Renatta Signorini stories, Page 19
Cause of 2024 Jeannette fire that killed 5 cannot be determined, investigators say
The cause of a fire last year in Jeannette that claimed five lives has been ruled undetermined, police Chief Derek Manley said Friday. A state police fire marshal has spent the past year sifting through evidence from the March 20, 2024, blaze on Guy Street. Family members and friends gathered...
69-year-old man found dead, 40 cats rescued from Ligonier Township home
A 69-year-old man was found dead and about 40 cats were rescued from a home in Ligonier Township. The man, who was not identified, was found dead after police were asked to do a welfare check Monday evening, according to Coroner Tim Carson. The death is not considered suspicious. Jen...
Remains found in North Carolina linked to former Westmoreland resident
Remains found in North Carolina in 2022 have been linked to a woman who has ties to Westmoreland County. Sharon Johnston told the Anson Record last week that officials in Anson County said DNA results indicate the remains of an unidentified woman belong to her daughter, Amber Rae Johnston. Anson...
Schedule set for demolition of Homer City power plant towers
Preparations are underway for the expected demolition Saturday morning of the stacks and towers at the former Homer City Generating Station. The operation will be weather dependent. It could be delayed for hours or days if weather conditions including wind speed and barometric pressure are not favorable. The old coal-fired...
Memorial observance honors 5 victims of Jeannette house fire 1 year ago
Miranda John has found ways to honor the memories of her four children and fiancee over the past year. There have been balloon releases on each of their birthdays. She has donated baskets of items to Westmoreland Hospital for newborns who share the birthdays of Kyson, 7; Kinzleigh, 6; Keagan,...
Driver who crashed into trooper’s car may have been drinking, police say
State police believe a 78-year-old Mt. Pleasant man was impaired by alcohol when he crashed into a trooper’s patrol car parked along the berm during a traffic stop on Route 119 in Fayette County. The trooperhad pulled over a Chevrolet Trax over March 8 at 7:40 p.m. for traffic violations...
Woman shot in wrist outside Monessen private club
A 23-year-old woman was shot in the wrist outside a private club Thursday in Monessen, according to authorities. City police and Westmoreland County detectives are investigating the shooting that was reported at 1:30 a.m. on Knox Avenue. The woman was taken to Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital and flown by...
Grapeville latest station to come under wing of Hempfield fire department
Grapeville Volunteer Fire Company is ready to take the plunge. Hempfield supervisors are set to vote Monday on a declaration of intent with the fire station. If approved, it will start a process for the station to become “nonchartered” that will end with Grapeville’s finances being managed and paid by...
2 arrested after coordinated purchase of crystal meth in North Huntingdon
Two people were arrested this week on North Huntingdon police accusations that they sold a quarter pound of crystal methamphetamine to an undercover officer. Township police worked with the Westmoreland County drug task force and the state Attorney General’s office to coordinate a drug buy Monday around 7:30 p.m. from...
Acme residents describe scene as tornado tore through their community; twister traveled nearly 8 miles
Malinda Urbanic was sitting down to lunch Sunday with her family at home in Acme when they saw debris blowing around in a nearby field. “And I mean it was huge stuff,” she said. The windows on their enclosed front porch shattered. The utility poles in their front yard snapped....
Flood control project proposed for Northmont neighborhood of Greensburg
Greensburg is seeking easements on 22 properties to alleviate flooding that has been ongoing for decades in the Northmont section of the city. Letters were sent Feb. 28 to property owners who would be affected by a proposed flood control project along an unnamed stream that runs parallel to Glenview...
Police say Adamsburg man made calls from prison in attempt intimidate witness
An Adamsburg man accused of involvement in a drive-by shooting this month was charged Friday on state police accusations that he made repeated phone calls from the Westmoreland County Prison, asking a witness not to attend to his preliminary hearing, according to court papers. Troopers also said Nino S. Manno,...
