Heatwave Hits Pittsburgh, 911 Outage Resolved, City Council Updates Sick Leave Policy

Good morning, this is Pittsburgh Local Pulse for Saturday, July 12, 2025. We’re waking up to a scorcher this morning, with the mercury climbing toward a high near ninety-four. It’s a sunny start, but humidity will make it feel even hotter, so be mindful if you have outdoor plans. With the heatwave in full swing, the city is opening four cooling centers from noon to six today. You’ll find them in Brighton Heights on McClure Avenue, Sheraden on Sherwood Avenue, South Side at Twelfth and Bingham, and Greenfield on Greenfield Avenue. The Beechview center won’t be available today due to a scheduled event. If you or someone you know needs a break from the heat, stop in, and let’s all check in on neighbors, especially seniors and families with young children. We’re also following up on late-breaking news from last night. After Pennsylvania’s statewide 911 outage on Friday, all lines are now back up and running here in Allegheny County. For a few tense hours, some emergency calls struggled to get through, and dispatchers couldn’t always see exact locations. Our county’s communications center had things mostly back to normal by dinnertime, and the state system was restored by midnight. State officials are still investigating the cause, but assure us that backup systems and troubleshooting plans worked as designed. There are no reported injuries linked to the outage, but it’s a good moment to remind everyone to keep alternate non-emergency numbers handy—just in case. At City Hall, Pittsburgh’s City Council has passed an update to the Paid Sick Days Act, set to take effect in January. The new rules mean employees will soon earn paid sick time just a bit faster, and businesses with 15 or more workers will have to offer up to seventy-two hours of paid sick leave each year. For smaller employers, the new minimum is forty-eight hours. This is a big change for workers and businesses alike, so employers should look ahead and review their policies to stay in step with the new law. Roadwork is going to impact traffic this weekend, with PennDOT closing the southbound Route 28 ramp to southbound I-579, so drivers heading downtown from the North Side should give themselves extra time or plan alternate routes. In sports, our Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road and, unfortunately, just dropped another close one to the Minnesota Twins, two to one. Paul Skenes put in five innings but took the loss, and the team is working to break a tough streak. For those following local high school news, congratulations to a group of Pittsburgh Public Schools students who were just recognized for their STEAM projects at the annual city showcase, putting our region on the map for innovation. Looking ahead, next Tuesday brings a public workshop on the State of a Just Pittsburgh, part of the city’s ongoing efforts to build a more equitable community. All voices are welcome, just check the city’s planning department for details. And mark your calendar for National Night Out coming up on This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.