Regional category, Page 188
Fake energy company jilts investors out of $2M used to buy boats, jewelry, wedding gifts; 1 of 3 indicted pleads guilty
A Greene County man admitted bilking Western Pennsylvania investors out of more than $2 million under the guise of funding a promising renewable energy company, only to use the money to pay for lavish personal items and the living expenses of he and his fellow schemers. Authorities say the money...
TSA makes travel safer, though security remains imperfect 20 years later, experts say
Since the Transportation Security Administration was created in the wake of 9/11, terrorists haven’t carried out any large-scale attacks involving commercial airliners or U.S. airports. Some say that’s a testament to the TSA and proof that its security measures are working. But some aviation security experts say the TSA, created...
Judge: Former Charleroi woman charged in Capitol riot can’t possess gun to protect her livestock
A federal judge on Friday denied the request of a former Charleroi woman charged in the Capitol riot to be allowed to possess a firearm to protect her livestock pending trial. Tara Stottlemyer, 36, is accused of obstructing official proceedings, disorderly conduct in the Capitol building, entering a restricted building...
Sharon man to plead guilty to Capitol riot charges
A Mercer County man said he will plead guilty next month to participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Matthew Perna, 37, of Sharon, is scheduled to plead guilty on Dec. 17 to the four-count indictment returned against him. He appeared before U.S. District Judge John Bates...
Police say wheelchair-bound man punched 1-year-old baby in the face at Butler hospital
Butler Memorial Hospital workers said the usual quiet of a treatment waiting area was shattered Tuesday night when the mother of a 20-month-old toddler screamed for help and accused a wheelchair-bound patient of punching her child, according to court documents. “He hit my baby!,” Butler Township police quoted the mother...
Police investigating apparent murder-suicide in Washington County
A crew from the Washington County Coroner’s Office was called to the scene of an apparent murder-suicide Thursday afternoon, officials said. Crews responded to a home in Canton Township for reports of the incident that took place between 1 p.m. Wednesday and noon Thursday, according to a release from the...
$1 million settlement approved in 2018 pipeline failure in Beaver County
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Thursday approved a $1 million settlement related to a massive failure of the Revolution pipeline that occurred in September 2018 in Beaver County. On Sept. 10, 2018, a pipeline failure occurred near Ivy Lane in Center Township, releasing more than 3 million cubic feet...
1 killed, 3 hurt in head-on crash on I-79 in Butler County
One person was killed and three others were injured Wednesday in a head-on crash on Interstate 79 in Butler County, state police said. The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. on the highway in Muddy Creek Township. State police said James E. Dapper, 58, of Zelienople, was driving a pickup...
3 indicted in ‘grandparent scheme’ targeting Pa. seniors by posing as fake attorneys, bail bondsmen
A federal grand jury has indicted three out-of-state residents for targeting elderly Western Pennsylvanians in a so-called “grandparent scheme” that involved posing as attorneys and bail bondsmen to bilk their victims out of at least $250,000. Roderick Feurtado, 54, and Tarek Bouanane, 45, both of Las Vegas, and Roberto Gutierrez,...
Report: Pennsylvania casinos shatter record, generate $425 million in revenues
Pennsylvania casinos generated more than $425.9 million in October, eclipsing a revenue high set in July, state regulators said. Casinos generated $2.25 million more last month than in July, when revenues topped $423.6 million, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. In addition, revenues last month increased...
Infamous anniversary: 100 years of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes
November marks the 100th anniversary of an infamous event in the history of Great Lakes fishing: the date when sea lamprey, native to the Atlantic ocean, first moved into Lake Erie from the Welland Canal in Ontario. The parasitic invaders decimated Great Lakes fish populations, which reached rock-bottom in the...
Troopers say accused shoplifter flashed handgun during theft at Indiana Mall
State police are asking the public’s help identifying a man who is accused of flashing a handgun as he fled a J.C. Penney store at Indiana Mall in White Township with a shopping cart of stolen merchandise. Troopers said they were dispatched at 3:01 p.m. Tuesday to the mall on...
