Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 12
Exit from Route 28 south to Route 8 north near Etna to close Monday
The exit to Route 8 north from Route 28 south near Etna will close early Monday morning for more than three weeks, PennDOT announced. The ramp is expected to close around 6 a.m. Monday and remain closed around the clock through July 31 while crews reconstruct the exit ramp. The...
2 injured, suspected shooter dead in Somerset County domestic incident
A 23-year-old man who shot two people in Somerset County early Saturday morning was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds, state police said. State police responded to a reported domestic disturbance involving gunfire at a residence on Crestview Drive in Somerset Township around 1:10 a.m. According to state police, a...
Apollo’s new Independence Day celebration welcomed by residents missing community events
A day late was not a dollar short when it came to Apollo’s Independence Day celebration Saturday. While some were wondering why they’d have to wait until Sunday night for fireworks, many were thrilled that the effort was made to bring a community celebration back to the borough. Held the...
North Hills Arts Center plans celebration of O’Hara artist’s life, work
An artist from O’Hara will be remembered and celebrated this month at the North Hills Arts Center in Ross. The celebration of Patricia Mae Young’s life and art will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the center, 3432 Babcock Blvd. Young, who was known as...
412 Gives Back lemonade stands raise $16,465 for group assisting families battling cancer
It could be said June was a very good month to run a lemonade stand. The hot and muggy month featured five days in a row, June 22-26, where the high temperature was 91 or higher, the first time that’s happened in 31 years. And it got down to only...
Filming for Amazon series to impact traffic on Babcock Boulevard in North Park
A film shoot will impact traffic on part of Babcock Boulevard in North Park this week, Allegheny County Police and Allegheny County Parks announced Monday. On Tuesday and Thursday, there will be intermittent closures on Babcock Boulevard from Wildwood Road to West Ridge Road/Hemlock Drive throughout the day. There will...
Plum resident, firefighter suffer minor injuries in house fire
A Plum resident and a volunteer firefighter suffered minor injuries in a fire that damaged a home in Plum’s Greendale Village neighborhood Saturday. The fire at the two-story home at 1442 Greendale Drive, off Old Leechburg Road, came in at 6:45 p.m., an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said. A firefighter...
Woman, 72, dies after vehicle crash in Hampton
A 72-year-old woman died after a two-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon in Hampton. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman Sunday as Jean Carroll of Richland. According to the medical examiner, the crash happened about 3:45 p.m. at Route 8 and Old Route 8 in Hampton. She died around...
Woman, 39, dies after golf cart crash in Bell Township
A 39-year-old woman died after a golf cart crash Saturday night in Westmoreland County, according to authorities. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the woman as Nicole L. Brooke. Her place of residence was not provided. The crash happened in Bell Township, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. It happened...
Upper Burrell man, 74, dies in utility tractor accident
A 74-year-old Upper Burrell man died Saturday in an accident involving a farm tractor, Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said. Dennis A. Praniewicz was pronounced dead at the scene about 3:35 p.m., Carson said. The incident happened shortly after 2 p.m. on Fawn Hill Lane, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher...
Homestead man arrested after high speed chase that ended with wreck of stolen car, Shaler police say
An 18-year-old Homestead man was arrested after a police pursuit in Shaler that began after a township officer identified the car he was driving as stolen, according to a criminal complaint. Sehven Rule was apprehended along with four others in the car after officers used spike strips and one used...
100th family reunion held in West Deer, but their roots came from Scotland — so did the clan’s leader
It’s in the Scottish nature to want to get together and meet up, says Madam Pauline Hunter, the 30th clan chief of Clan Hunter. Often that sees members of the clan, now scattered around the globe, returning to their roots and visiting Hunterston Castle, which is located southwest of Glasgow,...
In brief: Happenings in the Shaler Journal area
Great Gardens Tour scheduled for July Mark your calendars: The 17th annual Shaler Garden Club’s Great Gardens Tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 13. Proceeds from the tour will benefit the Shaler North Hills Library. The tour offers an opportunity to walk through five spectacular...
