Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 33
McAndrew secures Democratic nomination for 32nd District state House seat
State Rep. Joe McAndrew, who became a member of the state House in a special election last year, survived a challenge by Penn Hills Mayor Pauline Calabrese in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. With 100% of precincts counted, McAndrew of Penn Hills received 6,779 votes over Calabrese’s 2,822, according to unofficial results....
Doerfler brothers, Plum alumni, make 2nd donation for alma mater’s robotics program
A $10,000 donation from two Plum graduates will help start a new robotics club at their alma mater’s middle school. The donation from Joe Doerfler, 26, and Don Doerfler, 29, comes after the brothers gave $62,500 last year to the high school’s robotics club. The money comes from their winnings...
Business representatives, graduates advise Northern Westmoreland CTC on needs
The job prospects for students graduating from the heating and air conditioning program at Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center are 100%, says Mark Williamson, owner and president of MW Mechanical Services in New Kensington. “Right now, there’s such a shortage of skilled labor, in our field and a lot...
New Kensington preparing for city’s 4th business-boosting Fridays on Fifth season
No matter how much baklava Amy Johnson makes, it’s never enough for some warm-weather Fridays in New Kensington. Johnson opened her specialty bakery, Sweet Tillies, in December 2020. It has been open for each of the city’s annual Fridays on Fifth events, which began in 2021 and launches its fourth...
Mock crash teaches Valley High students dangers of distracted driving
A mock crash Friday morning outside Valley High School in New Kensington was meant to teach students about the dangers of distracted driving. The district staged the crash for juniors and seniors with New Kensington police and several emergency service providers. A Life Flight helicopter was among the emergency vehicles...
Plum mobile home park owner argues expansion denial deprives residents of flood protection
Plum’s rejection of a mobile home park’s expansion plan, in part because of flooding concerns, denies the people already living there protection from flooding that the expansion would provide, the owner argues in court filings. Following a hearing last September, Plum’s zoning hearing board in November rejected a proposal to...
Preteen girl testifies during preliminary hearing for New Kensington man accused of raping her
A New Kensington man will remain in jail as he awaits trial on charges of sexually assaulting and raping a preteen girl two years ago. District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. held for trial Thomas Lee Burruss, 48, after a preliminary hearing Thursday that featured the testimony of the alleged...
Plum hires Ashley DeVito as middle school assistant principal
The Plum School Board hired a new assistant principal for the district’s middle school. Ashley DeVito is coming to Plum from Propel Braddock Hills High School, where she was an assistant principal. DeVito, 31, of Penn Hills will start at Plum upon release from her position there. Her salary was...
Plum School Board advances budget, tax hike with board member absent
The Plum School District’s proposed $74.3 million budget for next school year carrying a 6.2% property tax increase is a step closer to approval. The school board voted 8-0 Tuesday to approve the district’s proposed budget for 2024-25. Board member Ronald Sakolsky was present at the start of the meeting,...
Lower Burrell, Pittsburgh men charged in state probe of child sex abuse among Jehovah’s Witnesses
Two Western Pennsylvania men are the latest accused of raping or sexually abusing girls stemming from a statewide grand jury investigation of child sexual abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community. Ronald W. Mangone, 69, of Lower Burrell and Roger E. Zellars, 68, of Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood are separately accused of...
Pittsburgh’s Girls of Steel preparing for world robotics event in Houston
Ava Miller may be a member of a robotics team, but she’s learning about a lot more than just robotics. Miller, 16, is a sophomore at Plum High School and one of about 40 girls from 17 schools in the Pittsburgh region who are members of the Girls of Steel...
Anonymous donor, church give $5K toward Plum student lunch debts
A Plum church and an anonymous donor have given more than $5,000 toward paying student lunch debts in the Plum School District. The anonymous donor gave $4,300 to pay off the entire balance owed at Pivik Elementary. Food service director Jessica Griggle said it’s the largest donation toward delinquent lunch...
