Renatta Signorini stories, Page 64
Jeannette city council rejects appeals to stop property demolition
Three Jeannette properties are once again slated for demolition after city council last week rejected appeals to halt removal of the blight. Council members unanimously denied the appeals of: Charles Schade for 313 S. Fifth St., Sherran N. Herring for 420 Division St. and Lyle Milner for 12 S. 12th...
Police say Unity couple threatened by man wielding shotgun
A Unity man was denied bail over the weekend after state police said he pointed a shotgun at his ex-girlfriend and her new beau, according to court papers. Skylar B. Musnug, 18, is charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and related offenses. The woman told troopers that she and her...
Hempfield man jailed after police find child pornography on computer
A Hempfield man arrested last month in connection with a social media sex sting is facing new charges after state police said they found more than 1,100 images and videos of child pornography on his computer. Thomas J. Hibbard, 60, is now being held without bail on 900 child pornography...
Minn. man arrested after incident at Hempfield Walmart
A Minnesota man was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison after state police said he used portable speakers and a microphone to talk about covid, the internet, the Black Lives Matter movement and his spiritual awakening inside the Hempfield Walmart. Spencer Tomasek, 25, was arrested Saturday on charges of...
Tales of olde: 1478 Chaucer classic is jewel at St. Vincent rare book room
The well-worn pages inside the marbled cover of a first-edition “Canterbury Tales” book is carefully stored in a special slipcover at Saint Vincent College in Unity. The book is dated 1478. In the climate-controlled rare book room at the Verostko Center for the Arts and Latimer Family Library, the pages...
Balzer seeks 4th term as Westmoreland controller
Jeffrey Balzer is looking to secure his fourth term at Westmoreland County controller. Balzer, 57, of Salem, announced his intent to run for reelection to the office he has held since 2012. He is a Republican. The controller serves as the watchdog over county government and audits the financial performance...
Wrong way: Driver impairment, lack of awareness key elements in deadly crashes
When Earl Travis looked back at the road after glancing at a side mirror, he saw headlights on his side of a divided highway. He had a few seconds to react. “All I could do is, literally, I just turned the wheel to the right,” he said. That quick move...
Jeanette teen arrested in robbery involving THC cartridges
A 16-year-old Jeannette boy was arrested and charged as an adult Tuesday in connection with a robbery of another teenager. Ronan D. Hunter was being held on $100,000 bail on charges of robbery, unlawful restraint, possession of a firearm by a minor and related offenses. Jeannette police were notified by...
Indiana County man hurt while trying to pick up aluminum on Toll Route 66 in Hempfield
An Indiana County man standing on the berm of Toll Route 66 in Hempfield was hurt Tuesday when a passing commercial vehicle hit a piece of aluminum the man was trying to pick up. State police said the driver did not stop. The 35-year-old man was preparing at 3 p.m....
Man’s hand cut by machete in Latrobe robbery; 3 charged
A Latrobe man’s hand was cut by a machete after a robbery Tuesday night during which he and a woman sought refuge in a bathroom to fend off their attackers, authorities said. Three people were charged after police said they chased two of the suspects through town. Codi J. Barger,...
Greensburg landlord charged with obstructing emergency services during mobile home fire
The landlord of a Greensburg mobile home destroyed by fire was charged this week with obstructing emergency services, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. The Fox Hill Street home was engulfed in flames around 12:30 a.m. March 1 and a resident was hospitalized for treatment of injuries. Overhead power lines damaged...
Planet Fitness donates cardio equipment to Jeannette Fire Department
Jeannette firefighters got an exercise equipment upgrade Tuesday thanks to a donation from Planet Fitness’ location behind the Westmoreland Mall. The cardio equipment will be a great addition to the department’s new fire station, but until it’s built, one piece will be available in the current location while the other...
1 transported in I-70 on-ramp crash in North Belle Vernon
Firefighters freed a person trapped in a one-vehicle crash Monday morning in North Belle Vernon. The crash was reported around 8:30 a.m. on the on-ramp to Interstate 70 westbound, according to a Westmoreland 911 supervisor. A medical helicopter was ready to transport the person to a hospital. Traffic on the...
Uncle charged with involuntary manslaughter in Hempfield man’s overdose death
An Allegheny County man is charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment after North Huntingdon police said he did not seek medical help when his nephew became unresponsive and later died. Michael W. Debruyn, 26, who had been reported missing, was found dead Aug. 10 in the passenger seat of...
North Belle Vernon man sentenced to 7 years in child porn case
A North Belle Vernon man was sentenced last week to seven years and one month in a federal prison after pleading guilty to receiving and possessing child pornography. David Engel, 47, was ordered to spend an additional 10 years on supervised release and ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution to...
Police find $140K of suspected heroin, fentanyl after turnpike traffic stop in New Stanton
Two men are being held without bail after state police said they found $140,000 worth of drugs hidden in an SUV on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in New Stanton. Mario A. Caba, 37, of Philadelphia, and Elvis L. Holguin Ventura, 26, of Newark, N.J., are charged with drug offenses. Troopers on...
Nearly 1,200 charges filed after dead, dying reptiles found in Murrysville home
A Murrysville woman is facing animal cruelty charges after 101 dead reptiles and 76 more that were barely alive were seized from her home in December, according to court papers. Nearly 1,200 charges were filed Wednesday against Susan McHale, 60, by humane agents from All But Furgotten rescue. They were...
Westmoreland inmate assault tied to Arnold fatal shooting, detectives say
A Wilkinsburg man was arraigned Wednesday after authorities said he beat an inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison for testifying against a man convicted of a 2020 Arnold fatal shooting, according to court papers. County detectives said Shawnti Shifflett, 27, attacked the fellow prisoner at the Hempfield lockup on Feb....
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...
