Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 57
2 die in multi-vehicle crash in Armstrong County
Two women died in a crash Monday in Plumcreek Township, according to Armstrong County Coroner Brian K. Myers. State police on Tuesday identified the women as Lacy L. Gohn, 41, and Marasco Sonza, 70. Where they lived was not disclosed. The crash happened around noon on State Route 210 just...
Gas prices trending upward as annual change to summer blends is underway
The average gasoline price in the Pittsburgh area came down slightly in the past week while the national average increased as the transition to summer gas has started across the entire country, an industry analyst said Monday. Pittsburgh’s average was $3.72 per gallon, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy and its...
2nd annual ‘Restaurant Ramble’ features 10 downtown New Kensington eateries
An Allegheny Township man who took over a Lower Burrell pie business will be opening a storefront in New Kensington in time for the city’s second annual “Restaurant Ramble” this month. Jim Rennick, owner of Farm House Fresh, said a mini cheesecake will be his contribution to the small bites...
Arnold fire department accuses former chief of misusing funds
The former chief of Arnold’s No. 1 fire department is facing a civil claim against him by the department and is the subject of a criminal investigation. In a civil complaint filed with New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr., the department says Brian Gouza owes $1,525 for advance...
New Kensington-Arnold retirees, others volunteer to read to students for Read Across America Week
Debbie Schreckengost hasn’t been inside one of New Kensington-Arnold’s schools since retiring from her maintenance job with the district eight years ago. An invitation to read to students during Read Across America Week brought her and other retirees to Roy A. Hunt Elementary in Arnold on Wednesday. An initiative of...
Aldi announces closing, opening dates for Lower Burrell, New Kensington stores
Aldi’s new store in New Kensington is slated to open March 23, a spokesperson for the company said Wednesday. The opening of the newly built store in Riverview Plaza on Tarentum Bridge Road will be preceded by the closing of the nearby store in Lower Burrell, scheduled for two days...
Greensburg Road lanes to be shifted for bridge replacement
Traffic will be shifted on Greensburg Road near Lincoln Beach Drive in Plum for work to replace a bridge over Pucketa Creek, the Allegheny County Department of Public works announced Tuesday. The lane shifts will start at 9 a.m. March 13 and are expected to end in December, the department...
Gas prices resume fall on worrisome inflation figures, analyst says
Pennsylvania is among a majority of states that saw gas prices decline over the past week, an industry analyst said. “The national average has resumed its decline after a pause last week as oil and wholesale gasoline prices fell on worrisome inflation figures showing the Fed likely to ramp up...
Arnold felon found in possession of loaded gun after seen running stop sign, police say
An Arnold man who is not allowed to possess a firearm because of his criminal history was found to have a loaded handgun when police pulled him over for running a stop sign, according to court paperwork. Arnold police charged Nathan Nateef Harper, 32, Wednesday with two felony gun offenses...
Consol Energy planning to build pipeline through Plum to carry mine water to Allegheny River
Consol Energy is preparing to build a nearly 4-mile pipeline to carry treated water from the former Renton Mine through Plum to the Allegheny River. According to Consol, the Renton Mine water treatment facility on Old Mine Road has been in operation for more than 30 years. It prevents an...
Agents bust large-scale fentanyl ring in Alle-Kiski Valley
A more than yearlong investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office and the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force has disrupted a large-scale fentanyl trafficking organization in the Alle-Kiski Valley. In court paperwork filed Friday, agents said they made controlled buys of fentanyl between January and March 2022 in Arnold, New...
Woman jailed after police chase that ended in crash on New Kensington Bridge
A woman is in the Allegheny County Jail after being involved in a police chase that ended in a crash Thursday morning on the New Kensington Bridge. On Friday, state police said troopers tried to stop Jasmine Christine Jackson, 34, of Arnold on Freeport Road in East Deer. Jackson was...
