Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 106
Man dies after vehicle hits pole in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood
A 37-year-old man died in a one-vehicle crash in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood early Saturday morning, according to police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the victim at James Theodore Green Jr. The crash in the 190 block of West Warrington Avenue was reported around 1:50 a.m. Police said first responders...
Vice President Pence visits Oberg Industries in Buffalo Twp., addresses pandemic shutdown, ‘law and order’
Vice President Mike Pence held an Alle-Kiski Valley manufacturing company up as an example to be followed as the nation reopens from the covid-19 pandemic. Pence spoke for about a half-hour before a crowd of 100 to 110 employees and apprentices at Oberg Industries in Buffalo Township, which the conservative...
New Kensington protest to recognize slain city officer before demanding end to police brutality
A Black Lives Matter protest being held Saturday in New Kensington will start with demonstrators placing a wreath at a memorial honoring a city police officer who was killed three years ago, an organizer said. “This is not an anti-police event. This is a pro-black lives event,” said Jon McCabe,...
Clayton Falkner, ‘Mr. Birdville,’ championed efforts to restore Harrison war memorial
Clayton Falkner championed the effort to restore Harrison’s crumbling World War II Honor Roll memorial but didn’t get the chance to see it finished. Mr. Falkner, 84, died Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at the house in the township’s Birdville section where he lived his entire life. Mr. Falkner began lobbying...
Police: Arnold felon built homemade shotgun, was making a second
Arnold police responding to a domestic dispute Sunday discovered that a man, a convicted felon prohibited from owning guns, had allegedly made his own shotgun and was fashioning a second. Arnold police on Monday charged Mervin Hamilton, 49, with two counts of illegal possession of firearms and one count each...
Tarentum launching summer concert series this week
The concerts will go on in Tarentum. With covid-19 restrictions easing, the borough’s recreation board and council made the “very hard decision” to go forward with Tarentum’s popular summer concert series, starting this Thursday, Councilwoman Carrie Fox said. “We want to keep as much normalcy as we possibly can,” she...
Pittsburgh Zoo welcomes 3 African lions
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is asking for the public’s help to renovate its lion exhibit for a trio of new lions, with the hope there could be more in the future. Three African lions, a 2-year-old male and a pair of 2-year-old females, are now out of sight...
Roads in Brackenridge scheduled for work this year
Brackenridge awarded three contracts totaling about $190,000 for road work in the borough. The largest contract, almost $75,000, is for resurfacing Roup Avenue from Prospect Street to Mile Lock Lane. Tresco Paving submitted the lowest of nine bids, borough Secretary Denise Tocco said. The borough also will resurface Sixth Avenue...
Tarentum to pay less for electricity, but residents won’t see savings on bills
Tarentum will pay about 21% less for electricity in a new, four-year supply agreement, but residents won’t see any change in their bills, according to borough Manager Michael Nestico. The borough owns and operates its own distribution system and buys electricity from a supplier. Borough Council approved an agreement with...
Pittsburgh-area gas prices unchanged as national rates rise
Gas prices in the Pittsburgh area remained unchanged from a week ago, while the national average continues to rise, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy. “It’s no surprise that (the national average for) gasoline prices have increased for the sixth straight week as gasoline demand has hit its highest level since...
New Kensington-Arnold celebrates Class of 2020 with parade through cities
The back of Amanda Reidy’s car was filled with balloons when she arrived at Valley High School in New Kensington on Friday morning to participate in a parade for the Class of 2020, which includes her son, James. The parade through New Kensington and Arnold was just one of several...
Alle-Kiski Valley shoppers lament closing of JCPenney in Frazer mall
Sandra Fitzsimmons enjoys shopping at JCPenney and sees it occupying a necessary place in retail — a step above Walmart, a step below Macy’s. Fitzsimmons, of Allegheny Township, was outside the JCPenney at the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer on Friday, lamenting that the store is among four in Western...
Tarentum schedules hearing on bridge billboard case
A hearing on a proposal to put up a billboard beside the Tarentum Bridge has been rescheduled. The borough’s Zoning Hearing Board is set to conduct the public hearing at 7 p.m. June 29 at the borough building, 318 E. Second Ave. In a December ruling, Allegheny County Judge Joseph...
