Renatta Signorini stories, Page 139
Crews repair massive sinkhole near Route 30 at Hempfield/Greensburg borderVideo
Crews worked Tuesday to fill a sinkhole encroaching on Route 30 at the border of Greensburg and Hempfield as more rain moved toward the area. Fencing and orange cones blocked off the gigantic hole on a hillside along the highway next to Towne Square and Greensburg Commerce Park, which houses...
MAWC warns of low water pressure during upgrade in Herminie area
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers in the Herminie area may experience low water pressure Wednesday while crews perform a system upgrade. The work will start at 8 a.m. and could last for six to eight hours, the authority said in a post on its Facebook page. A water buffalo...
Thousands of Westmoreland case files to be digitized
Thousands of decades-old criminal case files at the Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts office soon will be available electronically. County commissioners this month approved a proposal from Ford Business Machines Inc. to scan and index 6,000 files by Aug. 31. Clerk Bryan Kline expects that to equal about 360,000 images...
6 rescued after raft goes over falls at Ohiopyle State Park
Six people are lucky to be alive after their raft went over the falls at Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County over the weekend. Park manager Ken Bisbee said the six, who are from the Pittsburgh and Monroeville areas, had bruises and scrapes after being rescued from a swollen Youghiogheny...
Crash on Interstate 70 cleared
A two-vehicle crash on Interstate 70 that caused backups eastbound was cleared by 9 a.m. A Westmoreland 911 dispatcher said one person had a minor injury in the 7:33 a.m. crash in South Huntingdon Township. The crash happened in a work zone between the West Newton and Yukon exits....
Uniontown man wanted in East Huntingdon girl’s death arrested in Ohio
A Uniontown man wanted in the killing of an 11-month-old girl in East Huntingdon Saturday has been arrested in Ohio, according to state police. Derrick “Hector” A. Bass, 29, was arrested Monday afternoon in Cleveland without incident, Trooper Steve Limani said. Bass is charged with homicide and related offenses in...
Troopers looking for possible Salem Township tanning salon theft victims
State police are looking for potential victims of a former Salem Township tanning salon worker who they said stole money from customers. Three customers reported the 21-year-old Greensburg woman took money from them at Tropical Sunsations, according to troopers. Police said the suspect entered rooms while customers were tanning between...
Former North Huntingdon doctor pleads guilty in 2 patient overdose deaths
A former North Huntingdon doctor pleaded guilty Friday in connection with the 2016 drug overdose deaths of two patients. Michel Toret, 73, of Jeannette, entered a general plea to two counts of drug delivery resulting in death and two related charges, all felonies. Prosecutors did not make a sentencing recommendation....
Western Pa. residents grow weary of rain, flood cleanups
Thursday’s torrential rains may have been the final straw for Janet Seman. After six floods since moving to her North Huntingdon Township home in 2004, Seman doesn’t know if she can clean mud out of her basement one more time. “I have sump pumps, I have what I’m supposed to...
Flooding recedes in Westmoreland Co.; roads reopened
Flood waters have receded in Westmoreland County after a day of storms that pushed the Pittsburgh area ahead of 2018’s record-setting precipitation. Roads that were closed by flooding Thursday had reopened by Friday morning, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. A section of Guffey Road in the southwestern part of...
Appeal hearing continued for former chief deputy sheriff Patricia Fritz
A Westmoreland County deputy sheriff testified Thursday that he felt intimidated when he said then-chief deputy Patricia Fritz started screaming at him during a conversation last year about union-related issues. Cpl. Steven Felder, union president, said he was trying to leave the conversation and go to the county’s human resources...
Westmoreland commissioners OK emergency repairs to courthouse parking lot
An emergency contract for repair work at the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Thursday got a formal OK from the county commissioners. The board approved the nearly $70,000 contract with Maccabee Industrial, Inc. of Belle Vernon for labor, materials and equipment needed to fix damage in the underground parking area of...
