Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 51
New Kensington’s Fridays on Fifth returns for 3rd season with 6 dates
Fridays on Fifth, the food truck event that has lured throngs of people to downtown New Kensington, will launch its third season this month. Returning favorites including Del Vecchio’s Sausage will be among a dozen food trucks expected for the opener April 28. Among the newcomers is Cilantro & Ajo,...
U.S. marshals arrest New Kensington bank robbery suspect in Central Pa.
A Tarentum man accused of robbing a New Kensington bank in December has been arrested, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday. The U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested Anthony Burda, 37. He was taken into custody in the Central Pennsylvania region of Cambria and Blair counties, said Melanie Jones,...
New Kensington seeking bids for road resurfacing
New Kensington is planning to resurface parts of five roads this year. The city is seeking sealed bids for the work until 10 a.m. May 3, when they will be opened and read in the meeting room at city hall. The contract calls for milling and paving about 7,630 square...
Arnold man sought on abuse of corpse charge arrested in New Kensington
An Arnold man police were looking for in connection with a body found in Scott Township last year was arrested Thursday morning in New Kensington, Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus said. Sheriff’s detectives and New Kensington police found Bradley Smith, 33, at a home on Sixth Street. He was...
Suspended Arnold officer not guilty of illegally killing deer, still faces 2 hearings
An Arnold police officer has been found not guilty of unlawfully killing a deer. Jacob A. Pollick, 29, of Murrysville remains on unpaid leave from the city’s police force, however, while he still faces hearings on misdemeanor charges of intimidating a witness and tampering with evidence. The state Game Commission...
Retired Plum police officer, candidate for district judge, waives hearing on DUI charge
A former Plum police officer accused of driving under the influence of alcohol has waived a preliminary hearing on the charge. Ryan E. Schneiderlochner, 51, of Plum retired from the borough’s police department April 8. Schneiderlochner also is a candidate for district judge in Plum. He was still a patrolman...
Sheetz offering E85 fuel for less than $2 per gallon
A specific blend of gasoline is available for $2 less per gallon than the current average gas price in the Pittsburgh area. Sheetz is offering E85 for $1.85 through midnight April 30. The current average for regular unleaded in the Pittsburgh area is about $3.85 per gallon, according to AAA....
Popeyes cancels plans for New Kensington location, city official says
A project that would have seen a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen built in New Kensington has been canceled, a city official said Tuesday. City Council approved the development in front of Giant Eagle on Tarentum Bridge Road more than a year ago, with anticipation of being up and running last year....
Fire that destroyed car in Springdale under investigation
The cause of a fire that destroyed a car in Springdale on Monday night still is under investigation. Fire Chief Kevin Wilhelm said firefighters received the call on Shaw Avenue just before 9 p.m. The car, an older Kia Rio, was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Wilhelm did not...
Pa. likely to see jump in gas prices over next 2 weeks
Pennsylvania is among 45 of the nation’s 50 states that saw average gas prices rise over the past week, with more hikes likely within the next couple of weeks, an industry analyst said. At $83 per barrel, oil is at its highest price of the year, said Patrick De Haan,...
Duquesne University police on strike after contract talks failVideo
Police at Duquesne University will go on strike Monday morning after negotiations Sunday failed to reach a contract agreement. The strike was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m., Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reported. The university and its police department, represented by Teamsters Local 249, have been in talks for nearly...
Discarded coals spark brush fire behind Harmar home
No buildings were damaged in a brush fire that broke out Sunday afternoon behind a home in Harmar. Capt. Levi Baer with the Allegheny Valley Volunteer Fire Company said the fire in the 700 block of Gulf Lab Road was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. Firefighters were at the scene...
Damaging wind gusts possible with afternoon, evening storms
Damaging wind gusts are possible with storms in the Pittsburgh area this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service said it is anticipating isolated severe storms this afternoon. Strong and potentially damaging wind gusts are the main threat with the strongest of them. Wind gusts of 40...
