Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is bringing his statewide marijuana listening tour to Allegheny County this weekend. He’ll visit the Community Empowerment Association in Homewood and then the Penn State McKeesport campus, both on Saturday.
Fetterman says the overall opinion of participants on legalizing recreational marijuana has been positive, both at community town halls across the state and online. In particular, decriminalizing marijuana and affordable medical marijuana have gotten unanimous support at previous meetings.
The feedback gathered during the listening tour will result in a report for the public, Fetterman says. Preliminary polling during the tour also suggests a majority of Pennsylvanians support legalizing recreational use of marijuana.
Elsewhere in the program:
Farmer’s market season kicks off Friday with new resources from the city. Shelly Danko+Day, open space specialist and urban agriculture and food policy adviser, joins The Confluence to discuss the new Pittsburgh Regional Farmers Market Network, which provides training and support for market organizers. The network comes on the heels of a study that recommended actions to increase equitable access to fresh, affordable food and promoting healthy eating choices, while also supporting regional food producers. Find a full listing of area markets here.
Pittsburgh’s third city council district stretches from Oakland through the South Side where college students live beside longtime residents. The area has been represented by councilman Bruce Krauss since 2008, but challenger Ken Wolfe says Krauss hasn’t invested enough in so-called hilltop communities like Allentown and Knoxville. 90.5 WESA’s Chris Potter takes a look at the two candidates, plus a few other regional races.
The Roxian Theatre officially reopens in McKees Rocks Friday night. A soft opening Thursday reportedly filled the newly renovated theater close to capacity, which is more than 1,400. 90.5 WESA’s Bill O’Driscoll reports on the development of The Roxian; its history as a vaudeville theater-turned-movie theater-turned-banquet hall; and how a concert venue of this size could benefit the whole Pittsburgh region.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins were swept out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but the race for the coveted trophy carries on. Sean Gentille, reporter for The Athletic, says three of the four remaining teams – the San Jose Sharks, the St. Louis Blues, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins – were not favorites to advance this far. Despite that, are Pittsburgh hockey fans still watching? Gentille also talks about Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel trade rumors.
90.5 WESA's Maria Scapellato contributed to this program.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in weekdays at 9 a.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
