Renatta Signorini stories, Page 82
Dog or coyote? DNA test confirms species of animal that escaped from Westmoreland rehab center
One question has been answered about the animal that was undergoing tests to determine if was a coyote or a dog. DNA testing confirmed it is 100% a coyote, said Morgan Barron, wildlife rehabilitator. But another question remains: Where is it? The coyote escaped in late January from Barron’s Mt....
Hempfield man accused of jumping in and out of traffic on Route 136
A Hempfield man is free on bail after state police said he jumped in and out of traffic Friday and fought with troopers, according to court papers. Kenneth Wayne Barron II, 22, is charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, obstruction of highways and public drunkenness. Police said they were called...
Hempfield man accused of sexually assaulting girl daily for 6 years
A Hempfield man was arrested Friday on state police accusations that he sexually assaulted a girl for six years starting when she was 9, according to court papers. Ted Donald Brown III, 42, is facing 50 charges, including rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and corruption...
Man jailed in North Huntingdon drug bust
A Wilkins man is being held without bail after North Huntingdon police said he was involved in a November drug deal, according to court papers. Kenneth R. Rhodes Jr., 31, was arrested Thursday on charges of possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility, witness retaliation and...
Herminie man indicted in Allegheny County bank robbery
An arrest warrant was issued this week for a Herminie man accused in a December bank robbery in Allegheny County. James Smith, 43, was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on a single count of bank robbery. Authorities said in court filings that he took $604 from a Pleasant...
Passersby rescue resident from Greensburg house fireVideo
A New Jersey man in town visiting family got a Greensburg woman to safety Thursday morning as a fire next door began spreading to her home. Gary Demus happened to be riding along Harrison Avenue around 9 a.m. with his cousins Cheryll Chakrabarti and Kevin Conaway, both of Hempfield, on...
Discussions continue about how Jeannette should spend $900K in federal pandemic cash
Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the correct date of the council meeting. Jeannette council plans to further discuss next month how to spend its American Rescue Plan allocation. There have been many suggestions, ranging from infrastructure projects to small grants for businesses, though a formal plan has...
Hospital leaders hopeful as covid cases decline, staffing remains an issue
Hospital leaders across Western Pennsylvania are hopeful that a downswing from the coronavirus pandemic’s omicron variant appears to be here. They reported decreasing positive case rates and hospitalized covid patients, a welcome reprieve from the onslaught around the holidays and beginning of 2022. “That’s not to say there won’t be...
Youngwood man accused of rape
A Youngwood man was arraigned Wednesday on state police accusations that he bound a woman’s hands and raped her for hours last month, according to court papers. Brandon Robert Giron, 22, is charged with kidnap, rape, unlawful restraint and related offenses. Troopers said they were notified Jan. 21 by the...
Herminie woman hospitalized after Hempfield crash
A Herminie woman was hospitalized Tuesday after state police said she was involved in a one-vehicle crash in Hempfield. Marie L. Kane, 86, was traveling on Route 136 around 9:30 a.m. when troopers said she lost control after being unable to stop for another vehicle that was waiting to turn...
How the Huey helicopter made its way to Lynch Field
It came by police escort, not air. The 1966 U.S. Army Huey helicopter retired at Lynch Field has been there since the mid-1990s, a product of the vision of late Greensburg Fire Chief Edward Hutchinson. He and fellow firefighter Lou Battistella picked it up in September 1995 in Washington, Pa....
Greensburg police looking for suspect in ‘smash and grab’ theft at Lynch Field
Greensburg police are looking for a man accused of smashing the window of a vehicle parked Sunday at Lynch Field and taking a purse. A woman reported the incident just before 2 p.m. outside The Aerobic Center, according to Capt. Shawn Denning. A center manager told investigators that the suspect’s...
