Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 23
Plum School Board slated to move O’Block building project, electric bus purchase forward
The Plum School Board is expected to advance two multimillion-dollar projects this month. The board will vote to approve the next phase of design work for an addition and renovations at O’Block Elementary School and a purchase order agreement for 25 electric buses during its Dec. 17 meeting. The district...
Plum residents to get new annual or quarterly bills for garbage, stormwater fees
Plum residents will pay two fees in a new way in 2025. Starting next year, current and delinquent charges for garbage collection and the borough’s flood prevention or stormwater fee will be billed by Keystone Collections, replacing the Plum Borough Municipal Authority. Keystone also collects the borough’s earned income tax....
Overflowing dumpsters at New Kensington’s Valley Royal Court expected to be emptied
Garbage that’s overflowing from dumpsters at Valley Royal Court in New Kensington will be removed, according to the city, the hauler for the property and the property manager. On Monday, garbage filled and was piled around the apartment complex’s three dumpsters. Two are near Mt. Calvary Baptist Church on Fourth...
Plum adding dog walk, changing 5 other events for 2025
Plum is adding a new event and changing others for 2025. Borough Council recently approved the “BoroHaps” schedule for next year. It consists of 11 events from April through December. A new 1-mile dog walking activity, “Walking and Wagging,” will be held once, on May 17. Participants will register their...
While Black Friday is ‘more of a season’ than a single day, people still shop for deals, tradition
Andrew Presutti has memories from when he was his son’s age of shopping on Black Friday, and this year was making new ones with his 5-year-old, Ryder. The father and son from Buffalo Township were found Friday morning at Macy’s at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer, where Ryder was getting...
$11.4M New Kensington budget doesn’t raise taxes
Property taxes would not change under New Kensington’s proposed $11.4 million budget for 2025. Council approved the spending plan on a 3-0 vote, with members Dante Cicconi and Corey Pistininzi absent. The property tax rate would remain at 32.03 mills. Under the budget, the city would spend about 5.7% more...
3 hurt in crash on Route 356 in Allegheny Township that shut down the road for a time
Three people were injured in a crash Friday that closed a section of Route 356 in the Piper Road area of Allegheny Township for about an hour Friday afternoon, a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor said. One person was trapped in their vehicle, the dispatcher said. Three people, two from one...
Gunshot wound victim walks into hospital after report of 31 shots fired in West Oakland
A man with a gunshot wound walked into a Pittsburgh hospital Thursday afternoon after police had received reports of nearly three dozen gunshots being fired in the West Oakland area. Officers went to the area of Ellers Street between Whitridge Street and Passage Way just before 3 p.m. after getting...
Letters to Santa getting spruced up mailbox in Arnold; holiday event planned
What started out as a misunderstanding could turn into Arnold’s newest Christmas event. The free event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Rankin Street near H.D. Berkey Elementary School. Lebert, 45, of Fawn placed a decorative “Santa Mail” mailbox outside the home of his mother, Pam Moses,...
30 downtown New Kensington businesses participating in 4th annual Shop Small Crawl
New Kensington’s take on Small Business Saturday, the Shop Small Crawl, features businesses that are brand new and others that are long-standing. The 30 downtown businesses participating in the fourth annual event range from Eazer’s Restaurant, founded in 1918, to Evanly Bakes, opening for its first day. Hailey Sabot and...
Roundup: Rainy Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh region; slide work to close Penn Hills road
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024: Rain for Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh, snow up north A weather system coming in Wednesday night will bring rain to the immediate Pittsburgh region, but close to 20 inches of snow closer to Lake Erie. A...
New Kensington woman accused of striking woman with SUV in Giant Eagle parking lot
A New Kensington woman is accused of hitting another woman with her SUV on Monday after arguing in the Giant Eagle parking lot. New Kensington police charged Tyonna Lashay Kirk, 29, with felony counts of aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle and accidents involving death or personal injury. She also...
Man claims he shot another in Strip District club after hearing girlfriend’s plea for help
A man told police he heard his girlfriend call for his help before shooting and critically injuring a man early Friday inside a Strip District club, according to court records. Officers went to Club Pittsburgh in the 1100 block of Penn Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. in response to a...
