Renatta Signorini stories, Page 78
At least 3 Jeannette projects in the works if tax breaks are approved, official says
Developers in at least three projects in Jeannette are waiting for a tax break program to be approved before getting work underway, according to fire Chief Bill Frye. Council could vote Thursday to establish 19 Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance zones around the city in an effort to spur redevelopment...
Scottdale woman accused of beating, running over pedestrian
A Scottdale woman was jailed Monday night after police said she beat a woman with a wooden baseball bat and ran her over with a car before fleeing, according to court papers. Authorities said Nicole L. Moore, 25, became angry after she saw the woman video recording a 3-year-old child...
Police trying to ID man accused of stealing lawnmower from Home Depot
State police are trying to identify a man who quickly cut a security cable and stole a push lawnmower last week from the Home Depot store in Hempfield. The suspect was at the property off Route 30 for less than two minutes, Trooper Steve Limani said. He arrived at 9:40...
Penn-Trafford junior leads drive to collect clothing for veterans in need
A Penn-Trafford High School junior who usually makes big plays on the football and baseball fields recently switched it up to help veterans in need. Jacob Otto, 17, collected about 200 garbage bag loads of gently used clothing he donated to two organizations last week — Vietnam Veterans of America...
Latrobe-area residents can sign up for free Easter dinner
Free Easter meals are being brought to the Latrobe-area community by a group of individuals focused on helping others. Signups end Tuesday for the Make a Difference group’s initiative. The meals will be prepared for takeout or delivery April 16, the day before Easter, at Grace Bible Church & Academy...
Defense wants homicide charge dismissed against New Kensington man accused of fatally beating child
Attorneys representing a New Kensington man facing the death penalty on charges of fatally beating a child claim there isn’t enough evidence to support a homicide charge against him, and they are seeking help from a medical expert. They also want to have separate trials on the homicide charges and...
Vandergrift woman’s trial set to start later this month in homicide of Greensburg man
Jury selection in a 2018 Vandergrift fatal shooting is set to start April 20. Attorneys on Friday set the date for trial to begin for Ashley Croft, 38, of Vandergrift. She is charged with homicide in the death of John Edward Smail, 31, of Greensburg, at her apartment on Oct....
Tarentum man sentenced to 3 to 6 years in prison for New Kensington shooting
A Tarentum man was sentenced Friday to three to six years in a state prison after pleading guilty to shooting four times at a woman’s moving vehicle in New Kensington. Sean Talley, 22, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, a weapons violation, receiving stolen property and simple assault in three cases....
Murrysville woman sentenced for role in 2019 shooting
A Murrysville woman was sentenced to time served Thursday in connection with a 2019 shooting. Sandra Lee Cline, 52, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy count. She was one of five people arrested after the August 2019 shooting that injured a Monroeville man. Two counts of aggravated assault were dismissed as...
Penn Township man accused of killing father, aunt facing competency exam after tantrum in court
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday ordered a competency exam for a Penn Township man accused in a double homicide following his removal from a courtroom after shouting obscenities and insults at a sheriff’s deputy. Neal M. Hubish, 41, was in the courtroom for a few minutes before he grew...
Westmoreland DA says solving Cassandra Gross case from 2018 remains a priority
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said solving the 2018 disappearance of Cassandra Gross is a priority for prosecutors. “This is one of the cases that was at the forefront of my mind when I took office (in January),” Ziccarelli said. “We are very committed to this case.” She’s had...
2 robbed East Pittsburgh convenience store, fled with cash
State police are looking for a man and woman who they say robbed a convenience store Wednesday in East Pittsburgh. Troopers said the pair waited outside the 7-Eleven on Lincoln Highway before entering the store at 12:40 a.m. The man demanded cash from the clerk and went behind the counter...
Man accused in regional bail scam to stand trial on conspiracy charges for Hempfield case
After a Hempfield woman handed over $5,000 to a man she was led to believe was a bail bondsman, she wasn’t able to get in touch with a person who claimed to be her daughter’s attorney. Darlene Johnston, 60, testified Tuesday that she got a phone call on Feb. 28...
