Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 103
1 of 2 suspects in Butler purse theft arrested in Florida
One of two men charged with robbing a Butler County woman in June was apprehended in Florida, according to state police. State police allege that Marcos Roman, 38, currently of Butler and Ramon Enrique Acevedo-Carrasquillo, 34, of Ocala, Fla. followed a woman home from a store and forcibly took her...
Expiring lease, covid-19 concerns spur decision to close Shiloh Grill on Mt. Washington
An expiring lease and concerns over the coronavirus pandemic combined to shutter a restaurant that has stood on Mt. Washington for a decade. Shiloh Grill, one of three Harris Grill locations, announced Saturday that it will be closing on Tuesday. The other locations, in Shadyside and Downtown, are not affected....
WPXI, Dish Network exchange barbs as Pittsburgh NBC affiliate goes dark on satellite service
Dish Network customers in Pittsburgh are no longer able to view NBC affiliate WPXI on their satellite television service. Each side is blaming the other. WPXI claims it was removed from Dish after the satellite provider refused to agree to a deal for a new retransmission consent agreement with its...
PennDOT extends expiration dates on driver licenses, ID cards, learner permits
PennDOT has again extended the expiration dates on driver licenses, identification cards and learner permits because of covid-19, the agency announced Friday. Driver licenses, photo identification cards and learner permits scheduled to expire from March 16 through Aug. 31 have been extended until Aug. 31. The extensions are in addition...
Police: Butler man faces ethnic intimidation charges after graffiti found outside Black family’s home
A 44-year-old Butler man allegedly admitted spray painting graffiti derogatory toward Blacks on a sidewalk outside a Black family’s home, according to city police. Butler police charged Philip Anthony Rienzi Friday with criminal mischief and ethnic intimidation, both misdemeanor offenses. According to police, a pedestrian reported the graffiti on East...
$12.25M in state loans paying for wastewater, stormwater projects in Westmoreland County
About $12.25 million will be coming to Westmoreland County for wastewater and stormwater projects, the state announced Wednesday. The Western Westmoreland Municipal Authority and the City of Arnold got loans for wastewater projects, while Penn Township received a loan for a stormwater project. The money was part of $66 million...
Weekend closures, lane restrictions expected with Tarentum Bridge project
PennDOT plans to close the Tarentum Bridge for several weekends while preservation work is being done. The work is scheduled to start in the fall, stop for the winter, continue in the spring and be finished next summer, PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said Tuesday. About 30,000 vehicles cross the bridge...
New Kensington considering dumping garbage hauler as residents’ complaints pile up
A New Kensington councilman claims city residents would be willing to pay more for garbage collection if it meant getting better service. Councilman Todd Mentecki said people from across the city have complained about problems with the city’s new garbage company, County Hauling. After more than six months it hasn’t...
Police: Tarentum man started fight with off-duty Pittsburgh officer at Harrison custard shop
A Tarentum man was arrested after getting into a fight with another man at a Harrison custard shop Sunday night. Harrison police said Jacob A. Fisher, 24, threatened the other man’s 5-year-old daughter and spit at him before punching him in the face at Della’s Frozen Custard, formerly Del’s Custard,...
Analyst: Drivers enjoying lowest gas prices in 16 years as markets hang on covid-19
Gasoline prices fell slightly over the past week as markets await the next chapter in the coronavirus situation, an industry analyst said. “As cases continue to rise, the likelihood rises that gas prices will stabilize and demand may continue to see small decreases, which is the name of the game...
Week-in-review: Covid-19 dominates headlines, Maz’s house sold, top creameriesVideo
The covid-19 pandemic continues to dominate daily life and news, with state leaders imposing restrictions on bars and restaurants and asking more travelers to self-quarantine as the number of cases continues to increase. Giant Eagle is defending itself in court against a lawsuit that calls its policy requiring shoppers to...
27-day closure of Saltsburg Road in Plum has lengthy detours
Drivers will have to contend with lengthy detours while a section of Saltsburg Road in Plum is closed for 27 days starting Saturday. While the posted detour for passenger vehicles is about 11 miles, the one for commercial truck traffic is more than twice as long. Saltsburg Road (Route 380)...
