Renatta Signorini stories, Page 142
Body found after person reportedly jumped into Yough River after crash on I-70
A body was discovered in the Youghiogheny River on Monday afternoon after rescuers responded to a report of a person jumping into the river following a crash on Interstate 70, according to a Westmoreland County dispatcher. The crash was reported at 2:40 p.m. on the westbound side of the highway,...
Fraud charge dismissed for Plum contractor accused of not completing project
A home improvement fraud charge against a Plum contractor was dismissed Friday by a Westmoreland County judge. Michael Cerniglia, 55, had been accused by Greensburg police this year of taking a down payment through his business, Michael’s Painting, but failing to start a $1,250 project on Grove Street. Judge Christopher...
Police: Mt. Pleasant man drove 100 mph, cut through cornfield during chase
A Mt. Pleasant man was drunk when he led police on a weekend chase that reached speeds of 100 mph, according to court papers. At one point during the 12.5-mile pursuit, Daniel S. Sebulsky, 34, drove through a cornfield before parking at his home and fleeing on foot, police said....
Jeannette will use drone for police, fire, code enforcement
A drone will join the Jeannette police department soon, but the device’s potential uses could reach beyond the force. Police Chief Shannon Binda said the unmanned aircraft system will be available for city firefighters and code enforcement officers to use for checking out buildings and helping with rescues. “It’s more...
Police: Youngwood man found with 2 pounds of marijuana
A Youngwood man who served time on juvenile probation in connection with a 2014 stabbing was arrested this week after police found him with about 2 pounds of marijuana, according to investigators. Earl S. Keim, 21, is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $60,000 bail. He is charged...
Police: Dump truck driver was on drugs during crash that killed 3 in Fayette County
The driver of a tri-axle dump truck had drugs in his system when he slammed head-on into a pickup in Fayette County in June, killing three people who were members of the same family, according to District Attorney Rich Bower. State police on Thursday arrested Wilbert James Burnsworth, 46, of...
Sen. Kim Ward seeks online feedback about possible fireworks restrictions
State Sen. Kim Ward wants input from constituents on possible restrictions for when fireworks can be set off. It’s the latest series of questions in the Hempfield Republican’s online legislative survey, a feature she started on her website in March. Ward first sought responses through survey questions asking what Westmoreland...
Firefighters battle house fire in Murrysville
Firefighters extinguished flames at a Murrysville home Wednesday morning. Crews were called to MacArthur Drive around 8 a.m. The majority of the damage appeared to be in the rear of the two-story home. Smoke was still pouring out near the roof by about 8:30 a.m. No one was home at...
Penn Township man dies after being rescued when fallen tree traps him inside homeVideo
A Penn Township man rescued from his home early Wednesday after a fallen tree trapped him inside died from injuries about two hours after being freed, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. The 75-foot-tall oak tree toppled about 2:45 a.m. onto the roof of a two-story home owned by...
Man accused in 5 robberies in Allegheny, Westmoreland arrested in South Carolina
A West Mifflin man accused in five 2017 gas station and convenience store robberies in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties was arrested Tuesday in South Carolina by the U.S. Marshals Service. Bennie J. Carter, 54, is accused of being the getaway driver in an alleged conspiracy with three other suspects, according...
Man accused of exposing himself in Latrobe park
A Derry Township man is accused of exposing himself to three boys and a 16-year-old girl last month at Legion Keener Park in Latrobe, according to court papers. Jesse Phillip Hollick, 61, is charged with open lewdness and public drunkenness. Latrobe police said the girl, who was babysitting the boys,...
Police: Passenger found dead in car during Jeannette traffic stop
A woman’s suspicious death Friday is under investigation by Jeannette police and Westmoreland County detectives, according to police Chief Shannon Binda. April J. Claiborne, 31, of Ligonier, was found dead in the front passenger seat of a vehicle during a 7:48 a.m. traffic stop at the intersection of Lowry Avenue...
