Tony LaRussa stories, Page 28
Medical examiner releases identity of pedestrian hit, killed on Route 286 in Plum
Authorities have released the identity of a man who died after being hit by a vehicle along Route 286 in Plum last Monday night. Nicholas Edward Witucki, 36, of Pittsburgh was struck shortly after 11 p.m. June 6 while walking along Golden Mile Highway in the borough’s Holiday Park section....
Pine-Richland hires Hernandez as new high school principal
Pine-Richland High School’s new principal won’t need to spend the first days on the job finding his way around the building or getting to know the staff and students. Frank Hernandez, the assistant principal since joining the district in August, was appointed principal by the school board on June 6...
Harmar police accuse man of nearly starving dog to death; felony charges filed
A Harmar man faces felony charges after police accused him of leaving his dog in a crate for weeks and nearly starving it to death. John Anthony Wells, 23, of the 400 block of Nixon Road was charged with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals along with multiple...
2 men with arrest warrants taken into custody after traffic stop in New Kensington
Two men wanted on arrest warrants were taken into custody after police in New Kensington pulled over a car driven by a third man whose license was suspended for DUI. Westmoreland County Drug Task Force officers, which includes New Kensington cops, and agents with the state Attorney General’s Office were...
Police say Armstrong County sex offender arrested for failing to comply with Megan’s Law
An Armstrong County man who must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life was arrested by state police after, they say, he failed to notify them when he moved out of his Parks Township home six months ago. John Robert Kunkle Jr., 60, of the 1100...
Parks Township police accuse woman of stealing nearly $10,000 from father’s bank accounts
Parks Township police charged a woman with multiple felonies after investigators accused her of stealing nearly $10,000 from her father by using his checking and savings accounts to buy merchandise, withdraw cash and forge checks without his permission. Jacqueline M. Kromka, 35, of the 3200 block of River Road, Kiski...
State police searching for suspects who shot at vehicle along Route 28 in O’Hara
State police are seeking the public’s help in the search for two suspects wanted for shooting at a vehicle while driving along Route 28 in Harmar late last month. Investigators at the Kittanning station said a motorist reported that while driving near Exit 10 in O’Hara shortly before 9 p.m....
New Kensington chief says quick response to van fire behind station prevented catastrophe
A quick response by firefighters after a van erupted in flames Thursday in the alley behind New Kensington’s No. 3 fire station prevented the flames from spreading to nearby homes, according to authorities. Residents fled from several nearby homes after a Volkswagen van that was being driven by a man...
Authorities confirm the deaths of two people found in Springdale were murder-suicide
The deaths of two people in Springdale in April is officially a murder-suicide. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office released the manners of death this week for Morgan Kurpakus, 24, of Springdale and Robert Devaughn Williams, 36, of New Kensington. Both were found dead of gunshot wounds on April 25...
Pittsburgh woman facing felony charges after Arnold police say she punched woman, scuffled with officers
Arnold police accused a woman of spitting at officers and kicking one of them in the groin when they tried to arrest her for allegedly assaulting another woman. Korrina Jolynn Booker, 35, of the 6800 block of Frankstown Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, was charged with two felony counts of...
Vandergrift police accuse woman of dealing drugs after cop says 5 ounces of pot found in SUV
Vandergrift police charged a woman with a felony drug dealing charge after, police said, they found more than 5 ounces of marijuana and a digital scale in her vehicle during a traffic stop. Mariah Shantel Hannay, 22, of Penn Hills was charged with a felony count of possession of drugs...
Vandergrift man dies after being pinned against loading dock in Harmar
Authorities say a Vandergrift man was the person who died Monday when he was pinned against a loading dock at a business in Harmar. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Samuel Plazio, 64, of Vandergrift. Allegheny County homicide detectives asked for the public’s help Monday in...
