgh, The Gallery on Walnut Street features luxury home furnishings collections from RH Interiors, RH Modern and RH Outdoor alongside antiques and curated artifacts, according to a press release from RH.

The location also includes a RH Interior Design studio.

Related: 3 Pittsburgh Destinations Are Set for a Fresh Look

PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

In December, popular South Korean chain Paris Baguette opened at 5514 Walnut St., which had been vacant since a Williams Sonoma store closed there back in 2022.

Known for its wide array of baked goods — as well as fluffy chiffon cakes such as the Strawberry Soft Cream Cake and Rainbow Cake — the chain has 4,000 locations around the world, including one at The Block Northway in Ross that opened in 2024.

Clothing retailer Brandy Melville also is set to open along Walnut Street in the first half of 2026, although not without some controversy.

Popular among teens and young women, the national chain is known for its “one size fits most” policy, which correlates to a size XS or S.

When the storefront was announced on the Shadyside’s Chamber of Commerce Instagram page in November, it was met by a flurry of social media commentary from locals that ranged from excitement to those upset by the brand’s reputation for discriminatory race, sex and weight practices.

The brand notably was the subject of a 2024 HBO documentary “Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion.” Based on reporting from a 2021 Insider article, the documentary centered on allegations by former employees against Brandy Melville’s founder and chief executive officer, Stephan Marsan, that included bigotry and the creation of a toxic work environment.

Marsan and his father, Silvio, founded Brandy Melville in Italy in the 1980s and opened their first U.S. location in Los Angeles in 2009. The European-based brand now has more than 100 locations globally.

Brandy Melville’s Shadyside location will be the chain’s first store in Pittsburgh and its third in Pennsylvania; the other two state locations are in the Philadelphia area.

PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Emilia Doda didn’t set out to map the data center boom.

But after reading about a data center proposed across from her childhood home near Scranton, she decided to build a public map showing where data centers are planned in Pennsylvania — a tool for residents to learn more. Now, she hopes to make the tool to be open-sourced so others can replicate it across the country.

“I thought it was so valuable that people, just general communities, had this information,” said Doda, who now lives in Silicon Valley.

She had questions about the data centers coming to Pennsylvania and wanted to create a clearinghouse for the information she gathered.

A data center is a warehouse-like building filled with computers that store and process massive amounts of digital information, supporting services such as cloud storage, streaming, and artificial intelligence.

Doda, a graduate of the University of Southern California in physics/computer science, began the project while living in Silicon Valley. She’s continued updating it while looking for a job in the tech industry and working on video game programming, photography and freelance website development.

Anthony Pipa, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said tools such as a citizen-driven map help people better understand what is happening in their communities. The way Pipa sees it, more information, “empowers local people to be part of this decision-making process.”

Since launching the map in August, Doda has received questions and tips. She has also attracted attention on social media and news outlets.

But until now, she has not discussed her role in creating the map. Doda said she was concerned about being perceived as an authority figure on data centers, which often process data for artificial intelligence.

“I think AI is a good tool,” she said. But she questions whether Pennsylvanians will be the primary beneficiaries of the technology.

“We all say that Scranton, the area, is 30 years behind technologically,” she said.

Doda internalized this when she moved to California to start college in 2019.

The day she arrived at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, she took a taxi instead of an Uber from the airport, which she said her classmates questioned. But Doda had never taken an Uber.

“I realized, this is literally a whole new world,” she said.

Now, living in Silicon Valley, Doda said some of her friends work for the biggest tech and artificial intelligence companies in the world but aren’t well versed on data centers.
And although Doda’s mapping did not reveal an overlap of data centers and former coal mines, Pipa sees the relevance of the region’s industrial history.

“To build data centers, you need significant outside investment,” Pipa said. Investors use local land, water, and electricity, which is “not dissimilar to energy extraction.”

Hannah Frances Johansson is a reporter for the Pittsburgh Media Partnership newsroom. She holds a master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She is a 2025 recipient of the Overseas Press Club Scholar Award and a former 11th Hour Food and Farming Fellow. Her reporting has appeared on CNN, Pittsburgh’s Public Source, and Michigan Public Radio, among others. She resides in the city’s North Side. Reach her at hannah.johansson@pointpark.edu

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Cincinnati, OH. The Steelers defeated the Bengals 44-38. (Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers)

The just-ended, nearly-two-decades tenure of Mike Tomlin as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers was a Dickensian “Tale of Two Tomlins” — the best of times and the worst of times.

Except the worst of times were still pretty good times.

Tomlin’s critics, more vocal in recent seasons — and growing in numbers locally and nationally — would argue otherwise. They can’t get past the no-playoff-victories-in-nine-seasons thing, or the longest-in-the-NFL active slog of seven straight playoff losses — a futility stretch that was extended by Monday night’s collapse at Acrisure against the Houston Texans.

