Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 99
First tenants begin moving into New Kensington’s Pioneer Apartments
Erik Williams was expected to be among the first five tenants to move into New Kensington’s new, $18.2 million Pioneer Apartments on Thursday afternoon. “I just want to get in my apartment, period. It’s time for a change,” said Williams, who has lived at the nearby Arnold Towers for the...
Police: Harrison man solicited another person to join in on sexual assault of boy
A Harrison man is accused of inviting another person to join him in sexually assaulting a young boy. Police said they arrested Brandon Jones, 27, on Wednesday. A criminal complaint filed against Jones said a witness in the case reported receiving text messages from Jones in which he described sexual...
State police trooper hurt after car hits tree, catches fire in Armstrong County pursuit
A state trooper was hurt in a pursuit that police said started Monday after a Michigan man drove away from a traffic stop in Armstrong County. State police said it took troopers two tries to bring a car driven by Clark Kendrick Proctor Jr., 23, of West Bloomfield, Mich., to...
Highlands confirms covid-19 case at high school
Highlands School District has confirmed another covid-19 case at its schools. In response to an inquiry from the Tribune-Review on Wednesday morning, Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said there is a positive case at Highlands High School. Mawhinney did not say if the person testing positive was a student or staff member....
Hopewell, Freedom students test positive for covid-19, superintendents say
Two Beaver County school districts have confirmed positive cases of covid-19 among students. A senior at Hopewell High School has tested positive for covid-19, according to a letter from the district to parents. At Freedom Area, the district announced on its website that a few students on the girl’s volleyball...
New Kensington-Arnold to continue in-person instruction 5 days a week
New Kensington-Arnold School District will continue with five-day-a-week, face-to-face instruction, Acting Superintendent Jon Banko said Monday. There was a possibility the district would change to a hybrid schedule beginning Oct. 5 if too many students now learning from home full-time chose to return to schools beginning on that date. This...
Police: Burglar left shoes behind as he ran from Brackenridge home
A Brackenridge woman came face-to-face with a burglar at her kitchen door who ran off, leaving his shoes behind, according to borough police. Brackenridge police charged Eric Randall Thompson, 41, of New Kensington with two felonies, burglary and criminal trespass, and misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property. According...
Clairton closes schools, cancels classes after water main break floods building
Clairton City School District is closed and all classes, including online, are canceled Monday and Tuesday after parts of the education center were flooded by a water main break, the district announced. According to the district, a water main failed on the Large Avenue side of the building on Saturday,...
Historic New Kensington Alcoa building becoming 3-floor, indoor paintball arenaVideo
An historic, three-story building that once was Alcoa’s headquarters in New Kensington is becoming an indoor paintball battlefield. Rooms that had been offices and labs will become spaces players will have to carefully clear, lest they get nailed. The lowest floor, darkened, will glow in the dark. Tom Bianco, owner...
Proposal outlines future, identifies key issues in Harrison, Brackenridge, Tarentum
Economic development, property deterioration, recreation and branding are the four key issues identified in a new comprehensive plan aimed at guiding the future of Harrison, Brackenridge and Tarentum. “Our goal was to formulate an implementable plan — not a 100-page plan that would sit on a shelf,” said Robin Bergstrom,...
Trove of historical information that had been kept in Tarentum now at Harrison library
A treasure trove of local history is available at the Community Library of Allegheny Valley in Harrison. The library’s local history department had been located in the Tarentum branch on Lock Street, but that branch closed in late February. Its resources were being moved to the Harrison library and set...
Police: Brackenridge man strangles, threatens to kill woman during argument
A Brackenridge man charged with strangling a woman late Wednesday allegedly told her they both were going to die, according to a criminal complaint against him. Brackenridge police charged Roy Bryan Cavitt, 63, with a felony count of strangulation, misdemeanor offenses of simple assault and making terroristic threats, and a...
