Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 12

Authorities are investigating after a 6-month-old girl died early Tuesday in Arnold. Mayor Shannon Santucci confirmed that police responded to a report of a nonresponsive child shortly after 3:30 a.m. at a home in the 2000 block of Kenneth Avenue. Rob Haus, the officer-in-charge of the Arnold police department, could...

Covering the cost of improvements to two Plum intersections will require the borough to take money from another road project. Plum received a $307,000 state grant for the work at Hulton and Coxcomb Hill roads, near a Sheetz and across from Oakmont Country Club, and on Coxcomb Hill at Rampart...

A bomb threat prompted the New Kensington-Arnold School District to delay the start of classes Friday morning, according to information provided by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. The unfounded threat targeted Valley High School, spokeswoman Melanie Jones said. The district sent a message to families shortly before 10 p.m....

Plum is expecting its old borough building to be torn down by the end of the year as it continues to work on redevelopment plans for the site. The borough received six bids for the demolition, which were opened Thursday. Council may award a contract during its meeting Monday. Bids...

Traffic will be restricted on part of Route 910 in West Deer through early October, PennDOT announced Wednesday. The restrictions on the Route 910 (Gibsonia Road) bridge over Deer Creek were scheduled to begin Wednesday. Traffic will be restricted to a single, alternating lane on the recently replaced bridge between...

A woman died after a three-vehicle crash in Monroeville Friday morning, Allegheny County Police said. The crash involving a tractor-trailer with an oversized load, a car and a minivan was reported shortly after 9 a.m. in the 2100 block of Mosside Boulevard. According to county police, the tractor-trailer and car...

A man in a relationship with a gas station clerk threatened to kill her before robbing the store while she was working there, according to New Kensington police. Police filed robbery, retail theft and receiving stolen property charges Thursday against Thomas Deandrea Johnson, 30, of Tarentum. A warrant was out...

Here are the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Aug. 30: Heat impacts Pittsburgh schools, air quality alert issued Heat is again an issue in the Pittsburgh area, where an air quality alert also is in effect. For a second time this week, Pittsburgh Public Schools announced that 37...

A Plum mother still grieving the death of her son two years ago says a proposed school district policy on memorials is not perfect, but it’s a start. “I do think they are trying,” Jennifer Martinez said. Martinez called for the district to develop a policy after finding none existed...

The bicyclist who was struck by a vehicle Thursday morning before dawn in Shaler has died, according to police. Allegheny County Police announced the man death’s Thursday afternoon. They said his identification will be released by the county medical examiner’s office. According to Allegheny County Police, the collision in the...

Here are the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Aug. 29: Traffic restrictions on Tarentum Bridge Traffic will be restricted on the Tarentum Bridge for ramp inspections on Thursday, PennDOT announced. There will be traffic shifts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the ramps from eastbound Route 366...

An early-morning fire damaged or destroyed more than a dozen recreational vehicles Wednesday at Camping World on Route 356 in Allegheny Township. Neighbors reported the fire to Westmoreland County 911 about 4:40 a.m. after explosions roused them from sleep, Allegheny Township police Chief Dan Uncapher said. Rachel Ramsey, who has...

A number of schools in Western Pennsylvania area will be releasing students early on Wednesday because of the heat. New Kensington-Arnold, Shaler and Freedom all announced early dismissals. New Kensington-Arnold will operate on a two-hour early dismissal schedule. Students will be dismissed from their schools two hours before regular dismissal...

Here are the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Aug. 28: Man’s body found after North Braddock fire A man’s body was found after a Tuesday night fire in a North Braddock home, according to Allegheny County police. A duplex in the 1000 block of North Avenue was destroyed...

A Harrison man was arrested when, police say, he tried to take two daggers concealed in a cane into the Allegheny County Courthouse. Allegheny County Sheriffs charged Stephan Michael Ratulowski, 40, with two counts of prohibited offensive weapons and one count of possession of a weapon in a court facility....

A 42-year-old woman suffered a leg amputation in an accident that happened while digging holes for a fence Monday evening, Allegheny Township police Chief Dan Uncapher said. Family identified the woman as Trish Watt. The incident in the 1300 block of Route 356 was reported shortly before 6 p.m. According...

State police say a woman died Tuesday morning after her vehicle crossed over the grass median on Route 28 in East Deer and went airborne before colliding with two oncoming vehicles. Sheena Marie Fitzgerald, 36, of Penn Hills had been driving south at a high speed between the highway’s Tarentum...

Here are the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Aug. 27: Pittsburgh firefighters respond to 2 vehicle fires in 3 days Pittsburgh firefighters responded to two vehicle fires that damaged three vehicles over three days, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. Around 5 a.m. Saturday, two vehicle fires were reported...

Hot and muggy weather is expected today and Wednesday, prompting some schools in the area to change their schedules. While air temperatures are expected to be in the low-to-mid 90s both days, when combined with the humidity it will feel close to 100 degrees, National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Redmond...

Members of a House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will tour the shooting site in Butler today. Butler County Rep. Mike Kelly, the Republican chairman of the bipartisan task force, and other members will meet with local officials and tour the site of the...

Here are the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Aug. 26: Woman shot in North Braddock A woman was shot in North Braddock early Sunday morning, according to Allegheny County Police. In a release issued late Sunday night, police said the shooting in the 900 block of Bell Avenue...

The Natrona neighborhood’s grief over the death of a hearing-impaired, 11-year-old girl was tinged with anger over the reckless driving they say caused it. Roxanne Alexis Bonnoni died on North Canal Street, just steps from her home, after she was hit by a Jeep Patriot while walking across the road...

Arnold’s police chief will continue to be paid while on administrative leave, Mayor Shannon Santucci said Tuesday. City Council made that decision with a 4-0 vote Monday, Santucci said. Councilman Phil McKinley was absent. Josh Stanga’s salary was set at $82,000 when council hired him as police chief in February....

A homeless man covered in blood told county police he punched a woman until she stopped moving because he was angry that she was “snitching” on him, police said in a court filing. Allegheny County Police charged Joseph Beraducci, 29, with one count of criminal homicide on Sunday, alleging he...

A New Kensington woman is accused of abandoning a 1-year-old chihuahua in a cage and then taking its corpse before police could retrieve it. New Kensington police charged Desiree Marcoux, 39, on Thursday with a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals....