Good morning, Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh community groups and officials are calling for increased support for rec centers that offer free summer and after-school programs.

Council members have proposed redirecting $200,000 from the Stop the Violence fund to aid centers that serve thousands amid uneven funding + a looming budget shortfall.

By early next year, Shoresh will convert a former bank in Greenfield into a hybrid coffee shop and Jewish learning center.

The space will offer kosher baked goods and community classes while renovations continue — a creative effort to revive local traditions and meet a long-missing neighborhood need.

Starbucks announced that hundreds of its outlets will close this year, including the unionized Bloomfield cafe on Liberty Ave, which began union operations in 2022.

Signs for upcoming closures will appear on affected locations this weekend as the company works to address a sales slump.

JCPenney closed its Ross Park Mall store after being unable to renew its lease, leaving its three remaining locations (Monroeville Mall, Westmoreland Mall, and Robinson Town Center) operating in the area.

Kiski Area’s KinderCamp offered a four day transition experience for 16 new kindergartners (including their first bus ride and classroom visits) to learn school routines before the academic year starts.

The program helps ease first day jitters and builds familiarity with the school environment.

Teams from Penn Trafford, Homer Center, and North Allegheny high schools competed in KD Quiz (Sat.

Sept. 26) where students answered rapid-fire questions in a spirited contest that showcased local academic talent.

PennDOT will begin a $14 million project next week to permanently drain the flood-prone ‘bathtub’ along Parkway East near downtown plus close the Grant Street on-ramp to westbound I-376 from Saturday 8 p.m. through next August; commuters should follow posted detours to avoid delays.

At the University of Pittsburgh’s Vaccination and Health Hub (on Fifth Avenue in Oakland), student clinicians will offer updated flu vaccines to students, faculty and residents starting Monday.

The shots follow FDA recommendations and will be available for walk-ins and appointments until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The Standard on Fifth is a five-story affordable housing building in Uptown that features an all-electric design (for energy efficiency) and sits along the new bus rapid transit line.

It offers modern living near local transit routes.

Pitt improved to 4-0 with a 59 — 0 win over Bucknell on Saturday as Mason Heintschel passed for 403 yards and six touchdowns.

The Panthers reached the end zone on every drive to set a new school record.

Pitt volleyball seniors Olivia Babcock and Blaire Bayless announced at Saturday’s homecoming football game that they will return for a final fifth season.

Babcock (a two-time AVCA Player of the Year) and Bayless helped boost Pitt to a No.2 ranking in NCAA Division I.

Joey Porter Jr. will miss the Steelers’ game against the Bengals, as he practiced in a limited capacity this week, and the team will consider starting Jamel Dean plus Asante Samuel Jr. in his place.

Pitt Athletics announced that star volleyball players Olivia Babcock and Blaire Bayless will return for a fifth season in 2027 to boost the Panthers' pursuit of a national championship.

The team, ranked second nationally with an unbeaten start, looks forward to another season — a bright promise for Pitt fans.