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Men of Excellence 2026; The Recap!

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www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 117 No. 35 Two Sections

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

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Smokin’ Jim Frazier, longtime Courier sportswriter, passes Football star at Cal State, NFL scout, sports media legend

by Bill Neal

For New Pittsburgh Courier In the coming days, you will hear constant and collective voices and stories about the late, great Jim Frazier, better known as "Smokin'" Jim Fr a z i e r. A n d understandably so.

A n d here’s t h e thing; what

SMOKIN’ JIM FRAZIER

you'll hear will all be good, quality, wholesome, entertaining, and fun-loving.

You can also take comfort in knowing the stories you'll hear are absolutely true!

James Frazier III died on August 26, 2026. He was 66.

Frazier, a longtime freelance sportswriter for the New Pittsburgh Courier, was, in fact, "THAT GUY." The guy who everyone knew, who everyone either liked or loved...never a bad comment to be heard on any level. Matter of fact, you could offer up $1,000 bills on the corner of Penn and Fifth avenues for a negative word about Smokin’ Jim and you would leave with all the money you came with!

With all that being said, this story is unique and one-of-a-kind because I had the pleasure and opportunity to have known Jim since he was 12 years old. You see, we grew up living next door to each other on a very special street named Banfield in a very special location in Penn Hills. A bit of a Black “Leave It To Beaver” street tucked away in the “Black part of Penn Hills,” where of the 20 houses on the street...and get this...each home had two parents, often both parents worked,

most every child grew up to be accomplished civic and community leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, parents and grandparents in their own right, and of course, accomplished athletes.

Approximately 12 Division I level athletes and seven Hall of Fame success stories came from that street. (All of which to be chronicled in the forthcoming book, the Banfield Congregation...someday!)

Jim Frazier was one of the seven, and I was privileged to be his first unofficial football coach. But don’t get that part twisted at all. Jim was a natural and proved to be one of the best in the state. He, along with Dwayne Rideout, another member of that rags-to-riches team that I assembled in my amateur coaching debut, were just special out the gate. Quicker, faster, bigger and stronger than most. You could tell early on that they were destined for great things. While the rest of us achieved our level of greatness, there was always something uniquely different about Jim and Dwayne.

While Dwayne was making history at Penn Hills and Juniata College with NFL opportunities on the doorstep, Jim was carving

up defenses as a wingback at Gateway High School to the tune of 6.3 yards a carry and 12 yards a catch.

Those stats were more than enough to land him at Cal State College (Pa.) at a time when college football was as brutal as it could get.

Jim joined forces with the likes of Kenneth “Juice” Bryant and Charlie Harper among others where, as they used to say, they mixed it up real good!

Back to Banfield, because, you see, that street is why and how you came to know the Smokin’ Jim of today. He/we were taught that way, raised that way, and expected to act accordingly. If not, there would be consequences! That bold, get it done, matter of fact, no is not an option mentality was born into us by some of the greatest parents a young person could ask for. It was no accident.

But the most important quality, bar none, was being taught that it is more important to give than to receive. And if you knew him, that was a quality Smokin’ Jim demonstrated times 10. And he maintained it through his faith and belief in God. SEE FRAZIER A9

New Granada Theater’s historic day

HILL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION PRESIDENT AND CEO MARIMBA MILLIONES CUTS THE RIBBON ON THE PHASE 1 COMPLETION OF THE NEW GRANADA THEATER, AUG. 12, 2026.

(PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOOR JR.)

Art deco facade lit for first time in 50 years NEW

by Rob Taylor Jr.

To subscribe, call 412-481-8302 ext. 136

With Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" playing on the loudspeakers, the historic art deco

Pittsburgh Courier

Courier Staff Writer

facade and marquee that reads "New Granada" was lit, brightly lit, for all to see, on Centre Avenue in the Hill District, for the first time in half a century.

The night was Wednes-

day, Aug. 12, 2026, a date that will live in Pittsburgh and Hill District history forever.

Finally, after more than 50 years, there are people entering the New Grana-

da Theater building, after decades of planning, fundraising, and just flat out hard work.

SEE NEW GRANADA A6

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A2 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

This Week In Black History

A Courier Staple • SEPTEMBER 2

DUANE “KEFFE D” DAVIS

Tupac Shakur murder trial ends; Keffe D found guilty of rap legend’s murder

by Roz Edward Atlanta Daily World

Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ Tupac murder trial concluded on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in Las Vegas. with the former gang boss having been found guilty of the rap legend’s murder.

After nearly 30 years of uncertainty surrounding the death of famed rapper Tupac Shakur, the former leader of the South Side Compton Crips Duane “Keffe D.” Davis was found guilty of his murder.

Tupac’s death in 1996 during a drive-by shooting has been one of popular culture’s great mysteries, with countless theories but no arrests until 2023, when Davis was unexpectedly charged with murder. Over the past few weeks, the Las Vegas trial centered around the 2019 memoir Davis published, in which he wrote that he had provided the weapon used to kill Tupac. Davis and his lawyer argued this was fiction and bravado used to sell books, but the jury only took a few hours to reach a guilty verdict.

For three decades, the rap legend’s murder has been shrouded in mystery, conspiracy theories and anger.

The drive-by shooting on Sept. 7, 1996, not only ended the rap superstar’s life but also

changed the course of hip-hop, transforming Shakur from one of the genre’s biggest stars into a global cultural icon.

Despite countless theories, the case remained unsolved for years. That changed in 2023, when former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis was arrested and charged in connection with the killing.

Davis, 63, was charged with after bragging about his involvement in his 2019 memoir Compton Street Legend: Notorious Keffe D’s Street-Level Accounts of Tupac and Biggie Murders, Death Row Origins, Suge Knight, Puffy Combs, and Crooked Cops. Co-authored with Yusuf Jah, the book details Davis’ involvement in West Coast gang culture and the fatal 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur.

The trial took a deep dive into examining the bitter East Coast–West Coast rap rivalry and the conflict between the Bloods and Crips that shaped hip-hop—and dominated headlines— during the 1990s.

Duane “Keefe D” Davis bragged about his role as lead organizer and perpetrator of the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur in retaliation for the rap legend’s entourage as-

saulting Davis’s nephew, Orlando Anderson.

Prosecutors say Davis obtained and supplied the gun, though they do not claim he fired it.

They’re relying heavily on his past police interviews, memoir, and public comments.

Keffe D attempted to argue that his accounting of what happened on that fateful night is an exaggeration concocted to promote his 2025 tellall fiction. His lawyers argued that investigators still lacked reliable physical evidence and living eyewitnesses after nearly 30 years. The other three men allegedly in the Cadillac are now deceased.

Retired officers and witnesses described the shooting’s aftermath.

One officer said Tupac refused to identify his attackers; another acknowledged police had no living witness who could identify the Cadillac’s occupants.

In the end, though, the jury convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 13.

THE NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER PUBLISHING COMPANY

• SEPTEMBER 3

1838—Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore using so-called “free papers” and disguising himself as a sailor. He would go on to become the most prominent anti-slavery activist and Black leader of his day.

He is perhaps best remembered for his now famous 1857 quote: “If there is no struggle there is no progress…Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” Free papers were documents normally required to be in the possession of all free Blacks.

But one freedom tactic employed during slavery was for a slave to somehow borrow the papers of a free Black who fit his or her general description and use the papers to escape from slavery.

1868—In an example of how briefly true freedom for Blacks lasted after slavery ended in 1865, the lower house of the Georgia legislature on this day in 1868 expelled 28 African Americans, employing a twisted argument that because they were Black they were not eligible to serve in the legislature even if they had been duly elected. Ten days later, the Georgia Senate followed suit and expelled three elected Blacks. But the U.S. Congress stepped in by refusing to seat the Georgia delegation if the Black representatives were not allowed to return to their seats.

1919—One of the nation’s first Black-owned movie companies— Lincoln Motion Pictures—releases its first full length feature film, “A Man’s Duty.” The company was owned by Noble Johnson and Clarence Brooks.

• SEPTEMBER 4

1781—The city of Los Angeles is founded by 44 settlers of whom 26 were Black. This little known fact of history is found in H.H. Bancroft’s authoritative “History of California,” which details the ages, races and genders of the city’s founding fathers and mothers.

1957—Nine Black students are banned from Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., by Gov. Orval Faubus. The move makes him a folk hero among White supremacists but sets in motion a major conflict with the federal government. President Dwight Eisenhower is forced to call out 1,000 federal troops in order to force the eventual integration of the school.

1981—Popular recording star Beyoncé Knowles is born on this day in Houston, Texas.

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•SEPTEMBER 5

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1766—Post-colonial era Black leader James Forten is born on this day in 1766. Little is known today, but during that period he was one of the most prominent Black men in America. Born free in Philadelphia, Pa., he became a fierce anti-slavery activist, an inventor and successful businessman. In fact, the sail-making company he founded made him one of the wealthiest Black men in the nation. Forten and AME Church founder Richard Allen organized the First Convention of Color in 1817. He went back and forth on the issue of “re-Africanization,” which called for the return of Blacks to Africa. He financially supported Paul Cuffee’s venture in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, but he later turned against the American Colonization Society and its efforts to return free American Blacks to the West African nation of Liberia.

1945—As World War II comes to an end, official records show 1,154,720 Blacks were inducted into the military services including 3,902 women. The highest ranking African American women during WWII were Majors Harriet M. West and Charity E. Adams.

LAS VEGAS, SEPTEMBER 7, 1996. The last known photograph of Tupac Shakur before being tragically murdered.

1859—The first novel written by a Black woman is published in the United States. The woman was Harriet Wilson and the novel was entitled “Our Nig: Or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black.” The nov-

el was lost for years until reprinted with a critical essay by Black scholar Henry Louis Gates in 1982. The novel, which may have been a bit autobiographical, centers on the life of “Frada”—a Black indentured servant who was physically and emotionally abused by her owners.

• SEPTEMBER 6

1865—One of the great White heroes of Black history, Pennsylvania Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, first proposes an addition to the Freemen’s Bureau Act which would have required the confiscation of land from former slave owners and the redistribution to former slaves in “40 acre lots.” Although Stevens was at the time the most powerful person in the U.S. Congress and a friend of Blacks, he was unable to get the measure passed. The socalled “40 acres and a mule,” which promised to aid Black economic development after slavery was defeated in Congress on Feb. 5, 1866 by a 136 to 36 vote. The lopsided nature of the vote reflected lingering pro-slave owner sympathies in the Congress and a general lack of support for the freed slaves.

• SEPTEMBER 7

1859—John Merrick, co-founder of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company was born on this day in 1859. He would help make the Durham, N.C., based firm the largest Black controlled insurance company in the nation. Merrick was born in Clinton, N.C. He died in 1919.

1957—Ghana becomes the first African country to break from White colonial rule and become an independent nation. The West African nation, once known as the Gold Coast, was led to independence by the dynamic Pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah. He championed the slogan “Africa for the Africans” and encouraged the participation of Blacks throughout the world in building a strong and free Africa.

However, the U.S. educated Nkrumah would be overthrown in a military coup in 1966. He befriended American activists ranging from W.E.B DuBois to Martin Luther King Jr.

• SEPTEMBER 8

1925—On this day in 1925 a series of events are set in motion which would lead to one of America’s periodic trials of the century. In this case, prominent Black doctor Ossian Sweet moves into an all-White neighborhood in Detroit, Mich. The following day a crowd of nearly 1,000 angry Whites gather around his home in a bid to force him out.

Sweet had anticipated trouble and had 11 family members and friends in the house to help defend his property. A shot rings out from the Sweet home killing one member of the angry mob. All 11 persons in the Sweet home are charged with murder. The family is defended by Clarence Darrow—one of the nation’s best known and most progressive lawyers. Sweet’s brother admits to firing the deadly shot, but Darrow convinces an all-White jury he acted in self-defense and they found him not guilty. Charges are then dropped against all the others. Sweet would later write “I have to die a man or live a coward.”

1965—Dorothy Dandridge, perhaps the most prominent African American actress of the 1940s and 1950s, commits suicide in Los Angeles, Calif. She had been suffering from a host of financial and emotional problems. In the early years of her career, she starred in a number of so-called “race films” oriented at Black audiences, but Hollywood “discovered” her and expanded her roles while simultaneously subjecting her to various forms of discrimination. Nevertheless, she would become the first Black actress nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actress category. She was only 42 when she died.

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 A3

'I'm fighting so hard for this' Johnson, Penn Hills Zoning Board spar over event space

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

There's a lot on the line at 124 Jefferson Road in Penn Hills.

For Michelle Johnson, owner of H.O.T. Design Studio, LLC, she's looking to permanently turn her space at 124 Jefferson, just off Rodi Road, into a space that can host private events for no more than 70 attendees. The revenue that can be generated in the short- and longterm could be lucrative for a small, Black-owned business.

And for Penn Hills as a municipality, more people coming to Penn Hills most likely means more spending by those people in Penn Hills, at the gas stations, at the stores in the Penn Hills Shopping Center across the street, and exposure to signs and banners promoting other events happening in Penn Hills.

On the surface, it seems like the perfect match.

But the Penn Hills Zoning Board, comprised of four individuals, has yet to fully approve Johnson's proposal, which originally was for hosting private events for up to 100 attendees.

The primary issues?

Parking spaces and overall safety.

The property at 124 Jefferson Road only has enough room outside the property for seven or so parking spaces. That's not enough parking for the business to successfully host private events.

Thus, Johnson secured a verbal agreement with its across-the-street neighbor, the Institute of Medical and Business Careers, to use part of its spacious parking lot so that attendees of H.O.T. Design Studio's events can park there.

Johnson estimates no more than 30-35 parking spots would be used per event.

The zoning board raised concerns with that proposal, stating that there is no marked crosswalk on that part of Jefferson Road, so that attendees could safely cross, as vehicles constantly travel along that stretch of Jefferson.

Johnson would have to contact PennDOT to request a marked crosswalk, as Jefferson Road is a state-designated road.

The Penn Hills Zoning Board also expressed concerns about alcohol being consumed at the event space, as well as how late the events at H.O.T. Design Studio would last. The zoning board originally wanted there to be no alcohol consumption at the event space, and for any events to be finished by 9 p.m. on any given night.

As a counter, Johnson, who had immense support in the room at the Penn Hills Municipal Building along Duff Road during the Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, regular zoning board meeting, told the board that she wanted to have private events completed by midnight and that alcohol could be consumed, but not sold, on the property.

Penn Hills, as a municipality, found itself in the news in June 2026 when a shooting took place purportedly after

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN MICHELLE JOHNSON, owner of H.O.T. Design Studio, LLC, in Penn Hills. an assembly of teens and young adults attended a private pool party at the Olympic Swim and Health Club the night of Saturday, June 13. While the shooting did not take place on the Olympic Swim and Health Club property, Penn Hills township officials ordered a ceaseand-desist on the swim club on June 17, revoking its occupancy permit due to "repeated failure to comply with the conditions set forth in Penn Hills Zoning Ordinance 2420 Section 3.2, Section 10, and Section 11, Ordinance 85-071, Resolution No. 95-11, and Resolution No. 87-084," according to KDKA-TV. The Olympic Swim and Health Club was able to reopen but with strict conditions, including no private parties.

No one made any mention of that shooting incident that occurred back in June at the Aug. 26 zoning board meeting.

However, some of the speakers who addressed the zoning board in support of Johnson stressed that Johnson is not in the business of bringing negativity, criminal activity or recklessness to her event space. Speakers described Johnson as well-respected and the type of business owner the municipality of Penn Hills should welcome.

"I'm concerned about safety," responded Penn Hills Zoning Board president Marcia Cereza. "When you (Johnson) talked, I asked you questions that let me know where we're at as far as safety. We've taken a lot of time but we've learned a lot."

Some of the speakers in support of Johnson were Sabrina Clark and Chief Ikhana-Hal-Makina. But Cereza, who's been on the zoning board for more than 30 years, wasn't impressed.

"I'm not concerned about the people (who) came and they brought 'donuts' and 'cookies' and that stuff. I'm concerned about the building (124 Jefferson), the patrons and everyone else," Cereza said.

"I'm fighting so hard for this," Johnson told the zoning board. "I took my entire pension and put it into that building (124 Jefferson). Every dime of it."