But in the 10 seasons that preceded what T.J. Watt once referred to as “the drought,” the Steelers assaulted with regularity the championships so many in Steeler Nation feel so entitled to annually demand.

Those included seven trips to the playoffs, five division titles, three conference crowns, two Super Bowl appearances and the capturing of the franchise’s sixth Vince Lombardi trophy.

The best of times, indeed — and the bullet points on Tomlin’s Hall of Fame resume, eventually.

Even while enduring “the drought,” Tomlin managed to arrive, conquer and depart having never experienced a losing season.

It’s NFL record through 19 seasons that “will likely never be duplicated,” in the estimation of Steelers president Art Rooney II.

Tomlin didn’t just set that record, he shattered Marty Schottenheimer’s 14-year standard. Of course, Tomlin didn’t do that all by his lonesome; it was always about the collective.

Just as it was in the 2016 AFC Championship Game, when Le’Veon Bell came up lame after six carries against Tom Brady and the Patriots.

And in 2017, when the Steelers got smashed by Jacksonville a little more than a month after Ryan Shazier had been paralyzed in Cincinnati.

And in 2020, when Ben Roethlisberger threw four interceptions against Cleveland in the wake of Maurkice Pouncey launching a snap into the end zone for a defensive TD.

And in 2021, when the postseason ask was to beat Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.

And in 2023, when the Steelers ventured into Buffalo with Mason Rudolph starting at quarterback and without T.J. Watt.

And in 2024, when the Steelers limped into Baltimore after having been beaten up by a late-season span that demanded they play at Philadelphia, at Baltimore and against Kansas City in an 11-day stretch of schedule in late December.

This season was supposed to be different. The Steelers were surging going into the postseason and had Aaron Rodgers at QB this time.

This was supposed to be the year their six-game postseason losing streak finally came to an end.

It didn’t, so be it.

But it was Tomlin who decided to step away, and not the organization pushing him away, Rooney maintained.

“I was certainly willing to take another run at it next year with Mike,” Rooney said.

Instead, they’ll take a run at it with someone else.

But whoever they eventually run with will be tasked with doing what Tomlin did. Rooney made it clear the Steelers aren’t interested in rebuilding, reorganizing, re-anything.

Their objective remains to try to compete for a championship each and every season.

“I’m not sure why you waste a year of your life not trying to contend,” Rooney said. “Obviously, your roster is what it is every year, it changes every year and so you deal with what you have every year and try to put yourself in position to compete every year.

“Sometimes you have the horses, sometimes you don’t, but I think you try every year.”

The standard remains the standard.

PHOTO COURTESY WILLIAM POWERS

William Powers is getting back to his operatic roots.

The executive director of Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra since 2021, Powers recently was named general director of Pittsburgh Opera, effective July 1.

Prior to joining the symphony, Powers — a veteran artistic administrator with more than 30 years of experience — spent 14 years working at Pittsburgh Opera; he began as the director of artistic administration and was promoted to director of administration and artistic operations before becoming the managing director.

“Opera has been at the core of my artistic identity for a long time, really my whole professional career for that matter,” Powers says, “And so, the journey has brought me back.”

Powers succeeds Christopher Hahn, who is retiring at the conclusion of the opera’s 2025–26 season. Prior to becoming the second-longest tenured general director in company history, Hahn served as the opera’s artistic director from 2000 to 2008.

While a national search was conducted for Hahn’s replacement, the opera’s board of directors found the best candidate for the position was right under their noses and — thanks to his history with the company — uniquely qualified to lead the opera into the future.

“[Powers] is intimately familiar with our company, our city, and our patrons, and has demonstrated the ability to successfully helm performing arts organizations,” said Pittsburgh Opera board president Gene Welsh in a statement.

Board chair Michele Fabrizi adds, “In many ways, Bill has been preparing for this role for decades. He arrives with instant credibility and goodwill both internally and externally.”

For his part, Hahn says there is no one he would rather turn the reins of the organization over to than Powers.

“Having worked with him for well over a decade, I have witnessed and benefited from his expertise, judgment, and counsel,” Hahn said in a statement. “His work ethic and integrity are second to none.”

While Powers says he plans to continue the legacy of artistic excellence the opera has built over 87 seasons, among his ideas for the future are engaging more with the community, particularly the younger generation, while expanding the opera’s variety of offerings, which could include newer chamber works and new commissions.

“We are seeing more cultural omnivores in terms of the way patrons are experiencing the arts, and so to have that variety will be very important,” Powers says.

He also hopes to partner with other local entities on projects, something he prioritized during his time at PYSO.

“There’s wonderful opportunities in this community now for collaborations, working with other organizations and utilizing the synergies between them both to pull our forces together and say ‘Let’s create this interesting project,’ or ‘Let’s engage our community in this way,’” Powers says.

