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Ashley Murray

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Pittsburgh
As seen in: States Newsroom, MSN, MSN Canada, MSN UK, Wiley Online Library, Yahoo News, Aol, Yahoo Finance, Flipboard, Patch, Salon and
Senior DC reporter for @statesnewsroom. Member of 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning team. Nebby. Pittsburgh born. DM me for Signal info. RTs not endorsements.
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Pittsburgh filmmaker talks about his new documentary on furries

Pittsburgh filmmaker talks about his new documentary on furries

Pittsburgh City Paper — Each summer in Pittsburgh, bipedal foxes, wolves, horses and the like can be seen waving from the Downtown streets outside of the Westin Convention Center hotel, on Liberty Avenue. These anthropomorphic-enamored folks are gathered for the annual Anthrocon, the largest meeting of the furry community. Local TV stations flock to capture the visuals. Passersby stop for a high-five and a selfie, and maybe they walk away with questions about furries or gossip about their sexual fetishes. On Thu., March 10, the Pittsburgh premiere of the documentary provides the chance to learn about furry fandom - the humans behind the costumes, artwork and dance scene.
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Pittsburgh nonprofits team up to provide computers to Latino families

Pittsburgh nonprofits team up to provide computers to Latino families

Pittsburgh City Paper — In a 3,000-square-foot space behind Construction Junction, in North Point Breeze, volunteers sit among boxed-up computers on old Home Depot shelving, and they split duties between disassembling and refurbishing Macs and PCs. “We only want computers that work. Then we erase them and put educational software on them,” says Dave Sevik, executive director of Computer Reach, a nonprofit that refurbishes computers for nonprofits that serve low-income individuals in the U.S. and worldwide. ...
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City Paper Podcast, or "Untitled" - Episode 003

City Paper Podcast, or "Untitled" - Episode 003

Pittsburgh City Paper — click to enlarge In the week's City Paper podcast episode, DJ Afterthought shows us around ID Labs - the recording studio where he works and where hits like Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" were made. Also, in our Sound Bite segment, we visit the Butcher on Butler to see what he's choppin' up. And, City Paper editor Charlie Deitch vents about white people.
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Pittsburgh's St. Clair neighborhood to get an urban farm and new housing

Pittsburgh's St. Clair neighborhood to get an urban farm and new housing

Pittsburgh City Paper — Last week, nearly 60 people gathered in the Ormsby Avenue Cafe in Pittsburgh's St. Clair neighborhood to hear from the Hilltop Alliance about how their neighborhood could be transformed. The Hilltop Alliance is a nonprofit that serves St. Clair, as well Allentown, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, Bon Air, St. Clair, Carrick, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Mount Washington, the South Side Slopes and the independent borough of Mount Oliver. It presented its latest version of the Hilltop Farm Master Plan, which would add a number of amenities to a broad section of Pittsburgh, some areas of which are far from grocery stores.
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City Paper Podcast, or "Untitled" - Episode 002

City Paper Podcast, or "Untitled" - Episode 002

Pittsburgh City Paper — In our second episode, columnist and Sound Bite segment host Celine Roberts takes us to the busy kitchen at Lidia's Pittsburgh to talk to none other than Lidia Bastianich. We talk with City Paper staff writer Ryan Deto about Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat that is up for grabs. And, CP editor Charlie Deitch goes off about the Republican presidential candidates ahead of the Iowa Caucus. City Paper Podcast, or "Untitled" - Episode 002 Produced by Ashley Murray, hosted and edited by Alex Gordon, featuring Celine Roberts Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
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City Paper debuts new podcast

City Paper debuts new podcast

Pittsburgh City Paper — For our first episode, we speak to Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto about his second year in office and talk politics with City Paper Editor Charlie Deitch. We also visit Smallman Galley in the Strip District for a lesson on vegetable-forward cocktails. City Paper Podcast, or "Untitled" - Episode 001 Produced by Ashley Murray, hosted and edited by Alex Gordon, featuring Celine Roberts, with work from Aaron Warnick Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
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What you need to know about Pittsburgh news this week

What you need to know about Pittsburgh news this week

Pittsburgh City Paper — Here's what went down in the Steel City: 1. The Port Authority of Allegheny County unveiled a proposal that would eliminate fare zones. Regardless of where riders travel, all fares would cost $2.50 when using a ConnectCard, the authority's electronic-fare system (or $2.75 for cash fares). According to PAT's stats, a fourth of customers would save $1.75 per ride. The proposal would also benefit riders with disabilities by offering reduced weekly and monthly passes. The changes, if approved, would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2017. The plan was brought before the PAT board on Jan. 13.
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Pittsburgh artist James Simon opens his Uptown studio to show giant musician sculptures

Pittsburgh artist James Simon opens his Uptown studio to show giant musician sculptures

