Renatta Signorini stories, Page 114
Jeannette fire chief marks blighted properties to help save lives, procure funding
Red spray paint is appearing on blighted, vacant Jeannette buildings not as an act of vandalism, but as a safety precaution for first responders. The markings — a square containing either an X or a slash mark — alert emergency crews to dangers inside, such as a collapsed floor or...
Jeannette police dog donations could be used for purchase of new vehicle
A significant chunk of money donated to the Jeannette Police Department’s police dog program could be put toward a new vehicle for Officer Jim Phillips and police dog Arees. Phillips made the pitch to city council Tuesday to contribute $30,000 toward the possible purchase as his 2011 Ford Explorer, that...
Flight 93 memorial service to be closed to public; park to reopen afterward
Friday’s remembrance ceremony at Flight 93 National Memorial will be closed to the public, the National Park Service announced Wednesday. The annual ceremony, which is abbreviated this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, will be livestreamed at nps.gov/flni by EarthCam. The Somerset County memorial will be open to the public...
Hempfield man jailed after shot fired during struggle over gun
A Hempfield man accused of wielding a shotgun that fired during a struggle with a woman over the weapon is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond. Jared Wesley Wallak, 29, was arrested Friday on charges of aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure, terroristic...
Neighborhood dispute over football in yard leads to Hempfield man’s arrest, police say
A backyard family reunion Sunday in Hempfield turned sour when state police said neighbors refused to return a football to children at the party after it was thrown on their property. The situation escalated from a neighborhood dispute to an alleged assault when Joseph Martino, 60, fought with state troopers...
Pittsburgh police seek information about confrontations between protesters, public from weekend
Pittsburgh police are seeking more information about confrontations between protesters and the public Saturday as they investigate videos that have surfaced on social media. But a protester said Monday the videos don’t properly capture tensions on both sides of the demonstrations that began Downtown. Spokeswoman Cara Cruz said authorities are...
State police looking for Saltsburg man who they say had stamp bags marked ‘covid-19’
State police are looking for a Saltsburg man who they say had cash and 677 stamp bags, some of which were marked “covid-19,” in a safe found during an Indiana traffic stop. Monty Gene Smith, 36, was charged on Friday with drug and related offenses after troopers pulled him over...
Engine 6 roars back into Jeannette, restoring a tie to the city’s firefighting historyVideo
When Jeannette fire Chief Bill Frye and Mark Scalzitti were junior firemen, they would jump on the back of a 1965 Mack fire engine to respond to calls. Too young to drive it at the time, both have fond memories of getting suited up in the fire station and riding...
Witness’ credibility left up to judge to decide in Bolivar man’s murder appeal
A defense attorney for a Bolivar man serving 30 years in prison for the 2011 murder of his newborn daughter wants a judge to decide the credibility of a witness who recently came forward with potentially exculpatory evidence. If jurors in Clayton Mibroda’s 2013 trial had heard from the new...
Loyalhanna woman sentenced to house arrest, probation in $127K theft from Greensburg electric firm
A Loyalhanna Township woman was sentenced Friday to seven years of probation for taking nearly $127,000 from her former employer. Deborah L. Baker, 53, told Judge Christopher Feliciani that the money went to support her husband’s painkiller addiction. “This money was being siphoned off solely for his habit,” attorney Dennis...
Defense seeks court’s help to get ballistics evidence in Loyalhanna murder case
Attorneys for an Indiana County man on death row for murdering three family members sought the court’s help on Friday to get firearm evidence to their ballistics expert. Attorney Brian Aston said he needs a court order to get evidence from the clerk of courts, state police and possibly the...
Black Lives Matter protest, march in Greensburg planned for Thursday evening
A protest planned for Thursday evening in Greensburg sent local police into short-notice preparation mode in the morning after learning about it through social media. The event is billed as a Black Lives Matter protest that will start at 6 p.m. at the Westmoreland County courthouse, followed by a three-block...
Community groups can now mail naloxone under new Pa. standing order
Naloxone can now be mailed by community groups to anyone who wants the opioid overdose antidote under an updated standing order. State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine signed the updated order Tuesday that makes the change to allow for easier access while restrictions are in place related to the...