In particular, he is interested in appealing to Pittsburgh’s younger demographics through technology, such as curated content and storytelling on social media platforms.

“Having worked with the youth of Pittsburgh for the last four or five years, it’s been inspirational seeing their passion and joy,” he says. “Knowing that there’s more we can do to engage directly with the youth of this community will be a major initiative of what I bring to the next chapter of Pittsburgh Opera.”

Powers certainly has support for his new role as home. He is married to Sari Gruber, an acclaimed opera singer and voice professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Like Powers, Gruber is a Juilliard grad; the couple met at the school in the 1990s.

Over the years, Powers says he has sought his wife’s perspective on musical matters, particularly when it comes to how to engage with artists.

“I think one of the nice things the two of us in life have been able to do is, we’ve seen this industry from both sides,” Powers says. “She’s been a performing artist out there working with colleagues, living that life from the stage. And, of course, I’ve been on the producing side, engaging the community, raising the money and providing the opportunities for those artists to get up on stage and flourish.”

MIKE TOMLIN | PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

After 19 seasons that included more than a dozen playoff appearances, longtime head coach Mike Tomlin is parting ways with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

“During our meeting today, Coach Tomlin informed me that he has decided to step down as our head coach,” a statement from Steelers president Art Rooney II said. “Obviously, I am extremely grateful to Mike for all the hard work, dedication and success we have shared over the last 19 years.”

In his statement, Rooney also emphasized his respect and appreciation for Tomlin’s nearly two-decade tenure in Pittsburgh. 

“He guided the franchise to our sixth Super Bowl championship and made the playoffs 13 times during his tenure, including winning the AFC North eight times in his career. His track record of never having a losing season in 19 years will likely never be duplicated,” the statement said. 

While Tomlin’s record was 193-114-2 with the Steelers, the team has not won a playoff game since the end of the 2016 season. On Monday, the Steelers lost 30-6 to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. 

In his own statement, Tomlin called the Steelers organization a huge part of his life. He expressed his gratefulness to the Rooney family, Steelers coaches, staff and players for their trust and support during his time in Pittsburgh.

“I want to also thank Steelers Nation. Your passion, loyalty, and high expectations represent what makes this franchise truly special. Coaching in Pittsburgh is unlike anywhere else, and I will always take great pride in having been a steward of this team,” Tomlin said.

“While this chapter comes to a close, my respect and love for the Pittsburgh Steelers will never change. I am excited for what the future holds for this organization, and I will forever be grateful for my time coaching in Pittsburgh.”

Prior to his resignation, Tomlin — who had two years remaining on his contract after signing an extension in 2024 — was the longest-tenured head coach of a single North American professional sports franchise.

With Tomlin out, the  Steelers will now begin the search for just their fourth head coach since 1969. Preceding Tomlin in the role were Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll, whom Tomlin tied for ninth place on the NFL’s all-time career coaches wins list.

AN ART DISPLAY OUTSIDE A FORMER RETAIL STORE AT THE CORNER OF SMITHFIELD STREET AND FORBES AVENUE. PHOTO BY ERIN YUDT

Downtown Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle has nearly 50 empty storefronts — just as the NFL Draft is set to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors. A local nonprofit is racing to fill dozens of those spaces before April.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is always working to fill vacant retail spaces, but the draft brings more urgency to those efforts, said Cate Irvin, senior director of economic development. The group revived a “pop-up” program in which businesses access retail space — pending an agreement from the property owner — for six to 12 months.

“This gives businesses a chance to test the waters and see if they want to commit to a longer-term lease. We’re looking specifically at kind of a retail classification, and within that is included restaurant retail, traditional retail and services like salons,” Irvin said. “We do have a requirement now for our pop ups that they all need to be up and running by April.”

One of those pop-ups opened last month: Confleurtti, a flower shop just outside Market Square.

“The last [Downtown floral shop] closed in 2021…so when they applied for Project Pop-Up, it was fantastic,” Irvin said. “We’re not looking to just put businesses in that’ll do well for three days. We want businesses that’ll do well for three to 30 years.”

FOR SALE AND RENT SIGNS FILL AN EMPTY STOREFRONT IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH. PHOTO BY ERIN YUDT

Confleurtti owner Ashleigh Nixon opened her business in 2020, hosting pop-up floral arrangement classes. When she heard the draft was coming to town, she said it was a good opportunity to try opening a physical store.

“I have [the store] for six months, which will go to the very first day in June, but it’s still an opportunity to do all I can,” Nixon said. “If it is successful, then I could extend the lease at market rate… there’s been some deals and discounts available to me that have been very needed and helpful that may have not been there [before the draft announcement].”

While Nixon is not an official NFL vendor, she plans to prepare Steelers- and Pittsburgh-related floral arrangements for the big event in April.

“I might do some team leis for parents and families and maybe even players to wear,” Nixon said. “I have something up my sleeve for sure.”

