Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 138
Allegheny Valley Hospital plans week-long celebration of 110th anniversary
Allegheny Valley Hospital has a week of events planned to celebrate its 110th anniversary. The events will be held the week of May 6 at the hospital in Harrison. Festivities will include a community night with kids’ activities and a big-band concert, a Stork Club recognition for people who were...
Springdale Township approval finalizes police merger with Cheswick
Springdale Township commissioners have approved merging the township’s police department with Cheswick’s, effectively ensuring the creation of the new Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department. Cheswick Council gave its OK to the proposed merger earlier this month. Township commissioners voted 4-0, with one abstention, to create the new, merged department with...
Summit firefighters reschedule boot drive that funds Tarentum fireworks
Summit Hose has rescheduled Saturday’s “boot drive” fundraiser that helps pay for Tarentum’s Fourth of July fireworks display. The boot drive now will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4 at the Tarentum end of the Tarentum Bridge. Chief Joshua Fox said the drive was rescheduled because...
Highlands seeking bids for Tarentum clock tower restoration
Highlands School District is seeking bids for the restoration of the clock tower on its elementary school in Tarentum. The district decided to repair the clock tower at Highlands Elementary after learning that removing it would cost more than fixing it, according to district officials. The prospect of removing the...
Highlands School District’s closed meetings ignore state transparency laws, expert says
The Highlands School Board is skirting Pennsylvania’s transparency laws and violating the district’s own policies by holding private committee meetings where important matters are discussed behind closed doors, according to a legal expert and a review of district policies and practices. At a public meeting Monday, board member Judy Wisner,...
Harrison residents learn about rain garden projects, tree benefitsVideo
There is a plan to speed up construction of two rain gardens in Harrison that are designed to help control stormwater runoff. They were unveiled Wednesday at a meeting at the municipal building. The first and smaller of the two will be built this year on the grounds of Highlands...
Free paper shredding event scheduled in Plum
State Sen. Jim Brewster is hosting a free shredding event in Plum. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at the Plum Community Center, 499 Center-New Texas Road. The event, held in partnership with the Plum Library and the Plum Community Center, is...
Charges reduced in knife, gun confrontation outside Praha Hotel
A Tarentum man involved in a disturbance at the Praha Hotel earlier this month pleaded guilty to lesser charges Wednesday. Misdemeanor charges of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person were withdrawn against Felix Brun Sondova Blancarte, 34. He pleaded guilty to summary offenses of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness....
Forum set for Harrison, Highlands primary candidates
The Harrison Township Democratic Committee is hosting a non-partisan public forum for township commissioner and Highlands School Board candidates. The forum will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Natrona Heights Veterans of Foreign Wars, 894 Veterans Drive. It’s off of Freeport Road near Harrison Hills Park....
New Highlands superintendent resigns previous post as assistant
Highlands School District’s new superintendent formally resigned from her previous post with the district. Monique Mawhinney started as the district’s assistant superintendent in April 2018. She became substitute superintendent in place of former Superintendent Michael Bjalobok, who went on medical leave July 2 last year and retired on April 1....
Harrison commissioners may cut back to 1 meeting per month
Harrison commissioners are going to try to get by on one meeting per month instead of two. Commissioners President Bill Heasley said he is recommending the five-member board cancel its agenda meetings through August to see how it works. Those meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month....
Highlands delays busing vote under pressure to keep Roenigk
Highlands School Board has postponed choosing a busing company from two bidders for the district’s transportation contract, while facing immense pressure to keep its long-time provider. The school board appeared set to vote Monday on approving a five-year agreement with ABC Transit. It would replace WL Roenigk, which Highlands has...
Highlands School District puts third employee on unpaid leave
For the third time since January, a Highlands School District employee has been suspended without pay. The school board on Monday approved a statement of charges against the employee, who was placed on unpaid leave. The board did not identify the employee at its meeting Monday. The person was identified...
Highlands seeking volunteers to help students get ready for prom
Going to the prom can cost a lot, and staff members at Highlands High School are seeking help make it more affordable for their students in need. Volunteers are being sought to do hair, makeup and nails for girls on the day of the prom, May 10. Not to leave...
Allegheny Valley Hospital noted for knee, hip replacement
Allegheny Valley Hospital is among seven Allegheny Health Network hospitals and affiliated institutes recognized by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Allegheny Valley earned a “Blue Distinction Center-Plus” designation for knee and hip replacement. The hospital was recognized for its efficiency in delivering care in...
Gas tops $3 per gallon in Pittsburgh, national average could be there soon
Gas prices have topped $3 per gallon in the Pittsburgh area, and the nation is likely to be there soon, too. In Pittsburgh, the average price is $3.05 per gallon, up 12.5 cents from last week, according to GasBuddy. That’s 29.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago, and...
New Kensington fire shows importance of renters insurance
Homeowners have insurance, and so should renters, says Dave Buono, a consumer liaison for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Renters need to know that their landlord or property owner’s insurance won’t cover their belongings in situations such as a fire, leaving them to pay to replace everything that is lost. Most...
New Kensington fireman recalls crawling into burning home to rescue woman
Helping to save a New Kensington woman from her burning home may have reignited Wayne Erb’s interest in being a volunteer firefighter. Erb, 53, has been a member of New Kensington No. 4’s fire hall since 1987. But because of work and family, he hasn’t been responding to fires for...
It was deja vu for at least 2 New Kensington fire survivors
For at least two of the survivors of a fire that destroyed a house in New Kensington about a week ago the experience, sadly, was deja vu. One lost a brother in a fire three decades ago. Another lost a home to a fire about 10 years ago. Kaylene Keener...
Tarentum crews working to fix power outages
Tarentum electric crews were working Friday afternoon to find the cause of a power outage affecting several parts of the borough, according to borough Manager Michael Nestico. Nestico provided an update on the situation shortly before 4 p.m. He had been made aware of the outage around 1:30 p.m. Tarentum...
Allegheny Valley Hospital earns advanced certification for stroke care
Allegheny Valley Hospital has been recognized for its care of stroke patients. The Harrison hospital earned an advanced certification for primary stroke centers from The Joint Commission, the hospital announced Friday. This is the first time the hospital has received the certification, Allegheny Health Network spokeswoman Stephanie Waite said. Founded...
Allegheny County loan will help East Deer complete 3 projects
East Deer will borrow $100,000 from Allegheny County to pay for its share of grants for several projects. More than half the money — $53,000 — will pay for East Deer’s share of relocating a waterline last year to accommodate the Rapid Bridge Replacement project on Freeport Road over Crawford...
Community cleanups planned in Brackenridge, Harrison, Tarentum
Residents in Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum will be taking to their communities’ streets in coming weeks to clean up trash. Earth Day events are planned for Saturday, April 27, in Brackenridge and Harrison, and on the following weekend, Saturday, May 4, in Tarentum. All three are registered with the Great...
Allegheny Family Network hosting free mental health conference
Navigating child service systems will be the focus of an upcoming mental health conference in Pittsburgh. Allegheny Family Network is presenting “Parents Moving Forward Together” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 10 at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, 112 Washington Place, Downtown. The conference is open to any family...
Get pumped about Mondays – it’s the cheapest day to fill up
Monday might not be fun day, but it’s the best day of the week in most states to save money at the gas pump. Drivers may be looking to save any way they can. Average gasoline prices are up 50 cents per gallon since January, with many metro areas across...