Plum residents hear details on plans for biking, walking trail through borough, neighboring towns
Dan Sigg is excited about the possibility of a biking and walking trail running through Plum and three neighboring communities. “Trails are good for our region. They’re good for our community,” said Sigg of Plum. “Once you have it, you realize what a community asset it is.” Sigg was among...
Plum graduate makes 2nd donation of cleats to varsity baseball team
Plum’s varsity baseball team is on firm footing thanks to the continued generosity of a former player. When Nick Frazetta first donated cleats to the team last year, it was something the 2017 Plum graduate said he would be doing every year. He made good on that promise March 30,...
No tax increase 6 of past 10 years contributes to Plum School District’s 6.2% proposed hike
Plum School Board members say they can’t afford to continue putting off raising property taxes. The board has opted not to boost taxes for six of the past 10 years. Some board members say that’s one reason why district property owners are facing a hefty increase now. The board is...
Police allege New Kensington man gave 10-year-old girl candy after sexual assaults, rape
A New Kensington man is accused of using candy treats to placate a young girl when he sexually assaulted her two years ago. Thomas Lee Burruss, 48, gave the girl, who police say was 10 when the assaults started, Starburst and Sugar Daddy candy while telling her not to tell...
Plum recruits young officer to fill police ranks
Cristina Sargent showed interest in police work from a young age. Her father said she would watch “America’s Most Wanted” when she was 4 years old. But White Oak police Chief Mark Sargent, who has been chief for six years and with his department for more than 30 years, didn’t...
Like Valley, Maryland high school believes it was scammed by costume company
When Angela Smithhisler read a TribLive story about Valley High School’s drama club likely getting scammed out of $8,000 for costumes, her heart sank. “I started to feel sick to my stomach because that (dollar amount) seemed very familiar,” she said via email. “I opened up the article and read...
Faces of the Valley: New director seeks to expand impact at Northern Westmoreland CTC
John Augustine knew he would have to let Jason Hicks move on to bigger things. Augustine has been a career and technology center director for 24 years, the past 18 at Greater Johnstown, where for several years Hicks was his right-hand man. “I could tell he had more capabilities than...
New Kensington-Arnold to dismiss students early because of solar eclipse
The New Kensington-Arnold School District has changed its plans for Monday because of the solar eclipse. The district will dismiss students early on Monday, Superintendent Chris Sefcheck announced. Previously, the district said it was going to hold classes as regularly scheduled. Many Pittsburgh area school districts are releasing students early,...
Following heavy rain, Conemaugh River Lake crest gates opened for 1st time since 2010
The recent rainfall that has caused flooding across the Pittsburgh region filled the Conemaugh River Lake to 74% of its capacity. To bring the lake’s level down, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started opening the dam’s crest gates Thursday, said Megan Gottlieb, water management lead engineer. It’s the first...
Roads in Parks Township, O’Hara remain closed because of landslides
It was unknown Thursday when two roads in the Alle-Kiski Valley, closed because of landslides, will reopen. PennDOT closed Route 66, between Jefferson Street and Penn Avenue in Parks Township on Wednesday morning and Saxonburg Boulevard south of Berryhill Road in O’Hara that night because of slides brought on by...
Plum High School preparing for presentation of spring musical, ‘Bye Bye Birdie’
Plum High School students are wrapping up rehearsals for this year’s spring musical, “Bye Bye Birdie.” It’s been close to 20 years since Plum has performed the 1960 musical comedy. Set in 1958, its story is influenced by Elvis Presley being drafted into the Army at the height of his...
New Kensington awards contracts for road, sidewalk fixes, will seek bids for street paving
New Kensington Council has awarded two contracts for improvements to roads and sidewalks in the city’s downtown area and is seeking bids for other roadwork in the city. Work is expected to start in May on roads and sidewalks in the area between Barnes Street and Third Avenue, and from...
Investigators interview man who visited Rustic Ridge home days ahead of fatal explosion
Allegheny County authorities say they identified a man who was seen on the porch of a home in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood days before it exploded last year. The man was not suspected of any wrongdoing, but investigators believed he could have information that might help in the ongoing investigation,...
