Renatta Signorini stories, Page 61
Jeannette property owners protest plans to demolish dilapidated structures
Jeannette officials want two property owners to see it as a favor, or gift — their blighted houses will be demolished at no cost to them, leaving behind a clean slate and possibly lower taxes. But the property owners don’t seem to be interested. “Do you feel that the city...
Police say Jeannette man used gun to rob teenager
A Jeannette man was denied bail Tuesday after city police said he pointed a gun at a teenager and robbed him of THC oil cartridges. Devin J. Dapra, 19, is charged with robbery, receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment and related offenses. Jeannette police were notified by Penn-Trafford High School resource...
Couple faces charges in connection with burglary in Unity
State police charged a Unity couple in connection with a burglary at a township home after some of the items taken were found at pawn shops in the area, according to court papers. Julie Amanda Farabaugh, 41, was jailed last week on charges of receiving stolen property, forgery and drug...
$5K worth of THC cartridges stolen from Hempfield man, police say
A Hempfield man was hospitalized Monday night after state police said he was robbed by three suspects who reportedly stole $5,000 worth of THC oil cartridges, according to court papers. One of the three suspects was arraigned Tuesday morning — James Walter Ryan, 21, of Penn Township. Arrest warrants were...
North Huntingdon police seeking woman in $10,000 fortune-telling scheme
North Huntingdon police are looking for a woman accused of taking more than $10,000 from a township man through a fortune-telling scheme. They have an arrest warrant for Alexis Candy Mitchell, 29, on charges of theft by deception and fortune telling. Mitchell’s last known address is in Monroeville, but authorities...
Youngwood railroad museum couples history, tradition during fish fry season
It’s fish fry season and some aficionados of the Lenten tradition got an early start Feb. 17 at the Station Cafe in Youngwood. Glenn Smeltzer made his annual pilgrimage to the borough’s old train station for lunch. He said he has been getting fish there for as long as the...
North Huntingdon developer adds franchise division to attract businesses
Sought-after local and national franchises could be coming to Westmoreland County as North Huntingdon- based Colony Holding Companies adds a division aimed at attracting those types of businesses, according to Don Tarosky Jr., developer and partner. First up is a location in North Huntingdon that will combine a coffee shop...
Proposal would allow 15-year-olds to get their driver’s licenses
Pennsylvania teenagers could get their driver’s licenses a year early if a proposal from two lawmakers, including state Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, gets approval. Nelson and state Rep. Stephen Kinsey, a Philadelphia Democrat, are seeking co-sponsors for legislation that would lower the age of eligibility for a junior driver’s license...
Jeannette embarks on multi-phase tree inventory, planting projects
Jeannette is going to get a little more green this year through the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Community Forestry Program. An inventory of trees on public lands in the city will kick off this spring and the planting of about 50 trees is planned for the fall, said Jeff Bergman, senior...
Latrobe man charged with crimes involving 15-year-old girl
A Latrobe man was arrested Tuesday on state police accusations that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl he met on Facebook. David A. Fortino, 35, is charged with criminal solicitation, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor and related offenses. He is free on $25,000 unsecured bail. The accuser told...
Man believed dead after chase that ended near Cloverleaf Golf Club in Salem
Police believe a man died by suicide Monday near the border of Penn and Salem townships in an incident that prompted a large police response along a road south of Route 22. Trooper Steve Limani said authorities were notified of a man having a mental health issue around 10 a.m....
United Way, Westmoreland County partner to use 211 service to help residents
Westmoreland County residents looking for help finding behavioral health or developmental services will be funneled through United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s 211 service under a new partnership. Rob Hamilton, Westmoreland County director of human services, said call takers will be trained on such offerings through county government and in the...
Park police save man who overdosed in Greensburg Catholic Cemetery
Four Westmoreland County Park Police officers saved a man’s life Thursday after he was found in a Hempfield cemetery experiencing a drug overdose. The officers were starting their shifts and leaving in their cars from the county garage on Donohoe Road when someone flagged one of them down outside Greensburg...
