Renatta Signorini stories, Page 151
Westmoreland firefighters to distribute 9-volt batteries to communities
About 50 Westmoreland County fire departments will give out 9-volt batteries to households as part of a grant from Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling. The organization got 18,480 batteries through a 2018 Duracell/Keep America Beautiful grant. The departments will each get a case of batteries to distribute around daylight savings time...
South Connellsville sex offender accused of sexual interaction with boys, 14 and 17
A registered sex offender from South Connellsville is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old boy and sending a 14-year-old boy nude photographs, according to police. Crystal Shannon Shroyer, 36, is being held in the Fayette County Prison on $25,000 bail. She was arrested Friday on charges of statutory sexual...
Police: 3 charged in robbery plot sought to raise money
An apparent plot to raise money by robbing drug dealers led to the recent arrests of two men in connection with a November shooting in Sutersville that left two injured, according to court documents. Curtis Thomas Everett, 26, of Glassport, and Chad William Wolfe, 34, listed as homeless, are being...
Weather station in Sewickley Township to help municipal crews, residents
A weather station installed in Sewickley Township will help municipal and emergency management crews make quick location-specific decisions. “During the (weather) event itself, I would be heavily accessing that data,” said Jason Ritchie, a deputy director of the township’s emergency management agency. It’s a tool residents can use, too, to...
Police: 3 dogs abandoned at Latrobe home after owners move out
Three dogs were rescued last week after apparently being abandoned in a Latrobe home that had been vacant for several weeks, according to police. A neighbor who heard the animals barking inside reported the situation to police Wednesday. Sgt. Joe Angus said officers found feces and urine throughout the Loyalhanna...
Police: Parts stolen from new quad at Unity dealership
State police are looking for information about who stole parts from a new quad at a Unity dealership. Troopers said someone broke into Hillview Motorsports overnight between Wednesday and Thursday and took numerous parts off of a new Suzuki quad, according to a news release. Two tools were left behind...
Westmoreland court offices closed for President’s Day
Westmoreland County court offices will be closed today for President’s Day. The closure includes district courts, the courthouse and other county offices. They will reopen Tuesday....
Women’s club: Westmoreland County Prison has become home to more female inmates
Editor’s note: Renatta Signorini participated as a 2018 jails and justice reporting fellow through a program by the John Jay Center on Media, Crime and Justice in New York City. The fellowship program supported journalists in examining issues related to jails in small towns and rural communities. Signorini’s work will...
Westmoreland ax throwers sharpen skill for national tourney
Paul Wedge has been practicing morning, afternoon and evening for the national ax-throwing championships. The Westmoreland City man remembers how tough the competition was last year when he first qualified through Valhalla Indoor Axe Throwing in Hempfield. “This year, I’m a lot more mentally prepared and I know what to...
Police: Worker failed to deposit $10,000 from Donegal McDonald’s
State police on Friday arrested a Cambria County woman on accusations she took $10,844 from a Westmoreland County McDonald’s restaurant where she worked, according to court papers. Cheryl Anne Dahmen, 33, is charged with two counts of theft. Troopers said the Donegal Township restaurant owner reported Jan. 24 that three...
Summer food truck events planned in Jeannette
The 500 block of Clay Avenue in Jeannette is going to see some action this summer. Construction of an amphitheater was approved by city council Thursday as were plans for a biweekly food truck event, both of which are in the same block where a microbrewery is relocating. “We’re really...
Turnpike to close between Irwin and Pittsburgh for bridge removal
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for about five hours early Sunday between the Pittsburgh and Irwin interchanges as crews remove a bridge. The closure is planned from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m., depending on the weather. Crews have been working to replace the bridge that previously carried Trafford-Murrysville Road...
Police: 13 more victims say Derry Township constable took money for fake warrants, sponsorships
Thirteen more victims have reported that a Derry Township constable took nearly $8,000 from them last year after he claimed some had warrants for their arrest, according to court papers. A few victims told county detectives they believed they were sponsoring Brian William McDowell, 35, in a shooting competition that...
Police: Hempfield Area student threatened to ‘shoot up’ high school
A Grapeville man is accused of threatening to “shoot up” Hempfield Area High School last month, according to court papers. Evan Daniel Kinzey, 18, is charged with misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, possession of a weapon on school property, disorderly conduct and related offenses. Troopers were called to the school...
Baldwin road closed for landslide
A Baldwin road was closed Tuesday after a landslide made it impassable, according to the Allegheny County Department of Public Works. Prospect Road is closed between Beryl Drive and Streets Run Road. Crews were clearing debris from the road and anticipate to reopen one lane later in the week after...
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty in federal court to 3 gun and drug incidents
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty in federal court this week to three incidents where it was alleged he illegally had possession of guns and drugs. Federal investigators said in a news release that Chance Rice, 26, a convicted felon, had possession of a gun that was fired during a September...
Greensburg man accused of sexually abusing girl
A Greensburg man is accused of sexually abusing a girl when she was 8 and 15 years old, according to court papers. Charles Samuel Battistoni, 60, is charged with numerous sex assault-related offenses including rape. He is free on $5,000 unsecured bail. State police allege the sexual abuse occurred in...
Western Pennsylvania precipitation on pace with wettest-year ever so far in 2019
Residents of Western Pennsylvania might want to invest in some rain gear, or maybe an ark. After surviving the wettest year on record in 2018, the region is on pace to match that through the first 42 days of 2019. Through Feb. 11, 2018, the Pittsburgh area saw 5.62 inches...
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to counterfeit check scam
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to defrauding Pittsburgh-area banks, according to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady. Deshaun A. McGeorge, 27, is scheduled for sentencing on June 18. McGeorge and two others were indicted by a federal grand jury for the conspiracy that occurred between February and...
1 hurt when wires fall after Hempfield vehicle crash
One person was hurt Monday morning after a crash on Penn Adamsburg Road in Hempfield, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The person was taken by ambulance to an area hospital after live wires came down on the vehicle just before 8 a.m. Nearby resident Paul Berginc said he noticed...
Country musician Luke Bryan announces June tour date at KeyBank PavilionVideo
Country music artist Luke Bryan will visit the Pittsburgh area on June 7, according to a concert announcement Monday. The musician will make a stop at KeyBank Pavilion near Burgettstown for a performance on his Sunset Repeat Tour. The tour will begin May 31 in Philadelphia and end in October...
Pittsburgh-area school districts ranked best in Pennsylvania by Niche website
Several area school districts are included in a Pittsburgh-based research website’s list of top schools in Pennsylvania. Researchers at Niche examined academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as reviews and other information gathered from users to compile the 2019 Best School Districts rankings....
Police: Pleasant Unity woman took $32K from father’s estate
A Pleasant Unity woman is accused of taking $32,000 from her father’s estate that was to be split with her two siblings, according to county detectives. Kim Ellen Shilobod, 62, was charged Thursday with theft and misapplication of entrusted property. Detectives said Shilobod was named executrix of her father’s estate...
10th Street Bypass closed with flooding expected
The 10th Street Bypass was closed Friday as PennDOT anticipated flooding. Authorities closed the bypass between the Parkway North and Fort Duquesne Boulevard after heavy rains hit the area Thursday and overnight, according to PennDOT. In addition, they also closed both ramps from the Parkway North to the 10th Street...
Police: Jeannette woman’s Florida trip ruined when man steals her ID, $7,000
A Jeannette man ruined his girlfriend’s roommate’s trip to Florida last month after he allegedly stole her purse, which contained her driver’s license and $7,000, according to police. Paul Michael Fogle, 33, was arrested Friday and jailed on $10,000 bail. Police said the victim had her bags packed for a...