OUTSIDE ACRISURE STADIUM. PHOTO BY ERIN YUDT

One way the partnership is working to keep businesses Downtown after the draft is through a rent abatement program, offering rent subsidies for the first year of the lease. In 2025, eight new businesses opened through the program, contributing to 19 overall total new street-level retail openings. The rent abatement program offers half off of the monthly rent, up to $2,000.

“Right now, we’ve actually had to close our applications until the third quarter of 2026 just because we had so many,” Irvin said. “Come spring, there’ll be another wave of openings…which is perfect in time with the draft, giving visitors a chance to see what all we have to offer.”

Some of the empty storefronts require construction to be retail ready. For those, the partnership plans to install window displays featuring locally made art, Irvin said.

“We’re working on curating some artistic windows, like vinyl wraps that can go on the sides of the building,” Irvin said. “It kind of still creates a visual identity and sort of aesthetic, while highlighting local, emerging artists.”

THE NFL DRAFT COUNTDOWN CLOCK ON PITTSBURGH’S NORTH SHORE. PHOTO BY ERIN YUDT

Irvin said PDP hopes to fill 20 to 30 retail storefronts in time for the draft, which is scheduled for April 23-25. It is expected to generate $120 million to $213 million in economic impact, based on prior draft numbers. The main stage will be located outside of Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore. Other events will be spread throughout the North Shore and at Point State Park.

VisitPittsburgh, the tourism agency leading draft preparation, estimates a crowd of 500,000 to 700,000 fans.

Last December, planning officials with the NFL visited the region and gathered local businesses to meet with subcontractors in hopes of securing a contract to become an official vendor for the draft. These businesses underwent months of NFL-led training to be a part of the NFL Draft Source Program.

There are about 100 active businesses in the program that were selected out of several hundred applicants, Draft Source lead Myisha Boyce said.

Belynda Gardner, NFL senior director of club leadership, development and inclusion, said last month that officials will be back a “couple of more times” leading up to the main event.

“Our focus will really be to make sure that everyone is aware of the plans for draft, the things that might be impeding the community, as well as really just making sure that the businesses have what they need to be able to be successful,” Gardner said.

NFL OFFICIALS AND BUSINESSES SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAFT SOURCE PROGRAM MET AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY’S FORESTER STUDENT SERVICES CENTER. PHOTO BY ERIN YUDT

Newly inaugurated city of Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor told the city to “redd up” for the draft earlier this month.

“We know Pittsburgh’s going to be in the international spotlight for the NFL Draft in April and that’s brought a lot of energy, collaboration and momentum to Downtown,’ O’Connor said in a statement to the Pittsburgh Media Partnership Newsroom. “My administration is focused on the overall growth, including opportunities for our small businesses, so I say let’s make the best of that energy to support existing efforts — like the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s — to get local businesses into storefronts to build a vibrant Downtown not just for the draft, but for every day.”

Abigail Hakas contributed to this report.

Erin Yudt is a reporter with the Newsroom, part of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University. She most recently was a multimedia content producer and digital reporter at WKBN in Youngstown and is a graduate of Point Park University. Reach her at erin.yudt@pointpark.edu.

Abigail Hakas was a staff reporter for the newsroom until September 2025. She is now managing editor of the Latrobe Bulletin. Reach her at editor@latrobebulletinnews.com.

The PMP Newsroom is a regional news service that focuses on government and enterprise reporting in southwestern Pennsylvania. Find out more information on foundation and corporate funders here.

THE SET OF “WICKED” AT THE BENEDUM CENTER. | PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN

Grab your books — we’re going to Shiz University.

“WICKED” returns to the Benedum Center from Jan. 14-Feb. 15, marking the sixth time the show has played at the theater since 2006.

“The show looks great inside this auditorium,” says Steve Quinn, company manager of “WICKED.”

It takes 30 hours to load the set of the show into a theater, Quinn says. Thirteen trucks carry hundreds of pieces of equipment and props.

CREW MEMBERS LOAD IN THE PROPS FOR THE SHOW ON TUESDAY, JAN 13. | PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN

“The arts are so important here in Pittsburgh,” Quinn says. “We’re just excited to be here for five weeks.”

BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE “WICKED” PRODUCTION AT THE BENEDUM CENTER. | PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN

As of October 2025, “WICKED” has been seen collectively by 72 million people worldwide. Will you add on to that number during its five-week run?

PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN

PHOTO BY TORY MATHER

For me, a late fall jaunt to the Laurel Highlands provided a timely chance to simply pause and breathe.

Standing on the edge of some rushing Ohiopyle falls, I could nearly conjure the buzz of the summertime crowds. Yet on this blustery November morning, it was just the whipping winds and me, alone in nature as she filled the air with her soothing soundtrack.