Morning Roundup: Paving to restrict, close Route 910 in Harmar; Allegheny Township bridge restricted
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024: Paving to restrict, close Route 910 in Harmar Traffic on part of Route 910 in Harmar will be restricted during the day Tuesday ahead of an overnight closure for paving, PennDOT announced. Traffic will be...
New Kensington cat rescue Frankie’s Friends receives new roof
Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue is having a new roof installed Monday on its Fifth Avenue building in downtown New Kensington. Frankie’s Friends provides low-cost spay and neuter services, medical facilities and rescue. It takes in about 500 sick or injured cats each year, rehabilitates them and finds them homes. Those...
Morning roundup: Firefighter funeral to close Pittsburgh roads; 1 found shot in Knoxville
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024: Funeral procession to close Pittsburgh roads Roads in Pittsburgh will be closed beginning at 8 a.m. Monday for the funeral procession and Mass for Pittsburgh fire Battalion Chief John P. Walsh. The Mass for Walsh...
Florida fire truck collector buys 1980 American LaFrance engine from New Kensington
A retired New Kensington fire truck was expected to leave the city before sunrise Saturday, beginning the first leg of a journey to its new home in Florida. Steve Vinson, 73, a retired pharmacist, bought the 1980 American LaFrance through an online auction with a bid of $6,800. He flew...
Arnold struggling to gather money to replace 30-year-old fire engine
While a collector has taken an old fire truck off New Kensington’s hands, firefighters and officials in Arnold are struggling to replace their 30-year-old engine. Arnold has $225,000 from federal grant funding set aside to buy a new truck, according to Rick Rayburg, the city’s community development director. But a...
New Kensington’s The Feisty Goblin expanding again, preparing for Star Wars game event
After less than two years in business and two expansions already, a tabletop gaming store in downtown New Kensington again needs more space while preparing for a major Star Wars event. The Feisty Goblin, opened in April 2023 by Arnold couple Christine and Jim Radeshak, will move to a new...
Slides restrict traffic on Milltown Road in Penn Hills
A section of Milltown Road in Penn Hills has been restricted to a single, alternating lane because of two slides. The affected part of the road is located between Newfield Drive, not far from Community Market, and Hulton Road, near JD Auto Body. Traffic is being controlled with temporary traffic...
Estimated building project cost comes in $10M over Plum School District’s borrowing ability
An addition and renovations at two schools are expected to cost the Plum School District nearly $10 million more than officials have said the district can borrow. The total estimated cost of the work is about $39.6 million, representatives of HDG Architects reported this month to the school board. The...
Nearly 600 fentanyl stamp bags, 7 weapons seized in search of New Kensington home
Authorities say they seized nearly 600 stamp bags of fentanyl and seven firearms while carrying out a search warrant early Monday at a home on Leishman Avenue in New Kensington. Robert Micha Whitley, 26, and Destyni Monae Compton, 24, each face several charges for drugs and weapons offenses. Agents from...
18-year-old shot dead in Glassport, suspect detained
An 18-year-old man was found shot dead Sunday afternoon in Glassport Sunday, according to Allegheny County Police. A shooting in the 500 block of Monongahela Avenue was reported to 911 at 2:45 p.m., county police said. First responders found James Macke Jr., of Glassport dead. Witnesses saw a suspect get...
St. Joseph High School marks 110th year preparing students for future success
Ask Mitch Farrell what he remembers most about being a student at St. Joseph High School, and he’ll tell you how much fun students had. Farrell, 28, of New Kensington is a 2014 graduate. He went on to Saint Vincent College in Unity and works as an accountant. The 28-year-old...
13-month-old Plum boy suffers skull fracture, mother charged with abuse
A Plum woman is accused of abusing a 13-month-old boy after the child was diagnosed with a skull fracture. Borough police said Sofia Eve Udavcak, 19, at first claimed her son had suffered the injuries in a number of falls, but later admitted to not seeking medical attention for him...