Johnson added: "When I retired from the University of Pittsburgh, I

took my entire pension check to get the renovations done on that building."

Coming into the meeting on Aug. 26, the zoning board had classified H.O.T. Design Studio, LLC, in the direction of denying Johnson's application for additional parking, etc. That, in effect, would have eliminated H.O.T. Design Studio to operate as a profitable event space. But by the end of the meeting, the zoning board had a different outlook. They voted unanimously to grant Johnson's request for a continuance to submit a revised application to the zoning board. Johnson's next proposal to the zoning board will state a request to operate an event space with up to 70 attendees, 30 less than the 100 that was presented to the board on Aug. 26. Effectively, the board decided on Aug. 26 that H.O.T. Design Studio could remain operating per usual as an event space for the time being, and the zoning board would work with Johnson to cross all the T's and dot all the I's to hopefully, for Johnson, get an official approval by the board this fall to operate as an event space with the additional parking and the allowance of up to 70 attendees.

"I think the best thing to do rather than throw good money behind bad is, let's go over it," Cereza said. "Let's see where we can make it right, and if we can't make it right, it wouldn't be because of a lack of trying."

Cereza added: "You (Johnson) seem willing to comply with the suggestions that were made, and I appreciate that. If you're willing, the board can come up with some things to help you do what you need to do."

To that, Johnson replied: "That's all I ask."

The Women of Excellence Award celebrates local African American women who motivate and inspire others through their vision and leadership, exceptional achievements and participation in community service.

The selected honorees will join an exclusive society of professional women who have previously received this distinction.

CRITERIA: 1. The nominee must a be a woman 40 years of age or older, who resides in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

2. The nominee must be active in her career or profession. Career or profession is defined as paid employment in her field. Nominees must agree to have their photograph and biographical information published in the New Pittsburgh Courier.

All nominees selected as a Women of Excellence will be featured in a 2026 edition of the New Pittsburgh Courier 3. Evaluations will be based on the quality of a nominee’s achievements rather than the quantity of information submitted.

4. Selections will be made by the New Pittsburgh Courier Women of Excellence Selection Committee based on the following criteria: • Local African American executive or business owner • Proven success in career/profession • Positive role model • Demonstrative community service

Nominations Must be Received by Friday, September 25, 2026.

To submit nominations, visit : www.NewPittsburghCourier.com/WOEnominations26

METRO

A4 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The 2026 Circle of Courage Awards

THE 2026 CLASS OF THE CIRCLE OF COURAGE AWARDS, HELD, AUGUST 8, AT THE DOUBLETREE HOTEL, GREEN TREE. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

HONOREE PASTOR CHRISTIAN BALLENGER WITH REV. AISHA TATE.

HONOREE NICOLE HARRIS WITH REV. AISHA TATE.

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT ON PAGE A8.

Feel seen.

Be heard.

Live healthy.

Medical • Mental Health • Dental ALL INSURANCE ACCEPTED, NOT REQUIRED

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

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SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 A5

Evan Dozier Quartet delights at Hotel Indigo, East Liberty

JERE ADDO, EVAN DOZIER AND ALEXIS ROLLINS ARE PART OF THE EVAN DOZIER QUARTET. (PHOTOS BY CHIEF IKHANA-HAL-MAKINA)

Evan Dozier, Jere Addo, Ethan Zawacki, Alexis Rollins and Lyndon Frost are serious about music.

The high school and college students formed the Evan Dozier Quartet earlier this summer (2026), and have spent time per-

forming for audiences at a variety of locations, including at Hotel Indigo in East Liberty, where the New Pittsburgh Courier was invited to their performance.

For the June 26 early-evening performance, Naomi Teter was the guest vocalist.

Chris Petraglia is the social media manager for the YouTube page "TheLoungePGH," which spotlights jazz musicians from throughout the area.

Petraglia and Dozier both attended North Allegheny High School, and Dozier currently attends the

Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Zawacki attends the Hartt School, part of the University of Hartford, Rollins attends Duquesne University, Addo is a senior at Central Catholic High School, and Frost is a senior at Pittsburgh CAPA.

BEGINS IN 1 WEEK!

JERE ADDO, EVAN DOZIER

SEPT 9-27 BENEDUM CENTER ©Disney

TrustArts.org/Broadway 412-456-4800 EVAN DOZIER, ALEXIS ROLLINS, LYNDON FROST

METRO

A6 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

New Granada Theater’s historic day Art deco facade lit for first time in 50 years

NEW GRANADA FROM A1

The third floor of the New Granada Theater is home to the University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center. The center is open to the community each weekday; it’s the first organization to call the New Granada Theater home in, as mentioned, half a century.

That moment was immortalized with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with Hill Community Development Corporation President and CEO Marimba Milliones, scissors in hand, cutting the ribbon in the back of the theater along Wylie Avenue.

"I can't begin to tell you fully in words what this moment means to me," Milliones said just before she cut the ribbon, Aug. 12. "It is truly a grand occasion and it is deeply personal to me."

“This achievement is more than a building," Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel said at the celebration. "It advances the goals the Hill set for itself in its own master plan, and it honors and houses a cultural and creative legacy. It honors and houses the opportunity to start new

THE LIGHTS ARE ON—THE NEW GRANADA THEATER, WEDNESDAY NIGHT, AUG. 12, 2026. (PHOTOS BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)

JAMIE DUCAR (UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS), JOAN GABEL (UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH CHANCELLOR), MARIMBA MILLIONES (HILL CDC PRESIDENT AND CEO), LINA D. DOSTILIO (UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH VICE CHANCELLOR FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS). businesses, and it helps to guide and grow the community’s own vision and belongs to the people that shaped it."

Earlier this summer, Pa. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis announced a $1 million grant to go towards the restoration of the first and second floors of the New Granada Theater. You can bet

that there will be another celebration when the entire New Granada Theater is officially open for the community.

The New Granada’s history in the Hill District stretches back nearly a century, with generations of residents gathering there for entertainment, culture, and special occasions.

Designed by pioneering African American architect Louis A.S. Bellinger and originally opened in 1927 as the Pythian Temple, the building later became the New Granada Theater and emerged as an important destination for the community. Its ballroom welcomed legendary performers including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Pittsburgh’s own Billy Eckstine. Beyond the stage, generations of Hill District residents gathered within its walls for dances, proms, civic events, youth programs, and countless special occasions.

"All of this work would not be possible without the hard-working staff of the Hill Community Development Corporation, past and present," Milliones said.

She added: "To the Hill CDC Board of Directors and Roderick Craighead (Jr.), our chairman, who allowed great work to happen as we bring challenging projects over and over again, you have supported our vision, our passion and you believe in our ability to deliver. Thank you."

CONGRESSWOMAN SUMMER LEE, MARIMBA MILLIONES, JUDGE WRENNA WATSON.

PITT HEALTH

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

A7

Take Charge Of Your Health Today. Be Informed. Be Involved.

Safe and affordable housing Stable housing provides a foundation for physical, mental, and financial health. A safe place to live gives children the consistency they need to succeed in school and build friendships. It allows adults to set down roots, become part of the community, and plan for the future. A home is where families establish traditions, make memories, and pass down wisdom through the generations.

Without that foundation, challenges involving health, employment, education, and finances can become much harder to overcome. “I would say stable housing is the heartbeat of living,” said Jennifer Thompkins, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh. “Having access to safe, consistent, and certainly permanent housing is crucial to your

everyday being.”

That stability can shape health in ways that go well beyond having a roof overhead. Ms. Thompkins said the quality of a neighborhood can influence both physical and mental well-being. For an older adult or someone without a car, a trusted neighbor may be the person who can provide a ride to a medical appointment. For a parent, a neighbor may be able to watch a child during a job interview. Walkable streets and nearby parks can encourage people to get outside and stay active, while a strong sense of community can reduce isolation.

Housing also plays an important role in financial health. Homeownership remains one of the most common ways families build wealth and pass resources to the next generation. Ms. Thomp-

JENNIFER THOMPKINS kins called it “the easiest gateway to wealth in the U.S.” But for many Black families, reaching that gateway can be difficult.

Ms. Thompkins said his-

toric and ongoing barriers—including redlining (denying financial services based on race), discrimination, limited access to fair mortgages, and a lack of family wealth—continue to complicate the path to homeownership. “There is certainly redlining happening every day in our communities,” Ms. Thompkins said. “Folks aren’t being shown certain properties, even if they can afford them, and there are also issues with access to loans.”

The Urban League works to address some of those barriers through advocacy, partnerships with financial institutions, and down payment assistance. Ms. Thompkins said the organization often has more people seeking down payment help than available funding, illustrating how even a relatively modest

amount of money can determine whether a family is able to buy a home.

At the same time, Pittsburgh faces another challenge—development that improves neighborhoods without pricing out the people who already live there. Ms. Thompkins pointed to the Hill District as a place where investment can bring opportunity but also displacement.

“The alternative is making sure that there is intentional reinvestment for the homeowners who are there,” she said.

She emphasized that a successful neighborhood is about more than the house itself. Schools, grocery stores, parks, and transportation all influence whether a family can thrive in their home.

Affordable housing, she said, needs to remain part of new development so that growth strength-

ens communities instead of pushing residents farther away.

UPMC has identified affordable and safe housing as part of its community impact work, reflecting the close connection between where people live and positive health outcomes. Ms. Thompkins sees large employers such as UPMC as having an important role in strengthening neighborhoods, particularly by helping Pittsburgh retain Black professionals and encouraging mixed-income communities.

The future of housing in Pittsburgh’s Black community, she argues, will depend on whether government, developers, employers, and community organizations can work together to make safe, stable, and affordable housing not only available, but sustainable for generations.

Street Medicine closes gaps in homelessness care For people experiencing homelessness, receiving medical care often depends on where care is delivered as much as what services are available. Routine steps like making appointments, arranging transportation, receiving medications, and scheduling follow-up are all far more difficult without a stable place to live.

Street Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh is designed to close those gaps in care. “At its core, Street Medicine is about meeting people where they are,” said Dr. Anna Marie White, Medical Director of Street Medicine at Pitt. Founded in 2021, the student-run organization conducts two outdoor rounding sessions every week, walking through downtown Pittsburgh and other city neighborhoods to meet with unsheltered people rather than making them visit a clinic or emergency room.

Street Medicine is a broad, interdisciplinary program, combining edu-

cation, advocacy, clinical care, and research. Members from 34 different disciplines participate in the program, including the first street medicine law practicum in the world, assisting individuals experiencing homelessness with legal issues and other challenges.

Street Medicine’s broad approach allows the organization to address more than a single medical problem. “The way I define Street Medicine is collaborative care,” said Megan Stafford, a medical student who has been involved with Street Medicine at Pitt for five years. “That includes preventive medicine as well as collaboration with social workers to connect people with resources.”

That collaboration means Pitt students pursuing many different degrees have an opportunity to help their community while also developing the skills they need for their professional development. “Students get to apply their public health

ANNA MARIE WHITE education, thinking about trust, and working with different populations,” said Dr. Beth Hoffman, Assistant Professor, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences. “The training gives students, faculty, and staff a way to apply what they’re learning about the impact of policy on health care.”

The work becomes especially important when someone leaves the hospital but still needs ongoing care. Dianne Charity, an Innovation Improvement Specialist at UPMC Shadyside, said Street Medicine is helping develop a consult service for patients experiencing homelessness, many of whom rely heavily on emergency departments and may have difficulty following up after discharge. The consult service is supported by the Allegheny County Opioid Settlement Grant and the Shadyside Hospital Foundation.

“The wonderful thing about Street Medicine is that it provides a wraparound service so that when patients leave the hospital, they’re not just out there on their own, fending for themselves,” Ms. Charity said. “There are people meeting them on the street who can provide a continuum of care so patients receive follow-up and get what they need.”

That follow-up and consistently making rounds allows Street Medicine to develop another vital resource—trust. “We build relationships by showing up every single week,” Ms. Stafford said. “We always go at the same time and we’ve been showing up consistently for years.”

Building that trust is especially important because homelessness is closely connected to broader factors that influence a person’s health, stability, and access to care. “Black individuals continue to be overrepresented across the shelter system,” Dr. White said.

“While they make up 12 percent of Allegheny County’s population, they accounted for 43 percent of those in adult shelters and nearly 60 percent of those in family shelters.”

The University of Pittsburgh and UPMC are both working to better engage with and support those experiencing homelessness. “I’ve been so grateful for how supportive the University of

Pittsburgh and UPMC have been,” Dr. White said. “In general, when we’ve asked about implementing a new initiative, we’ve gotten resounding yeses in moving this work forward.”

These ambitious goals capture much of what Street Medicine is trying to accomplish—treating immediate health concerns while recognizing the larger circumstances that shape a person’s health. By combining medical care, social support, advocacy, and consistent relationships, the program aims not simply to treat people when they are sick, but to keep them connected to care.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to meet people where they are and help them how they want to be helped,” Ms. Stafford said.

To learn more, or find out how you can help, please visit www.streetmedatpitt.org.

Habitat for Humanity guides families through homeownership process The path to homeownership isn’t always simple or straightforward, and that’s especially true for African American families, who often face additional obstacles.

Barriers like income disparity, lending discrimination, appraisal bias, and less access to generational wealth can make an already complicated process even more difficult, particularly for firsttime buyers who may not know where to begin.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh, a Christian-based non-profit, is working to change that. Habitat Pittsburgh’s program guides families through the homeownership process, providing financial education, budgeting help, credit counseling, down-payment assistance, and mortgage underwriting and financing.

In return, families invest 350 hours of sweat equity—and the entire ex-

tended family can participate—working on their own homes and other Habitat houses to support others with the same dream while gaining a fuller understanding of what it takes to become a homeowner.

“Unlike some organizations, we can work with a family from the very beginning of the process and take them all the way through until they ultimately become homeowners,” said Dr. Howard Slaughter, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh. “That is very unique. If they follow the program, there is about a 99.99 percent chance that they will become homeowners.”

That comprehensive approach can be especially important for African American families, Dr. Slaughter said, because many prospective buyers are trying to become the first homeowners in their

DR. HOWARD SLAUGHTER families. “Part of the challenge is simply knowing that buying a home is possible,” Dr. Slaughter said.

It’s possible because of the hard work Habitat Pittsburgh families put in to make their dreams

a reality. “When families work on their own homes, they are less likely to walk away if problems occur because they have a vested interest,” Dr. Slaughter said. “They helped build their own home and helped others.”

Habitat Pittsburgh also works to reduce some of the financial barriers that can keep working families from buying a home. Dr. Slaughter said families receive 30-year mortgages with a 0 percent interest rate and make down payments of less than $1,000. The organization underwrites the loans itself, allowing it to work closely with families throughout the process. During their 40 years of serving the community, Habitat Pittsburgh has had just one foreclosure.

The benefits of homeownership can extend well beyond having a place to live. Dr. Slaughter described homeown-

ership as a stabilizing force that can help families build equity and intergenerational wealth.

“A home can appreciate in value, create something to pass down and, in some cases, help put children through school,” he said.

Housing is also one of the most powerful social determinants of health.

Through Habitat Pittsburgh’s home repair work, staff members have assisted families living with mold, lead, poor ventilation, plumbing problems, and other conditions that can threaten health and safety.

Those experiences, Dr. Slaughter said, are reminders that housing instability is often hidden.

A family may appear to be managing well while living with serious problems behind the front door.

That is one reason support from major employers and community

institutions can make a difference. Dr. Slaughter said UPMC has been a major supporter, with representatives serving on the organization’s board. UPMC also provides support for homeownership, home repairs, and Habitat Pittsburgh’s Neighborhood Partnership Program.

For Habitat, education remains the thread that connects nearly every part of its work. It can help families understand what homeownership requires, how to prepare for it, and why it can create long-term stability.

“When people are fully educated, they can make the best choice for themselves and their families,” Dr. Slaughter said. “Money comes and goes, but education and learning stay with you.”

RELIGION

A8 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The 2026 Circle of Courage Awards

Reverend A. Marie Walker’s

Weekly Inspiration “All scripture is given by inspiration of God (God-breathed) NKJ and is profitable for doctrine (teaching), reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 REV. WALKER SAYS: Want to hear from God and live a life that is profitable to teach and instruct us. Read the Bible which is the Word of God. HONOREE PASTOR GIANNIE (GIA) BRAAFHART

Then be not hearers of the word but

HONOREE DEXTER FAIRWEATHER (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

doers.

COURIER CHURCH DIRECTORY ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

BAPTIST TEMPLE CHURCH

CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday Worship: 8 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m Wednesday Prayer Service: 7 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Study: 7:30 p.m.

7241 Race Street Pittsburgh, Pa., 15208

Calvarybaptistchurch2629.com

Sunday School/Breakfast: 9 a.m.

EBENEZER MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Bountiful Blessings: 1st, 3rd Tuesday, 5-7 p.m.

2001 Wylie Avenue Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219

NEW EVANGELISTIC MINISTRIES 412-281-3141 91 Crawford Street Sunday Mass Pgh., PA 15219 11 AM Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsAdministrator

Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 a.m.

2629 Wylie Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 412-682-3352

Pastor—Rev. Dr. Rodney Adam Lyde

www.baptisttemple.church

312 Viola St. Duquesne, Pa., 15110

www.sbtmparishpgh.com

EAST LIBERTY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday Services: 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Summer Worship Sundays: 10 a.m.

116 South Highland Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa., 15206 412-441-3800

www.elpc.church

Rev. Dr. Michael Diaz

2535 Universal Road Penn Hills, Pa., 15235

Pastor— Robin Horton

MT. CARMEL BAPTIST CHURCH

www.mtcarmelbaptistnv.org

Pastor—Rev. Dr. Barbara A. Gunn

SIXTH MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

“The Love Church”

WHITE LILY BAPTIST CHURCH “Word Fed, Spirit Led” Sunday School: 10 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11:15 a.m.

3621 Chartiers Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa., 15204 412-771-2533 Pastor—Rev. Antawn D. Coleman Sr.

Pastor—

Nathaniel Pennybaker

108 W. 12th Ave. Homestead, Pa., 15120 412-461-8235

www.secnbapt.com

Senior Pastor—Rev. Laphon Flood-Francis

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

319 N. 2nd St. Apollo, Pa., 15613 724-596-4032

6556 Shetland Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa., 15206 412-441-7839

www.smzbcpgh.org

18 Harriet St., Rankin, Pa., 15105

Email: triedstonebaptist@comcast.net

NEW LIFE BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday Worship Service: 10:15 a.m.

Servant Pastor A. Marie Walker

Pastor— Rev. William C. Roberts

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Pastor—Rev. James D. Burwell

Sr. Pastor—Rev. Dr. Vincent K. Campbell

stjamesamepgh.org 444 Lincoln Avenue Pittsburgh, Pa., 15206

THE SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH OF HOMESTEAD

Wednesday Bible Study: 7 p.m.

90 Port Perry Rd. North Versailles, Pa., 15148 412-823-2841

Pastor— Rev. Marie Kelly

Wednesday Online Bible Study: 6 p.m.

Login Information at

TRIEDSTONE BAPTIST CHURCH Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Study: 7 p.m.

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Tuesday eve. prayer line 313-209-8800, passcode 05277

ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH Sunday School: 10 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

209 Bridge St. Wilmerding, Pa., 15148 412-829-8925

www.ebenezerbaptistpgh.org

ROCK HOUSE OF PRAISE WITHOUT WALLS MINISTRIES Sunday Worship Service: 11:30 a.m Thur. Bible Study: 7 p.m.

CLARK MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

1301 Glenn St. Homestead, Pa., 15120 412-462-1011 www.clark1889.org

Pastor—Rev. Dorothy Stubbs

ST. JAMES AME CHURCH

Pastor— Rev. John Welch

www.achurchforallpeople.org

Pastor—Rev. June Jeffries

CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH

MT. OLIVE BAPTIST CHURCH

“A Church with a vision, A people with a prayer, worshipping God with a praise”

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.

2200 Wylie Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 Pastor—Rev. 412-566-1437 Courtney D. Meadows

Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.

1201 Hiland Ave. Coraopolis, Pa., 15108 412-264-3125

Pastor—Rev. Brian Carswell Flanagan Sr.

SPORTS

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

A9

Smokin’ Jim Frazier, longtime Courier sportswriter, passes FRAZIER FROM A1

Jim was part of a wonderful family including brothers Eric and Scott and sister Pamela, and an absolutely great father in Mr. James Frazier Jr., a salt-of-the-earth, hard-working, family man, and a kind and beautiful mother in Ms. Dorothy.

Hopefully that scenario gives you some perspective on how the fire got lit to set Smokin’ Jim in motion. Now the rest of this story, you’re pretty much aware of. The nicest guy you could ever meet, a superstar athlete with made-for-TV good looks that he got from his mom (sorry, about that, Mr. Frazier), a really smart and intelligent guy who forgot more about football on all levels than all of us who worked with him on and off air would ever know.

We would need a second edition to list all the talent that Jim had, but here are the highlights.

Sports talk show host on four different TV shows, a sportswriter for the New Pittsburgh Courier, cohost on WPXI-TV (Channel 11) "Championship Chase" sports talk show along with Emmy-Award winning broadcaster Brian Cook Sr., the late, great Dee Thompson and Ty Miller. At a time when five Black guys on a major TV network talking sports was not at all the norm, Smokin' Jim was an NFL scout and college football recruiting guru.

Boxing...boxing...boxing, man please, he did most everything boxing in Western Pa. for the past 30 years.

Hands down, the best boxing announcer, historian and commentator in the business.

And if you didn’t know, now you know. Jim served as Senior Vice President in Achieving Greatness Inc. for 30 years, and is credited with being my co-founder as we built the now historic Pittsburgh City League High School All Sports Hall of Fame Inductions. Need a better

SMOKIN’ JIM FRAZIER description? Now in its 12th year of the induction ceremony with an average of 40 inductees per year and a consistent sellout crowd of 500-plus, Jim Frazier was accountable for a quarter of those inducted!!! Jim served as a prestigious board member of the Western Pa. and state of Pa. Hall of Fame committees, a factor that is too easily taken for granted and sometimes not acknowledged.

The hundreds of friends, the celebrities, the fashion, the star power, and the grace and stature to handle it all in his own cool, calm and collected manner. Jim was a master at it and no one did it better.

But here’s the thing, and I’ll leave you with this. The reason this one hurts different is because Smokin’ Jim was different...and he was special. He would shake your hand, give you a hug, always with a compliment, loan you a dollar,

SMOKIN’ JIM FRAZIER, IN HIS FOOTBALL DAYS AT CAL STATE COLLEGE (NOW PENNWEST CALIFORNIA).

and come pick you up in the dead of night on the side of the road if necessary.

That’s why we’re all hurting so deeply, because we all can relate to some part of what made Jim Frazier special and someone who will truly be missed.

May God continue to bless you, “Smokin’" Jim, and thank you for all you’ve done for me, our community, the athletes that you set on a pedestal, and the countless others whose lives you touched.

Thank you for all you’ve done to help make the world a better place.

(Editor's note: The visitation for James Frazier III will be from 10-11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at House of Law, 2555 Haymaker Road, Monroeville. The funeral immediately follows the visitation. The repast will be held at the Triveni Center, 275 Center Road, Monroeville.)

SMOKIN’ JIM FRAZIER

University of Georgia players get shipped away often by the Steelers First Pickens, now Jones “Trading post” definition—A store or small settlement established for trading, typically in a remote place.

I am carefully observing the so-called “trade negotiations” between the Pittsburgh Steelers and a few of their valuable “chess pieces” and there does not seem to be a lot of “equipoise” or an abundance of goodwill coming from the “cryptocurrency reservoir,” when it comes to paying or slaying a few players.

Some of these deals seem to be just plain on the weird side. I am hoping that the Steelers GM Omar Khan doesn’t transform an oasis of Steelers talent into a desert of non-achievers and fake believers. Recently I woke up just in time to read an article written by Mike Moraitis and posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI: “Jerry Jones, Cowboys aggressively made Broderick Jones trade despite Steelers’ hesitancy.” When I read the headline, I raced to the medicine cabinet so fast that smoke was coming off of the bottom of my shoes.

Why was I in such a big hurry? Well, the answer is, I needed a Xanax.

Alright boys and girls, put on your listening ears because Broderick Jones is a great offensive talent from the University of Georgia. He entered the NFL as a first‑round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded up to secure him with the No. 14 overall selection, addressing a key need on their offensive line. How could such a great young former first round pick be destabilized and become so despised so quickly? I have a quick answer for you. As a rookie in 2023, Broderick Jones had to deal with Matt Canada and his “Canada Dry” offensive scheme. During the 2024-2025 seasons, the Steelers’ offensive coordinator was Arthur Smith and Broderick Jones was switched here, there and everywhere coupled with having to deal with Smith’s “three yards and a pool of quicksand” offense.

These were, are, and will forever be regarded by me as the two worst offensive coordinators in the history of organized football, whether it is toddler or youth league, junior high school, college, or professional football.

Now, let’s get back to the “Jerry Jones, Cowboys aggressively made Broderick Jones trade despite Steelers’ hesitancy” story.

Mike Moraitis continues: “There’s no doubt the Dallas Cowboys needed to address the offensive tackle position before Week 1.”

So, Dallas decided to pull off a trade with the

Pittsburgh Steelers and acquire former firstround pick and offensive tackle Broderick Jones, who should be an upgrade over both Shelton and Thomas, which isn’t a high bar to clear. While Jones’ days seemed to be numbered in Pittsburgh after his three disappointing seasons there, and with the team drafting two tackles in the first round of the two of the last three drafts, it turns out the team wasn’t shopping him, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh

Post-Gazette reported on Sunday, August 30, 2026. “The Steelers were not shopping Jones—nor are they looking to trade other players—but are willing to listen if teams approached them,” Dulac reported.

So it appears the Cowboys got aggressive and convinced the Steelers to part with Jones, which they did by offering thirdand sixth-round picks.

Dallas also received a fourth-round pick back.

It’s not surprising to see the Cowboys get aggressive, as owner Jerry Jones said the team would be following the final preseason game they had on Friday, Aug. 28.

“We’ll be looking at that very, very aggressively.

We’ve got time to improve for opening day.”

What is this get-rid-ofUniversity-of-Georgiaplayers syndrome that the Steelers seem to be experiencing? First, Pittsburgh gave away a future NFL Hall-of-Famer when they placed wide receiver George Pickens in the bargain basement of the now-defunct Kaufmann’s department store. And now, they ship off a promising offensive lineman for no apparent reason

except for what only one could only assume as an attitude problem coming from Jones. Is the organization from the North Shore being proactive by possibly assuming that they would be unable or unwilling to renegotiate a contract extension with or sign him in the future?

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was aggressive when he pursued George Pickens. Maybe he was more aggressive when he went after and signed Broderick Jones.

The article also pointed out that the “Steelers weren’t shopping Broderick Jones.” Did Jerry Jones come in and put his own price tags on George Pickens and Broderick Jones and then take them? Those two players might just be the ones that will help the Cowboys snatch a Lombardi Trophy in 2026. Who will be the next ex-Steeler player and the next Dallas Cowboys star player...

Joey Porter Jr.?

The website Heavy recently reported on yahoo. com that: “The ongoing situation with Joey Porter Jr. has caused some to speculate if Pittsburgh would be forced to make an exception, especially

since they also don’t have real interest in trading him. However, general manager Omar Khan shot those thoughts down while speaking with reporters on Monday. In the midst of discussing the recent cuts, practice squad signing and the 53-man roster as it stands going into Week 1, Khan said the franchise’s long-standing rule still applies.”

Why are the Steelers playing hardball with Joey Porter Jr.? Jerry Jones is showing other NFL franchises and the world how to be aggressive and play hardball with them. If the Steelers can virtually give away talent, then Joey Porter Jr. can rightfully expect them to pay him.

Why should he perform for Pittsburgh or any other NFL team and not be compensated fairly?

Porter should not trade his talent for a string of beads and a couple of jugs of firewater, anywhere or anytime, especially if he is forced to play in a remote, small market and off-the-grid franchise.

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How to protect your small business and your family’s income (StatePoint) For many small business owners, contractors, and freelancers, owning a business is a rewarding step toward independence that offers flexibility, control, and opportunity to build towards their dreams. However, their business finances and personal finances can sometimes become closely connected.

New research from Simply Business shows that among microbusinesses with five or fewer employees, 87% of owners continue to rely on personal funds to sustain operations. This underscores a simple reality: When you work for yourself, protecting your business often means protecting your personal finances, savings, and family’s day-to-day stability.

“The smartest business decisions are not just about risk management. They are about peace of mind,” says Jeff Wright, vice president of Insurance Product at Simply Business. “By keeping your business funds safe, you protect the personal livelihood you and your family rely on.”

Here are practical ways small business owners can transform uncertainty into a foundation for confident growth: Believe in your worth. True pricing confidence is about fully owning the value of your work.

Choose a structure that reflects your value: use hourly rates for smaller tasks, project-based fees or retainers for steady work, and value-based pricing for the real-world impact you deliver. Protect your revenue by using clear pricing, building in a buffer for unexpected costs, and setting expectations upfront about what is—and isn’t—included in the project.

Build a short-term buffer. With nearly half of surveyed owners reporting to have gone without income for at least a month, many business owners strain their personal finances early on to stay afloat. Aim to keep one to three months of both essential business and household expenses in reserve; even a modest cushion allows you to confidently manage late payments, canceled projects, or seasonal slowdown.

Match coverage to your work. Insurance helps protect your business from unexpected expenses.

General liability insurance can help cover costs tied to third-party bodily injury or property damage, while a business owner’s policy typically combines general liability with commercial property coverage and sometimes also business interruption coverage to help replace lost income after a covered event. Evaluate your specific trade risks and buy policies that address them to close the gaps in your safety net without paying for unnecessary extras.

Shop for coverage before you need it. Proactive shopping allows you to compare the value of different policies rather than making a rushed decision under pressure. Not sure where to start?

“I leaned on peers and mentors who were already where I wanted to be,” says Gianni Spradley, founder of Fifteen East Media Group. “They helped me see the blind spots I hadn’t considered and even educated me on specific types of policies to help safeguard my company and its trajectory.” You can also use a digital insurance platform like Simply Business to look for the right coverage, compare tailored quotes from top providers, choose the best fit, and even buy your policy in a few minutes.

Leverage external capital. While investing in your own ideas is essential, true safety means looking toward smart capitalization to fuel your venture. “There’s value in investing in yourself,” says Karen McDougald, founder of Tangaza Bath & Body Studio, “but I wish I’d known more about small business loans and grants.” In fact, the Simply Business survey found that small business owners rank access to external capital as the most valuable factor for securing long-term growth.

By taking practical, proactive steps to secure your working cash, savings, and family finances, you can safeguard your business and ensure it continues to thrive.

Why Black-owned businesses can’t afford to be invisible to AI

by Rob McManus

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE Many people use AI tools to search for products and services instead of search engines. If Black-owned businesses aren’t easy for AI to find, they end up losing potential customers. Let AI help you gain the trust of people who are considering your business for the first time so your brand can grow.

According to McKinsey & Company,

Supporting their businesses when they supply you with items Why Do Black-Owned Businesses Struggle to Survive?

Failing to keep up with technology as it evolves and having limited access to funding. When you first start your business, you’ll probably do most of the work by yourself.

Handling the following tasks without the right tools can be overwhelming: Bookkeeping

looking up something related to what you offer. You don’t even need a huge budget to boost digital visibility.

AI Helps Customers Find Your Business Faster Many shoppers begin searching for products using simple questions.

Someone may ask an AI tool to tell them who sells the best scented candles near them.

If a homeowner needs their pipes fixed, they might search for price estimates. You can boost your chances

Ensure your business shows up in AI searches whenever someone is looking up something related to what you offer. You don’t even need a huge budget to boost digital visibility.

Black Americans run over 3 million businesses across the U.S. It hasn’t always been easy for small businesses owned by Black people to stand out in their communities.

Start using AI to gain a competitive advantage and keep up with how customers find brands now.

How Much Do Black-Owned Businesses Contribute to the Economy?

They generate around $133.7 billion in total sales, as reported by the Department of Small and Local Business Development.

