Renatta Signorini stories, Page 45
3 accused in shooting death of St. Clair woman waive right to hearing
A defense attorney said Friday he believes one of the three suspects accused in the death of a St. Clair Township woman may have taken advantage of the others. Formal arraignments are set for next month for the trio: Melissa S. Fox-Beacom, 49, of New Florence; Robert Patrick Jack, 18,...
Ligonier Township woman accused of keeping rental payments
A Ligonier Township woman is accused by police of keeping $5,800 in rental proceeds for two properties she managed after the owner requested the funds, according to court papers. Kylie R. Ezykowsky, 27, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of theft and receiving stolen property. She’s free on $15,000 unsecured bail....
Pittsburgh SWAT team nabs fugitive wanted in 3 armed robberies
A man wanted in connection with three armed robberies around the region — including one in Unity in which a man was stabbed — was arrested Thursday in Pittsburgh with a cache of drugs, guns and cash, according to authorities. Authorities from Pittsburgh police SWAT and the fugitive apprehension unit,...
Caregiver for Greensburg man accused of $5K theft
A Latrobe woman who has a history of theft charges is accused of taking $5,000 from a Greensburg man for whom she was providing care, according to police. Britnee M. Silvis, 35, was charged this week with access device fraud, theft and receiving stolen property. Greensburg police said the man...
2 North Huntingdon men charged with child pornography
Two North Huntingdon men were arrested Wednesday in separate, unrelated child pornography investigations conducted by state police and the state attorney general’s office. In both instances, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off investigators, according to court papers. The first tip came in July 2022 after Microsoft...
Former Bullskin pain clinic physician accused of improper preparation of medication
A physician who operated a pain clinic near the Fayette-Westmoreland border has been indicted on accusations that he sold and administered injections to patients that were prepared in unsanitary conditions at his Monroeville home, according to court papers. John I. Park, 67, is charged with adulteration of a drug shipped...
West Deer man accused of recording secret videos of nude girl
A West Deer man was arrested Tuesday after, police said, he secretly video recorded a girl nude in Derry Borough, according to court papers. Coby C. Jones, 51, is facing charges of child pornography, invasion of privacy and sexual abuse of children filed by Westmoreland County detectives. Jones is formerly...
North Strabane man to plead guilty to fatally shooting bald eagle
A North Strabane man has agreed to plead guilty to fatally shooting a bald eagle last year in Washington County, court records show. As part of the plea deal, attorneys said Rodney Thomas, 51, will forfeit an air rifle and suppressor and pay $9,800 in restitution to the Pennsylvania Wildlife...
Lawyer for Chinese national seeks return of $20,000 seized by Westmoreland County district attorney’s office
The son of a Chinese national who attacked a man in Greensburg with a meat cleaver is asking that $20,000 seized by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office be returned. The situation apparently was the result of a misunderstanding and language barrier, attorney Mike Worgul wrote in a petition filed...
Parks Township woman sentenced for aggravated assault by vehicle in April crash
A woman who state police said was impaired during a Salem crash that left a motorcyclist seriously injured was sentenced Monday to one to two years in a state prison. Jammie Lynn Koslof, 44, of Parks Township, Armstrong County, was ordered to spend three years on probation after the prison...
Coroner identifies Indiana County fire victims
Two people who were killed in an Indiana County house fire over the weekend have been identified. Merle Robinson, 81, and Janet Bloom, 75, died from inhalation of combustible products, according to county Coroner Jerry Overman. State police said firefighters were called to Fox Road in East Wheatfield, east of...
Indiana County man sentenced to jail for trying to meet for sex with teen girl in Arnold
An Indiana County man was sentenced to two to four years in a state prison Monday for attempting to meet for sex in Arnold with someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl. James Carter Sears, 47, of White Township was ordered to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law....