Highlands reopening plan includes 2 days in school, 3 days at home
Highlands School District students would be in schools two days a week and work remotely the other three days under the district’s tentative reopening plan. The district also would offer a full virtual learning option for families with children who cannot return to any in-person schooling in August, according to...
5 more workers test positive for covid-19 at Beaver County ethane cracker site
Five more workers have tested positive for covid-19 at Shell Chemicals’ ethane cracker construction site in Beaver County, a company spokesman said in a statement. That brings the total number of positive tests to 18 since the pandemic began, Shell spokesman Michael Marr said in an update. A covid-19 testing...
20-year-old McKeesport man found dead in alley
A 20-year-old man was found shot dead in McKeesport Thursday night, according to Allegheny County police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the victim as Keith Jones Jr. of McKeesport. According to police, someone called 911 shortly before 10 p.m. and reported finding a man lying on the ground in...
Greensburg Bishop Malesic appointed leader of Cleveland diocese
Diocese of Greensburg Bishop Edward C. Malesic will serve as the next bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. The appointment by Pope Francis was announced Thursday. Malesic, 59, was introduced to the Diocese of Cleveland during a 10 a.m. press conference during which he said he was humbled by being...
Police: Man fled into Fayette County woods with baby after assaulting mother
A Fayette County man was being held on $500,000 bail after allegedly assaulting a woman and fleeing into the woods with her year-old baby girl. State police filed several felony charges against Anthony Cronin, 34, of Brownsville, including aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, strangulation, unlawful restraint, attempted sexual assault, child endangerment,...
5-year-old injured after being hit by SUV in East Pittsburgh
A 5-year-old was seriously hurt after being hit by an SUV in East Pittsburgh on Saturday, according to state police. The incident happened around 5:15 p.m. in the 500 block of Bessemer Avenue, state police said in a release issued Wednesday. State police said the child ran into the street,...
Wolf grants 3rd extension for license to carry firearms permits
Gov. Tom Wolf has granted a third extension for licenses to carry firearms, state police announced Wednesday. Permits expiring on March 19 or later are now valid through Sept. 30. The previous extension was set to expire on July 31. The extensions were needed because some county courthouses and sheriff’s...
Pittsburgh area set to start another run of hot, humid weather
After a four-day break, the Pittsburgh area is set to enter another stretch of days with 90-degree temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. And it’s going to get muggy, too, with dew points rising to oppressive levels in the lower 70s, meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said. While the high Wednesday...
2 women hurt, storefront damaged in Coraopolis crash
Two women were taken to a hospital after a crash in Coraopolis early Wednesday morning. The women were in a car that crashed into a storefront on Fifth Avenue around 2 a.m., the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. They were trapped in the car by debris and had to be...
1 dead, 1 in custody after Uniontown shooting
One person is dead and another is in custody after a shooting in Uniontown. The shooting happened around 9 p.m. Tuesday near a Sunoco gas station on Connellsville Street, the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. Police told the station that the victim was shot inside a vehicle and pronounced dead...
Police: Butler County man dies at scene of Fayette County motorcycle crash
A Butler County man died in a motorcycle crash in Fayette County, according to state police. The crash happened Saturday in the area of 1510 Sugarloaf Road in Henry Clay Township, state police said in a news release issued Tuesday. According to state police, David Earl Bender, 79, of Valencia...
Police: 4-year-old swept under by current in Butler creek
A 4-year-old boy was flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh after a “serious incident” in Connoquenessing Creek in Butler Monday evening, according to police. Police, medics and firefighters responded to a swimming hole near Kauffman Drive around 7:20 p.m. Monday. According to police, the boy was playing in the...
New Kensington demolition project, delayed by covid-19, nears conclusionVideo
Work to demolish the last of three unsafe buildings in one project began Monday in New Kensington. The project to take down dilapidated houses at 1254 Martin Ave., 1406 Taylor Ave. and 1331 Victoria Ave. had been delayed by the covid-19 pandemic, said Sarah Snider, executive director of the Redevelopment...