Pennsylvania troopers take on roles helping communities, police with racially charged crimes
Two Pennsylvania state troopers with a penchant for connecting communities with police officers are taking on full-time roles that will entrench them in the local area. Greensburg native Cpl. Aaron Allen and Trooper Ismail El-Guemra of the Carlisle area will work with community groups, police agencies and local residents in...
Hot turf leads to burn injuries for Greater Latrobe basketball players, AD says
Three members of the boys Greater Latrobe High School basketball team have resumed workouts after district officials said they severely burned their hands last month on hot football field turf during a training session. Athletic Director Mark Mears said team members were doing off-season lifting and conditioning on July 20...
Historic Bells Mills Bridge reopens after repairs
The historic Bells Mills Bridge reopened last week after repairs were made to the wooden decking that was damaged by hot embers. Westmoreland County engineer Vaughn Neill said the damage on the covered bridge wasn’t as bad as expected. Workers pulled off pieces of the decking after firefighters found smoke...
Police: Intoxicated man had heroin, Xanax in backpack when crashing into Greensburg parked cars
An Allegheny County man is being held without bail after police said he crashed into several parked cars in Greensburg, according to court papers. Dajon Anthony Smith, 26, was wearing a backpack that police said had 150 stamp bags of heroin and a “large amount” of suspected Xanax bars. Officers...
Scottdale Bank & Trust donates to local emergency service agencies
Eleven first responder agencies in Fayette and Westmoreland Counties have a few more dollars in their pockets thanks to Scottdale Bank & Trust. The bank’s unique First Responder Donation Program is meant to help fire companies, fire police organizations, ambulance agencies and other emergency service groups that have accounts with...
Family owners hope the public will gallop in to El Vaquero Mexicano on the Diamond in Ligonier
When a prime spot became available on The Diamond in Ligonier, Stephanie and Alfredo Hernandez knew they couldn’t pass it up, even during a pandemic. They’ve had their eye on it for awhile, hoping one day they would be able to open a restaurant in town after nine years of...
Jeannette woman jailed after allegedly making numerous threatening calls to Westmoreland 911
The Westmoreland County Emergency Operations Center was placed on lockdown late Thursday after a Jeannette woman repeatedly threatened call takers and police over seven hours, according to court papers. Precious Linda Gantt, 36, called Westmoreland 911 16 times between 3 p.m. Thursday and midnight, sometimes yelling at the call taker...
Woman accused in Hempfield man’s drug overdose death
A Hempfield woman is accused by state police in connection with the drug overdose death of a Hempfield man in June 2019. Elaine Grace Smith, 54, who also has a McKeesport address, was arrested this week. She is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, criminal use of a communication...
Latrobe sex offender who served time for 2009 sex assault accused in new rape
A Latrobe man who previously was jailed for sexual assault is accused of raping a woman last year after she requested his help to move a piece of furniture, police say. Jonathan Michael Pollard, 31, was arrested this week on charges of rape, sexual assault, stalking and related offenses. He...
Fayette County court assistant, law clerk accused of defrauding widow, late husband
A Fayette County courthouse law clerk and court administration assistant, along with three others, were charged Thursday in connection with a scheme that police said defrauded the widow of a Smock man. Ryan Joseph Marshall, 30, and Tammy Sue Cable, 51, both of Uniontown, are charged with numerous counts, including...
Large crowds taking toll on Pennsylvania state parks
In the late 1800s, Ohiopyle State Park’s 100-acre Ferncliff Peninsula was home to a boardwalk, bowling alley and hotel along the Youghiogheny River. The small resort eventually closed as automobiles replaced rail transportation to the small Fayette County town, allowing the natural landscape to return. Decades later, Ferncliff Peninsula Natural...
Fayette County jail, court employees arrested in drug dealing investigationsVideo
Two guards at the Fayette County Prison, four inmates and two women on the outside are charged in connection with a drug smuggling scheme at the Uniontown jail, according to court papers. The scheme started to unravel in April when guard Angela Rae Powell, 37, of East Uniontown was seen...
