[naviga:h3]Artist painting over Foster mural[/naviga:h3]

A prolific Pittsburgh artist isn’t waiting for protesters — he’s already painting over a building mural depicting composer Stephen Foster.

A statue of Foster elsewhere in the city has drawn criticism in the wake of Confederate statue controversies in various parts of the county. The Pittsburgh statue shows Foster standing next to a black man plucking a banjo, which critics say is racist and demeaning, while others say it shows Foster drew inspiration from black spirituals and other music in crafting his songs.

Jeremy Raymer, who has painted murals on several buildings, has posted Instagram photos showing he’s covering one he painted of Foster with white doves against a blue sky.

A caption on one photo shows the wall covered with primer and says, “Out with the old, in with the new.”

[naviga:h3]Water advisory lifted for most[/naviga:h3]

A boil-water advisory put in place by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority due to concerns about potential contamination by animal droppings has been lifted for most of the 18,000 affected customers.

The advisory remains in effect for Millvale but was lifted Thursday evening for other suburbs and neighborhoods in the northern part of the city.

The concerns stemmed from torn and worn out covers at the Lanpher Reservoir in nearby Shaler Township.