Renatta Signorini stories, Page 36
Connellsville man killed in motorcycle crash
A Connellsville man was killed in a Wednesday afternoon three-vehicle crash that left part of Route 119 in Westmoreland County shut down for four hours. Fayette County Coroner Bob Baker said Joseph Baker Jr., 25, was traveling on a motorcycle when he crashed just south of the county line near...
Arnold man sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm, drugs
An Arnold man was sentenced Tuesday to five to 10 years in a state prison in connection with crystal meth, guns and more than $15,000 in cash seized from his home in April 2022. Tyson J. Bargerstock, 38, pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with...
Prosecutors ask judge to revoke $500K bond for East Huntingdon man accused of shooting at troopers
Westmoreland County prosecutors asked a judge to revoke the $500,000 bond posted by an East Huntingdon man accused of shooting at state troopers in January. Meanwhile, the defense on Wednesday secured access to James R. Miller’s cellphone in an effort to see whether a Ring doorbell video exists of the...
Duquesne man accused of groping female Westmoreland sheriff’s deputy
A Duquesne man is accused of groping a female Westmoreland County sheriff’s deputy this week, moments after he pleaded guilty and was sentenced in a drug case, according to court papers. Investigators said Jerome D. Felton, 23, pinned the deputy up against a wall and groped her while she was...
School mask policy incident in 2021 results in conviction on disorderly conduct, other charges
A South Greensburg man was acquitted this week of two assault counts related to a 2021 incident at Hempfield Area High School in which he got into an altercation with school police while demanding to deliver a letter related to the district’s mask policy. Richard M. Bettis, 58, was convicted...
Total donations for victims of Jeannette fire surpass $250,000
Fundraising continues as donations to GoFundMe and local accounts total more than $250,000 in support of the families affected by last week’s fatal fire in Jeannette. Organizers of Monday’s fundraiser at the American Legion in Jeannette said they expect the total donated to surpass $18,000. Volunteer Michelle Langdon said that...
Pittsburgh man opts for trial in New Kensington shooting case
A Pittsburgh man faces a mandatory sentence of at least 20 years in prison if he’s convicted of shooting at three New Kensington police officers when he goes to trial next month. Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli said prosecutors offered J’Lamar Washington, 21, an agreement that would have called for...
Westmoreland judge to consider recusal in case involving suspended Arnold police officer
A Westmoreland County judge said he will consider a request to remove himself from the case of a man accused of lying about how his patrol vehicle was damaged while working as an Arnold police officer. Judge Scott Mears asked attorney Marc Daffner to file a formal motion seeking his...
New Kensington man pleads guilty in 2021 drive-by shooting case
A New Kensington man accused in a drive-by shooting pleaded guilty Tuesday while his co-defendant got a new lawyer. Isaac A. Weihrauch, 20, was sentenced to five to 10 years in a state prison under a plea agreement with Westmoreland County prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, attempted aggravated...
Arnold man latest to be sentenced in 2022 New Kensington shooting
An Arnold man was sentenced Monday to 18 to 36 months in a state prison followed by five years of probation in connection with a 2022 fatal shooting in New Kensington. Jonathan E. Felder, 19, was ordered to spend five years on probation after the prison term. Prosecutors agreed to...
Westmoreland juvenile detention center set to reopen Wednesday
With nearly $1 million in renovations still to come and learn-as-you-go training planned for some staff, Westmoreland County will reopen its juvenile detention center Wednesday. The center will have four beds available initially while staff members get their footing, director Rich Gordon said. “Some of our staff have never worked...
Prayer vigil offers comfort to family of Jeannette fire victims
Delena Lewis ached as she listened to prayers swirl around in the wind outside Jeannette City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. The devastation was fresh — her son Tyler J. King, 27, and four grandchildren, Kyson, 7, Kinzleigh, 6, Keagan, 3, and Korbyn, 1 month, were killed hours earlier in a...
