Renatta Signorini stories, Page 85
Pittsburgh man found guilty of 3rd-degree murder of man in Arnold
A Westmoreland County jury spared a Pittsburgh man from a mandatory life sentence Thursday by acquitting him of first-degree murder in a 2019 fatal shooting in Arnold. Jurors found Shawden L. Ross, 35, guilty of third-degree murder in the killing of Lamont Simmons, 27, of Arnold on April 5, 2019,...
Mt. Pleasant Township man convicted in gun case
A Mt. Pleasant Township man was convicted Thursday of illegally having multiple firearms. Jurors deliberated for about an hour before returning the guilty verdict on nine counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Authorities said Michael Charles Lint, 36, was not permitted to have weapons because of past felony convictions....
Jeannette officials continue discussion about use of federal covid relief cash
Jeannette officials have a lot of work to whittle down a wish list of projects that could be funded with what is left of the city’s $950,000 allocation from the American Rescue Plan. With $287,000 already earmarked, there are far more proposed uses than the $662,000 available will pay for....
Troopers recover stolen box truck in Salem after reports of 2 people on drugs
Complaints Tuesday about two people acting strange near a church and fire department in Salem led state troopers to recover a stolen commercial vehicle, according to court papers. Police arrested the pair, who they said appeared to be under the influence of drugs. Kody Ronald Nicholas Konop, 29, of Hempfield,...
People flock to Hempfield monastery to enjoy the silence of a retreat
There will be plenty of peace and quiet at St. Emma Monastery this weekend, for those who seek it out. About 70 people who are attending a silent retreat at the Hempfield community will bask in the quiet among the Benedictine nuns there. “People are bombarded by every spectrum of...
Coroner’s report shows 168 accidental overdose deaths in 2021 in Westmoreland County
Drug overdose deaths increased in 2021 in Westmoreland County, reaching their highest point since 2017, according to the coroner’s annual report. There were 168 accidental drug overdose deaths last year, the third highest total for the county and a 37% increase from 2020 when 123 people died. The powerful opioid...
Rostraver man acquitted of sex charges
A Rostraver man was acquitted Wednesday by a Westmoreland County jury of sex assault charges. Jurors found Robert Taylor Parks IV, 24, not guilty of aggravated indecent assault of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a person younger than 13 and indecent assault. The jury deliberated for nearly five hours...
Clairview School craft show will feature student creations
Canvas paintings, decorative wooden blocks and customized picture frames will be among the crafts made by Clairview School students for sale Saturday during an annual craft and vendor fundraising show. Their works will join those of 30 vendors in an effort to raise money for the Hempfield school to build...
Jeannette police dog Arees retired from duty
Veteran Jeannette police dog Arees is getting plenty of treats in his retirement. The 9-year-old German shepherd officially left the city’s force last week and has been enjoying lazy days off-duty at home with handler Sgt. Jim Phillips. “He’s definitely made myself and the City of Jeannette proud,” Phillips said....
Man jailed after police say he tossed drugs out of window during high-speed chase that ended in East Huntingdon
State troopers recovered crack cocaine, suspected heroin and marijuana that they said a driver tossed along Route 119 during a high-speed chase in Westmoreland County early Sunday, according to court papers. The driver — Jonah K. Reid, 30, of East Pittsburgh — was apprehended in East Huntingdon, police said. Troopers...
Hempfield man accused of assaulting Lyft driver after ride home from gentlemen’s club
A Hempfield man who got a ride home from a gentlemen’s club during the weekend is accused of assaulting his Lyft driver and stealing an electronic device from the vehicle, according to court papers. Carl L. Beltz, 42, is charged with robbery, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, escape and related offenses....
Man accused of leading police on 5-mile chase on Parkway East, crashing into another vehicle
A Jeannette man is free on his own recognizance after state police said he led them on a chase through Monroeville before crashing in Wilkinsburg. Brett R. Birch, 19, is charged with fleeing from police, failure to stop and several other traffic violations. Troopers said they were checking drivers’ speed...
