Paul Peirce stories, Page 15
Washington County woman killed on I-79 by wrong-way driver, troopers say
A Washington County woman was killed early Sunday when the car she was driving was struck by a wrong-way driver along Interstate 79 in North Strabane, state police said. Holly A. Davis, 56, of Canonsburg died in the 1:45 a.m. head-on crash near mile marker 42. Moments before the collision,...
Man critically injured in Swissvale shooting
The Allegheny County Police are asking the public’s help in connection with a shooting that critically injured a man early Sunday in Swissvale. Police reported that dispatchers were notified at 2:12 a.m. of a shooting on the 7500 block of Washington Avenue. First responders found a man suffering from a...
Rain fails to dampen memories of bidders during Ligonier Beach auction
Steady rain fell Saturday morning as Hempfield native Jason Anthony piled box after box of stainless steel cookware and serving trays into the bed of his pickup at the now-defunct Ligonier Beach swimming pool and restaurant complex. Still, he managed a smile. Anthony, 51, smiled recalling the “hours and hours...
Fire destroys Greensburg house, damages neighboring one
A state police fire marshal and Greensburg fire investigators are looking into the cause of a fire in the city early Saturday that destroyed a two-story house and damaged a second home. Four occupants of the two homes were displaced as a result of the blaze. It was reported just...
Derry man arrested after 15-mile pursuit, troopers say
A Derry man was arrested early Wednesday, accused of leading state troopers on a 15-mile pursuit that went through three municipalities in central Westmoreland County. Robert Z. Kastal, 22, was taken into custody when he pulled into the parking lot at Mt. Pleasant Area Senior High School and surrendered, according...
Indiana County man arrested in bank robbery
An Indiana County man is in the county jail on $100,000 bond after his arrest for robbing a bank in rural Plumville Tuesday afternoon. Brian Richard Potts, 33, of Marion Center, was arrested by state police after the InFirst Bank at 224 Main Street was held up at 12:31 p.m.,...
Children’s bureau caseworker accused of providing privileged information to relative in child welfare probe
A Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau caseworker is charged with illegally accessing privileged information from the state’s anonymous child abuse hotline and providing the identity of a tipster to one of her relatives in Indiana County. County Detective Ray Dupilka on Tuesday obtained an arrest warrant for the worker Rebecca D....
Another person sues Westmoreland County, claiming injuries from Giant Slide in Mammoth Park
A woman claims she broke her nose and multiple ribs as well as suffered a concussion along with multiple abrasions and bruises more than a year ago when she became airborne and wiped out after hurtling down a metal racing slide in Mammoth Park. Michelle D. Lynch, who only lists...
Johnstown man, Tyrone woman killed in head-on crash in Indiana County
A man from Johnstown and a woman from Tyrone were killed when the vehicles they were driving collided head-on early Tuesday in Indiana County, according to authorities. Dorian Caton, 22, of Johnstown, and Cassandra Lee Jones, 33, of Tyrone, each died of blunt force trauma in the crash that happened...
Irwin police arrest man they said became combative with first responders, officers
A 49-year-old Trafford man who police say became combative with paramedics and officers responding to a call Friday was charged with multiple offenses, including aggravated assault on police officers and making terroristic threats. Irwin EMS were dispatched to Vine Street about 8:30 p.m. Friday to assist Paul Hudak, who said...
Passenger in pickup seriously injured after truck slams into SUV, home in Derry
Elmer Derry said he and his wife were literally “shaken out of bed” when a pickup slammed into the side of their Derry home at 10:30 p.m. Thursday. “It shook the entire house. It woke us both up,” Elmer Derry said. A piece of wood fence paneling temporarily covers the...
Penn Township man killed in crash on Route 30 in Hempfield, coroner says
A 77-year-old Penn Township man was killed and two other people were hurt Thursday in a two-vehicle collision along Route 30 in Hempfield, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. Thomas Ernest Stutz of Harrison City was pronounced dead at the scene of the 12:46 p.m. crash in front of...
Hempfield father and son arrive home to burning house
Matthew Kissell and his son, Daniel, have made a tradition of stopping at the Burger King in South Greensburg after his football games for what the pair call “Whopper Wednesdays.” This week, the seventh grader at Harrold Middle School and his father opted to head straight to their Hempfield home...
