Brian C. Rittmeyer stories
Shaler Area strikes a deal on replacement pool for swim program
Facing the loss of its own swimming pool, the Shaler Area School District is partnering with the Sarah Heinz House on Pittsburgh’s North Side for use of its pool beginning with the 2027-28 swim season. The school board on Wednesday voted 8-0 to approve a three-year agreement with the Sarah...
Shaler’s new pool bathhouse ready for Memorial Day weekend, but weather looking to be a problem
Construction won’t delay the opening of Shaler’s community swimming pool, but the weather might. The township announced Wednesday that the new bathhouse at Crawford Pool in Kiwanis Park is ready for Memorial Day weekend. Township officials had been uncertain until then if the bathhouse would be ready in time for...
North Hills students rebuild sign welcoming visitors to Perrysville in Ross
Students at North Hills High School have rebuilt a sign welcoming visitors to the Perrysville neighborhood of Ross. The new sign on Route 19 at Atlantic Avenue, outside the building previously home to T&M Hardware and Vater’s Hardware, was unveiled Wednesday. The store is in the process of becoming a...
Etna Councilman Brad Iannuzzi resigns, is hired as borough’s assistant manager
Etna lost a councilman and gained an assistant manager in the same night. First Ward Councilman Brad Iannuzzi, the council’s vice president, resigned from council effective immediately at its May 19 meeting. He was soon thereafter hired as the borough’s new assistant manager. His starting salary is $80,000. He is...
Ross police accuse man of taking $280K from wife
A man who now resides in Ohio is accused of stealing nearly $280,000 from his wife over several years through various means, including taking money from her retirement account, opening and using credit cards in her name and forging checks, according to Ross police. Ross police charged Roy Lee Smith...
Teachers look to revive the student band scene at Shaler Area High SchoolVideo
Jim McDermott remembers when Shaler Area High School students didn’t just listen to music. They made it. “Shaler had a long tradition for decades of having many, many rock bands at any given time,” said McDermott, 42, a 2002 Shaler Area graduate who has taught ninth grade American history there...
End of North Hills-area group garbage contract could spark broader discussion on future of trash collection
Eight North Hills municipalities facing the end of their group garbage contract are having to figure out how they’re going to keep getting their residents’ trash taken away. While some are making changes now while others will have to do it next year, a regional group is leading broader talks...
Beaver County woman found driving stolen SUV in Ross
A Beaver County woman was being held in the Allegheny County Jail after Ross police say she was found driving a stolen SUV on McKnight Road on Monday. Ross police charged Hailey Marie Waxler, 24, of Industry with a felony count of receiving stolen property and summary counts of driving...
Felon accused of stealing check from Franklin Park mailbox 2 weeks after release from state prison
A man released from state prison in Fayette County in late April is accused of stealing a check from a Franklin Park man’s mailbox two weeks later and using it to get $4,100 for himself, according to a criminal complaint. Franklin Park police filed charges Tuesday, May 19, against Levi...
Responding to families’ concerns, Shaler Area to have Pre-K Counts at 2 locations for 2026-27 school year
Feedback from families has prompted the Shaler Area School District to reconsider where the Pre-K Counts program will be housed for the 2026-27 school year. Through the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Pre-K Counts, a free pre-kindergarten for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds, has been available at Shaler Area since 2013,...
At the library: Upcoming events at the Glenshaw, Millvale and Shaler North Hills libraries
GLENSHAW PUBLIC LIBRARY Glenshaw Public Library, 1504 Butler Plank Road, Shaler, was established in 1895 and is known as the oldest free library west of the Alleghenies. To reach the library, call 412-487-2121, email glenshawlibrary@gmail.com or visit online at glenshawpubliclibrary.org. Hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays for a quilters...
McCandless man accused of animal cruelty after trying to give 2 dogs back to ex-partner
A McCandless man faces animal cruelty charges after police say two English bulldogs he wanted to give to an ex-partner were found to be in such poor condition that one was euthanized. McCandless police filed the charges against William R. Duessel, 48, on May 14. According to a criminal complaint,...
