Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 56
Plum police detective becomes department’s first public information officer
A Plum detective has been named the police department’s first public information officer. Joseph Little took the weeklong FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association class in Pleasant Hills to take on the role. “I provide the community with the most accurate, up-to-date information,” he said. “As you would imagine, during...
New Kensington-Arnold fires security guard accused of assaulting 5-year-old student
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board fired a security guard who had been accused of assaulting a 5-year-old elementary school student last year. Lori Ann Waltonbaugh, 59, of Greensburg entered a negotiated guilty plea Sept. 29 to a charge of recklessly endangering another person, according to court records. She was sentenced...
Plum police, Rotary Club present donations to Meals on Wheels
Some fuzzy faces in Plum’s police department are helping making Christmas brighter for people getting help from Meals on Wheels. Police Chief Lanny Conley presented a $1,340 check Tuesday to Samantha Lamorte, manager of the Meals on Wheels program at the Plum Community Center. The money came from the department’s...
OPEC production cuts, Russian price cap could disrupt falling gas prices
The national average price of gasoline has dropped for four straight weeks to its lowest level since January, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at price-tracking service GasBuddy, said Monday. “Every state has again seen average gasoline prices drop in the last week, and it remains very possible the...
New Kensington residents gather for Christmas tree lighting, mayor’s holiday dinner
New Kensington residents sang together before breaking bread together as the holiday season got underway in the city Friday night. Christie Sabulsky came to the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree for the first time with her children, Brayden, 9, and Brooklyn, 6. “I like when the community gets together,”...
Police: Man found unconscious in Downtown Pittsburgh alley was attacked with BB gun
Pittsburgh police say a man who died after being found unconscious in a downtown alley had been assaulted with a BB gun. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Christopher Gaylor, 50. He died at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. According to police, officers and medics went to Coffey...
Leechburg High School enters PennDOT ‘Paint the Plow’ competition opening soon for public voting
The blade of a snowplow was quite a different canvas for Leechburg High School senior Jasa Oliver to work on. “I usually do traditional paper and pencil or digital art on my computer,” said Oliver, 18, of Gilpin. “It was very different, especially the proportion, the size and the curve...
Plum hosts Santa, ‘Christmas at Plum Creek’ at new municipal center
Two-year-old Olivia Sikina calls Santa “Ho-Ho,” but her father wasn’t sure how she was going to react to seeing him. “We’ll see if she screams or cries. She seemed very excited at the house,” said Rick Sikina of Plum. “Last year, it didn’t go very well. I think she’s starting...
Allegheny Valley Habitat for Humanity Christmas raffle to benefit Ukrainian orphans
Alle-Kiski Valley residents interested in winning a decorated Christmas tree, wreath or menorah have a chance to do that while also helping the youngest victims of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Two Christmas trees, a wreath and a menorah are up for raffle at Allegheny Valley Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in...
New Kensington getting into Christmas spirit with tree lighting, dinner, parade
The Christmas season starts this weekend in New Kensington. Festivities begin Friday evening with the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, followed by Mayor Tom Guzzo’s annual free dinner. The city’s Christmas parade will be held downtown Saturday morning, followed by free horse and carriage rides on Fifth Avenue. “This...
Car found abandoned, wrecked in New Kensington was stolen Thanksgiving night
A car found abandoned after being wrecked in New Kensington on Friday morning had been stolen from its owner’s driveway the night before, police Chief Bob Deringer said this week. Deringer said the car, a Dodge Charger, was stolen in New Kensington sometime after 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. It...
Tax keeps Pennsylvania gas prices high despite nationwide downward trend, analyst says
Despite falling gas prices nationwide, Pennsylvania finds itself in the company of West Coast states with the highest average prices in the nation. Pennsylvania’s statewide average on Monday was about $3.97 per gallon, about 42 cents higher than the national average and higher than all surrounding states, according to AAA....
6th annual ‘Christmas at Plum Creek’ moves to new borough building
Plum’s annual “Christmas at Plum Creek” is moving this year, but Santa will know where to find it and all the boys and girls eager to tell him what’s on their lists. The event, in its sixth year, will be the first to be held at the borough’s new building...
