Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh demolition efforts expand; 3rd Laurel Highlands teacher placed on leave

Patrick Varine TribLive Tue, Apr 28, 2026 • 06:30 AM

Streets lights illuminate demolition equipment and the remains of an apartment building gutted by fire on Forward Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Oct. 18, 2025. (TribLive)

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, April 28:

Demolition efforts expand

Pittsburgh officials are continuing work to demolish rundown and unsafe properties across the city.

Mayor Corey O’Connor announced the demolition projects in February, with work taking place in Arlington, Beltzhoover, Knoxville and St. Clair. On Monday, city officials announced they had demolished 23 properties and would be moving ahead with 10 more buildings in Pittsburgh’s Elliott and Sheraden neighborhoods.

All of the buildings have been characterized as “imminently dangerous” or as a public safety hazard.

City residents seeking to report a damaged or dilapidated building in their neighborhood can report the property’s address to 311.

3rd Laurel Highlands teacher placed on leave

A third teacher in the Laurel Highlands School District has been placed on leave after allegations of inappropriate behavior toward students.

In a statement, the school district said the allegations reportedly occurred in 2009. The third teacher was not named.

“To ensure the safety of our school environment, the school district placed the employee on leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the statement reads. “The allegations do not involve any current student in the school district.”

Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said his office was notified through a ChildLine report, and that no charges have been filed.

Former teachers Martin Gatti of Uniontown and Daniel Cervone of Carroll Township were both arrested within a week of one another in March and charged with having sexual contact with a student, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor.

HOV lane closures

PennDOT officials will close the HOV lanes on the Parkway North (Interstate 279) and the Crosstown Boulevard (I-579) in Pittsburgh and Ross beginning Tuesday night.

The around-the-clock closure will last through May 2, as crews from Swank Construction conduct repair work and splice fiber-optic cable.

Drivers can check on real-time traffic conditions on major roadways at 511pa.com.