Renatta Signorini stories, Page 40
Indiana County man sentenced to jail for trying to meet for sex with teen girl in Arnold
An Indiana County man was sentenced to two to four years in a state prison Monday for attempting to meet for sex in Arnold with someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl. James Carter Sears, 47, of White Township was ordered to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law....
Jeannette’s Clay Avenue ripe for redevelopment as city ups code enforcement
The contrasts are stark on Clay Avenue in Jeannette. Thriving businesses and eateries between the 200 and 600 blocks of the town’s business district are interspersed among abandoned or vacant buildings, many of which are ripe for redevelopment. “Those places have been there through the good and the bad …...
Man who fled Jeannette traffic stop arraigned on multiple charges
A man who successfully eluded police and search dogs after escaping from an October traffic stop in Jeannette was arraigned Monday. Lance W. Frederick, 32, of Chester, just outside Philadelphia, was denied bail on charges of fleeing from police, unlawful possession of a firearm, drug possession and related offenses. It...
Greensburg man sentenced for inappropriate contact with girl
A Greensburg man was sentenced Thursday to seven years on probation in connection with inappropriate contact with a girl. Tracy Higdon, 50, pleaded no contest child endangerment. Other charges, including aggravated indecent assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, were dismissed. Higdon was arrested in March 2021 after...
Unity man sentenced to state prison for drug, gun possession
A Unity man was sentenced Thursday to five to 10 years in a state prison for having drugs and a gun at the Hostetter Hotel. Jerome W. Thorton II, 33, pleaded guilty to prohibited possession of a firearm and possession with intent to deliver. He was ordered to pay $3,000...
Judge demands that Allegheny Health Network turn over records related to Jeannette killing
A Westmoreland County judge is demanding that Allegheny Health Network hand over medical records for a man who was killed in September 2022 in Jeannette. Judge Timothy Krieger on Friday issued a rule to show cause for why the records custodian at the health system should not be held in...
Aspiring Educators program draws interest of high schoolers looking to become teachers
A dozen Westmoreland County high school students are getting a head start on becoming educators as the state looks for ways to contend with a teacher shortage. Adi Belanger has been interested in pursuing teaching as a career, so the Central Westmoreland Career & Technology Center’s new Aspiring Educators program...
Westmoreland County workers reject contract offer, intend to strike
After months of failed contract negotiations, members of a union representing more than 500 Westmoreland County employees plan to notify the county Monday of their intent to go on strike in 10 days. Union members rejected the county’s latest proposal on Thursday, according to a news release from Service Employees...
Saint Vincent College introduces new aviation degree
A new major at Saint Vincent College will propel students to careers in aviation and help them earn a license to become a pilot. The unique partnership behind the offering has been in the works for about a year, said officials from the Unity college, Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, Community...
Hempfield man accused in stabbing incident at off-campus apartment near Slippery Rock University
A Hempfield man is accused of stabbing another man during a party Monday at an apartment complex near Slippery Rock University. Brennan James Steeley, 23, is being held at the Butler County Prison on $25,000 bail on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment. State police were called...
Resident warming frozen pipes sparks fire at Hempfield mobile home
A resident using a heat gun Wednesday morning to thaw pipes in a Hempfield mobile home sparked a fire that heavily damaged the home, according to fire Chief Anthony Kovacic. The resident escaped unharmed and called 911 about 10:30 a.m. Firefighters extinguished the flames, leaving about half of the Flamingo...
3 New Jersey men accused of taking metal from Penn Township business
Penn Township police said three New Jersey men nabbed with metal items valued at $120,000 are suspected of being part of a large theft ring. Police said they responded to an alarm at Hamill Manufacturing Co. around 3:20 a.m. Saturday and spotted the three men leaving in a pickup loaded...
Police discover deplorable conditions, 77 animals; Penn Township officials condemn home
Two people were charged Friday with animal cruelty offenses after investigators removed 77 dogs, cats and other animals from a Penn Township home that later was condemned. Police said a teenage boy was living there and the home didn’t have running water. Humane officers and township police served a search...
