Latest news with #WesternPennsylvania
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
AppleTV+ series starring Liev Schreiber to film in Pittsburgh
Another streaming series is coming to film in the Pittsburgh area. Starring Liev Schreiber of "Ray Donovan," Zazie Beetz of "Deadpool 2" and Stephen Graham of "Adolescence," an untitled AppleTV+ thriller based on Lars Kepler's bestselling "Killer Instinct" book series will start filming in Pittsburgh this summer. The 10-episode series "tells the story of Jonah Lynn (Schreiber), an ex-soldier turned homicide detective who, tired of working the tough streets of Philadelphia, moves to a small town in Western Pennsylvania for a quiet life. But, as the town and his family come under attack from the diabolically cunning serial killer Jurek Walter (Graham), Jonah must protect all that he holds dear," AppleTV+ said in a news release. State leaders tout film production tax credit program The producers are getting $32.4 million in film production tax credits from the Pennsylvania Film Office. The Shapiro administration says the project is expected to create more than 3,500 new jobs and infuse $108 million into Pennsylvania's economy. The Shapiro administration used the news to tout the Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit program, saying it has brought more than 100 film projects to the state, generating $967 million in direct expenditures to regional economies and creating jobs for 9,000 people. The program offers a 25% tax credit to productions that spend at least 60% of their total budget in Pennsylvania. AppleTV+ series is latest to film in Pittsburgh The untitled AppleTV+ is the latest to film in western Pennsylvania. "How to Rob a Bank," a new Amazon MGM Studios movie, is looking for paid extras while it's in the area. A Hershey biopic is also currently filming in several communities, turning locations like Bedford Square on the South Side into a scene straight from the 1800s. The Paramount+ show "Mayor of Kingstown," starring Jeremy Renner, has also filmed multiple seasons in the Pittsburgh area and across western Pennsylvania.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
New crowdsourcing app could complicate law enforcement efforts, officials say
A new crowdsourcing app will soon be available to people in western Pennsylvania. Developers say it's designed to help empower people to keep their communities safe, but some in law enforcement believe it could make their job more difficult. The app has been around for a decade and is running in several cities across the United States. The app, called Citizen, acts as an online crowdsourced clearing house for local information regarding everything from police calls, video of local news events, scanner traffic, as well as suspected criminal activity reported by subscribers, developers say. "I think it would be cool if the app used the data the police use to track it, like they do in other cities," one resident told KDKA-TV. But the app and its information aren't necessarily verified by emergency officials, which can lead to people taking the law into their own hands. "They're responding to incidents that are unverified or untrue, and they're taking action on their own behalf, and that could create an even more dangerous situation," according to Deputy Chief Brian Kohlhepp of the Ross Township Police Department. The app has led to problems in the past where subscribers publish wanted posters online for people who have done nothing wrong, like taking a walk and checking out their new neighborhood. Deputy Chief Kohlhepp says these scenarios can waste police assets and worse. "It could be someone from the app responded, and now we're dealing with an adversarial situation, and we [have to] untangle that," Deputy Chief Kohlhepp added. "If you don't have the facts and the information yourself, don't speak on it, and I would say don't act on it," said Joe Allen of Dormont. That's exactly what law enforcement says is the best course. If you see something, say something to the police, not the app. "If you see something suspicious, call 911. Remember, these apps are not monitored by any law enforcement agencies," Deputy Chief Kohlhepp said. KDKA-TV reached out to the developers of the Citizen app and is awaiting a response to address concerns law enforcement and residents have with the app. The western Pennsylvania version of the Citizen app is expected to become available on June 20.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Just Harvest helps to make fresh, farmers' market food accessible
Rain or shine, it's farmers market time, around Western Pennsylvania. So, at PPG Plaza, customers are lining up to buy fresh food locally. This farmer's market is special, though, with the non-profit Just Harvest making fresh fruits, vegetables, and more accessible to all. "This year's very exciting because, along with our Food Bucks program, which provides shoppers additional money to get fruits and veggies, we also have a full SNAP match at select markets," said Just Harvest Communications Coordinator, Katherine Taylor. