Renatta Signorini stories, Page 33
Jeannette man charged in hatchet attack; wounded man requires emergency surgery
A man was hospitalized Sunday after a hatchet attack in Hempfield, state police said. Kyle Joseph Bair, 32, of Jeannette is behind bars in connection with the assault troopers said left the injured man with a serious wound that required emergency surgery. “It appears that it was very graphic and...
Morning Roundup: Bad air quality day; crash in North Braddock; boat rescue
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, July 8: Poor air quality The state Department of Environmental Protection said air quality would be poor in the Pittsburgh region Monday as high temperatures are expected to be about 10 degrees higher than average. Temperatures above 90...
Police: Fayette City man was driving 118 mph before fatal I-70 crash in Rostraver
A Fayette City man was driving more than twice the speed limit on Interstate 70 in Rostraver when he caused a crash that killed another motorist, according to court papers. State police said Jacob M. Posey, 23, was driving 118 mph when his Ram 2500 pickup slammed into a Toyota...
Defense attorney questions assault charge in Murrysville drug case that sickened trooper
Defense attorney Kenneth Haber said he plans to challenge an aggravated assault charge against his client that stems from a state trooper reportedly receiving Narcan while investigating a drug case. “I’m confident that charge is not really applicable here,” he said. Haber is representing Robert M. Whitley Jr., 25, who...
‘It’s no way to live,’ judge tells Jeannette man during sentencing for drug convictions
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday implored a Jeannette man convicted in a drug case to use a state prison sentence as a way to turn his life around. “You don’t have to live this way. This can be the last time,” Judge Timothy Krieger said. “It’s the last time...
Joanne Mertz, founding force behind Greensburg-area disaster unit and Mutual Aid EMS, dies at 93
When Joanne Mertz planned disaster drills for Greensburg firefighters, she didn’t have to look far for help to play victims. “Us as kids, we would be the patients,” said her daughter Sandy Young. Young and her siblings would run around and act hysterical, at their mother’s request, to help the...
Pair of Army nonagenarians honored to serve as parade marshals for Latrobe’s July 4 bash
Celebrating the nation’s birthday in Latrobe started long before the Fourth of July parade stepped off Thursday. Chairs were set up along Ligonier Street hours in advance. Crowds decked out in red, white and blue started gathering on the hot and humid morning, one child asking his father how long...
18-year-old man dies when tree falls on him in North Huntingdon
An 18-year-old man was killed Thursday when a tree fell on him in North Huntingdon, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. The incident occurred about 11:30 a.m. on Winchester Road, near the Trafford Sportsman’s Club. According to a statement from North Huntingdon police Chief Robert Rizzo, the man and...
Pittsburgh Police investigate a shooting incident involving a 5-year-old girl in Mt. Washington
A 5-year-old girl escaped injury late Wednesday when the vehicle in which she was a backseat passenger was hit with bullets during a shooting in Mt. Washington, according to Pittsburgh Police. The driver was taken to a hospital in stable condition for treatment of a gunshot wound to the back....
Derry Borough man receives 2 years’ probation for threats, ethnic intimidation at Latrobe bar
A Derry Borough man who authorities said pointed a gun at two men and directed a racial slur at them told a Westmoreland County judge Wednesday that he made a great mistake. “It’s been quite a burden on my soul,” said Charles Noel, 68. Noel will spend two years on...
Bail for Ligonier Township man who was focus of April police standoff set at $150,000
A Westmoreland County judge on Wednesday set bail at $150,000 for a Ligonier Township man who has been behind bars in connection with a domestic dispute and hourslong police standoff in April. Thomas U. Crary, 47, had been held without bail since his arrest. In seeking bail to be set,...
‘I think … we’re through the surprises,’ overseer of Westmoreland Register of Wills Office says
Work evaluating stacks of files reportedly found in the former chief deputy’s office at the embattled Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office continues while an office retiree is back on the job to help train staff members. Attorney Jim Antoniono, who has been appointed conservator to oversee the office, said...
