Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 91
Tarentum couple conspired to attack, rob man of $400 in borough alley, police say
A Tarentum couple is accused of attacking a man in a borough alley last week and robbing him of about $400. Tarentum police said Brian Lamont Kellum, 42, assaulted the victim Wednesday in Plum Alley. Kellum’s wife, Dionette Williams, 34, is accused of conspiring with her husband. The incident was...
Plans for new Tarentum craft beer festival moving forward
Plans for a new craft beer festival are moving forward in Tarentum. Five breweries, three food vendors and four bands are confirmed for the inaugural event, scheduled for 3 to 10 p.m. Aug. 28 at Dreshar Stadium, Councilman Brian Snyder said. More bands and food vendors are expected to be...
Marine veteran Dorothy Rogers of Brackenridge is 1st female commander of Harrison VFW postVideo
Once and always a Marine, Dorothy Rogers is one of the few and the proud. As a woman and a Marine, she’s among the fewest of the few. Rogers, 73, of Brackenridge enlisted in the Marine Corps in June 1966 after graduating from Tarentum High School. She served four years...
Completion of UPMC family health center in New Kensington celebratedVideo
The new UPMC St. Margaret Family Health Center in New Kensington does not compare at all with the facility it replaces in city hall, the center’s medical director said. “Everything is brand new. It’s bigger,” said Dr. Winfred Frazier. “It’s a much more welcoming space.” The center has moved from...
State House committee hearing in Brackenridge focuses on blightVideo
Combating and preventing blight were discussed Thursday during a public hearing hosted by state lawmakers in Brackenridge. Members of the House Urban Affairs Committee, including first-term state Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso, R-Oakmont, heard testimony from Allegheny and Westmoreland county officials and business owners during the three-hour hearing at the Salvation...
Damaged electrical cord cited as source of Tarentum high-rise fire
A damaged electrical cord attached to a portable heater caused Wednesday afternoon’s fire in an apartment on the top floor of a Tarentum high-rise, according to the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services. The fire at Rachel Carson Hall, reported shortly before 2:30 p.m., was ruled accidental, emergency services Chief...
Tarentum street-paving list firmed up, late utility fees waived this month due to new billing system
West Tarentum is the focus of Tarentum’s road paving this year. Roads included in the project are the intersections of West Sixth Avenue and Center Street; Center Street at West 12th Avenue; the 200 block of West 12th; Hill Street, from Bakerstown Road to Locust Street; Locust Street, from Hill...
Fire heavily damages 8th-floor apartment at Tarentum high-rise
As she looked on from a nearby parking lot, Maria Gray said the apartment next to hers on the top floor of Rachel Carson Hall in Tarentum looked like “a black void.” A fire Wednesday afternoon caused extensive damage to that apartment, but nobody was hurt, Eureka Deputy Fire Chief...
2nd covid vaccine clinic at Valley High School open to those needing 1st shot
A clinic to administer second covid vaccination shots at Valley High School Wednesday afternoon will also be open to anyone needing a first shot, New Kensington-Arnold acting Superintendent Jon Banko said. About 130 people, including students and staff, got their first doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the initial clinic...
New Kensington-Arnold school board approves 3.7% property tax increase with 2020-21 budget
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board on Tuesday approved a 3.7% increase in the district’s property tax rate along with approving the district’s $40.25 million budget for the 2021-22 school year. It will increase the district’s property tax rate from 88.27 mills to 91.57 mills. It’s less than the 4.4% maximum...
Looming closure of Tarentum Bridge prompts planning by police, drivers
PennDOT hasn’t released the official detour route for when the Tarentum Bridge will be closed this month, but New Kensington police are getting ready for the closure. The New Kensington Bridge, spanning the Allegheny River between the city and East Deer, is likely to be part of the posted detour...
MSA Safety acquires Alle-Kiski Valley-based Bacharach in $337M deal
Global safety equipment maker MSA Safety is expanding its gas detection business with the $337 million acquisition of Alle-Kiski Valley-based Bacharach, the companies announced. MSA, headquartered in Cranberry, plans to complete the acquisition of Bacharach and its affiliated companies from FFL Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, in early...
