Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 36
Police use Taser to subdue Arnold woman who they say fought with officers
An Arnold woman arrested on suspicion of assault was stunned several times with a Taser after police said she fought with officers inside a New Kensington holding cell Saturday. Arnold police said they arrested Alexis Shante Owens, 29, after responding to a call in the 400 block of 16th Street,...
New Kensington man accused of firing shots from ‘ghost gun’
An investigation of gunshots Sunday night in New Kensington turned up a “ghost gun,” police say. Officers recovered a 9mm handgun they say Brandon Keith Allen, 27, of New Kensington was carrying and threw away while police chased him along Leishman Avenue, according to a criminal complaint filed against Allen....
Valley High School lockdown lifted, no threats found
A lockdown of Valley High School in New Kensington was lifted shortly before noon Tuesday after a live firearm round found in a bathroom prompted a police search of the building. Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said the search by police and administrators found no other ammunition nor weapons in the building....
Man dies after being hit by 2 cars in Butler Township
A 46-year-old Butler man died after being hit by two cars in Butler Township Saturday night, township police said. Patrick Bender Jr., 46, was walking east in the westbound lane of Kittanning Street near Portman Road around 8 p.m., police said. He was wearing dark clothing. Bender was first struck...
Harsh weather system shifts east, misses Pittsburgh
A weather system that was expected to bring rain changing to snow in the Pittsburgh area early Tuesday morning took a hard right toward the east coast. The forecast changed Monday afternoon, said Ashley Dougherty, a meteorologist with TribLive news partner WTAE. “We are still getting rain and snow east...
Morning Roundup: Water main break closes northbound McKnight Road; man shot in Moon
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Feb. 13: Northbound McKnight Road closed One lane on northbound McKnight Road in Ross reopened around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday after the northbound lanes were completely closed following a water main break, according to PennDOT. The road was closed...
North Braddock family’s dog shot by Allegheny County sheriff deputyVideo
The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department is conducting an investigation after a deputy shot a dog in North Braddock Monday night. A family’s 5-year-old pit bull was shot once in its right hip, TribLive news partner WTAE reported. The sheriff’s department told the station that the deputy was serving legal process...
Swissvale man accused of firing shot at couple inside Monroeville home
A Swissvale man is accused of firing a shot at a couple in the kitchen of a Monroeville home late Saturday night. Monroeville police filed several charges against Darnell Maurice Nelson, 31, including five counts of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children...
Police: New Kensington man handed gun to woman, asked her to shoot another man
A New Kensington man is accused of pointing a gun at a man on the street Saturday before handing the weapon to a woman and telling her to shoot the man. Police charged Thomas Lee Burruss, 47, with illegally possessing a firearm and simple assault. Burruss is prohibited from having...
Rain changing to snow could make for messy Tuesday morning commute
After a few days of spring-like weather, snow is forecast to return to the Pittsburgh area early Tuesday, possibly making for a messy morning commute. Monday will be mostly dry until a storm system from the south arrives later in the day, with rain Monday night changing to snow showers...
New Kensington-Arnold to address neglected maintenance on Valley High School flood prevention facilities
Flood control measures installed to protect Valley High School and its campus, including the New Kensington-Arnold School District’s football stadium, are overdue for needed maintenance. A debris basin at the upper end of the campus is 80% full and “minimally functioning,” said Jim Pillsbury, a hydraulic engineer with the Westmoreland...
Morning Roundup: SWAT arrest in Brighton Heights; Pa. state trooper injured making U-turn
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Feb. 12: SWAT arrests wanted man A man wanted on a warrant was taken into custody early Monday in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood, police said. According to police, another man called around 11:15 p.m. Sunday after being involved...
1 dead after domestic fight leads to shooting
One man is dead and another is in custody after a shooting shortly after midnight along the border of Pittsburgh’s Overbrook and Carrick neighborhoods, police said. Police and medics responded to the shooting in the 2300 block of Lucina Avenue around 12:30 a.m. First responders found a man, later identified...
