Proud to serve: Pittsburgh's first out gay chief

Mon Incline Is Out of Service

Twelve riders on the Monongahela Incline were temporarily stuck on the tracks for an hour on Friday, and it’s not operating until further notice. Pittsburgh Regional Transit said to instead take the Route 40-Mount Washington bus from Downtown or from the outbound stop located along the Smithfield Street Bridge. [TribLIVE]

What Happened to the Plum House?

A tragic house explosion on Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum killed five people, including a child; multiple others were injured, and one remains in critical condition. The blast also leveled two other homes and damaged a dozen residences. The development was built on top of abandoned mine land, surrounded by shallow oil and gas wells; a representative from Peoples Natural Gas said the system operated as designed, and gas was shut off for caution. The cause is still under investigation. [Washington Post]

U.S. Steel Debates a Buyout

United States Steel Corp. rejected a $7.3 billion buyout proposal from Cleveland-Cliffs — the largest producer of flat-rolled steel and iron in North America — because the rival was “pushing it to accept the terms without being allowed to conduct proper due diligence.” The company is considering alternative offers. [Associated Press]

A Boost for Housing Initiatives

The Urban Redevelopment Authority started a tax break program back in January to attract developers to convert Downtown’s empty office spaces into apartments, but it didn’t see enough interest, so the program was amended to increase the per-unit subsidy. Now, funding will increase for developers if they commit to reserving units for lower area median incomes. The URA also approved home repair assistance in the Hill District and funding for the Garfield land trust. [PublicSource / TribLIVE]

I’m back with another game to test your Pittsburgh knowledge! Tell me where you can find this photo, then come back tomorrow to spot the location in the weekly neighborhood guide.

🌟 Shout out to readers Patricia G. and Dan D. who correctly guessed last week’s challenge:

There’s still time to enjoy summer blooms and fresh fruit picking at Triple B Farms in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. In last week’s neighborhood guide, I shared some tips on what to see, do, eat, and drink in this town about 50 minutes south of the city in Washington County.

🏖️ Biergarten Beach Party | Wednesday | 5-9 p.m.

Head to the rooftop at Hotel Monaco for beachy cocktails, summer bites, games, and live entertainment. Reservations are recommended. [free to enter, Downtown]

📰 Living News Festival | Thursday-Sunday | 8 p.m.

See five original short plays inspired by local news and current events at Throughline Theatre Company. [$10, Carnegie]

🇮🇹 Little Italy Days | Thursday-Sunday | Various Times

Enjoy live entertainment, food, bocce tournaments, and more along Liberty Avenue. [free, Bloomfield]

🎶 Warhol Sound Series | Thursday | 8 p.m.

Listen to Dub Corridor, a performance by Soy Sos and PVKVSV within the unique acoustics of The Warhol’s intimate urban alley turned patio/beer garden. [$5-8, North Side]

Pgh’s Police Chief is Gay — Will That Help Queer People?

Larry Scirotto is our city’s first openly gay police chief. And while he says that’s something he’s deeply proud of, it’s not something he’s spent a bunch of time talking about. Today, that changes. Hear his take on queer representation in the Pittsburgh bureau, why he decided to come out when he did, and how he hopes his identities — gay and biracial — will inform his tenure as chief.

This conversation is part one in a two-part series. Both were pursued in partnership with Jordana Rosenfeld and Pittsburgh City Paper.