Renatta Signorini stories, Page 99
Man charged after North Huntingdon police said they spotted him using drugs while driving on Route 30
An Allegheny County man accused in a drug overdose death was arrested Wednesday in connection with an incident last month during which North Huntingdon police reported seeing him using drugs while driving on Route 30. Cases against Jason Alan Lewis, 45, of Boston, Pa., have been racking up in the...
St. Clair man accused of leading police on chase while his license was suspended
A St. Clair man was arrested Tuesday after township police said he led them on a chase while his license was suspended, according to court papers. Shane Robert Hillegas, 25, is charged with fleeing from police, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and summary traffic offenses. Police were on patrol at 4:30...
Jeannette police could get new in-car computers
Jeannette police could be getting in-car technological upgrades after an update to a statewide system left officers without the ability to look up certain background information. Officer Derek Manley said updates to the JNET system made it incompatible with computers, which run on Windows 7, in city patrol units. JNET...
Teen arrested after Hempfield crash in stolen car
A 16-year-old boy was taken into custody Tuesday night after troopers spotted him driving a stolen car, according to state police. The Cadillac Northstar had been reported stolen to Latrobe police and troopers spotted it speeding on Route 119 south around 8:30 p.m. The driver attempted to make a right...
Former W.Va. nursing assistant gets 7 consecutive life sentences in veteran deaths, including former Westmoreland man
The daughter of a former Westmoreland man had strong words Tuesday for the nursing assistant at a West Virginia veterans hospital who killed her father and six others by giving them insulin they did not need. “You took some of the greatest men of their time … and you preyed...
Donations sought for Hempfield family whose home is unlivable after car crashed into it
It’s been a tough week for Amanda Clark as she searches for a place for her family to live after a car slammed into her Hempfield rental home, rendering it uninhabitable. She’s staying in a hotel for now thanks to a donation from a stranger. But beyond that is up...
2 accused of boarding Jeannette school bus; driver hurt during attack
Two people are accused by police of boarding a Jeannette school bus, with one of them attacking the driver, according to court papers. Aaron Blocker Jr., 40, of Jeannette, is wanted on an arrest warrant. He is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, unauthorized school bus entry and harassment. Lacy...
2 charged in Jeannette break-in, assault of resident
A Jeannette man is being held without bail after police said he broke into a city home and attacked a sleeping woman, according to court papers. Police said Jamar Abdul McIntosh, 42, pointed a gun at the woman and punched her several times. He was arrested Thursday. Police said the...
35K pounds of medication collected in Pa. during Take Back Day
About 420 tons of prescription medication was collected nationwide during the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Take Back Day last month. In Pennsylvania, about 35,000 pounds of unused, expired and unwanted medication was turned in on April 24, according to agency statistics. The event, held twice a year, is meant to prevent...
In-person autism therapy — even during the pandemic
When Denise Rocker’s 11-year-old son was diagnosed with autism in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, she was faced with a new challenge — how to find help for him while everything was shut down. The Cook Township woman, and Noah, didn’t think working on social interaction skills would be...
Death row inmate decides to keep attorney; appeal coming soon in Greensburg torture killing
A death row inmate convicted of the 2010 torture and murder of a mentally disabled woman in Greensburg will stick with his court-appointed appeal attorney after previously attempting to fire him. Ricky Smyrnes, 35, formerly of North Huntingdon, told Westmoreland County Judge Scott Mears he intends to keep Thomas Farrell...
Scottdale woman ordered to pay $133K in restitution for unauthorized use of business credit cards
A Scottdale woman was ordered Friday to make mandatory $200 monthly restitution payments as part of a plea agreement connected to the fraudulent use of credit cards belonging to a Washington County-based company. Laurie Renee Christ, 54, was sentenced to seven years of probation and six months under house arrest...