Your business doesn’t need to make a huge amount of revenue to have an impact on the economy. You’re helping others grow by: Offering them a job Inspiring them to be future entrepreneurs

Customer service Supply chain management Marketing You might find yourself having little time to focus on the things that can actually help your company grow.

Set aside time to ask your clients for their feedback. You may struggle with brand visibility if you don’t have reviews to help you earn trust.

Many entrepreneurs start their businesses with savings or get loans from their loved ones. If lenders with good interest rates don’t consider you for loans, you’ll probably end up borrowing from those with high rates.

Paying a huge interest reduces your profits over time.

Discovering the Benefits of Staying Visible to AI Ensure your business shows up in AI searches whenever someone is

of appearing in AI snippets by: Answering the questions customers often ask using your content Providing accurate details about your company Posting great photos of your products Don’t just create a simple business website and hope that your potential customers will stumble upon it. When you start using tools like GetNextNet.ai, you’ll be able to see how AI tools see your brand. Tracking your readiness score helps you figure out what you need to improve.

Better Online Presence Builds Trust Before Customers Call It’s not easy for people to trust a business they’ve never worked with, SEE BLACK-OWNED B2

Debt loss and weight loss—different goals, similar work Everybody wants to drop 30 pounds.

Everybody wants to knock out $30,000 in debt. But mention meal preparation, tracking spending and telling yourself no, and suddenly the room gets quiet.

We want the results. We keep trying to negotiate our way around the work.

Nobody posts a highlight reel of passing on takeout or reviewing statements.

But that’s where change happens.

Wishing won’t shrink your waistline or clear your credit cards. Eventually, “I need to do better” has to become, “Here’s what I’m doing differently.”

Calories Are Like Spending Those little extras add up.

A snack here. A sweet drink there. A purchase because it was on sale. Another delivery order because you didn’t feel like cooking.

Individually, each decision looks harmless. Collectively, you’ve created a routine that moves you away from your goal.

“It wasn’t that much” is an expensive sentence when you repeat it all week.

You don’t need guilt with every meal or purchase. You need awareness. What keeps triggering the behavior?

Boredom? Stress? Convenience? Trying to impress people who aren’t paying your bills?

Food: One of the Big Three Housing, transportation and food are the three largest household spending categories on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And food includes groceries, not just restaurants.

Some folks spend big at the supermarket, then order takeout while the groceries spoil. You paid to stock the refrigerator, paid somebody else to cook and eventually paid for food you threw away.

That’s an expensive routine!

Plan meals before shopping.

Check the pantry. Make a list. Compare prices. Buy quantities you’ll actually use.

Give leftovers another appearance instead of acting like yesterday’s dinner expired at midnight.

Cutting delivery fees, wasted groceries, impulse snacks and oversized orders can help you work toward a fatter wallet and a smaller waistline.

But spending less doesn’t automatically mean losing weight. Food choices and portions matter. The goal is to reduce waste and excess while keeping yourself

nourished.

Eat with intention. Spend with intention. Stop letting convenience make every decision.

The Numbers Need Your Attention People avoid the scale because they don’t want to face the number. People avoid credit card statements for the same reason.

But avoiding the number doesn’t change the number!

Interest doesn’t stop because opening the app makes you uncomfortable.

Write down balances, interest rates and minimum payments.

Add up your takehome income. Review spending and savings.

Stop guessing. Get specific.

“I make good money” means little if you can’t explain where it goes.

Your numbers aren’t a character judgment. Health conditions affect weight.

Job losses, medical bills and insufficient income create debt. Neither struggle automatically means somebody lacks discipline.

But don’t use what you cannot control

to ignore what you can.

More Income Needs an Assignment Cutting unnecessary expenses creates breathing room. Increasing income gives you more resources to move forward.

Ask about overtime. Pursue better opportunities. Improve your skills. Consider additional work that fits your circumstances. Sell things you no longer use.

Skill up so you can level up.

But extra income without a plan can become extra spending.

You get a raise. The car gets upgraded. Vacations get bigger. Shopping gets louder. Savings barely move.

Congratulations. You increased your lifestyle and kept your financial stress.

That’s a financial treadmill: plenty of movement, same position.

Assign additional income to progress before assigning all of it to enjoyment.

If necessities consume your paycheck, canceling Netflix won’t fix everything.

You may need more income, assistance or changes to major expenses.

Crash Budgets Don’t Build Lasting Habits Some people approach debt like punishment.

No restaurants. No entertainment. No enjoyment until every balance disapSEE DAMON CARR B2

BUSINESS

B2 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Kwanza Jones makes history as first Black woman to become majority owner of MLB franchise

by Noral Parham Indianapolis Recorder

History was made in Major League Baseball this August as Kwanza Jones and her husband, José E. Feliciano, were officially introduced as the new principal owners of the San Diego Padres following a record-breaking $3.9 billion transaction.

With the unanimous approval of the league’s owners, Jones became the first Black woman to be a majority owner in an MLB franchise, marking a historic milestone in professional baseball. Feliciano also marked a significant league milestone in the transaction, becoming the second Latino majority owner in baseball and the first of Puerto Rican descent.

The husband-and-wife duo assumes control of the franchise from the family of the late Peter Seidler. During their introductory press conference on Aug. 24, the new ownership group emphasized a commitment to honoring Seidler’s legacy while establishing a sustained, championship-caliber culture.

“We are a family first, and becoming owners of the San Diego Padres means joining an even larger one,” Jones and Feliciano said in a joint statement. “We are grateful to the Seidler family, and especially to Peter, for raising the expectations of what this franchise can

NEW SAN DIEGO PADRES OWNERS Kwanza Jones, center, and José E. Feliciano, right, speak at a news conference with team CEO Erik Greupner, left, at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Greg Beacham) achieve. Our ambition is clear: to bring a World Series championship to San Diego and build an enduring organization capable of competing for championships year after year.”

Jones, a former NCAA Division I athlete, brings a highly diverse and unconventional professional pedigree to the Padres’

front office. She serves as the co-founder and chief executive officer of the Kwanza Jones & Jose E. Feliciano Initiative.

This private family office oversees “long-horizon investment activities across sports, media and private markets,” per a statement from the mLB. Her executive background spans

law, entertainment, and academia, having previously served as an adjunct professor teaching negotiation at New York University.

Jones is also the founder and CEO of SUPERCHARGED by Kwanza Jones, a media and personal development community focused on

expanding community access and opportunity.

A graduate of Princeton University, the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and Pepperdine University School of Law, Jones serves on the Board of Directors at the Apollo Theater and the Board of Advisors of UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center.

Beyond their historic acquisition of the Padres, the couple consistently invested in the broader sports ecosystem. Jones and Feliciano currently hold minority stakes in the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and have directed investments toward the continued growth of women’s sports through platforms like Monarch Collective and Arctos Sports Partners.

At the operational level, the new owners confirmed that San Diego Padres CEO Erik Greupner and general manager A.J. Preller will remain in their respective roles to oversee day-to-day baseball operations.

The ownership group indicated they intend to be highly engaged, working directly alongside the existing front office to invest ambitiously and thoughtfully in the team’s future without sacrificing longterm stability.

“We intend to be engaged owners, bringing our energy, experience and perspective while working alongside the talented team already in place,” Jones and Feliciano said. “We are all in and committed to winning.”

(Noral Parham is the multi-media and senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder.)

Businesses can’t afford to be invisible to AI BLACK-OWNED FROM B1

especially when they want to order something online. You’ll be able to leave great first impressions if you have: Clear descriptions for all your services Updated business hours An active blog with content posted regularly Genuine customer testimonials AI tools scan such things before recommending businesses to users. Avoid just marketing your products on your site. Posting content that also helps customers address the issues they’re facing makes you more trustworthy.

If you own a Black-owned accounting firm, post guides explaining tax deadlines for small businesses. You should give AI more reasons to see you as the best solution.

Once someone visits your page after coming across it in an AI overview or an answer provided by a tool like ChatGPT, your job isn’t done. Ensure your site shows them what to do next so they don’t

feel stranded.

Saving Time While Growing Your Online Presence You’ll keep enjoying the results of AI visibility for longer than you would with traditional marketing campaigns. If you have helpful content on your site, it can help you keep bringing in business for months or even years.

Start simplifying consumer discovery by: Creating articles that answer questions customers will continue asking for years Reviewing older blog posts to update statistics and links Tracking how each post is performing to see what you should invest in When you use these tips, you will be able to reduce how much you spend on marketing. It’s important to be flexible since customers’ behavior changes frequently.

Frequently Asked Questions Can AI Recommend Small Businesses Even if They Aren’t National Brands?

Yes. AI doesn’t recommend businesses based only on size or popularity since it mostly looks for: Reliable information Content that’s relevant to what a user is asking Consistent business details Don’t be discouraged if you’re mostly competing against big businesses. When you position your brand well for AI tools to discover, people might pick you over brands they already know.

How Long Does It Take to Improve AI Visibility?

The results will vary depending on your website and the level of competition. It’s possible to notice a huge difference in just a few weeks after getting new reviews.

AI tools were probably not suggesting your site simply because you didn’t have testimonials they could refer to when checking if your brand is authentic.

Be consistent and know what AI tools reward the most. It will help you grow your visibility faster.

Do Social Media Pages Help AI Understand My Business?

Yes. Your social media profiles can give AI tools more details about your business. Post more often and don’t ignore your customers in the comments.

Responding to them helps you build trust. Use your social media pages to support your website and help you direct more traffic to it.

Enhancing Digital Visibility Black-owned businesses now have the chance to stand out and earn trust without you spending a lot of money. If you update your content and use it to address the problems your customers face, AI tools are more likely to notice you.

Get positive reviews from your loyal customers. Posting these on your pages and engaging with your customers boosts your visibility. Check out more Black-owned business growth insights on our page.

Debt loss and weight loss—different goals, similar work DAMON CARR FROM B1

pears.

That plan might survive a burst of motivation. Can it survive your actual life?

Discipline requires boundaries, not constant misery.

Reduce restaurant visits. Set an entertainment limit. Plan for birthdays, maintenance and other expenses you know are coming.

Your budget isn’t what restricts your spending.

Your income, debt and lifestyle already do that.

The budget makes those limits visible.

You cannot afford everything simultaneously. Choose what matters, decide what can wait and stop calling every want a need.

What Physically and Financially Fit Looks Like Physical fitness goes beyond a number on the scale.

Financial fitness goes beyond a number on your paycheck.

Physically fit might mean having the strength, stamina and mobility to participate in activities you enjoy, within your abilities. It includes making room for nourishment, movement, rest and appropriate care.

Financially fit means your spending fits your income.

Bills aren’t a monthly guessing game. Debt is manageable or shrinking. Savings are growing. Future expenses and retirement have a place in your plan.

Together, you’re building a life you can afford and participate in.

You save for vacations instead of financing them. You enjoy activities that suit your body. You make time for rest instead of treating exhaustion like a badge of honor.

You enjoy dinner without wondering which bill gets skipped afterward.

Looking successful while drowning in payments isn’t financial fitness. Working yourself into the ground to maintain appearances isn’t freedom.

Build your money without neglecting yourself. You deserve more than a lifestyle that leaves you too

stressed and exhausted to enjoy it.

Keep the Progress. Change the Pattern.

Setbacks happen. One impulsive purchase doesn’t erase months of progress. Identify what happened, adjust and resume.

Don’t turn one expensive weekend into six expensive months.

Celebrate paying off a credit card. Just don’t finance the celebration! That’s putting the weight right back on your wallet.

Once debt disappears, give those former payments another assignment: savings, future purchases or retirement.

The goal isn’t to get out of debt long enough to qualify for more debt.

The goal is to stay in control.

Choose one financial habit and one physical habit you can practice consistently. Start there.

Your future deserves effort.

Do the work when nobody is clapping.

The routine may be boring. Less debt, more savings, a more fit body and room to enjoy your life? That’s exciting.

Get a grip on your money. Get a grip on Health!

Health is Wealth!

(Damon Carr, Money Coach & Tax Pro can be reached at 412216-1013 or visit his website at www.damonmoneycoach.com) Helping you flip your finances from stressed to blessed—one smart decision at a time.)

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Guest Commentary

The debt is high.

Who will pay?

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The national debt has passed $40 trillion—that is $40,000,000,000,000, a number with more zeroes than most of us can comfortably count. The Congressional Budget Office projects a federal deficit of $1.9 trillion this year. We will spend more than $1 trillion simply paying interest on the debt— money that cannot be spent repairing bridges, educating children, housing families, or providing health care.

The numbers are sobering. But whenever politicians start hyperventilating about debt, Black folks had better hold on to our wallets.

Debt matters. Deficits matter. But they do not seem to matter equally. The deficit hawks are strangely silent when Congress passes tax cuts tilted toward corporations and wealthy people.

They misplace their calculators when the Pentagon wants billions for weapons it cannot adequately account for. They rarely ask whether subsidies to profitable corporations are affordable.

But mention food assistance, Medicaid, Head Start, or affordable housing, and suddenly the sky is falling.

The CBO estimates that the 2025 reconciliation law and related debt-service costs will add $4.7 trillion to projected deficits. Yet some of the lawmakers who supported it now say “tough choices” must be made. Their tough choices almost always require sacrifice from somebody else.

We ought to ask three questions: Why did we borrow? Who benefited? And who will be forced to pay?

The government borrows by selling Treasury bills, notes, and bonds to individuals, banks, pension funds, the Federal Reserve, and domestic and foreign investors. The danger is not that somebody suddenly presents America with a $40 trillion bill, but that refinancing the debt becomes increasingly expensive and interest payments crowd out other priorities.

Borrowing is not automatically bad. A government may appropriately borrow during a recession, war, or public health emergency. It may borrow to modernize transportation, strengthen

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary schools, expand broadband, or make investments that increase future productivity. Debt used to build something can generate growth that helps repay it.

But borrowing to finance tax giveaways is another matter. Borrowing while refusing to collect taxes already owed is another matter. Borrowing because politically connected corporations treat the Treasury like their private ATM is another matter. Borrowing for this President’s vanity projects is something else again.

Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix did not create our $40 trillion debt, but it illustrates the hypocrisy of people who preach austerity while spending public money on spectacle.

Corporate sponsors reportedly covered most of the racing bill, but taxpayers will absorb undisclosed costs for policing, emergency services, and traffic control. Downtown workers and commuters also endured weeks of construction, street closures, and transportation changes. Trump rode around the track in the presidential limousine and waved the green flag; the public will get part of the bill.

The federal government is not a household. Unlike you or me, it issues currency and can spread the cost of investments across generations. Still, it cannot borrow without consequence forever.

The danger is not simply the size of the debt, but how our nation will respond to it.

When Washington embraces austerity, Black people feel the sharp edge first. We are more likely to work in the public sector, where cuts mean layoffs and frozen wages. We are more likely to depend on public schools, public hospitals, public transportation, and Medicaid. We are less likely to have inherited wealth to cushion a job loss, medical emergency, or rent increase.

According to the Federal Reserve, only 38 percent of Black adults had enough emergency savings to cover three months of expenses in 2025. The comparable figure for White adults was 61 percent. That gap is not the result of Black people being less disciplined with money. It reflects enslavement, exclusion, discrimination, redlining, unequal pay, and the systematic denial of opportunities to accumulate and transfer wealth.

When government withdraws, households fill the hole. A cut in college assistance becomes a student loan. Reduced health coverage becomes a credit-card balance. Inadequate public transportation becomes a high-interest car note. A shortage of affordable housing becomes punishing rent or an unaffordable mortgage.

Public austerity becomes private debt.

And private debt does not land evenly. Black borrowers are more likely to pay higher interest rates, face higher fees, and have fewer favorable credit options. Even Black people with solid incomes may carry additional obligations because we are helping relatives whom discrimination excluded from wealth-building opportunities. This is one form of the “Black tax.” The successful Black household too often becomes a miniature social-welfare system because the larger system has failed.

The national debt is measured in trillions, but Black families experience its consequences in smaller, more brutal numbers: the minimum credit-card payment, student-loan balance, late fee, overdraft charge, rent increase, and prescription that must wait until payday.

