Wednesday: All This Crap Out Of Nowhere

A Pittsburgh police commander said Tuesday she's afraid her superiors are transferring her to squelch a criminal investigation into a city public works "redd up" crew that ruptured a Brighton Heights gas line and left without reporting it. (Trib, Jeremy Boren)

Here we go.

"My fear is that -- with my transfer -- this whole issue will 'disappear' and maybe even worse -- there may be repercussions for the detective who investigated this incident," Catherine McNeilly said in an e-mail message.

E-mailing with impunity.

Harper said he is transferring McNeilly to the South Side station because she effectively has used "saturation patrols" of police to quell hot spots of violence in North Side neighborhoods.

We hear that Cmdr. Brackney is being moved to the North Side because Harper wants her to bring to that location the most excellent work that she had been doing for the East End.

Which is not to say that all three dimensions of the three-way swap necessarily cannot have solid explanations of their own at the same time. Yet each facet to the transaction seems to be fraught with a healthy share of political intrigue also.

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Zoning Administrator Susan Tymoczko told the commission that the Stadium Authority had given the hotel its blessing, and Planning Commission Chair Wrenna Watson reminded members that the panel isn't supposed to consider the absence of a community benefits agreement. That logic won the day. (P-G, Rich Lord)

We must have overlooked that change of heart by the Stadium Authority. Besides which we are surprised it can legally offer blessings whilst it lacks representation from City Council.

Planning Commission member Barbara Ernsberger was the lone vote against Continental's plans. She expressed concerns that the developer doesn't own the property. (Trib, Jeremy Boren)

When the revolution drops, hands off Ms. Ernsberger.

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In announcing that Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has raised the county's debt rating from A to A+, and Moody's Investors Service has changed the county's fiscal outlook from stable to positive, a combative Mr. Onorato challenged a lobby of restaurateurs and bar owners who are trying to eliminate the drink tax to take him on.

"If you know me, and you know how I govern, you also know that I know how to fight," he said. (P-G, Karamagi Rujumba)

Hillary's been rubbing off, we guess.

Allegheny County gets things done (P-G, Rich Fitzgerald)

Oh, touché or something. We don't even have the time to write about what we want to write about. We already flip-flopped on Dan Onorato, in a manner of speaking.

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"The theaters and four of the top 10 restaurants in Pittsburgh are within walking distance. Even the gym is walkable. All these little things we don't have to get in the car and drive to," he said, adding that he'll still have to drive to a grocery store -- though Downtown did get a smaller market recently. (P-G, Kevin Kirkland)

It's nice to see some things seem to be working out.