The 48-hour getaway also offered time to savor an extraordinary new Airbnb called Shipp’s Creek. Marked by beautiful design, thoughtful details and playful nods to the beloved streaming series of a similar name (that would be “Schitt’s Creek,” of course), the unusual build is nestled into a tranquil setting on the edge of Laurel Hill Creek.

Made sustainably of four 40-foot-long repurposed shipping containers, the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home sleeps up to nine guests and was created with adventure-seeking families and friend groups in mind.

PHOTO BY TORY MATHER

A Welcoming Home Base

The unusual property is owned by Brady Inners, a Pittsburgh local who has a passion for bringing people together. Inners works in tourism and previously had invested in real estate through flipping houses.

For this project, he began thinking he’d completely renovate an existing cabin on the property he’d found for sale on Facebook’s real estate page. After doing a little digging, it became clear this was going to be a much bigger job than anticipated.

“I follow a lot of unique properties on social media and with the backdrop of our site,” Inners says. “I thought what a cool, unique thing for there to be a shipping container house here.”

With that plan in mind, Inners bought the property in April 2023; the project was completed last September.

PHOTO BY TORY MATHER

Since then, the home has been welcoming happy adventurers to its location in Markleton, which is about 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh and within a 30-minute drive of Fallingwater, Ohiopyle and Seven Springs Mountain Resort. The location has turned out to be an unexpected gem.

“Tucked away in the Laurel Highlands, which really offers 12 months of outdoor recreation, it has been the perfect spot,” Inners says.

He shared where many of the house materials were sourced from, starting with the shipping containers from a local supplier, Versavault.

“They were brand-new containers and the company was great to work with,” he says, adding the floating stairs came from an Amish group out of Maryland and the bathroom countertops from a local woodmaker in Aliquippa called Timber & Steel Co. “It was exciting to use a lot of local resources and suppliers for this project.”

PHOTO BY TORY MATHER

So what are Inners’ favorite spaces within the home?

“One is the view just as you are about to head up the floating staircase,” he says. “Between the vaulted two-floor ceilings, the chandelier, the beautiful floating wood stairs and black cable railings, it’s such a beautiful shot of design and architecture.”

He also enjoys the second-floor deck.

“It’s got the space for lots of people to hang together around the fire, protected by the elements but still able to listen to the water flow,” he says. “It’s my favorite spot of the house.”

Considerate touches are found throughout the property — such as a stocked coffee-and-tea drawer in a fully-kitted kitchen and toiletries meant to be enjoyed in spacious showers. Guests of all ages will enjoy rifling through the bounty of books, games and puzzles found alongside cozy blankets and a warming faux fireplace.

Mixed in with the dreamy wall art and calming cabin vibes, guests-in-the-know will get a kick out of the many whimsical “Schitt’s Creek” references. (Inners and his wife are fans of the show.)

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Nearby Explorations

Sticking with the theme of beautiful design, our group dedicated the first day of our stay to the nearby masterpieces of Frank Lloyd Wright.

A guide-led exploration of Kentuck Knob, a 2,200-square-foot Grand Usonian home that stands 2,050 feet above sea level, was followed by marveling at Wright’s most iconic work, Fallingwater.

These back-to-back tours allowed us to compare and contrast these architectural wonders defined by an organic blending with their surrounding nature, cantilevered overhangs, expansive glass and the use of “compression/release” techniques that create dramatic entryways and flow throughout the entire house.

In between explorations, Bittersweet Cafe proved the perfect spot for tasty lunch fare in a homey space; think Reubens, BLTs, pulled pork and chicken salad sandwiches savored at a long table while the friendly resident cat wandered underfoot.

If it fits into your route, also consider grabbing a pint amongst friendly locals at Trailhead Brewing Co. in Confluence, where you may just get lucky enough to take in a performance by a solo singer-songwriter strumming away onstage.

TREETOPS PHOTO COURTESY POLYMATH PARK

Near an abundance of hiking trails and water-centric activities, Ohiopyle Coffee Company is an ideal hub for meeting all your caffeine and culinary needs. During our visit, we fueled up with a turkey, bacon and avocado bagel that left us sated for the rest of the day.

One of the most memorable parts of the trip involved an alfresco dinner at TreeTops restaurant in Polymath Park, home to two of Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpieces, plus two homes designed by his apprentice, Peter Berndtston.

Here, visitors can stay overnight in a Wright-conceived house or relish a memorable dinner in an elevated, treehouse-style setting at TreeTops. We did the latter, enjoying our meal as the sun set beyond the trees on the chilly, crisp day.

PHOTO BY TORY MATHER

Invigorated by the fresh air — yet warmed by cozy lap blankets and a space heater in our private pod — we dove into a delightful meal where highlights ranged from cream of mushroom soup and a locally-sourced harvest salad starter to a salmon entree accompanied by risotto and roasted veggies. As a grand finale, we had a decadent chocolate souffle.