Lane restrictions planned on Route 30 and Center Highway in North Huntingdon and Unity
A chain of lane restrictions on two heavily-traveled Westmoreland County highways will begin Monday morning. All of the work is related to overhead signs that warn motorists of upcoming red lights. PennDOT officials said the work will be either to retrofit existing signals or install new ones. One lane will...
Jeannette police search for 5 people charged after baby ingested cocaine last summer
Jeannette police are searching for five people after a 1-year-old girl reportedly ingested cocaine at a home in July and was hospitalized, according to court papers. Arrest warrants were issued this week for the suspects: Shelly Ann Kemerer, 53; Latasha Cotrell, 35; Michael A. Dewberry, 35; Samantha Linn Stanford, 26;...
Route 22 east cleared in Derry Township after head-on crash
Traffic on Route 22 east in Derry Township was affected for a time Thursday morning after a head on collision, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatch supervisor. The crash was reported around 10 a.m. in front of Jonnet Flea Market, not far from the Indiana County border. Entrapment was reported...
Native weasel reintroduction in Pa. under consideration, Monroeville presentation planned
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are considering a plan to reintroduce a native species of weasel to the state’s woodlands after its disappearance more than 100 years ago. The American marten, or pine marten, and its potential habitats are being studied to determine if the proposal is feasible. Tom Keller, the...
Greensburg man accused by police of inappropriate contact with teen
A Greensburg man was arrested Tuesday on police accusations that he inappropriately touched a teenage girl for a period of about two years. Charles J. Murphy, 41, is charged with aggravated indecent assault, child endangerment and related offenses. Greensburg police said the girl detailed the situation during an interview last...
Westmoreland sheriff’s deputies nab suspect in 3 road rage collisions
A Rostraver man accused in three road rage collisions was arrested Monday after sheriff’s deputies said he fled from them at about 70 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to court papers. Deputies were searching Friday morning for Jason Michael Walters, 40, in connection with a bench warrant in...
Greensburg woman jailed after bullet rips through walls at Pershing Square apartments
A Greensburg woman was jailed Monday after city police believe she fired a gun inside her apartment, according to court papers. A bullet tore through a wall in a neighboring apartment about 12 inches above a bed, police said. Victoria Lynn Hecker, 58, is charged with discharge of a firearm...
Philadelphia man arrested after early morning chase ends on Route 217 in Derry Township
A Philadelphia man was arrested Sunday after state police said he led them on a chase on Route 30 topping out at 112 mph, according to court papers. Tyreese O.T. Warring, 35, is accused of fleeing from police for about 10 miles through Hempfield and Unity before troopers said they...
2 more Westmoreland County Prison inmates charged after cocaine found
Two more men are charged with having cocaine in their Westmoreland County Prison cell, a month after two other men were accused of similar crimes. Marvin Hall, 37, of New Kensington, and Raheem Harvey, 29, of Greensburg, are charged with contraband and drug possession. County detectives said a confidential informant...
Penn Middle School secured after social media post
Penn Township police on Friday were investigating a social media post that was circulating around Penn Middle School, according to Chief John Otto. A school official learned of the post and contacted authorities around 11 a.m. It was believed to have been sent through Snapchat. The nature of the post...
Rescuers help mom, 2 children escape from burning home in Salem
A neighbor and passersby helped a 2-year-old boy and his mother escape flames consuming their Salem home Friday morning, and firefighters rescued a 9-year-old boy from a bedroom. Neighbor Christina Shaner was alerted by a horn honking outside while she was working from home. She threw on a pair of...
Identity of suspect in fatal Rostraver shopping center shooting is revealed
A Philadelphia man is charged with homicide and tampering with evidence in a November fatal shooting at a Rostraver shopping complex, according to public docket information unsealed Thursday. Keven Van Lam, 55, is being held without bail at the Westmoreland County Prison. Details surrounding the arrest have been kept under...
