Renatta Signorini stories, Page 57
Jeannette amphitheater available to nonprofits for free this year
Nonprofits will be able to use Jeannette’s Clay Avenue amphitheater for free this year after the city successfully raised enough donations to cover the costs. Councilman Chad Krawtz said $6,000 has been contributed and fees will be waived for events held by nonprofits. “Fortunately, we had a major donor step...
Vaping THC: Police working to slow flood of illegal cartridges
Police say they are facing a challenge keeping up with crimes in the wake of the popularity of vaping THC. Oil or liquid containing THC — the psychoactive component of marijuana — is funneled into cartridges and used with an electronic cigarette-like device to smoke. It is both legal to...
East Huntingdon caretaker accused of bilking $600+ from 81-year-old Hempfield woman
An East Huntingdon woman was charged Monday after state police said she misused the debit card of an 81-year-old Hempfield woman for whom she was providing care, according to court papers. Samantha Jo Teets, 37, is accused of financial exploitation of an older adult, a misdemeanor. Police said the woman...
White Oak man jailed on drug charges refuses DNA sample, faces obstruction charge
A White Oak man arrested on drug and weapons violations last month was charged with obstruction Monday after state police said he refused to provide a DNA sample. Troopers said they got a search warrant for a DNA sample from Justin D. Grandison, 32, to compare to evidence on a...
Audit of Jeannette finances reveals failure to pay Medicare taxes
Jeannette will pay about $100,000 to the Internal Revenue Service after an audit determined the city and its police officers had not been paying Medicare taxes. Chief fiscal officer Ethan Keedy said the funds will come out of the capital reserve account, which was created with money from the 2015...
4 injured in motorcycle crash after Blessing of the Bikes
Three motorcyclists were taken to hospitals Sunday after departing the Blessing of the Bikes event at Murrysville Alliance Church, according to Murrysville Medic One administrative director Darrick Gerano. A fourth person was treated by paramedics, he said. One person was transported by ambulance and two others were taken by medical...
Jeannette stained-glass artist crafts windows for Mt. Pleasant park gazebo
Mt. Pleasant’s Veterans Park is getting a unique upgrade. Jeannette stained-glass artist Doug Davis is creating eight windows that reflect the borough’s history. The windows will be affixed to each side of an octagonal gazebo at South Diamond and Washington streets, just steps from the landmark World War I doughboy...
Salem woman on probation for theft from Derry Presbyterian church now accused of theft from Methodist church
A woman on probation for stealing $20,000 from a Derry Borough Presbyterian church in 2017 and 2018 was arrested this week on accusations she racked up $5,560 in personal expenses on a credit card belonging to another borough church. Teri Sauers, 39, of Salem was working as a secretary at...
Police seeking truck that hit Hempfield toll booth
State police are looking for a vehicle towing an oversized load that damaged a toll booth Tuesday on Toll Route 66 in Hempfield. Troopers said the white truck tractor was headed south at 3:15 p.m. when the blade of the bulldozer it was towing on a semi trailer hit several...
Officials ponder how to dispose of 3 million gallons of water at Jeannette’s former Fort Pitt Brewery
Enough water to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools is, in part, delaying efforts to tear down the former Fort Pitt Brewery in west Jeannette. Brian Lawrence, director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank, said officials are working out the best way to dispose of 3.3 million gallons...
Aggressive, distracted drivers targeted by police
It didn’t take long for police with an eye peeled for aggressive driving behaviors Wednesday in North Huntingdon to find a speeding motorist who was using a phone while behind the wheel. The traffic stop was one of many motorists can expect to see around the area as law enforcement...
East Huntingdon man accused of child sexual assaults that span about 10 years
An East Huntingdon man is behind bars after state police said he sexually assaulted a child dozens of times for nearly 10 years, according to court papers. Jeffrey D. Miller Jr., 49, was arraigned Tuesday on charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related offenses. The accuser said the...