As we first stepped into our pod, the setting sun silhouetted the magical forest in our midst, a few birds swooping through an otherwise silent scene. Several hours later, we ambled out into the dark night, feeling happily nourished by a tasty feast and inspired conversation.

I gazed up at the crystal-clear constellations, so happy to feel reconnected to nature after far too long, and vowed to come back to this region very, very soon.

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: MEEKO, KOL, CARRIE PAWSHAW AND NIKLAUS. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANIMAL PLANET

The Super Bowl matchup may be undetermined, but we do know who will take it out on the turf during this year’s Puppy Bowl: Team Fluff and Team Ruff.

More than 140 puppies from 80 shelters will compete in the annual event.

Representing Team Fluff are Meeko and Niklaus, from Paws Across Pittsburgh and Animal Friends, respectively. On Team Ruff are Carrie Pawshaw and Kol, from Paws Across Pittsburgh and Animal Friends, respectively.

Kol and Niklaus are brothers, but are playing on opposite teams.

Will it divide the family? Who will win the Lombarky trophy?

The program airs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. EST.

PHOTOGRAPH BY WARRICK PAGE/MAX

The best drama on TV is back — and that’s no hyperbole.

“The Pitt” secured two Golden Globes Sunday night, including “Best Television Series – Drama.”

Noah Wyle secured the win for “Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Drama” for his portrayal of Dr. Robby.

“To all the healthcare workers in the world, thank you,” Wyle said in his acceptance speech.

The show had two nominations.

Season 2 of the show is now streaming. The plot unfolds over the course of one day in the emergency room over a Fourth of July weekend. Allegheny General Hospital serves as a backdrop for the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.

Related: Which ‘The Pitt’ Character Are You?

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

Around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, my phone started blowing up with calls, texts and emails.

In the few seconds my fingers hovered above the screen, I briefly wondered what kind of shocking news I was about to take in; by the way my device continued to beep and vibrate, I knew it had to be something big.

Was there an international scandal? Did the U.S. government declare war? Did someone die?

As it turned out, there was a death — of one of Pittsburgh’s legacy news organizations.

In a brief, four-paragraph press release, the owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a nearly 240-year-old institution, announced the news outlet would no longer exist — at all. May 3 was noted as the final date of publication for both digital and print editions.

Oh.

In their announcement, Block Communications Inc. and the Block family, which has owned the Post-Gazette since 1927, blamed the closure on ongoing financial losses.

“Over the past 20 years, Block Communications has lost more than $350 million in cash operating the Post-Gazette. Despite those efforts, the realities facing local journalism make continued cash losses at this scale no longer sustainable,” the statement said.

Just a few months earlier, unionized Post-Gazette workers had returned to the newsroom following an acrimonious three-year strike. Hours before the paper’s closure was announced, purportedly on a pre-recorded Zoom call to employees, Bloomberg Law reported the Post-Gazette’s publisher had failed to convince the U.S Supreme Court to halt a lower court order requiring Block Communications to make changes to its health insurance coverage for union workers.

This, apparently, was another trigger in the decision to shutter the Post-Gazette.

“Recent court decisions would require the Post-Gazette to operate under a 2014 labor contract that imposes on the Post-Gazette outdated and inflexible operational practices unsuited for today’s local journalism,” the statement from the Blocks said.

The Post-Gazette wasn’t the only new organization to meet its demise in 2026. Barely a week ago, another distinctive voice was lost when weekly alternative Pittsburgh City Paper announced it would be shutting down after 34 years of bringing the city’s arts, music and political news to Pittsburghers.

In 2023, the publisher of the Butler Eagle had sold the City Paper to Block Communications.

Well then.

Here’s the part where I remind you that journalism — particularly local journalism — matters.

While publications that bring readers national and international news are of utmost importance, it’s your local journalists who consistently cover city hall, school boards and court cases. They’re the ones who write about the local arts, or about that kid who did something special. They’re the ones shining a light on the wins and losses of your hometown sports team.

They’re the ones who tell the stories that most affect your lives.

Journalists also are the public’s watchdogs. When local news outlets disappear, people have far less information about what’s happening in their community. I don’t think it’s redundant to point out that expertly reported news stories hold both powerful organizations and people accountable to the public; without it, corruption and mismanagement are easier to hide.

As the Washington Post’s well-known slogan proclaims, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”

With the death of the Post-Gazette and City Paper, the voice of Pittsburgh has been significantly weakened. To say that’s disheartening is an understatement.

I’ve been part of Pittsburgh’s media community for more than two decades. We’re a small, close-knit circle and, while I don’t know everyone by face, I know them by their byline. I’ve admired them, in awe of their dogged reporting or writing skills.

To those friends and colleagues, I say thank you for your service, because that’s what real journalism is — a service to our communities.

Your voice mattered, and matters still.