We cannot dismiss a $40 trillion national debt. But neither should we allow fiscal responsibility to become a code phrase for racial and economic cruelty. A serious debt-reduction plan would close tax loopholes, fund tax enforcement, curb wasteful military spending, and end unnecessary corporate subsidies. It would invest in jobs, education, infrastructure, and health because a stronger economy generates revenue.

Most importantly, it would not balance the budget on the backs of people who received the fewest benefits.

The debt is high. Choices must be made. But before Black America is ordered to tighten its belt again, perhaps the people feasting at the federal trough should be asked to leave the table.

Fiscal responsibility should begin at the top. And if austerity is required, sacrifice should begin there, too.

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a DC Based economist and author. juliannemalveaux.com.)

Founded 1910

Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm Office Manager

Rob Taylor Jr. Managing Editor

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

Ashley Johnson Sales Director

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

B3

Rebuilding what we lost (TriceEdneyWire.com) - As a little girl, I remember my mother taking her children’s hands, going into places, and being told, “You can come in, but they can’t.”

My Mom held onto our hands and took us out of the place. I was born in Louisiana, but as a young person, I can remember a lot of situations I now know as racism. In many ways, Louisiana hasn’t changed. Louisiana has always been a place where color matters.

Many in our family are of various colors—but we have always had the One-Drop rule in Louisiana. That means if you had one drop of Black blood, you are Black. The one-drop rule was a legal principle of racial classification that was prominent in the past. It asserted that any person with even one drop of Black blood was Black. Of course, we were called Negro or colored in historical terms.

Because my mother had no Black blood, but my Dad is Black, so my Mother’s children were called colored.

That leads me to a story where after growing up, I became the first Black person in the State of Louisiana to run a viable campaign for the U.S. Congress. I was named the winner, and had the race called back and told I had lost by a tiny bit. I became known as Louisiana’s Congresswoman in Exile. Cleo Fields won the seat later with some changes in the District he was able to do while

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary he was in the state’s legislature. He didn’t last long before they took the seat from him recently.

I mention that background to say when I ran, I wanted to share with you a bit about how I, a Black woman, was still referred to. One night after speaking for a mixed crowd, a man walked up to me and said, “Young lady, that was the best speech I ever heard, but it must be awfully difficult to have all that education and still be colored.” I thanked him because he was telling the truth, however, he said it. During the same period, a person who knew me said another man told him he never thought he’d have to choose between a “nigger” woman and a Republican (I’m a Democrat), but he believed he was gonna vote for the “nigger” woman. (That’s me!) I appreciated the fact that he would vote for me despite my color! I never learned how the first gentleman was going to vote!

I don’t think Louisiana has changed a lot. I know for the first time there is a Black man who is running for the United States Senate on the Demo-

cratic ticket. Just as I ran first for the United States Congress, he is the first to run for the United States Senate. Not that Louisiana has changed a lot, but it sounds like he has a pretty good chance to win. His name is Jamie Davis, so please keep him in your prayers.

Now the point I started to make is that things have changed in some places and some Black people have a real chance of winning important seats—if only we’d come out in great numbers—so please look out for the seats in which Black people are running, but be sure to check out what they stand for. The one Black male on the Supreme Court has been deceptive. With the Black woman, it’s been different. “Just look at the Supreme Court now!” Obviously, I am talking about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and if she were not on the Court, we wouldn’t have anybody there who votes fairly for us other than Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan. We thank God for them.

Now, in the last Presidential election, too many of our White sisters voted against our interests and theirs, but I believe many are ready to get it right and rebuild what we lost.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is president/ CEO Emerita of the National Congress of Black Women and international president of The Dick Gregory Society, Inc.)

Remember history In 1905, George Santayana in The Life of Reason wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” On the repetition of history, Karl Marx said, “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.”

On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a new name for the “United Colonies” – the United States of America. We have all probably seen the concept of unity shown by the segmented serpent popularized by Benjamin Franklin in a political cartoon in 1754 with the caption “Join, Or Die.” This strength of unity was recognized by George Washington in his 1796 Farewell Address: “The unity of government which constitutes you one people is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad, of your safety, of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize.” Today, we have a person occupying the White House who doesn’t recognize Americans

Cynthia Baldwin

Commentary as one people, who has abrogated our tranquility at home, our peace abroad, our safety, our prosperity, and the very liberty which we so highly prize.

But the recognition of unity as strength did not begin with our country’s birth. Confucius recognized the importance of order and unity and said, “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.” In Mohammed’s last sermon, he said, “All mankind is from Adam and Hawwa (Eve), an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiority over a Black nor does a Black have any superiority over a White- except by piety and good action.” One teaching from Buddhism is, “Nothing ever

exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.” Matthew 12:25 states, “And Jesus knew their [the Pharisees] thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”

History is speaking to us and begging us to remember. Historians believe that the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed because of internal social issues, economic problems, and war. The Roman Empire fell and historians seem to agree that economic troubles, overexpansion and military overspending, the rise of other empires, government corruption and political instability were among the reasons leading to its downfall. Sparta fell and historians seem to agree that a decline in citizens, wealth gaps, an inability to fill its military ranks, and political collapse were among the reasons.

We are being led down the same rabbit hole that led to the destruction of other great civilizations. The current administration is not making us great again; it is destroying us.

Are politically-shifting red states becoming winnable?

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The Republicans are facing major problems in this year’s midterm elections, and they know it. President Trump’s failure to end the unpopular Iran war has become a political liability that could cost the Republicans control of Congress.

The president originally stated that the war would last only four or five weeks. Six months later, we are still there, stuck in a military stalemate.

The war has not only damaged the global economy, but it has created a weapons shortage for the U.S. military.

The problem for Republicans has always been bigger than Donald Trump’s arrogance and incompetence. The problem is a lack of character and competence, and it runs like a common thread throughout the party on both the federal and state levels. Trump would not be himself if he were not surrounded by enablers and loyalists who are equally arrogant and incompetent.

The Trump administration is starting to be exposed. Long-time supporters are starting to feel the pain, and buyer’s remorse for Trump is setting in.

Trump voters are beginning to wake up. As a result, deep-red states that weren’t competitive in past elections are now moving within striking distance. Alabama is a perfect example.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is a Trump loyalist who now wants to become Alabama’s next governor.

This gubernatorial election will allow the voters of Alabama to hold a senator accountable for the disservice he has done to his constituents and to people who blindly follow the MAGA ideology. Trump supporters may have applauded when the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” became law, but many of them may have been unaware of the fine print.

Now that the bill’s full impact is starting to materialize, Tuberville is scrambling to save Alabama residents from the disadvantage he and President Trump have put them in. After President Trump signed his signature bill into law, it required states with SNAP payment error rates above 6 percent to pay a share of the benefits costs.

David W. Marshall

Commentary The amount depends on how far a state’s error rate exceeds the 6 percent threshold. Poor states such as Alabama and Mississippi will now face a heavy financial burden on their budgets from a penalty that is part of Trump’s signature law. In Alabama’s case, the state had a payment error of 9.52 percent in fiscal year 2025. As a result, the state is now responsible for 10 percent of its SNAP costs, or approximately $174 million. This not only highlights the political power of the wealthy in crafting unfair laws, but it showcases the incompetence of Tuberville and most Republicans as public servants who are more than willing to subject their respective states to unnecessary burdens to satisfy any request from the president.

Alabama voters and those in other deeply red states are equally to blame. They trust lawmakers who genuinely do not have their best interests at heart. Democrats consistently sounded the alarm about this bill, and now the truth is out.

Alabama’s most vulnerable residents were ignored, and Tuberville, along with fellow Sen. Katie Britt, is now trying to clean up the damage. AL.com reported Sens. Tuberville and Britt were urged by leaders and partners of Alabama food banks to support a two-year waiver that would spare the state’s SNAP program from paying millions in cost-sharing payments until fiscal year 2029. Michael Ledger, CEO of Feeding the Gulf Coast, stated, “We are talking about penalties to states because of administrative errors.

Administrative errors are not fraud.

Fraud only runs 1 percent to 2 percent.”

Meanwhile, AL.com reports Alabama faces two possible outcomes if the waiver is not approved: the state will fund the cost-sharing pay-

ment, or it could lose its SNAP program. “To pay the cost share, state lawmakers would need to identify $174 million in the fiscal year 2027 budget. If lawmakers are unable or unwilling to allocate the funding, Alabama would have to reduce the number of SNAP participants or opt out of the program entirely,” said AL.com reporter Michael Yielding.

Persuadable Republican voters could be waking up. In the race for governor, Sen. Tuberville is not doing as well as expected against the Democratic nominee, former Sen. Doug Jones. In the 2020 Senate race, Tuberville received 61 percent of the vote against Jones.

Now, only 49 percent say they will “definitely” or “probably” vote for Tuberville. Tuberville said he will likely not debate Jones during the final months of the gubernatorial race. While other local issues come into play in the race for governor, Alabama is not the only red state where Democrats are shifting the political landscape. A late August 2026 poll by Texas Public Opinion Research shows Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton 48 percent to 42 percent in the Texas U.S. Senate race. In Iowa, the Cook Political Report has shifted the state’s U.S. Senate race to a toss-up, reflecting a tightening contest between Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek.

The report notes the economic pressures on Iowa’s agriculture industry as a factor challenging Republicans politically. A recent Fox News poll unexpectedly put Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott just one point ahead of his Democratic opponent, state legislator Gina Hinojosa. If primary voting data becomes a major trend, it shows that Black voters are upset and are turning out in higher numbers since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. A combination of upset Republican and Black voters could spell electoral troubles for the GOP in traditionally safe seats in Republican stronghold states.

(David W. Marshall is the founder of the faithbased organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.)

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FORUM

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

Kiya and Mike Tomlin are Pittsburgh People On the selected date to welcome to Pittsburgh the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his family, University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg was scheduled to be out of town. But as schedules would have it, a decision was made to proceed with the welcome wagon hosting in a partnership between the University and the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People((NAACP).

As one of the vice presidents of the University at the time, yours truly represented the school for the festivity, cohosting with the NAACP. That organization’s President Gayle Moss delivered her customary appropriately warm remarks to the Tomlin family and an audience of African American community supporters as well as African American University of Pittsburgh folks. In my comments, both open and private, I tried to make clear that Pittsburgh regarded itself as a city of sports champions—steel and ketchup notwithstanding.

Mike Tomlin would be the only Black coach of a major professional sport in Pittsburgh’s-then 249 years.

In this town, his victories would be lauded but those African Americans assembled—and elsewhere— would be his champion in both the triumphant days and during the tough times.

Michael Pettaway Tomlin was born in Hampton, Virginia on the ides of March, 1972. He played the

Robert Hill

Commentary wide receiver position at the College of William and Mary (the alma mater of drop-out and slaveholder President Thomas Jefferson) and graduated in 1995 with a degree in sociology. He became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at William and Mary.

Early in his coaching career with various teams, Mike Tomlin developed as a defensive coach. And with his Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coaching, the team won the 2003 Super Bowl, delivering a record five interceptions resulting in three touchdowns.

After a season of coaching with the Minnesota Vikings—where two players were older than he—Mike Tomlin became the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007. I leave it to the sportswriters and others to advance the shoulda, woulda, coulda aspects of Mike Tomlin’s Steelers leadership.

I, instead, observe the glory of the Tomlin uniqueness while he coached the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Tomlin led the Pittsburgh Steelers for 19 seasons.

He held the National Football League (NFL) record for winning more games than he lost in each of those 19 seasons. He smashed the NFL record for season winning streaks.

At the time of Mike Tomlin’s 2025 exit from coaching the Steelers, no one in football, baseball, basketball or ice hockey in the major leagues in the United States and Canada had been head coach longer than he.

Among his other achievements as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, the supreme victory was Mike Tomlin’s winning the Super Bowl in 2009, at the time the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl.

Mike Tomlin was accompanied by his wife Kiya, her mother Susan Winston, little sons Dino and Mason as well as baby girl Harley at that 2007 welcome reception that was hosted by the Pittsburgh chapter of the NAACP and the University of Pittsburgh.

Morristown, N.J.- born Kiya Winston Tomlin, who connected with Mike Tomlin when she was a William and Mary gymnast, is a designer and entrepreneur.

With medical doctor aspirations, she earned a William and Mary bachelor’s degree in 1996. Shifting focus, she formally studied fashion design at the University of Cincinnati.

Not merely a wife of a lionized NFL coach, Kiya Tomlin developed in Pittsburgh as that designer and entrepreneur in the world of fashion. Her Kiya Tomlin lines have earned her a place among America’s distinguished figures in the world of clothing creation, branding and marketing. She not only blends comfort and elegance in her day-to-day women’s clothing styles but has captured the spirit of the NFL with her women’s apparel for all of the league’s teams.

Kiya Tomlin’s and my paths crossed some time after the welcome party. I witnessed her designs mesmerize an audience at a fashion showcase charity event presented by Pittsburgh impresaria Demeatria Boccella. Kiya Tomlin greeted me warmly and remembered fondly the welcome party.

In 2024 Demeatria Boccella’s Fashion AFRICANA event was cochaired by Kiya Tomlin, evidence of her continuing commitment to Pittsburgh.

As a confirmed urbanite, I was impressed to learn that Kiya and Mike Tomlin did not purchase a McMansion in a toney Pittsburgh suburb. Rather, their comfortable east end Tudor home is well within the city limits of this town.

Those two little Tomlin boys grew up not in some privileged New England boarding school but here in Pittsburgh. After high school, Michael Dean Tomlin (Dino) played football for the University of Maryland and later Boston College as a wide receiver. Younger brother Mason became an Ivy Leaguer, playing defensive back at Columbia University in Manhattan.

That Harley Tomlin baby girl is today an accomplished varsity gymnast at the University of Georgia.

During his 19 busy seasons as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin made time to embrace the Pittsburgh community. I saw him out and about on more than one occasion.

University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg was eventually able to greet the coach. The pair was seen on nationwide television as Chancellor Nordenberg hosted Coach Tomlin at a Big East basketball game at home here in Pittsburgh, where the coach’s William and Mary African American classmate, David Cox, had been appointed director of operations for the University’s men’s basketball team.

(Robert Hill is an award-winning Pittsburgh writer and communications consultant)

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The race realist, the plagiarist, and the irreversible damage This tragedy begins with two scholars, one White and the other Black, hired a year apart at the University of Cambridge in England.

The White Scholar In 2022, Nathan Cofnas, then in his mid-thirties, was appointed as an early-career research fellow at the faculty of philosophy. He also became a research associate at Emmanuel College.

In 2019, the international journal Philosophical Psychology published Cofnas’s paper, which argued for studying race and intelligence through the lens of race realism. Nine scholars wrote a joint letter to the journal stating that Cofnas’s research was not up to academic standards since he ignored major studies that disproved his position and that his paper could only be considered an attempt to promote scientific racism. The editor of Philosophical Psychology resigned due to the controversy.

Once at Cambridge, Cofnas quickly became embroiled in another controversy over race realism, which many academics consider pseudo-science.

In a 2024 Substack post, Cofnus stated that in a meritocratic system, Black people would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment, and Harvard faculty would be recruited from the best of the best students, which means the number of Black professors would approach zero per cent.

Students immediately complained that Cofnus supported “the logic of eugenics” and called for his dismissal. Prominent academics around the world opposed the firing of Cofnas on the grounds of academic freedom, but Emmanuel College dismissed Cofnas because his views on DEI and race ran contrary to the institution’s core values.

The Black Scholar At 37 years old, Jason Arday became the youngest Black professor ever appointed at the university in 2023. Prior to joining Cambridge, Arday taught at Leeds Beckett University, Roehampton University, Durham University, and the University of Glasgow.

The head of the faculty of education stated that Arday was the “best in the world” in the type of research that he conducted on race, inequity, and social mobility in education. The pro-vice-chancellor for education said Arday’s experience highlights the barriers faced by many under-represented groups

J. Pharoah Doss

Check It Out across higher education, especially at leading universities, and Cambridge has a responsibility to do everything possible to address these issues by creating academic spaces where everyone feels they belong.

Arday instantly became an international celebrity, but not for his academic work; it was his life story that captured all the attention.

Arday claimed that at 3 years old he was diagnosed with autism, global developmental delay, deafness, and dyscalculia.

