Renatta Signorini stories, Page 12
Greensburg man sentenced for sexual assault of boy
A Greensburg man was sentenced Friday to 12 to 24 years in a state prison for the sexual assault of a 3-year-old boy. James A. Swanson, 48, was ordered to spend three years on probation after the prison term is over. He was convicted in March of rape and involuntary...
Jeannette shooting victim describes chaotic scene, gunfire that led to death of young mother
As Cortez McClendon was getting food out of a refrigerator, he felt the gunshots. He was hit with bullets five times, three of which remain lodged in his body, before falling to the floor of the Jeannette home on June 9, 2023. McClendon testified Friday that he remembered seeing Briana...
New Kensington man now faces death penalty if convicted in death of 2-year-old
Attorneys are now hoping to try a death penalty case against a New Kensington man in November as a Westmoreland County judge is keeping a close eye on the progress of the 5-year-old prosecution. Judge Scott Mears directed prosecution and defense attorneys to discuss with their experts the possibility of...
Hearing set in North Huntingdon high-speed crash
A hearing for prosecutors to lay out some of their evidence is being scheduled in the case against a North Huntingdon man accused of driving 90 mph last year before colliding with another vehicle, seriously injuring its driver. Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli said Friday he expects testimony to take...
Cleanup of former Fort Pitt Brewery site in West Jeannette continues after boost in federal funding
Demolition work at the former Fort Pitt Brewery site in West Jeannette is expected to wrap up in the next few months as officials prepare for an environmental assessment later this year. The decrepit buildings are gone, but remaining work includes cleaning up and spreading dirt, said Brian Lawrence, director...
Maintenance plan review underway for Hempfield public works equipment
Hempfield Supervisor Jay Anderson is pushing for a public works fleet maintenance plan to be established as the board approved spending an unexpected $174,000 to buy a new day cab tractor. The vehicle is used to haul a trailer and heavy public works equipment such as a paver or excavator....
Murrysville attorney accused of bilking more than $300K from elderly client
A Murrysville attorney who ran unsuccessfully for district judge in 2023 was charged Thursday with stealing about $312,000 from an elderly client. An arrest warrant was issued for Robert C. Klingensmith, 61, on three counts of theft and a single count of financial exploitation of an older adult. He did...
Arnold man ruled incompetent for trial in 2024 home invasion, rape
An Arnold man was deemed incompetent Thursday to stand trial in an attempted homicide and rape case. Cue Anthony Freckleton, 29, will be sent from the Westmoreland County jail to Torrance State Hospital in Derry Township for treatment in an effort to restore competency, Judge Scott Mears ordered. “The doctor...
Northmont flood control project in Greensburg draws some critics
The engineer on a proposed flood control project in Greensburg said he plans to take resident concerns to state and federal officials. But whether those concerns are enough to change the project design remains to be seen. About a dozen residents participated in an informational meeting on the project Wednesday....
Blairsville woman charged in 2024 fatal Derry Township crash
A Blairsville woman was arrested Tuesday in connection with a 2024 fatal crash in Derry Township. State police charged Ashley L. Kelley, 33, with homicide by vehicle, reckless endangerment, driving under the influence and related offenses. She tested positive for marijuana after the crash, according to troopers. State police said...
Retired Greensburg cop Regina McAtee sentenced to 36 months’ probation
A retired Greensburg police officer was sentenced Tuesday to 36 months’ probation in a drug conspiracy case that involved the city’s former police chief. Regina McAtee, 52, of New Kensington pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. “Ms. McAtee, I think...
Hempfield solar farm gets green light
A Colorado firm’s plans to construct a solar system farm in Hempfield were approved by supervisors last week. Bear Peak Hempfield intends to build a 3,000 kilowatt facility on an 86-acre property off Penn Valley Road, said Matthew Pernelli, township planning manager. “It will be distributing the power to West...
Hempfield plans work to improve safety along Route 66
Improved safety measures are coming for two sections of Business Route 66 in Hempfield, as well as a park in the north end of the township. Supervisors on Wednesday awarded a contract to Penn Line Service, Inc. for $125,000. Hempfield received $140,000 in funding from PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement...
