Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Aug. 14:
Carnegie Learning to host Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp
High school students in Pittsburgh will be able to take part in The Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp thanks to Carnegie Learning.
Trained volunteer corporate mentors will teach participants about what artificial intelligence is, where they already act with AI in their daily lives and the ethical implications of AI systems like TikTok recommendations, smart-home assistants, facial recognition and self-driving cars. The camp will also discuss large language models like ChatGPT.
The students will work with open source tools and develop their own AI applications. Participants do not need prior experience in computer science, programming or robotics to attend.
The camp is targeted toward underserved high school students as an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of AI.
If accepted, students will participate in a four-week boot camp held Saturdays from 2-6 p.m. from Oct. 14 through Nov. 4.
The Mark Cuban Foundation will work with Carnegie Learning to provide food, transportation options and access to laptops for students to use at no cost during the program.
The AI boot camp was founded by Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban in 2019 and has impacted over 900 students.
Interested students can apply online before Sept. 8.
No injuries reported in Crescent Township fire
A fire destroyed a garage on Crest Drive on Monday morning in Crescent Township.
There were no reported injuries from the blaze, according to Tribune-Review news partner WTAE.
The fire, which also melted the siding of a house, was reported around 4:40 a.m. Monday.
Additional information about how the fire may have started was not immediately available.
Police investigate shooting in Scott Township
Allegheny County police are investigating after they said a man was shot inside his Scott Township apartment Monday morning.
County 911 said it was notified around 6:47 a.m. of a shooting in the 300 block of Camelot Drive.
First responders found a man with gunshot wounds inside his apartment, the police said.
The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, police said.
Homicide detectives are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (255-8477). Callers can remain anonymous.
Pittsburgh’s 2nd annual Girls Fire Camp triples attendance from last year
Pittsburgh’s second annual Girls Fire Camp wrapped up Friday, with the program tripling its attendance from its first run last year, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety officials.
The city’s Fire Chief Darryl Jones presented certificates to 16 girls.
The program included CPR and Stop the Bleed training, obstacle course practice at the Fire Training Academy and a ride on the city’s fire boat. City officials have said the program aims to help close the gender gap that exists in firefighting and show participants what it takes to become a firefighter.
Congratulations to the graduates of the second annual Girls Fire Camp!
The ceremony was held Friday at the Fire Training Academy. Sixteen girls were presented certificates by Fire Chief Darryl Jones. https://t.co/PYfwAxrvtD pic.twitter.com/TWJiIyCWZK
— Pittsburgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) August 12, 2023
Police urge caution amid series of North Park vehicle break-ins
Allegheny County police are urging people not to leave valuables in their cars after a string of vehicle break-ins at North Park.
Police said there were three vehicle break-ins at the park Thursday. They encouraged anyone with information regarding the thefts to contact county police through their tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (255-8477) or via social media.
Police said organized groups prey on parks, walking trails and gyms because people often leave their wallets, purses and other valuables in their cars at such locations.
Flaring gas reported at Clairton Coke Works
The Clairton Coke Works site was flaring gas Saturday morning after the weekend’s severe storms caused a brief power outage.
“The power was restored quickly, but we are flaring gas, in line with our operating permit, as we work to bring each portion of the plant back online safely,” U.S. Steel said in a statement Saturday.
Video showed a lightning strike around 4 a.m. and subsequent intense flames from the plant’s smoke stacks, according to Tribune-Review news partner WTAE.
There were no employee injuries, according to U.S. Steel.
“Flaring gas prevents raw coke oven emissions from being emitted into the atmosphere,” a U.S. Steel spokesperson said.
Breathe Project Executive Director Matt Mehalik said the “dramatic, massive flaring incident” reported at the site over the weekend “reveals how the Clairton Coke Works operates on the margins of being under control.”
“One would think that after having been operating over 100 years, this sort of facility would have a backup power system to keep pollution control machinery in operation during a power outage,” he said in a written statement Monday. “Instead, the facility burned untreated coking gas openly for many hours in flares scattered throughout the facility.”
Such emergency flaring, he said, “should happen only in the most extreme of circumstances — not because of a thunderstorm.”
Julia Felton is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh City Hall and other news in and around Pittsburgh. A La Roche University graduate, she joined the Trib in 2020. She can be reached at jfelton@triblive.com.