Shaler Area to tackle building work, district’s future after approving budget with no tax hike
The Shaler Area School Board has approved a budget without a tax increase for the coming school year, but its real work may be just beginning. The board is expected to discuss a revised scope of work at the district’s middle school during a buildings and grounds committee meeting in...
Pine-Richland approves purchase of new computers, auditorium updates
Some Pine-Richland School District students and teachers will have new computers when they return to classes in the fall. The school board at its June 23 meeting approved spending about $561,200 to buy Chromebooks for students, laptops for teachers and classroom computers from Bluum and MacBooks from Apple. Money for...
Ross police issue warning over ‘check washing’ tied to McKnight Road post office
Police in Ross are warning people against leaving checks in the mail boxes outside the McKnight Road post office. In a social media post Wednesday, Ross police said they have taken several reports from residents who had personal checks they had written to various debtors cashed by other parties for...
In brief: Happenings in the Pine Creek Journal area
Richland fire station plans open house The Richland Township Volunteer Fire Department, which has been serving the community since 1948, is planning an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. July 14 at the station, 5857 Meridian Road. Attendees will be able to explore various equipment, participate in live demonstrations...
In brief: Happenings in the North Hills area
Ross schedules parade, fireworks for June 29 Ross will hold its Independence Day Parade from 2 to 3 p.m. June 29 on Perry Highway. The parade will start at St. John Church and end at Brandt’s Funeral Home. The festivities will continue from 5 to 10 p.m. on the municipal...
In brief: Happenings from the North Allegheny area
McCandless Dems award 3 scholarships The McCandless Democratic Committee recently announced the winners of its Vincent and Peggy Amatanagelo annual scholarships. Three newly graduated North Allegheny students — Sophia Brunger, Abigail Peigh and Mikhaela Titus — are this year’s recipients. According to the committee, the students stood out because of...
McKeesport restaurant damaged in early morning fire
A McKeesport restaurant was damaged by fire early Sunday morning. The fire at Cal’s Cantina Bar & Grille in the 600 block of Eden Park Boulevard was reported around 3:30 a.m., according to McKeesport firefighters. The fire was quickly brought under control, firefighters said. No information about injuries or the...
Harmar police use cameras to identify, find suspect in Freeport Road hit-and-run
Police used a variety of cameras to identify and find the driver of a car that did not stop after hitting and seriously injuring a pedestrian Thursday night on Freeport Road in Harmar. Harmar police charged Richard Yost Jr., 59, of McCandless on Friday with accidents involving death or personal...
Leechburg man seriously hurt in Route 28 crash in Tarentum
A Leechburg-area man suffered life-threatening injuries in a single-vehicle crash on Route 28 in Tarentum last week, according to state police in Kittanning. The crash happened just before 10 p.m. Wednesday at Exit 14, state police said in a release issued Saturday. According to state police, Barry G. Bernard, 41,...
Scholl brothers retiring from family’s West View bike shop, making way for new borough complex
The day after graduating from North Allegheny High School in 1978, Dave Scholl went to work fixing bicycles in his parents’ shop in West View. He and his older brother, Ken, a 1973 grad, have been together there ever since. “That’s all we’ve done all of our life — fix...
Bicyclist who died after colliding with SUV in McKeesport identified
A bicyclist who died Wednesday afternoon after colliding with an SUV in McKeesport has been identified. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Taylor Mehalcik, 29, of Versailles. Allegheny County Police said the collision in the 600 block of Eden Park Boulevard was reported shortly before 3:30 p.m....
Alerts issued for air quality, high temperatures across Pittsburgh region
Authorities have issued advisories for air quality and high temperatures Thursday in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is the primary reason for the National Weather Service issuing an air quality notice. While the smoke has recently been at high levels in the atmosphere, causing hazy skies, an inversion will...

