Pittsburgh All Local

PennDOT: Traffic cameras and message boards along the Parkway East are being restored after its fiber optic cables were vandalized.

Traffic cameras and message boards along the Parkway East are being restored after PennDOT says its fiber optic cables were vandalized. Penndot's Lori Musto tells KDKA Radio the fiber optic cable damage was first discovered Monday. She says crews believe the cables were intentionally cut in what may have been an attempt at copper theft. Musto is asking motorists for patience as crews work to get systems back up and running — and reminding the public, if you see something, say something.

Is it time to increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania?

Is it time to increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania? State Senator Jay Costa, ranking member from Forrest Hills. thinks so: The minimum wage hike proposal has already passed the House in Harrisburg, but it stalled in the Senate. But Costa tells Michael Bartley on KDKA that yesterday he instituted a rare procedural move to get Republicans in the Senate to vote on the minimum wage: The legislation provides for a minimum wage increase over the course of the next three years, incrementally, to $15 in 2029.

The General Manager of Kennywood says he does not anticipate the park's new chaperone policy to have any impact on attendance.

The General Manager of Kennywood says he does not anticipate the park's new chaperone policy to have any impact on attendance. Beginning June 12th, anyone 15 or younger found to be inside the park without a qualifying chaperone will be subject to removal. GM Ricky Spicuzza telling KDKA Radio that feedback on the policy has been overwhelmingly positive. He says the policy doesn't apply to school picnics or district days, nor to organized and ticketed groups like churches, summer camps and sports teams.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is back open after an overnight fire inside the Allegheny Tunnel forced a lengthy closure and evacuation.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is back open after an overnight fire inside the Allegheny Tunnel forced a lengthy closure and evacuation. Pennsylvania Turnpike spokeswoman Marissa Orbanek confirmed to KDKA Radio that a pickup truck caught fire inside the tunnel. She says crews are now working to repair damage left behind. Orbanek says about 150 people in nearly 80 vehicles were moved to a maintenance building while crews responded. No injures related to the fire were reported.

The new Heart Institute at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh officially opens today.

The new Heart Institute at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh officially opens today. On the Big K Morning Show, President Diane Huff says this $85 million, 50,000-square-foot facility in Lawrenceville...is a destination center for kids, for families, and even adults who have congenital heart disease. She says the new facility expands cardiac imaging capabilities for patient care and research, and even features a new cardiac gym and physical rehab center.