Stove fire sparked blaze that destroyed McCali Manor in Mt. Pleasant
A stove fire sparked a blaze last week that destroyed an apartment building and former restaurant in Mt. Pleasant. Trooper Steve Limani said a state police fire marshal deemed the fire at McCali Manor accidental. It started on the second floor. The blaze was reported around 3 p.m. at the...
Jeannette police officer saves mom, artwork from house fire
Chris Mason bought a 1965 AC Cobra replica two years ago, a car he has dreamed about owning since he was 15. The Jeannette police corporal said he stopped by his mother’s home in the city Monday around 2 p.m. to fire up the engine for the first time since...
Uniontown man suffered injuries in crash on Route 66 in Hempfield
A Uniontown man was cut out of a pickup truck Saturday and taken to a Pittsburgh hospital with serious injuries, according to state police. Troopers said Jonathan M. Millikin, 41, was traveling north on Toll Route 66 in Hempfield just before 6 p.m. when the Ford Ranger he was driving...
2 arrested in North Huntingdon drug bust
Two people were arrested Wednesday after a reported drug bust at a North Huntingdon motel. A controlled buy was set up by an undercover officer through communication with a man who goes by the street name of “G,” according to court papers. Township police and authorities from the Westmoreland County...
Jeannette police seek funds for extra K-9 patrol unit
Police dog Kilo wants to get to work in Jeannette. He just doesn’t have a ride. The city police department is hoping to raise enough money to buy a patrol unit for the 5-year-old Dutch shepherd and its handler, Officer Matthew Painter, to add the out-of-work dog to the force....
Minor injuries reported in school van crash in Hempfield
Two people reportedly had minor injuries Thursday morning after a two-vehicle crash involving a school van in Hempfield, near the Greensburg border, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatch supervisor. The crash was reported around 7:15 a.m. at Triangle Drive and East Pittsburgh Street, not far from Route 30. It was...
Trafford police accuse couple of running prostitution service from their home
A married couple was arrested Tuesday after Trafford police said they were running a prostitution service and two “Johns” claimed to pay for sex there. The “Johns” told investigators that they paid $150 per session at the Fairmont Avenue home after booking a woman through online escort services, according to...
Police say Unity woman loses $14K to scammer
A Unity woman was scammed out of $14,000 after an unknown person contacted her claiming there was an issue with her computer security software, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Troopers said the woman was contacted earlier this year by the person who claimed that her McAfee account erroneously was credited...
Youngwood man faces charges after high-speed chase
A Youngwood man is accused of being intoxicated when he crashed during a police chase, injuring a female passenger. Greensburg Police said Zachary J. Burkholder, 29, nearly hit a police car around 3 a.m. Saturday when he pulled onto Ehalt Street. Officers followed the Honda Civic onto College Avenue and...
Person flown by medical helicopter after Rostraver crash
A person was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital Monday morning after a crash in Rostraver. A vehicle was reported to be overturned on Cedar Creek Road just after 10:15 a.m. in the area of the Rostraver Sportsmen and Conservation Association, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatch supervisor. The...
Sutersville man sentenced for using arrow to puncture tires, threaten neighbors
A Sutersville man was sentenced to three years and nine months to 7½ years in state prison Friday for using an arrow to puncture a neighbor’s tires and threaten another resident. Rickie L. Case, 61, was ordered to spend an additional five years on probation on charges of aggravated assault,...
Greensburg reaches $35K settlement with police officer who sued after not getting promoted
A Greensburg police officer who sued the city, claiming he was discriminated against after being passed over for the chief’s job, accepted a $35,000 settlement to end his lawsuit, according to federal court filings. W. Robert Jones on Wednesday formally accepted the settlement offer that was extended by the city...
Jeannette seeking donors so fees for nonprofits to use Clay Avenue amphitheater can be waived
Jeannette is seeking $6,000 in sponsorships this year in an effort to waive fees for nonprofits to use its Clay Avenue amphitheater. Chief fiscal officer Ethan Keedy said the city has already received about $2,500 in donations from the Jeannette Initiative, Jeannette Business Association and an individual. “If it’s successful,...