Coroner identifies father, 4 children killed in Jeannette blaze
Twin brothers Tyler and Kenneth King did everything together. Their families would go on vacations together and, until a few months ago, they worked at the same place. “Even growing up, we’d sleep together on the floor,” Kenneth King said. “We had beds. We’d just sleep downstairs on the floor...
Ligonier Township man charged in stabbing at his home
A Ligonier Township man is behind bars in connection with a stabbing at his home Sunday. Michael G. Glass, 46, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and possession of an instrument of crime. Ligonier Valley police reported they were called to Green Valley Drive at 5:30 p.m....
Hempfield plans virtual auction of items at former state prison property
Tools, equipment and furniture inside buildings at the former SCI Greensburg property will be up for grabs as a virtual auction is being planned. Officials are looking to liquidate the contents of buildings at the Hempfield complex before demolishing it, said Jason Rigone, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial...
Jeannette extends garbage rate hikes through 2027
Businesses in Jeannette will see their garbage rates increase starting next year. And an ongoing plan to increase residential rates through 2026 has been extended. The increases, which will be incremental through 2027, were necessary because of rising costs associated with disposing trash at a landfill, said city manager Ethan...
Former Fort Pitt Brewery complex, a headache for years in Jeannette, to be torn down
Demolition of the old Fort Pitt Brewery in West Jeannette could start this summer. Officials are planning a public meeting in May before opening bids for the demolition work. Brian Lawrence, director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank, expects the work to take about six months. “Our...
State trooper charged in connection with domestic violence allegation
Criminal charges were filed Monday against a suspended state trooper in connection with a domestic violence allegation. Troopers from the state police internal affairs division filed a misdemeanor charge of simple assault and a summary count of harassment against Nicholas E. Hood, 31, of Derry Township. Hood had been based...
Hempfield man jailed, accused of ramming vehicle at school bus stop
A Hempfield man was denied bail Friday after state police said he intentionally rammed a vehicle waiting at a school bus stop. Casey D. Anthony, 32, is charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, harassment and related offenses. Troopers said Anthony intentionally drove a pickup truck with an attached trailer into...
‘We received thank-you’s’: Greensburg diocese has armed police officer in every school
Police officers who work at schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg are serving as mentors to students just as much as protectors. Members of the diocese force, in its first school year of existence as a private police department, make daily rounds at the 12 schools in four...
‘Sad, dreadful feelings’: Couple’s death in house explosion rekindles memories, unanswered questions
When Rick Napoleon heard about a fatal home explosion in Crescent last week, he was overcome by sadness and empathy. The thoughts of destruction and death that he and his neighbors endured seven months ago in Plum’s Rustic Ridge community came flooding back. His home was destroyed when his neighbor’s...
Maryland men suspected of Unity vehicle break-ins
An off-duty Westmoreland County detective who noticed suspicious activity in his Unity neighborhood this week helped state police identify two men they believe stole a handgun, a Louis Vuitton wallet and $340 from four vehicles, according to court documents. Arrest warrants have been issued for the suspects: Dominyck S. Sims,...
Westmoreland formally adopts jail policy on undocumented immigrants to shed sanctuary label
Westmoreland County’s Republican delegation used a news conference Thursday to assure residents the county is no place for undocumented immigrants in trouble with the law. The county prison board unanimously approved a new policy that formalized standard operating procedure related to undocumented immigrants held at the jail. Officials at the...
Irwin man sentenced to federal prison for viewing sexually explicit content
An Irwin man was sentenced Monday to 15 months in a federal prison for looking at computer-generated and anime-type images of infants involved in sexually explicit conduct. Thomas W. Crosby IV, 30, was on supervised release in two child pornography possession cases when he viewed the explicit content, according to...
Crescent police caution of bogus fundraising in light of house explosion
Crescent police are warning of illegitimate fundraising efforts for the family affected by Tuesday’s house explosion that killed two people. In a social media post, police said those who created the fake fundraisers are taking advantage of the situation. “I must emphasize that the family has not endorsed any such...