Man arrives at hospital with gunshot wound after police get call for shots fired in Uptown
Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound. Police said officers were dispatched just before 9:30 a.m. Sunday after a ShotSpotter alert was issued for five rounds in the 1700 block of Fifth Avenue in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. A short time later,...
14 candidates vying for 5 seats on Plum School Board; parties endorse slates
Democrat and Republican voters in Plum will have the same 14 people to choose from in the upcoming primary election to fill five ballot spots for the Plum School Board. All of this year’s school board candidates are cross-filed for the May 16 primary. They include five incumbents seeking to...
Fort Pitt Bridge, tunnel will be open Saturday night
The inbound Fort Pitt Bridge and tunnel, previously expected to be closed overnight Saturday, will be open to traffic Saturday night, PennDOT announced. They were expected to be closed overnight Friday and Saturday, from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m., while crews replaced pavement markings on the upper deck of the...
5 vying to fill vacant district judge office serving Plum, Oakmont
Five people are running to fill the vacant district judge’s office serving Plum and Oakmont. The candidates are Plum Councilman Mike Doyle; retired Plum police officers, Sgt. Matt Feldmeier and Patrolman Ryan Schneiderlochner; Melanie Pallone, an attorney and professor; and Margareth Sweeney, a deputy constable. Three of the five —...
Diners invited to discover new favorites on spring, summer menu at Knead Community Café
The seasonal change of the menu at Knead Community Café in New Kensington can be tough to deal with for diners who see a favorite dish go away. But when that new menu rolls out, “You’re going to find a new favorite,” cafe co-founder Mary Bode said. This year’s spring...
Abandoned house destroyed in New Kensington, neighbor angered that his house damaged, too
Matt Rhodes knew the abandoned house next to his New Kensington home was trouble waiting to happen. On Wednesday, it happened. A brush fire reported just before 3 p.m. spread to the back of the vacant house at 849 Franklin St. and then to his house next door. The fire...
Dollar Tree moving into former Altmeyer’s in New Kensington
Another new business is moving into Riverview Plaza in New Kensington. A Dollar Tree will fill the space that, until recently, housed Altmeyer’s, according to plans filed with the city. Altmeyer’s, a more than 80-year-old, family-owned bed, bath and home goods store, filed for bankruptcy in July 2022 and started...
New Kensington Salvation Army to cultivate vegetables with ‘grow cube’
Harvests of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers soon will be coming from within the New Kensington Salvation Army. They are among the basic salad plants the Salvation Army plans to grow in a new “grow cube” that was set up Thursday in a classroom inside the organization’s building, a former elementary...
Increased demand, OPEC production cut contribute to rising gas prices
Pennsylvania is among 44 states that saw their average gasoline prices rise over the past week. “Prices are being pulled up not only due to continued increases in demand as temperatures warm, but also pressure from oil prices, which have risen over 20% in the last month, primarily driven by...
Pa. Turnpike Commission renting homes it bought in Plum, Penn Township
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission does more than operate a highway across the breadth of the state. In several locations, it’s also a landlord, including in Plum, where the turnpike commission bought a single-family house that had been for sale in the Regency Park neighborhood. The turnpike commission paid $247,000 for...
13 graduates in inaugural group of distinguished alumni to be honored by New Kensington-Arnold
A baker’s dozen of graduates of the New Kensington-Arnold School District and its predecessors make up the first group of distinguished alumni who will be honored through a reinvigorated recognition program. Nearly 30 graduates of Valley, Arnold and New Kensington high schools had been nominated by the Dec. 1 deadline...
New Kensington approves transfer of liquor license for downtown concert venue
Concertgoers soon may be able to enjoy alcoholic beverages with the music at a growing downtown New Kensington concert venue. Following a public hearing, New Kensington Council unanimously approved the transfer of a liquor license into the city for Preserving Underground, on 11th Street at Fifth Avenue. The concert venue...