Driver won’t be charged after hitting boy on bicycle in Springdale
Springdale police said they don’t intend to file charges against the driver of an SUV who struck a 12-year-old boy riding a bicycle Thursday night on Lincoln Avenue. Springdale police Sgt. Derek Dayoub said the woman’s northbound SUV struck the boy shortly before 6:30 p.m. in the area of Springdale...
2 from Lower Burrell flown to hospital after police chase in Armstrong County
State police said a Lower Burrell man passed a stopped school bus during a pursuit in Armstrong County that began after a trooper told the man he was not allowed to be driving. The chase ended in a crash and the driver, Walter Frank Smith, 53, and a passenger, Nicole...
Attorney General’s office says Arnold-based drug ring was active in Southwestern Pa., Ohio
The Pennsylvania Attorney’s General’s Office filed charges against six people who it said were involved in an Arnold-based drug trafficking organization that operated in Allegheny, Westmoreland and Armstrong counties and Cleveland. Those charged Wednesday and Thursday were Michael Terrance Scott, 45, and Melinda Tavarez, 42, of Arnold; Joseph Michael Cook,...
Summit Hose seeking donations for 4th of July fireworks in Tarentum
Summit Hose firefighters are asking for the community’s help as they work to bring Fourth of July fireworks back this year. The department is trying to raise $15,000 to pay for the display, scheduled for the evening of July 3 near Dreshar Stadium. The department has close to $5,000, said...
Water main break floods homes, yards in Beechview
Water service was restored to two customers in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood Thursday night after crews repaired a water main that broke in the morning, a water company official said. An 8-inch water main broke around 5:30 a.m., said Gary Lobaugh, a spokesman for Pennsylvania American Water, which flooded yards and...
Mifflin Road in Lincoln Place reopens after overnight crash
Mifflin Road in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln Place neighborhood reopened Thursday morning after an overnight crash. The road had been closed between Lebanon and Glenhurst roads, the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. According to Pittsburgh police, the crash in the 800 block of Mifflin Road was reported shortly before 3 a.m. The...
Suspect in Butler County homicide apprehended in Philadelphia
A man wanted in a homicide in Butler County was apprehended in Philadelphia, state police said Wednesday. Paris Elias Carter, 22, of Downington, is charged with criminal homicide in the death of David A. Hines, 38, of New Castle. State police said they were notified around 8 p.m. May 17...
Vandals cause $5K damage to high school football field in Armstrong County
Unknown vandals caused more than $5,000 worth of damage to a high school football field in Armstrong County, according to state police. State police said the incident happened around 2:30 p.m. Sunday at West Shamokin High School, part of the Armstrong School District on Wolf Drive in Cowanshannock Township. According...
$3.4M to fight blight coming to Allegheny, Westmoreland counties
Communities in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties are receiving about a quarter of the combined $12 million in state grants to combat blight, Gov. Tom Wolf’s office announced. In Allegheny County, 23 municipalities and organizations are receiving about $2.1 million, while five in Westmoreland County are getting about $1.3 million. Projects...
Wind, hail risks with afternoon, evening storms
Damaging wind and large hail are the main risks with storms expected in the Pittsburgh area Wednesday afternoon into the early evening, according to the National Weather Service. Storms are expected to reach the general Pittsburgh area between 3 and 4 p.m., and move out by around 7 p.m., meteorologist...
Teen shot in back while driving in Aliquippa
A 16-year-old boy was in critical but stable condition after being shot in Aliquippa Tuesday night, according to state police. State police did not release the name of the boy from Aliquippa, who was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh with a gunshot wound to the back. The shooting...
New Kensington police searching for missing teen
Police in New Kensington are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing girl. Helen Bray, 15, was last seen when she left her home on Saturday, police said. She is believed to be in the McKeesport area. Bray is described as being 4 feet 11 inches tall, weighing...
Harmar police urge residents not to take selfies with bears following rash of sightings
Harmar police are warning residents not to try to take photos or videos with black bears after a rash of sightings in the township. “We are asking that you enjoy viewing the bear from a safe distance. So that means please do not attempt to take a selfie with the...
