Brian C. Rittmeyer stories, Page 99
Police: Burglar left shoes behind as he ran from Brackenridge home
A Brackenridge woman came face-to-face with a burglar at her kitchen door who ran off, leaving his shoes behind, according to borough police. Brackenridge police charged Eric Randall Thompson, 41, of New Kensington with two felonies, burglary and criminal trespass, and misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property. According...
Clairton closes schools, cancels classes after water main break floods building
Clairton City School District is closed and all classes, including online, are canceled Monday and Tuesday after parts of the education center were flooded by a water main break, the district announced. According to the district, a water main failed on the Large Avenue side of the building on Saturday,...
Historic New Kensington Alcoa building becoming 3-floor, indoor paintball arenaVideo
An historic, three-story building that once was Alcoa’s headquarters in New Kensington is becoming an indoor paintball battlefield. Rooms that had been offices and labs will become spaces players will have to carefully clear, lest they get nailed. The lowest floor, darkened, will glow in the dark. Tom Bianco, owner...
Proposal outlines future, identifies key issues in Harrison, Brackenridge, Tarentum
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,...
Trove of historical information that had been kept in Tarentum now at Harrison library
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...
Police: Brackenridge man strangles, threatens to kill woman during argument
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...
New Kensington couple charged in death of 2-year-old also face animal abuse counts
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 Ken-Arnold can’t afford to change tax deadlines or eliminate late penalties, board member says
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 near ‘tipping point’ that would force change to hybrid schedule
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...
Highlands Middle School soccer player tests positive for covid-19, principal states
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...
Police charge New Kensington teen with Friday shooting
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...
Transfer of principal to teacher one of several Highlands personnel moves
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...
New Kensington starts demolition process on 10 more dilapidated houses
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...
New Kensington man struggling after parked car destroyed in shooting, crashVideo
Jay Geyer has heard the sound of gunfire in his New Kensington neighborhood. Sometimes, it’s only fireworks, but often, it’s the real thing. His life had never been touched by the violence surrounding him until the day it crashed into his car, destroying it. Now his niece, Nicole Geyer of...
Carnegie man accused of raping girl in Harrison more than a decade ago
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...
Police: Phone sex company alerts police to alleged child sex abuse in Brackenridge
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...
73 cats rescued from North Huntingdon home up for adoption at New Kensington shelterVideo
More than 70 cats rescued from a house in North Huntingdon are being cared for at Frankie’s Friends, a cat rescue in New Kensington. It did not appear anyone was living in the house on Leger Road where the cats were found, Dr. Becky Morrow, medical director and president of...
New Kensington-Arnold may go to hybrid schedule if too many students want to return to schools
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...
New Kensington man accused of lying about his age to get involved with 13-year-old girl
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 ask parents for patience with online elementary program
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 police chief testifies officer altered report to include false accusation against supervisor
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....
McDonald’s drive-thru reopens as remodeling of Harrison restaurant continues
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....
Suspended Fawn officer, attorney will not participate in hearing over his job
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...
‘Tarentum Night Market’ aims to bring shoppers to borough business districtVideo
Since opening her coffee and chocolate shop, Harvest Moon, in Tarentum earlier this year, Desiree Singleton has heard from people who can’t get there before she closes at 4 p.m. She’ll be among a group of borough business owners hoping to draw shoppers into town in the evenings by staying...
Proposed car wash denied variance for site on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington
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...
