Upcoming Events

Community Office Hours At Kingsley Association

Our monthly Community office hours at the Kingsley Association will be next Friday, March 1 from 10am - 3pm. Stop by to take advantage of all of the services our District Office provides like: 

• 2023 Property Tax Rent Rebate 
• Senior Photo Connect Cards
• PennDOT Forms
• Connecting You with Resources
• Unclaimed Property Searches
• Voter Registration
• Free Notary Services
• And much more!

One of our Constituent Relations Specialists will be there - no appointment necessary!

AARP Tax Assistance Scheduling Update!

My office has received over 1300 calls for the AARP Tax-Aide Program so far this year! As a result, the appointment schedule at the Shaler Undercliff Fire Company is completely full, but we still have a limited number of appointments available at the Ross Township Community Center. To schedule your free appointment, please call the office at 412-364-0469.

For other free tax preparation locations in the region call 2-1-1 or go to VITA - Free Tax Preparation - PA 211.

Spring Shredding Events

Are you getting a head start on your spring cleaning? Protect your identity by shredding documents that contain personal information such as your name, address, phone number, social security number, or bank account information.

There is a limit of two banker’s boxes per car at each event (for reference, a bankers box is about the size of a microwave). Only paper will be accepted– please remove all metal fasteners other than staples! Shredding will be performed on site.

**UPDATED TIME** Our first event will be with Rep. Emily Kinkead on Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at the Ross Community Center, 1000 Ross Municipal Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

The second event will be with Rep. Lindsay Powell on Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM at Kiwanis Park, 399 Wetzel Road, Glenshaw, PA 15116.

Good News

Celebrating Career and Technical Education Month

It is Career and Technical Education month and to celebrate this week we want to share a video on our own A.W. Beattie Career Center in McCandless! 

Policy Hearing on Eviction Sealing

Last week I joined the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee for a hearing on the need for a statewide eviction sealing policy.

An eviction filing alone can significantly impair a person's ability to secure housing for the rest of their lives, even if that filing is without merit or is dismissed. And without a home address, it can be almost impossible to get a job, schooling, or other benefits that we take for granted every day. I'm grateful to the panelists for sharing their experiences.

Legislative Update

Fire and EMS Grants!

Volunteer fire departments and emergency medical services throughout Senate District 38 have received $764,272.46 in operational grant funding through the Office of the State Fire Commissioner (OFSC)! 

These grants were made through the 2023-24 Fire Company and Emergency Medical Service Grant Program. Grantees can use the funds for facility construction or repair, equipment purchase or repair, debt reduction associated with facility or equipment, training and certification of members, and materials for fire prevention education for the general public. Additional information about the grant program can be found here.

Our EMS companies and volunteer fire departments spend countless hours fundraising to provide top-quality, lifesaving services to their community members every single year. While this annual grant program provides predictable operations funding for our first responders, grant amounts have not kept up with rising costs facing these mostly volunteer departments. We need to do more on the state and local levels to ensure that these organizations can continue to maintain their high levels of professionalism and readiness.

For a full list of award recipients, please see my website.

Black History Month

This week for Black History Month we are highlighting two women in the music industry. 

First Black Woman DJ in the US: Mary Elizabeth Goode, “Mary Dee”

Did you know the first Black woman DJ in the United States was from Pittsburgh? Mary Elizabeth Goode, or "Mary Dee'' as she was known on the radio, grew up in Homestead. After attending Howard University and marrying Franklin Dudley, Mary Dee attended the Si Mann School of Radio here in Pittsburgh and made her radio debut on WHOD on August 1, 1948.

Her show "Movin' Around with Mary Dee" broadcast from a storefront called "Studio Dee" in the Hill District from 1951-1956. During that time, Mary Dee gained a national following. She took her show to Maryland and later returned to Pennsylvania, where she lived and broadcasted in Philadelphia until her death in 1964.

