On today’s episode of The Confluence:Employees at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have been on strike for six months now, and have been without a new contract for six years. We speak with WESA reporter Jillian Forstadt about how the paper’s owners, Block Communications Inc., could benefit from prolonging the work stoppage further. (0:00 - 7:55) Mitch Swain is leaving the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council after leading as the inaugural CEO and spending 18 years with the organization. We speak with Swain about his tenure. (7:58 - 17:14) The deadline to file your income taxes is April 18 this year. If you live in Allegheny County, there’s a good chance a private company called Jordan Tax Service will handle your local return. 90.5 WESA’s An-Li Herring reports the 90-year-old firm is popular with municipalities but a source of frustration for some taxpayers. (17:20 - 22:30)
Solar United Neighbors (SUN) celebrated the first of several free solar panel installations for low- to moderate-income homeowners in Allegheny County on Thursday. The effort is part of a move to make the switch to green energy more equitable.
Some parents said they appreciated how quickly police secured the building and shared information that the threat was a hoax. But other parents called the event a wake-up call, saying they want the school and community to better prepare for a potential future incident by providing metal detectors and allowing their children to keep their phones with them at all times.
While advocates lauded the move to decriminalize fentanyl test strips in Pennsylvania, they also say it’s not enough. That’s because new contaminants have already made their way into drug supplies, and the ability to test for many of those substances isn’t currently available to the average person.