Pittsburgh City Paper — For the past year, James Simon has been constructing and sculpting giant musicians, dancers, dogs and a jukebox. Simon's work will be installed in Perry Harvey Park, in Tampa, and is meant to pay homage to the Florida community's history. "These sculptures are for the gateway to Perry Harvey Park and pay homage to the African-American community where folks like Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald lived," Simon - who has done work internationally - said in a press release. The sculptures are reminiscent of his Liberty Avenue musicians in Downtown Pittsburgh. On Fri., Jan.
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Pittsburgh Public Market looking for a new home

Pittsburgh Public Market looking for a new home

Pittsburgh City Paper — In the Pittsburgh Public Market, there's a stall called Steve's Deli, but call the man behind the counter "Steve" and he probably won't respond. That's because the couple who owns the small operation are named Ed and Maggie. Neither is a trained chef, and "Steve" is a family friend who bought Ed his first oven when he was a kid. The couple - trained in math and industrial design - wanted to try their dream of running a food business, and the public market offered a laboratory for their experiment.
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Q&A with Enroll America President Anne Filipic as ACA open-enrollment deadline nears

Q&A with Enroll America President Anne Filipic as ACA open-enrollment deadline nears

Pittsburgh City Paper — There are three weeks left in the third open-enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act, and Anne Filipic, president of the national nonprofit Enroll America, is encouraging "navigators" to use the remaining time they have to reach as many uninsured people as possible. About a dozen local workers (some called navigators, who receive grant funding to do often-individualized ACA outreach via local nonprofits like the YWCA, Consumer Health Coalition and the East Liberty Family Health Care Center), as well as local county and city representatives, listened to and engaged with Filipic about the successes and barriers of the ACA in Western Pennsylvania.
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A look back at Pittsburgh City Paper's 2015 behind-the-scenes cover videos

A look back at Pittsburgh City Paper's 2015 behind-the-scenes cover videos

Pittsburgh City Paper — This year we've taken you behind the scenes to see how we created some of our most fun and interesting City Paper covers. Here's a look back at our video series: Tags: Pittsburgh City Paper, behind-the-scenes videos, Image, Video
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Local company Send Me No Flowers offers "bouquets" of cookies

Local company Send Me No Flowers offers "bouquets" of cookies

Pittsburgh City Paper — You could say that small-business owners Sondra and Andrew Sebastian are in the business of fooling people. Their livelihood is selling gifts that look like flowers ... but aren't. For instance, their "Flowering Money" bouquet is made of real-deal moola folded to resemble roses. But in this column, we're concerned about food, so let's concentrate on their most popular product: cookies. "People are just looking for something different to send besides flowers," says Sondra, co-owner of Send Me No Flowers, along with her husband Andrew. It's a mom-and-pop company, run out of a warehouse in Pittsburgh's east suburbs.
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Letters to Pittsburgh Santa

Letters to Pittsburgh Santa

Pittsburgh City Paper — One of our favorite childhood memories was sitting down and penning a letter to Santa Claus to lie about how good we'd been that year and to ask him to bring us wonderful gifts. But many adults still write to Jolly Old St. Nick. This year, we obtained letters to Santa - and by "obtained," we mean "made up" - that offer a peek into what some notable folks in the region are asking for this Christmas. Due to an issue with YouTube, the mobile version of this video may not play correctly. It is best viewed on a desktop computer.
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Advocates ask Pittsburgh Public Schools to use school buses with cleaner diesel emissions

Advocates ask Pittsburgh Public Schools to use school buses with cleaner diesel emissions

Pittsburgh City Paper — This week, advocates testified at the Pittsburgh Public Schools board meeting, asking that the district use only buses with updated diesel-emissions controls. "It's the perfect time for the school district to say, 'We only want to utilize buses with emissions controls,'" says Rachel Fillipini of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), an environmental-policy and watchdog organization. That's because the school district is negotiating a new contract with its bus-fleet providers. GASP seized on the timing to deliver more than 200 signed postcards to the meeting as well as testimony.
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What happened this week in Pittsburgh news

What happened this week in Pittsburgh news

Pittsburgh City Paper — Here's what went down in Pittsburgh this week: 1. The Pittsburgh Citizens Police Review Board has opened an inquiry into a Pittsburgh police officer's interaction with a City Paper reporter following the incident at the Wood Street T Station on Wednesday. CPRB Executive Director Beth Pittinger called the officer's behavior "excruciatingly unbecoming." One juvenile was arrested for allegedly resisting arrest after hitting an emergency stop button on the Wood Street T station escalator. This situation escalated into a chaotic scene on Liberty Avenue, resulting in the arrest of one adult and criminal citations of three juveniles.
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Pittsburgh's Toy Story: Good Samaritans turn holiday toy drives into a seasonal industry

Pittsburgh's Toy Story: Good Samaritans turn holiday toy drives into a seasonal industry

Pittsburgh City Paper — On Black Friday, an older man in a black-and-red-checked sweater is beside himself, flipping through a four-page Christmas list and literally checking it twice. Hanging his cane on the shopping cart, he hoists a box stuffed with 70 rolls of wrapping paper into it. He opens a roll of sticker gift-tags and begins writing names and sticking them on Pittsburgh-team sports hoodies and talking Frozen Olaf dolls. He assures the clerk that he'll pay for the opened gift tags; he just doesn't want to forget whom he has in mind for each present. "Every year, energy comes all over me," the man says.
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What you need to know about Pittsburgh news this week

