Quincey Reese stories, Page 5
Indiana County woman charged in fatal stabbing
An Indiana County woman who state police said is responsible for a fatal stabbing was charged Sunday with criminal homicide and aggravated assault. Jessica Lynn Morelli, 36, of Burrell Township is accused of stabbing a 66-year-old man, who Morelli lived with, multiple times Sunday, according to state police. Troopers and...
Mt. Pleasant Township home damaged in vehicle collision
A vehicle crashed into a Mt. Pleasant Township home Sunday evening, piercing a gaping hole next to the home’s front door, according to the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department. The fire department was dispatched to a home in the 2400 block of School Street around 7:20 p.m. The driver, who...
Man firing from roof fatally shot by state police in Indiana County
Police say a man who was firing at them during an assault investigation Sunday was fatally shot by state troopers in Indiana County. Late Monday night, Indiana County Coroner Jerry Overman identified the man as Jonathan James Pearce Jr., 34. Troopers were dispatched to the 3000 block of Dixonville Road...
Norwin student to run long distance trail race alongside uncle, grandfather
There aren’t many middle school students who can say they’ve completed a marathon. But by the end of this weekend, that is precisely what Norwin eighth grader Isabella Verdin hopes to accomplish. Verdin, 13, of Irwin will toe the start line of a six-hour trail race in Lykens, Dauphin County,...
Late Trafford Elementary teacher prioritized connection with students
Shannon Dornauer recalls how Trafford Elementary School teacher Mike Martinelli knew how to make all of his students feel welcome in his classroom. “I just remember him being very friendly and outgoing. He always made everybody feel very included and comfortable,” said Dornauer, 37, of Latrobe. “Back in elementary school,...
Penn Township hosts annual fall festival
Penn Township held its annual fall festival Sept. 19 to 21 at Municipal Park. Attendees enjoyed live music performances, carnival rides and games, food and crafts. A parade marched down Route 130 in the morning on Sept. 20 and fireworks lit up the sky above Municipal Park later that evening....
Federal agencies’ websites: A spectrum of reactions to the shutdown
Federal agencies and departments are discussing the recent government shutdown differently. Just take a look at their websites. The government stalled much of its operations at midnight Wednesday as Congress and the White House remain in a deadlock regarding the 2026 budget. It’s the first time since December 2018 —...
Penn Township Police chief retires, reflects on 30-year career in department
John Otto’s interest in policing began as an elementary student. “One day walking to school, there was a police car parked outside of Harrison Park Elementary School, and that caught my attention,” the Penn-Trafford graduate said. “I remember looking inside the car from the sidewalk … and I was mesmerized...
‘Trickle-up effect’: Administrators weigh in on improvements
As national test score reports generate concerns over student learning, an opposite pattern is unfolding at New Kensington-Arnold School District, according to Superintendent Chris Sefcheck. After hitting an all-time low in 2020, the district’s math and science scores on state tests are gradually increasing, Sefcheck said. In just two years,...
Southmoreland Middle School recognized by state for academic performance
Southmoreland Middle School was one of 13 Pennsylvania schools recognized by the state education department this week for academic performance. The initiative, Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools, was launched by the state after President Donald Trump ended the 40-year-old federal version of the program in August. Schools are recognized for their...
Penn-Trafford Hockey Club disbands junior varsity team, cites low participation
Three weeks into the season, Penn-Trafford’s junior varsity hockey team disbanded because of low participation. Following tryouts in April, about 10 players were placed on the junior varsity roster, according to parent Michael Broker of Penn Township. “Having that few of kids, it’s really not ideal, because there’s injury, people...
PT’s Pizza Palace marks more than 3 decades in Level Green
Jon Ledwich spent his high school years working at PT’s Pizza Palace along Murrysville Road in Penn Township — walking the quarter mile from his childhood home on Shady Drive to deliver pizzas and hand out fliers. The restaurant, one of a handful of small businesses in its Level Green...
