Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 130
Planned power outage hits West Tarentum
A power outage affected West Tarentum residents and businesses on Tuesday. The power went out around 8 a.m., according to Councilwoman Lou Ann Homa. The borough expected electrical service to be restored by noon, she said. The borough said on its Facebook page that West Penn Power was doing line...
Tarentum electrical contractor relocates to New Kensington
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Czebiniak at mczebiniak@tribweb.com. A Tarentum business that started in its owner’s home...
Harrison commissioners meeting rescheduled
The Harrison Commissioners meeting for July has been postponed a week. The board will meet at 7 p.m. July 29. Commissioners meet at the township building on Municipal Drive....
Fire reported at Sons of Italy in Fayette County
Firefighters from multiple departments were battling a blaze at a Fayette County social hall Tuesday morning. The fire at the Sons of Italy on Rogers Avenue in Connellsville Township was reported shortly before 6 a.m., a Fayette County emergency dispatcher said. The fire was under control by 7 a.m., the...
Man flown to hospital after bicycle crash in Mt. Pleasant
A man injured in a bicycle crash in Mt. Pleasant early Tuesday morning has been flown to a hospital, a Westmoreland County emergency dispatcher said. The man, who was not identified, was hurt in the 700 block of Armbrust Hecla Road, the dispatcher said. It was not immediately clear if...
Dry Bones owners finding their groove after 1st year open in TarentumVideo
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Czebiniak at mczebiniak@tribweb.com. The first year for Dry Bones, a skateboard shop...
Slide repair to close Streets Run Road in Baldwin
A section of Streets Run Road in Baldwin will be closed for a month while crews fix a slide, PennDOT announced Monday. The work is scheduled to start at 7 a.m. Wednesday. Streets Run will be closed to through traffic around-the-clock between Doyle Road and Route 51 through Aug. 17....
Police: Summit Academy escapee stole car, remains at large
A juvenile who police say stole a car after escaping from a Butler County detention center Saturday night remained at large on Monday afternoon, according to authorities. The unidentified juvenile, whose age and gender were not released, is believed to have escaped from The Summit Academy in Summit Township around...
1 killed, 2 hurt in motorcycle-vehicle crash on Bigelow Boulevard
A man was killed and two others were hurt in crash involving a motorcycle and a vehicle on Bigelow Boulevard Sunday night, according to Pittsburgh police. The crash happened in the 3200 block of Bigelow Boulevard around 9:55 p.m. Police said the man driving the motorcycle died from his injuries...
Gas prices rise in Pittsburgh region
Gas prices are up in the Pittsburgh region, and the national average has risen for a third straight week on higher oil prices blamed on geopolitical tensions, declining oil inventories and Hurricane Barry. “With Barry in the rearview, we are unlikely to see major disruptions arise, and gas prices nationally...
Pennsylvania law protects those who rescue children from hot cars
A state law protecting Good Samaritans who rescue children locked inside hot cars took effect Monday. Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill into law May 16. The law provides protection from liability for damages if a person believes a child is in imminent danger, provided they have made a good...
Police: Penn Hills officer fatally shoots man who fired gun
A Penn Hills police officer shot and killed a man as police pursued suspects in a homicide Sunday night, according to Allegheny County Police. According to county police, the Penn Hills officer returned fire after the man, who had been hiding in a basement, shot at and charged the officer....
Indiana Township road to remain open during bridge work
McClellan Road in Indiana Township will remain open while a bridge is being replaced, Allegheny County Public Works announced Friday. Work to replace Deer Creek Bridge No. 9 will start at 7 a.m. on Monday, July 22, according to the county. The work is expected to last four months. The...
Lower Burrell man unsure what to do about backyard sinkhole
Jim Davis is used to having a hole filled with water in the backyard of his Lower Burrell home. That’s his swimming pool. On Friday, he was trying to figure out what to do about another, unwelcome one — a sinkhole. Davis, 71, said he noticed an indentation in his...
State awards $719K in tax credits for Harrison senior housing project
A $10 million senior housing project in Harrison is getting financial help from the state. The development, in the former Highlands School District administration building on 11th Avenue, is among 39 multifamily housing developments getting part of $41.6 million in low-income housing tax credits, Gov. Tom Wolf announced. The Harrison...
T-shirts remind Dr. Phil that, yes, there is a Slippery Rock University
Remember that time Slippery Rock University and Dr. Phil got into a spat? SRU does. The university had T-shirts made to commemorate the dust-up, and some of the proceeds will go into a student scholarship fund, according to spokeswoman Rita Abent. In April, Phil McGraw, the TV celebrity therapist better...
Leechburg man killed in Route 66 motorcycle crash
The Armstrong County coroner said a Leechburg man was killed Friday morning when he lost control of his motorcycle along Route 66 in Gilpin. Coroner Brian K. Myers identified the victim as 55-year-old Ronald M. Mego. Myers said Mego was traveling north toward Leechburg just before 6:30 a.m.when he lost...
State agency approves $1.2M for Allegheny County housing projects
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has approved more than $1.2 million for a wide range of housing projects in Allegheny County. “The dollars approved for these projects will serve as the foundation for improving our housing stock, creating greater accessibility to services and enhanced security for vulnerable populations,” state Sen....
Tarentum Council meeting canceled
The Tarentum Council meeting scheduled for tonight has been canceled, the borough announced. The meeting was called off because not enough council members would be present to conduct business. At least four of the council’s seven members are required. Council next will meet for an agenda meeting on Aug. 6...
Highlands hires new assistant superintendent from Wilkinsburg
Highlands School District has a new assistant superintendent. The school board hired Cathleen Cubelic, who has been an assistant superintendent in the Wilkinsburg School District since May 2017. She was hired with a starting salary of $126,000 under a three-year agreement. When she will start at Highlands is not yet...
Billboard company calls Tarentum zoning ‘unconstitutional’
Tarentum’s zoning ordinance is unconstitutional because it does not allow billboards anywhere in the borough, a company argued in appealing the borough’s denial of its proposal to put one up beside the Tarentum Bridge. America First Enterprises, doing business as Oliver Outdoor, is asking an Allegheny County judge to vacate...
Tarentum considering 16% increase in part-time police pay
Tarentum is considering a 16% increase in the hourly rate it pays part-time police officers. It would increase the pay from $15.50 per hour to $18, according to borough manager Michael Nestico. Nestico said the borough needs to increase what it pays part-time officers because other municipalities are paying more,...
Police say Latrobe man left 2 dogs in hot car at movie theater
State police plan to charge a Latrobe man after he allegedly left two dogs inside a car in hot weather on Sunday. Police said the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the AMC movie theater at the Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield, where the man left two medium-size, mixed-breed dogs...
Tarentum needs plan for Riverview Memorial Park, manager says
Choosing the color of shade-providing sails at Tarentum’s spray park seems like a minor issue. But Borough Manager Michael Nestico said the problem is indicative of a larger one at Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park: there is no overall plan to guide decisions at the park along the Allegheny River. The...
Tarentum to check for asbestos in buildings eyed for demolition
Tarentum plans to hire a contractor to test more than two dozen buildings for asbestos. The 28 buildings are among the 33 now on the borough’s demolition list. Three companies submitted bids for the work. The lowest bid of $11,175 came from Corwin Inspections, borough Manager Michael Nestico said. Having...