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced Wednesday that the publication will cease operations on May 3.

This announcement follows the folding of the Pittsburgh City Paper in the first week of 2026.

Here, the internet reacts to the news.

It gets harder and harder to remain optimistic about the future of this industry. Unfathomable that Pittsburgh is losing its newspaper of record.

My thoughts are with of all my colleagues at the P-G, who have always done great work, and their families.https://t.co/0UuAFcHYRd

— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) January 7, 2026

Losing the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is just unbelievable for our city.

— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) January 7, 2026

When I woke up every morning as a kid, I grabbed the sports page of the Post-Gazette. Every single morning.

That paper, those stories, are a big reason why I pursued a career in sports media.

The thought of Pittsburgh without the Post-Gazette is unfathomable. Extremely sad.

— Nick Farrell (@ByNickFarrell) January 7, 2026

First Pittsburgh City Paper… now the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

I had my first journalism internship here during college in the multimedia department. Learned from incredible people to help start building the skills I have built upon during my career to reach this level.

Wow. https://t.co/HomE87yjYw

— Nia K. Phillips (@Nia_Official) January 7, 2026

Absolutely horrible news. Thinking of all the hard-working and talented people at the Post-Gazette today. https://t.co/CgfNTdSuug

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) January 7, 2026

Running out to grab the Post-Gazette every morning and immediately turning to the sports page is still one of the most vivid and defining memories of my childhood. Incredibly sad and a massive loss to the Pittsburgh media landscape.

— Wes Uhler (@WesleyUhler) January 7, 2026

This sucks. For the town I grew up in, for the people of Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas, and for most of all, the countless amazing people and amazing writers I’ve come to know that work there.

What a sad day this is. https://t.co/XDDh61kvdO

— Jack Hillgrove (@Jack_Hillgrove) January 7, 2026

Absolutely stunned by the Post-Gazette news and gutted for all of those, including many mentors and friends, who work there.

Hoping for a solution that keeps quality journalism in Pittsburgh.

— Shelby Cassesse (@ShelbyCassesse) January 7, 2026

PHOTO: NATA_RASS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

The time has come again: Nominations are open for the second class of Pittsburgh’s Walk of Fame.

The public can nominate names throughout January. The person must have either…

• Been born in southwestern Pennsylvania,
• Spent their formative years here,
• Or done their creative work here

The individual’s work must have impacted American culture in some way. Diversity will also be considered.

We’re curious: Who should be inducted into Pittsburgh’s Walk of Fame?

PHOTO: NATA_RASS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

It’s time to formally nominate names for the next 10-member class of the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame.

Located along five blocks of The Terminal building in the Strip District, the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame was created to honor people with ties to southwestern Pennsylvania who have made an impact on American culture.

Nominations will be taken until Jan. 30. The nomination may be someone who is living or deceased, but they must either have been born in or have spent their formative or creative years in the 10 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland. In addition, their accomplishments must have had a national impact on America’s cultural heritage.

Related: Here Are the First 10 Inductees to the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame

Your nominations may be emailed to nominate@pittsburghwalkoffame.org or sent by letter to Pittsburgh Walk of Fame, P.O. Box 8127, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Please also include the nominee’s field of expertise and/or major accomplishment, the person’s connection to the Pittsburgh region and the person’s national impact on American culture. You must also include your contact information.

The next class is expected to be inducted in the fall of 2026. Each honoree will have a star and description of their accomplishment.

Let us know who you think deserves the honor. Cast your votes in our readers’ poll.

The idea for a Walk of Fame for Pittsburgh has been pushed by Nancy Polinsky Johnson, the former owner and publisher of Shady Ave magazine. She was partly inspired to create one for Pittsburgh after a visit to St Louis, which has 170 local names on its own Walk of Fame. She secured nonprofit status for the organization and has assembled a 10-member board of directors.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER

Late Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris already is a local icon — and now his name is set to be further immortalized.

On Dec. 23 — the 53rd anniversary of the Immaculate Reception — Pittsburgh’s Senator John Heinz History Center announced the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum will be renamed as the Franco Harris Sports Museum.

“Franco touched and inspired so many of us, not only with his achievements on the gridiron, but with his kindness, generosity, and leadership,” says Andy Masich, president and CEO of the history center, in a statement. “His influence has gone well beyond Western Pennsylvania and will continue to inspire future generations. It is altogether fitting that the Sports Museum should bear Franco’s name.”

A longtime supporter of the history center, Franco’s leadership played a pivotal role in the development of the Sports Museum, which opened in 2004, according to the history center.

His family remains in leadership roles there today, with his wife, Dana Dokmanovich Harrison, on its board of trustees and as a member of the Sports Museum’s Champions Committee; his son, Dok Harris, is the co-chair of the History Uncorked event committee.