New Kensington couple charged in death of 2-year-old also face animal abuse counts
A New Kensington man accused of inflicting fatal injuries on a 2-year-old boy also beat a dog so badly that one of its legs had to be amputated, according to court documents. New Kensington police on Wednesday charged Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 31, with cruelty to animals and neglect of...
New Ken-Arnold can’t afford to change tax deadlines or eliminate late penalties, board member says
New Kensington-Arnold School Board isn’t changing the district’s property tax deadlines or eliminating late penalties this year because it said doing so could cost the district nearly $100,000. While Westmoreland County and the cities of New Kensington and Arnold extended their discount windows and eliminated penalties to help property owners...
New Kensington-Arnold near ‘tipping point’ that would force change to hybrid schedule
New Kensington-Arnold School District is very close to the “tipping point” with the number of students who want to return to schools, and as a result may have to go to a hybrid schedule, Acting Superintendent Jon Banko told the school board Tuesday. The district set a deadline of 8...
Highlands Middle School soccer player tests positive for covid-19, principal states
A Highlands Middle School student has tested positive for covid-19, according to an email from Principal Kimberly Price. The school was notified of the case on Tuesday, Price wrote. The student is on the middle school soccer team. District Superintendent Monique Mawhinney, district spokeswoman Jennifer Goldberg and school board President...
Police charge New Kensington teen with Friday shooting
A 17-year-old New Kensington boy allegedly shot a girl in her leg during a fight in the city Friday evening, according to New Kensington police. Police charged Deonte Joseph Slomkoski with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of a firearm by a minor. Slomkoski’s attorney, Duke...
Transfer of principal to teacher one of several Highlands personnel moves
Personnel moves approved Monday by Highlands School Board included transferring one principal to teacher, accepting the school board secretary’s resignation and signing off on a statement of charges against an unidentified employee. The board did not comment on any of the actions before approving them in a single motion. Samantha...
New Kensington starts demolition process on 10 more dilapidated houses
Another 10 dilapidated houses are on the path to demolition in New Kensington. That’s great news for Paula Tracz, who lives near one of them at 814 Ross Ave., which was damaged by fire. “It’s such an eyesore. I sit on my back porch, and I see the squirrels all...
New Kensington man struggling after parked car destroyed in shooting, crashVideo
Jay Geyer has heard the sound of gunfire in his New Kensington neighborhood. Sometimes, it’s only fireworks, but often, it’s the real thing. His life had never been touched by the violence surrounding him until the day it crashed into his car, destroying it. Now his niece, Nicole Geyer of...
Carnegie man accused of raping girl in Harrison more than a decade ago
Allegheny County Police charged a 66-year-old man with rape and other offenses after a 17-year-old girl accused him of assaulting her more than a decade ago in Harrison. In addition to rape, police charged Randolph Walker, of Carnegie, with felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, sexual assault, indecent...
Police: Phone sex company alerts police to alleged child sex abuse in Brackenridge
A tip from a phone sex company owner resulted in Allegheny County Police charging a 42-year-old Brackenridge man with sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, John Patrick Godfrey claimed his talk with the phone sex operator was only fantasy, but Allegheny County...
73 cats rescued from North Huntingdon home up for adoption at New Kensington shelterVideo
More than 70 cats rescued from a house in North Huntingdon are being cared for at Frankie’s Friends, a cat rescue in New Kensington. It did not appear anyone was living in the house on Leger Road where the cats were found, Dr. Becky Morrow, medical director and president of...
New Kensington-Arnold may go to hybrid schedule if too many students want to return to schools
New Kensington-Arnold School District will be forced to go to a full hybrid schedule if too many students now learning from home choose to come back to school next month, Acting Superintendent Jon Banko said. Under a hybrid schedule, students would be in school only two days a week, Banko...
New Kensington man accused of lying about his age to get involved with 13-year-old girl
A New Kensington man is accused of indecent assault in connection with an alleged incident involving a 13-year-old girl in Brackenridge. Police said Kristopher Skufca, 19, met the girl through a friend on social media, but he told her that he was 16. A criminal complaint filed in the case...