Mary Dee is credited for pioneering a style of radio that combined coverage of community affairs with news and music. Her first show was less than 15 minutes and exclusively devoted to announcing events for Black women in the area. Her popularity exploded, with her timeslot following suit-- by her one-year anniversary, her show was an hour and a half. Mary Dee brought on local reporters to cover police beatings, poor housing, segregation issues, and other legal barriers to the Black community. She also gave airtime to new releases by Black artists and local talent.

In 2011, Mary Dee was honored by the Media Association of Pittsburgh with the Thomas J. MacWilliams Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pittsburgh’s INEZ

Like Mary Dee, Pittsburgh native INEZ is a proud resident of Homestead. She is one of our city’s top music artists with an impressive and growing body of work: 

• INEZ -"LOVE x INEZ" - 2018 (SINGLE)
• Benji.  - "Family Ties" feat. INEZ - 2019 (SINGLE)
• INEZ - "Voicemails and Conversations" - 2019 (ALBUM)
• INEZ - "Reload" - 2020 (SINGLE)
• Buffalo Rose & INEZ - "I Can See Clearly Now” (JOHNNY NASH COVER) - 2021

In the wake of releasing her 2019 debut album, “Voicemails and Conversations,” INEZ was named the “2020 Pittsburgh Music Artist of the Year” by our local public radio station, WYEP 91.3. She is currently working on an EP with collaborator and producer pvkvsv. We can’t wait to see what INEZ does next but know that if Mary Dee were a DJ today, INEZ’s music would be in regular rotation! 

You can learn more about INEZ and listen to her music at: https://inez.us/home. 

2024 Trout Stocking Schedule Available!

Thank you to our friends over at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for this great reminder that Trout Season-- and spring-- are right around the corner!

Trout stocking begins this week for many of our local waterways. You can check out the full schedule at PFBC Adult Trout Stockings.

To brush up on 2024 boating regulations go to Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission - Homepage (fishandboat.com).

Important Dates:

• March 30: Mentored Youth Trout Day
• April 6: Opening Day of Trout Season

Grant Available for Violence Reduction Efforts

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) announced the opening of JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) Local Initiatives funding for entities working to impact violence in our communities. The grant will provide $7 million state-wide to local government units and nonprofits currently working on keeping our communities safe. 

Applications must be submitted in PCCD’s Egrants system no later than March 28, 2024.

If you do not yet have an Egrants account and plan to apply, please start creating your Egrants account early. For help email: [email protected] with “2024/25 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG)” in the subject line.

For complete information on JAG Local Initiatives go to: 2024-25 JAG Funding Announcement (pa.gov).

FREE Vaccine and Health Screening Clinic in East Liberty

East Liberty Family Health Care Center is providing a FREE COVID Vaccine Clinic as well as blood sugar, and cholesterol screenings at Eastminster Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.  This event is open to everyone!  

2024 Northland Public Library Garden Gala
Saturday, April 20, 2024, 7:30 - 10:00 pm

Spend a night out and support your library at the same time! Northland Public Library in McCandless is celebrating spring with a “Gatsby in the Garden” fundraiser. Guests will be treated to music, a silent auction, food and drink from local establishments all within the library and its outdoor Learning Garden. 

Although the Garden Gala is 21-and-over, parents can register their children to receive a free tree from Neighborhood Forest at: www.neighborhoodforest.org/parent-registration/?school=19084 through March 15. A seedling pickup event is scheduled for 2 to 3 p.m. April 28, featuring live music and nature activities. No registration is required for the seedling pickup event.

For complete information and to buy tickets for the Garden Gala go to: Garden Gala | Northland Public Library (northlandlibrary.org).

Pittsburgh Fish Fry Map!

It is that time of year again! Make plans to visit a Fish Fry location near you using this handy tool: 2024 Pittsburgh Lenten Fish Fry Map (codeforpittsburgh.github.io).

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have by phone at 412-364-0469 (Ross Office), 724-224-2131 (Harrison Office) or by email at [email protected]. My staff will return your call/email within 24 hours (Monday-Friday).

Senator Lindsey Williams