1 hurt in Fawn crash involving car, fuel truck
A West Deer man suffered minor injuries Thursday when his car crashed into a Glassmere Fuel Service truck in Fawn, police Chief Tim Mayberry said. Mayberry said the crash happened around 12:15 p.m. in the area of 1220 Millerstown Road. Video from the truck helped police determine what happened, but...
Sylvan Park pool set to open this weekend in Harrison
The Sylvan Park swimming pool in Harrison will open Saturday, said Patrick Bundy, president of the pool’s board of directors. That’s almost two weeks later than the pool normally would have opened. “I’m ready for a little bit of normalcy, especially for the kids,” Bundy said. “I think they need...
ATI removes ‘priceless’ stainless steel cars from Harrison plant, plans to auction them
Stainless steel may be resistant to rust and the ravages of time, but the tangible history of Allegheny Ludlum may not be as resilient. That’s the fear of longtime employee Todd Barbiaux. He worries the company’s legacy, and a source of community pride, will fade with the loss of four...
Police: Arnold man’s home searched after 2 heroin buys within days
A 33-year-old Arnold man is in the Westmoreland County Prison after allegedly selling heroin to undercover agents twice over two weeks. Arnold police charged Steffon Ballard, 33, on Tuesday. He was being held on $100,000 bail. According to court documents, agents from the state Attorney General’s Office and Arnold police...
Arnold man sentenced to 13½ years in connection to fentanyl overdose
A federal judge sentenced an Arnold man to more than 13 years in prison for distributing fentanyl that caused a man’s death, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak ordered Jarrel Williams, 32, to serve 13 years and six months in federal prison followed by...
New Kensington awards paving contract for 4 roads
Four roads in New Kensington will be resurfaced this year. City council awarded the contract to Shields Asphalt Paving, the lowest bidder with a price of $103,321. Roads to be milled and resurfaced are: • Carl Avenue, from Tarentum Bridge Road to Craigdell Road • Freeport Road, from 7th Street...
Police: Arnold man jumps from 2nd floor window to escape armed ex-girlfriend
An Arnold man jumped from the second-floor window of his house Monday night after city police said his ex-girlfriend busted in and opened fire, shooting at the man and his brother as she chased them up the stairs. A criminal complaint filed against Dowona Ranae Johnson, 42, of Arnold, said...
New Kensington-Arnold considers replacing preschool with ‘developmental kindergarten’
New Kensington-Arnold School District is considering replacing its preschool program with a developmental kindergarten. Developmental kindergarten would be for children who are not yet ready or prepared for regular kindergarten, Superintendent John Pallone said. Pallone discussed the proposal, also referred to as “transitional kindergarten,” with the school board during a...
Allegheny County to provide information, take comments on Springhill Road project in Harrison online
Allegheny County will seek public comment on a $750,000 project to create a shared pedestrian and bicycle path on Springhill Road in Harrison. The Department of Public Works will take comments about the project online from June 15 to July 15, the county announced . A project overview and video...
Fresh produce, milk planned for food box distribution in Harrison
A food distribution open to anyone in need will be held Friday at Highlands High School in Harrison. The group “412FoodRescue” will hold a “Farmers to Families” food distribution from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the high school, 1500 Pacific Ave. Boxes of food will be available for up...
Elderly woman rams Cadillac into Plum dental office
No one was hurt when an elderly woman ran her car backwards into a Plum dental office Tuesday. The impact caused significant damage to the house-turned-office that’s home to Scott Family Dental at 7619 Saltsburg Road at Crestview Drive. It’s the second time the building has been hit and seriously...
Allegheny Family Network shuttle to help residents get to primary polling locations in Highlands area
A community shuttle service with added stops at primary election polling locations will be available between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday, Allegheny Family Network North announced Monday. The shuttle provides free transportation looping from Tarentum to Natrona Heights in Harrison. On Tuesday, there will be added stops to polling...
