Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 126
U.S.-China trade war keeping gas prices down for Labor Day
The escalating trade war with China will benefit motorists at the gas pump this Labor Day. “With Labor Day around the corner, motorists will see the cheapest end to the summer since 2016, a great send-off to wrap up the summer driving season, but more good news likely lay ahead...
New Ken-Arnold School Board approves personnel actions
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board approved a number of personnel changes ahead of the start of the new school year. The board accepted five resignations: Kathleen Perkoski, elementary teacher; Anna Rogers, licensed clinical nurse; Tammie Bayne, Roy A. Hunt cafeteria monitor; Sheldon Simmons, middle school head football coach; and Bobbie...
Football field, track surfaces to be replaced at Valley High School
New Kensington-Arnold School District plans to spend more than a half-million dollars to replace the track and football field surfaces at Valley High School. Work on the football field’s artificial surface will be done after this fall’s season, school board President Bob Pallone said. It could be done immediately after...
Tarentum church plans memorial for man found in Bull Creek
A Tarentum pastor said the man whose body was found Wednesday in Bull Creek became active at BridgePoint Church several months ago and had just been baptized less than two weeks ago. The Rev. Val Schubert of BridgePoint Church said the parish plans to hold a memorial service Sunday for...
Highlands approves contract for custodians, maintenance workers
Custodians and maintenance workers in Highlands School District have an early-retirement offer along with a new contract. The new three-year agreement between the district and workers with Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ is retroactive to June 30 and runs until June 30, 2022. The contract covers about 30 employees....
6 Allegheny County Jail inmates disciplined after fight
No serious injuries were reported after a fight broke out among a half dozen inmates at the Allegheny County Jail on Wednesday afternoon. In a statement released Thursday, Warden Orlando Harper said the fight happened around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday. “Six inmates received misconducts as a result of fighting,” Harper said...
New Kensington-Arnold OKs teachers contract just in time for start of school
After more than two years of negotiations, teachers in the New Kensington-Arnold School District have a new contract. The contract runs through June 30, 2021, and is retroactive to Sept. 1, 2017. Teachers will report for Monday as scheduled; students return Wednesday. Under the terms of the contract: • The...
2-year-old drowns in Fayette County pool
A 2-year-old girl drowned in a pool in Fayette County on Thursday afternoon. The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. in a pool along Coolsprings Street in Hopwood, the Tribune-Review’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. State police could not be reached for comment. A representative of the Fayette County Coroner’s Office said...
Tarentum concert canceled over weather concerns
The threat of thunderstorms canceled a band’s performance in Tarentum for a second time. The performance by “Classic Brew,” a classic rock cover band, that was scheduled for 7 p.m. today at the Carl J. Magnetta Jr. Amphitheater in Riverview Memorial Park has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday,...
Committee to present plan to save decaying Harrison World War II memorialVideo
A memorial to Harrison’s greatest generation is in such bad condition it may not survive the winter unless action is taken to save it. A volunteer committee has come up with an $80,000 plan to restore the 74-year-old Honor Roll memorial at Freeport and Springhill roads and will present it...
Cause of Harrison house fire ‘undetermined,’ fire marshal says
The cause of a fire that destroyed an empty house on Spruce Street in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood last week remains undetermined, according to the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office. The fire at 51 Spruce St. was reported around 1 a.m. Aug. 16. No one was hurt, and firefighters prevented it...
Arnold moves closer to finalizing use of grant money
Arnold is another step closer to telling the state how it would like to spend nearly $300,000 in grant money. City council held a second public hearing Tuesday to get comments and suggestions from citizens on how it should spend the federal Community Development Block Grant money it will receive...
Highlands School Board approves new hires, resignations
Highlands School Board has approved several personnel moves ahead of the start of the new school year. The board hired three people: • Drew Karpen has been approved as the district’s new athletic and transportation director, retroactive to July 22. His salary was set at $65,000. • Theresa Bargh was...
Highlands awards contracts for Tarentum elementary school work
Highlands School Board awarded three contracts for work at the district’s elementary school in Tarentum. Two of the contracts, totaling about $92,100, are for repairs to Highlands Elementary’s deteriorated clock tower. The district will pay Marsa Inc. $60,800 for restoration work on the clock tower’s masonry and BurMac Roofing $31,282...
Pitt students begin moving in
Students started moving in Monday for the fall semester at the University of Pittsburgh. Pitt spokesman Kevin Zwick said 7,800 students, including 3,800 “first-years,” will be moving into on-campus housing this week. The first day of classes is Aug. 26. The university received 32,000 freshman applications and offered admission to...
Pittsburgh, national gas prices continue fall
Gas prices have continued to fall in the Pittsburgh region and across the nation, according to the price-tracking website GasBuddy.com. “For a surprising fifth straight week, the national average has declined, ushering in lower gas prices to every state and providing relief to consumers who’ve watched the stock market tank,...
Cost of library inventory project raises concerns at Highlands
Concerns about the cost of a project to inventory library books at elementary schools in the Highlands School District has administrators and school board members considering other options. At a board meeting Monday, a few residents said the more than $62,000 cost of the project with Follett School Solutions was...
Cleveland man suspected in laptop thefts in Findlay, Pittsburgh burglaries
A Cleveland man charged in connection with the thefts of laptop computers from multiple businesses in Findlay is also believed to be one of two suspects in similar incidents in Pittsburgh, police said Friday. Findlay police said they identified Leroy Lummie Glass Jr., 62, from a thumbprint on a piece...
Empty Natrona houses a hazard, resident says after fireVideo
Conrad Zylinski was awakened early Friday by people banging on his front door. The long-vacant house next to his home in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood was going up in flames. “It was scary,” the 66-year-old Zylinski said, thanking the firefighters who responded. “They saved my place. My roof was steaming.” He...
New Kensington school builds patio for relocated Ten Commandments monumentVideo
It’s been almost two years since a Ten Commandments monument removed from Valley High School under a federal court agreement was relocated to Mary Queen of Apostles School in New Kensington. Soon, the monument’s new home will be complete. Work started this week on a patio surrounding the 6-foot-tall monument...
Gatto Cycle Shop celebrating 55th anniversaryVideo
George J. Gatto has been president of Gatto Cycle Shop for the past 20 years, but he’s worked for the family business for most of his life and most of the company’s 55-year existence. “I started cleaning oil spots off the floors and building bicycles” at the age of 11...
Music of all types featured at New Kensington ‘Band Blast’
Nearly two dozen bands are scheduled to perform Sunday at the sixth annual “Band Blast” at Memorial Park in New Kensington. The lineup features 11 groups playing between noon and 8 p.m. on the main stage, and another 11 scheduled to appear on the second stage. Admission is $5. Gates...
Port Authority moving Tarentum bus stop at borough’s request
A Tarentum bus stop will be moving at the borough’s request. Port Authority of Allegheny County is moving the stop now at Lock Street and Fourth Avenue about 250 feet away to Fourth and Hickory Way. The change takes effect Sept. 1, according to a Port Authority sign posted at...
45 years ago, ‘unknown band’ Rush played Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena
The concert promoter didn’t want them, the lead singer was so buzzed he didn’t know how they did, and their performance garnered only a single sentence in a review published in the Valley News Dispatch a week later. Rush was an unknown band from Canada when they played the Civic...
Tarentum fires public works laborer facing strangulation charge
Tarentum Council fired a public works laborer who is accused of attacking and threatening to kill a 17-year-old summer worker. At a special meeting Tuesday, council voted 6-1 to fire Timothy Dzugan effective immediately. Councilman Tim Cornuet cast the only vote against firing Dzugan. He declined to comment on his...
