Tony LaRussa stories, Page 35
Herb Ellerbrock, reptile keeper who helped bring Komodo Dragon to Pittsburgh Zoo, dies at 73
Herb Ellerbrock’s fascination with reptiles was so intense as a kid growing up in Sharpsburg, his parents hung a sign outside their home and turned the front room into a shop for him to collect and sell snakes. That shop helped fuel the boy’s passion for reptiles and amphibians and...
Rep. Mercuri’s bill making it easier to complete mortgage process signed into law
Changing some of Pennsylvania’s antiquated laws can be a laborious process that often takes a backseat to more pressing legislation. But when the governor issued emergency orders during last year’s coronavirus shut down to prevent a halt in mortgages being issued, a lawmaker from Pine Township saw a chance to...
Police say woman stole, forged checks after New Kensington man suffered stroke
New Kensington police accused a woman of stealing blank checks from her neighbor and forging his name to cash them during the weeks after he suffered a stroke. Shanna Rachelle Heymers, 41, of the 2500 block of Virginia Drive in New Kensington, was charged with two felony counts of forgery...
Harrison police: New Kensington man lied about criminal, mental history when applying to buy gun
Harrison police have charged a man who is not permitted to own a firearm with a felony for, police say, intentionally providing false information about his past when trying to buy a gun from a sporting goods store. Anthony Lee Miller, 41, of Pine Court in New Kensington, was charged...
Police: Man, 21, dead after swerving head-on into pickup on Route 66 in Washington Township
A 21-year-old man died on Tuesday morning when his SUV swerved into oncoming traffic along Route 66 in Washington Township and crashed head-on into a pickup truck, according to authorities. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office on Tuesday night identified the driver of the SUV as Michael C. Signore, of Delmont....
Man charged with parole, drug violations after tinted-window traffic stop in New Kensington
New Kensington police say they charged a Lower Burrell with a felony and jailed him on a parole violation after he tried to ditch a bag of cocaine when his car was pulled over for having windows that were tinted too dark, according to his arrest papers. Josh J. Porowski,...
Police: East Deer woman facing drug charges after selling informant crack cocaine
State police accused an East Deer woman of dealing crack cocaine after an informant bought the drug from her during a sting operation. Sarah Rebecca Ellis, 26, of the 900 block of Front Street, was charged with two felony counts of possessing drugs with the intent to deliver as well...
Weather can be second foe for firefighters battling blaze on frigid winter day
Darting in and out of a smoke-filled building in search of occupants and scaling a ladder to the roof as flames roar is dangerous work, even in the best weather conditions. Add frigid temperatures, whipping wind and falling snow, and the dangers multiply dramatically for firefighters trying to save lives...
Police: New Kensington man faces felony gun charges after video shows him point pistol at woman
New Kensington police charged a felon with illegal possession of a firearm after seeing a video of him pointing a pistol at a woman during an argument, authorities say. Don Levon Graves, 57, of Main St., New Kensington, was charged with felony counts of possession of a firearm by a...
Couple accused of endangerment for using cameras to monitor kids; keeping food, bathrooms locked up
An Allegheny Township couple was charged with multiple felonies after their three children told police they are under near-constant video surveillance and most of the food in the house is kept locked up. Leann Marie Lawson, 35, and Nevin A. Lawson, 51, of the 100 block of Indian Hill Road,...
Police: Brackenridge woman accused of bludgeoning dog to death with hammer in front of children
Brackenridge police arrested a woman after her boyfriend told them she beat the family’s dog to death with a hammer in front of their children. Bianca Simone Lee, 32, of Nelson Avenue, was arrested on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals in...
Police: Brackenridge woman leapt from second-story window in New Kensington to avoid arrest
New Kensington police say a woman leaped out of a second-story window to get away from officers who came to arrest her for trashing a house and swinging a knife at the owner when he told her to leave. Khayla Jean Loughner, 32, of Eighth Avenue, Brackenridge, was charged with...
