Heather McClain

Many people dream of running their own business but don't know how to get started. Business contributor Rebecca Harris continues a two-part series on the basics of starting a business. She talks with business mentor and attorney Beth Slagle about choosing the best business entity, from partnerships to sole proprietorships.

Last week, Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval to Councilman Ricky Burgess's bills to reform the police bureau's domestic violence response policies.  One bill pays for training under the "Maryland Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment Program," and the second bill changes the city code to reflect the new policies. A final vote comes Tuesday.

When receiving a 911 call regarding domestic violence, responders must ask the callers a series of questions to determine the risk of imminent harm to the victim. Afterward, the officers must offer to call a women's shelter to help the victim.

According to urban legend, athletes and teams that appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated have been known to experience a streak of bad luck. So what's in the stars for Penguins Center, Sidney Crosby now that he's on the cover of SI? 

And the lasting legacy of late Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Jack Butler is definitely felt by Pittsburgh Post Gazette Sports Writer emeritus, Bob Dvorchak.

"He played in an era when the Steelers did not have a great team. But he helped define that team."

Butler passed away last weekend and was a guest on Essential Pittsburgh before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Washington DC and Pittsburgh have a common trait of being build right by the water, with low lying areas and old infrastructure. When it became necessary for DC to improve its water and sewage systems - like Pittsburgh - the nation’s capital opted for a focus on traditional "gray" options. Tunnels and pipes were the main solution for Washington's sewage and storm water problems.

But George Hawkins, General Manager of DC Water has worked to convince the district and the EPA to embrace green infrastructure ideas. By reopening the EPA consent decree, DC is on track to becoming a model of sustainable infrastructure.

For the Pittsburgh public school district, the value of art can not be over stated. Earlier this week a rare painting called "Interior, Light from the Window" by Henri Le Sidaner, donated to the district by a group called Friends of Art, was sold in auction for more than $750,000. The money will benefit the financially strapped Pittsburgh Public Schools.

For nearly a century, Friends of Art has donated more than 300 works of art to the district. Most were created by local artists and like the Sidaner painting, many are displayed in school offices and other buildings throughout the district.

Guest Louise Lippincott, head of the department of fine arts at the Carnegie Museum of Art, has followed the history of the Sidaner painting

In recent years the number of movies shot in Pittsburgh has some people calling us "Hollywood East."  However, it appears the city and state have become victims of their own success.

Filmmakers have gravitated to Pittsburgh over the years for a number of reasons, including affordability. But Pennsylvania's current tax credit allotment is capped at $60 million a year.  That money dries up quickly in the film industry. So how can Pennsylvania keep up with states like Louisiana, and Georgia, which have no tax credit limit? And what more can be done to lure film and television production to the state?

Guest

Chris Breakwell CEO of 31st Street Studios.

"Black Men on a Hero's Journey."

Armed with cameras as weapons, 10 black men are chosen each year for the Game Changers Project, a fellowship which highlights positive black male images in the media by promoting some of America's emerging documentary film leaders.  And many of those leaders come from Pittsburgh.

My Mother asked me, “Do you know who the Father is?”

I said “Of course, I only had sex with him once”

She said “And do you love him?”

I said “No”

She asked “Does he love you?”

I said “No.”

So she said “Then we’re not going to ruin three lives. We’re going to have a fine baby. That’s all there is to it.”

And she never once made me feel I had brought shame on the family.

Dr. Maya Angelou, has an impressive body of work. From singing in the opera Porgy and Bess, and dancing with the Alvin Ailey dance troupe, to the iconic 1993 Inauguration Day poem On the Pulse of Morning, and her years of activism, Angelou typifies a renaissance woman.

Paul McCartney has just started a world tour called Out There!, which features songs never performed live, including "All Together Now," "Lovely Rita," and "Your Mother Should Know." The songs came out years before the band broke up, but by 1966 the Beatles had already stopped touring.

In talking about Paul McCartney's current selection of unperformed songs, WYEP Midday host Mike Sauter says "There are certain live songs McCartney is expected to perform at every show, songs he can't not perform...this is a chance for him to add depth to his performances."

Travel writer and contributor Elaine Labalme has many bits of advice for traveling alone, and for the ladies, "traveling with the girls." Now she's got some advice for the gents. 

