Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 49
3 Democrats vying for 2 New Kensington Council seats in primary
New Kensington Democrats will have three candidates to choose from to fill two ballot spots for city council. Incumbents Dante Cicconi and Tim DiMaio are seeking to remain on the five-member council. Newcomer Laurie Scheid is looking to take one of those seats. There are no Republican candidates on the...
Survivor of New Kensington gun battle charged
The survivor of a gunfight Sunday in New Kensington that left a 16-year-old dead is charged with firearms violations but not homicide. That’s because, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, video of the fight shows Dylan James Walmsley, 19, was not the aggressor when he shot Divine Warner,...
Arnold 16-year-old identified as person killed in New Kensington shootout
A 16-year-old from Arnold died in an exchange of gunfire Sunday in New Kensington, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s office revealed Monday. Divine Warner died at a nearby hospital. According to Ziccarelli’s office, Warner was shot outside, near Valley Royal Court, in an exchange of gunfire with Dylan Walmsley,...
Odds of gasoline hitting $4 per gallon decreasing, analyst says
Odds are increasing that the national average price of gasoline won’t reach $4 this summer, an industry analyst said. “For the first time in several weeks, the national average price of gasoline has seen a decline, and while the fall was quite small, the bigger news may be that we...
Lack of candidates marks primary for New Kensington-Arnold School Board
While voters in other communities have an overabundance of candidates from which to choose to fill school board seats, those in New Kensington and Arnold will find mostly blank ballots for the May primary. Examples of many include Plum, where 13 are vying for five seats; Highlands, where 11 are...
Arnold couple opening The Feisty Goblin Gamehouse, a tabletop gaming store, in New Kensington
Jim and Christine Radeshak are hoping to roll a natural crit when they open their tabletop gaming store in downtown New Kensington. The Arnold couple will take advantage of the crowds drawn to the city’s popular Fridays on Fifth to launch The Feisty Goblin Gamehouse. They are planning a soft...
New Kensington’s Fridays on Fifth returns for 3rd season with 6 dates
Fridays on Fifth, the food truck event that has lured throngs of people to downtown New Kensington, will launch its third season this month. Returning favorites including Del Vecchio’s Sausage will be among a dozen food trucks expected for the opener April 28. Among the newcomers is Cilantro & Ajo,...
U.S. marshals arrest New Kensington bank robbery suspect in Central Pa.
A Tarentum man accused of robbing a New Kensington bank in December has been arrested, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday. The U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested Anthony Burda, 37. He was taken into custody in the Central Pennsylvania region of Cambria and Blair counties, said Melanie Jones,...
New Kensington seeking bids for road resurfacing
New Kensington is planning to resurface parts of five roads this year. The city is seeking sealed bids for the work until 10 a.m. May 3, when they will be opened and read in the meeting room at city hall. The contract calls for milling and paving about 7,630 square...
Arnold man sought on abuse of corpse charge arrested in New Kensington
An Arnold man police were looking for in connection with a body found in Scott Township last year was arrested Thursday morning in New Kensington, Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus said. Sheriff’s detectives and New Kensington police found Bradley Smith, 33, at a home on Sixth Street. He was...
Suspended Arnold officer not guilty of illegally killing deer, still faces 2 hearings
An Arnold police officer has been found not guilty of unlawfully killing a deer. Jacob A. Pollick, 29, of Murrysville remains on unpaid leave from the city’s police force, however, while he still faces hearings on misdemeanor charges of intimidating a witness and tampering with evidence. The state Game Commission...
Retired Plum police officer, candidate for district judge, waives hearing on DUI charge
A former Plum police officer accused of driving under the influence of alcohol has waived a preliminary hearing on the charge. Ryan E. Schneiderlochner, 51, of Plum retired from the borough’s police department April 8. Schneiderlochner also is a candidate for district judge in Plum. He was still a patrolman...
