PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR AT SEVEN STARTS NOW. GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE ON COZI TV AT 7:00 I’M MIKE CLARK. THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS COULD SOON HAVE A NEW OWNER. WE’VE BEEN REPORTING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW THAT FENWAY SPORTS GROUP HAS BEEN TRYING TO SELL A MINORITY STAKE IN THE PENGUINS TEAM. NOW, ACCORDING TO SEVERAL REPORTS, THE SALE IS IN THE WORKS. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS DEAL COULD BE WORTH THEIR ENTIRE SHARE. CITING SOURCES, THE ATHLETIC AND ESPN ARE BOTH REPORTING, FENWAY SPORTS GROUP HAS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO SELL THE PENS TO A CHICAGO BASED INVESTMENT GROUP LED BY THE HOFFMAN FAMILY. THE DEAL IS PENDING APPROVAL FROM THE NHL’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION SPORTS REACHED OUT TO THE LEAGUE. THE PENGUINS, THE HOFFMAN FAMILY AND FENWAY SPORTS GROUP. RIGHT NOW, ONLY FENWAY HAS RESPONDED TO OUR QUESTIONS, TELLING US, QUOTE, I’VE SEEN THAT REPORTING AS WELL, BUT THERE IS NO FORMAL AGREEMENT IN PLACE TO CONFIRM OR ANNOUNCE AT THIS TIME. FENWAY BOUGHT THE PENS YOU MAY RECALL BACK IN 2021 FOR $900 MILLION. ESPN IS REPORTING THE SALE IS WORTH NOW BETWEEN 1.7 AND $1.8 BILLION. THE TEAM HAS MISSED THE PLAYOFFS THE PAST THREE SEASONS AND IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A REBUILD. NEW TONIGHT AT 7:00. ANOTHER LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL SOON BE USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO TRY TO IMPROVE SCHOOL SAFETY. THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY IS DESIGNED TO USE WI-FI SIGNALS TO DETECT POTENTIAL WEAPONS ENTERING THE HALLWAYS. OUR WESTMORELAND BUREAU REPORTER, ED DIORIO SHOWS US HOW IT WORKS. IF A WEAPON WERE TO GET PAST THE SECURITY CAMERAS AND METAL DETECTORS INSIDE OF A SCHOOL, IT CAN BE HARD TO KNOW WHAT REALLY IS INSIDE A BACKPACK. INSIDE ONE OF THESE LOCKERS. THAT’S THE GOAL FOR A NEW AI PROGRAM DEVELOPED OUT OF CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY THAT IS NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED AT HEMPFIELD HIGH SCHOOL. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE IDEA. THE COMPANY, CURVE POINT DEVELOPED WHAT’S CALLED WHY AI. WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DETECT A GUN CONCEALED IN A BACKPACK. IT CAME TO HEMPFIELD AFTER THE PROGRAM’S INITIAL TRIAL AT CHARTIERS VALLEY. IT’S A LOT LESS INVASIVE THAN SEARCHING KIDS AND METAL DETECTORS. THE SENSOR DETECTS WI-FI SIGNALS BEING DISRUPTED BY NEARBY PEOPLE OR OBJECTS, SUCH AS WEAPONS LIKE HANDGUNS. WE SEE THIS SIGNAL DISTORTION OF RADIO FREQUENCY WAVES, SO WE CAN TURN THAT INTO A RENDERING. THAT RENDERING IS GENERATED BY THE MODEL. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IT CAN SENSE WHERE THE WI-FI DISRUPTION IS COMING FROM. THE POSSIBLE THREATS ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED. THIS SCANNING ISN’T HAPPENING SCHOOL WIDE. WE’RE FOCUSED ON DOORWAYS AND DOORWAYS ONLY, AND IT DOESN’T PICK UP ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM SOMEONE’S DEVICES. AND SINCE THE POD DOESN’T HAVE A CAMERA, IT WON’T IDENTIFY SOMEONE. WE JUST SEE THAT THERE IS A PERSON THERE AND THEY HAVE WEAPONS. SCHOOL SECURITY CAN LOOK AT SURVEILLANCE. FOR WHAT THE POTENTIAL THREAT LOOKS LIKE. LATER, A LIST OF STAFF MEMBERS WILL BE NOTIFIED IF THE POD SENSES SOMETHING. WE ALREADY DO WEAPONS DETECTION HERE. WE’RE NOT CHANGING OUR PROCESSES. THIS IS JUST AN EXTRA LAYER. THE MODEL HAS BEEN 95% ACCURATE TO THIS POINT. 