Pension payments top $100K for ex-Greensburg police officer awaiting sentencing in drug case
A retired Greensburg police officer who has collected more than $100,000 in pension payments is set to learn her sentence Tuesday in a federal drug conspiracy case involving the city’s former police chief. Attorney Lee Demosky, solicitor for Greensburg’s police pension committee, said he plans to attend the sentencing hearing...
Work to nudge Five Star Trail away from rail line to begin this fall
A 1-mile section of the Five Star Trail will gain some distance from an active rail line under a project that could start later this year. Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation planning coordinator Jeff Richards said the extra few feet of space is needed because the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad is...
Public information session planned for Northmont flood control project
A public information session is planned at Greensburg City Hall next week for property owners whose land would be affected by a proposed flood control project in the Northmont neighborhood. City officials are seeking easements on 20 properties, in addition to a few that are owned by Greensburg. So far,...
Federal court sets distribution of Jeannette EMS cash assets
The $25,000 in cash remaining in the Jeannette EMS bankruptcy case is being distributed to three unsecured creditors, attorneys and others, according to a federal court order filed this month. There was $9,700 designated for administrative expenses — fees for the bankruptcy trustee, two law firms and an accounting firm....
Suspect in Rostraver homicide back in Pa.
The man suspected in a Rostraver woman’s shooting death is back in Pennsylvania after being extradited from Florida. Dorian C. Jeri-Greene, 39, was denied bail Wednesday. He is charged with homicide, robbery, burglary and three counts of theft in the April 11 death of Jennah M. Seibert, 24. A preliminary...
Police identify victim in crash on Toll Route 66
A Connellsville man died during a crash on Toll Route 66 in Hempfield last week, according to state police. Steven E. Kooser, 53, was traveling south on the highway at 3:30 p.m. Thursday around mile marker 3.2. The Honda CRV he was driving went off the right shoulder and then...
Residents escape before fire destroys home in Unity
A Unity home was destroyed early Tuesday by flames, according to Dry Ridge Fire Chief Rich Levay. The blaze was reported around 3:45 a.m. along Route 130. Levay said the occupants were able to get out safely after a smoke detector alerted them to the fire. “When I pulled in,...
Gold chain pawned in Florida led police to suspect in Rostraver killing; charges filed
A 14-karat gold chain reported stolen from a Rostraver home was pawned in Florida weeks later, leading police south in their search for a suspect in the shooting death of a 24-year-old woman, according to court papers. On Monday, they filed homicide charges against that suspect — Dorian C. Jeri-Greene,...
Ex-Greensburg police chief Shawn Denning reports to prison June 10
Former Greensburg police chief Shawn Denning will begin serving his federal prison sentence in a drug distribution conspiracy case on June 10, according to a notice from the U.S. Marshals Service. Denning, 44, of Delmont, was ordered to report to a satellite camp at the Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill...
Hempfield Big Lots store among locations in Western Pennsylvania slated to reopen
A few former Big Lots stores in the region are preparing for a rebirth under the same name. Locations in Hempfield, Ross, Penn Hills, Washington, Indiana, Rochester and Johnstown are on a list of 11 stores statewide reopening June 5 after their assets were transferred to a North Carolina-based discount...
Law enforcement officer memorial unveiled on Westmoreland courthouse square
The absence of Trooper Michael Paul Stewart III is felt on a daily basis, said his brother, Jason Stewart. Now the family has a spot where he can be remembered by them and the entire community as a memorial honoring Westmoreland County’s 28 fallen law enforcement officers was unveiled Thursday....
Jeannette’s 2-term Republican mayor faces challenger in Tuesday’s primary election
A political newcomer is challenging an incumbent in Tuesday’s Republican primary election for mayor of Jeannette. Ed Day hopes to bring a new face to the seat, while Curtis Antoniak is seeking his third term. The winner will face Michelle Langdon, the lone Democrat seeking a nomination and current councilwoman,...