Westmoreland commissioners approve settlement with woman injured at jail
The Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday approved a $7,500 settlement payment related to a complaint about an injury at the county jail. The board unanimously approved the payment as part of a settlement agreement with Christine Shellhammer, who reported being injured Sept. 15 while visiting an inmate at the jail....
Police: Penn Township woman failed to report suspected child sexual abuse
A Penn Township woman is accused of failing to report suspected child abuse involving a family member in May while she was considered a mandated reporter, according to court papers. Barbara Lynn Desmond, 55, was charged Tuesday by Greensburg police with failure to report. Police said Desmond was notified of...
Woman struck, killed by truck in LigonierVideo
A 54-year-old woman was killed when she was hit and trapped underneath a FedEx truck in Ligonier on Wednesday morning, despite attempts from bystanders to free her, Ligonier Valley police Chief John Berger said. It appears to be an “unfortunate accident,” Berger said, adding that the driver of the truck...
Former Clairton man gets 9 years for distributing fentanyl
A former Clairton man was sentenced to nine years in a federal prison Tuesday for distributing fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said in an announcement. Elliot Page, 38, was ordered to spend 10 years on supervised release after the prison term on his conviction of conspiring to distribute narcotics...
PennDOT plans job fairs in 3 counties
Winter employment opportunities with PennDOT will be the subject of three job fairs this month in District 12, which covers Westmoreland County. Prospective employees can visit 144 Donohoe Road in Hempfield, near Westmoreland Mall, from noon to 8 p.m. July 18. Agency employees will talk about job openings during the...
Police: Record fentanyl bust on Pa. Turnpike saved countless lives
Investigators believe Monday’s fentanyl bust on the Pennsylvania Turnpike is the latest operation in a network connected to the Dominican Republic that is funneling drugs into Southwestern Pennsylvania. “We feel strongly that it is a part of the same group,” Trooper Stephen Limani said. Two New York City men remained...
Police: N.Y. woman tried to use fraudulent ID to buy iPhones in Hempfield
A New York woman is behind bars after state police said she tried to use a fraudulent driver’s license and credit card Monday to purchase two iPhones at a Hempfield store. Raquel M. Martinez, 27, of New York City is charged with access device fraud, identity theft and related offenses....
W.Pa. soccer leaders support U.S. women’s team in pay disparity fight
The winners of the Women’s World Cup not only are inspiring Western Pennsylvania soccer players with their footwork, but they’re also showing players on boys and girls teams that it’s important to stand up for yourself. The United States Women’s National Team’s win in France on Sunday was met with...
Police: Derry Township man tried to hit man with his car
A Derry Township man was arraigned Monday after police said he tried to hit another man with his car. Robert John Kuszajewski, 27, is charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and related offenses. Police were called to South Summit Street in Derry Township at 10 p.m. Wednesday when...
New Planet Fitness set for grand opening in East Huntingdon
The new Planet Fitness off Route 119 in East Huntingdon will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony noon Wednesday The 10,000-square-foot fitness center in Crossroads Plaza features cardio and strength equipment, locker rooms with include showers and massage chairs, tanning beds and other amenitie The center is celebrating its grand opening by...
Artisans at Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival enjoy sharing their creations
Deb Andrison finds peace amid small strips of paper and glue on the sun porch at her North Huntingdon home. She turns tiny shreds of paper into beautiful art — a group of zebras at a watering hole, a carousel, a wide-eyed owl — and then stores her quilling masterpieces...
Farmers market opens at Westmoreland Mall
Fresh produce will be for sale outside of Westmoreland Mall through Sept. 30. Duda’s Farm Stand added a new location this week at the former Sears parking lot in Hempfield. Sears closed in March. The Duda family farm based near Brownsville has 10 fruit and vegetable stands in several counties....
New York man sentenced for cocaine possession in North Huntingdon traffic stop
A New York man pleaded guilty Wednesday to having cocaine hidden inside a car that police pulled over in North Huntingdon in February. Fernando A. Rivera-Saldivar, 24, of Bronx, was sentenced to six to 23 months in the Westmoreland County Prison, where he has been held since his arrest on...
