Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 72
19-year-old Pittsburgh man charged in deadly Allentown shooting
A 19-year-old man from Pittsburgh’s St. Clair neighborhood has been charged in a fatal shooting in the city’s Allentown section. James Linnert faces a single charge of criminal homicide in connection with the Jan. 20 death of Joshua Hamilton, also 19, who had been shot in the neck and arm...
Frigid weather continuing through weekend before brief warm-up next week
The Pittsburgh region will be warming up a little Thursday after a frigid morning, but will continue its streak of below-freezing weather through the weekend, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. Low temperatures around the area ranged from just slightly above zero in spots, such as 2 degrees at the...
Sheriff’s office says telephone scam nets $18K from Allegheny County woman
A 33-year-old woman from Allegheny County was taken for $18,000 by scammers masquerading as members of the county sheriff’s office and FBI, the sheriff’s office said. The woman lost $8,000 through gift cards and another $10,000 through Apple Pay on Monday, prompting the sheriff to issue a warning Tuesday. The...
Maryland man accused of holding woman in car arrested after chase in Fayette County
A Maryland man accused of holding a woman against her will was arrested after a police chase in Fayette County last week, according to state police. State police said their Uniontown barracks got information on Jan. 20 that Roger Lee Strawser, 55, of Oakland, Md., was holding a woman against...
Greensburg man accused of stealing woman’s car after asking her to pick him up
A Greensburg man is accused of stealing a woman’s car after assaulting her Monday, according to state police. State police charged Terry Lynn Brumley Jr., 32, with robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, simple assault, harassment and driving under the influence. He was arraigned Monday and released on an unsecured...
Southbound Route 28 reopens in Harmar following crash
Southbound Route 28 is open again after being closed for about two hours because of a crash. A multi-vehicle crash was reported around 7:50 a.m., an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said. The number of vehicles involved was not immediately known. The crash location was just after the southbound on-ramp from...
Pittsburgh getting break from snow as bitter cold moves in
The latest snowfall is being capped off by some light freezing drizzle Tuesday morning, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. Between 1 and 3 inches of snow fell across the Pittsburgh area Monday, tapering off last evening, meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said. Some light snow and patchy freezing drizzle Tuesday morning...
Pittsburgh Oliver Citywide Academy to gradually reopen after student’s shooting death
A Pittsburgh school will gradually reopen over the next two weeks following the death of a student shot outside the school last week. Marquis Campbell, 15, died at Allegheny General Hospital after being shot twice on Jan. 19. He had been sitting in a van waiting to go home outside...
Propane heater caused blaze that destroyed Rostraver home/animal shelter, fire marshal rules
A propane heater caused a fire that destroyed a Rostraver home used as an animal shelter, a state police fire marshal determined. About a dozen cats died in the Jan. 14 fire at the Route 51 home of Wendi Kraemer, who operated the nonprofit Angels Journey Home Animal Rescue there....
Valley High alumni volunteers sought to be career coaches to today’s students
Ron Eckman Jr. took off from New Kensington and 25 years later landed in Las Vegas. Eckman, 48, enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from Valley High School in 1991. He was an aircraft electrician, working on fighter jets at bases around the world and even traveled with the...
Valley High senior organizing blood drive as supplies reach historic lows
A Valley High School senior is organizing a blood drive at a time when blood inventories are at historic lows. Brooke Alcorn Ferry, 17, of New Kensington is staging the Feb. 28 blood drive as part of the community service hours she needs to graduate. It will be open to...
Pittsburgh’s Ukrainian community keeps nervous watch as Russia threatens invasion of homeland
The Rev. Timothy Tomson, whose grandparents are from Ukraine, is among those in the Pittsburgh area with Ukrainian roots watching warily as fears of a Russian invasion continue. Tomson is vice president of the Ukrainian Community of Western Pennsylvania, which he helped found in 2009, and pastor of St. Mary...
Short-term solution announced to New Kensington’s downtown ‘food desert’Video
A short-term solution to the food desert in downtown New Kensington is on the way, Mayor Tom Guzzo said. The city is partnering with Oasis Grocery Direct to launch a system in which residents can order groceries online and get them two days later at a pickup point. Volunteers would...