Mon Valley Opioid Coalition plans National Night Out event in Charleroi
A parade will kick off the Mon Valley National Night Out on Aug. 15 in Charleroi. The Mon Valley Opioid Coalition is organizing the free event which will be held rain or shine at Trustees Park. Vendors will be on hand with food, music, children’s activities, a bicycle raffle and...
Judge asked to allow Penn Township officials to clean up blighted Frye Road property
Penn Township officials want a judge to grant them permission to clean up a property that has been blighted for years after a 2014 lawsuit against the owners failed to remedy the situation. In an amended civil complaint filed Wednesday, township officials said a Frye Road property owned by members...
Steelers roll into Saint Vincent College in style for training camp
Steelers cornerback Joe Haden has three Rolls Royces — but just one Penguins jersey. He rolled up in style Thursday at Saint Vincent College behind the wheel of his white Rolls Royce coupe, wearing a gold Sidney Crosby sweater. But he said it’s not about the show he or any...
Police: Property dispute preceded Sewickley Township garage arson
A Sewickley Township man is behind bars after state police said he set his neighbor’s garage on fire following an ongoing property dispute, according to court papers. George Allen Stepinsky, 60, was arrested Wednesday on charges of arson, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, risking a catastrophe and related...
More details released ahead of start of Steelers training camp
Ground crews worked Wednesday to put final touches on the practice fields at Saint Vincent College, just ahead of the annual invasion of the Pittsburgh Steelers and fans for training camp on the Unity campus. Steelers fans this year will have the opportunity to meet legends prior to public practices,...
Jeannette gets $140K to do winter maintenance on 9 state roads
Jeannette has renewed an agreement with PennDOT that calls for city crews to perform winter maintenance on nine state roads within city limits. The agreement spans winter seasons starting this year through 2023-24. “They do it every five years,” said Michelle Langdon, city clerk. PennDOT will pay the city $140,616...
Southwest Greensburg man ordered to stand trial on intimidation, retaliation, drug possession charges
Pete Scifo was curious about the ambulances on his Southwest Greensburg street. He testified Tuesday he went outside May 31 to check out the commotion and saw a man — later identified as Robert Lee Friend, 58, of Southwest Greensburg — appear to pull something out of his pocket and...
Hempfield man held for trial in elderly father’s beating death over missing cellphone
State police believe Frank Novak’s body remained in his Hempfield home for two days after he was beaten to death before his 41-year-old son set the house on fire, Trooper Evan Terek of the Pennsylvania State Police testified Tuesday. An examination of the 92-year-old man’s pacemaker by Excela Health officials...
Tennessee man accused in hit-and-run spree on Route 30 set for guilty plea
A Tennessee man accused in a wild hit-and-run spree on Route 30 last month is scheduled to plead guilty on Sept. 25. William Lee Grabel, 51, signed off Tuesday on a tentative agreement with prosecutors that would call for a sentence of time served to 23 months in the Westmoreland...
Cops: Man facing child porn charges tossed cat out car window, ran it over
A former Westmoreland County man facing child pornography allegations filed by the state attorney general’s office was arrested during the weekend after police in Indiana County said he threw a cat out of a car window and then ran it over. Raymond Patrick Younger, 39, previously of Penn Township, posted...
Man dies after crash on Route 380 in Washington Township
A man’s car hydroplaned on a stream of water crossing Route 380 moments before it hit a utility pole early Tuesday, Washington Township police said. Richard P. Harrie Jr., 30, of Monroeville died at AHN Forbes Hospital, police Chief Scott Slagle said. Officials said it took more than an hour...
Hyde Park man charged in wife’s 2017 deathVideo
State police filed homicide and aggravated assault charges Monday against a Hyde Park man who they say killed his wife two years ago after years of abuse. Jeffrey Mark Fondrk, 57, told investigators in January that he pushed his wife, Patricia Ann Fondrk, over a dog gate during an argument...
Police: Dogs, cat rescued from back of stolen shipping van in East Huntingdon
A traffic stop in Westmoreland County this month helped six pets get back to their owners who hired a shipping service to transport the animals across the country to new homes, according to officials. Members of the Westmoreland/Fayette/Allegheny County Animal Response Team fostered five dogs and a cat for a...
