Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 34
New Kensington-Arnold sees growing tax base, no tax rate increase in proposed 2024-25 budget
The New Kensington-Arnold School District expects tax revenues to increase next year despite having no plans to raise taxes. The district’s proposed $45.5 million budget keeps taxes flat and would not take advantage of one of the highest state Act 1 indexes in years — 8%. The inflation-based index is...
New Kensington traffic stop results in recovery of stolen handgun, police say
New Kensington police say officers found a stolen handgun and drugs during a traffic stop early Friday. Jacquet Rusher Woods, 46, of Arnold is charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property, prohibited possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license. He also is charged with felony...
Ford donates 2024 Mustang GT to Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center
A new 2024 Ford Mustang GT will be a powerful learning tool, and maybe also a powerful recruiting tool, at Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center in New Kensington. The vapor-blue metallic sports car was one of more than 100 Mustangs damaged by flooding while in storage outside a plant...
New Kensington church owed $20K after canceling order for chair lift, police say in charging business owner
The owner of a Pittsburgh-based elevator service is facing four felony charges after New Kensington police allege he failed to refund more than $20,000 to a New Kensington church over a canceled job. Sylvester Louis Lapinski Jr., 72, of Shaler is charged with diversion of services, theft by deception, deceptive...
New Kensington landlord charged after police say he assaulted tenant, shut off utilities
A New Kensington tenant who at first declined to pursue assault and other charges against his landlord changed his mind after the landlord shut off his utilities the next day, according to city police. William Paris Johnas, 65, faces a felony charge of burglary, misdemeanor counts of strangulation and simple...
Police: New Kensington man accused of seriously injuring woman because she fell asleep
New Kensington police are looking for a man they say seriously injured a woman after getting mad because she had fallen asleep. Police charged Matthew Thomas Prokopczuk, 46, of Harrison on March 12 with a first-degree felony count of aggravated assault. He was not in custody and had not been...
New Kensington man accused of threatening to kill woman, offering to pay to drop charges
New Kensington police are looking for a man they say assaulted a woman with a gun, threatened to kill her and then offered to pay her to drop the charges. Police charged Jadrian Race Wade, 30, of Woodmont Avenue with felony counts of aggravated assault and witness intimidation, court records...
New Kensington’s House of 1,000 Beers remaining open despite closure of 2nd location
Fans of New Kensington’s House of 1,000 Beers don’t have to worry, the longstanding bar and restaurant will remain open despite the closing of its other location in the North Hills. Arthur and Janice Barbus took over House of 1,000 Beers on Freeport Street in 2014. They bought it from...
Plum, Oakmont police warn residents to secure cars, valuables after series of thefts
Plum and Oakmont residents are being advised to lock their vehicles and remove valuables from them after a string of thefts that may be connected to a gang in Pittsburgh. Police from the two boroughs, Allegheny County Police and Pittsburgh police are investigating the thefts, which happened Feb. 9. Plum...
Greensburg bishop dedicating diocese to St. Joseph through 2-day pilgrimage to parishes
Greensburg Bishop Larry J. Kulick began a two-day pilgrimage to the four St. Joseph parishes in his diocese with a prayer service Monday in New Kensington. Kulick is dedicating the Greensburg Catholic diocese to the protection and guardianship of St. Joseph for the next three years. On Tuesday, St. Joseph’s...
Girl recovering after being hit by vehicle in New Kensington
A 9-year-old girl hit by a car Thursday evening in New Kensington is expected to be OK, city police said Friday. The incident on Seventh Street at Meade Avenue was reported at 5:40 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. Dan Hockenberry, who lives on one corner of the four-way...
VOPP Trail project to be discussed at Plum meeting
The first public meeting in Plum on a $20 million trail connecting the borough with Penn Hills, Oakmont and Verona will be held in April. Plans for the VOPP Trail — short for Verona, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum — will be discussed during the gathering from 6 to 8...
