Renatta Signorini stories, Page 88
2 flown from Sewickley Township crash
Two people were flown by medical helicopter from a multi-vehicle crash Monday in Sewickley Township, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatch supervisor. The crash was reported at 10:20 a.m. on Herminie West Newton Road near the intersection of Harris Drive, just south of Herminie. Firefighters extricated at least one person...
2 cold weather shelters open for 7th season in Westmoreland
Cold evenings are creeping in and three nonprofits want to help those in Westmoreland County who don’t have a warm place to spend the night. Cold weather shelters have opened for a seventh season at Welcome Home Shelter in Greensburg and Union Mission in Latrobe. Both will provide lodging and...
Scottdale man gets state prison sentence in sexual assault of 2 teen girls
A Scottdale man was sentenced to two to seven years in a state prison last week for sexually assaulting two teen girls. Albert C. Fletcher III, 36, was ordered to spend another three years on probation. He pleaded guilty Thursday in two cases to charges of sexual assault, corruption of...
Toys for Tots train will chug through Westmoreland communities to collect gifts
Railcar operators were overwhelmed with the amount of support last year for their annual Toys for Tots collection along the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad line. Organizer John Gonder said just four railcars participated in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic wore on but the amount of donations only grew. “We had so...
‘I will forgive you, but you must pay,’ father of woman who OD’d tells Greensburg man who supplied drugs
Nearly five years have not erased the pain Rachael Tantlinger’s parents and brother feel as a result of her drug overdose death. Sometimes, it’s physically debilitating, said father, Chris Tantlinger. For mother Valerie Tantlinger, the raw emotion was still evident Friday in court testimony. Both directly addressed the man who...
Defense unsure if Jeannette man accused in 2018 fatal fire will accept deal or go to trial
A Jeannette man accused of setting a fatal fire in 2018 has until Tuesday to decide if he’s going to plead guilty or go to trial. Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio set the deadline during a hearing Friday after learning little progress had been made in the case since a court appearance...
Giant Eagle opening covid vaccine appointments for kids
Appointments for children ages 5 to 11 to get covid-19 vaccinations could be available as early as this weekend at Giant Eagle pharmacies in the area, according to an announcement. Anyone who wants to schedule an appointment for a child in that age range can visit the grocery store chain’s...
Children’s vaccine appointments filling up at pharmacies, clinics in Westmoreland County
Pharmacies and health care providers around the area are gearing up to give covid-19 vaccines to their youngest patients yet — those ages 5 to 11. Excela Health has three immunization dates this month that are filling up quickly at its North Huntingdon clinic. Hayden’s Pharmacy expects to open up...
New Kensington woman sentenced to probation in drug scheme at Westmoreland jail
A New Kensington woman was sentenced to three years of probation Thursday for a minor role in what authorities have described as a year-long scheme to get drugs into the Westmoreland County Prison. Sandra Gonzalez-Morales, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility. “I’m just looking...
Excela Health expanding into Connellsville with new $12 million complex
Excela Health is taking another step outside of Westmoreland County with plans for a $12 million medical complex in Connellsville that could be completed in 2023. Building the 30,000-square-foot Excela Square outpatient and ambulatory care center in Fayette County is a “logical choice” in extending the health system’s reach, Excela...
Former city employee unseats incumbent in Jeannette Council race
A newcomer is joining Jeannette Council as former city employee Michelle Langdon ousted an incumbent, according to unofficial returns. Langdon, a Republican, got 33% of the vote, beating out Democrat Nancy Peters (29%). Incumbent Chuck Highlands, a Republican, held on to his seat with about 38% of the vote, according...
2 jailed after police say 4-year-old girl in car during drug purchase, use
A Sutersville couple accused by state police of using heroin with a 4-year-old girl in the car was jailed Monday, according to court papers. Police said the girl then sat inside a car parked at a Hempfield gas station for more than an hour after one of the suspects passed...
Jeannette man accused of threatening firefighters trying to rescue him from SUV crash
A Jeannette man was arraigned Tuesday on police accusations that he threatened firefighters who were trying to rescue him from an SUV crash in the city last month. Louie A. Bevilacqua, 25, is charged with driving under the influence, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, drug possession and related offenses....
