As 2024 draws to a close, Pittsburgh City Paper‘s editorial staff members select their favorite stories from the year. Relive news editor Colin Williams’ 2024 highlights below:
What’s up with the West End? // Feb. 14, 2024
In an accidental Valentine’s Day card to my former stomping grounds, I did a deep dive into the current state of the greater West End, which is arguably the least-well-known of Pittsburgh’s four loosely defined neighborhood clusters. It was fun to revisit the area and hear how it’s changed — with source and longtime City Councilor Theresa Kail-Smith retiring and the Uzbek community arriving, more changes are afoot in the community heading into 2025.
How a union push, a 9-1-1 call, and “Barbenheimer” fermented into scandal at the Mattress Factory // March 6, 2024
It’s a poorly kept secret that Pittsburgh’s arts scene has its issues, including marginalization and subpar labor conditions. This story lifted the hood on how, specifically, these issues can manifest, and the response planted the seeds for further reporting.
Transit Talk: I am once again asking for a T extension along Railroad St. // March 19, 2024
With help from Pittsburgh City Paper editorial designer Jeff Schreckengost, I was finally able to voice my long-held belief that Railroad St. is tailor-made for a trolley line! Readers’ positive response also primed the pump for me to rant about transit on a monthly basis. Hope yinz are ready for more of that in the new year because I’m just getting started.
Opinion: Enough with the yinzer ragebait. Our city isn’t your theme park // May 17, 2024
The title says it all. To the person who called me “Epic Colin” for dunking on Colin Dunlap and others’ wretched opinions, I remain at your service.
UPMC executives gave themselves raises and flew in a private jet while slashing jobs and raising fees // Aug. 14, 2024
Pittsburgh’s Best Jagoff of 2024 (you’ll have to wait till next year, John Fetterman) pissed off locals ranging from patients to professionals when it came to light that they were palling around with McKinsey while flying across the globe. We’re watching this space and sitting on further details — if you’ve got more dirt on the city’s most notorious nonprofit, my inbox is always open.
This article appears in Dec 18-24, 2024.
