Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 71
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...
Arnold hires part-time code enforcement officer, intends to hire a second
Arnold has hired a part-time code enforcement officer and plans to bring on a second, Councilman George Hawdon said. Joel Santoro, a former probation officer in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, started in Arnold recently, according to Hawdon. Arnold’s previous code enforcement officer, Scott Ponteri, had been there three or four...
New Kensington community garden finds new home at Salvation Army
New Kensington’s community garden is set to take root in a new home in the city. The vegetable garden, previously located along Fifth Avenue between Eighth and Ninth streets, is set to be rebuilt and replanted this year on the grounds of the Salvation Army off Industrial Boulevard. The New...
Revamped program aims to teach good behaviors at Hunt Elementary School
A revamped program aimed at teaching and reinforcing good behaviors among students is being rolled out at New Kensington-Arnold’s Roy A. Hunt Elementary School. As part of the program’s debut on Monday, the school’s 620 students will get to cheer on teachers and staff in volleyball games, first with third...
Hope Squad suicide prevention program coming to Valley High School
A youth suicide prevention program new to Valley High School will see students trained to watch for warning signs. The New Kensington-Arnold School District is getting a Hope Squad, a nationwide program founded in Utah and being promoted locally by a West Deer mother whose daughter took her own life...
Cat found in North Huntingdon with zip ties around body recovering at Frankie’s Friends in New Kensington
A cat found with zip ties wrapped around its body is recovering after surgery at Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue in New Kensington. Dr. Becky Morrow, medical director of Frankie’s Friends, called it a case of animal cruelty. “There’s no good reason to do that,” she said. “At best, it was...
Car wash donation to help New Kensington’s Knead Cafe upgrade kitchen equipment
Free car washes are supporting kitchen upgrades at Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington. Clean Express Auto Wash, a new car wash that opened Dec. 28 off Tarentum Bridge Road, ran a promotion beginning Jan. 14 in which free washes were offered for 10 days in exchange for monetary donations...
Texas native Jane Glenn spearheaded community projects in New Kensington over 60 years
On a Sunday afternoon in March 1958, a Texas woman sitting outside a coffee shop in New Orleans caught the eye of a man from Leechburg. Before too long, she found herself in New Kensington. Jane Glenn arrived in New Kensington newly wedded to that Leechburg man — James Glenn...
New Kensington, other northern Westmoreland towns report delays getting road salt deliveries
Municipalities across northern Westmoreland County are reporting issues with getting timely road salt deliveries from a new supplier under a state contract in which they participate. Officials in New Kensington, Lower Burrell and Vandergrift said they have had issues receiving deliveries from Compass Minerals, the supplier for Westmoreland and other...
Purr-fect ending: Frankie’s Friends shelter cat finds home with Washington Township family in mourning
A feline that called a New Kensington cat rescue home for more than a year found its forever home with a Washington Township family mourning the loss of their first pet. Myla, a female short-haired brown tabby, lived at Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue for more than a year until her...
Allegheny Health Network moving Express Care clinic to new location in New Kensington
Allegheny Health Network announced Monday it is moving its Express Care clinic to new quarters in New Kensington. The new location in Suite 1C at Kensington Square on Eighth Street is scheduled to open Feb. 21. It is next to the network’s New Kensington Outpatient Center, which opened there in...
New Kensington native shares inclusive love of dance at ‘Starlight Studio of Dance’
Brittany Dilliott was 6 years old when she discovered her love of dance while watching musicals such as “Annie,” “Oklahoma!” and “The King and I.” “They looked like they were floating. It looked like magic,” she said. “I was sucked in. I never looked back.” But when she started taking...
Teen dies after being hit by vehicle in North Versailles
A 17-year-old girl died Monday after being hit by a vehicle in North Versailles, according to Allegheny County Police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the girl Tuesday as Kayonna Harper. Her hometown was not provided. Police said Allegheny County 911 was notified of the collision in the 1700 block...
Mexican food truck owner opening restaurant in New Kensington
A Mexican chef known for his tacos, quesadillas and burritos who brought his food truck to New Kensington’s monthly Fridays on Fifth last year will be establishing a restaurant in the city. Jose Tecuanhuehue plans to open Taqueria El Pastorcito in March. It will be at 929 Fourth Ave. in...
New Kensington-Arnold teacher gives peek into challenges of teaching during pandemic
Special education teacher Gina Brestensky wasn’t wearing a hat when she addressed the New Kensington-Arnold School Board, but teachers wear lots of them, she said. “Just today I’ve been an educator, a leader, a role model. Those are all very important roles, and we know them well,” she said. “But...
Arnold native, Valley High alum named assistant dean at Harvard Law School
An Arnold native and New Kensington-Arnold School District graduate has been named an assistant dean at Harvard Law School. Monica E. Monroe will start Feb. 22 as assistant dean of the Office of Community Engagement, Equity and Belonging at Harvard Law School. She is going to Harvard from the University...
Trial postponed for New Kensington-Arnold teacher accused of sending sexual texts to students
The trial of a New Kensington-Arnold music teacher accused of sending inappropriate text messages to students has been delayed for two months. Sean Timothy O’Neil, 34, was scheduled for trial in two cases Feb. 10. They have been rescheduled for April 18. On Friday, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli...
New Kensington-Arnold students to take snow-covered sidewalk concerns to cities’ officials
Despite temperatures well above freezing, stretches of sidewalks in New Kensington and Arnold still could be found covered in snow Wednesday as the region braced for the next winter storm expected to bring a mix of snow and ice. The last measurable snow fell Jan. 28, according to the National...
New Kensington-Arnold approves preliminary budget with 5% property tax increase
A 5% property tax increase remains in New Kensington-Arnold School District’s preliminary budget, but it won’t be going any higher. The school board on Tuesday approved the district’s proposed $40.9 million budget for the 2022-23 school year. It was unchanged from when business Manager Jeff McVey discussed it with the...
New Kensington-Arnold teachers to highlight educators’ efforts during covid
The New Kensington-Arnold teachers union plans to give presentations at school board meetings over the next four months to create public awareness of its role in educating students during the covid crisis, a representative of the statewide union said Monday. The New Kensington-Arnold Education Association will highlight the efforts of...
Lawmakers react to Frick Park bridge collapse
One of the Pittsburgh area’s congressmen is pointing to Friday’s bridge collapse as proof of the need for the nation’s latest infrastructure spending plan. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, praised the “brave and rapid response” of first responders and wished those who were injured speedy recoveries. “It was a miracle...
No one hurt in Wilkinsburg apartment building fire
No one was hurt in a fire at a Wilkinsburg apartment building Thursday night, according to Pittsburgh police. Police could not say when the fire was first reported. The second alarm came in just after 10:45 p.m., and the third alarm was right before 11 p.m. Firefighters were at the...
Schools call delays, go remote as snow slickens roads
Schools across the Pittsburgh area were issuing two-hour delays or moving to remote instruction for Friday because of snow that moved in overnight and was slickening roads for the morning commute. A complete list of delays is available from Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. The snow began overnight ahead of a...
Missing Ohio man found safe, police say
A man reported missing and in need of medical attention has been found and is safe, Pittsburgh police said. Philip Gosnell, 50, is from Zanesville, Ohio. He was last seen at 4 p.m. Thursday near UPMC Presbyterian Hospital before being reported missing. Police did not release further information about how...
