Renatta Signorini stories, Page 114
Ramada auction draws crowd as longtime Hempfield hotel is set for demolition
Jeff Pollick got to the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center just in time Saturday. The owner of Wooden Door Winery walked into the Hempfield hotel moments before the draft system he was hoping to get went up for auction. After a short bidding war, he won it...
3 escape after blaze spreads to 3 Hazelwood homes
Three Hazelwood residents escaped uninjured early Saturday after a neighboring home caught fire, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews. Firefighters were called to Cust Street about 2:15 a.m., according to authorities. The flames spread to two adjacent homes, forcing the residents out. The house where the flames originated...
Derry church is target of repeated vandalismVideo
Two break-ins and vandalism this week at a Derry Borough church have left the Rev. Sam Lamendola and his parishioners questioning why the house of worship seems to be a target. “It’s been traumatic particularly to the parish staff who love and take care of the church day by day,”...
Mt. Pleasant Area children get free books through Imagination Library
Children who live in the Mt. Pleasant Area School District can get free books mailed to them monthly through a new partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The Mt. Pleasant Public Library is working with the singer’s book gifting organization to provide books for children through age five who live...
Intoxicated man accused of leading police on 100 mph chase in Westmoreland, Fayette counties
An Allegheny County man is accused of leading state police on a 100 mph chase in Westmoreland and Fayette counties Sunday night before crashing, according to court papers. Troopers said Nicholas Haluschak, 40, of Dravosburg, was under the influence of drugs at the time and had $1,500 and a loaded...
1 arrested in robbery, 1 injured, at Derry Borough home
A Derry Borough man was hospitalized after police said he was hit in the head with a tire iron during a robbery at his home Friday. The man told borough police that five people broke into his Hays Street home around 7 p.m. but the only one he could identify...
Man held without bail after disturbance at South Greensburg dollar store
An Allegheny County man is being held without bail after police said he had 15 grams of crystal methamphetamine and threw items around a Dollar General store in South Greensburg last week. Jason W. Smith, 34, of Forward Township, is charged with drug offenses and disorderly conduct. South Greensburg police...
Westmoreland elections board certifies more Nov. 3 ballots — but not 344 in undated envelopes
Westmoreland County on Monday certified the remainder of votes from the Nov. 3 election that are not subject to legal challenges. That does not include 344 mail-in ballots that didn’t have a date written on them. Attorney Marco Attisano argued the board of elections should count those undated ballots in...
Unity man accused of nearly hitting ambulance and spitting on, kicking state troopers
A Unity man remained in jail Monday after state police accused him of being high over the weekend when he nearly hit an ambulance in Derry Township and spit on and kicked two troopers, according to court papers. Marshal Corb Wherry, 24, is charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, driving...
2 men accused of not calling for help following Greensburg overdose that proved fatal
Greensburg police charged two men with reckless endangerment and other offenses after accusing them of not calling an ambulance after a woman overdosed at a Greensburg home. Nicholas Anthony Iapalucci, 31, of Greensburg, called Christopher Love, 43, of Southwest Greensburg, and requested opioid overdose antidote naloxone for his unconscious girlfriend...
Westmoreland clerk of courts office appointment-only for the public after virus cases reported
Starting Tuesday, all public business at the Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts office will be conducted by appointment only. Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline made the change Monday because some staffers have tested positive for the coronavirus, while others are quarantining as they await test results. “My staff operations are...
Westmoreland County fire departments can apply for pandemic relief money
Grant applications are open for Westmoreland County’s fire departments that have experienced negative financial impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. A nonprofit department can receive up to $25,000 each for either expenses related to the pandemic or revenue lost under guidelines released Monday. Commissioner Sean Kertes said there are 118 fire...
Greensburg man gets 2 years in jail for setting his house on fire
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Monday to setting his house on fire. Jeremiah N. Morgan, 41, was sentenced to spend up to two years, less a day, in the Westmoreland County Prison followed by five years of probation. Morgan said he pleaded guilty to “get into treatment and get my...
