Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 70
Penn Hills man’s Ukrainian family has history of resisting Russian invasions
Bohdan Czmola’s family has a history of opposing the Russians. A son of Ukrainian immigrants, Czmola, 70, of Penn Hills said his grandfather, Ivan Czmola, was one of three founders of Plast, a Ukrainian scouting organization for boys in 1911. When Ukraine declared independence from Russia in 1918, Czmola’s grandfather...
New Kensington-Arnold looking for monitors to help with substitute shortage
New Kensington-Arnold School District is seeking classroom monitors to help with a shortage of substitute teachers, Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said. Gov. Tom Wolf signed Act 91 into law in December to address the staffing shortage. Under the pilot program, monitors are allowed to oversee classrooms but not allowed to instruct...
Pine, Richland among 80 communities recognized as Banner Communities
Although he’s been on the job as Pine’s manager for less than a year, Jason Krastas sees the commitment the township’s supervisors have to ensuring Pine is a place people are proud to call home. That’s reflected, he said, in Pine being among 80 municipalities and municipal authorities recognized as...
Arnold to consider proposal for gas station, convenience store on Freeport Road
Arnold Council will consider a proposal for the redevelopment of a former gas station along Freeport Road. Mike Thakkar of Yashvi Oil said he wants to open a gas station and convenience store at 1610 Freeport Road. The property is between Woodberry Road and Warren Avenue. The property and its...
New Kensington-Arnold School District makes face masks optional
Face masks are now optional in the New Kensington-Arnold School District. At a school board meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said the change was effective immediately. The school board did not have to vote on the change, as it was already outlined in the district’s health and safety plan....
New Kensington teen’s Eagle Scout project benefits homeless veterans
After delivering care packages he had assembled for homeless veterans, Nick Graham had an opportunity to speak with a veteran who had walked in to the offices of the nonprofit Veterans Leadership Program in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. “Seeing how someone who fought for our freedom and fought for our country...
New Kensington-Arnold teachers rally for new contract, threaten strike vote
First grade teacher Mick Dombroski feels like he’s living in the movie “Groundhog Day.” Over and over again, he said, the New Kensington-Arnold School District can’t approve a new contract with its teachers union until after the previous deal has expired. Most districts settle on new contracts before that happens,...
Valley High students, staff roll up sleeves for student-run blood drive
Students and staff at Valley High School stepped up Monday to help meet the need for blood, even if some of them were not able to go through with it. Senior Brooke Alcorn Ferry, 17, said some of her classmates who volunteered to donate during the blood drive she organized...
U.S. gas prices rise on higher oil prices brought on by Russian invasion of Ukraine
An increase in the global price of crude oil brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to higher gasoline prices in the United States, AAA said Monday. The national average for a gallon of gas rose to $3.61. That’s 8 cents more than a week ago, 26 cents...
New Kensington-Arnold teachers union plans rally as contract talks continue
New Kensington-Arnold School District teachers who have been without a contract for 181 days are planning to rally before Tuesday evening’s school board meeting, the Pennsylvania State Education Association said Monday. The rally is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Valley High School in New Kensington. The school board...
New Kensington’s ‘Lost Dreams Awakening’ part of national Black History Month event
A New Kensington substance use recovery organization is participating in a national virtual block party Monday celebrating Black History Month. The free event from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lost Dreams Awakening will include food, music and dance, said Laurie Johnson-Wade, a co-founding director of the organization that specializes...
New Kensington’s Leslie Reimer retiring from 42-year career as Episcopal priest
When the Rev. Leslie Reimer began the journey of her life, it was toward a destination that was, at the time, unreachable for a woman. After growing up in an Episcopal Church family in New Kensington’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood and graduating from Valley High School in 1970, Reimer went to...
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to hit Americans in wallet at gas pump, analyst says
Americans soon will be paying for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the gas pump, a petroleum industry analyst said Thursday. The wholesale price of gasoline already has increased, and stations soon will be passing that on to customers, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for price tracking service...
New Kensington closes downtown parking garage following structural evaluation
Concerns over the condition of New Kensington’s downtown parking garage have prompted the city to close it. The city last year hired a structural engineer to assess the condition of the Kensington Plaza Garage on Fourth Avenue at Seventh Street. Dedicated in December 1979, the garage has seen usage fall...
‘Hamilton’ performer inspires, energizes, educates Valley High drama studentsVideo
Breathing is something most people do without thinking about it. But for a performer on stage, breathing correctly is paramount. Drama students who gathered at Valley High School in New Kensington learned that lesson directly from a professional Wednesday morning. Nikisha Williams, a member of the “Hamilton” touring company now...
International forces costing American drivers $375M more every day on gas, analyst says
Americans are spending about $375 million more on gasoline every day compared to a year ago, as prices continue to rise in the Pittsburgh area and across the nation, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. While there are concerns about how Russia’s actions in Ukraine could...
Police: 15-year-old girl hurt after running into car on West Seventh Avenue in Tarentum
A 15-year-old girl was flown to a hospital from Tarentum on Monday after police say she ran into the side of a car on West Seventh Avenue. The driver, a man from Tarentum, remained at the scene and is not facing any charges because he did not commit any violation,...
Highland Hose firefighter injured in Tarentum fire expected to recover fully; aid sought for families
A Tarentum volunteer firefighter is expected to make a full recovery after his feet became trapped on an aerial ladder while he and others were battling a fire at a duplex Monday. Richard Schuller, 22, was trapped near the far end of the ladder as it was extended from an...
Fire destroys duplex in Tarentum; firefighter injuredVideo
Two families lost their homes to fire in Tarentum on Monday, and a volunteer firefighter responding to the blaze was injured. The fire that destroyed a duplex at 205-207 W. 11th Ave. was reported to 911 shortly before noon. It sent a thick plume of smoke into the air that...
‘Hamilton’ performer to conduct class with Valley High School drama club
A member of the touring company that will be performing the musical “Hamilton” at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh is scheduled to speak Wednesday to students at Valley High School in New Kensington. Nikisha Williams, a singer and actress, will conduct a class with students in the New Kensington-Arnold school’s...
Lower Burrell Marine tells the story of his life while he still can
Hal Shaffer is ready to die. “I’ve had so much pain and suffering in my life, I’m ready to go,” Shaffer, 74, said from the hospital bed in the living room of his Lower Burrell home with his wife, Dee, beside him. A Marine Corps veteran who survived a grenade...
Valley High School students learn to ski at Boyce Park ahead of Seven Springs trip
Feeling free is what Patty Mallough has found she enjoys most about skiing. “It’s like you have no problems,” said Mallough, 18, of Arnold. A senior at Valley High School in New Kensington, Mallough has been among 30 to 40 students from the New Kensington- Arnold school who have been learning...
High crude oil price, rising demand boosting Pittsburgh region gas prices
Gasoline prices are increasing in Western Pennsylvania as crude oil stays above $90 per barrel, according to AAA East Central’s gas price report. The average price in Western Pennsylvania this week was about $3.63 per gallon, which is a 3-cent increase from last week. That’s also 82 cents higher than...
New Kensington group offers support for those coping with death
The youngest of Michael DeFalco’s three sons, whose name was Dominic but everybody knew as “Nico,” was 17 when he died in an ATV accident on April 5, 2020. DeFalco, of Allegheny Township, said his wife, Melissa, was never the same without Dominic. When she died just over a year...
Aldi to build new store on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington
Aldi has been confirmed as the grocery store that will be built on the site of a former Kmart on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington. The city’s planning commission approved a land development plan for the project, along with a ModWash car wash, said Tony Males, New Kensington’s engineer...
