Renatta Signorini stories, Page 105
Former Jeannette superintendent ordered to pay district $1K reimbursement in ethics report
Jeannette City School District’s former superintendent was ordered by the State Ethics Commission to pay $1,000 to the district in reimbursement for the personal use of public funds. Matthew Hutcheson used a district procurement card to charge his wife’s registration fee to a technology in education conference in Colorado and...
Hempfield man accused of driving drunk in crash that hurt another motorist
A Hempfield man is accused by state police of driving drunk during a March crash that left another motorist with an ankle injury requiring three surgeries, according to court papers. Nicholas John Decaro, 26, was arrested Monday. He is free on $20,000 unsecured bond. Troopers responded to Edna Road in...
1 killed, 1 hurt in Fayette crash
A Uniontown woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Fayette County Monday and a man was seriously injured, according to state police. Linda L. Lewis, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene on Morgantown Road in South Union. She was the passenger in a car being driven by Bernard...
Mother pushes child to safety as car slams into Hempfield homeVideo
A 2-year-old boy escaped injury Monday after his quick-thinking mother pushed him out of the path of a car barreling into the front of their Hempfield home. Amanda Clark said the boy was standing at the glass storm door looking out at Sells Lane around 12:30 p.m. while she was...
Blessing of the hands at Excela Latrobe Hospital draws out nurse, clergy emotionsVideo
Emotions of the past year spilled over Monday for the Rev. Earl Gardner, a critical care nurse educator at Excela Health. He and the Rev. Jeffrey Wylie blessed the hands of Excela Latrobe Hospital nurses and other staff — many of whom have cared for covid-19 patients — with frankincense...
Youngwood man jailed after police said he led them on 22-mile chase
A Youngwood man is behind bars after state police said he led troopers on a 22-mile chase over the weekend that began in Pittsburgh and ended in Hempfield, according to court papers. Ryan E. McKnight, 36, did not have a valid drivers license, police said. Troopers were traveling east on...
Life during covid: Big Brothers Big Sisters builds momentum as pandemic restrictions ease
Editor’s note: This is an occasional series examining how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of members of our community. Lisa McDaid and Khalaijah Collins were just starting to get to know each other last spring. They were making plans for outings together after being matched through Big Brothers...
1-day coronavirus-related closure announced for Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12
Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12 school in the Hill District is closed Friday as a result of a fourth person testing positive for the coronavirus, according to district officials. The person who recently tested positive was last inside the school building on Wednesday. The building will be cleaned and reopen on Monday,...
No injuries in South Huntingdon fire
No one was hurt in a Friday morning fire in South Huntingdon, according to Turkeytown Fire Chief Dan Pergola. Firefighters were called to Stahl Road at 5 a.m. for a blaze that started in a garage attached to a home. It was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived, he...
Ligonier Valley police seize 30 bricks of suspected heroin during traffic stop
Ligonier Valley police seized 30 bricks of suspected heroin during a traffic stop on Thursday and arrested a Somerset County man, according to investigators. Authorities got a tip Thursday that a large amount of drugs would be moving east on Route 30 through the Ligonier area in a Chevrolet Cruze,...
Man hospitalized in Homewood North shooting
A man was hospitalized late Thursday after being shot in the abdomen, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers responded to a Shotspotter alert on Brushton Avenue in Homewood North around 11:10 p.m. The man told investigators that a woman shot him and then ran into a wooded area. He was taken...
Greensburg man arrested in connection with fatal drug overdose
A Greensburg man was arrested Thursday on charges he sold drugs to a woman who authorities say later provided some to a companion, resulting in a fatal overdose, according to court papers. Jody J. Cicchitello, 51, is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, drug possession and conspiracy. Southwest Greensburg...
Derry Area school closure extended after additional positive virus cases
A closure of Derry Area Middle and High School is extended through the rest of the week because five more coronavirus cases were reported, according to Superintendent Eric Curry. The district on Tuesday began a two-day closure after there were six positive virus cases at the building during the previous...