Pittsburgh area getting last warm day before rain, colder temps move in
Anyone who enjoys warm, dry days better get out Wednesday and enjoy it, for it will be here but a day. The high temperature is expected to rise into the mid-60s this afternoon, with a high of 67 expected in the Pittsburgh area, National Weather Service meteorologist Lee Hendricks said....
Truck driver flees police stop on Pa. Turnpike, crashes in Ohio
The driver of a tractor-trailer reported driving erratically on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and accused of fleeing from a traffic stop was apprehended after crashing in Ohio Monday, according to state police. State police charged Ricardo Andres Kostyk, 30, of Clearwater, Fla., with a felony count of fleeing or attempting to...
Trib CEO Jennifer Bertetto recognized by Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association
The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association on Tuesday honored Trib Total Media President and CEO Jennifer Bertetto with the 2021 Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence. The award recognizes outstanding service that reflects positively on the news industry in Pennsylvania. Brad Simpson, president of the Harrisburg-based news association, praised Bertetto for being a...
Connellsville man almost ate 18-pound walleye he pulled from Yough before state record verification
After pulling a mammoth 34-inch walleye out of the Youghiogheny River in Connellsville on Oct. 28, Richard Nicholson had to be persuaded by his son not to fillet the fish but have it weighed to see if it was a state record. So the next morning, Nicholson, 62, put the...
State police say missing Indiana County woman found safe in Allegheny County
A 79-year-old Indiana County woman who was reported missing Monday evening was found Tuesday in Allegheny County and is safe, state police said. Relatives reported Nancy C. Smith, 79, of Dilltown, missing when she did not return home from a shopping trip Monday evening, state police said. Trooper Cliff Greenfield...
Woman dies after vehicle crash, fire in Washington County
A 35-year-old woman died after a single vehicle crash in Washington County Monday night, the county coroner said. The coroner identified the woman as Abbey Rhoades, of Washington. The crash happened around 10:30 p.m. on Moore Road in South Franklin. According to the coroner, Rhoades was alone and driving north...
Junior Achievement seeking nominations for 18 Under Eighteen
Junior Achievement of Western PA is shining attention on tomorrow’s leaders with its latest initiative, 18 Under Eighteen. Looking to showcase teens and inspire others, 18 under Eighteen will celebrate and honor 18 youths in our communities for making a difference through their exemplary leadership. Nominations are being accepted through...
W.Va. man killed in turnpike crash in Somerset
A West Virginia man died in a weekend wreck along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County. Ryan M. Smith, 35, of Huntington, W.Va., was killed when his car collided with the rear of a tractor-trailer at about 4:40 p.m. Saturday in the eastbound lanes of the turnpike, about five miles...
Boone, the little therapy dog from Butler, wins big award
A little dog with a big heart won a nationwide canine competition. Boone, a two-legged special needs hound-mix from Butler Township, was named the 2021 American Humane Hero Dog on Friday in an awards ceremony Friday in Palm Beach, Fla. He appeared as a finalist in the 2021 American Humane...
No charges to be filed in New Castle ‘kidnapping’ case
New Castle police say there won’t be any charges filed in what initially was though to be the kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl there. According to WPXI-TV, Police Chief Robert Salem said investigators determined the missing girl was not kidnapped and no charges will be filed in the case. Police...
‘Buy it now’: The time has come to start holiday shopping or risk missing Christmas
If you haven’t started holiday shopping, you might be falling behind. The culprit is supply chain disruptions. This year, more than any in recent memory, it is imperative to get an early start checking off items for those on your naughty-or-nice list, retail analysts say. “Inventory concerns, combined with constantly...
More Americans expected to enroll in Affordable Care Act health plans as costs drop, benefits increase
If you’ve shopped the Affordable Care Act marketplace for a health plan in recent years only to be disappointed by its price tags, you might want to try again. More Americans than ever qualify for federal subsidies to reduce what they spend on health insurance in 2022 — including millions...
Group to again lobby Harrisburg lawmakers for ‘People’s Maps’ over traditional Pa. politics
A citizens group that solicited public input to create “People’s Maps” to guide officials in drawing new legislative districts for the Pennsylvania General Assembly will make a final pitch on Monday. Carol Kuniholm, executive director of Fair Maps Pennsylvania, will make her pitch for the House and Senate maps, created...
