Police Chief Out, Broken Vending Machines, & Big Bucks for Downtown
It’s the Friday news roundup! Pittsburgh police chief Larry Scirotto officially retires today after just 16 months on the job. We’re talking about what happened and how his new career as a college basketball referee contributed to “broken trust” between Mayor Ed Gainey and City Council. Downtown’s getting over $600 million for a makeover, but we’re not counting our development chickens just yet. And a county program to make Narcan more accessible has had some ups and downs. Plus, we’re sharing some fun Pittsburgh celebrity news, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s stance on Gaza and rapper Wiz Khalifa’s WashCo house hitting the market.
We always cite our sources:
- There’s some tension between the Mayor’s office and City Council after Pittsburgh police chief Larry Scirotto retired to pursue a job as a basketball referee.
- Allegheny County’s Health Department is looking to distribute more Narcan, but some of their Narcan vending machines aren’t functional after getting installed in August.
- The City of Pittsburgh’s starting up their needle exchange program again.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro came to Pittsburgh to announce $600 million dollars for revitalization Downtown. Find an overview of the plan here.
- The Post-Gazette strike continues, and a recent hearing will continue in November.
- Mission of Mercy is running a free dental, vision, and hearing clinic Downtown this weekend.
Learn more about the sponsors of this November 1st episode:
BetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCAST
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Paid Parental Leave Proposal Gets a Makeover
After weighing over 1,400 public comments — mostly from parents, health care workers, and small business owners — the county health depar...

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Philly Is Reducing Violence With Parks — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
Would Pittsburgh be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime...

Ripping Out Skill Games, Mandatory Fun & RIP Annie Dillard
Will state police start ripping skill games out of convenience stores, vape shops, and other spots? That's what could happen if lawmakers...

Pittsburgh Restaurant Empires, Explained
Did you know a ton of Pittsburgh's most influential dining spots are run by the same six restaurant groups? Some are massive, some are lo...

Measles, Go-Karts & Wylie’s Opening Lineup
Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is getting worse. At least four people have died and nearly 700 cases are being tracked statewide. Host M...

What To Do During an ICE Encounter in Pittsburgh
Community leaders and business owners in Beechview — the heart of Pittsburgh's Latino community — say ICE activity has been increasi...

Won't You Be a Reader? The Campaign to Raise Lifelong Readers {SPONSORED}
On this bonus episode sponsored by the Grable Foundation, we're talking about a local push to make sure every child has access to the boo...

Does Pittsburgh Have the Meats? A Guide to Pittsburgh BBQ
Can Pittsburgh hold its own when it comes to barbecue? We definitely don’t have the smoked-meat reputation of Texas or the Carolinas, but...

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Las Vegas Is Handling Record-Breaking Heat — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
It may not feel like it right now, but extreme heat is coming for Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas might have the answers you need. An already s...

Iceburgh Loaf Pan, Fetterman's GOP Lovefest & Pittsburgh Remembers 9/11
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Western PA was directly affected: one of the hijacked planes crashed...