Westmoreland development corp. acquires 110 acres near casino
The potential for 110 vacant acres in Hempfield and Unity is big given its proximity to the newly-opened Live! Casino Pittsburgh inside Westmoreland Mall, according to Jason Rigone, director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. “We’re excited for that region of the county,” he said. The Westmoreland County commissioners...
Westmoreland commissioners OK $350K in technology upgrades
More technological upgrades are coming to Westmoreland County’s courtrooms with the help of federal funding. The county’s 16 district court buildings will be better connected to the courthouse, and courtrooms in Greensburg will have improved wireless infrastructure under two projects totaling about $353,000. Both were approved by commissioners this week....
2 accused in West Newton drug overdose death
A Youngwood man is free on bail after Westmoreland County detectives arrested him last week in connection with a drug overdose death in West Newton, according to court papers. Frank Edward Bogley, 68, is accused by police of selling stamp bags filled with fentanyl to a buyer on Jan. 31....
New Stanton man accused of being intoxicated while driving 60 mph in a 25 mph zone
A New Stanton man is behind bars after state police said he tried to flee a traffic stop Monday when troopers clocked him going 60 mph in a 25 mph zone, according to court papers. Anthony Michael Inks, 32, is charged with fleeing from police, driving under the influence, resisting...
New equipment will filter air at Westmoreland Manor
Cleaner air soon will be circulating at Westmoreland Manor as confirmed cases of the coronavirus in residents and staff continue to slow after an outbreak that started in September. The Westmoreland County commissioners this week approved a $65,000 air quality project including installation of ionization units in the Hempfield nursing...
Westmoreland doles out almost $800K in federal money to municipalitiesVideo
Forty municipalities in Westmoreland County are splitting about $780,000 in federal grant funds to offset expenses related to the coronavirus pandemic. But, for many, the money won’t cover every cost or alleviate all concerns about the pandemic’s impact on future revenue. In Hempfield, revenues for 2020 are $750,000 below where...
Hazard pay approved for Westmoreland election workers
Employees at the Westmoreland County Elections Bureau and others who helped with the election this month are set to get about a month’s worth of hazard pay. The county commissioners on Tuesday approved the move that will be effective for 65 employees from Oct. 28 to Monday. Bureau director JoAnn...
Westmoreland plans $345M budget for 2021 without increasing taxes
Westmoreland County commissioners still have to go through each line item in the proposed 2021 budget, but it doesn’t appear they will seek more revenue from property owners. “There is no tax increase,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said. The board on Tuesday approved a $345 million preliminary spending plan. Finance director...
Westmoreland judge tosses more than 200 ballots elections board wanted counted
A Westmoreland County judge ruled Monday that 46 provisional ballots be counted after voters provided testimony to the board of elections that they did not vote on machines at their polling places despite signing a poll book. But another 204 ballots must be tossed out because the board didn’t do...
Derry man died after crashing while suffering medical emergency
A Derry man died Saturday after crashing on Route 217 while suffering a medical emergency, according to authorities. John Albert Eckert, 62, was driving in Derry Township just before noon when state police said his vehicle traveled off the road and hit a tree near Lois Lane. Police said Eckert...
Police charge Munhall man with vandalizing a district court office in Baldwin
A Munhall man is facing a preliminary hearing in January after police said he vandalized a district court office in Baldwin last week. Kevin John Kiley, 25, is charged with institutional vandalism, criminal mischief and obstruction. Baldwin police and Allegheny County chief deputy court administrator Angharad Stock said two other...
Drugs, $4K seized from Jeannette home, 1 arrested
An Arona man is behind bars after police said Wednesday they found heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and nearly $4,000 inside a safe at a Jeannette house. Jair Deshawn Robinson, 28, who also has a McKeesport address, is charged with several drug offenses. Jeannette and Penn Township police, along with state agents...
