Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 3

A fire in a planter caused minor damage Sunday to the exterior of a cat rescue in downtown New Kensington. The fire at Frankie’s Friends in the 700 block of Fifth Avenue was reported about 5:20 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. According to fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr.,...

Authorities are searching for a dog that ran from a home in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood after seriously injuring a 2-year-old boy Sunday afternoon. The dog attack in the 200 block of Moore Avenue was reported just after 1:30 p.m. According to police, homeowners called 911 after their dog, a 2-year-old...

A 19-year-old man’s death in Washington County on Sunday is being investigated as a homicide, the county coroner’s office said. According to the coroner, Devyon Dennis, of Uniontown, was shot inside his girlfriend’s residence in the Washington Estates mobile home park on Broadmore Drive in Canton. The incident was reported...

Two men were found shot outside a home in Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood early Saturday morning, according to police. Officers went to the 2600 block of Perrysville Avenue just before 5:30 a.m. in response to an alert of two shots fired. One man had been struck in the arm, while...

Robin Richards has been fascinated by the former Bloser Mansion in New Kensington since she was a little girl. She had always wanted to go inside, but wasn’t even allowed on the property. “We were dirty looking little kids,” she said. Richards went inside the mansion for the first time...

An oasis in downtown New Kensington’s food desert formed on Saturday. About a dozen vendors participated in the first of the New Ken Downtown Partnership’s new series of farmers markets. They’re scheduled to be held weekly from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Oct. 19 on Fifth Avenue at 10th...

Shaler Area School District residents will see contested races across all three of the district’s regions in the May 20 primary. Region 1 In Shaler’s Region 1, four candidates are vying for two seats with four-year terms. Three of the candidates are cross-filed, while one will be on the Democratic...

Two Democrats are vying in the May 20 primary for the Ross commissioner seat representing the township’s sixth ward. The candidates are incumbent John W. Kettering and challenger Haley Warden-Rodgers. The Republican candidate, Justin Jeffrey, is unopposed in the primary. Ross has nine commissioners, each from a ward, who are...

Nightly lane closures on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh, Ross and McCandless will start Monday, April 21, and continue through April 28, PennDOT announced Wednesday. Beginning Monday night, southbound McKnight Road will be reduced to a single lane between Perrymont Road and the Babcock Boulevard interchange from 8 p.m. to 6...

A weapons detection system will be in use at Shaler Area’s middle and high schools this fall. The school board has approved district administration’s recommendation to implement the OpenGate weapons detection system at the schools beginning with the 2025-26 school year. “This decision reflects our district’s ongoing commitment to ensure...

The highest possible property tax increase will allow the Shaler Area School District to balance its budget without cutting any student programs, supports or extracurricular activities while preserving the district’s fund balance, according to a presentation to the school board. The preliminary $102.6 million budget for the 2025-26 school year...

More than two dozen Shaler roads will be resurfaced this year. Township commissioners at their April 8 meeting accepted a $1.31 million bid from A. Liberoni, which had submitted the lowest of seven bids for the township’s road paving program. The highest bid was nearly $1.67 million. The work is...

The next phase of a traffic crossover on McKnight Road in Ross will start Friday, PennDOT announced. Northbound traffic on McKnight Road is expected to be crossed over into the southbound lanes on Friday to allow crews to continue work on the bridge carrying traffic over Babcock Boulevard, the agency...

A $50,000 federal grant will help to modernize Reserve Township’s government, Congressman Chris Deluzio announced. The funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission will go toward buying new technology supplies and equipment and training township staff. The township is putting $1,350 of local funds toward the effort. “Our local government leaders...

Work to replace a natural gas line is expected to restrict traffic late June on Route 19 in West View, PennDOT announced. Lane restrictions were scheduled to start Monday, April 14, on Route 19, or Perry Highway, just north of the intersection with Bellevue Road, and are expected to be...

Traffic on Rochester Road in Ross is expected to be restricted for the next two weeks, PennDOT announced. Peoples Natural Gas was scheduled to start working on a gas line Monday, April 14. Because of that, there will be single-lane, alternating traffic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through...

Richland plans annual Junk in Your Trunk sale It’s time do some spring cleaning and earn a little cash for your effort. Richland is hosting its annual Junk in Your Trunk sale from 8 a.m. to noon May 17 at the municipal building, 4019 Dickey Road. The township must have...

Free smoke alarms available to county residents According to the U.S. Fire Administration, Pennsylvania has suffered more home fire deaths this year than any other state in the nation. In an effort to help save lives, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross is launching a communitywide initiative....

Two women suffered gunshot wounds in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood Sunday, police said. Officers went to the 1200 block of Mohler Street around 5:30 p.m. in response to three separate alerts of shots fired, totaling 10 rounds, police said. A woman was found with a graze wound to her shoulder....

Much of southwestern Pennsylvania is at a slight risk for severe thunderstorms on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The highest overall severe risk will be near and south of Latrobe, Pittsburgh and New Philadelphia. The risk decreases for counties north and east of Allegheny County, according to an...

About 100 women from all over the nation have gathered in Shaler this weekend to hone their skills at what’s called “the fastest game on grass.” They’re playing the ball-and-stick sport “camogie,” described as a combination of field hockey and lacrosse and the women’s version of hurling, which is widely...

A Pittsburgh-based firm specializing in renewing historic buildings and a Shaler neighborhood group have reached an agreement on the firm’s plans for the potential $100 million redevelopment of the Mt. Alvernia property. Attorneys representing Q Development and the Hawthorne Neighborhood Association announced the agreement at the Shaler commissioners meeting April...

Savings in health care and those expected from staff cuts are putting a dent in the deficit that the Pine-Richland School District is forecasting for the 2025-26 school year. In addition to not replacing several departing employees, the school board also is being asked to consider increases in student activity...

A trio of new, permanently affordable homes are expected to be completed in Etna by the end of the year. State, county and local officials gathered April 7 on Locust Street for a groundbreaking ceremony for the homes being built by City of Bridges Community Land Trust and Allegheny County-based...

State police are asking for the public’s help to identify a man who was armed with a knife when he robbed a Westmoreland County convenience store Sunday afternoon. The robbery of the Par Mar store at 5071 Route 982 in Derry Township happened around 1:15 p.m. According to state police,...