Man acquitted in Arnold shooting sentenced in separate case
A former New Kensington man acquitted last month in an Arnold shooting was sentenced Thursday to jail and probation terms for spitting on a fellow inmate and two guards in 2018. Nicholas James Haynes, 24, was sentenced to up to 23 months in the Westmoreland County Prison but given credit...
Coronavirus vaccine bills sent in error to some Excela Health patients
Several hundred people who got vaccinated against the coronavirus through Excela Health were erroneously billed, a mistake being blamed on a quick effort to get clinics up and running, according to Tom Albanesi, the hospital system’s chief financial officer. Health system officials tried to contact those who got a bill...
Sutersville woman accused of sexually assaulting teen
State police charged a Sutersville woman with sexually assaulting a teenage boy last year in Hempfield while he was finishing up the school year virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to court papers. An arrest warrant was issued Monday for Ashley Elizabeth Sherry, 21. State police said they were...
Irwin woman accused of falsifying police documents, claiming to be male officer in insurance claim investigation
An Irwin woman was arrested Wednesday after authorities said she claimed to be a male police officer to an insurance investigator and falsified several documents relating to a claim, according to court papers. Sharon K. Powell, 49, is charged with insurance fraud, attempted theft, criminal use of a communication facility,...
Former Jeannette superintendent ordered to pay district $1K reimbursement in ethics report
Jeannette City School District’s former superintendent was ordered by the State Ethics Commission to pay $1,000 to the district in reimbursement for the personal use of public funds. Matthew Hutcheson used a district procurement card to charge his wife’s registration fee to a technology in education conference in Colorado and...
Hempfield man accused of driving drunk in crash that hurt another motorist
A Hempfield man is accused by state police of driving drunk during a March crash that left another motorist with an ankle injury requiring three surgeries, according to court papers. Nicholas John Decaro, 26, was arrested Monday. He is free on $20,000 unsecured bond. Troopers responded to Edna Road in...
1 killed, 1 hurt in Fayette crash
A Uniontown woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Fayette County Monday and a man was seriously injured, according to state police. Linda L. Lewis, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene on Morgantown Road in South Union. She was the passenger in a car being driven by Bernard...
Mother pushes child to safety as car slams into Hempfield homeVideo
A 2-year-old boy escaped injury Monday after his quick-thinking mother pushed him out of the path of a car barreling into the front of their Hempfield home. Amanda Clark said the boy was standing at the glass storm door looking out at Sells Lane around 12:30 p.m. while she was...
Blessing of the hands at Excela Latrobe Hospital draws out nurse, clergy emotionsVideo
Emotions of the past year spilled over Monday for the Rev. Earl Gardner, a critical care nurse educator at Excela Health. He and the Rev. Jeffrey Wylie blessed the hands of Excela Latrobe Hospital nurses and other staff — many of whom have cared for covid-19 patients — with frankincense...
Youngwood man jailed after police said he led them on 22-mile chase
A Youngwood man is behind bars after state police said he led troopers on a 22-mile chase over the weekend that began in Pittsburgh and ended in Hempfield, according to court papers. Ryan E. McKnight, 36, did not have a valid drivers license, police said. Troopers were traveling east on...
Life during covid: Big Brothers Big Sisters builds momentum as pandemic restrictions ease
Editor’s note: This is an occasional series examining how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of members of our community. Lisa McDaid and Khalaijah Collins were just starting to get to know each other last spring. They were making plans for outings together after being matched through Big Brothers...
1-day coronavirus-related closure announced for Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12
Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12 school in the Hill District is closed Friday as a result of a fourth person testing positive for the coronavirus, according to district officials. The person who recently tested positive was last inside the school building on Wednesday. The building will be cleaned and reopen on Monday,...
No injuries in South Huntingdon fire
No one was hurt in a Friday morning fire in South Huntingdon, according to Turkeytown Fire Chief Dan Pergola. Firefighters were called to Stahl Road at 5 a.m. for a blaze that started in a garage attached to a home. It was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived, he...
