Point Park News Service

The Battle to Breathe in the Mon Valley

April 25, 2019

A myriad of environmental law violations continues to plague Western Pennsylvania By Jordan Slobodinsky Melanie Meade has been monitoring toxic emissions from U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke works for years, but she had no idea she was breathing high levels of cancer-causing toxins for two weeks beginning on Christmas Eve after a massive fire in the mill. After living in Clairton... Read More

Women in Sports: Dreams of Inclusion Are Coming True

April 25, 2019April 25, 2019 KDKA, Pittsburgh Passion, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sarah bagay, Steel City Football CLub, Title IX

By Sarah Bagay Stephanie Harrison wanted to enhance women’s involvement in sports, especially soccer, when she founded Steel City Football Club, a women’s professional team. Christine Serkoch and Angela Tegnelia have become key players in the media and communications field for the Pirates and Steelers, respectively, and not only enjoy participating in key future decisions of the teams, but hope to pave... Read More

Lewy and My Dad: My Dad’s Diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia

April 25, 2019April 25, 2019 Alzheimer’s Association, Dementia, Katie Kelly, Lewy Body, Spring 2019

By Katie Kelly The first time that I noticed something was wrong with my dad was when he started forgetting the names of family members. My mother noticed it when my dad started mumbling things about missing deliveries and repeating odd things. My sister Kim first noticed something was off when our dad started bringing memories up from years ago.... Read More

Life is Getting Better for Part-Time Faculty After Contract

April 25, 2019April 25, 2019 Adjunct Professors, Nicole Fuschino, Point Park University, Robert Morris University, United Steel Workers Union

By Nicole Fuschino To make ends meet after his job was unionized, Richard Schiavoni works at a newspaper weekdays and as a photographer on weekends, in addition to teaching part-time in the history department at Point Park University, but feels like his unionized job makes him “happier and more productive.” Carol Lorenz still drives back and forth between Point Park... Read More

Apartment Developments Set to Break Ground in the Northside in May

April 25, 2019April 25, 2019 Allegheny West, Allegheny West Civic Council, Development, Go Realty, Housing, Mary Shelly, Northside, Renovation, Spring 2019

By Mary Shelly, Point Park News Service On West North Ave., the Allegheny Stables renovation is set to break ground next month, and complete one year later — bringing nearly three dozen new residential units to Allegheny West. Allegheny Stables building on the 800 block of West North Ave. Photo by: Mary Shelly. Initiated in 2016, the plans for the... Read More

Finding Yourself in The Music: Putting Emotions Into Words

April 22, 2019April 22, 2019 Fig, Finding Yourself in the Music, Sara Flanders

By Sara Flanders This is the final installment of the Finding Yourself in the Music series. When unsure how to deal with her negative emotions, Elizabeth Harris used what she calls “genre-fluid” music as a therapeutic outlet. Harris remembers singing all the time as a child and looking up to her Grandpa who was a wedding singer in a polka... Read More

Finding Yourself in the Music: Self Expression and Inner Truth

April 19, 2019April 22, 2019 Dinosoul, Finding Yourself in the Music, Sara Flanders

By Sara Flanders This is the second installment of the Finding Yourself in the Music series. Donny Donovan thought she was a boy at a young age, but as she got older and got assigned to gendered sports teams and activities, she realized she was a girl who liked girls. For years she felt something was wrong with her and... Read More

Finding Yourself in the Music

April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 Adam Hawley, Finding Yourself in the Music, Jude Benedict-Ess, Sara Flanders

How music has helped local members of the LGBTQIA+ community By Sara Flanders This is the first installment of the Finding Yourself in the Music series. Music helped Jude Benedict-Ess through their transition into their non-binary gender identity and gave them a way to communicate with those around them. Adam Hawley found inspiration from a famous musician to find his... Read More

Environmental Leaders Link Health Issues to Poor Air Quality in Allegheny County

April 3, 2019April 25, 2019 Allegheny County Health Department, carnegie mellon university, Jim Kelly, Mark Dixon, PennEnvironment, Pittsburgh City Council, SmellPGH, Spring 2019

A version of this story ran on Tube City Online. By Mary Shelly, Point Park News Service The number of people dying in Allegheny County from exposure to air pollution is comparable to the numbers of the opioid epidemic, a Carnegie Mellon University professor who has studied air pollution emissions, told the Pittsburgh City Council on April 2. “There’s approximately... Read More

Windber Hospice: A Documentary of Love and Compassion

March 27, 2019March 29, 2019 Gracey Evans, Windber Hospice

By Gracey Evans For some, hospice is perceived as a place loved ones are sent to die. Windber Hospice in Windber, Pa., about 15 minutes outside of Johnstown, is on a mission to help patients pass easily with compassion. Throughout childhood, my grandmother, Peggy Lichtenfels, has always spoken highly of her work in hospice. Growing up, I remember her calling... Read More