Tragedy impacts, but does not define, New Kensington native Brian Jacob’s life
The first time Brian Jacob tries to answer the question raised by his memoir, “Is Life Fair,” he is remembering an unpleasant experience attending a play with his wife. Brian and Jamie Jacob were at a Pittsburgh Public Theater performance when an employee approached Brian, who is quadriplegic and uses...
Valley High sophomore competing in statewide Veterans of Foreign Wars spoken essay contest
A sophomore from Valley High School in New Kensington is representing Westmoreland County in a statewide audio essay contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. If 15-year-old K’Ahna Witcher is the winner of the state “Voice of Democracy” contest, she’ll go on to the national program and a chance...
Northern Westmoreland communities would get new state senator through redistricting
Several northern Westmoreland County municipalities in the Alle-Kiski Valley would get a new state senator if a proposed redistricting map is approved. The affected municipalities are the cities of Arnold, Lower Burrell and New Kensington; the boroughs of East Vandergrift, Hyde Park, Vandergrift and West Leechburg; and Allegheny Township. State...
How Highmark and other insurers will cover at-home covid tests
Highmark will begin reimbursing its customers for at-home covid-19 tests this weekend and is looking to eliminate the need for customers to pay first, a vice president of the insurance company said Thursday. Under federal rules, Highmark and other private health insurers are required to cover up to eight over-the...
New Kensington car wash celebrates opening with free washes, fundraising for Knead Cafe
A new car wash in New Kensington is celebrating its opening with free car washes for 10 days and benefits for Knead Community Cafe. Clean Express Auto Wash began operating off Tarentum Bridge Road in front of Busy Beaver in late December, said Beth Martin, a spokeswoman for parent company...
New Kensington-Arnold includes 5% tax increase in proposed 2022-23 preliminary spending plan
A maximum 5% property tax increase is included in New Kensington-Arnold School District’s $40.9 million proposed preliminary budget for next school year. School board President Tim Beckes hopes that increase can be reduced before a final budget for 2022-23 is passed in June. “We hope to not have to do...
Pittsburgh nonprofit to expand free internet in New Kensington, Wilkinsburg via foundation grants
A Pittsburgh nonprofit has received more than $1.4 million from foundations as it plans to expand its free internet access to communities in need across Southwestern Pennsylvania. Meta Mesh Wireless Communities announced it received $1.13 million from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation for its wireless internet service, Every1online. Meta Mesh...
Pittsburgh gas prices remain steady as national average moves higher
The national average price of gasoline increased in the last week, but is unchanged in the Pittsburgh area, according to price tracking service GasBuddy. According to GasBuddy, the national average rose 2.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.29 on Monday. That’s 5.5 cents per gallon less than...
Arrest made in case of woman’s body found in Knoxville shed
An arrest has been made in a case where a woman’s body was found in a shed in the city’s Knoxville neighborhood Saturday, Pittsburgh police announced. Police charged Montel Reed, 26, of Pittsburgh with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse. Reed was taken to the Allegheny...
Staffing shortage closing 20 Pittsburgh Public schools, programs Monday
A staffing shortage caused by positive cases of covid, covid-related quarantines and other staff absences is causing 20 Pittsburgh Public schools and programs to go to remote instruction on Monday, the district announced. Facilities that will be closed on Monday are Arlington PreK-8; Arsenal 6-8; Carmalt PreK-8; Carrick High School;...
Primanti Bros. celebrates Steelers win with free sandwiches to anyone named ‘Chris’ or ‘Boswell’
Chris Boswell kept the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoffs hopes alive Sunday with an overtime-winning field goal against the Baltimore Ravens. To celebrate that, Steel City sandwich slinger Primanti Bros. announced it will give free classic sandwiches to anyone named Chris or Boswell on Monday. The offer is good at all Primanti...
Kiski theft suspect lands back in jail after police say he harassed them with phone calls
A man Kiski police arrested in December landed back in the Armstrong County Jail on Saturday after township police say he began harassing them with phone calls days after getting out of jail. Michael W. Hungerford Jr., 36, of Coraopolis was the subject of a theft investigation and jailed Dec....