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. People apply and qualify for the federal food assistance. Taylor said this is the first year they're matching SNAP funds, dollar for dollar, at eight of the fifteen markets, thanks in part to the city's Food Justice Fund. "It's going to be a great opportunity for shoppers to be able to access more fruits and veggies and healthy food around the city," said Taylor. The Fresh Access program started in 2013, and it allows Just Harvest to bring tents to the farmers' markets. In turn, that gives the community the chance to transfer benefits into tokens, which are accepted by vendors at the market for their food. "People are so excited to hear that they can extend their shopping money further, just by shopping at a farmers market that is local to their neighborhood," said Just Harvest Fresh Access Program Manager, Amanda Sloane. The Fresh Access program is just one of many programs this non-profit provides. Program managers said, Just Harvest makes this possible, by holding a Snap Retailer License. It's a win-win for both sellers and buyers. "Oh, the farmer's markets are a great place to be for the customer and the vendor," Liz Calabro is with Mediterra Bakehouse Market, one of the vendors at the PPG Market, said. "The product representation. The customer gets fresh local products. It's the place to be." Gregory Manley is a Pittsburgh native who works at the farmer's market for the Jose Quiroz Farm. "We get whole buckets full of tokens at the end of our market on Fridays when people are shopping for the weekend, so it's a great benefit for us and hopefully for the shoppers as well," Manley said. They bring as many fruits as possible and vegetables to the market each week. As with many nonprofits, Just Harvest is working to keep its efforts going, hoping to help our neighbors for years to come. "Protecting benefits like SNAP right now is a really crucial time," Taylor said. "So, reach out to us. Get involved, and we'd love to work with anyone." The non-profit also helps people with applying for SNAP, Medicaid, and other benefits programs. Just Harvest also offers a free tax prep program, and the non-profit does policy advocacy work. They are always looking for volunteers. For more information on Just Harvest and how to get involved, go to their website at this link.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Pittsburgh has been cloudier than normal this month. Here's how many sunny days there were.
If you're thinking Pittsburgh hasn't gotten much sun this month, you'd be right. Over an entire year, Pittsburgh averages 59 clear or mostly clear days, 103 partly cloudy days and 203 cloudy or mostly cloudy days, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. With the average number of cloudy days outnumbering the clear days, it's no surprise that Pittsburghers try to take advantage of the few clear days we get. While most look forward to bright late spring and summer days, this month has not really offered much of that. (Photo: KDKA Weather Center) This May has been cloudier than normal Through May 29, Pittsburgh has seen 18 cloudy or mostly cloudy days, nine partly cloudy days and only two mostly sunny or completely sunny days. Note two days of climate data on the calendar from May 13 and 14 are missing, but looking at past hourly observations, we can clearly infer that May 13 and 14 leaned mostly cloudy to cloudy. While Pittsburgh is certainly used to being a cloudy city, this month has been cloudier than average. Normally, May averages 17 cloudy or mostly cloudy days, nine partly cloudy days, and five mostly sunny or sunny days. It is likely that May 30 and 31 will be counted as mostly cloudy or cloudy, pushing the total number of cloudy days for May 2025 to 20, which is above normal for Pittsburgh. (Photo: KDKA Weather Center) Why is Pittsburgh so cloudy? Western Pennsylvania is one of the cloudiest regions in the country due to the geography of the region. Being downwind the Great Lakes means that clouds are more likely to form, especially during the fall and winter months when cold air blows over relatively warm lake waters, creating instability, lift and cloud formation. Moisture rising upslope the hilly terrain and westward facing sides of the Laurel Highlands also contributes to cloud development. Finally, big areas of low pressure often like to settle just north of Pittsburgh over the Great Lakes up toward Hudson Bay in Canada, which keeps unsettled weather in our region for longer periods of time. Being far removed from the Rockies and Desert Southwest prevents us from getting longer intrusions of dry air which help states to our west see a greater number of clear days on average.
CBS News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Pittsburgh-area eighth grader makes it to Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals
A Pittsburgh-area eighth grader made it to the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Hampton Middle School student Jane Ross was one of 57 spellers who advanced to the semifinals on Wednesday. The 14-year-old was eliminated in the seventh round, mispelling "pensile." She finished tied in 41st place. This is the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee. Only nine spellers participated in the first competition in 1925. This year's bee started with over 200 spellers from all 50 states, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Department of Defense schools in Europe. Spellers are also representing the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Kuwait and Nigeria. Spellers move through the preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. The semifinals will air Wednesday from 8-10 p.m. The finals will air Thursday night. The winner will get a $50,000 cash prize from the Scripps National Spelling Bee, among other prizes. Journey to the National Spelling Bee Jane Ross spelled "cacaxte" to win the 75th annual Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee in March. Every year, students in grades first through eighth compete in spelling bees at their schools, with each champion advancing to the regional qualifier bee. This year, 81 local students participated in the regional qualifier, and 15 finalists faced off, with Ross taking first place. Ross also won the regional bee in 2022 as a fifth grader, placed third in 2023 and was last year's runner-up.