What they’re saying in Buffalo after Bills knock Steelers from playoffs
Fans were left to dig out their seats at snowy Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, but the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t dig out of an early point deficit in losing their fifth consecutive playoff game. The Buffalo Bills and the sportswriters who cover them had a lot of praise for two specific...
Pedestrian struck by car on Route 130 in Unity
A pedestrian was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital last week after being hit by a car in Unity, according to information state police released Tuesday. Troopers said Leonard C. Kulha, 74, of Latrobe, was crossing Route 130, not far from the intersection with Route 981 in Pleasant Unity, when he...
Informational pickets return for Westmoreland employees on expired contract
After months of picketing, members of a union representing more than 500 Westmoreland County employees are now working without a contract. The four-year pact with the county expired at midnight Dec. 31, said Maria Saccani, a licensed practical nurse at county-owned Westmoreland Manor and union delegate who has been taking...
Jeannette accepts Pitzer’s Townhouse as donation, looks to redevelop it
The former Pitzer’s Townhouse restaurant and lounge may be redeveloped or razed now that it’s owned by the city of Jeannette. City council Thursday accepted a donation of the property with hopes it might be redeveloped. The building at South Fifth Street and Magee Avenue that formerly held Pitzer’s Townhouse...
Tractor-trailer overturns on Route 119 near New Stanton turnpike interchange
Route 119/Interstate 70 in New Stanton reopened Monday morning after an overturned tractor-trailer was cleaned up. The highway was shut down around 7 a.m. just south of Youngwood. A photo from the scene showed the road blocked by the overturned rig at the on-ramp to Route 119 south, not far...
Undercover police fentanyl sting results in arrest of New York City man near New Stanton turnpike interchange
A New York City man who believed he was meeting someone to exchange about a pound of fentanyl Wednesday evening in Hempfield instead found himself behind bars, police said. Investigators said they found the drugs hidden in a toy school bus inside the SUV being driven by Adrian Wright, 38,...
Unity man arrested after robbery at Sugar Shack pizza shop
A Unity man is behind bars after state police said he robbed a pizza and pastry shop with a knife on Monday. Austin Miles Lewis, 23, had about $150 when troopers apprehended him near his home, according to court papers. Troopers were called to The Sugar Shack Pizza & Pastry...
Scheme to collect false back taxes results in prison term for Jeannette man
A Jeannette man will spend 33 months in a federal prison in connection with his role in a scheme in which participants impersonated IRS officials who demanded immediate payment of fake back taxes. Ronnell Taylor, 41, of Jeannette, also was ordered to spend two years on supervised release after the...
New Florence man accused of threatening family with claw hammer
A New Florence man is accused of possibly spraining a state trooper’s thumb during a Saturday night domestic incident that spilled into the street and required help from witnesses and neighbors, according to court papers. Police were called to 19th Street in New Florence around 9:15 p.m. for a report...
Rostraver used car dealership cited with nearly 800 business infractions
A Rostraver used car dealership is facing nearly 800 charges after, state police said, those running it failed to keep proper business records and post open hours, according to court papers. The charges were filed Monday against Anden Auto. They include one misdemeanor alleging failure to maintain records of sales...
Primanti Bros. sending gift of thanks — in sandwiches — to Titans for helping Steelers make playoffs
Tennessee is about to get a taste of Pittsburgh. Primanti Bros. announced on social media that they’ll be sending sandwiches, topped with fries and coleslaw, to the Tennessee Titans as a way to say thanks for helping the Steelers make the playoffs. The Steelers learned Sunday, a day after closing...
Rostraver father will stand trial after July accidental shooting of 4-year-old son
A 4-year-old Rostraver boy continues to recover from a head wound after accidentally shooting himself in July with his father’s gun. Meanwhile, his father was ordered Friday to stand trial on charges of child endangerment and reckless endangerment. The gun was left loaded and unsecured under a bed next to...
