Renatta Signorini stories, Page 121
Monroeville man killed in crash at Keystone Raceway in Derry Township
A Monroeville man was killed Friday after crashing at Keystone Raceway in Derry Township, according to the Westmoreland County coroner. James R. Baker, 69, was driving a 1936 Ford Roadster on the raceway’s drag track at 2:50 p.m. when the car made a quick right turn. The car hit a...
Chestnut Ridge golf resort near Blairsville sells for $2.4 million at auction
Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort & Conference Center sold to an online bidder Saturday for $2.4 million. But the winning bidder’s identity will not be available until paperwork and payment is finalized, said Sherman Hostetter, owner of Hostetter Auctioneers of Beaver Falls. The auction of the 345-acre golf course and resort...
Blairsville man killed in Derry Township crash
A Blairsville man died Friday after a motorcycle crash in Derry Township, according to state police. Christian F. Shugars, 22, was speeding on a Yamaha R6 on Pizza Barn Road at 10 a.m. when he lost control around a curve in the road. Troopers said the motorcycle hit gravel and...
Westmoreland water officials hope goats are solution to invasive weedsVideo
Goats could be a key factor in ridding Beaver Run Reservoir property of an invasive weed that is hindering tree growth around the drinking water source. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials, with the help of a Saint Vincent College student and professor, are studying how goats react to the...
High-speed police chase ends in Ligonier Township when suspect crashesVideo
A high-speed police chase spanning two counties ended Tuesday when a stolen vehicle the suspect was driving slammed into cars parked at a Ligonier Township restaurant, according to authorities. Gary Austin Blough, 18, of Johnstown nearly hit two vehicles head-on during the westbound pursuit on Route 30, according to court...
Former Jeannette man killed during S.C. robbery attempt
A Jeannette native was killed during an attempted robbery this month in Charleston, S.C. Thomas DiLorenzo, 63, was fatally shot Friday by two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, who demanded money as he and his wife walked downtown, the Post and Courier reported. Police called the shooting an “anomaly” that...
$10K reward offered for information in shooting death of Derry Township woman
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information about who fired a gun outside a Derry Township home Monday, killing a woman inside. Anyone with information about the death of Tracy Marie Squib, 52, can contact the nonprofit organization anonymously by phone at 800-4PA-TIPS or through an online...
State police seize about 500 pounds of suspected marijuana during New Stanton traffic stop
Two central Pennsylvania men were arrested Tuesday in New Stanton after state police said they found about 500 pounds of suspected marijuana inside a pickup truck, according to court papers. Chad Ryan Stephens, 31, of Cumberland County, and Sean Michael McCaleb, 32, of Perry County, are being held in the...
Police: Bricks thrown at vehicles from North Belle Vernon I-70 overpass
State police are investigating after bricks were thrown at two vehicles from an overpass on Interstate 70 in North Belle Vernon earlier this month. Troopers said two eastbound tractor-trailer drivers reported the incidents on July 7 at 1:45 and 1:50 a.m. One man had minor injuries from the shattered glass...
South Greensburg councilman pleads guilty to citation after fireworks incident
A South Greensburg councilman pleaded guilty Monday to a disorderly conduct citation filed by state police regarding a fireworks complaint, according to court records. George Cole, 53, paid $262.25 in fines and costs on the summary offense. Troopers were called to Oak Street July 11 after neighbors reported fireworks were...
Meth lab dump sites ‘fairly common’ on Indiana County’s rural roads
Indiana County’s rural roads have become appealing places for methamphetamine manufacturers to get rid of their illegally used materials, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. It’s become a “fairly common occurrence” for state troopers to find dump sites in remote areas or off dirt roads, said Trooper Cliff Greenfield. The...
Jeannette City Hall closed after employee tests positive for the coronavirus
A Jeannette city employee tested positive for the coronavirus, according to solicitor Tim Witt. City hall will be closed to the public until further notice for cleaning and disinfecting, he said. Officials learned of the positive test Monday. Witt said the employee is being treated and doing well. “Unfortunately, municipal...
