Renatta Signorini stories, Page 28
2 arrested in North Huntingdon drug sting operation
Two men are facing charges after police said they were planning to sell drugs to an undercover officer in North Huntingdon, according to court papers. Austin E.M. Moore, 30, of McKeesport, is charged with drug offenses and was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $200,000 bail. Deandre L....
Police say Rostraver man drugged, raped woman
A Rostraver man was jailed Wednesday after state police said he drugged and raped a woman earlier this month. Nathaniel T. Johnston, 33, of the Collinsburg neighborhood, is charged with rape of a substantially impaired person, sexual assault and related offenses. The female accuser told troopers that Johnston gave her...
Morning Roundup: Standoff ends in arrest in Monongahela; Mayor Gainey’s communications director resigns
Here are a few news items for Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024: Standoff ends in arrest in Monongahela A Carnegie man was arrested Wednesday evening after an hourslong police standoff in Monongahela that began after a chase. Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh told Trib news partner WTAE that Emmanuel Houghton,...
Man accused of killing his mom in Homestead double homicide
A man accused in a double homicide in Homestead was arrested Wednesday, according to Allegheny County Police. John Malcolm Smith V, 25, of McKeesport is charged with fatally shooting Antoinette Porterfield, 45, and John West, 54. Porterfield is his mother, police said. They were killed Tuesday around 4 p.m. in...
New home placements in Monessen help address ‘dire need’ for revitalization
Five houses that could be in place this fall in Monessen may be a harbinger of how Westmoreland County communities can move forward after clearing out abandoned homes. Westmoreland Community Action is embarking on the project that executive director Mandy Welty Zalich hopes will grow. Both county Commissioner Sean Kertes...
Convicted Trafford rapist accused of attacking woman in Penn Township
A sex offender who served a lengthy prison sentence for rape is back behind bars after Penn Township police charged him with attacking a woman he solicited for sex. Paul Daniel Zagwoski, 56, of Trafford is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $100,000 bail on misdemeanor counts of...
Western Pa. police dog programs can be costly, but are worth the investment, trainers say
Police departments say they can be more creative in their approach to law enforcement when there is a dog on their squad. They also need to be creative when figuring out how to pay for it. Donations are often sought to help cover the purchase and ongoing costs of a...
Morning Roundup: Butler County man charged with assaulting toddler at Butler Farm Show
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Aug. 13: Police say Butler County man assaulted toddler at Butler Farm Show A Butler County man is accused of slapping a 3-year-old boy in the face at the Butler Farm Show over the weekend, according to state...
Several charges dismissed against state trooper in Connellsville home invasion attack
Several charges against a Pennsylvania state trooper related to a Connellsville incident were dismissed Monday during a preliminary hearing. Charges of aggravated assault, harassment and criminal mischief against Trooper James T. Stevenson Jr., 29, of Connellsville were dismissed in Monday’s hearing. Investigators said Stevenson was off-duty from work at the...
Couple accused of smuggling drugs into Westmoreland prison
A husband and wife are accused of smuggling drugs into the Westmoreland County Prison by concealing them in a suit jacket needed for a court appearance, according to police. Westmoreland County detectives detailed in court papers numerous conversations John Joseph Kukonik, 35, had with Olivia A. Weber, 46, while he...
Jeannette EMS plans to remove former station from bankruptcy estate because of liens on property
If there are no objections filed this week, the former Jeannette EMS station will be removed from the organization’s bankruptcy estate, according to court filings. Because of liens on the property, the South Sixth Street station and its contents have no value to the estate, attorneys said in a notice...
North Huntingdon woman charged with providing alcohol, corruption of minors
While investigating a fatal dirt bike crash in North Huntingdon, police said they learned that a township woman had regularly been hosting drinking parties for teenagers in the community, according to court papers. On Friday, they arrested Kimberly Strashensky, 53, on charges of child endangerment, corruption of minors and providing...
