Renatta Signorini stories, Page 124
Excela Health working on testing center for coronavirus
Excela Health is developing a testing center similar to ones opened this week by hospital systems in Allegheny County to screen patients for the coronavirus, according to Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer. A test at the proposed center would “require an evaluation as well as an appointment,” Fox said....
Westmoreland libraries offer online library card registration
Westmoreland Library Network has a way for any Pennsylvania resident 13 and older to get a library card online while facilities are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. A library card enables network patrons to download materials from the eBooks and eAudio collection through the network’s Overdrive smart device application....
Westmoreland County court cancels hearings, alters procedures
Criminal court proceedings in Westmoreland County scheduled from Wednesday to March 27 have been canceled under a judicial emergency order issued Tuesday. Special courts administrator Don Heagy said preliminary hearings for defendants who are incarcerated are still going on at the county’s 17 district court offices as scheduled. Some other...
City Cribs’ Greensburg revitalization efforts continue with more buildings
City Cribs is continuing its revitalization of South Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg one building at a time. The development group recently purchased a former art supply store for $200,000 with plans to renovate the building, add upper floors and create several spaces for tenants, said company co-owner Suzanne Ward. Hempfield...
1 killed, 1 hurt in Parkway North crash
A Pittsburgh man was killed in a one-vehicle crash Monday on the Parkway North in Ross, according to state police. Michael Mario Steven Smith, 27, was traveling north at 5 p.m. when the vehicle he was in lost control, hit an embankment and became airborne before landing on its roof,...
‘Riding the storm’: Westmoreland shops add delivery to bolster business
Some local businesses are finding ways to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic by venturing into new territory — delivery. Orders have exploded for Greenhouse Winery, based in Sewickley Township, since starting a wine delivery service last week, said general manager Steve Helinski. They saw 12 orders the first day...
Hempfield woman accused of sexually assaulting teen boys
A Hempfield woman is accused by state police of sexually assaulting two teenage boys over the summer, according to court papers. Police say Brandy Lynn Sturtz, 35, provided the boys with alcohol and marijuana. She was arrested Monday on charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and related offenses....
Firefighters practice rescues from confined spaces in JeannetteVideo
The victim: a 180-pound dummy dressed in firefighter gear trapped underneath Fifth Street in Jeannette. The mission: squeeze through a manhole and a few feet of old brick street for a rescue. “One patient down, unconscious,” Penn Township medical rescue technician Bobby Scott said through a radio after he touched...
Here’s how Western Pa. schools plan to feed students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches
School districts started announcing how they would get food to students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches amid a statewide public school shutdown over the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday ordered all Pennsylvania K-12 schools to close for two weeks in an effort to stem the spread...
Western Pa. restaurants offer free lunches to schoolkids during hiatus over coronavirus fearsVideo
School lunches are getting an upgrade from restaurants around the area that are offering free mid-day meals to children in light of a two-week shutdown of schools amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Many owners said they felt the need to help after Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday ordered all...
Washington man killed in crash
A Washington man was killed early Sunday in a one-vehicle crash, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. Michael D. Slider Sr., 56, of Washington, was driving on Woodland Avenue in Canton Township at 12:30 a.m. when authorities said he lost control and the vehicle rolled onto its side. Slider...
Don Bailey: Football great, decorated soldier, state official, congressman, but also fun-loving dad
When Don Bailey’s six children were in trouble, he’d bring out the deposition recorder. He would set the stage with the time and date for the recorded family meeting and detail the issue. Afterward, he would write up a contract and have them sign it. “I was 7, and I...
Some in Greensburg, Irwin celebrate St. Patrick’s Day ahead of looming virus spread
The threat of picking up a virus spreading around the globe didn’t chase away the luck of the Irish from Irwin on Saturday. Sherry Goughenour of North Huntingdon said it was important to her to support the community. “The local businesses, it’s hard on them,” she said. “I’m not in...
Allegheny, Westmoreland libraries closed amid coronavirus fears
Westmoreland County’s libraries and satellite offices will be closed until March 30 amid fears over the coronavirus, officials announced. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s locations will close Sunday until March 31. Guidance on the closure came from the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Commonwealth Libraries on Friday after Gov. Tom...
SeaBase in Greensburg announces temporary closure
SeaBase Family Fun Center will be closed through at least the end of March amid coronavirus concerns. The Greensburg facility is asking anyone who has a party scheduled there over the next few weeks to get in touch to either reschedule the date or cancel it, according to a Facebook...
Businesses cut customer perks, loosen sick time rules to cope with coronavirus
Some businesses are taking extra precautions amid concerns about coronavirus. There’s the obvious — encouraging employees to stay home if they’re sick and increasing the cleaning of surfaces. But some are going steps beyond in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, which has been classified as a...
2 Allegheny County men arrested in Jeannette shooting
A Pittsburgh man is being held without bond after Jeannette police said he shot another man Wednesday. Ronald Lee Johnson, 64, of Perry South, is accused of firing the shot in the area of Wood and North First streets in Jeannette at 4:45 p.m, according to court papers. He is...
Sage’s Army welcomes those in need to its new Hempfield location; open house set
Editor’s note: Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Sage’s army announced that the open house has been postponed. Megan Riley first came into contact with Carmen Capozzi in August 2016. He was the catalyst that helped her find sobriety. Now, he’s her boss at her first job as a certified recovery...
Small fire extinguished at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital
A small fire was extinguished Wednesday afternoon at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. Fire Chief Tom Bell said a 2-foot-by-2-foot section of insulation caught fire while a crew was using a heating device to install a rubber roof on part of the hospital. That sent smoke into an area...
Celine Dion postpones Pittsburgh show because of cold
Singer Celine Dion postponed her Friday show in Pittsburgh to November after a doctor diagnosed her with a common cold, according to a statement. The Courage World Tour stop, originally set for Friday, will instead be held Nov. 18 at PPG Paints Arena. Dion also rescheduled her Wednesday date in...
Westmoreland prison stepping up actions to prevent coronavirus
Would-be visitors to the Westmoreland County Prison are being asked to stay home if they’re not feeling well amid concerns of the spread of coronavirus, according to Warden John Walton. Anyone trying to visit an inmate at the Hempfield jail who is coughing or sneezing in the lobby will be...
1 freed after 2-vehicle crash in Murrysville
One person was freed Tuesday morning from the wreckage of a two-vehicle crash on Route 380 in Murrysville, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. Traffic was affected on the highway near Greensburg Road after the 7:48 a.m. crash. The two vehicles were traveling in opposite directions, a dispatcher said. Firefighters...
Amphitheater construction in Jeannette nearing completion
An amphitheater under construction in Jeannette is nearing completion. Mandy Zalich, director of Westmoreland Community Action, said the project should be done in the next couple of months. The amphitheater will be managed by Jeannette officials. “Hopefully, it’ll be a way for the city to generate funds to support” the...
For the love of mic: Frankie Day celebrates 15 years on the air
Frank Dittig’s two careers have just one thing in common — they’ve both been jobs he has loved. And that’s where the similarities end. Dittig, 79, owned an office supply store in North Versailles for decades before commanding the mic at radio station WKFB-AM, playing oldies tunes for listening ears....
PennDOT looks to streamline traffic flow on Route 30
If you’ve ever waited for a green light on Route 30 in Hempfield, only to stop a few hundred feet later at another red light, you’re not alone. PennDOT is planning to change that. The familiar start-and-stop could become a thing of the past as the agency is planning an...