Jeannette’s Clay Avenue ripe for redevelopment as city ups code enforcement
The contrasts are stark on Clay Avenue in Jeannette. Thriving businesses and eateries between the 200 and 600 blocks of the town’s business district are interspersed among abandoned or vacant buildings, many of which are ripe for redevelopment. “Those places have been there through the good and the bad …...
Man who fled Jeannette traffic stop arraigned on multiple charges
A man who successfully eluded police and search dogs after escaping from an October traffic stop in Jeannette was arraigned Monday. Lance W. Frederick, 32, of Chester, just outside Philadelphia, was denied bail on charges of fleeing from police, unlawful possession of a firearm, drug possession and related offenses. It...
Greensburg man sentenced for inappropriate contact with girl
A Greensburg man was sentenced Thursday to seven years on probation in connection with inappropriate contact with a girl. Tracy Higdon, 50, pleaded no contest child endangerment. Other charges, including aggravated indecent assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, were dismissed. Higdon was arrested in March 2021 after...
Unity man sentenced to state prison for drug, gun possession
A Unity man was sentenced Thursday to five to 10 years in a state prison for having drugs and a gun at the Hostetter Hotel. Jerome W. Thorton II, 33, pleaded guilty to prohibited possession of a firearm and possession with intent to deliver. He was ordered to pay $3,000...
Judge demands that Allegheny Health Network turn over records related to Jeannette killing
A Westmoreland County judge is demanding that Allegheny Health Network hand over medical records for a man who was killed in September 2022 in Jeannette. Judge Timothy Krieger on Friday issued a rule to show cause for why the records custodian at the health system should not be held in...
Aspiring Educators program draws interest of high schoolers looking to become teachers
A dozen Westmoreland County high school students are getting a head start on becoming educators as the state looks for ways to contend with a teacher shortage. Adi Belanger has been interested in pursuing teaching as a career, so the Central Westmoreland Career & Technology Center’s new Aspiring Educators program...
Westmoreland County workers reject contract offer, intend to strike
After months of failed contract negotiations, members of a union representing more than 500 Westmoreland County employees plan to notify the county Monday of their intent to go on strike in 10 days. Union members rejected the county’s latest proposal on Thursday, according to a news release from Service Employees...
Saint Vincent College introduces new aviation degree
A new major at Saint Vincent College will propel students to careers in aviation and help them earn a license to become a pilot. The unique partnership behind the offering has been in the works for about a year, said officials from the Unity college, Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, Community...
Hempfield man accused in stabbing incident at off-campus apartment near Slippery Rock University
A Hempfield man is accused of stabbing another man during a party Monday at an apartment complex near Slippery Rock University. Brennan James Steeley, 23, is being held at the Butler County Prison on $25,000 bail on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment. State police were called...
Resident warming frozen pipes sparks fire at Hempfield mobile home
A resident using a heat gun Wednesday morning to thaw pipes in a Hempfield mobile home sparked a fire that heavily damaged the home, according to fire Chief Anthony Kovacic. The resident escaped unharmed and called 911 about 10:30 a.m. Firefighters extinguished the flames, leaving about half of the Flamingo...
3 New Jersey men accused of taking metal from Penn Township business
Penn Township police said three New Jersey men nabbed with metal items valued at $120,000 are suspected of being part of a large theft ring. Police said they responded to an alarm at Hamill Manufacturing Co. around 3:20 a.m. Saturday and spotted the three men leaving in a pickup loaded...
Police discover deplorable conditions, 77 animals; Penn Township officials condemn home
Two people were charged Friday with animal cruelty offenses after investigators removed 77 dogs, cats and other animals from a Penn Township home that later was condemned. Police said a teenage boy was living there and the home didn’t have running water. Humane officers and township police served a search...
What they’re saying in Buffalo after Bills knock Steelers from playoffs
Fans were left to dig out their seats at snowy Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, but the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t dig out of an early point deficit in losing their fifth consecutive playoff game. The Buffalo Bills and the sportswriters who cover them had a lot of praise for two specific...