Millvale resident accused of assaulting man who came to defense of Sheetz worker in Ross
A Millvale resident is accused of assaulting a man who came to the defense of a Sheetz employee in Ross. Ross police filed charges May 14 against Zachary Ruhle, 19, for the incident that happened April 18 at the convenience store at 3025 Babcock Blvd. Ross officers responded to the...
Pittsburgh set to start week with near-record heat
A week after parts of the Pittsburgh region saw frost advisories and freeze warnings, near record heat is expected for the start of the new week. A high of 90-to-91 degrees is forecast for Monday, and a high around 90 is expected on Tuesday, National Weather Service meteorologist David Shallenberger...
The River Community Church hosts 20th annual car show in Lower Burrell
The River Community Church was blessed with warm weather and sunny skies for its 20th annual car show Sunday, its second since moving from New Kensington to Lower Burrell. While Nicky Magnelli, ministry coordinator for the church, estimated the count of cars parked on the lots and lawns around the...
Latrobe woman dies in collision in Unity
A 59-year-old woman from Latrobe died after a two-vehicle, head-on crash in Unity Saturday night, authorities said. Authorities identified the woman as Kimberly M. Ohler. The crash happened around 11:15 p.m. on Route 981. According to state police, Ohler was driving a Volkswagen SUV south on Route 981 when she...
2 state police troopers hurt in multi-county chase with erratic driver who crashed into 3 police cars
Two state police troopers were hurt at the end of a multi-county chase that began after state police responded to a report of an erratic driver on Interstate 79 in North Strabane, Washington County early Saturday morning. State police filed numerous charges against the driver, identified as Frank Cope Jr.,...
Man stabbed Saturday in Middle Hill; police identify suspect
A man was taken to a hospital in critical condition after being stabbed in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill neighborhood Saturday, according to Pittsburgh police. Zone 2 officers responded to the reported stabbing in the 2300 block of Reed Street around 4:30 p.m. According to police, another man had stabbed the man...
Millvale Music Festival brings hundreds of diverse performers, 20,000 people to borough’s streetsVideo
The streets of Millvale were brimming with people and alive with music Saturday. It was the second and final day of the ninth Millvale Music Festival, which was expected to draw around 20,000 people for more than 350 musical acts on nearly three dozen stages throughout the borough — on...
Pittsburgh Media Partnership series: Ambridge Connection
Editor’s note: TribLive will profile members of the Pittsburgh Media Partnership in this weekly series to spotlight the robust media landscape in Western Pennsylvania. Ambridge Connection has been a hyperlocal, community-driven platform since 2013, dedicated to telling the stories that matter most across Ambridge, Baden, Economy Borough, Harmony Township and...
Ross/West View EMS launches pre-hospital blood program serving North Hills area
Three days after Ross/West View Emergency Medical Services launched a pre-hospital blood program, it was used to save the life of a Ross man who was bleeding from his gastrointestinal tract. The man’s systolic blood pressure, the top number, was down to 66, which is extremely low, and he was...
North Hills High School stages mock crash day before prom
North Hills seniors watched on as their peers took part in a mock crash on May 1, ahead of their prom the next day. Held by the school’s SADD club, the mock crash presented seniors with the life-altering decisions that come from the effects of drunk and distracted driving. The...
2 Democrats seeking nomination to challenge Republican state Rep. Jeremy Shaffer
Two Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination in the May 19 primary to challenge incumbent Republican state Rep. Jeremy Shaffer in November. Robert Bertha of West Deer and Jeremy Ferderber of Richland are vying for the Democratic nomination in the 28th state House District race. Shaffer, elected in 2024, is...
Millvale brings on new manager as it navigates financial challenges
Millvale found the manager it was looking for in Seth Abrams, Council President James Machajewski said. Council voted unanimouslyon Tuesday, May 12, to hire Abrams, 54, of White Oak as Millvale’s new borough manager and secretary. His annual salary is $90,000 and his contract runs through Dec. 31, 2027. Council...
Reserve suspends police officer accused of dating violence in Fla., retail theft in Ohio Township
A Reserve police officer first placed on administrative leave after being charged with dating violence in Florida is suspended without pay after being accused of retail theft at two stores in Ohio Township. Manuel George Pihakis, 36, of Pittsburgh has been a police officer in Reserve since January 2025. He...
