Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 79
Plans for Popeyes moving forward in New Kensington
Plans for a new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen are moving forward in New Kensington. The city’s planning commission on Tuesday approved the land development plan for Popeyes without conditions, City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti said. The restaurant specializing in fried chicken and shrimp is proposed to be built in the Giant Eagle...
New Kensington-Arnold roundtable discussion to focus on improving communication
An upcoming roundtable on communication is part of the New Kensington-Arnold School District’s goal of improving the district’s culture. The roundtable is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 27 in the cafeteria at Valley Junior Senior High School, 703 Stevenson Blvd. It is intended to bring together parents, business owners, community...
Man dies in hit-and-run outside Washington County grocery store
A 19-year-old man from Washington was killed in a hit-and-run in Washington County early Wednesday morning, the county coroner said. Justin Gilbert was hit by a vehicle traveling east on West Chestnut Street in Canton around 4 a.m., the coroner said. He was pronounced dead at the scene about an...
Tornado watch issued for most of southwestern Pennsylvania
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued a tornado watch on Wednesday afternoon for most of southwestern Pennsylvania. The watch, which lasts until 10 p.m., is also in effect for parts of Ohio and West Virginia. A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia...
Water main break floods basement of Downtown Pittsburgh hotel
A water main break flooded basement of a Pittsburgh hotel Wednesday morning. The break was at Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Barkers Way, a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson said. The subbasement of the Renaissance Hotel Pittsburgh on Sixth Street was taking on water. There was 6 to 8 feet of water...
Man arrested in prowling incidents in, around Pitt campus
A man has been arrested in a series of prowling incidents in and around the University of Pittsburgh campus, Pittsburgh police announced. Erik Robert Demarco, 36, was arrested Tuesday by Pittsburgh detectives working with university police. Demarco faces two felony counts of criminal trespass and misdemeanor charges of escape and...
2 hurt in related shootings in Pittsburgh
Two people were hurt in shootings in Pittsburgh late Tuesday night, Pittsburgh police said. Officers responded to reports of a person being shot just before 11:30 p.m. on Lemington Avenue just past Lincoln Avenue. According to police, officers found a man who had been shot in the leg. He was...
New Kensington hires engineer to assess parking garageVideo
New Kensington has retained a structural engineer to assess the condition of the city’s 42-year-old downtown parking garage. Edward Patton, owner of Patton Engineering, said his inspection will take three to four weeks to complete and cost the city around $10,000. Patton said it will be the first time he’s...
3 seriously hurt in Butler County crash
Three people were seriously hurt in a two-vehicle crash on Route 68 in Butler County Monday night, according to state police. The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. in Forward Township. According to state police, Chase D. Cooper, 27, no address given, was driving a pickup north on Route 68...
No injuries reported in Scott Township house fire
A Scott Township home is uninhabitable after a fire early Tuesday morning. The fire at 2048 Spring Valley Road was reported shortly after 4:30 a.m., an Allegheny County emergency dispatcher said. The family that lives in the home, and their pets, got out unhurt, Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV reported. According...
Ohio man arrested after high-speed chase on Pennsylvania Turnpike
An Ohio man was arrested after a high-speed pursuit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County on Sunday, state police said. State police said a trooper attempted to stop Kung’u Celli Njung’e, 26, of Trotwood, Ohio, for multiple traffic violations. He refused to pull over and a high-speed pursuit began....
North Apollo family escapes house fire unhurt
No one was hurt in a house fire late Monday night in North Apollo, an Armstrong County emergency dispatcher said. The fire at 1233 Wysocki Ave. was reported shortly before 11 p.m. Firefighters were at the scene until about 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, the dispatcher said. A family of three, including...
New Kensington seeks funding to tear down Fourth Avenue building
New Kensington will seek money from Westmoreland County to tear down a building across from the Pioneer Apartments on Fourth Avenue. Council recently approved having City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti apply for funding from the Westmoreland County Demo Fund to demolish the building at 1026 Fourth Ave. The city owns the...
