Paul Peirce stories, Page 18
Police: Mt. Pleasant Township man paid girl for nude photos
A Mt. Pleasant Township man is accused of paying a teen girl to send him nude photographs of herself via social media, police said. Brandon J. Rose, 22, is charged with aggravated indecent assault, child pornography, corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility, indecent assault, unlawful contact with...
Westmoreland residents in flood-prone areas prepare for remnants from Hurricane IdaVideo
Diane Batten, who has lived along flood-prone Indian Street in Ligonier for more than a decade, recalled peeking out the window of her mobile home June 3, 2016, before heading out to shop at the nearby Giant Eagle. Despite a forecast of rain, she didn’t see any standing water. But...
Indiana County man killed by DUI driver, state police say
State police say a drunk driver struck and killed a 52-year-old Indiana County man who was riding his lawn tractor, cutting grass. Douglas Dalessio of West Mahoning, near Smicksburg, was flown from the scene of the 5:29 p.m. crash Friday along the 1300 block of Barnard Road, according to state...
Western Pennsylvania trailblazers enjoy St. Vincent College’s rare equestrian program
Horseback riding enthusiast Teresa Klapchar and her horse, Annie, both experienced jitters Sunday morning as they cautiously approached a glittery New Year’s Day-decorated pulley obstacle erected along an equestrian trail in Unity. Klapchar was among 75 horseback riders from throughout Western Pennsylvania participating in a Saint Vincent College Equestrian Program...
Person extricated from vehicle after 2-vehicle crash in Penn Hills
One person had to be extricated from their vehicle after a two-vehicle crash Sunday in Penn Hills, according to an Allegheny County dispatch supervisor. The crash occurred about 8:55 a.m. along the 200 block of Stotler Road. Fire crews extricated one person from one of the vehicles that had rolled...
Red Cross volunteers from Pittsburgh headed to Louisiana to assist in Hurricane Ida relief
Two volunteers from the Red Cross in Pittsburgh are among 14 volunteers from across Pennsylvania heading to Louisiana Sunday to aid in Hurricane Ida relief efforts. Volunteers Charlie Williamson and John Breitweiser will depart from the Red Cross office on Liberty Avenue just before noon Sunday, according to Red Cross...
Police: Man found with multiple gunshot wounds in South Side Flats
Pittsburgh police detectives are investigating a shooting early Sunday that critically injured a man in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats neighborhood. Police reported just prior to 2 a.m., police officers from Zone 3 responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the 80 block of S.13th Street and reports of a gunshot victim...
Ellwood City man arrested for DUI, fleeing charges after crashing SUV into building on South Side
Police say a drunken Ellwood city man crashed his car into a Port Authority bus, hit a utility pole head-on, and then fled through Pittsburgh’s South Side, hitting several cars before crashing his car more than halfway into a building. Despite the trail of damage, police said no one was...
Westmoreland coroner: Plum motorcycle rider, 20, dies in Lower Burrell crash
A 20-year-old Plum man died at the scene of a motorcycle vehicle crash Saturday in Lower Burrell, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha. Bacha did not have the victim’s name Saturday night. According to a 911 dispatch supervisor, the collision between the motorcyclist and an unspecified vehicle occurred at...
Marker recognizing works over 151 years of Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill dedicated in GreensburgVideo
For 151 years, the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill have overcome many obstacles and rejections in an effort to better the many communities around the world they have served. On Saturday, about 100 members of the congregation, Seton Hill University administrators, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and friends...
Kids benefit from 1st ‘Back 2 School Jam’ event in GreensburgVideo
Eleven-year-old Aujanae McCreary is looking forward her first day at Greensburg Salem Middle School on Wednesday, and what’s a better way to prepare than picking out your own book bag with classmates and getting your face painted? McCreary was among several dozen children who took advantage of the first “Back...
Youngwood man charged with assault of Derry woman
State police arrested a Youngwood man on Wednesday in connection with a brutal attack of a female relative inside her Derry Township home, according to court documents. Zackary K. Wentling, 28, was arrested on multiple criminal charges by troopers who interviewed the 59-year-old woman after 7 p.m. Wednesday in Forbes...