4% OF ERRORS ARE FALSE POSITIVES. MORE DATA WILL BE COLLECTED AT EVERY ENTRANCE AT HEMPFIELD HIGH SCHOOL. IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT I THINK WILL REALLY BENEFIT US FROM A PROACTIVE STANDPOINT. INSTEAD OF HAVING TO REACT CONSTANTLY. NOW THIS IS BEING CONSIDERED A PILOT PHASE, MEANING THAT IT’S ONLY BEING IMPLEMENTED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR RIGHT NOW. WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL BE PUT INTO OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT WILL BE DETERMINED BY ITS PERFORMANCE GOING FORWARD. COVERING WESTMORELAND COUNTY IN HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, DIORIO PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. NOW TO THE MIXED REACTION TO SPRINGDALE BOROUGH COUNCIL’S APPROVAL OF AN AI DATA CENTER AT THE SITE OF THE OLD FORMER CHESAPEAKE POWER PLANT. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER KALEA GUNDERSON HAS MORE TONIGHT ON WHY THIS PERMIT WAS GRANTED AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. DEVELOPER ALLEGHENY, D.C. NOW HAS THE GREEN LIGHT FROM SPRINGDALE BOROUGH COUNCIL TO BEGIN DRAFTING PLANS FOR HOW IT WILL DEVELOP THIS PROPERTY. BOROUGH MANAGER TERRY CASELLA SAYS THAT WITH THIS PERMIT, IT HAS TO MEET CONDITIONS LAID OUT BY THE BOROUGH. THE REALITY OF IT IS THE DEVELOPER HAD TO MEET THE BURDEN OF PROOF THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO HARM THE COMMUNITY IN ANY WAY, AND THEY MET THAT BURDEN. SO THE CONDITIONS ACTUALLY HOLD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE THAT THEY’RE GOING TO COMPLY WITH WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD COMPLY WITH THROUGH THE HEARING. IF COUNCIL HAD NOT GRANTED THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, CASELLA EXPLAINED, THE DEVELOPER MIGHT HAVE APPEALED IN COURT AND COULD HAVE THEN BEEN ABLE TO PROCEED WITHOUT ABIDING BY THE BOROUGH’S CONDITIONS. NEIGHBORS SHARING MIXED REACTIONS TONIGHT, RONALD BOUCHER, A NEIGHBOR TO WHAT WAS ONCE THE POWER PLANT, OPEN TO WHAT’S NEXT? I THINK IT’S GOOD FOR SPRINGDALE AND CHESAPEAKE, ALL THE SURROUNDING AREAS. IT WILL BRING MONEY AND JOBS IN HERE AND TAX REVENUE AND LET’S FACE IT, DUQUESNE LAKE WAS NOISY AS HELL. SO THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT THE NOISE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. I DON’T SEE WHERE THAT’S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. EVEN MORE THAN WHAT DUQUESNE PUT OUT. NOISE IS ONE OF SEVERAL CONCERNS SOME NEIGHBORS HAVE RAISED IN PROTEST OF THE DEVELOPER, ALLEGHENY, D.C., BUILDING AN AI DATA CENTER. HERE. BARB ZALAI SAYS SHE WAS STUNNED BY SPRINGDALE BOROUGH COUNCIL’S 5 TO 2 VOTE OF APPROVAL LAST NIGHT. WELL, THE THINGS WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ARE POLLUTION, LONG TERM EFFECTS ON OUR COMMUNITY, LOWER PROPERTY VALUES, UNHEALTHY ATMOSPHERE. THERE NOT BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR. NOW THE DEVELOPER WILL BEGIN PUTTING TOGETHER THAT PLAN TO EVENTUALLY PRESENT TO COUNCIL. COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY TONIGHT IN SPRINGDALE BOROUGH KALEA GUNDERSON PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. WE MOVE TO PITTSBURGH’S ACTION WEATHER ON THIS WEDNESDAY, CONTINUING TO WARM UP AND MELT ALL THAT SNOW OUT THERE, BUT SOME RAIN CHANGING TO FLURRIES ARE ALSO MAKING FRIDAY AND IMPACT DAY. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST MIKE HARVEY IS HERE WITH YOUR CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. WE ENJOY TODAY, MIKE. WE’RE GOING TO ENJOY TOMORROW AT LEAST. RIGHT NOW IT’S GOING TO BE A VERY WARM DAY TOMORROW. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE REACHING THE 50S. RIGHT NOW WE’RE SITTING AT 38 DEGREES. IT WAS PRETTY COMFORTABLE OUT THERE THIS AFTERNOON. A HIGH TEMPERATURE UP TO 48 DEGREES. AND WE ARE LOOKING AT WIND CHILL RIGHT NOW OF 37 DEGREES AS WELL AS WINDS ARE CALM. TOMORROW INTO THE 50S, LOW 50S FOR MOST LOCATIONS AND A LIGHT BREEZE THROUGH THE DAY. THOSE WINDS WILL PICK UP LATE AS WE GO INTO TOMORROW NIGHT AND INTO EARLY ON FRIDAY, SO CLOUDS WILL INCREASE AS WE GO THROUGH THE DAY. WE’LL START WITH SOME SUNSHINE. RAIN ARRIVES AS WE HEAD TOWARDS 8:00 9:00 THAT SCATTERED SHOWERS. THE MORE WIDESPREAD ARRIVES AS WE GO OVERNIGHT INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY, AND THEN WE HAVE THE COOL AIR THAT’S GOING TO MOVE IN. THAT’S GOING TO CHANGE ANY RAIN SHOWERS WE HAVE OVER TO SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES AS WE GO THROUGH THE DAY ON FRIDAY. AS FAR AS WHAT WE CAN EXPECT TIMING WISE, THURSDAY NIGHT TO OVERNIGHT IS THE RAIN SHOWERS, FRIDAY RAIN TO FLURRIES OR POSSIBLY A BRIEF AREA OF LIGHT SNOW. THE OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO BE DROPPING ALL DAY LONG ON FRIDAY, SO WE’LL START OFF AT ABOUT 45 DEGREES AT MIDNIGHT. END UP IN THE 20S BY THE END OF THE DAY, AND ALSO IT WILL BE QUITE WINDY AS THAT COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA COULD SEE WIND GUSTS UP TO 35MPH. ALL RIGHT, MIKE, THANKS. RIGHT NOW, PITTSBURGH POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING AN OVERNIGHT BURGLARY AT A RESTAURANT. A SUSPECT STEALING TELEVISIONS AND CASH, LEAVING DAMAGE BEHIND THE INCIDENT, FORCING THE RESTAURANT TO CLOSE FOR SERVICE TODAY AS IT ASSESSES THE DAMAGE DONE. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER YASMINE RODRIGUEZ IS IN ALLENTOWN TONIGHT SPEAKING WITH A WITNESS ABOUT WHAT HE SAW AS POLICE SEARCH FOR THE SUSPECT. BREAKFAST AT SHELLY’S CLOSED TODAY AFTER DEALING WITH A ROBBERY LAST NIGHT. THIS ALL UNFOLDING ON A NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES CAMERA. HE WAS IN THERE FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. YOU SEE HIM AROUND LIKE 925 ISH, WALKING OUT THE BACK DOOR WITH A TV. PITTSBURGH POLICE SAY THEY WERE DISPATCHED TO THE RESTAURANT WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE EIGHT FOR A REPORTED BURGLARY. OFFICERS SPOKE WITH AN EMPLOYEE WHO REPORTED THE BREAK-IN AND TOLD OFFICERS THE SUSPECT STOLE TWO TVS CASH AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ATM AND TABLETS. BUT NEXT DOOR SECURITY CAMERAS CAPTURED EVERYTHING FROM THE CLOTHES THE SUSPECT WAS WEARING, THE BAGS HE WAS CARRYING, HOW LONG HE WAS IN THE AREA, AND EVEN HIS DISTINCTIVE WALK. SCREENSHOT A PICTURE AND A VERY DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF HOW HE WALKS. BECAUSE HOW HE WALKS IS KIND OF VERY DISTINCT. HOW SO? HIS LEFT LEG IS KIND OF LIKE IT WHEN HE WALKS. IT’S LIKE IT’S KIND OF BROKE. NOW, THIS IS THE SECOND ROBBERY ON EAST WASHINGTON STREET AFTER EARLIER THIS MONTH. LEON’S CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT WAS BROKEN INTO AS WELL. POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING, COVERING A