He was non-verbal until 11, and he couldn’t read and write until he was 18. When Arday was 18, he was assaulted by two people, which he claimed led to the development of epilepsy; during his first year of undergraduate studies, he was also diagnosed with dyslexia.

The same year Cambridge hired Arday, he won the “Most Inspirational Person of the Year Award” at the Multicultural Business and Community Champion Awards and came in 4th place in the Shaw Trust list of the 100 most influential disabled people in the United Kingdom.

Plagiarism In 2026, Cofnus was hired as a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University. Students protested and petitioned for Cofnus’s discharge, but the university refused, citing academic freedom.

Again, it didn’t take long before Cofnus was involved in a controversial matter.

He published a Substack post called DEI Fraud and Cover-Up at Cambridge: University Refuses to Investigate DEI Star’s Plagiarism. He revealed that Arday’s 2015 PhD dissertation had substantial verbatim copying from a previously published work and that the 10 papers representing his most important work contained plagiarism, did not employ scholarly methods, or were not actually written by Arday.

Cofnus stated that there are serious questions about Arday’s biographical claims. Developing normal speaking abilities after being nonverbal until age 11 is medically improbable, and he left secondary school with a General Certificate of Secondary Education in Physical Education

and Textiles. These tests require literacy, and they are normally taken at age 15 or 16, but Arday claimed to have not learned to read and write until 18.

Cofnus further said that most Cambridge professors had known for over a year that Arday was a plagiarist with a fabricated background.

The Media Journalists from major media sources around the world went deeper and validated Cofnus’s claims, prompting hundreds of headlines labeling Arday an academic fraud.

The New York Times said, “In hindsight, elements of Dr Arday’s story seemed too good to be true; Cambridge ignored repeated warning signs … in addition to passing over more experienced candidates for the job, administrators gushed publicly about Dr Arday’s scholarship and privately disregarded complaints about his work. They declined to investigate plagiarism concerns and accused his critics of a “vile campaign” to discredit him. Dr Arday’s claims about not speaking were false, a former classmate and a speech professional who worked with him told The New York Times. His supposedly remarkable trajectory from nonverbal preteen to Ph.D. had no precedent in medical literature, experts in developmental and speech delays say.

That should have set off alarm bells for the Cambridge hiring committee.”

To avoid further embarrassment, Cambridge launched an independent investigation into Arday’s appointment. Arday immediately resigned but clarified that his resignation was not an admission of guilt.

Days later Arday was found dead; it is believed that he took his own life.

Irreversible Damage Arday’s supporters have blamed his death on Cofnus’s vendetta against his former employer, the media attack on Arday’s credentials, and Cambridge’s inability to safeguard a Black scholar, but Arday’s backers are oblivious to the irreversible damage caused by Arday’s charade.

Arday’s story provided hope for parents of autistic nonverbal children whose child’s probability rate of achieving fully fluent speech was low. Arday’s story allowed them to believe that with more effort and the right speech therapist, anything was possible for their child, but their hope died right before Arday did.

American men have been in crisis for generations. A remedy from 1879 offers hope.

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Working-class men of every color have been in crisis for generations. The way out is to come together, for the sake of all our kids.

I understood the depth of it first at a friend’s twenty-first birthday party in college. Somebody raised a glass to celebrate him. Then another raised his and, before it reached his shoulder, tipped it.

He poured libations for the ones who did not make it. Shot, or sent away, before the rest of us got to college. In a room of nothing but young Black and Latino men, we all joined in.

A Latino friend from childhood, hiding from his own gang the last time I saw him. My best friend, Black, locked up for taking sunglasses from a Goodwill. A Filipino buddy shot dead that summer over a drug deal, folks said.

Splash. Splash. Splash.

Then a friend lifted his glass and toasted the plain fact that one more of us had lived to twenty-one.

That cut me like a knife. In the richest country on earth we were congratulating a Black man for breathing past his birthday.

That grief runs deep in our community. But it floats on deeper American water.

Not long after, my mind raced through every young man I knew who was suffering or gone. Among them, White friends whose father killed himself when we were teenagers, after the plant let him go.

Last week I promised you numbers on the crisis facing our nation’s men. Here are a few.

Start with work. About seven million American men between twenty-five and fifty-four are neither working nor looking for a job. More than one in ten. Every recovery of the last fifty years has left that share higher.

Then violence, which wears two

Ben Jealous

Commentary extreme faces. In 2023 Black men were murdered, usually by other Black men, at roughly eight times the rate of White men. Meanwhile White men killed themselves at nearly twice the rate of Black men.

Then prison. America locks up more of its people than almost any nation on earth. Here is what nobody says. Count White Americans alone and they are still locked up at several times the rate of Canada, Germany, or Japan.

This is a national problem, far bigger than any one community.

And yet we stay a house divided.

Divide and conquer is the oldest game in America. The British brought it here to keep the king rich. The Revolution should have killed it. It did not, because it works just as well at helping the rich get richer.

Whenever working people have reason to stand together, somebody pits them against each other. Dr. King named it in Montgomery in 1965. Borrowing from historian C. Vann Woodward, he called segregation a strategy to keep the masses divided and labor cheap.

After that party I went to my grandmother’s house and laid the burden on her table.

Her grandfather was Edward David Bland, born enslaved in Virginia in 1848. He was sixteen when he walked out of slavery in the last days of the war, and he learned to make shoes.

Then he went into politics at the worst moment imaginable. Recon-

struction was over, the troops sent home, the men who once ran the Confederacy taking it back with rifles.

He did the arithmetic anyway.

Poor White farmers wanted the same free schools his people wanted. Together they were a majority.

Apart they cancelled each other out.

So he pushed for a deal with the unlikeliest partner in Virginia, a railroad magnate and former Confederate general named William Mahone. In 1879 Bland stood before his own people and made the case.

He won them over.

They called themselves Readjusters, and they swept into power. In a few short years they abolished the whipping post, repealed the poll tax, and funded schools for every child.

Virginia had 415 Black teachers in 1879. Soon it had 1,588.

Then, in Danville, on November 3, 1883, after a circular full of lies about Black rule swept the town, White gunmen killed at least five people, four of them Black. Three days later White supremacists took back the legislature. The oldest trick, right on time.

Still, they had governed four years, in the old capital of the Confederacy.

The men in trouble today are in trouble together. The White man in the hollowed-out mill town and the Black man on the South Side want the same thing. A better future for their children.

They are not each other’s problem.

Nobody is coming to tell them so.

Bland did not wait for anyone. He did the math, organized, and made it real.

The old Readjuster arithmetic still works. Divided we cancel out our children’s dreams. Together our families are the majority that can make them real. Let’s get to work.

(Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former president and CEO of the NAACP.)

CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier

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SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

LEGAL ADVERTISING

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Legal Notices

Public Notice

Public Notice

Estate of WILLIAM E. MCDONALD (deceased), of Wexford, No.05525 of 2026, Valerie S. McDonald, Executrix or to Claire Johnson Saenz, Esq., Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky Attys. 444 Liberty Avenue, Ste. 2200 Bldg., Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Estate of MS. JOSIANE R. DRAGOJEVICH (deceased), of 297 Ewings Mill Road, Coraopolis, PA 15108, Estate No. 02-26-05271, Mr. Daniel Dragojevich, Executor c/o Feldman Law Group, 1322 5th Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of HILDA ROBINSON deceased of ­North Versailles, PA, Estate No. 022503204, Linda Baynes as the Administrator or to Quinntarra Morant, Esq., PO Box 10946, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 Estate of ADRIAN OWENS deceased of ­Pittsburgh, PA, Estate No. 022605412, Stayce Harris as the Administrator or to Quinntarra Morant, Esq., PO Box 10946, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 Estate of TERRI D. BELL, Deceased, of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Estate No. 02-25-07236, Mr. Otis Kpakpo, Administrator, 5818 Rippey Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, or to William L. Wallace, Esq., 5327 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011 Estate of FRANCIS L. DADY, JR., Deceased of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-26-05112, Justin P. Dady, Executor, 634 Penn Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15227 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of ZVONKA DOBIAS, Deceased, of Sewickley, Estate No.05392 of 2026, Kaitlyn Jurewicz (Quinn), Executrix, or to Claire Johnson Saenz, Esq., Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky, 444 Liberty Avenue, Ste. 2200, Pittsburgh PA 15222 Estate of THERESA Z. HENDERSON, Deceased of Clairton, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-26-05128, Beth Ann Harvey, Executor, 119 Oneida Valley Road, Chicora, PA 16025 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of EDITH MENEFEE, Case No. 5374 of 2026. Charles Allen Davis, Jr. appointed Administrator by Order dated August 19, 2026. Peter B. Lewis Counsel, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

Estate of RACHEL D. TOME, Deceased of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-26-05229, Andrew H. Faure, Executor, 2612 Whitehaven Boulevard, Stubenville, OH 43952 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

ANNOUNCEMENTS Public Notice

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 141 N Braddock Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15208 on September 16th, 2026 at 11:00 AM. Randy Kimble-2213A, Frances Dorman-3251A, Dean Dorsey-5001, Shavonnie AdamsL120. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 111 Hickory Grade Road Bridgeville PA 15017, September 16, 2026, at 12:30 PM. Whitney Farmer 2001, Darwin Euceda 2060. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, Will hold a Public Auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 902 Brinton Road Pittsburgh PA 15221.

SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2026 at 11:30am. For CHARLES WASHINGTON 2249, WILFORD CLARK 2275, WILLIAM LOUGHNER 2282, CARL PARKER 3021. The auction will be advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS… THE ONLY WAY TO GO!

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE REVISED MOVING TO WORK HOMEOWNERSHIP PLAN The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) is a participant in the federal Moving to Work (MTW) Demonstration Program. The HACP MTW Homeownership Program is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved MTW activity and is contained in the MTW Annual Plan appendices.

HACP is updating its MTW Homeownership Plan. Key changes include increasing the employment requirement from 12 months to 24 months, strengthening homeownership preparation and partnerships, clarifying eligibility, application and waiting-list procedures, establishing processes for scattered-site homeownership opportunities, and enhancing financial assistance, home warranty coverage, education, and other supports intended to promote sustainable homeownership.

The revised Homeownership Plan is available for review and comment from Sunday, from August 23, 2026, to September 22, 2026, on the HACP Web Site: www.hacp.org. Printed copies of the FY 2027 MTW Homeownership Plan can be obtained by contacting Serra Heck in the HACP Asset Management Department at 412-456-5000 extension 3291, or Serra.Heck@hacp.org.

Public Hearings to receive public comments on the FY 2027 HACP MTW Homeownership Plan will be held on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., and 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. The Zoom Meeting information can be accessed at www.hacp.org Written comments on the FY 2027 HACP MTW Homeownership Plan must be addressed to: “Attention: Serra Heck - HACP FY 2027 Moving to Work Homeownership Plan” at the HACP Asset Management Office, 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 7th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, or Serra.Heck@hacp.org, and must be received by 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

Once approved, the final FY 2027 HACP MTW Homeownership Plan will be effective on the first day of the fiscal year, January 1, 2027, or after the HACP receives approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Moving to Work Office, whichever occurs later.

If you are a person with disability and need assistance, an alternate format of this notice, or accessible ways to submit comments, please contact the Disability Compliance Office at 412-456-5282 or dial 711 for TTY. Extra Space Storage will be holding a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 700 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203 on September 16, 2026 at 12:15pm. 2009 Chyna Morton, 4012 Raymond Covington. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1005 E Entry Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15216 on 9/16/2026 at 11:30 AM. For Robert Berry 2141, Jeremiah Liptak 2233, Justin Limley 3132, Justin Bush 4164 . The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at location indicated: 6400 Hamilton Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206, September 16,2026 at 1:45pm. Maria Hurt-2009, Darnell Foster-L084. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be paid with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 2016 Lebanon Rd, West Mifflin, PA 15122 on September 16th, 2026 at 11:45am. Katherine Coddington B799, Scott Pendzich C143, Cameron Sutton C345, Corey Keyes C528, Michael Canova C617, Eric Richardson C716. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

BOROUGH OF BELLEVUE BUDGET WORKSHOPS Notice is hereby given that the Borough of Bellevue will conduct 2027 Budget Workshops on the following dates: October 1, October 15, November 5 from 6:30-8:30 pm and December 3 from 6:007:00 pm in the 2nd floor Council Chambers, 537 Bayne Avenue, Bellevue PA, 15202.

James E. Kelly Director of Administrative Services

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

NOTICE OF SCHEDULED CAPITAL REQUEST REVIEW MEETING (Pursuant to the Act of July 19, 1994, P.L. #386, 65 P.S. 261) THE CITY OF PITTSBURGHEQUIPMENT LEASING AUTHORITY 3RD QUARTER BOARD MEETING SHALL BE HELD ON: Thursday, October 8th, 2026 at 2:00 P.M. CITY COUNTY BUILDING, ROOM 646 (THE LEARNING LAB) PITTSBURGH, PA 15219 ELA business to be considered.

This meeting is open to the public to participate in person or via conference call at the following number: Call-in Number: 1-412-851-3584 Guest Passcode: 202 409 159# NOTICE – BOROUGH OF THORNBURG RESCHEDULED MEETING The Council of the Borough of Thornburg will reschedule its regular September business meeting from September 7, 2026, to Tuesday, September 8, 2026. At that meeting, Council will conduct any business coming before it. Said meeting shall be held on September 8, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. at Thornburg Borough Municipal Building, 545 Hamilton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205.

Colleen Kamnikar, Secretary/ Treasurer Borough of Thornburg PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held before the Borough of Wilkinsburg Zoning Hearing Board on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers of the Borough Building located at 605 Ross Avenue, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221, to consider the following application: ZHB 9-17-26: Applicant, IM Pittsburgh, LLC, seeks variances from Section 260-314 and Table 7 of the Wilkinsburg Zoning Ordinance for property located at 900 Brinton Road, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221, Block and Lot No. 233R-210. The Applicant is seeking relief from the required twenty-foot (20’) minimum rear setback to allow for the placement of two (2) additional generators associated with an existing data center use on the property. The subject property is located in the C-1 Auto-Oriented Commercial Zoning District.

Those residents and taxpayers of the Borough and/or those who otherwise have legal standing will be permitted to provide testimony and evidence at the hearing.

Information regarding this application can be viewed in the Wilkinsburg Code Enforcement Office, 605 Ross Avenue, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Doug R. Yuhouse, Code Enforcement Director

SONNY BOY 9 2 1

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Notice

Public Notice

LOGS LEGAL GROUP LLP BY: WILLIAM MILLER, PA I.D. NO. 308951 BRIAN GELBERT, PA I.D. NO. 325415 STEVEN PALMER, PA I.D. NO. 334553 LESLIE J. RASE, PA I.D. NO. 58365 KEVIN T. TONCZYCZYN, PA I.D. NO. 332616 ELIZABETH L. WASSALL, PA I.D. NO. 77788 JOSEPH L. LoCASTRO, IV, PA I.D. NO. 314973 985 OLD EAGLE SCHOOL ROAD, SUITE 514 WAYNE, PA 19087 TELEPHONE: (610) 278-6800 E-MAIL: PAHELP@LOGS.COM LLG FILE NO. CXE 23-068711 U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association not in its individual capacity but solely as Trustee for the CIM TRUST 2023-NR1 Mortgage-Backed Notes, Series 2023-NR1 PLAINTIFF vs.

Adam L. Magyar, known Heir of Melvina June Magyar, deceased Andrew C. Magyar, known Heir of Melvina June Magyar, deceased Aubrey R. Sanutelli, known Heir of Melvina June Magyar, deceased Unknown Heirs, Successors, Assigns and All Persons, Firms or Associations Claiming Right, Title or Interest from or under Melvina June Magyar, deceased DEFENDANTS COURT OF COMMON PLEAS ALLEGHENY COUNTY CASE NO. MG-24-000215 NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL PROPERTY TO: Unknown Heirs, Successors, Assigns and All Persons, Firms or Associations Claiming Right, Title or Interest from or under Melvina June Magyar, deceased 1160 Alice Avenue Clairton, PA 15025 THIS FIRM IS A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. IF YOU HAVE PREVIOSULY RECEIVED A DISCHARGE IN BANKRUPTCY, THIS IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED TO BE AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT, BUT ONLY ENFORCEMENT OF A LIEN AGAINST PROPERTY. Your house (real estate) at: 1160 Alice Avenue, Clairton, PA 15025 is scheduled to be sold at Sheriff’s Sale on November 2, 2026 at 9:00AM, in Allegheny County, Fourth Floor, Gold Room, Courthouse, Pittsburgh, PA to enforce the court judgment of $77,136.21 obtained by U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association not in its individual capacity but solely as Trustee for the CIM TRUST 2023-NR1 Mortgage-Backed Notes, Series 2023-NR1 (the mortgagee) against you. As a result, a writ of execution has been issued in the amount of $79,722.66.

