Renatta Signorini stories, Page 122
1 more coronavirus death reported in Westmoreland
Officials said late Monday that a woman died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, bringing the death total to 25. The death was reported to the coroner’s office and added to the total Coroner Ken Bacha is providing on his department’s website. He is being notified of virus-related deaths sooner...
Evidence of possible squatter found at abandoned Jeannette house that caught fire
Firefighters found evidence of a squatter living in an abandoned Jeannette house while extinguishing a fire there Friday night, said Fire Chief Bill Frye. The Lavelle Street blaze appears to have started in a second-floor bedroom. A state police fire marshal and Jeannette officers are investigating the cause, Frye said....
2 cited in Westmoreland in accusation of violating stay-at-home order
State police cited two people for violating Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home order after troopers said they were found drinking at a friend’s Bell Township home, according to court papers. Kara Lee Lawson, 27, of Bell and Scott James Renwick, 28, of Loyalhanna were cited for violating the Disease Control and...
4 more coronavirus-related deaths reported in Westmoreland
Three more men and another woman have died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, bringing the death toll there to 24, officials said Monday. Coroner Ken Bacha said three of the most recent deaths came from a personal care home where no deaths had been reported. The fourth death happened...
Officials taking closer look at Westmoreland inmates’ medical conditions for possible release
Westmoreland court officials plan to meet Monday to go through a list of about 70 jail inmates who have diagnosed medical conditions that could make them susceptible to the coronavirus. But it’s unclear how many will be eligible for release. “The medical condition is only one factor,” District Attorney John...
Westmoreland leaders ‘not giving up’ on trying to get more specific info on coronavirus cases
County officials’ hopes to share more details with the public about the locations of Westmoreland’s confirmed coronavirus cases are in limbo. Commissioner Sean Kertes said Friday that the nondisclosure agreement the state department of health is requiring in exchange for the information is a significant roadblock. “They’re making it almost...
New Jeannette city clerk has an eventful first month on the job
Nathan Bish didn’t get to ease into his first day as Jeannette’s new city clerk. Instead, he and Mayor Curtis Antoniak declared a public health state of emergency in the city because of the coronavirus pandemic and shut down city hall and other facilities. The proclamation was the “first thing...
Nurse N’at brings faces of Pittsburgh-area front line workers to the publicVideo
A Pittsburgh-area registered nurse is bringing the faces of the front lines to the community, in hopes that their support will help the region’s nurses push through the daily work related to the coronavirus pandemic. Dena Strano of Plum has been collecting photographs of nurses wearing items from the online...
Cause of Jeannette fire believed to be accidental
Jeannette Fire Chief Bill Frye believes a fire that damaged three homes this month was accidental. Frye said Thursday that he believes the April 9 blaze was electrical and started in the space behind a wall on the first floor of the Gaskill Avenue home. No one was there at...
19th coronavirus death reported in Westmoreland
Officials said Thursday that a man died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, bringing the death toll to 19. Ten men and nine women in the county have died as a result of the virus, according to Coroner Ken Bacha. His office is being notified of the deaths sooner than...
Westmoreland jail inmates asking court for release over coronavirus fears; Allegheny has released nearly 1,000
The population at the Westmoreland County Prison has dropped 22% since March 1 as inmates seek release to protect themselves should the coronavirus get inside the jail. Warden John Walton said officials there have identified 67 inmates between ages 22 and 80 who have chronic medical conditions that could make...
3 more coronavirus deaths reported in Westmoreland County
Two women and a man died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, upping the death toll to 18, officials said Wednesday. The deaths were added to a total provided by Coroner Ken Bacha, who is being notified of deaths related to the virus sooner than the state Department of Health....
Goodwill stores in Pa. open no-contact donation centers
Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania is accepting donations again after closing its 27 stores in the state a month ago amid nonessential business shutdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic. No-contact, self-service donation areas at each of the organization’s store locations in Pennsylvania opened this week to accept donations from 9 a.m....
Charges filed in fatal Greensburg fentanyl overdose
Two Greensburg women are accused by police of drug delivery resulting in death in connection with a February fatal overdose, according to court papers. Jamie Lynn Dickant, 34, is accused of supplying a fatal dose that killed Justine Baker, 32, on Feb. 11, city police said. Baker’s spouse, Mary Elizabeth...
15 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Westmoreland County
Two more people died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, bringing the current death toll to 15, officials reported Tuesday. The majority of the county’s fatalities are linked to senior living communities, said Coroner Ken Bacha. The two most recent deaths occurred at hospitals, but were people who had been...
Pandemic isolation adds another hurdle for those in drug recovery
Samantha Woollen is staying active in her recovery by talking on the phone with her counselor and participating in virtual Narcotics Anonymous meetings. But she knows others may not be able to do the same. “I know some people that don’t have phones … and they really need the help,”...
State police seize more than $11 million worth of drugs in first 3 months of 2020
State police seized more than 68 pounds of cocaine worth about $1.5 million in the first three months of 2020, according to figures released by the law enforcement agency. That amount is part of more than $11 million in illicit drugs troopers confiscated statewide between Jan. 1 and March 31....
Police: Rostraver man shot while assaulting his elderly mother
A Rostraver man was hospitalized early Thursday after being shot while assaulting his elderly mother, township police said. Christopher N. Visnich, 37, was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. His leg wound was not believed to be life-threatening, police said. Officers were called at 2 a.m. Thursday to an...
Easter Bunny delights South Greensburg children with delivery of basketsVideo
Jaymie Roman waited excitedly on her South Greensburg front porch — she knew the Easter bunny was coming. The 3-year-old girl watched with her mother Ali Roman as a caravan carrying the bunny moved slowly Wednesday morning down Ashland Street, lights flashing and sirens blaring. “I think it’s really nice...
Westmoreland flying club members lament loss of plane, hangar in strong storms
The Cessna four-seater airplane Chestnut Ridge Flying Club bought eight months ago was totaled early Wednesday as strong storms swept across the region, said group secretary Rick Indovina. He and a few other club members took photos of their damaged 1976 Cessna 172 that was stored inside their hangar at...
3 Sundays approved for Pennsylvania deer, bear hunting
Three Sundays this fall were approved for hunting by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners. Archery deer hunting will be allowed on Nov. 15, bear hunters can take to the woods on Nov. 22 and deer hunters using firearms can be out Nov. 29, according to information released by the...
Police seeking information in theft of 2 ATVs from Unity dealer
State police are seeking information about the theft of two ATVs from Hillview Motorsports in Unity last month. Two 2020 Suzuki King Quad 750 ATVs were taken from the Route 30 dealership on March 29 just before 2 a.m., according to troopers. The thieves then headed west on Route 30...
Trout season opens early amid coronavirus pandemicVideo
Trout season opened Tuesday in Pennsylvania — almost two weeks ahead of schedule, according to the Fish and Boat Commission. Trout fishing started at 8 a.m. The first day of the season had been slated for April 18. “We realize that this announcement is another disruption to tradition, but it...
Heinz History Center collecting materials, content depicting life amid coronavirus
Keep those pictures and other items that show how you’re getting through the coronavirus pandemic — the Senator John Heinz History Center might want them. Curators and archivists at the center in Pittsburgh’s Strip District are collecting materials from the region’s residents that show the local response and experience. That...
State police cite Pa. woman for ‘going for a drive’ amid stay-at-home order
A York County woman this week was the first person in Pennsylvania to be cited for violating Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home order, according to state police. The 19-year-old woman was given a nontraffic citation for allegedly “going for a drive,” according to the citation obtained by Pennlive. State police spokesman...