Southmoreland School Board censures director, adjusts livestream policy amid controversial comments
Southmoreland School Board voted this week to censure a member and stop livestreaming its meetings. The board removed comments made by School Director Catherine Fike from its Sept. 16 meeting recording. Fike, a retired school psychologist and veteran member of the school board, “disclosed confidential student information about a district...
Olympian Jenny Simpson to host group run in North Shore this week
Pittsburgh area runners can cancel their training plans for Thursday. Olympic medalist and retired professional runner Jenny Simpson will host a group run and meet-and-greet that day in Pittsburgh’s North Shore neighborhood. It’s part of a yearlong challenge Simpson and her husband, Jason, set for themselves — to run in...
50-year-old woman struck, killed by PRT bus
A 50-year-old woman was struck and killed Monday afternoon by a Pittsburgh Regional Transit Bus in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood, The crash occurred around 12:15 p.m. near the intersection of Rhine and Buente streets, according to Pittsburgh Regional Transit spokesperson Adam Brandolph. The woman’s name was not provided Monday night....
Makeshift spike strips found on Route 981 in South Huntingdon
State police removed makeshift spikes strips to deflate tires found Sunday on roads in South Huntingdon. Made of pieces of wood with nails sticking out of them, the strips were found around 7:30 p.m. along Route 981 and Mendon Road, according to state police. They were painted black to blend...
Hempfield to pilot Lego-based therapy program at 2 elementaries
Two Hempfield Area elementary schools will pilot a Lego-based therapy program this school year. Carnegie Mellon University partnered with a Western Pennsylvania nonprofit called Matt’s Maker Space to bring the Brick Club program to the region’s schools. The concept comes from Play Included, a company based in Cambridge, England, that...
CNX pursues new permits for 2 Penn Township gas wells, Protect PT prepares for response
Environmental nonprofit Protect PT may have to start over in its decade-long effort to shut down a Marcellus shale gas well development along First Street in Penn Township. The state Environmental Hearing Board ruled in June against Protect PT, which two years ago appealed permit renewals for unconventional natural gas...
Penn-Trafford launches youth cross country, track and field program
Basketball, soccer, flag football, wrestling — Greg Shogan’s 6-year-old son, Connor, has tried out almost every youth sport available to him. Wrestling has become a favorite. But when it came to the other sports, the part Connor enjoyed the most was not the game itself, Greg Shogan said. “When he...
Hundreds of Pennsylvania educators call for cyber charter funding reform in state budget
Hundreds of Pennsylvania school district administrators are calling for cyber charter funding reform to be included in the state’s 2025-26 budget. A letter featuring signatures from administrators at 215 schools was sent to state legislators Thursday — calling for a cyber charter funding formula that reflects the true cost of...
Greensburg art exhibit features 101-year-old Penn Township artist
Nina Whitfield Stahlberg meandered among chairs, desks and bookcases at the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library last week, directing her son, Kevin, on where to hang 35 paintings featured in her latest art exhibit. Those stopping in to check out books would hardly suspect that the Penn Township resident will celebrate...
Greensburg Salem creates girls wrestling club
The girls competing on Greensburg Salem’s boys wrestling team will be able to compete on a roster of their own this year following a vote by the school board Wednesday. The school board voted unanimously to create a girls wrestling club, with the hope that the program will grow into...
High school seniors’ math, reading scores declining, national report says
High school seniors’ math and reading comprehension are on the decline, according to a national report. The National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education, administered the National Assessment of Educational Progress to a sample of students from 1,500 schools throughout the country from January to...
Westmoreland County tax auction estimated to fall just shy of record sales
Murrysville resident Nathan Boyd came to Westmoreland County’s annual auction of tax-delinquent properties Monday with the hope of snagging fixer-upper homes for him and his brother to renovate. Boyd, 26, is about a year into his career as a commercial real estate attorney. He made his debut in property ownership...
Westmoreland developments: The Venue, former Weyand Signs building search for new owners
After closing his 6½-year-old restaurant in late June, Michael Villi will reopen The Venue in downtown Greensburg this month while searching for a new owner to operate the business. Looking to retire from the restaurant business, Villi closed The Venue to search for a new owner. But after having his...