“Franco represented decency, charity, kindness, love and humility. His goal was to make the world a better place for us all,” says Dana in a statement. “Our family is honored that the Heinz History Center will continue to share his legacy with future generations.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER

The Sports Museum is the “home of the Immaculate Reception,” which features a lifelike figure of Harris making the famous catch that helped defeat the Oakland Raiders and secure the Steelers’ first-ever playoff victory. Harris also participated in the team’s four Super Bowl championships during the 1970s.

Harris’s cleats from the play, the Three Rivers Stadium field turf where it happened and other Steelers artifacts from the ’70s are also on display at the museum.

Sports Museum Director Anne Madarasz says Harris, who died Dec. 20, 2022 — just days before the Steelers were set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception — exemplified many of the characteristics associated with this region, such as hard work, integrity, perseverance and a commitment to his team and the community.

“Franco’s actions always spoke louder than his words,” she says in a statement. “A true man of the people, his generous spirit, his approachability and his unfailing humility made him one of the city’s most beloved and admired citizens.”

The renaming of the museum will take place some time in 2026; specific plans for the ceremony have yet to be announced.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Christmas tree recycling programs have begun in the City of Pittsburgh and in Allegheny County.

The City has opened 11 collection locations for residents to deposit their trees so they’re not taken to landfills. The collected trees will be chipped into pine mulch and made available to the public for free next spring. Residents must remove all ornaments, netting, tinsel, lights and tree stands before dropping off their trees. In 2024-25, the city recycled more than 2,325 trees.

Residents can drop off their trees through Jan. 26 at the following locations:

• Allegheny Center: Sue Murray Swimming Pool Parking Lot, #301 Stockton Avenue
• Brighton Heights: Jack Stack Swimming Pool, 600 Brighton Woods Road
• Brookline: Brookline Recreation Center, 1400 Oakridge St.
• Hazelwood: 40 Melanchton St., 412-422-6545
• Highland Park: Highland Park Zoo, 7370 Baker St.
• Homewood North: 6814 Hamilton Ave., 412-665-3610
• Perry North: 300 Kilbuck Road, 412-323-7209
• South Side: South Side Riverfront Park Lower Parking Lot
• Squirrel Hill South: Prospect Drive Roundabout, Schenley Park
• Sheraden: Sheraden Park Parking Lot, Surban Street
• West End: 1330 Hassler St., 412-937-305

At a date still to be determined in the spring, you can pick up the mulch from the Pittsburgh Zoo overflow parking lot, 7370 Baker St., Highland Park. Bring your own buckets, gloves and shovels.

If you’re not able to deliver your trees, Girl Scout troops 52498, 16388, 20826 and 52482 and Boy Scouts of America troops 9945 and 3945 are offering a curbside pickup service in select East End neighborhoods. This is the 11th year for this service.

For a small donation, the Girl Scouts will pick up trees left outside in Morningside, Highland Park, Larimer, East Liberty, Friendship, Shadyside, Point Breeze, Point Breeze North, Squirrel Hill North, Squirrel Hill South and Greenfield. The Girl Scouts will then take the trees to city drop-off centers.

The Boy Scout troops will pick up from Stanton Heights, Garfield and Bloomfield and deliver trees to Garfield to be used for goat food.

You can register for a pickup here.

Allegheny County has opened nine sites at park locations. These locations will collect trees daily until Jan. 18 from 8 a.m. to dusk. Like the city, all decorations, tinsel and tree stands must be removed. Each year, the county collects about 3,000 trees that also are chipped into mulch. Here are the locations with maps:

• Boyce Park: Soccer fields parking lot
• Deer Lakes Park: Veterans shelter parking lot
• Harrison Hills Park: Parking lot at Chipmunk and Cottontail Drives
• Hartwood Acres Park: Middle Road parking lot
• North Park: Swimming pool parking lot
• Round Hill Park: Alfalfa shelter parking lot
• Settlers Cabin Park: Park administration office
• South Park: Brightstar shelter lot
• White Oak Park: Chestnut Shelter parking lot

MARIA MCCUTCHEN, DR. RON CYPHER AND ANDREW MCCUTCHEN WITH BABY SUEDE. PHOTO COURTESY ALLEGHENY HEALTH NETWORK

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen and his wife, Maria, received an early Christmas present this week — a healthy baby boy.

Delivered by Dr. Ron Cypher, Suede McCutchen was born Sunday, Dec. 21 at AHN Wexford Hospital, according to a press release from Allegheny Health Network.

BABY SUEDE MCCUTCHEN. PHOTO COURTESY ALLEGHENY HEALTH NETWORK

Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2023 Pittsburgher of the Year, McCutchen and Maria are also parents to sons Steel and Armani and daughters Avé and Italia.

A favorite among Pirates fans, McCutchen played with the team from 2009 to 2017. He returned to Pittsburgh in 2023 and has played through the 2025 season.