Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 145
4 generations of Fawn family celebrate milestone at Allegheny Valley Hospital
As Allegheny Valley Hospital marked the 110th anniversary of accepting its first patients Monday, a Fawn family reflected on four generations of their own history at the hospital. The legacy started with Barb Kutchko’s mother, Monie Hanford, who was a switchboard operator there until the late 1970s or early 1980s....
Gas prices rise in Pittsburgh, fewer nationally under $2 per gallon
Gas prices are up in the Pittsburgh area, and, nationally, with fewer stations selling fuel for under $2 per gallon. “The percent of gas stations in the U.S. selling under $2 per gallon fell from 37 percent to 27 percent over the last week as oil prices hold above $53...
Harrison man goes back to school to tell Birdville history
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley people and the notable things that they do. Decades ago, approaching planes would send elementary students in Harrison running back to their classrooms. The two-man, single engine propeller-driven planes would come in low near Birdville School, using...
Harrison judge slams commissioners for not reaching deal with police chief
An obviously exasperated District Judge Carolyn Bengel tore into the Harrison commissioners in public Thursday night, taking officials to task for not reaching an employment agreement with the township’s longtime police chief that would facilitate his retirement. In May, commissioners deadlocked 2-2, with one absent, to approve a four-year contract...
Union Avenue, Sycamore Street eyed for new trees in Harrison
More trees could be coming to Harrison. Part of Union Avenue in the Natrona Heights neighborhood and Sycamore Street in Natrona are being considered for planting, said Tom Cajka, chairman of the township’s tree committee. A total of 50 trees are being considered. Of those, 30 would be planted along...
Public can see preliminary Highlands school budget beginning Tuesday
Highlands School District residents can get a look at the district’s preliminary $46 million budget for the 2019-20 school year beginning Tuesday, according to a legal notice from the district. The district will seek approval from the state Department of Education to increase property taxes by more than its state-imposed...
East Deer bridge near Sheetz finished, open to traffic
Work to replace the bridge over Crawford Run on Freeport Road in East Deer is finished and the new bridge is open to traffic, the contractor announced Wednesday. Work on the bridge, near Sheetz, started in July. It was scheduled to be finished in December, but was delayed into January...
Youth basketball tournament to remember Highlands coach, support Callender family
The shock of the loss of a beloved Highlands coach is subsiding, but the need to help his family and keep his memory alive remains. The second annual Coach Tom Callender Memorial Basketball Tournament will bring people together to celebrate his life and help his family, said Kate Bielak of...
Pennsylvania drivers can bring documents to PennDOT to pre-verify for ‘REAL ID’
Pennsylvania drivers are getting information in the mail about pre-verifying for “REAL ID.” The identifications, in the form of a new driver’s license or photo identification card, will be available this spring, according to the postcard PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said the agency is sending to all customers. REAL ID-compliant...
Police looking for person who fled Turtle Creek shooting scene
A 17-year-old boy was treated and released from a local hospital after being shot Tuesday morning in Turtle Creek, Allegheny County police said. Turtle Creek police and paramedics went to the 900 block of Oak Avenue around 8 a.m. in response to 911 calls about a shooting. The boy had...
Highlands School District hopes pay boost will attract nurses, union says
Highlands School District is hoping to attract health room nurses by increasing pay, a union representative said Tuesday. In an agreement with the Highlands Educational Support Professionals Association, the district has increased the pay for health room licensed practical nurses to $15 per hour. The hourly rate had been as...
40th Street Bridge ramp reopens, but another closure is expected
The ramp from the 40th Street Bridge to northbound Route 28 in Millvale has reopened, PennDOT announced around 3 p.m. Tuesday. The ramp had been closed Monday evening because of ice that came from a water line leak. Crews have removed the ice and reopened the ramp, PennDOT said. The...
Armstrong County residents invited to try new voting machines
Armstrong County residents will be able to try out new voting machines at an expo next week. The new voting system expo will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, at the Kittanning Township Volunteer Fire Department, 13126 Route 422. The Pennsylvania Department of State directed...
Highlands to seek exceptions to increase property taxes by more than state limit
Property owners in the Highlands School District could be facing another increase in their school taxes. The school board on Monday approved advertising a preliminary budget, a step toward increasing the property tax beyond the district’s state-imposed limit. The board did not discuss specifics of the budget at the voting...
Highlands School Board sets hearing on closing former Fawn elementary school
The Highlands School Board is considering permanently closing the former Fawn Primary Center. The school was renamed the Highlands Support Center as part of the district’s controversial reconfiguration, which went into effect this school year. The school board voted Monday to schedule a state-required public hearing to consider the permanent...
Gas prices holding steady nationally as transition to summer fuel approaches
While the Pittsburgh area was enduring its coldest day of the winter season so far, the change to summer is just on the horizon — to summer gasoline, that is. “The transition to summer gasoline, a three-month process, will begin in the weeks ahead, so the current period is still...
At 110 years old, Allegheny Valley Hospital keeps growing
Allegheny Valley Hospital will be remembering its history and investing in its future in this, its 110th year. That will include saying goodbye to a large piece of its past. The hospital’s administration building, dating from 1928, is slated to be torn down this spring. It’s among many projects recently...
Pittsburgh police make arrest in Jan. 7 downtown shooting
Pittsburgh police have made an arrest in a Jan. 7 shooting in downtown Pittsburgh. Roy Joseph Johnson, 23, was arrested overnight, police announced Friday. He was charged with aggravated assault, attempted homicide and reckless endangerment. Johnson allegedly shot another man multiple times in the 900 block of Liberty Avenue around...
Turtle Creek shooting victim expected to survive
A 28-year-old man is expected to survive after being shot in Turtle Creek shortly after midnight Friday, Allegheny County Police said. Turtle Creek police and paramedics went to the 500 block of James Street around 12:20 a.m. after a shooting was reported to 911. The victim found there was suffering...
Winter storm warning issued as snow bears down on Pittsburgh area
A weekend winter storm watch has been upgraded to a winter storm warning for much of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and the region is expected to see more than a half-foot of snow by day’s end Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The winter storm warning is in effect from 10...
New Kensington Post Office to host passport fair
The New Kensington Post Office will host a passport fair next weekend. The location is among select post offices in the Western Pennsylvania District hosting a fair to help customers obtain passports. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the post office,...
Meteorologist: Today’s snow nothing compared to what’s coming this weekend
Some snow this afternoon and evening will be an appetizer for the main course expected on Saturday. Between 1 and 2 inches of snow is in the forecast for today, starting in the mid-afternoon and ending around midnight, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Kennedy said. “It doesn’t look like it’s...
Knoch High School student accused of Snapchat threat to stand trial
A Knoch High School student was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on charges of making online threats to shoot classmates. District Judge Sue Haggerty moved all charges against Jason Bowen, 18, of Middlesex, to Butler County Common Pleas Court during a preliminary hearing. He is accused of making terroristic threats,...
Many schools delayed as slick roads hamper morning commute
Light drizzle and flurries caused icy road conditions in parts of the Pittsburgh area Wednesday morning, causing many school districts to call two-hour delays. A winter weather advisory for slippery road conditions, especially on untreated roads and elevated surfaces, was in effect until noon. Shortly before 9 a.m., the National...
Burglar breaks into Shadyside’s Henne Jewelers, leaves empty-handed
A burglar got into a Shadyside jewelry store early Tuesday morning, but left with nothing. The jewelry at Henne Jewelers was in a vault and out of the burglar’s reach, the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported Tuesday. Officers responded to an alarm at the store in the 5500 block of...