Pittsburgh man faces federal gun charges after SWAT search
A Homewood South man faces a federal detention hearing Friday after Pittsburgh police said they seized four guns from his home. Dane Brooks, 52, was charged Wednesday on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Pittsburgh police said the arrest came after members of the SWAT...
Traffic starts to flow after crash on I-79 north near Warrendale exit
A crash involving multiple vehicles on Interstate 79 northbound backed traffic up for a couple hours, according to traffic cameras and maps. The crash was reported around 7:30 a.m. at mile marker 74.5 in Marshall, about 1 mile south of the Warrendale exit. A shoulder was closed. Traffic cameras showed...
Abandoned vehicles targeted by Pittsburgh police in 5 neighborhoodsVideo
Seventeen abandoned vehicles were towed from the streets of five Pittsburgh neighborhoods Tuesday in the start of a weekslong effort to clear out such complaints, according to city police public information officer Cara Cruz. Officers investigated 124 abandoned vehicle complaints in the Allentown, Beltzhoover, Carrick, Arlington Heights and Knoxville neighborhoods....
Man killed in Beechview motorcycle crash
A Pittsburgh man was killed late Tuesday when a motorcycle crashed in Beechview, according to Pittsburgh police. The crash was reported at 11:55 p.m. in the 1400 block of West Liberty Avenue. When first responders arrived, the man was found lying in the road with a motorcycle nearby. Investigators said...
Winning Powerball ticket sold at Braddock market
Someone is a little richer after a Powerball ticket worth $150,000 was sold at an Allegheny County market, according to lottery officials. The winning ticket sold at Al’s Market in Braddock matched four of the five numbers drawn Saturday as well as the Powerball number. The Braddock Avenue market gets...
North Hills School District sets vaccine clinic for students 16 and older
North Hills School District officials are planning an appointment-only coronavirus vaccine clinic for students 16 and older next month. Students interested in getting the Pfizer shot can sign up on the district’s website. Officials from Giant Eagle will be administering the vaccines on May 11 at the high school, according...
Teen apprehended in connection with Jeannette shooting
A 16-year-old boy charged with attempted homicide in a Jeannette shooting this month was apprehended Monday, according to Jeannette Police Chief Shannon Binda. Desean Ingram of Jeannette, who also was shot during the altercation, was arraigned Monday afternoon and is being held without bond at the Regional Youth Services Center...
Excela Health virtual childbirth classes help expectant parents
When Megan Fritz was preparing to become a mother for the first time, she found herself scouring the internet to learn how to breastfeed her newborn. It was difficult for the Unity woman to find reliable sources at a time when in-person classes on the topic have been halted because...
Teen charged as adult in Jeannette shooting; 2nd shooter acted in defense, DA says
A 16-year-old boy is charged as an adult with attempted homicide for an incident in which, police say, he shot a 17-year-old boy in Jeannette during an argument earlier this month. Desean Ingram of Jeannette also was shot during the April 7 altercation, but District Attorney John Peck said Ingram...
State police seize $17.7 million worth of illegal drugs during first 3 months of 2021Video
State police seized nearly $5.6 million worth of cocaine during the first three months of 2021. Troopers seized 253 pounds of cocaine in January, February and March, according to state police data. That’s almost as much of the drug as troopers confiscated during all of 2020. The number of drug...
Former Avonmore secretary charged with stealing $54K from borough
An Avonmore woman is accused by police of stealing $54,000 from the borough’s general fund to pay personal bills when she worked as secretary for the municipality, according to Westmoreland County detectives. Rebecca E. Steele, 45, was arrested Thursday on felony charges of theft, receiving stolen property and tampering with...
New GAP trail marker installed in Cumberland, Md.
Travelers on the Great Allegheny Passage will see a new marker at the start or end of their journey on the 150-mile trail that goes through Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy on Wednesday unveiled a 48-inch granite medallion set in the ground at Mile 0 in Cumberland, Md.,...