For even the most laid back guys, planning the perfect weekend bachelor party or reunion of college buddies can be both fun and daunting. Consider some different angles when plotting out your next trip with the guys.

Most adults remember what they were doing and how they felt on September 11, 2001. But many children today weren't even born when Flight 93 crashed in Somerset County.

"Normally, we're telling the story to people who lived it," Flight 93 Memorial superintendent, Jeff Reinbold told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. "What happens is the parents come to one of our rangers and say, 'You tell them.' It became apparent to us no one is talking to the youngest kids."

Three Ohio women who went missing ten years ago were found Monday, after one of them broke away from their captor and a neighbor spotted her. Police say Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23 and Michelle Knight, 32 were held inside the home of Ariel Castro since they were in their teens and early 20's.

Castro and two of his brothers are in police custody. The three women were taken to a local hospital and have been reunited with their families.

This Wednesday, Pittsburgh City Council votes on legislation written in reaction to the tragic death of Ka’Sandra Wade. Police responded to Ka'Sandra's 911 call on the night of December 31st, 2012. But they left her home when her boyfriend came to the window and told them that everything was alright. That night Ka'Sandra's boyfriend killed her and later killed himself. The legislation up for a vote this week would impact the way police respond to domestic violence calls.

Matthias Sundberg of Point Breeze say he enjoys action and adventure stories tinged with social realism. WESA Morning Edition Host Josh Raulerson talks with Sundberg about hurricanes, swashbuckling and a Street Angel.

Many people dream of having their own business but how do you get started? Business contributor Rebecca Harris begins a two-part series on the basics of starting a business. She talks with attorney Beth Slagle about what you need to know from writing a business plan to hiring employees. Also take a look at some of the State websites for proper business licensing and fees:

Last week, Pittsburgh City Council passed a vote for a $1.15 million gunshot detection system for the neighborhood of Homewood, despite some opposition. WESA City Council Reporter Noah Brode gives us the details on the opposing votes.  Also, we'll discuss legislation to overhaul the police bureau's policies when responding to domestic violence. The bill from Councilman Ricky Burgess has been in the works for months. After a  controversial amendment was introduced last week by Burgess, Councilman Bill Peduto walked out, angry at the proposed elimination of the city's "no tolerance" policy for police officers who are found guilty of domestic violence.  City Controller Michael Lamb also released Pittsburgh's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report on Thursday. The document shows how Pittsburgh is improving financially.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sportswriter Emeritus Bob Dvorchak looks at how the running of the Pittsburgh Marathon came off, Sidney Crosby's return to the ice and whether the NHL should look at making face shields mandatory. Also, the impact of Jason Collins coming out.

The news of NBA player Jason Collins has garnered a lot of attention. As the first player in one of the four major sports to come out, he's being seen as a trailblazer. His story inspired sportswriter,  Pitt graduate and our guest, Tony Jovenitti, to come out in an essay for the website Outsports.

  Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is hosting a first-of-its-kind computer security competition. The goal is to find the next generation of great computer minds. 90.5 WESA's Morning Edition host, Josh Raulerson, talks with CMU professor David Brumley, who helped to organize the event.

  The Big Brain Theory premiered this week on the Discovery Channel. The reality TV series seeks to find the next big innovators through extreme engineering challenges. All of the contestants must work on teams but the threat of elimination means individual creativity is also necessary. Contestants Eric Whitman and Joel Ifill come from Carnegie Mellon University, and live in Pittsburgh. They talk about the pressures they encountered on the Big Brain Theory.

  If you've been doing any air travel lately, you're probably well aware of the frustrating delays Americans have been experiencing at airports across the country. A week ago the U.S. Senate approved a plan to end furloughs of air traffic controllers in order to decrease the intensifying flight delays. The day after that the house voted to provide more flexibility over where to make cuts required by the government sequester. Senator Bob Casey talks about where we stand with sequestration.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman shares his thoughts on NBA player Jason Collins becoming the first active athlete in any of America's four major professional sports leagues to acknowledge his homosexuality. He'll discuss what it means for the LGBT community as well as the African American community.

Negative ads, like shaking hands and kissing babies, have become a staple of political campaigns. The recent news of Mayor Ravenstahl's link to attack ads has turned our attention to the impact of negative ads in this year's mayoral primary. Joining us for this discussion is public relations advisor Bob Oltmanns, president of the OPR Group.