Morning Roundup: Burning ban issued in North Franklin; 3 injured in North Versailles crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Aug. 12: Burning ban issued in North Franklin A temporary ban on burning has been enacted in a Washington County township as dry weather is expected to continue this week. Trib news partner WTAE reported that North Franklin...
Blair County frozen custard stand posts naming contest for groundhog discovered in claw machine game
A groundhog is looking to make a name for itself after being rescued from a claw machine at a Blair County frozen custard shop. The Meadows is taking suggestions for a name for the animal that is in line to become the third-most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania. A $25 gift...
Jeannette residents pack council chambers to support police dog program that was recently scrapped
Jeannette residents pleaded with council members Thursday to rethink a decision to end the city’s police dog program, while criticizing the move that has put two canines out of work. “We just cut eight feet out of that police unit,” resident Kathie Tanyer said. “Those dogs are invaluable.” A police...
Fayette man accused of soliciting photos from girl
A Fayette County man is behind bars after state police said he solicited partially-clothed pictures from a 12-year-old girl for $200. Neal A. Snyder Jr., 39, claimed to have been high on drugs when he contacted the girl, according to court papers. He was arrested Wednesday on charges of corruption...
Buy a vacant lot, build a house and get a tax break under proposal to spur redevelopment in Jeannette
A tax break program for certain residential areas in Jeannette is in the works as officials hope to promote redevelopment of lots that have been cleared of deteriorating homes. Under the current proposal, anyone who buys a vacant lot and builds a house on it can benefit from three years...
1 dead dog and 2 others infested with fleas prompt charges against Derry man
A Derry Borough man is facing animal cruelty charges after police said he failed to get his dogs veterinary care, according to court papers. One dog died and two others had severe flea infestations and Lyme disease, borough police said in court papers. Authorities spent about five weeks trying to...
Video of dog abuse also shows tattoo that helps ID South Huntingdon man in case involving shih tzu Snickers
Fourteen graphic videos depicting the abuse of a dog were played by prosecutors Wednesday in district court in support of criminal charges against a man accused in the incidents. District Judge Charles Moore stood behind the attorneys and watched as the clips, most a few seconds long, were played on...
Jeannette footing $30 per day kennel fee for unemployed police dog Diesel
The future of an out-of-work police dog is up in the air. For now, Diesel, a 4-year-old Belgian malinois on Jeannette’s police force, is staying at a kennel until decisions can be made after the department’s police dog program was disbanded last month, according to city officials and handler Sgt....
Former Latrobe man acquitted of rape charges
A former Latrobe man was acquitted of felony rape charges Wednesday but found guilty of less serious misdemeanor offenses stemming from incidents in 2020 involving two teenage girls. Glenn D. Jones Jr., 25, now of Hostetter, was found guilty by a jury of possession of marijuana and two counts each...
Trial opens for Latrobe man accused of raping 2 teens
Jurors are expected to begin deliberations Wednesday morning in a 2020 rape case against a former Latrobe man. Attorneys delivered closing arguments to the jury Tuesday afternoon following testimony from a woman who claimed Glenn D. Jones Jr., 25, now of Hostetter, raped her when she was 15. A second...
2 charged in card-marking scheme at Live Casino Pittsburgh
Two men were arrested Friday in connection with what state police said was a card-marking scheme that netted them $12,175 from Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall. The two suspects turned over the cash to troopers after being confronted while playing Mississippi Stud, according to court papers. The security manager...
Police: Greensburg woman claims to be ‘Rihanna Fenty’ during traffic stop
A Greensburg woman who police said was driving a stolen vehicle Sunday evening gave troopers six different names before they identified her through fingerprints, according to court papers. Leah L. White, 50, was pulled over on Route 22 east in Salem around 7:15 p.m. after a trooper on patrol learned...
New blood testing advancements can assist with Alzheimer’s, cancer detections
Advances in blood tests aimed at screening for ailments like Alzheimer’s disease and colon cancer can mean faster diagnosis and treatment for patients, said two Allegheny Health Network doctors. Problems can be found earlier in a way that’s easier on the patient than more invasive cancer screenings, such as a...