Maintenance, inspections prompt 12-hour closure of Pa. Turnpike tunnel in Somerset County
Parts of the Allegheny Tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for 12 hours starting Tuesday evening in Somerset County for maintenance and inspections. Delays may arise when the closure starts at 7 p.m., according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. The closures are expected to be lifted by 7...
Scammers get $40K in Bitcoin from 2 Indiana County residents through Westmoreland kiosk
Two Indiana County residents were sent to a Westmoreland County location to buy Bitcoin in a scam state police said resulted in the loss of nearly $40,000. A Homer City woman and a Blairsville man reported receiving a text message in October that notified them of unauthorized activity on their...
Former Mt. Pleasant woman sentenced to federal prison for embezzling $143K from 2 businesses
A former Westmoreland County woman was sentenced to 30 months in a federal prison for embezzling $169,000 from two companies where she worked. Jennifer Lynne Clark, 42, was ordered last week to spend three years on supervised release after the prison term. Clark also is known as Jennifer Gill and...
Derry Township man arrested in theft of car left running outside convenience store
State police accused a Derry Township man of stealing a car while its owner was inside a convenience store last week, according to court papers. Troopers said they found the Chevrolet Cruze about 27 miles away and identified Aaron Michael Thompson, 27, as the suspect. He is charged with theft...
Police arrest Unity woman accused of pointing gun at driver of moving car
A Unity woman is behind bars after state police said she attacked a woman in a moving vehicle and pointed a gun at a man driving a second vehicle, according to court papers. Pamela Ann Smith, 50, is charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault and related offenses. Troopers...
Jeannette police to get new police dog with $11K donation from DA’s office
Jeannette police are looking for a new four-footed member to join the force with an $11,000 donation from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office. Chief Donald Johnston Jr. said handler Sgt. Jim Phillips has started the search for a new police dog as German shepherd Arees nears retirement. He expected...
Former Jeannette hospital property is on the market
The former Jeannette District Memorial Hospital property is for sale. The vacant 12-acre site on Jefferson Avenue is listed at $1.5 million, more than six years after the property was transferred from Excela Health to a private developer for $820,000. Craig Anlauf, who operates several assisted living facilities in the...
2 arrested in connection with probe into 2019 shooting that killed a Jeannette man
Two Greensburg men were arrested Friday in connection with an investigation into a 2019 fatal shooting in Jeannette. Ronald Trotter, 21, and Michael E. Price, 20, are charged with hindering apprehension, obstruction and tampering with evidence. Trotter faces an additional weapons violation. County detectives accused the men of hiding guns...
Former city fiscal officer challenges incumbents for 2 Jeannette council seats
Two incumbents are facing a former city employee for two open seats on Jeannette council. Former chief fiscal officer Michelle Langdon, 64, is seeking to unseat one of the incumbents — Nancy Peters, 74, or Chuck Highlands, 81. Langdon and Highlands won the Republican nominations during the spring primary and...
Long-awaited Pa. Turnpike interchange in Penn Township set to become a reality
Penn Township will be getting a Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange as the commission overseeing the highway has been relieved of a multimillion-dollar annual obligation to PennDOT, officials announced Thursday. It remains unclear when work on the $30 million connection at Route 130 might start, but it won’t be completed sooner than...
Threats at 2 Westmoreland schools investigated; 1 connected to Florida incident
Social media threats in two area school districts were investigated this week and Greater Latrobe authorities connected a threat there to an arrest in Florida. Jeannette students switched to virtual learning Thursday out of “extreme caution,” Superintendent Matt Jones said in a letter sent to parents Wednesday. In it, he...
I-70 eastbound reopened near Yukon exit after 4-vehicle crash
The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 reopened before noon Thursday after a crash among two tractor-trailers and two tri-axle trucks, according to PennDOT and a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The crash was reported just after 7 a.m. near the Yukon exit in South Huntingdon and the highway was shut down for...