Cell phones to be banned at Pittsburgh Public Schools | Board approves policy changes

Updated: 9:36 PM EST Dec 17, 2025

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Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Board of Public Education voted Wednesday to formally prohibit the use of cell phones by students during the school day. VIDEO: Top stories on Dec. 17, 2025 According to a release, the board voted to update the district’s Electronic Devices Policy, saying that it will now “establish a consistent district wide standard aimed at maintaining safe, secure, and focused learning environments for students and staff.”The policy is subject to specific Board-approved exceptions and guidelines. “This updated policy reflects what we know supports student learning,” Superintendent Wayne N. Walters said in the release. “Many of our schools have already seen positive results from limiting cell phone use during the school day. Establishing a district wide standard ensures consistency while still allowing for necessary and appropriate exceptions.”Under the district’s previous policy, individual schools were permitted to implement school-based electronic device restrictions. As a result, 44 PPS schools currently require students to turn in their cell phones at the start of the school day, a practice that has helped reduce distractions and curb incidents.PPS says the following will be in place under the new policy: Use and possession of electronic devices by students during the school day is prohibited on district property, including school buildings, buses, and school-related activities occurring during school hours.Students may bring electronic devices to school, if necessary, but devices must be turned in to school personnel while school is in session.Exceptions may be granted for health, safety, or emergency reasons, for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan, for approved instructional activities, or for other circumstances approved by school administrators.PPS said it will provide additional guidance to schools and families regarding implementation, including school-level procedures for the collection, storage, and return of devices at the end of the school day.The updated Electronic Devices Policy will be shared with students, families, and staff through student handbooks, school communications, and the district’s website.

PITTSBURGH —

Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Board of Public Education voted Wednesday to formally prohibit the use of cell phones by students during the school day.

VIDEO: Top stories on Dec. 17, 2025

According to a release, the board voted to update the district’s Electronic Devices Policy, saying that it will now “establish a consistent district wide standard aimed at maintaining safe, secure, and focused learning environments for students and staff.”

The policy is subject to specific Board-approved exceptions and guidelines.

“This updated policy reflects what we know supports student learning,” Superintendent Wayne N. Walters said in the release. “Many of our schools have already seen positive results from limiting cell phone use during the school day. Establishing a district wide standard ensures consistency while still allowing for necessary and appropriate exceptions.”

Under the district’s previous policy, individual schools were permitted to implement school-based electronic device restrictions. As a result, 44 PPS schools currently require students to turn in their cell phones at the start of the school day, a practice that has helped reduce distractions and curb incidents.

PPS says the following will be in place under the new policy:

• Use and possession of electronic devices by students during the school day is prohibited on district property, including school buildings, buses, and school-related activities occurring during school hours.
• Students may bring electronic devices to school, if necessary, but devices must be turned in to school personnel while school is in session.
• Exceptions may be granted for health, safety, or emergency reasons, for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan, for approved instructional activities, or for other circumstances approved by school administrators.

PPS said it will provide additional guidance to schools and families regarding implementation, including school-level procedures for the collection, storage, and return of devices at the end of the school day.

The updated Electronic Devices Policy will be shared with students, families, and staff through student handbooks, school communications, and the district’s website.