Derry Township man charged with ramming police cruiser, dragging officers during pursuit through Murrysville, Monroeville
A Derry Township man is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond after being charged with dragging police officers and ramming a patrol car during a chase through Murrysville and Monroeville. Cory R. Nolan, 33, was taken into custody after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday by police from both municipalities...
Hempfield retiree helps fend off attack on sheriff’s deputy in emergency roomVideo
Joseph Twigger said he didn’t think twice in the emergency room at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg this week when he saw a county jail inmate trying to grab a sheriff’s deputy’s gun. On Monday, an inmate was draped over Deputy Edgar Fink, who was pinned against a wall...
State police charge Derry Township man with raping juvenile girl
State police on Wednesday arrested a Derry Township man, charging him with rape and sexual abuse involving a girl over eight years, according to court documents. Tyler A. Elsworth, 21, was arraigned on 30 counts of sexual assault, 20 counts each of rape and rape of a child, 10 counts...
Hempfield woman jailed on $50K bond, accused of threatening relative with knife
State police on Wednesday arrested a 35-year-old Hempfield woman on charges that she allegedly threatening to stab a relative with a 6-inch knife during an altercation. Brittany S. Wilson was arraigned on criminal charges of attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault and making terroristic threats filed by...
Wrongful death lawsuit filed over 2020 crash that killed popular West Penn Power lineman
Relatives of a New Stanton man killed Oct. 21, 2020, when a tractor trailer slammed into the rear of his car along Interstate 70 sued the rig’s driver and his California employer for wrongful death, according to court papers. The administrator of the estate of Dillon W. Walton, 27, a...
State troopers urge motorists to be alert for school buses, pedestrians, bus stopsVideo
As the new school year gets underway, Pennsylvania State Police are reminding motorists to be alert for the bright yellow buses, pedestrians and gatherings at bus stops. Motorists may have become used to fewer school buses on highways in the 2020-21 school year, when many districts adopted remote instruction because...
Greensburg man ordered to trial on 3 counts of attempted homicide in apartment shooting
A former Greensburg man testified Thursday that he was with his girlfriend and her brother as they were entering their apartment on June 20 when two teenage boys followed them inside and began shooting. One of the teens, Jaron Malik Haten-McCoy, who recently turned 18, was ordered to stand trial...
New Florence woman jailed on $25K bond, accused of assaulting police, relative
A New Florence woman accused of fighting with a relative in his St. Clair apartment Thursday also is charged with resisting arrest for allegedly kicking and spitting on police who took her into custody. Margaret Durler, 43, is charged with three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of resisting arrest...
Southwestern Pennsylvania fire departments awarded grants for fighting wildfires
Some Westmoreland County volunteer fire departments recently awarded grants aimed at helping small communities obtain and replace equipment to battle wildfires said the funding couldn’t have come at a better time. “I can tell you, we’ve already had a busy wildfire season. These grants are really helpful because I’d rather...
Norvelt VFD hosts 2nd annual Parking Lot Bash and Car Cruise
Pinched for fundraising ideas in 2020 because of social distancing requirements during the coronavirus pandemic, Norvelt Volunteer Fire Department opted to go outdoors, holding a Parking Lot Bash and Car Cruise last September. Fire Chief Matthew Zelenak said the daylong event outside the fire station, founded in 1934, turned out...
Fayette couple killed in 2-vehicle crash on Route 31
A Fayette County couple died from injuries sustained Monday in a two-vehicle crash on Route 31 in Bullskin Township, according to authorities in Allegheny and Fayette counties. Lee Roy Welker, 70, and his wife, Diane, 69, were killed after the Ford Focus they were in collided with a truck just...
After fire in her cell, police add arson charges to Greensburg DUI suspect
A Greensburg woman charged with DUI early Tuesday now is charged with arson and risking a catastrophe after city police allege she set fire to toilet paper in a cell block. Elisha M. Darnell, 42, was ordered held in the county jail on $10,000 bond following her arraignment on charges...
Report of Fairfield couple donning stolen ATV gear results in burglary arrests, troopers say
A Fairfield couple recently spotted aboard an all-terrain vehicle while wearing a particular brand of ATV gear that was reported stolen last spring, were questioned and subsequently arrested for burglarizing two area homes. Aaron J. Wisner, 33, and Kayla M. Hritz, 29, were arraigned on two counts each of burglary,...