Faces of the Valley: Adam Matcho’s latest poetry collection offers thought-provoking take on everyday struggles, triumphs
You won’t need a primer on poetic pentameter to find enjoyment and meaning in Adam Matcho’s latest collection. Some might call it poetry for working stiffs. The 90 poems the Washington Township writer included in “Ask Your Undertaker” are simple, deftly crafted vignettes that immediately feel familiar. Big-box retail stores,...
Tarentum woman accused of lighting man’s shirt on fire with natural gas on and 3 kids in the house
Tarentum police accused a woman of lighting her boyfriend’s shirt on fire while the gas for a stove was turned on and three children were in the home as they argued. Ahgist Fultz, 40, of West Sixth Avenue was charged with three felony counts of endangering the welfare of children...
State police say assault complaint led to arrest of Fawn man on firearms charges
A state trooper responding to an assault complaint charged a Fawn Township man with illegal possession of a firearm after, police said, they found him sitting in a vehicle at a park-and-ride lot with three loaded guns. Zachary John Cervice, 50, of the 3900 block of Ridge Road was charged...
EPA to test Allegheny River water to confirm no petroleum leaked from Harmar derailment
Three railroad cars that were leaking a petroleum product after a freight train derailed in Harmar on Thursday afternoon have been secured with “no immediate signs” that it leaked into a nearby stream feeding into the Allegheny River, Norfolk Southern railroad officials said Friday morning. Freeport Road is expected to...
State investigators say 2 men filed false car insurance claims in Arnold
Two men from Cambria County face a string of felony charges after state investigators accused them of filing fraudulent insurance claims in 2020 with an agent in Arnold for three vehicles they owned together. Calvin Marcell Booker, 26, and David James Gaida, 23, both of the 400 block of Gallitain...
Pine-Richland selected to serve as pilot program for electric-powered school buses
The Pine-Richland School District is already well on the road to improving the environment by using buses powered by propane engines. But reliance on fossil fuels could go the way of the dinosaurs with the addition of electric buses to the district’s fleet. The district’s transportation provider, Student Transportation of...
Police: Kiski man accused of hitting cop who came to check his on his safety
A Kiski Township man accused of attacking a police officer who went to his house to check whether he was in danger faces a felony charge of aggravated assault. Travis Dewayne Sheaffer, 28, of Old State Road, also faces counts of simple assault, resisting arrest and harassment in connection with...
Father of New Kensington boy found dead ordered to trial on charges he punched the boy in November
The father of a 9-year-old New Kensington boy who was found dead May 4 was ordered to stand trial on charges of simple assault and child endangerment that were filed in November. Jean J. Charles, 40, waived his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr....
Pine-Richland communications director retiring; replacement named
Pine-Richland School school officials announced the hiring of a new director of communications. The school board recently appointed Erin Hasinger as its director of communications to replace Rachel Hathhorn, who is retiring after 17 years in the job to move out of the area. “We are excited to welcome Ms....
Credit card skimmer found in Frazer tied to 2 other cases, police urge awareness
Investigators say two Romanian nationals accused of trying to steal credit card and debit card information by installing a skimming device at the Sam’s Club store in Frazer also put the skimmers in at least two other stores before they were arrested. Authorities say that while the devices are nearly...
Homeless man charged with attempted homicide in Arnold Manor shooting
A homeless man was charged with attempted homicide after, investigators said, he lured a man to the front of the Arnold Manor high-rise in Arnold on Tuesday and shot him three times. Tevian Williams, 20, was charged with felony counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a...
Police: Arnold cops find wanted man hiding in closet, 2 charged with hindering his arrest
Two people from Clarion were charged with a felony after Arnold police accused them of hiding a man wanted on a misdemeanor theft charge. Tyler Bennett, 30, and Amber Jane Adamiak, 31, both of Grand Avenue, each face a felony count of hindering the apprehension of a criminal. Bennett also...
Man charged in fatal North Buffalo shooting
State police charged an East Franklin man with homicide after, they say, he got into a dispute with another man on Sunday and shot him to death in North Buffalo. Police charged Nicholas Alexander Fortuna, 24, of the 100 block of Alpine Wood Drive with a felony count of criminal...
