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Take a Walk on the South Side, Part I

Summary: Vandals strike the South Side, and residents are pissed. Reporter: Alan Jennings, WPXI Channel 11 Airtime: 1 minute, 8 seconds on Sept. 17 Highlights: * When Jennings narrates, “The South Side looks like a quiet, wonderful neighborhood by day. At night, on the weekends, it transforms itself, according to neighbors, into a party atmosphere that residents are now despising. Vandals, they claim, have been smashing car windows and mirrors. One resident had a brand-new car trashed.” * When a witness says, “They put a dent above her front window and there were footprints on her car as if they were dancing.” * What We Learned: If you live on the South Side, opt for the lowest auto-insurance deductible! Unanswered Question: Where are the cops when you need them? Oh wait — they’re getting drunk, too. News Value: 4. Residents are “now despising”? This has been a battle for years.

Take a Walk on the South Side, Part II

Summary: LSD hits the Flats! Reporter: Alan Jennings (again) Airtime: 2 minutes, 8 seconds on Sept. 17 Highlights: * When a breathless Jennings warns, “LSD is back on the streets. … We’ve been here at [the South Side’s] Cupples Stadium all afternoon flushing out the facts of this story and talking to some parents who are obviously really angry. … And the toughest and the craziest part about this? It was in the hands of two Allderdice high school students who were apparently trying to peddle this potion.” * When Jennings reveals, “The Pittsburgh School District never made the LSD arrest public until we discovered [it].” * When Jennings adds, “One mom we talked to outside was concerned, but not in a panic, even though I told her about the LSD.” She says, “Um, it’s everywhere. And the way I look at it, it’s up to the parent to know what’s going on with your kid.” Unanswered Question: Where aren’t drugs? What We Learned: When Jennings tells you about drugs, you’re supposed to recognize your cue and panic. News Value: 2. This is an isolated incident, but Pittsburgh City Councilor Bruce Kraus, who represents the South Side, has his work cut out for him.