Far more than a D-Day survivor, Bill Tingle was (for starters) a scientist, musician, poet, cookbook author, great dad
In talking about the life of William “Bill” Tingle III, “Where do we start?” is not just a saying. His daughter, Susan Krumpe, asked that question herself as she remembered her father Friday. Bill Tingle was a soldier, a scientist, an inventor, a sailboat racer, a snow skier, a chess...
Car found abandoned, wrecked in New Kensington was stolen
New Kensington police are investigating after a stolen car was found abandoned early Friday after being crashed along Freeport Road. The crash was reported shortly after 6 a.m. in the 2300 block of Freeport Road, across from Mary Queen of Apostles School, fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said. A Dodge...
Plum planning to draw down reserves, not increase property tax in 2023
Plum is not increasing real estate taxes, but would draw down its reserves by about 42% under the proposed budget for 2023. The entire proposed budget for all borough funds is about $23 million, Finance Director Michael Whitico said. That’s an increase of $3.42 million — or about 17.5% —...
Bus added for 2nd Shop Small Crawl in New Kensington
A bus has been added for the second Shop Small Crawl in New Kensington to help shoppers get to the 50 businesses that will participate in the event on Small Business Saturday, which is Nov. 26 this year. The crawl first was held in 2021 to highlight the city’s growing...
DelRosso weighs options for her future after gubernatorial race
Republican state Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso wasn’t going to run against veteran Democratic state Rep. Tony DeLuca. Part of that, she says, was a matter of respect between one Italian American and another after redistricting took her home in Oakmont out of her 33rd House District and put it in...
Faces of the Valley: Longtime volunteer finds purpose at Knead Community Cafe
Colleen Clark-Sulava hasn’t been one to spend retirement in a rocking chair. She has been volunteering at Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington since its opening in 2017. “As much for me as anything, I wanted to feel I was doing something important,” she said. “I want my life in...
Plum’s Beninati twins achieve ‘commended’ status in National Merit Scholarship competition
Amy and Jim Beninati raised their twins, Carly and Nathaniel, to value education. “We always thought it was important to do museums and science centers,” Amy Beninati said. “Play activities revolved around learning experiences in a fun way. They always enjoyed it, too. They seemed to have an affinity for...
First snow of the season features fluffy flakes, light accumulation before rain moves in
The Pittsburgh area was treated to what a National Weather Service meteorologist called “snow globe snow” on Tuesday. “It’s very pretty. But, luckily, our ground is warm, so we’re not seeing it accumulate to the point it would cause any problems,” meteorologist Myranda Fullerton said. How true that was appeared...
Falling gas prices in Great Lakes states, oil prices drive decline in national average
After increasing the prior week, the national average price of gasoline posted a modest decline last week, with prices dropping in a majority of states, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy. The national average fell 2.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.76 on Monday, GasBuddy reported. That’s 14.3...
New Kensington to hold line on property taxes despite rising costs
Despite rising costs, New Kensington is expecting to hold the line on property taxes next year. City Council preliminary approved a $9.2 million budget for 2023 that keeps the city’s property tax rate unchanged at 32.03 mills. The city would spend almost 9% more than its $8.5 million budget for...
‘Start Up’ television episode featuring New Kensington debuts at Voodoo Brewing
An episode of a PBS series focusing on revitalization efforts in New Kensington is “a tremendous postcard for the city,” Mayor Tom Guzzo said. The episode of “Start Up” featuring Mike Malcanas and his Olde Towne Overhaul debuted at Voodoo Brewing New Kensington Pub on Friday evening. “Anyone who watches...
1 person dead, 1 hurt in Upper Burrell crash
A 73-year-old man died Wednesday evening after a crash in Upper Burrell. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Joseph Demichele of Penn Township. The two-vehicle crash on Milligantown Road, between Stoney Hill Road and Rustic Lane, was reported just before 5:15 p.m. According to Upper Burrell...