Missing 63-year-old New Derry man found deceased
A New Derry man reported missing last month was found dead Friday, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. A search and rescue team found John J. Dofollo, 63, just before 11:30 a.m. in a Conemaugh River tributary in Derry Township. Carson said Dofollo’s death is not suspicious. His cause...
Man held for court on charges in connection with Mt. Pleasant area chase
Attempted homicide and related charges were held for further prosecution Friday in connection with a Mt. Pleasant Township chase among three men during which four shots were reportedly fired. Tony Snyder testified that he was working on a car in the driveway of a Bridgeport Street home at 11 a.m....
Greensburg man jailed, accused of harassing high school students at bus stop
A Greensburg man is behind bars after city police said he directed a racial slur at a student who was standing at a school bus stop Thursday morning, according to court papers. Witnesses told investigators Troy Michael Konieczny, 44, wielded a fire poker that had three knives attached to the...
Greensburg offers smartphone notification system for residents
Greensburg is getting on board with a new way to keep its residents informed. Council this week approved working with Savvy Citizen, a comprehensive mass notification system. Once it is in place, residents can sign up to receive notifications from the city. Administrator Kelsye Milliron said there likely will be...
2 face multiple charges after alleged break-in at Hempfield home, credit card fraud
A Unity man whose probation has been revoked for a 2022 hit-and-run was arraigned Thursday on state police accusations that he broke into a Hempfield home and stole credit cards and guns. Troopers said Bobby Paul Bryer, 33, offered tree trimming services to residents on Northumberland Drive in June. One...
Demolition of former state prison in Hempfield draws interest from 22 contractors
Twenty-two contractors want a piece of the SCI Greensburg prison demolition. Bids for the project were opened Wednesday afternoon and revealed a wide range of price estimates to remove hazardous material from the empty buildings and tear them down. With a $2 million state grant in hand to pay for...
Police detail events leading up to woman’s shooting death in Rostraver
Robert S. Chaplin was standing in the yard, flailing his arms and yelling, when police arrived at his Rostraver home for a reported shooting Feb. 5, according to township police Officer Brian Dove. Dove testified Tuesday that a distraught child shouted to arriving officers, “Mum’s in the basement.” That’s where...
Purchase of 26 new golf carts for Mt. Odin approved by Greensburg City Council
Greensburg will buy 26 new golf carts for Mt. Odin Golf Course from a New York-based vendor. City council on Monday unanimously approved the $166,400 bid from Nutall Golf Courses. The new golf carts will replace some from the 1990s at Mt. Odin off Tollgate Hill Road. Two bids were...
National park sites will address effort to bring down deer population, ease strain on forest land
An overpopulation of white-tailed deer in Southwestern Pennsylvania’s three national parks has had a detrimental effect on vegetation there, officials said. They are hoping to enact a deer management plan that would involve culling part of the herd in an effort to allow native vegetation in forests and elsewhere around...
Greensburg eyeing 26 new golf carts for Mt. Odin course
Greensburg is looking to add some new golf carts to its Mt. Odin Golf Course fleet. City council is set to vote Monday on financing for the $170,000 needed to buy 26 golf carts that will replace aging ones. “We have some that are from the 1990s,” Mayor Robb Bell...
Flight 93 memorial supporters step up fundraising as potential for job cuts looms
The Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial is ramping up fundraising efforts and volunteer recruitment in light of job cuts in the National Park Service around the country. While it’s unclear if any of the national parks in Western Pennsylvania have been affected by the cuts, Donna Gibson, executive director...
Forum will include updates on control of Hempfield fire stations
A forum for firefighters Saturday will provide updates on the progress of fire stations in Hempfield coming under the township’s control, as well as what officials see as successes over the past year as they prepare for the future. The forum is planned for 9 a.m. at the Hempfield municipal...
Impaired driving campaign begins in advance of St. Patrick’s Day
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, authorities are reminding drivers to not get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking. They also are reminding motorists to be aware of how prescription medication, which includes medical marijuana, can interact with alcohol. “More than half of our DUI arrests now are...
