Pittsburgh All Local

Beginning June 5th, drivers caught on their phones will face a $50 fine plus court costs. The law, named for Paul Miller, who was killed by a distracted driver in 2010, allows hands-free calls and GPS but bans texting or scrolling while driving. Nearly 10,000 crashes in 2024 involved distracted drivers, resulting in more than 6,000 injuries and 49 fatalities and officials say just a moment of inattention can have life-altering consequences. Pennsylvania State Police and PennDOT are urging all motorists to put the phone away and stay focused on the road.

The price for a gallon of gas continues to skyrocket, both nationally and locally. The national average for a gallon of gas rose above $4 today. Prices have increased more than $1 since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28th. In Pittsburgh, Triple-A reports the average is $3.97. The last time gas was above $4 per gallon was in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Another non-profit is giving the City millions of dollars. The University of Pittsburgh's $5 million, 5 year investment will be used by the City to target three key areas: neighborhood parks, main street business districts and public safety.

Police have been preparing this week for a possible Downtown takeover just days after a brawl at Market Square. Planning started as soon as one of the department's crime analysts spotted a flyer on social media calling for a youth takeover. Police Chief Jason Lando talked about it with KDKA's Marty Griffin. The time and location is unclear. Chief Lando said on-duty officers are being moved from other areas in the city for what he calls an "adequate presence Downtown tonight. Lando also said he's confident the Bureau of Police is prepared.

Pittsburgh Public Schools is urging parents to discourage students from attending a planned “Downtown Takeover,” saying the event is unsanctioned and raises safety concerns. Public Safety Director Sheldon Williams tells Marty Griffin the city is seeing what he calls an informal youth culture — a description he says has drawn criticism. Williams says he wants to focus more on “prevention and intervention” to curb such problematic behavior among kids hanging out Downtown.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office served a search warrant Monday on the City of Pittsburgh. The warrant is sealed but sources say it involves no bid contracts under the Gainey administration. A statement from the DA's office said the warrant was sealed for “good cause” without elaborating further. A spokesperson for Mayor Corey O’Connor’s administration declined to comment on the investigation but said the city will cooperate with court orders.

Reaction is coming in to legislation introduced today in Pittsburgh Council that would prohibit police from working with ICE.

The City GOP issued a statement saying federal immigration enforcement is the responsibility of federal agencies....adding the bills would set a dangerous precedent about selectively cooperating with federal authorities. Some public commenters agreed.

But supporters spoke out too. The proposals come up for discussion next Wednesday.

A month before Pittsburgh hosts the NFL Draft, Commissioner Roger Goodell gave KDKA Radio's Michael Bartley an exclusive interview this morning. Goodell says the draft has changed a lot in his more than 40 years with the League....going from a hotel ballroom event to an internationally-attended three-day spectacular. He says it will give Pittsburgh a chance to shine...as the city where memories are made that will last forever. With up to 700-thousand people expected, many will be international visitors. Goodell says they will be here because they love the NFL.

Community College of Beaver County is the victim of a cyber-attack. Marty Griffin broke the story on KDKA just moments ago. It is an encryption-based attack on their data (cryptolocker). All college IT resources are currently locked down and the campus closed as of 9:30 a.m. Students and faculty are on spring break this week.

Some state lawmakers want to know why gasoline prices have gone up about 25 cents a gallon since late February.

Two Democratic State House members from Eastern PA want Attorney General Dave Sunday to investigate the sudden spike in prices. Joe Ciresi and Jim Haddock accuse some gas station owners of hiking prices immediately after the US struck Iran---even though the fuel in their tanks was already paid for. The two issued a statement saying the jump in fuel prices warrants an independent investigation to determine if any laws have been broken.