Renatta Signorini stories, Page 26
Police dog’s kennel stay cost Jeannette $660, records show
Jeannette paid $660 to a kennel that housed the city’s police dog while the police department’s K9 unit was disbanded this summer, according to a bill obtained by the Trib through an open records request. Diesel, a Belgian malinois, was at the kennel from July 30 to Aug. 20, the...
Testing of Westmoreland’s 900 voting machines underway in prep for November election
Republican committeewoman Cindy Brown of Ligonier Township said she’s often asked about election integrity when talking with voters. On Monday, she was one of four members of the public who went to watch Westmoreland County officials test the accuracy of the county’s voting machines with the pivotal November election just...
Westmoreland prison guard charged after incident at Verizon store
A Westmoreland County Prison guard was charged last week in connection with a reported disruption at a Verizon store in North Huntingdon that prompted staff to hire armed security. Scott Kennedy, 43, of North Huntingdon, is accused of yelling at employees there and threatening them, according to court papers. He...
East Huntingdon carjacking suspect caught in North Carolina; missing dog might be near I-95 rest stop
Lucky the dog was missing Sunday when his owner’s car was found. Kenneth Wilson Crider, 43, of Maryland, wanted in connection with an East Huntingdon carjacking, was apprehended late Saturday after a police chase in North Carolina. But Lucky, a 10-year-old Airedale terrier who belongs to the stolen car’s owner,...
Couple accused of bilking $20K from prospective buyer of Yukon property they were evicted from
Two people are charged with theft and conspiracy after authorities said they took $20,000 from someone who intended to buy their home. But Westmoreland County detectives said the property up for sale was not owned by Timothy Jay King, 38, or Amber Lynn Tarr, 35. In December, Tarr, who also...
Nurses banned from caregiving after accusations of sharing patient photos at Westmoreland Hospital
Two registered nurses who are accused of taking and sharing photos and making recordings of Westmoreland Hospital patients without their permission are prohibited from holding caretaking jobs. District Judge Chris Flanigan made that part of the conditions of the $40,000 unsecured bail she set Thursday for Peter Castellano, 36, of...
Sen. Ward partners with Western Pa. food banks to promote breast cancer screenings
It’s not enough for State Sen. Kim Ward that high-risk Pennsylvania women can benefit from legislation she crafted related to preventative breast and ovarian cancer screenings. She wants to go national in requiring insurers to cover at no cost breast MRIs, breast ultrasound and genetic testing for the BRCA gene....
Police identify suspect in connection with East Huntingdon carjacking, missing dog
A Maryland man accused in an East Huntingdon car jacking this week — and Lucky, the dog that was inside the vehicle — could be anywhere. But there was a glimmer of hope in surveillance video from a Walmart store just outside Connellsville, said state Trooper Steve Limani. Kenneth Wilson...
Ex-Greensburg hospital employee accused of locking special needs co-worker in freezer
A former Westmoreland Hospital employee is accused of locking a female co-worker who has special needs in a walk-in freezer when they were employed in the dietary department at Westmoreland Hospital. Greensburg police said Nick V. Casper, 25, of South Greensburg admitted in an email to his supervisor that he...
County housing authority board OKs land purchase for 50-unit complex along Route 51 in Rostraver
With the population aging, Westmoreland County Housing Authority director Mike Washowich said he thinks a planned senior housing development in Rostraver will fill a need in that area. “There’s not anything else there,” he said. “We’re very excited about the location of the property.” That 6-acre location is near Willowbrook...
Police: 2 former Westmoreland Hospital nurses took, shared inappropriate patient images
Two former Westmoreland Hospital nurses are accused of taking and sharing photos and making recordings of patients without their permission, including one instance where police say a suspect superimposed co-workers’ faces on a photo of a naked patient, court papers show. Greensburg police charged Peter Castellano, 36, of Pittsburgh and...
Housing authority plans solar panel installation on land adjacent to Hempfield Towers
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority is moving ahead with the purchase of 6 acres behind Hempfield Towers. Officials plan to build a solar farm on the property to provide power solely to the 202-unit affordable senior apartment building. “We don’t have a sales agreement at this point on that, but...
