Category Archives: Justice

A September of Consequences

Posted on September 19, 2023 by John Linko

As is typical when summer begins to wind down and school begins to wind up, so do all manner of other processes related to community activities, politics, and the business of government. Here’s some things that have happened or are … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Business, Community, Development, Government, Justice, Local, Media, Money, Politics, Schools | Tagged Emily Kinkead, Joseph Nocito, Pittsburgh Union Progress, Quaker Valley High School, Quaker Valley School Board, Quaker Valley School District, Sewickley Herald, Torsten Ove, Valerie Gaydos, Villa Noci, William Jasper | 1 Comment

Summer Shorts: EMS IS Public Safety, and Other Inconvenient Truths

Posted on July 25, 2023 by John Linko

Every couple of years stories appear in the media concerning the challenges faced by Emergency Medical Services providers, who are largely dependent on health insurance billing for the bulk of their operating revenue. This year has seen increased media coverage … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Economics, Government, Health, Justice, Local, Media, Pittsburgh, Politics, Public Safety, Security | Tagged Aspinwall Borough, Beaver Valley Regional Police, Bellevue Borough, Ben Avon Borough, Edgeworth Borough, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Service, McKees Rocks Borough, Quaker Valley Ambulance Authority, Ross/West View EMS Authority, Sharpsburg Borough, Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services, Valley Ambulance Authority, volunteer fire departments | Leave a comment

Election Postscript: I’d Rather Have a Ballot in Front of Me than a Cholecystectomy

Posted on June 20, 2023 by John Linko

(Apologies to Dorothy Parker et al) With all of the lead-up to the May 16 primary election, I was looking forward to working that morning and coming home afterward so that Leslie and I, as is our past practice, could … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Civil Liberties, Community, Government, Health, Justice, Local, Media, Personal, Politics, Public Safety, Schools | Tagged AHN Wexford, Allegheny County, Bud Smith, Carolyn Verszyla, Corinna Garcia-Skorpenske, Donna Adipietro, Dorothy Parker, Franklin Park Borough, Geoff Bsarnes, Gianni Floro, Giuseppe Rosselli, Jessica Webster, Joe Rockey, John English, Joseph Bellissimo, Katherine Longwell, Kristie Shelton, Leet Township, Leet Township Police, Magisterial District Judge, Martin McDaniel, Matt Dugan, Melissa Walls, Michael Molinaro, Quaker Valley High School, Quaker Valley School Board, Quaker Valley School District, Robert Ford, Sara Innamorato, Stephen Zappala, Suzanne Filiaggi, Todd Hamer, William Jasper | 3 Comments

In Praise of Libraries – New Pathways vs. Old Attitudes

Posted on April 25, 2023 by John Linko

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know that my family is rather enamored of our local library. The Sewickley Public Library is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year – my wife has held a library … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Censorship, Civil Liberties, Community, Family, Government, History, Justice, Local, Media, Personal, Pittsburgh, Politics, Schools, Youth | Tagged American Library Association, Andrew Carnegie, Banned Books, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Carolyn Toth, Jessica Whipple, Judy Blume, Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling, Leetsdale Borough, Moms for Liberty, Moon Township, Moon Township Public Library, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Quaker Valley School Board, Quaker Valley School District, Sewickley Public Library | Leave a comment

New Year Marked by Multiple Media Missives

Posted on January 17, 2023 by John Linko

The last two weeks of December were typically hectic, punctuated by the bitter cold that enveloped the Christmas holiday, and included a visit from my son, who we hadn’t seen in 4 years. He brought his new girlfriend. Some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Civil Liberties, Government, History, Human Rights, Internet, Justice, Local, Media, Personal, Politics, Public Safety, Radio Hobby, World | Tagged Amanda Knisley, Columbia Journalism Review, Gazette 2.0, George Santos, Legal Notices, Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, North Shore Leader, Photography Is Not A Crime, PINAC, Pittsburgh City Paper, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Radio Garden, RadioResource Media Group, Sewickley Herald, The Citizen, Trib Total Media, West Virginia Public Broadcasting | Leave a comment

From Columbine to Uvalde – The Years of Living Dangerously

Posted on August 3, 2022 by John Linko

It’s August already. Hard to believe that it’s been over two months since the May 24 shooting incident at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. This tragedy has produced levels of scrutiny, criticism, and incredulity not typically seen in the aftermath … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Liberties, Government, Justice, Local, Media, Personal, Politics, Public Safety, Schools, Security | Tagged Aaron Vanatta, ACLU, Columbine High School, Police, Quaker Valley School District, School Resource Officer, Uvalde School Shooting | 2 Comments

Loose Ends For a Better Year, Part 1 – Tolerance, Inclusivity, Reality

Posted on March 3, 2021 by John Linko

Your magic brings together what custom has sternly divided. All men shall become brothers, wherever your gentle wings hover. – from Ode to Joy (translated from the German) by Friedrich Schiller (1785) My son was lamenting on social media about … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Liberties, Community, Government, Human Rights, Justice, Local, Personal | Tagged African-American History, Intolerance, QVIA, Racism, Segregation, Sewickley Borough, Tuskegee Airmen | Leave a comment

Looking Back, Moving Ahead in Sewickley

Posted on June 7, 2020 by John Linko

“We are a solid, solid Council. We make great decisions in this borough. We are fortunate to live in a borough like Sewickley Borough. We should be holding each other’s hands – I don’t care what your political party is. … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Civil Liberties, Development, Government, History, Human Rights, Justice, Local, Media, Politics, Transportation | Tagged All Lives Matter, Devlin Robinson, George Floyd, Harshman CE Group, Jeff Neff, Leetsdale Municipal Authority, Quaker Valley COG, Sewickley Borough, Sewickley Parking Authority, turnKey Taxes | 4 Comments

Stuff that Happened

Posted on April 16, 2019 by John Linko

It’s been gnawing at me that over 6 months have elapsed since my last post, but it seems that I can’t step away from other responsibilities, reduce other demands on my time, or set aside enough time to write. What … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Government, History, Justice, Local, Media, Politics, Public Safety | Tagged Bell Acres Borough, D.T. Watson Home for Crippled Children, East Pittsburgh Borough, Historical Markers, Hussey Copper, John Fetterman, Leetsdale Borough, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Sewickley Borough, Sewickley Heights Borough, Watson Institute | 2 Comments

The Summer of our Discontent

Posted on September 3, 2018 by John Linko

After a June that was rainier than usual, July and August brought with them the kind of sticky, unpleasant, hot weather that becomes annoying quickly, especially when the car air conditioner isn’t working. There is reasonable certainty of relief from … Continue reading →