Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 6

The Pine-Richland School District could seek to increase property taxes by more than its state-imposed inflation limit as it grapples with a nearly $5 million deficit for the 2026-27 school year. Superintendent Brian Miller said he and Christopher Juzwick, the district’s director of finance and operations, are recommending at least...

The Pine-Richland School Board has approved a pay increase for Superintendent Brian Miller. In finding that Miller had met performance standards for the 2024-25 academic year, the board set his salary at $221,707. That’s a 2.5% increase from the $216,300 salary the board set for Miller in August 2024 when...

Building renovations at Shaler Area Middle School have been reduced in cost from more than $20 million to about $8.2 million over the next three years. While still replacing the school’s entire roof, HVAC work would be limited to replacing two or three of the units in the worst condition...

Stewards of Western Pennsylvania waterways are hoping a machine being used to prevent litter from polluting the Baltimore harbor could help keep the Steel City’s rivers clean. Two nonprofit organizations, Allegheny CleanWays and Three Rivers Waterkeeper, are working on bringing a “trash wheel” to the Monongahela River near Hazelwood. Powered...

A man died in a crash on Route 576 in South Fayette after police say he stabbed a woman and a boy in Robinson Township Sunday morning. According to Allegheny County Police, the stabbing in the 100 block of K Row in Robinson was reported shortly after 8 a.m. First...

A middle school teacher from Mount Pleasant is accused of exchanging nude photos with a 14-year-old child. Ashley Mongell, 30, is a seventh grade science teacher at Connellsville Area Middle School. State police said they began investigating Mongell and her contact with the child after Instagram made a report to...

A Brooklyn man is being held in the Beaver County Jail after state police say he stole more than $100,000 from a person in Aliquippa. State police charged Xinhua Chen, 35, with felony counts of theft by deception and extortion. At an arraignment Saturday morning, he was denied bail as...

Gus Scalo didn’t win a stein-holding competition at Pittsburgh Brewing in East Deer on Saturday, but he showed that beer who the boss was by chugging it after bowing out. “It looks a lot easier than it is,” he said. “I’m feeling it, man, I’m feeling it.” The stein-holding competition...

A 19-year-old man died in a crash in North Apollo late Friday night. The Armstrong County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Jace Albert Hoe III, of Kiski Township. The crash, at Pegtown Avenue and River Road, was reported shortly before 10 p.m., an Armstrong County 911 dispatcher said. Hoe...

The Shaler Area School District has a new business manager. During a special voting meeting Wednesday, Sept. 10, the school board approved hiring Kimberly Pawlishak as director of finance and operations for a three-year term beginning on or about Dec. 10. Her salary was set at $140,000. Pawlishak is coming...

West View is moving forward with preparations for a new municipal complex and fire department garage. The borough will pay EOS Studio Arc $28,760 for design services for the complex. It will consist of a repurposing of the existing West View Firemen’s Banquet Hall and the adjacent area now home...

The Shaler commissioners have accepted disciplinary actions one of the township’s volunteer fire departments meted out in August following allegations some of its members responded to a call under the influence of alcohol. The Undercliff Volunteer Fire Co. on Aug. 19 suspended three of the five members involved in the...

Northbound traffic on Interstate 79 will be restricted at night by work on the new $46.5 million Wexford interchange, PennDOT announced Tuesday, Sept. 9. Restrictions will occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. weeknights and as-needed on weekends from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. They will include northbound I-79 being...

PennDOT plans to close the northbound 62nd Street Bridge, Route 8, between Pittsburgh and Etna this weekend, the agency announced Tuesday. The bridge is scheduled to be closed from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday while crews are working. Traffic will be detoured. The posted detour will be: •...

While the two tickets that won a $1.8 billion Powerball drawing on Sept. 6 were not sold in Pennsylvania, two of three tickets that won $100,000 in the drawing were sold in Allegheny County’s North Hills area, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. One was sold at the Giant Eagle on...

A Pittsburgh man was arrested in relation to the stabbing incident that occurred near Frankie Pace Park Sunday. Kevin Jenkins, 51, is facing multiple felony charges of aggravated assault, as well as misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person. After being released from the hospital, Jenkins was transported to the...

A 42-year-old man died in a motorcycle crash in Washington County on Sunday, the county coroner’s office said. Albert M. Swoager Jr., of New Eagle, was traveling south on Route 88 in Union Township when he lost control on a curve and hit a guide rail at Airport Road. He...

A suspect is in custody after a stabbing during a youth football game at Ringgold High School’s stadium in Washington County Sunday, according to the district’s superintendent. The ongoing investigation of the incident has prompted the Ringgold School District to close all of its schools on Monday, Superintendent Randall Skrinjorich...

A postal worker and another driver were hurt in a three-vehicle crash Friday in Bell Township, according to state police. The crash happened just before noon on Route 819 near McDivitt Drive. According to state police, Ruth A. Diekhoff, 87, of Avonmore was traveling north in an SUV when she...

A 25-year-old man died after he was shot at a friend’s home in Canonsburg Saturday night, the Washington County Coroner’s Office said. Brady Hugh Paul, of Canonsburg, was shot at a residence in the 500 block of Griffin Avenue. Paul’s friend, who was not identified, sought help from a neighbor,...

Interviews with multiple children have lead to state police accusing a Butler County man of sexual assault. State police on Saturday said that Nathan Workmen Mitchell, 51, of Adams Township had been arrested and charged with sexual assault by a sports official, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of...

For the Wounded Warrior Project’s Carry Forward 5K in Pittsburgh this year, Army veteran Jake Tihey carried a flag. Last year, the 33-year-old mechanic from Verona carried his daughter the distance, which equates to about 3.1 miles. Tihey’s load was lighter this year because his daughter, now 8, wasn’t feeling...

Three Ross police officers were recognized for saving lives in August. Police Chief Cristyn Zett presented commendations to Officers Jason Pokorny, Andrew Notbohm and Christopher Shortley during the township commissioners meeting Sept. 2. “Our officers serve Ross Township every day and help people in many ways, big and small,” Commissioner...

The end of this year’s swim season was also the end for the original, 61-year-old bathhouse at Crawford Pool in Shaler’s Kiwanis Park. The bathhouse, dating from when the pool opened in July 1964, is being demolished and the site prepared for its replacement by Oct. 30, township Manager Judy...

Ross commissioners are considering approval of a $35.3 million, five-year capital improvement program for the township. Of that, about $30.1 million, or 85%, is considered a priority, finance director Dan Berty told commissioners during a presentation at their Sept. 2 meeting. It includes about $13.6 million for street improvements, $9.4...