Plum School District budget projection shows tax increases for next 5 school years
Plum School District property taxes could increase every year for the next five school years as the district works to fund its operations, pay for a $30 million building project and bring back full-day kindergarten. District administrators still are working on the $74.1 million 2024-25 budget. The school board is...
Unveiling of New Kensington ‘wings’ to precede 3rd annual Restaurant Ramble
The 13th Wings Across Westmoreland about to be unveiled in New Kensington will be the first to feature color. The wings are set to debut in a park at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street during a ceremony Saturday, March 23, just ahead of New Kensington’s third annual...
Repairs to fire truck could cost Plum’s Unity Volunteer Fire Department $60,000
Repairs to one of the five vehicles at Plum’s Unity Volunteer Fire Department will wipe out the department’s budget for repairs this year, its chief says. Fixing the 25-year-old Freightliner could also eat up most, if not all, of what’s left of the $35,000 the borough budgeted for repairs for...
Pittsburgh police report 13-year-old girl safe after missing from Perry South
A 13-year-old Pittsburgh girl who had been missing for several days was located and safely reunited with her family, city police said Sunday. Rayona “Ray” Johnson, 13, went missing from the Perry South neighborhood on March 5, police said....
Warming trend expected through coming week after snowy, blustery Sunday
Pittsburgh area residents looking forward to spring as they turned their clocks ahead for daylight savings time this weekend might feel like Mother Nature turned hers back to winter. But the bursts of snow and cold winds across the region on Sunday won’t be around for long. Snow squalls and...
State police accuse Jeannette man of breaking into vehicles at Seven Springs
A Jeannette man is accused of breaking into vehicles and stealing an SUV at Seven Springs Mountain Resort on Saturday. State police charged Michael Lee Curtis, 32, with felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property. He is also charged with driving under the influence, unauthorized use of a motor...
Building the Valley: New Kensington transmission shop owner keeps ‘dying art’ alive
When the transmission on a 16-year-old vehicle breaks, many people might take that as a sign it’s time to buy a new car. Carmen Jones isn’t one of those people. When the Arnold man’s 2008 Lincoln MKX broke down and needed its transmission replaced, he knew where to take it....
Bass Pro Shops plans to open Pittsburgh-area store in early 2026
Bass Pro Shops plans to open its first store in Western Pennsylvania in early 2026. The 100,000-square-foot, two-level “Outdoor World” super store will be part of Newbury Market off of Interstate 79’s Bridgeville exit in South Fayette, Allegheny County, the company announced this week. The store is expected to employ...
Highlands musical workshop aims to inspire a love for performing arts
For Mason Neal, going to school on a Saturday was good. “Actually, it was great,” said Mason, 9, a fourth grader in Highlands School District. “It was really fun.” Mason was among about 80 Highlands elementary and middle school students who participated in a workshop with the high school cast...
State police charge Washington County man with homicide
A Washington County man was jailed Saturday morning, accused of killing a man earlier this week at a mobile home park in Nottingham Township. The incident happened Wednesday morning at Mingo Park Estates, state police said. According to state police, William Jeremiah Slider, 34, hit the victim, Richard W. Morse,...
Plum Rotary gives $2K to support Plum EMS car seat, crib program
The Plum Rotary Club is supporting an effort to get car seats and cribs to families in need. The club recently gave $2,000 to Plum Emergency Medical Services to support its child safety program, said Brian Maloney, director of operations for Plum EMS. Plum EMS started its child safety program...
Plum firefighters expecting to use old borough building for training before demolition
Plum’s old borough building will serve one last purpose for the community before it’s torn down. Council is expected to vote Monday on allowing volunteer firefighters with the borough’s four departments to use the New Texas Road building for training. Council appears receptive to the idea. When Holiday Park Fire...
Stella’s Beer Barn reopening in New Kensington with new owner, no limits
Customers will be making fewer trips to and from their cars when Stella’s Beer Barn reopens Sunday in New Kensington. Stella’s will be operating with a distributor license, which removes quantity limits that had been in place when it operated under a restaurant license that had been shared with the...
