Eight-Story Holiday Inn Proposed For Downtown Pittsburgh Site

There are Hol­i­day Inns all over the land but not a one in Down­town. A Brid­geville de­vel­oper is hop­ing to change that.

The Forza Group will brief the city plan­ning com­mis­sion Tues­day on a pro­posal to build an eight-story, 99-room Hol­i­day Inn at 435 Fort Pitt Blvd. near Smith­field Street. The plan also in­cludes a bar and restau­rant and lim­ited park­ing, nine spaces in all.

In doc­u­ments filed with the plan­ning com­mis­sion, Forza said it hopes to have the $9 mil­lion proj­ect com­pleted by June 2015.

“There’s re­ally no [Hol­i­day Inn] pres­ence in the Down­town Pitts­burgh area,” said Brock Hunt, Forza’s di­rec­tor of fran­chise re­la­tions. The clos­est is a Hol­i­day Inn Ex­press and Suites on South 10th Street, South Side.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/05/23/A-Holiday-Inn-could-be-headed-Downtown/stories/201405230173#ixzz32e8nZnAc

Wolf vs. Corbett: 5 Issues They’ll Tussle Over Between Now And November

Map of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The campaigns for Gov. Tom Corbett and Democratic challenger Tom Wolf traded shots over education funding, natural gas drilling and other issues before Wolf won his party’s nomination.

Voters can expect a lot more of that before Nov. 4.

“I think it’s going to be a long, grueling contest, in which both candidates are going to have to defend an awful lot about their records,” said G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

Corbett has had lower approval ratings than Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell had at the same points in their first terms. In a January poll from Franklin & Marshall College, 23 percent of registered Pennsylvania voters said Corbett was doing an “excellent” or “good” job as governor.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/politics/ci_25828929/wolf-v-corbett-5-issues-theyll-tussle-over

Scranton Police Arrest 16-Year-Old In Cabbie’s Murder

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lackawanna County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As Aazis Richardson walked out of the makeshift courtroom at Scranton Police Headquarters to the holding cell, he gave a simple explanation for shooting a McCarthy Flowered Cab driver twice in the back of the head early Friday morning.

“That’s what I do to people that don’t listen.”

Just hours after Vincent Darbenzio was murdered in his driver’s seat, police found the 16-year-old hiding in an attic at 1009-1011 Washburn St. with suspected blood on his pants and arrested him.

Richardson, 1011 Washburn St., Scranton, was charged with first-, second- and third-degree murder, robbery and related counts. He was sent to Lackawanna County Prison without bail. His preliminary hearing is set for May 30.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/scranton-police-arrest-16-year-old-in-cabbie-s-murder-1.1691773

Over Objections, Shickshinny Hires Secretary/Treasurer At $17 Per Hour

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SHICKSHINNY, PA — Amy Evans, a resident of Sugar Notch and part-time secretary-treasurer of Briar Creek Borough, accepted a similar position with Shickshinny on Thursday night after council voted 3-2 to offer her the post that became open with the resignation of Wendy Kramer.

The vote followed the majority-minority line on council. Rosalie Whitebread, chairperson; Michael Steeber and Jim Wido voted to retain Evans. Councilman Kevin Morris and Councilwoman Kathleen Llewellyn voted no.

Steeber called Evans “the most qualified person” to apply for the job. He said Evans during the interview process requested a salary of $17 per hour.

“In light of her experience and her ability to take over the job right now, we believe her salary request is reasonable,” Steeber said.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/1415828/Shickshinny-hires-new-secretary-treasurer

Douglass (Montgomery) Official IDs Fellow Supervisor As Subject Of D.A. Investigation

Location of Douglass Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DOUGLASS TOWNSHIP (MONTGOMERY COUNTY) — The name of the township supervisor being investigated by Montgomery County Detectives was made public this week — by another supervisor.

At the May 19 board of supervisors meeting, Vice Chairman Anthony Kuklinski said publicly that fellow Supervisor Fred Ziegler is the subject of the county investigation first reported in the Feb. 25 edition of The Mercury.

In February, Township Solicitor Paul Bauer confirmed that the township had referred a matter concerning one of the elected supervisors to the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, but refused to name the supervisor.

Bauer did not return phone messages left at his office Thursday and Friday.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140523/douglass-mont-official-ids-fellow-supervisor-as-subject-of-da-investigation