Grant sends Excela newborns, parents home with sleep sacks
All babies born at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital’s Family Additions Maternity Center will be sent home with two sleep sacks under a grant from the Westmoreland/Frick Hospital Foundation. Staff at the center have long used the sleep sacks to swaddle infants in their first hours of life, but now their...
70 cats recovered from Hempfield home after owner calls for help
It will take thousands of dollars to get 70 cats and kittens that were rescued Sunday from a Hempfield hoarding situation into adoptable condition, said Jen Johnson, president of Ninth Life Rescue Center. She and volunteers from As They Come Animal Rescue are hoping for some community support to rehabilitate...
Salem man accused by police of pointing gun at man, threatening to kill him
A Salem man who is prohibited from having a firearm is accused by state police of pointing a gun at another person, according to court papers. Bryan Michael Wallace, 31, who also has an address in Monroeville, posted $50,000 bail Monday through a bail bondsman after the Saturday incident. Troopers...
Police: Jeannette man without valid driver’s license crashes stolen Cadillac in Hempfield
A Jeannette man who does not have a valid driver’s license crashed a stolen car Sunday evening on Route 30 in Hempfield, according to state police. The crash snarled eastbound traffic in the area of Westwood Drive near the Alpine Pools store around 6:20 p.m. after troopers said Thomas Anthony...
Hempfield man told police he ripped state flag from pole over tax refund check
A Hempfield man who state police said ripped the Pennsylvania state flag from a pole last week was angry he had yet to receive his tax refund check, according to court papers. Misdemeanor charges of theft, maliciously taking down a flag and defacing a flag and a summary criminal mischief...
Traffic crossover to begin on Ardmore Boulevard in Forest Hills
A 1-mile stretch of Ardmore Boulevard in Forest Hills will be the site of road work for the next several months, prompting traffic changes that are set to begin Friday evening. Eastbound traffic on Route 30 will be reduced to one lane and directed onto the westbound side of the...
Georgia man jailed after police say he tried to break into several Derry Borough apartments
A Georgia man is behind bars after state police said he attempted to break into several apartments this week in Derry Borough, according to court papers. Jonathan Gaston, 28, is charged with attempted burglary, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia. Troopers were called to Hays Street at 10:15 p.m....
It’s now possible to text 911 in an emergency in Westmoreland County
People can now text 911 in an emergency in Westmoreland County. The new tool can come in handy for those who have language or hearing difficulties or others who would be safer not making a phone call, such as a person hiding from an intruder, said Cassandra Kovatch, spokeswoman for...
Woman charged after trooper pierced with needle during New Stanton arrest
A state trooper was medically evaluated this week after his finger was pierced by a hypodermic needle during an arrest at a New Stanton hotel, according to court papers. The incident reportedly happened when the trooper was arresting Angeline M. Percha, 33. She is charged with aggravated assault, theft, receiving...
Instruction continues as water line break cleaned up at Hempfield Area High School
Students in the area of a water line break at Hempfield Area High School Thursday were moved elsewhere in the building to continue instruction, according to Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. The break happened around 10:30 a.m. in the bridge between the high school and field house, she said. Water spread into...
‘Get as far away as possible’: State police offer advice for motorists in large highway pileups
Drivers who find themselves in a pileup similar to a deadly one in Central Pennsylvania this week should get out of their vehicles, if possible, and head to a safe spot, according to state police. Troopers are warning motorists that standing around the wreckage at that type of scene can...
2 hurt in Route 51 crash
Two people were hurt in a crash Wednesday in Forward, according to Allegheny County police. The crash was reported just after 4 p.m. on Route 51 (Hayden Boulevard) at Tunnel Hollow Road, near a roadside farm stand just over the border from Westmoreland County. Police said two vehicles collided and...
