Julia Zenkevich

1 week ago | wesa.fm | Julia Zenkevich

City of Pittsburgh and Duquesne Light officials say they are still working to repair the damage after a storm tore through the Pittsburgh region last week. The storm caused widespread damage to homes, cars, and power lines. Some 325,000 Duquesne Light customers lost power at the outage’s peak, including 140,000 in the city alone. Speaking to reporters Monday, Matt Neistein, Duquesne Light’s director of communications and brand, said the company had restored power to 96% of Pittsburgh customers.

2 weeks ago | wesa.fm | Julia Zenkevich

This is WESA Politics, a weekly newsletter by our political reporters providing analysis about Pittsburgh and state politics. If you want it earlier — we'll deliver it to your inbox on Thursday afternoon — sign up here. Success in politics often means knowing who your friends are. And sometimes, knowing who they aren’t.

2 weeks ago | wesa.fm | Julia Zenkevich

Allegheny County public transit users decried a proposal to raise bus and light-rail fares and make major cuts to the region’s transit service Tuesday, calling the plan potentially “devastating” for the region’s residents and economy. “While not quite on par with the collapse of steel, the collapse of transit would be disastrous for the region,” said Chris Sandvig, founder and executive director of transportation advocacy group Mobilify.

3 weeks ago | wesa.fm | Julia Zenkevich

Allegheny County will offer a new way to deliver mental health services to people deemed unfit to stand trial. The county’s Department of Human Services announced the program, called the Mobile Competency Restoration and Support Team (MCRST) on Wednesday. But it began accepting patients in March. “These are folks who are in need of treatment and care. And with that treatment and care, they do go on to live fulfilling lives,” said DHS director Erin Dalton.

3 weeks ago | wesa.fm | Julia Zenkevich

Allegheny County’s chief public defender says she plans to fight allegations that resulted in her placement on paid administrative leave earlier this month. Lena Bryan-Henderson denied accusations that she made offensive comments to co-workers, adding that even if they were true, they wouldn't be grounds for removal.