Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 40
Gas prices drop for 10th straight week, but could rise if OPEC cuts oil production, analyst says
With the national average price of gasoline declining for the 10th straight week, motorists are enjoying the longest downward trend at the pump since the summer of 2022, an industry analyst said. “The timing couldn’t be better as Americans head into the holidays, leaving them with more in their wallets...
Building the Valley: Father-son veterans provide self-defense options at RC Firearms in New Kensington
Roy Berg recently helped a couple in their 70s buy their first gun. Worried by current events, they came to Berg’s New Kensington store wanting a weapon for protection. After discussing their desire for home defense and their age, he helped them find something uncomplicated that would be best for...
New Kensington residents facing 73% increase in garbage bills for 2024
New Kensington residents could see their garbage bills jump by more than 70% next year. City Council is set to consider a five-year garbage collection contract and set the annual fee during a special meeting beginning at 4:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall. According to the meeting agenda, council will...
New Kensington resale shop, June Bug Babies, to help life skills students learn retail work
Burrell senior Violet Gamble’s favorite part of the school day is just after lunch when she departs for a new part-time job. “I get so excited,” said Gamble, 17. She is among life skills students from several Alle-Kiski Valley schools who got a part-time gig at new resale shop June...
Flooding concerns contribute to rejection of plans to expand Plum mobile home park
Concerns over floods that have damaged or destroyed homes in a Plum mobile home park factored heavily into borough officials rejecting a proposal to expand the park. The borough’s zoning hearing board denied a request from Plum Creek MHC to add 21 manufactured home sites, for a total of 61...
New Kensington basketball greats Flenory, Pipkins to be honored through names of new courts
Two New Kensington sports legends will be honored through the naming of basketball courts at the city’s new downtown park. The two courts at the park on Barnes Street will be named Court 23, in honor of Tom Pipkins, and Court 15, honoring Baron “B.B.” Flenory, Councilman Dante Cicconi said....
Plum couple’s food truck, PGH EATZ, finds a home
A Plum couple’s food truck is now doubling as a sign for their new storefront. Paul and Jennifer Marckisotto launched their food truck, PGH EATZ, in 2020. They opened their storefront Friday at Boyce Park Center off Saltsburg Road in Plum. Their truck, parked beside their storefront at one end...
Person airlifted to hospital after crash between car, e-bike in Vandergrift
A person was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after a collision between a car and an electric bicycle in Vandergrift on Friday afternoon, borough police Officer Joe Gray said. The incident happened shortly before 3:30 p.m. in the area of Sherman Avenue and the Vandergrift Bridge, Gray said. The person...
New Kensington zoning change aims for increased commercial development
More commercial development is the goal of a rezoning planned for property near New Kensington’s downtown. Council voted Monday to begin a process to rezone an area at Constitution Boulevard and Seventh Street from light industrial to general commercial. Initially, council focused on the parcel at 700 Constitution, across Freeport...
New Kensington-Arnold approves 3.5% pay increase for superintendent
The outgoing New Kensington-Arnold School Board approved a raise for the district’s superintendent over the objection of one of three new members set to join the board in December. The board voted unanimously in favor of a 3.5% pay increase for Superintendent Chris Sefcheck. It is retroactive to July 1,...
Republican Mike Doyle edges to victory for Plum, Oakmont district judge office
A nail-biting night for Mike Doyle ended in his favor Nov. 7. Doyle, the Republican president of Plum Council, won the race for the vacant district judge office serving Plum and Oakmont over Democrat Melanie Pallone by 95 votes, according to complete but unofficial Allegheny County election results. Doyle received...
Democrats take 3 of 5 Plum school board seats
While Republicans in Plum secured a sweep of borough council seats and the district judge’s office serving the borough and Oakmont, results were more mixed for the Plum School Board. With full slates of candidates vying for five seats, Democrats won three of them while Republicans took home two, according...
Republicans sweep race for 3 Plum Council seats
Republicans will have full control of Plum Council after securing a sweep in Tuesday’s election. Republicans Steve Schlauch, Dave Majernik and Jerry Purcell won the three council seats that were up for election, according to complete but unofficial Allegheny County election results. Schlauch, chairman of the Plum Republican Committee, was...