Man killed in Hempfield UTV crash
A Hempfield man died Sunday evening when the utility terrain vehicle he was driving collided with a tree, according to Westmoreland County deputy coroner Sean Hribal. Joseph Weisend, 51, sustained multiple blunt force injuries around 5:30 p.m. in the crash along Rocky Mountain Road. Investigators said Weisend was driving a...
Westmoreland County schools working on time capsule to preserve items until 2072
If you filled a shoebox with things that exemplified education spanning over 100 years, what would you put into it? School districts around Westmoreland County will be answering that question as they contribute to a large time capsule that will be opened in 2072. Westmoreland Intermediate Unit director Jason Conway...
Unity woman deemed competent to stand trial in 2 assault cases
A Unity woman was deemed competent to stand trial Friday and a hearing is set for next week to determine if she is eligible for bail in two cases. Susan Barkley, 43, is accused by police of using a pen to attack a nurse at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital and...
Lane closures, detours planned for emergency bridge repair at Route 51/I-70 interchange in Rostraver
Emergency repairs to Route 51 in Rostraver will get underway next week after an over-height vehicle struck a bridge that carries traffic over Interstate 70, according to PennDOT. The project will result in lane closures on Route 51 and Interstate 70, as well as detours for traffic traveling between the...
Irwin man indicted for child pornography possession
An Irwin man faces arraignment later this month on a federal charge that he possessed child pornography, according to court filings. The grand jury indictment filed this week accused Thomas Crosby, 27, of having images of pornography involving children younger than 12 on Oct. 16, 2020. It was unclear from...
Glassport man gets federal prison for child porn found in missing Kentucky teen investigation
A Glassport man was sentenced Wednesday to 87 months in a federal prison on a charge of possession of child pornography, according to court filings. Rory Shelton, 59, was ordered to spend five years on supervised release after the prison term. Shelton pleaded guilty in federal court in July after...
Pa. health officials visit Youngwood pharmacy to boost covid vaccine efforts
The 25,000 covid-19 vaccines delivered over the past year by a Westmoreland County community pharmacy were lauded Wednesday by acting Pennsylvania Health Secretary Keara Klinepeter. However, there is still work to be done in a county that ranks 27th in Pennsylvania in percentage of residents fully vaccinated, according to state...
Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow: 6 more weeks of winter
Looks like it will be six more weeks of winter, as Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Wednesday morning. Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog made his appearance at sunrise to throngs of fans gathered at Gobbler’s Knob — the largest ever, according to the Inner Circle of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Legend has...
5 charged with riot in Jeannette incident
Five men are facing charges in connection with a January incident that started in Jeannette and involved members of the group vandalizing a car and taunting its driver, according to court papers. Arrest warrants were issued for Colby E. Doak, 20, of New Stanton and Jeannette residents Erick T. Reusser,...
Fundraiser set for Latrobe woman hit by pickup truck
A fundraiser Sunday for a Latrobe woman who remains hospitalized after a hit-and-run will hopefully ease some of the burden on her two sons, Union Mission director Dan Carney said. All proceeds from the spaghetti dinner at Latrobe American Legion Post 515 will benefit Mary Bathurst, 42, and her family....
Jeannette allocates some of its $900K in American Rescue Plan funds
The first half of Jeannette’s American Rescue Plan allocation is being moved into the general fund. Solicitor Tim Witt said that is the first step to begin spending the money, $267,000 of which already has been earmarked. Council has been mulling over for months how to use its $900,000. The...
State trooper honored for Unity fire rescue
A state trooper was honored Thursday by the Westmoreland County commissioners for rescuing a Unity family from their burning home. Trooper Tony Anthony was on his way to work Jan. 5 when he spotted flames at a Donohoe Road house in Unity, not far from where he lives. “Originally, I...
County commissioners approve demolition of 12 Westmoreland buildings
Twelve residential and commercial structures in eight communities are slated for demolition through Westmoreland County’s redevelopment authority. Jason Rigone, director of the county’s planning division, said the goal is to bring all of the buildings down within a year. “They’re either blighted, abandoned or vacant,” he said. The county commissioners...