2 hospitalized after rollover crash in Forest Hills
Two people were seriously hurt early Sunday in a one-vehicle crash in Forest Hills, according to Allegheny County Police. The rollover crash was reported just before 4:30 a.m. on Ardmore Boulevard, near the Parkway East interchange. Two adults were ejected from the vehicle and taken to hospitals in critical condition,...
State police: Reports about Easter Bunny at Westmoreland Mall determined to be false
State police over the weekend investigated a report of inappropriate behavior involving the person playing the Easter Bunny at Westmoreland Mall and determined it to be false, according to Trooper Steve Limani. Parents of two teen girls on Saturday reported the situation to police, but the girls later said it...
Woman hurt in Edgewood stabbing; police say man fired shot at suspect
A woman was hurt in a stabbing near a gas station in Edgewood early Sunday and a man she was with fired a shot at the suspect, according to Allegheny County Police. Authorities were called to South Braddock Avenue just before 3:30 a.m. and found the woman with a shoulder...
Woman hurt in Stowe shooting
A woman was shot early Sunday in Stowe, according to Allegheny County Police. First responders were called to the scene on Island Avenue at 4:40 a.m. and found the woman with a leg wound. Police said she was treated at the scene for a graze wound. Detectives are investigating. Anyone...
Man dead in South Side shooting
A man was fatally shot in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood late Saturday, according to police. Officers were called to Freysburg Street around 10:30 p.m. and found the man with gunshot wounds to the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene in a residential area a few blocks back from...
Pittsburgh man charged with 4 robberies, including at Fox’s Pizza in Oakmont that left owner shot
A Pittsburgh man was arrested Saturday in connection with four armed robberies this month, including two in which people were shot, according to police. One of the cases took place at the Fox’s Pizza Den in Oakmont. Allegheny County Police identified the suspect in the robbery spree as Eric Jones,...
2 stabbed in Sheraden
Two people were being treated for stab wounds after an incident just after midnight in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood, according to police. A man arrived at a hospital shortly after 12:01 a.m. Saturday with a wound to the abdomen and was taken to the operating room, authorities said. Witnesses told investigators...
Pitt professor remembers her brother who died in Ukraine aiding people in need
The way Jimmy Hill lived his life is a complete contrast to the way he lost it — amid Russian bombing in a weeks-long invasion of Ukraine. Katya Hill, a University of Pittsburgh professor, on Saturday said her brother had befriended a woman with four children who lived near the...
Penn Hills man gets 31 years in federal prison for armed robberies
A Penn Hills man who authorities said shot a store employee during one of a series of armed robberies in 2014 was sentenced Thursday to 31 years in prison. George Wilson III, 39, pleaded guilty in September during a jury trial to four firearms counts for armed robberies at gas...
Hunker men accused of shooting dogs say they shot them after peacock’s killing
Two men were charged Wednesday in connection with the December fatal shooting of two dogs that were later found in a wooded area of Hunker. State police said James P. Hill, 76, and his neighbor Jason W. Beal, 35, shot and killed Hagrid, 5, and Aspen, 4. The bodies of...
Pysanki egg sale at Rizzo’s Malabar Inn to benefit Ukrainian causes this year
There will be a lot of Ukrainian symbols tucked into Ginette Simpson’s pysanky eggs this year. The intricate decorations will feature blue and gold colors and Ukraine’s national flower. “I’ve really focused on sunflowers,” she said. “They’re featured in a lot of my designs.” The New Alexandria woman will have...
Police looking for woman who fled after dog bit girl jogging at Hempfield Area High School
A 15-year-old girl was treated at a hospital Monday after being bit by a dog while jogging at Hempfield Area High School. State Trooper Steve Limani said the incident happened around 5 p.m. A woman and the dog fled shortly afterwards in a newer model white Toyota RAV 4. License...
3 accused of drug possession in unrelated domestic calls within 7 hours in Jeannette
Two unrelated domestic incidents within seven hours in Jeannette led to the arrests of two men and a woman after police said they found drugs at both homes, according to court papers. Both men — Alvin Williams, 45, of Jeannette; and Lamont N. Edmonds, 31, of Wilkinsburg — are being...
