Irina Zhorov

Bob Bridges of Coal Tubin' steers an inflatable boat called the shredder down the Stonycreek River in Johnstown, Pa. (Lindsay Lazarski/WHYY)

As Johnstown works to attract new residents, new businesses, and new types of industry, its rivers are also getting a second look. ...

9 years ago

Listen

Map of the state of Pennsylvania showing county boundaries and names, county seats and rivers from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Keystone Crossroads

Politics & Policy

Why does Pa. have so many local governments?

Seeking a better understanding of Pennsylvania’s issues and proposed solutions? S ...

9 years ago

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto appeared last weekend on NBC's Meet the Press.

Keystone Crossroads

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto talks goals on Meet the Press

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto appeared on NBC talk show Meet the Press this weekend to talk about what Washington D.C. can learn from city ...

9 years ago

A team of surgeons work on multiple transplants at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, in Pittsburgh, Pa. (AP Photo/University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,John McCaulley)

Keystone Crossroads

Eds and Meds: the role of universities and hospitals in economic development

One in a series explaining key terms and concepts of Pennsylvania’s economy. Today’s topic: What are eds and meds and why do ...

9 years ago

Students socialize on campus between classes at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. (AP Photo/Carnegie Mellon University, Ken Andreyo)

Keystone Crossroads

Foreign students contribute knowledge and billions to local economies, report says

A new study says foreign-born students studying in the U.S. spend billions in local economies and their talents should be more deliberate ...

9 years ago

Keystone Crossroads

Jobs conference focuses on global talent recruitment, the importance of innovation, and energy

The job market of the 21st Century is increasingly global and focused on innovation, according to speakers at the Governor’s Jobs 1st S ...

9 years ago

File image of a log house built between 1822 and 1830, in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh that was demolished in 2011. Attempts were made to preserve the logs for possible reuse. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Keystone Crossroads

Q & A with Maura Kennedy, Pittsburgh chief of building inspection, on blight

Maura Kennedy is Pittsburgh’s new Bureau of Building Inspection Chief. She came to Pittsburgh four months ago and has big plans. ...

9 years ago

Listen

The flatiron Conrad building sits on the edge of the Stonycreek River in Johnstown, Pa. The building has become a symbol of the city's blight and economic struggles. (Lindsay Lazarski/WHYY)

Keystone Crossroads

Instead of stack chasing, Johnstown bets on quality of life initiatives to drive economic development

Economic development professionals have often focused on stack chasing as a way to create jobs. Johnstown is taking a different approach. ...

9 years ago

Listen

Braddock Borough Council President Tina Doose. (Irina Zhorov/WESA)

Keystone Crossroads

Property reassessments for tax bills inspire big drama in Pennsylvania

Many states conduct regular property reassessments without much to do. But in Pennsylvania reassessments can cause upheaval. Prope ...

9 years ago

Listen

Keystone Crossroads

With new tools to fight blight, communities look to arm themselves to reclaim neighborhoods

With the heavily boarded up community of Homestead as a backdrop, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania released a toolkit to fight blight ...

9 years ago

Michael Witherspoon walks home past abandoned rowhomes and empty lots in north Philadelphia. The 2010 census estimated that Pennsylvania has nearly 400,000 vacant properties, about 20,000 of which are in Pittsburgh and 40,000 in Philadelphia. (AP File Photo/Dan Loh)

Keystone Crossroads

What is a land bank?

One in a series explaining key terms and concepts ...

9 years ago

Chris Boltz, a manufacturing engineer with Oberg Industries, has been there since 1998. When he decided to attend Oberg's apprentice program instead of attending college, his high school counselor told him he was throwing away his life. (Irina Zhorov/WESA)

Keystone Crossroads

Qualified employees increasingly hard to come by in manufacturing sector

Oberg Industries’ tucked away buildings in Freeport, Pennsylvania are easy to miss. But inside the nondescript structures are tidy rows ...

9 years ago

Listen

BBC World Service

Listen Live

Morning Edition

Irina Zhorov

More from the Contributor