Meet Scott Dittman. You can call him Howie.

He attended Pittsburgh’s Pride March last week to offer “free Dad hugs,” saying “I just thought it would put a smile on people’s faces.”

It did indeed, and more than 1,000 people have messaged him about his support for the LGBT community.

“You could tell they hadn’t had something as simple as a hug from their dad in a long time,” he told Buzzfeed. “That broke my heart.”

“Imagine that, parents. Imagine that your child feels SO LOST FROM YOU that they sink into the arms of a complete stranger and sob endlessly just because that stranger is wearing a shirt offering hugs from a dad,” he wrote in a viral Facebook post.

“I’ve had so many parents reach out to me saying they’ve been crying for days, saying they’ve been those parents, and they’ve reached out to their children they haven’t talked to in years,” he said.

Pittsburgh’s Pride Month continues — here’s how to get involved.

In other news…

Construction is underway on the I-579 cap — a project intended to “right a wrong” by reconnecting Downtown and the Hill District. A new three-acre park will straddle Interstate 579/Crosstown Boulevard, providing a once-severed connection between the two neighborhoods. It will include pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, performance space, an outdoor amphitheater, rain gardens, and art from Hill District residents. (Post-Gazette)

The UglyCSA is expanding, so there are more ways for you to find delicious-but-ugly local produce. This year, 250 shares are available, and the farm shares can be picked up Downtown. The partnership between 412 Food Rescue and Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance saves “unattractive” fruits and veggies from the garbage. (NEXTpittsburgh)

Will Pennsylvania ever ban smoking in all bars? Time will tell — soon — as one Erie senator wants to cut several exceptions to the state’s no-smoking ban. Currently, bars can allow smoking if food sales account for less than 20 percent of their annual sales. More than 1,700 bars allow smoking under that exception. The new legislation would remove about a half-dozen exceptions, including for drinking establishments, private clubs and full-service truck stops. (PA Post)

I scream, you scream, we all scream for… strawberry pretzel salad ice cream? If we had it our way, local ice cream shops would feature these Pittsburgh flavors.

And that’s not the whole scoop — our Facebook friends recommended a whole parlor’s worth of flavor ideas.

Some options sound pretty appealing:

“Burnt almond torte a la Prantl’s.” — Tracy Randall

“Clark Bar Crunch.” — Malcolm Johnson

“Pittsburgh Proud peanut butter chocolate swirl.” — Adrienne Dunham

“Zagnut with toasted coconut, peanut brittle and a chocolate swirl.” — Kim Zilles

And others may appeal to a more… acquired taste:

“Grandma’s Polish Pierogies.” — Bobby Bland

“Heinz Pickle!” — Ellen Sears

“Isaly’s chipped ham barbecue.” — Sam Yahres

“Cabbage pierogie with French fries for topping.” — Thomas Wagner

Have a flavor suggestion of your own? Join the conversation on Facebook or Instagram.

🤖 Deadline today: Who’s shaping Pittsburgh’s tech scene? Highlight their work by nominating them for our Who’s Next award. Nominations are due by 10 a.m. today.

🍎 June 26: Celebrate The Incline’s Who’s Next: Education class, 19 up-and-comers preparing Pittsburgh for the future, at a happy hour in their honor (Downtown)

We normally only post real news here, but this #FakeNews (like, actual fake news — it’s satire) from Breaking Burgh is worth the share.

It chronicles a family of alligators on their Pittsburgh adventure and includes a “quote” from the Mayor that made us chuckle: “This family from Florida could have visited Washington DC or Cleveland for their trip north, but instead they picked us.” 🤣

See you back here tomorrow.