Connellsville man accused in road rage incident in South Greensburg
WPA 7/2A Connellsville man is accused of causing $2,680 in damage to another motorist’s vehicle during a road rage incident last month in South Greensburg. Borough police said Michael James Gravely, 36, directed racial slurs at the other driver while both were stopped at a red light on Route 119...
Teen sentenced up to 25 years in prison for shooting death of Monessen classmate
A month ago, Bethany Altomore accepted her son’s high school diploma. His cap and gown were draped over an empty chair at Monessen High School’s Class of 2024 graduation, a memorial of sorts for Amari Altomore, who was killed in 2022. “Then we had to go to the cemetery to...
Mt. Pleasant Township woman accused of shooting truck pleads guilty to lesser charges
An attempted homicide charge against a Mt. Pleasant Township woman accused of shooting her estranged husband’s pickup truck while he stood nearby was dropped Friday in exchange for her guilty plea on lesser charges. Fauna J. McDowell, 35, was sentenced to nine to 23 months in the Westmoreland County Prison...
Murrysville house cleaner has paid $7K, promises to pay more and plead guilty in jewelry thefts
A Murrysville woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars in expensive jewelry from homes where she worked as a cleaner plans to plead guilty in four cases, according to her attorney. But first, Holly L. Simpson has started paying off some of the restitution her attorney anticipates she will owe....
Despite pleas from mother, Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of stabbing mom will remain in jail on $500K bail
Judge Scott Mears decided Friday against lowering the bond for a Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of stabbing his mother, calling it one of the saddest cases he’s handled while sitting on the bench. It’s at least the second time in three months defense attorneys have asked in court that...
Unclaimed cremains buried in Potter’s Field near Westmoreland prison
No one at a memorial service Thursday in Hempfield knew the people they were honoring. The 54 names read aloud were unfamiliar to them, though still worthy of being treated with dignity and respect as they found their final resting place. “These individuals, though they may be strangers to us,...
Irwin man accused of teen’s rape told police he had ‘conscious blackouts’
An Irwin man is behind bars without bail in connection with the reported sexual assault of a teen girl. Jason Cush, 43, is charged with rape and related offenses. Westmoreland County detectives said in court papers that the girl reported being sexually assaulted by Cush for about two years. She...
Unity man accused of operating chop shop
A stolen motor that police say was sold to a driver in need of a car repair landed a Unity man in trouble with the law. Windell S. Carroll, 46, is accused of charging the driver $3,000 for the motor that ended up not working. He was arraigned Tuesday on...
Police: Western Pa. check-cashing scheme netted nearly $118K
Four North Carolina men are accused of involvement in a fraudulent check-cashing scheme that netted $117,600 from 9 banks in the region, including seven in Westmoreland County. State police said the group was not successful in attempts to cash an additional $130,700 worth of checks, according to court papers. Jaylon...
Murrysville man with 3 previous DUIs charged in fatal accident on Route 22
A man arrested Tuesday in connection with a fatal Murrysville crash had nine shots of liquor and six beers at a local club before he got behind the wheel, according to court papers. Darren S. Hamm, 60, of Murrysville is accused of driving through a red light and crashing his...
Contract awarded for Fort Pitt Brewery site demolition in Jeannette
Demolition of the old Fort Pitt Brewery in West Jeannette is imminent. Westmoreland County officials plan to meet with the contractor Wednesday to determine a start date, said Brian Lawrence, director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank. The contract was awarded Tuesday by the redevelopment authority board...
Grandmother carjacked at Hempfield Burlington store; suspect arrested in Millvale
A woman was able to grab her 4-year-old granddaughter from the backseat of her Jeep Compass Sunday afternoon as a carjacker drove off with it outside a Hempfield clothing store, according to state police. Paulino M. Romero, 39, is accused of wresting the woman’s key from her purse at 1...
Directors nix proposed sale of former Jeannette school site, seek development of property
A tentative plan to sell long-vacant property in Jeannette to the Westmoreland County Housing Authority has been nixed. Jeannette City School District directors this month voted against the sale that tentatively called for the housing authority to pay $28,000 for the land. Superintendent Matt Jones said the property remains for...