Sheetz offering E85 fuel for less than $2 per gallon
A specific blend of gasoline is available for $2 less per gallon than the current average gas price in the Pittsburgh area. Sheetz is offering E85 for $1.85 through midnight April 30. The current average for regular unleaded in the Pittsburgh area is about $3.85 per gallon, according to AAA....
Popeyes cancels plans for New Kensington location, city official says
A project that would have seen a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen built in New Kensington has been canceled, a city official said Tuesday. City Council approved the development in front of Giant Eagle on Tarentum Bridge Road more than a year ago, with anticipation of being up and running last year....
Fire that destroyed car in Springdale under investigation
The cause of a fire that destroyed a car in Springdale on Monday night still is under investigation. Fire Chief Kevin Wilhelm said firefighters received the call on Shaw Avenue just before 9 p.m. The car, an older Kia Rio, was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Wilhelm did not...
Pa. likely to see jump in gas prices over next 2 weeks
Pennsylvania is among 45 of the nation’s 50 states that saw average gas prices rise over the past week, with more hikes likely within the next couple of weeks, an industry analyst said. At $83 per barrel, oil is at its highest price of the year, said Patrick De Haan,...
Duquesne University police on strike after contract talks failVideo
Police at Duquesne University will go on strike Monday morning after negotiations Sunday failed to reach a contract agreement. The strike was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m., Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reported. The university and its police department, represented by Teamsters Local 249, have been in talks for nearly...
Discarded coals spark brush fire behind Harmar home
No buildings were damaged in a brush fire that broke out Sunday afternoon behind a home in Harmar. Capt. Levi Baer with the Allegheny Valley Volunteer Fire Company said the fire in the 700 block of Gulf Lab Road was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. Firefighters were at the scene...
Damaging wind gusts possible with afternoon, evening storms
Damaging wind gusts are possible with storms in the Pittsburgh area this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service said it is anticipating isolated severe storms this afternoon. Strong and potentially damaging wind gusts are the main threat with the strongest of them. Wind gusts of 40...
Man arrives at hospital with gunshot wound after police get call for shots fired in Uptown
Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound. Police said officers were dispatched just before 9:30 a.m. Sunday after a ShotSpotter alert was issued for five rounds in the 1700 block of Fifth Avenue in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. A short time later,...
14 candidates vying for 5 seats on Plum School Board; parties endorse slates
Democrat and Republican voters in Plum will have the same 14 people to choose from in the upcoming primary election to fill five ballot spots for the Plum School Board. All of this year’s school board candidates are cross-filed for the May 16 primary. They include five incumbents seeking to...
Fort Pitt Bridge, tunnel will be open Saturday night
The inbound Fort Pitt Bridge and tunnel, previously expected to be closed overnight Saturday, will be open to traffic Saturday night, PennDOT announced. They were expected to be closed overnight Friday and Saturday, from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m., while crews replaced pavement markings on the upper deck of the...
5 vying to fill vacant district judge office serving Plum, Oakmont
Five people are running to fill the vacant district judge’s office serving Plum and Oakmont. The candidates are Plum Councilman Mike Doyle; retired Plum police officers, Sgt. Matt Feldmeier and Patrolman Ryan Schneiderlochner; Melanie Pallone, an attorney and professor; and Margareth Sweeney, a deputy constable. Three of the five —...
Diners invited to discover new favorites on spring, summer menu at Knead Community Café
The seasonal change of the menu at Knead Community Café in New Kensington can be tough to deal with for diners who see a favorite dish go away. But when that new menu rolls out, “You’re going to find a new favorite,” cafe co-founder Mary Bode said. This year’s spring...
Abandoned house destroyed in New Kensington, neighbor angered that his house damaged, too
Matt Rhodes knew the abandoned house next to his New Kensington home was trouble waiting to happen. On Wednesday, it happened. A brush fire reported just before 3 p.m. spread to the back of the vacant house at 849 Franklin St. and then to his house next door. The fire...
