Renatta Signorini stories, Page 67
Man killed in Monroeville shooting
A 19-year-old man was fatally shot in Monroeville late Saturday, according to Allegheny County Police. First responders found the man with a gunshot wound to the torso on Bellwood Avenue after a 911 call at 11:30 p.m. He was taken to a hospital where police said he died. The Allegheny...
Vehicle slams into North Huntingdon house in the middle of the night, flees scene
A North Huntingdon woman spent much of Saturday on the hunt for the driver who crashed into her home and then drove away. By the evening, she said she was notified by township police that they had identified the driver in the 1 a.m. incident. “It was less than 24...
Fatal hit-and-run incidents reported overnight in Ross and Pittsburgh
A Mars woman was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Ross late Friday, according to township police. Elizabeth Griser, 32, was struck by a vehicle around 11 p.m. on Babcock Boulevard near a Sheetz gas station and convenience store, not far from the intersection with McKnight Road. She died at...
Man killed in South Shore hit-and-run, police looking for car
Pittsburgh Police are looking for a car they believe was involved in a fatal hit-and-run involving a pedestrian early Saturday on the city’s South Shore. A man was found lying on West Carson Street just before 3 a.m. He died at a hospital, police said. His identity has not been...
Pa. state police seized $65 million worth of illegal drugs last year
Pennsylvania State Police troopers got more than $65 million worth of illegal drugs off streets across the commonwealth in 2022, according to a report released Wednesday. That includes 547 pounds of cocaine and 348 pounds of fentanyl, with a combined street value of $20.9 million. State troopers in Westmoreland County...
Jeannette eyes blighted property demolitions
A home in danger of collapse at the corner of Division and Lavelle streets in Jeannette could be slated for demolition through the county’s American Rescue Plan funding. Its removal couldn’t come soon enough for fire Chief Bill Frye. A bus stop is in the area of 420 Division St.,...
Jeannette gym damaged by flooding over Christmas break
The gym floor at Jeannette Junior-Senior High School was damaged after flooding on Christmas but Superintendent Matt Jones said it hasn’t affected basketball games and physical education classes. A frozen water line and broken sprinkler sent water onto the floor during the holiday deep freeze. City firefighters alerted district maintenance...
Task force pulls 4 pounds of fentanyl from streets in Westmoreland in 2022
Members of the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force seized more than $349,000 during 2022, making 200 arrests and getting about 15 pounds of drugs off the streets. The task force is composed of state and local authorities, including agents from the Attorney General’s Office, county detectives and officers from 40...
Rip Van Winkle painting brings folktale to life
With his tattered clothing, long fingernails and bewildered look, Rip Van Winkle awakes from his 20-year slumber in an imaginative painting that hangs at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. For children who might not know the tale, it can be entertaining to let them interpret the artwork,...
Stolen Youngwood catering company van crashed in New Stanton
A Southwest Greensburg man who state police said stole a van of a Youngwood business, crashed it in New Stanton and then led troopers on a foot chase Wednesday appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine, according to court papers. Police said when they first looked in the van...
Damaged eye removed from cat abandoned at Greensburg apartment complex last spring
A cat had an eye surgically removed after Greensburg police said a woman left it behind when she moved out of a city apartment in May, according to a criminal complaint. Shelly Ann Kemerer, 52, of Jeannette, was arrested Tuesday on animal cruelty charges. Police were notified June 3 after...
Police arrest Derry man after purse-snatching incident in Scottdale
A Derry man is accused of stealing a purse from a woman in Scottdale Wednesday before police apprehended him after a foot pursuit, according to investigators. Jason M. Thomas, 33, was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bail on charges of robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and...
Woman escapes house fire in village of Claridge in Penn Township
A historic home in Claridge was destroyed Thursday morning in a fire and a woman who lived there escaped with minor injuries, according to first responders. Claridge Fire Chief Ron Supancic Jr. said he believed the blaze started on the first floor. Part of the second floor collapsed. “When we...
Police find photo of gun, but still lack weapon in Monessen teen homicide case
A gun used in a November fatal shooting in Monessen has not been located, but Westmoreland County Detective Nicholas Caesar said a photograph of the suspect holding a handgun was found on the dead teen’s cellphone. The photo was sent to 16-year-old Amari Altomore from Terry Newton, 16, who is...
Rostraver attorney seeks open district judge seat
Rostraver attorney Chris Huffman announced his candidacy for the district judge seat that covers the township and several neighboring communities. Huffman, 55, is a registered Republican and said he plans to cross-file for the May 16 primary election. He has been practicing as an attorney for nearly 30 years. “As...
Westmoreland’s need for additional shelter will be topic of public hearing on Wednesday
A public hearing is set for this week on Westmoreland County’s plan to put about $2.5 million in federal funding toward a new non-congregate shelter for people who lack housing. Janet Parker, deputy director of community development, said the proposal is the result of meetings with stakeholders across the county...
Behind the art: ‘Portrait of John Gardiner’ at The Westmoreland shows exquisite detail
Clothing style from the 1700s is on display in a portrait by artist John Singleton Copley that indicates its subject likely was a lawyer. “Portrait of John Gardiner,” which hangs at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, includes exquisite detail of the garments the subject was wearing —...
Troopers justified in deadly November shooting of motorist, Westmoreland DA says
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli has ruled that state troopers were justified in fatally shooting a Johnstown man during a November high-speed chase that ended in Westmoreland County. Ziccarelli said in a news release Friday that she reviewed numerous videos, reports, witness interviews and evidence in coming to the...
Police: South Greensburg motel fire ruled arson, Washington Township man charged
A state police fire marshal determined a blaze Thursday at the Knights Inn in South Greensburg was arson and a man told authorities he started it in the room where he was staying, according to court papers. A trooper reported to borough police that the 11 a.m. blaze began inside...
Fire marshal investigating fatal West Newton blaze
Firefighters and paramedics were not able to resuscitate a woman who was pulled from her apartment in West Newton on Thursday after a fire in her living room, fire Chief Craig Sanner said. The flames were contained to the home of Joyce Marinos, 76, who lived on the 11th floor...
Police: Sewickley Township man fought with troopers
A Sewickley Township man is behind bars after state police said he fought with troopers during his arrest Wednesday, fled into a nearby creek and vomited in the back of a patrol unit, according to court papers. Victor J. Ford, 38, is facing numerous charges including robbery, strangulation, aggravated assault...
Fire breaks out at South Greensburg motel
No one was hurt Thursday when a fire broke out at the Knights Inn in South Greensburg, leaving several rooms damaged. Fire Chief Matt White said everyone was able to escape from the rooms adjoining the one that had the most fire damage. “When I arrived, there was heavy fire...
As Westmoreland’s suicide numbers rise, ‘we have to talk about it’
When Melissa Hughes’ son, Mason, died by suicide in November 2021, she didn’t know where to turn for help with the grief. The Derry Township woman eventually found local resources and now helps comfort others who experience the same devastation while keeping her son’s memory alive. “If I can save...
Behind the art: ‘Night Shift’ depicts Aliquippa steelworkers at The Westmoreland
It looks cold, the men walking on a snowy street, their hands stuffed in jacket pockets heading into work. “Night Shift” is more than that though. The 1936 painting by Ernest Fiene that depicts men walking to a steel plant in Aliquippa came at a formative time for U.S. labor...
Caretaker accused of stealing $30K from Greensburg man
A former caretaker for an elderly Greensburg man is accused of stealing $31,600 from him between May and September, according to court papers. Gede L. Stewart, 48, of Greensburg was charged Thursday with forgery, theft, financial exploitation of an older adult or care dependent person, access device fraud and related...