Westmoreland coroner called to fatal crash on Route 30 in Hempfield
The Westmoreland County coroner was called Thursday to a fatal crash along Route 30 in Hempfield, according to a county dispatch supervisor. Route 30 was closed in both directions more than one hour after the multiple vehicle crash happened about 12:45 p.m., the dispatcher said. The roadway reopened just before...
New Stanton man jailed after 18-mile police pursuit that began in Jeannette
A 38-year-old New Stanton man is in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond on drug and traffic charges. Police arrested him following an 18-mile pursuit on Route 30 that started in Jeannette and ended at a roadblock in Forest Hills, according to court documents. The incident started about 1:45 a.m....
Covid death of veteran Jeannette EMS paramedic declared to be in ‘line of duty’
First responders said longtime Jeannette EMS paramedic William J. “Bill” Sekora was the answer man — the person first responder veterans and newcomers alike usually went to with their questions. “And almost always, Bill did have the answer,” said Randy Highlands, operations director of Jeannette EMS. “He’s definitely going to...
Troopers seeking details on meth dump site found in Indiana County
State police in Indiana are seeking information on a methamphetamine dump site found by a man picking up trash in a wooded area in Buffington Township in the southern portion of the county. Troopers said the dump site was reported along Dilltown Heights Road about 9 a.m. Oct. 6 after...
Troopers: Rape victim took quick photograph, video of Salem suspect as he fled
A Salem woman who told state police she was raped early Monday was able to take a photograph and film a video of the suspect driving off in his black Chevrolet pickup truck, according to court records. Bryan M. Wallace, 31, also of Salem, was apprehended and arraigned on multiple...
2 arrested on charges of assaulting police, resisting arrest at Fort Ligonier Days
A Virginia man was armed with a handgun and brass knuckles when police say they found him visibly drunk and leaning on a sign pole Saturday during Fort Ligonier Days. In a separate arrest, police charged a Unity man after a disturbance at a Ligonier bar during the event. Ligonier...
Police looking for thieves who stole 35 catalytic converters from Salem RV dealership
State police are trying to figure out who stole thousands of dollars worth of catalytic converters from exhaust systems of 35 vehicles parked in the lot at a Salem recreational vehicle dealership along Route 66. The thefts took place about 2 a.m. Oct. 2 at Valero Century RV, just north...
Greensburg Fire Department adds 8th bloodhound, ‘PITA’, to search unit
The newest member of the Greensburg Fire Department is just 8 weeks old, so fire officials said it will be at least several months before PITA can be deployed into the field. Elysia Battistella, a handler with the fire department’s 52-year-old bloodhound team, announced PITA has arrived in Greensburg and...
AG Shapiro: Florida father and son targeted elderly in ‘distraction’ thefts in Western Pa.
A father and son from Florida were arrested this week for committing multiple “distraction-style” burglaries throughout Western Pennsylvania, including in Butler, Indiana and Westmoreland counties, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced. Steve Nichols, 53, and Archie Marino, 34, both of Fort Lauderdale, were indicted by a statewide investigating grand jury this...
Kentucky doctor admits health care fraud, receiving kickbacks from Hempfield lab
A Kentucky psychiatrist is the latest to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh to health care fraud in a kickback scheme for referring patients to a now-defunct drug testing lab in Hempfield. Varanise C. Booker, 66, of Louisville, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior U.S. District Judge...
Man arrested at North Huntingdon Sheetz accused of spitting on officer, damaging jail cell
North Huntingdon police on Thursday arrested an Olean, N.Y., man after he was accused of damaging a video surveillance camera inside a Sheetz store, stealing merchandise, spitting on an officer and damaging a holding cell at the police station, according to court documents. Richard A. Braithwaite, 35, was arraigned on...
Greensburg police arrest burglary suspect accused of raping, sexually assaulting girl
A 31-year-old Greensburg man held in the county jail since March 2020 for committing a string of daylight burglaries in Greensburg and Hempfield was arraigned Wednesday for allegedly raping and sexually assaulting a girl. James E. Dickant Jr. is charged with sexual assault and rape and three counts each of...
