Renatta Signorini stories, Page 94
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...
Jeannette police, school officials ‘actively addressing’ incident with student
Jeannette City School District officials are working with police and a junior high student and his family after the student was removed from the cafeteria Tuesday by the school resource officer, according to Superintendent Matt Jones. He and Police Chief Donald Johnston Jr. said the issue stemmed from a disciplinary...
2 boys to be charged in vandalism at Jeannette public works garage
Police said they plan to charge two boys after mowing equipment and items in the Jeannette public works garage were vandalized during the weekend. The pair went to the building on North Fourth Street Saturday and were seen on surveillance cameras discharging two fire extinguishers in the cab of the...
State police report seizing large amounts of cocaine, fentanyl during 3rd quarter
State police continue to seize large amounts of cocaine and fentanyl in 2021. Statistics provided by the agency show that troopers have confiscated 852 pounds of cocaine through Sept. 30, including 314 pounds of the drug valued at $6.9 million in the last three months. State police seized 175 pounds...
What can be done about police officer shortage?
Continued difficulty in hiring police officers is driving conversations among police chiefs and departments across the region in hopes of a solution to their staffing problems. A roundtable discussion Monday in Latrobe broached using state money for sign-up bonuses and to pay for training and certification courses, Latrobe police Chief...
Disease management areas expanded, created after CWD-positive deer found
The Pennsylvania Game Commission expanded an existing disease management area and created a new one after a roadkill deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Jefferson County. The change comes in the middle of archery season and about a month before regular firearm season. CWD is a contagious disease...
Driver hurt after pickup slams into New Stanton chiropractic center porch
A man was taken to the hospital Monday after crashing into the New Stanton Chiropractic Center. New Stanton Fire Second Lt. Craig Bromke said the driver of a pickup truck was taken from the scene by ambulance. The truck slammed into the front of the building on West Pennsylvania Avenue...
Jeannette officials seek county’s help to demolish 2 buildings
Jeannette officials hope to raze two fire-damaged buildings with the help of county demolition funding. An application will be made to the county requesting money to demolish a Clay Avenue commercial building and a Good Street home, city clerk Nathan Bish said. “Even if they don’t fund it all, it’s...
Monster bash: Jeannette readies for another Halloween parade
Green-hued monsters, even those of the meticulously constructed paper-craft kind, will be on display and in the running for cash prizes next week in the Jeannette Halloween Parade. “It was always a really nice parade,” said co-organizer Nancy Peters, who has joined forces with fellow Jeannette Councilwoman Robin Mozley. The...
$10K reward offered in Cassandra Gross disappearance
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information that helps investigators solve the disappearance of Cassandra Gross. Anyone with tips for police can remain anonymous. Gross, 51, was last seen April 7, 2018. She called her mother while driving on Route 30 to her home in Unity after having...
Officials toast Jeannette Glass site’s transformation to cryogenic testing facility
Friday will be one of the memorable days in Jason Rigone’s career. He has seen the former Jeannette Glass site transform into Elliott Group’s $60 million cryogenic pump test stand and experienced the behind-the-scenes work to make it happen for years as a member of the Westmoreland County planning department...
Greensburg man accused of inappropriately touching 2nd girl
A Greenburg man who was arrested in June in connection with an alleged sexual assault on a 9-year-old girl was arraigned Thursday on similar charges involving a 13-year-old girl, according to court papers. John Harry Patak III, 30, was arraigned Thursday on charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors and...
Woman stabbed in Stowe, 1 arrested
A person was arrested Friday after a stabbing in Stowe that seriously injured a woman, according to Allegheny County Police. Investigators said township police were patrolling Broadway Avenue around 12:30 a.m. when they found a 29-year-old woman with multiple stab wounds. She was hospitalized in critical condition, police said. Police...
Youngwood man accused of taking $50K worth of guns, other items from 2 abandoned houses
A Youngwood man was charged Thursday after state police said he took $50,000 worth of guns, tools, coins and military collectibles from two abandoned houses, according to court papers. George Raymond Weightman III, 43, told investigators he broke into the houses in Adamsburg and Hempfield to fund a drug addiction....
Route 51 crash in Pittsburgh caused traffic slowdowns
Traffic disruptions dissipated throughout the morning on Route 51 in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood after an SUV caught fire when it crashed into a pole. Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV reported that the driver fled from the crash scene on Route 51 in the area of Whited Street. The crash happened just...
Turtle Creek woman sentenced to federal prison for role in drug trafficking
A Turtle Creek woman was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in federal prison for working with two siblings to distribute fentanyl in the area. Marleka Robinson, 26, was ordered to spend two years on supervised release after the prison term. She pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in June. A grand...
Operation Safe Stop puts spotlight on stopping for school buses
The only misbehavior on the road Wednesday morning during a state police ride-along on a Greater Latrobe school bus was from a deer and three raccoons. No motorists broke the law while Trooper Brandon Boyd was on board, but many of the youngsters catching a ride to school were thrilled...