Fired Harmar gas station clerk faces charges he stole $4,300 worth of winning lottery tickets, cash
Harmar Township police arrested a former gas station clerk on charges that he stole more than $4,300 worth of winning lottery tickets and cash during a one-week period in November. Joshua Andrew Lang, 19, of Spruce Street, Verona was charged Jan. 26 with a felony count of theft by deception...
Man shocked by stun gun while fleeing arrest on domestic violence and drug charges, South Buffalo police say
South Buffalo police said they used a stun gun to subdue a man Saturday after he allegedly tackled an officer and ran off when they tried to arrest him for injuring a woman during an argument. Christopher Joseph Lordo, 36, of Ronald Drive, Buffalo Township was charged with a count...
First responders pull driver from vehicle that landed in creek in Oklahoma
The driver of a vehicle that went off the road and into a creek on Monday afternoon in Oklahoma Borough did not suffer any significant injuries, according to authorities. The one-vehicle wreck was reported at 2:15 p.m. along Vista Drive, according to a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor. Emergency crews from...
Kiski Township woman faces felony charge after man tells cops she strangled him during argument
A Kiski Township woman faces a felony charge after a man told police she put her hands around his neck until he couldn’t breathe during an argument. Robin Ray Bohannon, 35, of State Route 156 was charged with felony strangulation as well as simple assault and harassment in connection with...
Call from school leads to arrest of Leechburg woman on child-abuse charges
A Leechburg woman faces three felony charges after elementary school officials reported that a 5-year-old had suffered injuries to his face, back and arms. Amanda L. Charles, 37, of Beale Avenue, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault of a child and endangering the welfare of a child, which...
Burned-out license plate bulb leads to arrest of 3 men wanted on warrants in New Kensington
A man was charged with felony drug possession and arrested for an outstanding warrant along with two other wanted people when the vehicle they were riding in was pulled over by New Kensington police for a burned-out license plate bulb. Don Lamont Carter Jr., 26, of Broad Street in South...
Police: Leechburg men charged after telling cops they burglarized house to rescue dogs
Two Leechburg men have been charged with multiple felonies after telling police they got drunk, broke into a neighbor’s house and took two dogs because they thought they were being abused, according to their arrest papers. Michael Paul Keim, 39, and Kevin Karl Trefelner, 55, of Evergreen Road each were...
Police: Man found loitering on porch in Parks Township had warrant for his arrest
Parks Township police took into custody a man whom they said was loitering on the back porch of a home and had an arrest warrant issued for him by authorities elsewhere in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Police responding to a report of a man trying to break into a home at...
Over 40 bridges in Alle-Kiski Valley are rated the same as span that collapsed in Pittsburgh
In a town aptly dubbed the “City of Bridges,” Friday morning’s collapse of a span carrying traffic over Fern Hollow Creek in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park while cars and a Port Authority bus were on it might very well be the worst nightmare a local motorist could imagine. The early morning...
Police: Teen missing from New Kensington since Jan. 25 back home
New Kensington police have called off the search for a teen who went missing on Jan. 25. Police reported that Amir Kennedy, 14, returned home Sunday....
Police: Leechburg woman charged after giving cops video she said proved her innocence
A woman is accused of pointed a rifle at her neighbor’s dog and threatening to shoot it before turning the weapon on its owner when he told her killing the animal would land her in jail, according to Leechburg police. Tracey A. Geracia, 53, of Kirkpatrick Avenue, was charged with...
Police: Raid at Arnold man’s home nets 4 pounds of pot, cash, illegal guns
An Arnold man faces seven felony charges after police raided his home and found more than 4 pounds of marijuana, thousands of dollars in cash and several illegal guns, according to his arrest papers. John Wermlinger, 53, of the 1500 block of Riverside Drive, was charged with five counts of...
Police: Woman faces gun, drug charges after speeding past officer on the berm in a snowstorm
Lower Burrell police charged a woman with a felony count of carrying a gun without a permit after she was pulled over for using the shoulder of the road to speed past an officer on Route 56 during a snowstorm, police said. In addition to the gun charge, Susan Ann...