2 accused of stealing $45K in state payments for providing care for Avonmore man
Two women are accused by police of taking $45,000 in payments from the state Department of Human Services for work they didn’t do while acting as caregivers for an Avonmore man, according to agents from the Attorney General’s office. Joan L. Foley, 64, of Avonmore, and her daughter Christie Lee...
Peaceful Black Lives Matter march leads to Jeannette rallyVideo
Jeannette Jayhawks’ longtime equipment coordinator Dan Cooper had a message for young people at a Black Lives Matter march and rally Thursday: “Go get it.” He encouraged them to chase their dreams while telling their families to start getting involved in the community if they want to see change. “Anything...
Motorcyclist killed in Stahlstown after hitting deer
A Fayette County man was killed in a motorcycle crash Wednesday night in Stahlstown, according to the Westmoreland County coroner. Randy C. Gowton, 50, of Bullskin , was driving south on Route 711 in Cook Township just before 10 p.m. when he hit a deer. The crash happened near Riggs...
West Jeannette will get spruced up, thanks to canceled mission trip
When a New York City mission trip for 30 area middle schoolers had to be canceled earlier this year, Cornerstone Ministries Pastor Joel Guinen looked closer to home to make a difference. The group will be embarking on a week-long “Mission Home” cleanup project in West Jeannette, targeting a playground,...
Jeannette City planning in-person learning, virtual academy for 2020-21 school year
Parents of Jeannette City School District students will get to decide whether their child has instruction in-person or virtually during the 2020-21 school year. School board members this week approved the district’s reopening plan, which includes daily temperature monitoring of students and staff upon entry to buildings as officials navigate...
Former W.Va. nursing assistant pleads guilty in 7 veteran deaths, including former Westmoreland man
A former nursing assistant at a West Virginia veterans hospital pleaded guilty Tuesday to causing the deaths of seven veterans, including a former Westmoreland County man. Reta Mays, 45, worked the night shift at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Clarksburg, W.Va., when federal investigators said she...
Police: South Greensburg councilman cited in fireworks incident
State police investigating a weekend fireworks complaint in South Greensburg found a borough councilman was present while numerous children set off explosives, according to a investigators. Troopers said multiple neighbors reported the fireworks were being set off on Oak Street at 11 p.m. Saturday. Police asked those present, including George...
Black Lives Matter march will wind through Jeannette
A peaceful march Thursday in Jeannette will bring speakers and activists together to shine light on struggles that members of the Black community face locally and around the country. Co-organizer Marissa McGowan hopes the event will change perceptions about her hometown and create opportunities for children. “My thing was to...
Ohio man killed in Washington County motorcycle crash
An Ohio man was killed Tuesday in a motorcycle crash in Washington County, according to Coroner Tim Warco. John Duda, 53, of Kettering, west of Columbus, apparently lost control of the motorcycle he was riding around a bend on Thomas Eighty Four Road in North Strabane. Investigators said the crash...
State police staked out Felipe Vazquez after Pirates game at PNC Park in 2019
In an effort to find where in Pittsburgh the Pirates once-heralded relief pitcher Felipe Vazquez lived, state police staked out PNC Park last year and a trooper followed him as he left the stadium, according to testimony. Vazquez got the final four outs, three by strikeout, in the Pirates’ 9-4...
Irwin business owner perseveres pandemic shutdowns to add Dog spot to her Cat shop
Chrys Sebula knew exactly how she wanted her new store to look. She planned to set up her hand-painted glassware and slate pieces around an empty Irwin storefront that would be connected to Curious Cat, her longtime Main Street country market, gift and craft shop. Sebula aimed for an April...
2nd Westmoreland County worker tests positive for the coronavirus
A second positive case of the new coronavirus was reported in a Westmoreland County employee on Thursday, according to human resources director Amanda Bernard. That employee did not have contact with anyone in the 48 hours prior to developing symptoms, Bernard said. She would not say in what department or...
Calls, writings led police to search for guns on property of Unity man linked to Cassandra Gross disappearance
Jailhouse phone calls and writings from Thomas George Stanko, who has been linked to the disappearance of Cassandra Gross, led state police to find 17 guns on his property and in a storage unit, according to search warrants released this week. The warrants detail conversations that troopers believe were in...
