Jock Tax Ruled Unconstitutional, Drought Eased, and Community Rallies to Find Missing Elderly Woman

Good morning, this is Pittsburgh Local Pulse for Friday, September 26th. We kick off our day with breaking news from Harrisburg that stands to impact city finances for years. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has just ruled that Pittsburgh’s so-called jock tax, which imposed a three percent fee on nonresident athletes and performers at stadiums like PPG Paints Arena and Acrisure Stadium, is unconstitutional. City officials had counted on collecting around seventeen million dollars from this tax between 2026 and 2030, but after this ruling, revenues will drop to about a third of that. Now, only a one percent earned income tax on nonresidents will remain, and city council is openly concerned about how this will affect services and future budgets. Turning to weather, after several dry spells and drought reports in our area, we started the morning with some much-needed rain. Some neighborhoods saw up to an inch and a half overnight, and the ground could still be saturated in pockets prone to flooding. Temperatures are rising to the mid-seventies, and while most of the weekend looks dry, listeners south of Interstate 70 might see a passing shower or two. These new rains will help improve drought conditions as we move into October. In local business headlines, hometown favorite Giant Eagle announced plans to remodel a dozen of their supermarkets and expand over sixty in-store pharmacies across Pittsburgh. They’re rolling out a new business strategy called Because it Matters, focusing on improved service and more community-centered stores. Over in Springdale, plans are being discussed for a large data center at the old Cheswick Generating Station site, which could bring high-tech jobs and infrastructure improvements to the river towns. We have several road closures this weekend for the city’s iconic Great Race, including stretches along Forbes Avenue and downtown routes—expect morning delays and plan accordingly if you’re driving or using transit. Public transportation is also set for some schedule updates, especially for riders heading to Homestead. If you’re looking for weekend activities, the city’s bacon festival is back with food trucks, games, and some mechanical hog fun down near the Strip District. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is also coming up, inviting neighbors to show support and raise funds for research. And in music, fans are gathering tonight for an outdoor jazz concert on the North Shore. Our real estate market remains steady, with about six hundred homes currently on the market and inventory tightening in neighborhoods like Lawrenceville and Squirrel Hill. Job seekers may want to note that Sheetz has just been named the second-best employer in retail nationwide, with open positions across our region. On the crime and public safety front, police are investigating an incident outside the Pittsburgh Municipal Court where a mother is accused of assaulting her toddler—she is in custody and the child is safe. Authorities also reported a fa This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.