NOTICE OF OWNER’S RIGHTS YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PREVENT THIS SHERIFF’S SALE To prevent this Sheriff’s Sale you must take immediate action: The sale will be cancelled if you pay back to the mortgagee the back payments, late charges, costs, and reasonable attorneys fees due. To find out how much you must pay, you may call: (610) 278-6800.

PLEASE NOTE a Schedule of Distribution will be filed by the Sheriff on a date specified by the Sheriff not later than thirty (30) days after sale.

Distribution will be made in accordance with the schedule unless exceptions are filed the reto within 20 days after the filing of the schedule.

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY D.B.A. PRT Electronic Bids will be received online at PRT’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org).

Bid submittals will be due at 1:00 PM on September 28, 2026 and will be read at 1:15 PM, the same day, though your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)

1

Bid Number

Bid Name

B26-39

Remix By Via

No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on the above solicitation on September 14, 2026, at 11:00 AM and can be joined through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conference. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged.

Teams meeting information is available within the Bid Documents for this solicitation on rideprt.org and eBusiness.rideprt.org. Potential bidders may also email the contract specialist assigned to the solicitation.

Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by PRT after 12:00 PM (noon) on September 18, 2026.

These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. PRT and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations.

Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing.

Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. PRT hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

The Board of PRT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

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CLASSIFIEDS

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFBS) FOR ABK DAYCARE EMERGENCY EGRESS, AMP-02 HACP IFB #600-22-26 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH will receive sealed bids for the ABK Daycare Emergency Egress Project, AMP-02.

The construction work is estimated to begin in December of 2026.

Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, August 31, 2026, and may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s webpage, www.hacp.org. Bidders may register on the website and download the bid documents free of charge. Electronic versions of the Bid Documents, including bid forms, project manual, and drawings can be picked up in person (appointment is necessary), Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6 Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Brandon Havranek, Associate Director of Procurement/Contracting Officer A Pre-Bid Conference and Site Visit will be held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.: Community Room Envision Center, 2305 Bedford Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 A site visit will be conducted thereafter. Bidders shall come prepared to review all aspects of the construction site necessary to prepare a bid.

Bids will be received at: HACP One Stop Shop 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6 Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Attn; Brandon Havranek, Associate Director of Procurement/Contracting Officer until 10:00 a.m. September 30, 2026, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

HACP will also accept online submissions for this Invitation for Bid in addition to accepting submission at 412 Boulevard of the Allies Office. For respondents wishing to submit online, please access the instruction provided in the project manual or on HACP’s website to submit the bid digitally. In addition to electronic submittal above, HACP will accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:30 am until the closing time of 10:00 a.m. on September 30, 2026, in the lobby of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Seal bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be time and date stamped at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6 Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. All bids must be received at the above address no late that September 30, 2026, at 10:00a.m. regardless of the selected delivery mechanism. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH reserves the right to waive any informality in or reject any and all bids. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids without the consent of the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted Construction Contracts.

The Contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin.

HACP has revised its website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFP documentation.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Brandon Havranek, Associate Director of Procurement at (412) 643-2890.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

SOFTWARE ENGINEER PRINCIPAL The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. seeks a Software Engineer Principal in Pittsburgh, PA. Participate in all aspects of PNC’s Corporate and Institutional Banking’s Systems Engineering Group activities. Specific duties include: (1) lead the technical design and development of software solutions; (2) analyze current business processes, define and develop different tasks and workflows; (3) create business and technical designs for assigned processes, tasks and workflows; (4) create requirement definition and technical specifications; (5) develop solutions from technical specifications to do the unit testing of the modules and deploy it into Non-Production and Production environments; (6) provide technical oversight to team members and guide the team in solving technical problems; (7) analyze user requirements and define functional and technical specifications; (8) analyze and resolve production issues including root cause analysis, performance monitoring and implementation of long-term fixes; and (9) support application upgrades, including framework, database and infrastructure changes.

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Applications, CIS, or MIS, plus 5 years of experience designing and implementing solutions using Java, Webservices REST/SOAP, Spring, JPA, JSON and Oracle PL/SQL is required. Must have experience with: (1) working with relational databases including writing and optimizing SQL queries on Oracle DB; (2) developing cloud enabled RESTful microservices with integrated compliance CI/ CD pipelines and auto-scaling needs; (3) designing and executing business rules with IBM ODM (Operational Decision Manager); (4) developing and deploying in multiple environments (RND, UAT, QA and Prod) using Jenkins CI/ CD automated integrated deployment pipelines with source code control and reviews using BitBucket and DevOps; (5) designing, developing and maintaining OBIEE reports and dashboards to support enterprise reporting needs; (6) developing software development solutions, including multiple integrations and business rules / business requirements in support of business; (7) leading teams through development and delivery of software development solutions; (8) implementing full project lifecycle software development including analysis, design, development, testing, implementation, support and enhancement; (9) proof of concept / process improvement development activities involving business assessment, feature analysis and development; and (10) utilizing additional tools and technologies including SoapUI, Eclipse/IntelliJ IDE, XSLT, Camel Framework, Netcracker JAXWS, JSON and Hibernate.

40 hours/week, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Interested individuals apply online at www.pnc.com using keyword R226587. PNC provides equal employment opportunity to qualified persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or other categories protected by law.

BUSINESS DATA SYSTEMS ANALYST RK Technologies Inc., hdqrtrd in Jefferson Hills, PA, has work-athome Business Data Systems Analyst position (w/ability to telecommute with approp. telecommuting systems; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Jefferson Hills, PA for weekly trips to Jefferson Hills, PA office) to serve as primary technical professional, for managing, analyzing, and optimizing data operations across 14 Domino’s franchise locations. Apply online at https://rktechnologiesinc.com/ careers COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

SONNY BOY LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

DOCUMENT 00030-AA ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA The Allegheny County Airport Authority will be receiving scanned PDF proposals through Submittable, and a submission link will be sent to each registered plan holder. Submissions are to be submitted via Submittable by 1:00 p.m. prevailing local time on September 30, 2026, and bids will be opened by the Airport Authority, and results will be emailed by end of business day of bid opening for the following project:

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR PAINTING OF UNITS FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT

ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) FOR CO-DEVELOPER SERVICES ARMDC RFQ #2026-46 The Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC) hereby request qualifications from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):

ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PROJECT NUMBER 7G1-26 (GENERAL) 2026 LANDSIDE PARKING LOT REHABILITATION AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT A pre-bid conference will be held at 1:00 p.m., on September 10, 2026, at the Allegheny County Airport A uthori ty, 1305 C her r ington Parkway Suite 100, Moon Township, PA 15108.

Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages, as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, must be paid on these projects.

Proposals must be made on the Authority’s form and in accordance with the Plans and Specifications and the “Instructions to Bidders”’.

The non-refundable charge of $150.00 for the Bid Documents and the Plans, and Specifications through the bi ddi ng pl atform Submittable at https://acaacapitalprograms. submittable.com.

Please note that Submittable does not support Internet Explorer 11.

Submittable recommends the following browsers: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.

This project has DBE participation goals; DBE firms must be certified with the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program) (PA UCP).

Firms must be certified prior to award of contract. A searchable database of DBE firms can be found on the PA UCP web site: https://paucp.dbesystem.com/ The Airport Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informalities in the bidding.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of sixty [60] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents visit www.flypittsburgh.com – ACAA Corporate – Business Opportunities or call 412-472-3677 or 412-4725647.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

IFB #250-29-26 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): PAINTING OF UNITS FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT The documents will be available no later than August 31, 2026, signed and sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on October 1, 2026. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only accept physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 a.m. on October 1, 2026, in the One Stop Shop at 412 Boulevard of the Allies.

Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 6th Floor Procurement, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.hacp.org.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Brandon Havranek, Associate Director of Procurement/Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 412 Boulevard of the Allies 6th Floor - Procurement Department Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Brandon. brandon.havranek@hacp.org A pre-bid meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on September 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Please see the meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 825 7804 5431 Passcode: 009158 Dial in: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages small businesses, minority businesses, women’s business enterprises, and veteran-owned businesses to respond to this solicitation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

SOFTWARE ENGINEER CONSOL Ming Company LLC (Canonsburg, PA) dlvrng wrk assgnd in Quote to Cash, Behavior Based Safety & OnBase app mntnce & admnstrtn; dlvrng IT app chngs incl fxng dfcts in app, enhncmnts & spprtng thm aftr Go-Live; utlzng vars tchnlgs, Oracle, Oracle PL/SQL, Oracle Frms, Oracle Rprts, SQL Srvr, C#, ASP.NET; rqrmnt collctn; hi lvl dsgn; dtld dsgn; sys tstng & intgrtn tstng; Usr Accptnc Tstng; app implmntn; applctn spprt; & resrch & anlys. Bchlr’s in Comp Sci, IT/IS or rel fld + 5 yrs prior progrsvly resp wrk exp in pos off or rel. Mst knw (thru acdmc traing or wrk exp) mngng the IT app chngs incl fixng defcts in app, enhncmnts & supprt aftr GoLv; chngng & supprtng for apps acrss IT landscp incl Mainframe, Java, Web Methods, Dot Net, & SAP tech; Oracle SQL & PL/SQL; effctv dsgn, wrtng & deplymnt of Oracle datbs tabls, vws, pckgs, trggrs; Java, C++, Python, .NET; desgng robst & scalbl systm archtctrs; applyng undrstndng desgn pattrns, micrsrvcs, & ablty to wrk w/ bth monlthc & dstrbtd systms; DevOps & methdlgs, incl CI/CD, infrstrctre as code, & autmtd tstng & dplymnt piplns; cmplx data strctrs & algrthms optmzng srch algrthms, srt algrthms, hsh tbls, trees, & grphs for vars apps; desgng, devlpng, enhncng, & supprtng entrprs sftwr apps usng Oracle & othr reltnl datbss to spprt oprtnl & finncl busnss procs; dvlpng & maintng datbs-drvn & frm-bsd entrpis apps, incl Oracle Frms & Rprts, w/ bcknd lgc implmntd usng SOL & PUSOL; anlyzng busnss reqrmnts & collbrtng to trnslt reqrmnts into techncl desgns, datbse modls, procss flws, & soltn specfctns; desgng & supprtng systm intgrtns betwn apps usng btch procssng, file trnsfrs, & APls, ensrng relbl data exchng acrss systms; appl tstng, deplymnt, & prodctn supprt, incl trblshtng app, data, & perfrmnc issues, rt-cse anlys, & implmntn of lng-trm fxs; supprtng apps oprtng in envrnmnts govrnd by ITGC & SOX cmplnc reqrmnts, wrkng w/in frml chng mngmnt, accss cntrl, & audt procss; Unix/ Linux & shll scrptng to supprt btch jobs, autmtn tsks, app dplmnts, & oprtnl mntrng; Oracle RDBMS; OCI; sys intgrtn using btch prcssing, fl trnsfrs, APIs, messgng. Resumes to MariaFarneth@consolenergy.com

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS

CO-DEVELOPER SERVICES The RFQ documents will be available on or about August 24th, 2026.

Copies of RFQ documents are not available for in-person pickup.

Firms interested in responding may obtain a copy of the RFQ documents from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP Website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Respondents may register as a vendor on the website and download the documents free of charge.

A pre-submission meeting via audio conference will be held via Zoom on September 3rd, 2026 at 10:00 A.M.: https://hacporg.zoom.us/ j/86707378459?pwd=5CY9Tbgq DPFq0wyJRqLS6M3etyaE2h.1 Meeting ID: 867 0737 8459 Passcode: 781739 Call-In: +1 (301) 715-8592 (Washington DC) The deadline for final submission of written questions is September 10th, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. The deadline for submission of qualifications is September 29th, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. Submissions may be sent to: Mr. Brandon Havranek, Associate Director of Procurement Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 412 Boulevard of the Allies 6th Floor, Procurement Department Pittsburgh, PA 15219 The Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation will only be accepting physical submissions dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on September 29th, 2026. Qualifications may still be submitted electronically at the following link: ht t ps: / / w w w. dropbox. com/ request/40mwxjvjfau5vh4ldp5p and can still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 412 Boulevard of the Allies Lobby, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THIS SOLICITATION. Caster D. Binion, President & CEO Allies & Ross Management & Development Corporation ARMDC & HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time September 8, 2026 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria: ICE MELT General Information regarding bids m ay be obt ained at t he Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links.

The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district

CLASSIFIEDS

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

ADMINISTRATOR – BUS MAINTENANCE TRAINING Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Administrator – Bus Maintenance Training to develop, implement and coordinate employees training and qualification programs for the maintenance and servicing of Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT)’s bus fleet and small transit vehicles. Develops and implements applicable supervisory and management training and identifies and coordinates skill proficiency and leadership development opportunities. Meets with the maintenance managers and supervisors at the field locations to determine training and development needs and then develops and conducts periodic needs analysis to assess future training needs. Assist in the development and oversight of the training program for student bus maintenance employees. Participates in the development of standard operating procedures and safety awareness programs for the maintenance of transit buses, small transit vehicles and all supporting tools and equipment.

DIRECTOR OF TRANSIT AMENITIES Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Director of Transit Amenities to be responsible for the strategic direction, training/ development, and daily tasks of the Field Data and Transit Amenities Managers and their staff. Ensures that goals for tasks such as asset inventories, public communications for new projects, and inspection activities are met and that assets are kept in a state of good repair.

Assets and programs include: bus stops, bus shelters, park and ride facilities, layover facilities, paper timetables, and wayfinding signage.

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY D.B.A. PITTSBURGH REGIONAL TRANSIT “PRT” Electronic Proposals will be received online at PRT’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.rideprt.org).

Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on September 9, 2026 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, the same day, through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following: Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.rideprt.org)

Bid Number

Bid Name

1

B26-08-50

March Networks Video Surveillance Equipment

2

B26-08-51

Abestos-Free Brake Blocks Assembled on Shoes

3

B26-08-52

Fastener Supply Services

No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

To join the bid opening through Microsoft Teams meeting on your computer, mobile app or room device Meeting ID: 266 899 694 928 045 Passcode: rR6U5uw9 Or call in (audio only) 412-927-0245 Phone Conference ID: 566 700 908#

No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held for each of the above items at 10:00 AM on August 25, 2026, through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged.

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device Meeting ID: 233 801 634 910 605 Passcode: A2dB26iY Or call in (audio only) 412-927-0245 Phone Conference ID: 892 039 49# Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the PRT within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening.

These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. PRT and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations.

Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing.

Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. PRT hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

The Board of PRT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

NOT JUST A NEWSPAPER. THIS IS BLACK HISTORY.

Essential Functions: • Assist the Assistant Director of Bus Maintenance Training in the planning and supervision of the daily activities of the Maintenance Technical Trainers at the bus divisions and Main Shop support facility in the development and implementation of employee training programs.

Initiates activities related to hiring, promotions, transfers, evaluations, training, other personnel and service records.

• Develops course content and method of presentation. Develops and maintains training manuals and materials. Coordinates the scheduling of classroom on-the-job training components of all bus maintenance training. Evaluates the effectiveness of training programs.

• Meets regularly with the maintenance managers and supervisors at the field locations to determine training and development needs. Develops and conducts periodic needs analysis to assess future training needs.

Coordinates the development and implementation of employee training and qualification program.

Job requirements include: • High school diploma or GED. • Bachelor’s degree in education, organizational development or related field from an accredited college or university. Directly related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience in training and development or related field. No certifications or licenses required.

• Minimum of four (4) year’s supervisory/ management experience.

• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement employee technical training programs.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Word, and Excel.

• Effective and professional communication skills.

Preferred attributes: • Bus maintenance experience.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft PowerPoint and Access.

