Renatta Signorini stories, Page 65
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...
Jeannette students work on Black History Month projects
The colors red, yellow and green — symbolizing pride and unity during Black History Month — are taking over Jeannette City School District as officials have a slate of unique learning opportunities planned. “We have a lot of multicultural kids here,” said Kiaira Jackson, school liaison. “It’s important for them...
‘Predator Poachers’ sting leads to Hempfield man’s arrest
A Hempfield man is free on $25,000 unsecured bail after state police said he sent a picture of his genitals through social media to a girl he believed was 9 or 10 years old. Thomas J. Hibbard, 60, is charged with unlawful contact with a minor. Troopers said they were...
Delmont police, Westmoreland detectives investigating child’s death
Delmont police and Westmoreland County detectives are investigating the death of a child. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said in a statement that her office is aware of the death and that no further information was available. The child died Tuesday evening. Their identity was not released. No...
Fayette County man charged after high-speed chase from Scottdale
A Fayette County man who was issued a citation Tuesday during a traffic stop in Scottdale is facing a felony charge after police said he led them on a chase to his home just over the county line. After Matthew N. Black, 22, of Upper Tyrone, was cleared to depart...
Former Greensburg police detective announces run for mayor
A former Greensburg police detective is seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor. Jerry Vernail, 60, said he was motivated to run for the office after the recent arrest of the force’s police chief by federal investigators, which makes the third city officer charged with a crime since 2016. One of...
Former Export man sentenced for role in bogus tax-collection scheme
A former Export man was sentenced to one year in federal prison Monday for his role in a bogus tax-collection scheme, according to prosecutors. Michael Galanis, 34, was ordered to spend two years on supervised release after the prison term and pay $7,500 in restitution. He pleaded guilty in April...
Police seek driver of stolen SUV who led them on chase in Hempfield, Jeannette
State police are seeking help to identify the driver of a stolen vehicle who led them on a chase Sunday afternoon in Hempfield and Jeannette. While troopers were patrolling on Toll Route 66 northbound in Hempfield near mile marker 3 around 4:45 p.m., they attempted a traffic stop on a...