Dog named Lucky missing after carjacking at East Huntingdon Tractor Supply store
As they often did, Willard Martz and his 10-year-old Airedale terrier, Lucky, went for a ride Monday morning. When Martz parked outside the East Huntingdon Tractor Supply about 8:45 a.m., leaving a window open for his companion, and headed into the store, someone came up behind him, said his daughter,...
Trump courts farmers’ support in visit near Smithton
Rachelle Davanzo’s life growing up on her family’s South Huntingdon farm wasn’t a typical childhood. “When normal kids went home to watch TV, I went home to milk cows,” she said. Now a beef farm still run by her family, the bucolic rural site was the backdrop for a visit...
Steelers vs. Chargers: What they’re saying in L.A. after loss
In a battle of the unbeaten teams, one left Acrisure Stadium on Sunday with its quarterback in a walking boot. “Not every game’s gonna be a fairy tale ending,” Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters after his team suffered a 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Quarterback...
Gaming-based mental health counseling to be introduced at Greensburg event
Playing video games allows Rob Hamilton, Westmoreland County’s director of human services, to disconnect from the stress and anxiety of everyday life. “It challenges my mind differently than maybe my everyday stressors might,” he said. He and licensed professional counselor Steve Kuniak are hoping to create a pilot program for...
Organizers pleased with jump in attendance as Bigfoot tales and tours complement Derry Railroad Days
The legend of Bigfoot and the storied history of railroads don’t typically have anything in common. In Derry Borough, they do now. Organizers of Derry Railroad Days this year dipped a toe into the mysterious world of Bigfoot’s supposed presence in the area. Festival board member Nathan Bundy said the...
Donora man dies in Fayette County crash
A Donora man was killed in a head-on crash late Saturday in Fayette County, according to state police. Troopers said Quinte Lamar Brown, 26, was driving a Chevrolet Cobalt on Brownsville Road in Jefferson Township just before 11 p.m. when an oncoming Chevrolet Silverado crossed the center line and collided...
Scottdale celebrates its 150th anniversary with plenty of style — make that styles
For years, Jayne Canose walked in parades around the Scottdale area outfitted in handmade regalia of a different time. On Saturday, she rode, waving a gloved hand at those who lined the streets to watch the parade. Canose was at one time the leader of the Scottdale American Women, also...
Pittsburgh man charged in McKees Rocks fatal shooting
A Pittsburgh man was awaiting arraignment Saturday morning on homicide charges in connection with a fatal shooting last week in McKees Rocks. Allegheny County Police said they charged Richard Horne, 28, with the Sept. 14 shooting death of William Hopkins, 34, of Castle Shannon. Hopkins was found on Ella Street...
Woman killed in crash on Parkway West in Pittsburgh
A woman was killed and two others hurt in a one-vehicle crash overnight on the Parkway West in Pittsburgh, according to state police. Troopers said they believe the driver was impaired. An Infiniti car being driven by Jordan I. Bowyer, 23, of Pitcairn was speeding westbound on the highway around...
Convicted rapist, formerly of Greensburg, now accused of raping 3-year-old
A former Greensburg man who is serving a state prison sentence in a violent rape was arraigned Friday on new sexual assault accusations police said involved a 3-year-old child. Justin Owens Hall, 30, who is being held at SCI Smithfield, is accused of sexually assaulting the child at a Penn...
Sewickley Township man accused of threatening neighbor with knife pleads guilty
A Sewickley Township man who pleaded guilty this week to charging at his neighbor with a knife will be released from jail to inpatient treatment, according to a court order. Kurtis C. Baker, 33, pleaded guilty Wednesday to terroristic threats, criminal mischief and drug possession. He was sentenced to six...
Officials say plans to demolish former state prison in Hempfield are moving forward
Bids for the demolition of the former SCI Greensburg state prison could be sought by the end of the year. Hempfield officials may have to complete the project in phases, depending on how much funding is awarded, but Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. Executive Director Jason Rigone said he is...
Ligonier man suspected of involvement in disappearance of Amy Shipley found dead
A man authorities expected to arrest in connection with the disappearance of a Ligonier woman died Thursday from self-inflicted knife wounds at their home in Ligonier Borough, according to Westmoreland County Chief Detective Ron Zona. Roger A. Angelo Jr., 47, was found dead around 2 a.m. at the West Vincent...