(Annual Salary $85,200 - $127,800) We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package.

Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Charmaine Harris Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Charris@RidePRT.org EOE

CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

Essential Functions: • Directs activities of the Manager of Transit Amenities, Manager of Field Data and the Transit Amenities Designer and their staff. Provides direction on Goals and Objectives and meets regularly with staff to deliver feedback on achievement of goals to advance the mission of Port Authority. Responsible for the training/development and guidance for employee development to increase work process efficiencies.

• Responsible for planning and development of transit amenity programs and the public communications related to these programs. Ensures that assets are inventoried on a regular basis to maintain the system’s state of good repair and safety.

Reviews recommendations for implementation of changes to the placement of bus stops. Works with the Planning and Service Development Department, Engineering Departments, contractors, and others as necessary to ensure changes are designed and implemented appropriately.

• Ensures that communications between the Transit Amenity group and Road Operations/Special Services group are well coordinated and sufficient to ensure as seamless a passenger experience as possible with regards to temporary and long-term detours as they relate to transit stops.

Job requirements include: • BA/BS Degree in Business Administration, Transportation, Planning or directly related field from an accredited school. Directly related experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in Transportation Planning for mass transit, scheduling, service planning, customer service, asset management, management, or related field. Experience may be substituted by advanced education on a year for year basis.

• Minimum of three (3) years of management experience.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Microsoft Word and Excel.

• Customer focused, well organized, and results oriented.

• Professional and effective communication skills.

• Valid PA driver’s license or ability to obtain one.

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

B7

The New Pittsburgh Courier....

Often Imitated.

NEVER Duplicated.

Call Allison Palm for your subscription at 412-481-8302, ext. 136.

Support the publication that is ALWAYS focused on Pittsburgh’s African American community.

Subscribe to the Courier today by calling 412-481-8302, ext. 136.

Preferred attributes: • Knowledge of Port Authority transit system and Allegheny County.

• Asset management experience.

• Union staff management experience.

• Project Management experience.

(Annual Salary $105,200 - $157,800) We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package.

Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 @RidePRT.org EOE

Support the publication that is ALWAYS focused on Pittsburgh’s African American community.

Subscribe to the Courier today by calling 412-481-8302, ext. 136.

METRO

B8 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

THOMAS MCCLELLAN

Accounting Specialist Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship Thomas McClellan grew up in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh and graduated from Peabody High School. After high school, he attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Upon graduating, McClellan began his career as a Financial Analyst at BNY Mellon in the Asset Servicing Department. After BNY Mellon, he worked as a consultant for organizations including Allegheny Health Network, Gateway Health Plan, and Duolingo, providing financial services in accounts payable, accounts receivable, and financial management. Those experiences led him to a position as a Senior Accountant with the Pittsburgh Parking Authority.

Today, McClellan serves as an Accounting Specialist at the Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship (PHCSE), where he supports the organization’s financial and operational functions. McClellan’s responsibilities include budgeting, accounts payable and receivable, grant management, purchasing, financial reporting, compliance, and other operational initiatives that help ensure the school runs efficiently. This role allows him to combine his accounting expertise with his passion for serving students, families, and the community through education. McClellan also supports the planning and financial operations of Do-

minus High School, helping develop the systems and infrastructure needed to prepare for its future opening.

McClellan is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration at Point Park University. His goal is to continue growing as a leader who can make a meaningful impact in education, nonprofit organizations, and the communities he serves.

McClellan’s passion for making a difference in the community ultimately led him back to where he grew up through the Garfield Gators youth football organization. McClellan currently coaches 7and 8-year-old athletes, but the mission extends far beyond football. McClellan strives to help boys become respectful, responsible, and confident young men by teaching discipline, accountability, teamwork, and leadership. That mission is deeply personal to McClellan because the Garfield Gators played a significant role in shaping the man he is today. Being able to give back to the next generation and positively impact the lives of young people is one of the most rewarding aspects of McClellan’s life.

EDITOR’S NOTE: IN THE AUG. 19, 2026, COURIER MEN OF EXCELLENCE SPECIAL SECTION, THOMAS MCCLELLAN’S BIO LISTED AN ERROR. IT HAS BEEN CORRECTED ABOVE. WE REGRET THE ERROR.

2 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

S ponsors THANK YOU TO OUR

AWARD SPONSOR

BENEFACTOR SPONSORS

HONOREES KIRK GILBERT AND MARCUS WOODARD, AT THE NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER’S MEN OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS CEREMONY, AUG. 21, 2026, AT THE SHERATON HOTEL STATION SQUARE. (ALL PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

PATRON SPONSORS

HONOREES PASTOR ROBERT C. HOLMES, VANN L. WILLIAMS AND EDGAR FOLKS.

MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

Courier’s ‘Men of Excellence’ Class of 2026 full of success stories

3

Awards ceremony held, Aug. 21, at the Sheraton Hotel

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Year after year, when some say it couldn’t be done, the New Pittsburgh Courier continues to honor 50 African American men who are, in essence, kicking butt and taking names in their respective careers.

The Courier has been honoring 50 Black “Men of Excellence” since 2008.

With the exception of a few years, it has been an annual celebration. Not bad for a Pittsburgh market that is losing African Americans in the city each year and isn’t known as a destination spot for African Americans to settle from other cities.

“I’m feeling wonderful, feeling blessed,” said Class of 2026 honoree Dennis Garner Jr., right after he received his award during a star-studded event at the Sheraton Hotel Station Square. “Feeling like tonight was a night of purpose and promise fulfilled,

not just for the (New) Pittsburgh Courier, but just the whole culture of excellence that Pittsburgh represents.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers were playing a home preseason game at the same time as the “Men of Excellence” Awards Ceremony.

But for the 400 attendees at the Courier’s event, they were only concerned with their star players dressed not in Black and Gold, but in black suits, navy blue suits, beige suits, even a “kilt,” worn by honoree Rico Rucker.

“I’m a creator, it’s all about the culture,” Rucker told the Courier. “My whole mission was to ‘kilt’ it so I had to wear a kilt.”

WPXI-TV (Channel 11) anchor/reporter Jatara McGee served as the event’s celebrity host. She introduced Rev. A. Marie Walker to the stage, who gave the invocation. Then, dinner was served, with Brother Marlon Martin spinning the R&B and Hip-Hop classics for the

HONOREE EMEKA ONWUGBENU, WITH FAMILY, AT THE COURIER’S MEN OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS CEREMONY, AUG. 21, 2026.

HONOREE JOHN D. THOMAS, WITH FAMILY.

hour. After dinner, Courier sales director Ashley Johnson thanked the sponsors of the event: Wabtec Corporation, WQED, the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne Light Company, McAuley Ministries and BOOM! Concepts.

This year’s “Men of Excellence” event featured an appearance from Real Times Media CEO Hiram Jackson, who saluted the honorees in his on-stage remarks. He also implored everyone in the audience to “learn about the history” of the Pittsburgh Courier, which has been in existence in Pittsburgh serving the African American community for 116 years.

Real Times Media is the parent company of the New Pittsburgh Courier,

headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

Courier editor and publisher Rod Doss then took the stage, again saluting the honorees and imploring them to soar to even greater heights.

Around 8:45 p.m., it was time to hand out some hardware...the “Men of Excellence” awards were given out to the 50 honorees, and then a video tribute was played before media icon Chris Moore was awarded the “Men of Excellence” Legacy Award. Moore has been a mainstay in media for more than 50 years, most known for being the host of the WQED-TV show “Black Horizons.” He has done so much in his proSEE MOE PAGE 4

4 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The Men of Excellence—Class of 2026 MOE FROM PAGE 3

fessional career, including hosting radio shows on the former WCXJ and for 32 years on KDKA Radio; host of “OnQ” on WQED, a regular host on the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel, a television show producer, and co-founder of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation’s Urban Journalism Workshop.

Instead of keeping his knowledge about the media profession to himself, he gave his knowledge to the younger generations through the workshop, propelling many African Americans into the media field today.

Moore was front-andcenter when the group photo of the “Men of Excellence” was taken after

the event.

Honoree Ron Idoko told the Courier at the event that he continues to want to strive because, “I truly believe in a world where everyone can thrive and reach their fullest potential, and I know that’s going to require ongoing work. I believe we’re all works in progress and to the extent that if we apply

HONOREES RICK JACKSON AND PASTOR JONATHAN H. ROBINSON.

HONOREE RICO RUCKER, WITH SUPPORTERS.

ourselves every day, we can continue to achieve and reach something better.”

Garner Jr. was also asked what keeps him wanting to achieve more.

“First and foremost, my faith in God,” Garner, the longtime Mt. Ararat Bap-

tist Church member, said.

“God gives me all power and all strength to do what I do to be who I am.

He continues to affirm my purpose every step of the way. Also, my beautiful family, always having a good support system behind you. And then ulti-

mately when no one else believes in you, just believing in myself to know that I can be whatever I want to be and do what I want to do, as long as it’s in line and in accordance with God’s will for my life.”

HONOREE PASTOR ROBERT C. HOLMES, WITH FAMILY.

HONOREE LENNY MCALLISTER, WITH FAMILY.

MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

The Legacy Honoree — Chris Moore

CLASS OF 2026 LEGACY HONOREE CHRIS MOORE, WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

5

6 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

HIRAM JACKSON - CEO, REAL TIMES MEDIA, INC.

THE NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER TABLE

HONOREE J. THOMAS AGNEW

MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

The Men of Excellence—Class of 2026

THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH-BENEFACTOR SPONSOR

The Sponsors

THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH DAVID C. FREDERICK HONORS COLLEGE- VIP TABLE HOST

Congratulations Rhyan Cochrane

2026 Men of Excellence Honoree From lineworkers to underground splicers, to engineers and everyone in between — our people make a difference. Find your place at DuquesneLight.org/careers.

Rhyan Cochrane | Director, Substations & Grid P/C

DUQUESNE LIGHT COMAPNY-BENEFACTOR SPONSOR

7

8 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The Men of Excellence—Class of 2026 The Sponsors

WABTEC CORPORATION-AWARDS SPONSOR

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MCAULEY MINISTRIES-PATRON SPONSOR

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

J. THOMAS AGNEW Co-Owner/Operations Director BOOM Concepts

CHARLES ANDERSON

Career Services Manager, Grant Associates Inc.; Owner, Chuck8301Music, LLC

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

RHYAN COCHRANE, PE, PMP

Director of Substations & Grid Protection/Control Duquesne Light Company

JUSTIN DIXON

Owner & Chef 1403 Ent. Catering Co., LLC

Hail to Possible!

Congratulations to the 2026 New Pittsburgh Courier Men of Excellence Honorees.

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SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

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12 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

DREW J. ELLERBEE, CISA

Internal Audit-IT Specialist, Howmet Aerospace; Community Outreach Liaison, Howmet African Heritage Network

EDGAR FOLKS Owner Folks Development, LLC

DAVID E. FREEMAN

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Financial Advisor Northwestern Mutual

QUENTIN FRYE JR.

CURTIS FUQUA

DENNIS GARNER JR.

Chief Operating Officer, Gloria’s Haven Home Care; Chairman & CEO, Fryeday Knights Youth Sports Association

Talent Driver Teamsters Local 249

K-12 Team Lead, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust—Arts Education; Musician/Drummer, Mount Ararat Baptist Church

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

ROBERT L. GATLING III, MBA

KIRK GILBERT

KYLE HADEN

KHALID H. HARPER

LYLE DAVID HARRIS

PASTOR ROBERT C. HOLMES

Senior Associate, Business Technology Liaison/ AI Practitioner BNY

Manager of Benefits Administration Pittsburgh Regional Transit

Senior Case Manager Trade Institute of Pittsburgh

Founder, Champions Are Built, Not Born; Football Coach, Woodland Hills High School

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Senior Associate Head and Associate Professor of Acting Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama

Supervisor, The Monessen Beyond Grad Program, Southwestern PA Human Services; Senior Pastor, Christian Life Ministries

14 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

RON OGBONNA IDOKO

RICK JACKSON

SALIM JACKSON

TIM KELLY

DS KINSEL

MARTY LANGFORD

Program Coordinator, Focus on Renewal; Associate Director, Center on Race and Social Outreach Professional, R.E.A.C.H. Problems, University of Pittsburgh; Director, Office of Social Innovation, David C. Frederick Honors College—University of Pittsburgh

ACTES Site Staff Supervisor Auberle

Co-Founder/Artistic Director BOOM Concepts

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Corporate Compliance Program Manager ZOLL Medical Corporation

President, West Side Mustangs Youth Athletic Association; Owner, 412 Entertainment

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

SAM LOTHARD Actor/Producer

LENNY MCALLISTER

Host, KDKA Radio (100.1 FM, 1020 AM); Author

ANTHONY MITCHELL JR.

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

THOMAS MCCLELLAN

Accounting Specialist Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship

Congratulations to D.S. Kinsel and J. Thomas Agnew—friends, collaborators, and community leaders whose work uplifts artists and makes space for creativity, connection, and joy!

Special Education Teacher/Behavioral & Conflict Specialist LIFE Male STEAM Academy

boomuniverse.co bloomfield-garfield.org shiftworkspgh.org

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16 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

RAYMOND MOORE

SAM MORANT JR.

CALVIN ‘COACH CAL’ MURPHY

SYLVESTER OMEJE

EMEKA ONWUGBENU

JOHN PARKER SR.

Education & Outreach Coordinator Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh

President & CEO, AYAG, LLC; Founder, TAARi Diaspora Media

Co-Founder/Director of Programming, 1Nation Mentoring; CyberBus Director, Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania

Owner & CEO E Properties & Development

Director of Community Violence Prevention, Intervention and Culture Center for Victims

Team Leader/Violence Interrupter South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace/CURE Violence

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

MICHAEL L. PATTILLO

Owner Michael’s Manna, LLC DBA and Michael’s Table PGH/MaestroChef’s Products

CHRISTOPHER RALPH

Executive Director, West End Boxing Academy at Langley; Violence Prevention Outreach Worker, R.E.A.C.H.

CUE PERRY Visual Artist

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

RAMONE LEE PIERCE

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Owner Bonez Barbershop, Bonez Barbershop 2 and Bonez Barber Academy

THE COURIER IS ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA....

Add us on YouTube.... (search New Pittsburgh Courier) Add us on Facebook... (search New Pittsburgh Courier) Add us on Instagram... (Instagram.com/newpghcourier) And always check out our website:

newpittsburghcourier.com

18 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

PASTOR JONATHAN H. ROBINSON

RICO DELOREAN RUCKER

IRVIN G. RUFFIN JR.

DUEY SAXTON

MOHAMED SEEDAHMED, MD, MPH

JOHN D. THOMAS

Pastor Kingdom Come Ministries

Owner, Ketchup Socials; Founder, Lamar Clan

Founder & President, PGH SK8 Collaborative; Founder & President, RR Elite Services

Warehouse and Logistics Manager Sylvan Bio Inc.

Assistant Professor of Medicine—Division of Board President, Family Life Center; Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Retired Superintendent of Schools, University of Pittsburgh; Aliquippa School District Staff Physician and Researcher, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

MARCUS DEWAYNE THOMPSON

DERRICK TURNER

AARON WADE

SIMEON WEATHERBY JR.

WALTER WERE

VANN L. WILLIAMS

Supervisor, Distribution Operations United States Postal Service

Senior Acquisition Analyst, ProSource360 Consulting Services Inc.; Founder & CEO, Q-Sax Entertainment

Chief of Police Eastern Regional Mon Valley Police Department

Executive Director Everyday Community Resources

SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026

Founder & Executive Director A’s Vision

Director of Digital Workplace Operations, Wabtec Corporation; Vice President, 100 Black Men of Western PA

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20 SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2026 MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2026

JAMES WILLIAMS III

Senior Director, City and County Governmental Relations and Advocacy University of Pittsburgh

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

MARCUS WOODARD

Director, Product Sales Support and Analysis Comcast

Revolutionizing the way the world moves for future generations Wabtec proudly congratulates Vann Williams on being named a 2026 Men of Excellence honoree — recognizing his leadership, impact, and commitment to excellence.

People First | Expand the Possible | Embrace Diversity | One Wabtec

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