Republican Mike Doyle edges to victory for Plum, Oakmont district judge office
A nail-biting night for Mike Doyle ended in his favor Tuesday. Doyle, the Republican president of Plum Council, won the race for the vacant district judge office serving Plum and Oakmont over Democrat Melanie Pallone by less than 100 votes, according to complete but unofficial Allegheny County election results. Doyle...
Rescue crews fail to find man who crashed on, then jumped from Hulton Bridge
Authorities will resume a search Wednesday morning for a man who jumped from the Hulton Bridge into the Allegheny River on Tuesday night. Police responded to reports that a man jumped off the bridge after crashing on it around 6 p.m. Tuesday. The man is believed to be 42 years...
PennDOT spends more than $900K fixing roads affected by landslides in Plum
PennDOT spent $925,000 fixing four landslides impacting state-maintained roads in Plum this year. The work on Old Leechburg, Milltown, Leechburg and New Texas roads inconvenienced drivers who had to take detours or find other ways around as the slides were repaired and the roads were rebuilt and resurfaced. The four...
New Kensington’s small-business owners reflect on how they have succeeded
The owners of a New Kensington ax throwing business are making a joke of their second anniversary. Brothers Brian and Zach Heidenreich and longtime friend Brian Mangone opened Las Hachas on Fifth Avenue in downtown New Kensington in 2021. They will celebrate their anniversary Saturday with their first comedy show...
New Kensington-Arnold superintendent says bed bugs ‘not an issue’ at Valley High School
Bed bugs are “not an issue” at Valley High School, New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said in a letter Thursday. In the letter sent to district families, Sefcheck said parents have alerted the district that the high school has a problem with bed bugs. In response, the district contracted with...
Plum’s new outdoor amphitheater to get 1st use for Christmas at Plum Creek
Plum residents who haven’t been by the new municipal center for a while will get to see its latest amenity during the borough’s annual Christmas event. The borough is putting the finishing touches on a new amphitheater outside the municipal center on Old Mine Road. It will be used for...
3 New Kensington brothers among 10 to be honored for 50 years of volunteer firefighting service
The Davis boys looked up to Tippy. Growing up in New Kensington’s Parnassus neighborhood in the 1960s, elder brother Larry, twins John and Perry, and Bruce, the youngest of the four, would see their neighbor and volunteer firefighter H.C. “Tippy” Robertson run out of his house when the fire whistle...
2 veteran East Deer commissioners challenged for reelection
Two veteran East Deer commissioners and three newcomers are vying for three at-large commissioner seats in the township. Four of East Deer’s five commissioner seats, three at-large and one in the 1st Ward, are up for election this year. The only seat not up is held by 2nd Ward Commissioner...
Washington County police officer criminally liable in death of Coraopolis man, coroner rules
A Washington County police officer is criminally liable in the shooting death of a Coraopolis man at the end of a chase in April, the Washington County coroner ruled at the conclusion of an inquest. Coroner S. Timothy Warco found that Mt. Pleasant Township Officer Tyler Evans was not justified...
Morning Roundup: Teen stabbed in Downtown Pittsburgh; woman shot in Crafton Heights
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Oct. 27: Teen stabbed in Downtown Pittsburgh A teenager was found stabbed in the 800 block of Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh just before 6 p.m. Thursday, Pittsburgh police said. The 17-year-old had stab wounds to his upper...
New Kensington shooting victim dies; police seek bicyclist seen in area
A man shot in New Kensington last week has died, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. Troy Vickers Jr., 31, was pronounced dead Saturday at a Pittsburgh-area hospital. The hospital was not identified. Vickers was airlifted to a hospital after he was shot about 3:20 p.m. Oct. 19...
Morning Roundup: Woman shot near PPG Paints Arena; fire at abandoned Braddock house
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Oct. 26: Woman shot near PPG Paints Arena A woman was in critical condition early Thursday morning after being shot in the chest near PPG Paints Arena in Uptown Pittsburgh, police said. The shooting outside 1605 Fifth Ave....
