Renatta Signorini stories, Page 121
Excela offers support for teens feeling overwhelmed by pandemic
Students and high school seniors could be dealing with emotions such as grief, anxiety, guilt and loss as the coronavius pandemic disrupts their lives. Their eating and sleeping habits might be different than normal and dreams could be getting disturbing, said Marcie Stover-Jividen, outpatient behavioral health therapist at Excela Health....
South Greensburg man marks 80th birthday with surprise parade thanks to friends, familyVideo
Robert “Boo” Shrader thought he was going to have a quiet 80th birthday celebration on Wednesday with pizza, cake and family. Until he was instructed to put his coat and shoes on and get outside. On an unseasonably cool May day in his South Greensburg neighborhood, about 40 vehicles filled...
Westmoreland coronavirus death toll rises by 1 to 32
A man died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, bringing the death toll to 32, officials said Thursday. Coroner Ken Bacha is keeping a running total on his website because he is being notified of the deaths sooner than the state health department, which is tracking the virus across Pennsylvania....
Outside sources charged in alleged scheme to get drugs into Westmoreland jail
Four women who investigators said acted as outside sources were charged Wednesday in connection with an alleged year-long scheme that used fake legal mail to deliver drugs to the Westmoreland County Prison. The women communicated with inmates to send them mail containing synthetic marijuana and pass them papers soaked in...
Network funneling drugs from Philadelphia to Indiana County area dismantled
A network that brought drugs from Philadelphia to Indiana County and the surrounding area for distribution has been dismantled and seven people were arrested, according to federal authorities in Pittsburgh. Investigators said that the network funneled crack cocaine and methamphetamine across the state and distributed it to street-level dealers and...
Excela employees donate $80K to Westmoreland food bank
The Westmoreland County Food Bank has seen an “overwhelming” increase in need with no end in sight, CEO Jennifer Miller said. “Our biggest obstacle right now is the unknown,” she said. But the organization knows for sure it can count on an $80,000 donation from Excela Health employees. “This $80,000...
6 more accused in scheme to get drugs into Westmoreland jail
Six more people have been charged in connection with an alleged yearlong scheme that used fake legal mail to deliver drugs to the Westmoreland County Prison. Five men were inmates at the time of the alleged offenses and the sixth was a girlfriend of one of the defendants, according to...
Completion of Ohiopyle PennDOT project delayed
A construction project in Ohiopyle will not be done by Memorial Day because of delays related to the coronavirus pandemic and CSX railroad, PennDOT officials said Friday. Construction crews are now aiming for July 3 to wrap up work on the $12.4 million project designed to improve pedestrian safety in...
Police: Southwest Greensburg councilman used racial slur during dog bite investigation
A Southwest Greensburg borough councilman directed a racial slur at another man last month during an investigation about a dog fight, according to a police report. Then this week, Councilman David Thomas questioned Police Chief Chris Kent about why information about him apparently using the slur was included in a...
Extension granted for Pa. driver’s licenses expiring this month
An extension was granted for Pennsylvanians whose driver’s licenses, photo identification cards and learner’s permits are expiring this month. Expiration dates from March 16 through May 31 are extended to June 30, PennDOT announced Friday. Driver’s license centers statewide have been closed since March 16 amid the coronavirus pandemic. May...
United Way, Eat’n Park partner with Jeannette schools to provide meals during pandemic
Thousands of meals distributed in the Jeannette City School District are providing families with extra food during the coronavirus pandemic. Superintendent Matt Jones said the food, provided through the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, are appreciated by the community. “They’re providing those meals, especially on...
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit coordinates 3D mask-making project for county public safety workersVideo
A few area educators have become mask manufacturers in a matter of weeks. The group was on track to make 300 plastic 3D printed masks by Friday with no signs of stopping, said Tim Hammill, Westmoreland Intermediate Unit curriculum services director, who is coordinating the project among three county school...
Unity Giant Eagle worker tests positive for coronavirus
A Giant Eagle store in Unity was sanitized and reopened after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus, the grocery chain announced. The employee was last in the Mountain Laurel Plaza store along Route 30 on Thursday. The case was confirmed Monday, according to information posted on the company’s website....
