Author

Kim Lyons
Veteran journalist Kim Lyons covers Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania for the Capital-Star. Readers may follow her on Twitter @SocialKimLy.
‘That is how we will lift up our nation’s middle class’: In Pgh, VP Harris touts child tax credit
By: Kim Lyons - June 21, 2021
In her first visit to Pittsburgh since becoming vice president, Harris met with children in a summer camp program at a neighborhood rec center.
Alle. Co. DA Zappala faces rising criticism over reports he retaliated against Black attorney
By: Kim Lyons - June 4, 2021
Ed Gainey, the Democratic nominee for Pittsburgh mayor, has joined the chorus of voices calling for an investigation into Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala.
Duolingo founder, a Pittsburgher and immigrant, puts his app to work fighting illiteracy in Central America
By: Kim Lyons - May 27, 2021
The company says the goal is to tackle global illiteracy problems before they begin.
A Keystone Election: Meet the 2021 candidates for Pittsburgh mayor
By: Kim Lyons - April 21, 2021
Mayor Bill Peduto has three challengers for the Democratic nomination this time around, all of whom are shining a spotlight on the two-term mayor’s record.
Meet the Pa. Commonwealth Court judges who’ve recently sided with Republicans on election rulings, only to be overturned by higher courts
By: Kim Lyons - December 6, 2020
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court has been a big player in the ongoing attempts by the Trump campaign and other Republicans to overturn the state’s election results or invalidate ballots.
Ziccarrelli continues to say certain mail-in ballots shouldn’t be counted, even after courts disagree
By: Kim Lyons - November 30, 2020
"They’re saying these Westmoreland County voters should be disenfranchised,” a Democratic attorney said. “Senator Brewster is urging for those votes to be counted."
As COVID-19 cases spike, Allegheny County slaps two-week ban on indoor dining at bars, restaurants
By: Kim Lyons - July 8, 2020
The new order from Allegheny County Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, replaces previous orders from June 28 that restricted the sale of alcohol in bars, and one from July 2 that closed bars, restaurants and casinos.
With COVID-19 cases on the rise, Allegheny Co. mulls new dining restrictions
By: Kim Lyons - July 7, 2020
“I leave this open to change depending on our cases,” Health Director Dr. Deborah Bogen said. She said she expects to release the new order by Wednesday afternoon.
Wolf administration orders mandatory masks for public spaces
By: Stephen Caruso and Kim Lyons - July 1, 2020
The order includes limited exceptions for someone with a medical condition, those who cannot remove the mask themselves, or for whom they cannot work safely with a mask. There are no exceptions for exercise.
Feeding the beasts: How a Pa. aquarium and an aviary weathered the COVID-19 crisis
By: Patrick Abdalla and Kim Lyons - June 19, 2020
In Scranton and Pittsburgh, zoo, aviary and aquarium workers have faced their own challenges during the pandemic. Here's how they made it through.
As COVID cases trend downward, Levine urges Pennsylvanians ‘not to be complacent’
By: Kim Lyons - June 17, 2020
Pennsylvania is one of three states (Montana and Hawaii are the others) to show a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases over the past 42 days.
Wolf, Senate Republicans headed to state court in fight over COVID-19 emergency order repeal
By: Kim Lyons - June 10, 2020
(*This story was updated at 3:57 p.m. on 6/10/20 to include new material from Pa. Senate Republicans) Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday that the Republican-led Legislature doesn’t have the authority to end the state’s pandemic emergency declaration with the resolution it passed Tuesday, and he’s prepared to fight the matter in court if necessary. “The […]