Faces of the Valley: Plum 4th grader excels at investment challenge, writing poetry
Whether it’s crisp cash or fresh grass covered in morning dew, 10-year-old Jett Bittner knows green. The fourth grader at Plum’s O’Block Elementary School recently placed first in Allegheny County and 10th statewide in the elementary division of a stock market game. Then, he was among several of his classmates...
New Kensington officer injured, suspect Tased twice in warrant arrest
Police had to twice use a Taser on an Arnold man as officers struggled to arrest him in December, according to court records released this week. At least one police officer was injured. The incident began after New Kensington Officer Tyler Balla saw Anthony Marsalis Howell, 36, of Arnold walking...
New Sheetz expected to open on Plum’s Golden Mile Highway in May
A new Sheetz under construction in Plum is tentatively scheduled to open in May, a spokesman for the Altoona-based convenience store chain said. When the new convenience store and gas station on Golden Mile Highway at Presque Isle Drive opens, the existing smaller store nearby at Pine Valley Drive will...
Donations to Plum school lunch debt take small bites out of a big problem
An anonymous member of the Plum School District community recently gave the district $500 to cover student lunch debt at Holiday Park Intermediate School. While generous and appreciated, the donation took only a small bite out of what is routinely a big problem. The district is carrying more than $45,000...
Harbor Freight, Starbucks approved as latest additions to booming New Kensington corridor
Plans for more development along New Kensington’s Tarentum Bridge Road commercial district have been approved. City council on Monday unanimously approved three resolutions related to the construction of a Harbor Freight tools store and a Starbucks cafe in Riverview Plaza. Their construction follows a new Aldi grocery store, which opened...
New Kensington man accused of assaulting officer in city holding cell
A New Kensington police officer had to threaten to use a Taser on a man who fought with officers inside a city cell, police said in court records. The incident happened after officers went to a Fifth Avenue business Friday night in response to a report of an intoxicated man...
Plum’s combined water-sewer bills increase about $14 per month
Monthly bills increased about $14 for Plum residents with municipal water and sewage service, starting in February. Residents were informed about the 17% increase on their January bills. It’s the latest bill to increase for borough residents. Council in December approved a nearly 40% increase in property taxes with the...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area events, week of Feb. 5, 2024
Plum AARP meeting to showcase Zoomobile Plum AARP will have its monthly meeting at noon Feb. 13 in Unity Community Church. The program will feature the Zoomobile, which will bring four or five small animals for the group to meet and learn about. Plum AARP, a social and service group, features...
Restaurant at New Kensington Quality Inn reopens as Leo’s Roadhouse
It has been about a decade since the restaurant inside New Kensington’s Quality Inn shut down. Dan Leo is hoping to bring it back as he opens Leo’s Roadhouse with the help of Chef Lenny Verosky. Together, they face the challenge of bringing people through the hotel’s doors not for...
New Kensington gun store reopens; owners hope stolen guns will be recovered
The damage to Roy Berg’s New Kensington gun shop is largely fixed, and authorities say they’ve arrested the men who broke in. But the thing Berg wants most hasn’t happened yet — 22 of the guns stolen from RC Firearms on Jan. 22 remain missing and, Berg worries, may be...
Plum School District expands police force, hires retired borough officer
Plum School District is expanding its police force by adding a longtime borough officer who retired last year. The school board approved hiring Mike DeMarco, 51, of Monroeville. He will be paid $28 per hour. His start date had not been determined as of Thursday. His hiring increases the district’s...
Multimillion-dollar power line project needed to make up for closure of Springdale power plant
The shutdown of the coal-fired power plant in Springdale is forcing Duquesne Light to spend between $12 million and $17 million to reconfigure a transmission line in Plum. When GenOn’s Cheswick Generating Station stopped producing electricity in 2022, it reduced the amount of power being generated locally and created a...