Cooler temps, rain coming as if on schedule for start of autumn
Autumn arrives Wednesday afternoon and, as if on cue, it’s going to feel like it. After a high in the 80s on Sunday and expected again Monday, a high of 74 is forecast for Wednesday, which is right around average, National Weather Service meteorologist Myranda Fullerton said. Autumn will officially...
Police shoot, kill man in Lawrence County stabbing incident
Police shot and killed a man who had been suspected of stabbing three people in Lawrence County Saturday, according to state police. The incident happened shortly before 9 p.m. at the Mahoning Sportsmen’s Association on West Main Street in Mahoning Township. State police said officers from several local departments responded....
New Castle man thrown from SUV, seriously hurt in I-79 crash
A New Castle man was seriously hurt when he was thrown from his SUV in a crash on Interstate 79, state police said. State police said the two-vehicle crash happened shortly after 7:30 p.m. Friday on the interstate in Lancaster Township, Butler County. According to state police, Mark A. Wilhelm,...
New Kensington officer recognized for valor in saving woman from house fire
Kathy Swanger wishes there were more people like Matt Saxman in this world. In August 2020, Saxman, a detective sergeant with the New Kensington Police Department, rescued Swanger’s neighbor, Betty Jean Hilliard, 81, and her five dogs from Hilliard’s burning home on Valley Street. “In today’s world, to have anybody...
New Kensington-Arnold prepares for work on bridges at Valley High School
New Kensington-Arnold School District is preparing to repair or replace the four bridges spanning Little Pucketa Creek in front of Valley High School. The bridges consist of the main entrance bridge, a pair of identical pedestrian bridges and a second vehicle bridge near the football stadium. The district shares that...
Popeyes restaurant proposed for New Kensington’s Giant Eagle plaza
A restaurant that caused a nationwide sensation with its chicken sandwich could be coming to New Kensington soon. A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant would be built in front of the Giant Eagle store along Tarentum Bridge Road, according to documents submitted to the city. The restaurant would be located between...
New Kensington’s Sweet Tillies one of 15 companies to be featured at National Small Business Week summit
A New Kensington business owner will be featured Wednesday at the conclusion of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s three-day National Small Business Week virtual summit. Amy Johnson owns Sweet Tillies, a baklava bakery that is among several new, small businesses that have opened in the city’s downtown. Johnson said her...
New Kensington, Arnold go on camera for filming of streaming series ‘Sprung’
Keith Spruill enjoyed getting a look behind the scenes of the production of a television series Monday as filming for Amazon Studios’ “Sprung” was underway in New Kensington. “This could be the new Hollywood,” he said. “That’s what I’m hoping for, at least.” Spruill is the maintenance supervisor at Valley...
New Kensington-Arnold pays music teacher facing criminal charges for past work
A New Kensington-Arnold music teacher charged in two cases of sending inappropriate text messages to students is being paid for past work at the school district. Sean O’Neil, 34, has been on leave without pay from the district since spring, Assistant Superintendent Jon Banko said. He did not provide a...
New Kensington Wine & Beer Fest returns with new beer tent, full glasses
There’s going to be more beer than wine at the third annual New Kensington Wine and Beer Festival this Saturday, but the alcohol isn’t the only attraction. Returning after being canceled in 2020 because of the covid pandemic, the Alle Kiski Strong Chamber event will also feature food trucks, vendors,...
New Kensington-Arnold, teachers union remain apart early in contract talks, school board says
Contract offers by the New Kensington-Arnold School District and its teachers union are about $1.1 million apart in salary and benefits costs, according to information the school board released Tuesday. The last four-year agreement between the district and the New Kensington-Arnold Education Association was approved in August 2019, but it...
Tarentum pulls off new craft beer festival without problems of the past
Beer events have a troubled history in Tarentum, but a new craft beer festival won’t be adding to that legacy and may forge a new one. The first-of-its-kind event, held Aug. 28 at Dreshar Stadium, went without an issue, police Chief William Vakulick said. “I was surprised,” he said. Problems...
