Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 75

Economic development, property deterioration, recreation and branding are the four key issues identified in a new comprehensive plan aimed at guiding the future of Harrison, Brackenridge and Tarentum. “Our goal was to formulate an implementable plan — not a 100-page plan that would sit on a shelf,” said Robin Bergstrom,...

A treasure trove of local history is available at the Community Library of Allegheny Valley in Harrison. The library’s local history department had been located in the Tarentum branch on Lock Street, but that branch closed in late February. Its resources were being moved to the Harrison library and set...

A Brackenridge man charged with strangling a woman late Wednesday allegedly told her they both were going to die, according to a criminal complaint against him. Brackenridge police charged Roy Bryan Cavitt, 63, with a felony count of strangulation, misdemeanor offenses of simple assault and making terroristic threats, and a...

A New Kensington man accused of inflicting fatal injuries on a 2-year-old boy also beat a dog so badly that one of its legs had to be amputated, according to court documents. New Kensington police on Wednesday charged Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 31, with cruelty to animals and neglect of...

New Kensington-Arnold School Board isn’t changing the district’s property tax deadlines or eliminating late penalties this year because it said doing so could cost the district nearly $100,000. While Westmoreland County and the cities of New Kensington and Arnold extended their discount windows and eliminated penalties to help property owners...

New Kensington-Arnold School District is very close to the “tipping point” with the number of students who want to return to schools, and as a result may have to go to a hybrid schedule, Acting Superintendent Jon Banko told the school board Tuesday. The district set a deadline of 8...

A Highlands Middle School student has tested positive for covid-19, according to an email from Principal Kimberly Price. The school was notified of the case on Tuesday, Price wrote. The student is on the middle school soccer team. District Superintendent Monique Mawhinney, district spokeswoman Jennifer Goldberg and school board President...

A 17-year-old New Kensington boy allegedly shot a girl in her leg during a fight in the city Friday evening, according to New Kensington police. Police charged Deonte Joseph Slomkoski with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of a firearm by a minor. Slomkoski’s attorney, Duke...

Personnel moves approved Monday by Highlands School Board included transferring one principal to teacher, accepting the school board secretary’s resignation and signing off on a statement of charges against an unidentified employee. The board did not comment on any of the actions before approving them in a single motion. Samantha...

Another 10 dilapidated houses are on the path to demolition in New Kensington. That’s great news for Paula Tracz, who lives near one of them at 814 Ross Ave., which was damaged by fire. “It’s such an eyesore. I sit on my back porch, and I see the squirrels all...

Allegheny County Police charged a 66-year-old man with rape and other offenses after a 17-year-old girl accused him of assaulting her more than a decade ago in Harrison. In addition to rape, police charged Randolph Walker, of Carnegie, with felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, sexual assault, indecent...

A tip from a phone sex company owner resulted in Allegheny County Police charging a 42-year-old Brackenridge man with sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, John Patrick Godfrey claimed his talk with the phone sex operator was only fantasy, but Allegheny County...

New Kensington-Arnold School District will be forced to go to a full hybrid schedule if too many students now learning from home choose to come back to school next month, Acting Superintendent Jon Banko said. Under a hybrid schedule, students would be in school only two days a week, Banko...

A New Kensington man is accused of indecent assault in connection with an alleged incident involving a 13-year-old girl in Brackenridge. Police said Kristopher Skufca, 19, met the girl through a friend on social media, but he told her that he was 16. A criminal complaint filed in the case...

Highlands administrators acknowledged at a meeting Monday that they are having problems with the district’s online elementary curriculum, but did not directly address a mother’s concern that its content is religious. Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said she has gotten a handful of emails about the Accelerate Education program the district is...

Fawn’s police chief testified Tuesday a now-suspended officer who is suing the township altered an incident report to say a supervisor threatened to assault his neighbor for having a fire at his home. Fawn Supervisors wrapped up an employment hearing for suspended Officer Keith Lazaron II, but took no action....

The drive-thru of McDonald’s in Harrison reopened Thursday, but the dining area remains closed as a remodeling of the restaurant continues, a member of the family that owns the location said. The McDonald’s on Freeport Road in the Natrona Heights area of the township closed for remodeling on Sept. 9....

Fawn officials will continue a hearing for a suspended township police officer without the officer or his attorney participating, township Supervisor David Montanari said Monday. The hearing for Keith Lazaron II is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday. It will be held in person at the township building at...

A proposal to build a $900,000 car wash on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington was dealt a potentially fatal blow by the city’s zoning hearing board, which denied it a variance. The Hutton Group was seeking permission to build the car wash at 215 Tarentum Bridge Road, where a...

Exposure to covid-19 wasn’t Aasta Deth’s concern for her two young children on the first day of school. Exposure to religion in their public school curriculum was. Deth, who lives in Harrison, said she found religious and faith-based content in both her 5-year-old daughter’s online kindergarten program and 8-year-old son’s...

A 24-year-old man allegedly told police he was dealing heroin from his Brackenridge home so he could buy things for two children. Police charged Marvin Barclay II with two counts of endangering the welfare of children and drug offenses after officers and agents with the state Attorney General Bureau of...

John Greco isn’t sure he can reopen his Tarentum restaurant even with a return to half capacity later this month. “We can’t make it with 25% or 50%,” said Greco, owner of JG’s Tarentum Station Grille. “In order to make it economically feasible, we need the restrictions to be lifted....