North Huntingdon woman raises money for Excela staff who saved her husband from covid-19
After her high school sweetheart spent 20 days hospitalized on a ventilator, Karyl Nicholas of North Huntingdon was relieved to finally talk to him by phone. The day the tube was removed — April 19 — is a bright spot in what has been nerve-wracking weeks for the family of...
Westmoreland Community Action survey to gauge coronavirus-related needs
Westmoreland Community Action is seeking input about community needs during the coronavirus pandemic. The results of an online survey will help the organization create services that could help. Nearly 1.6 million Pennsylvania workers have filed unemployment claims since mid-March, when Gov. Tom Wolf ordered closures of some businesses and schools...
Confiscated note unravels drug scheme at Westmoreland jail, investigators report
A sheet of paper left in the Westmoreland County Prison library helped investigators unravel a yearlong scheme that used mail to deliver drugs to the Hempfield lockup, officials reported in court documents. Corrections officers listened to inmate phone conversations to intercept pieces of mail, and county detectives staked out the...
3 new Westmoreland coronavirus deaths bring toll to 30
Three new deaths in Westmoreland County related to the coronavirus have been reported by Coroner Ken Bacha. All three were women, bringing the death toll to 30, according to statistics updated early Monday. Bacha has said the majority of the county’s deaths are tied to nursing and personal care homes....
Man suspected in attempted homicide of S.C. cop wanted for vehicle thefts in Westmoreland
State police are looking for a 39-year-old man described as armed and dangerous in connection with vehicle thefts in Westmoreland County. Troopers in Greensburg said Brian Joseph Stoltie is wanted in South Carolina for the 2019 attempted homicide of a police officer. Stoltie has ties to Westmoreland and Fayette counties,...
Jeannette school teachers, staff plan car parade to see students from afar
Jeannette City School District teachers and staff members will get to see some of their students in person Saturday for the first time in six weeks. A car parade will wind through the city as an opportunity for district employees to see students, albeit from a safe distance. The parade...
1 more coronavirus-related death reported in Westmoreland County
The Westmoreland County coronavirus death toll stands at 27, according to the coroner. A woman’s death was added to a total that is being provided by Coroner Ken Bacha, who said the majority of the county’s deaths are tied to nursing and personal care homes. He is being notified of...
Emergency repair at Route 30 sinkhole near Greensburg-Hempfield border wrapping up
Repair work is coming to a close at a huge sinkhole that opened up next to Route 30 at the Greensburg-Hempfield border in July after heavy rains. PennDOT spokesman Jay Ofsanik said the emergency repairs cost about $4 million and should be finished next month. Crews reached depths of 45...
Western Pa. farmers markets to open with covid-19 twists, precautionsVideo
There will be no Saturday morning chatter among friends picking up produce and other goodies at the Lynch Field farmers market in Greensburg. Exercisers won’t stream out of the Aerobic Center to get in line with empty reusable bags. Instead, shoppers will stay in their vehicles in the parking lot...
Westmoreland County adds 1 new coronavirus death, toll rises to 26
A man died of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, bringing the death toll to 26, officials said Thursday. The death was added to a list that is being provided by Coroner Ken Bacha, who has said the majority of the county’s deaths are tied to nursing and personal care homes....
2 arrested in Jeannette shooting that left both injured
Two men were arrested this week in connection with an August shooting in Jeannette that left both injured. City police and Westmoreland County detectives said James Winston Smith, 42, of Jeannette, was in an alley behind North Third Street when he fired a handgun at James McClinton IV, 34, of...
Sen. Kim Ward plans telephone town hall to talk about coronavirus
State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, will hold a telephone town hall Wednesday afternoon about the coronavirus pandemic in Westmoreland County. Ward said she will be joined by Coroner Ken Bacha and Excela Health emergency medicine Dr. Heather Walker at 2:40 p.m. Constituents can listen to the discussion by phone or...