New Kensington police say ‘bored’ teen stole Jeep from city dealership
New Kensington police say a Wilkins Township man admitted to stealing a Jeep from a used car dealership in the city because he was bored. In court paperwork, police say David Eugene George II, 18, admitted breaking into Wheel Deal Auto Sales on Industrial Boulevard on Feb. 3. They say...
New Kensington planners recommend proposed community park, garden
A proposal to build a community park and garden in downtown New Kensington will go to city council for consideration. Westmoreland Community Action and Wesley Family Services have proposed building the park and garden on vacant lots along 10th Street, with Third Avenue running between them. The city owns the...
70s temps set weather record in February
February isn’t over yet, but it’s already made weather history for Southwestern Pennsylvania. The high temperature reached a record-tying 70 degrees at Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township on Thursday, National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Frazier said. It was the third time this month that the high has reached 70...
Plum cop charged with DUI after found sleeping in running pickup, police say
A Plum patrolman was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after another Plum officer found him asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle, police said. Ryan E. Schneiderlochner, 51, of Plum is scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 26 on the charge filed Jan. 24, according to...
Plum house a total loss after suspected electrical fire
No one was hurt in a fire Tuesday that destroyed a house in Plum. The fire at 435 Millers Lane was reported at 4:40 p.m., according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher. Tim Townsend and his fiancee, Christine Biros, own the one-story home and live there with his adult son,...
Mary Queen of Apostles, Kiski Area get shares of $8M state grants for school safety
Kiski Area School District and Mary Queen of Apostles Catholic School are among 166 schools or districts across Pennsylvania getting shares of more than $8 million in state grants to improve school safety. Mary Queen of Apostles received two grants totaling nearly $100,000 for use at its two schools in...
Gas prices edge lower in Pittsburgh, across Pa. while national average unchanged
While gas prices in some states moved higher in the past week, Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area are among those where prices came down slightly. According to AAA, the statewide average price of a gallon of gas Monday was about $3.69. That’s about 4 cents less than last week, about...
Arnold approves selling Fourth Avenue lots to dumpster rental business
The owner of a dumpster rental company plans to start construction on a new home for his business in Arnold by the fall. Joe Cene, owner of Triple P Disposal, hopes the work along Fourth Avenue can start sooner than that. “I’m going to do all I can to get...
Plum awards contract for $1M road paving program, mostly for Holiday Park and Logans Ferry Heights
Plum’s Holiday Park and Logans Ferry Heights neighborhoods will be the main beneficiaries of road work in the borough this year. Of nearly a dozen roads that will be resurfaced, seven are in Holiday Park. Eighteen that will be tarred and chipped are all in Logans Ferry Heights. Borough council...
Plum Council approves first 35 houses of Patriot Estates plan; a total of 158 in the works
Plum Council has attached a few conditions to its approval of the first phase of a three-phase, 158-home housing development. Council voted 6-0 to give final approval to the 35-house first phase of Patriot Estates, a development that would cover about 140 acres off Davidson Road. Council’s approval followed a...
Faces of the Valley: New Kensington-Arnold’s beloved ‘Ms. Isaac’ brings out the best in students
Fifth grade teacher Samantha Isaac takes advantage of her classroom being at something of a crossroads inside Roy A. Hunt Elementary School in Arnold. Isaac is often outside her door, extending her influence beyond the students in her room. “She’s out in the hallway talking with students, giving them fist...
Truancy can carry legal penalties, affect the ability to get a job
Frank J. Pallone Jr. has had many truancy cases come before him during his 24 years as a district judge in New Kensington. In those hearings, Pallone said he takes the time to learn what is going on in homes that caused a child to miss school and rack up...
Arnold Council delays vote on roofing company request to lease lots for storage
Arnold Council has delayed voting on a roofing company’s request to lease city-owned land for outdoor storage. Liberty Roofing Center wants to lease the vacant lots at 1501-1507 Fourth Ave. As proposed, the rent would be $400 per month, or $4,800 per year, with a five-year minimum. What would be...