What you need to know about Pittsburgh news this week

Pittsburgh City Paper — Here's what went down in the city of Pittsburgh this week: 1. The Jewish community of Pittsburgh marked the beginning of Hanukkah with Chabad of Pittsburgh's annual Menorah Parade, which began at sundown this past Sunday. The parade is in its tenth year, and approximately 75 cars participated in 2015. Organizers say that in the last few years, they've seen an increase in cyclists, with around 25-30 participating in the parade. City Paper's Theo Schwarz captured these images. 2. On Tuesday the city's Wage Review Committee released a report stating that "wages paid to hospital workers are insufficient."
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What you need to know about Pittsburgh news this week

What you need to know about Pittsburgh news this week

Pittsburgh City Paper — Here's what went down in Pittsburgh this week: 1. On Tuesday, the "Ghost of Climate Future" could be seen marching through downtown Pittsburgh as part of A Christmas Carol-themed protest against climate change. Organized by Three Rivers Rising Tide, the demonstration called out ties between local corporations and the Allegheny County government, calling them "climate Scrooges." 2. Jasiri X will be honored tonight with the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh's 2015 Ronald H. Brown Community Leadership Award. The award recognizes leadership in promoting public service and civic engagement and is named for the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
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Pittsburgh Police make arrest in shooting of Muslim cab driver; won't confirm hate crime investig...

Pittsburgh Police make arrest in shooting of Muslim cab driver; won't confirm hate crime investig...

Pittsburgh City Paper — Pittsburgh Police have arrested a 26-year-old Hazelwood man in connection with a nonfatal shooting of a Muslim taxi driver six days ago. Pittsburgh police Lt. Vic Joseph announced at a press conference this afternoon that Anthony Mohamed was taken into custody at his residence in Hazelwood at around 10:45 this morning. Mohamed has been charged with aggravated assault, criminal attempted homicide, and recklessly endangering another person. click to enlarge Joseph said just that a "short period of time" elapsed between when the police identified the suspect and obtained the arrest warrant.
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'Grammer Lessons

'Grammer Lessons

Pittsburgh City Paper — City Paper teams up with Instagram collective @SteelCityGrammers for a photo essay from Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood.
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What you need to know about Pittsburgh news this week

What you need to know about Pittsburgh news this week

Pittsburgh City Paper — Here's what went down in Pittsburgh this week: click to enlarge 1. This week was book-ended with holiday events. Last weekend, thousands flocked to Downtown for the city's 55th Annual Light Up Night festivities. Tree lightings, ice sculptures, display windows, live music, fireworks and a holiday market were all part of Pittsburgh's official holiday season kick-off. Enjoy our photo essay. -------------- click to enlarge 2. Pittsburgh's Cultural Trust unveiled eleven new bike racks in Downtown's cultural district on Tuesday. And each rack is a unique public-art installation created by a different artist.
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To be a true Pittsburgher, you need a Thanksgiving-themed pierogie ornament

To be a true Pittsburgher, you need a Thanksgiving-themed pierogie ornament

Pittsburgh City Paper — Happy Thanksgiving! We took the day off, but not before finding you this adorable Thanksgiving-themed turkey pierogie Christmas-tree ornament, made locally by Etsy shop ArrayOfHappiness. Jenna Johnston, the Beaver County native and brains behind the decorated pierogie ornaments, says she started playing around with clay and this is what she came up with. "I still have my original pierogi ornament on my Christmas tree. It doesn't look anything like they do now," Johnston says. "I've come a long way with the design."
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Pennsylvania Women Work and Crazy Mocha bring mentoring and coffee together

Pennsylvania Women Work and Crazy Mocha bring mentoring and coffee together

Pittsburgh City Paper — Julie Marx, the executive director of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Women Work, said she and her co-workers were disappointed when women completed the organization's work-readiness programs but sometimes couldn't find jobs. "When a woman graduates from our class, although she's ready to go back to work, she does not have a professional network," Marx says. The organization teaches résumé building, interview skills and computer literacy; it's geared toward women who are re-entering the workforce - perhaps who've raised children for a number of years, are coming out of a divorce, or who have been laid off.
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ExtraVEGANza offers Pittsburghers a slow-food brunch

ExtraVEGANza offers Pittsburghers a slow-food brunch

Pittsburgh City Paper — ExtraVEGANza Pgh hosts the latest installment of its Intercontinental Superfood Brunch, on Nov. 7, at Schwartz Market on the South Side. "I want to help change other people's lives," says Mya Zeronis, the one-person operation behind ExtraVEGANza Pgh. Zeronis - who has dubbed herself "the 98-pound chef" - is an advocate of the slow-food movement. Originally from Burma (now Myanmar), she says she learned to cook a mostly whole-foods, plant-based diet at age 11. "We ate meat maybe once a week," she says, explaining that meat and dairy products were expensive in her country.
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