“This is so vital, because, as Pittsburghers for Public Transit say, bus lines are lifelines,” County Executive Sara Innamorato said at a press conference in Wilkinsburg on Monday. “And they are incredibly important to working families.” buff.ly/3KfYl5P

Public defenders handle the bulk of criminal defense cases. Allegheny County’s Office of the Public Defender has a history of being hamstrung and muzzled.
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Allegheny County should loosen its grip on Clean Air Fund spending, enabling the millions of dollars amassed through its emissions control initiatives to support community projects related to air quality, according to a new audit. buff.ly/3WXOKYW

FIRST PERSON: In many ways, Pittsburgh’s “death stairs” are a living fossil of the city’s history. buff.ly/3QLKIiA

Allegheny County’s Clean Air Fund has long been tapped more for operating costs than for community-focused air quality projects. A new audit urges the county to streamline processes and stop sitting on $10 million buff.ly/3WXOKYW

In Allegheny County, the procedures, logistics and funding for surgery for incarcerated people are complex and opaque. A new county administration is just beginning to wrap its arms around those challenges. buff.ly/3wJUbjD

Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Regional Transit saw strong response to a free-or-half-fare pilot program. Now the discounts — but not the free rides — will be available long-term to households of modest means. buff.ly/3KfYl5P

The Northgate School District poured federal recovery dollars into therapists and mental health programming. What happens when that money dries up? (Via The Hechinger Report) buff.ly/4aofy7W

Public defenders handle the bulk of criminal defense cases. A new report calls on Allegheny County to make a move toward establishing independence for the public defender’s office. buff.ly/3K6r2m0

NEW: The Allegheny County Department of Human Services is preparing to launch Allegheny Go, a permanent program offering half-off transit for households eligible for SNAP benefits. buff.ly/3KfYl5P

FIRST PERSON: Of course, during my childhood explorations, I assumed accessing these steps would never be an issue. buff.ly/3QLKIiA

During 2 years at the Allegheny County Jail, Darrell never got the surgery he needed for a hernia that looked like a baby arm sticking out of his stomach. A former ACJ nurse told me ppl could be locked up there for months without ever seeing medical. publicsource.org/allegheny-coun…

A few dozen times a year, someone held in the Allegheny County Jail gets surgery. Getting medical attention, staff approval, transportation and the needed procedure can be a painful process. buff.ly/3wJUbjD