Renatta Signorini stories, Page 155
State trooper escapes injury when tree falls on patrol car in high windsVideo
A state trooper’s quick thinking during high winds Sunday likely helped him escape injury when a tree fell onto his patrol car. The trooper was driving on Route 819 near Armbrust to a weather-related call at 9:17 p.m. when he noticed a tree along the road starting to fall, Trooper...
Police: Man displayed gun during incident on Route 22 in Salem Township
An Allegheny County man who is not permitted to have a gun is accused of showing another motorist a firearm on Route 22 on Sunday afternoon, according to state police. Dylan Peter Dunbar, 24, of Hazelwood, allegedly displayed the weapon in Salem Township after an incident with another driver, police...
MAWC: Water service restored in Scottdale Monday afternoonVideo
Water service and pressure was restored to Scottdale residents Monday afternoon, according to Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials. Around 1 p.m. Sunday, a 30-inch cast-iron transmission line broke and left some in the borough with low pressure or no water service. Crews completed repairs at 1 p.m. Monday underneath...
Experts: Westmoreland has dire need for halfway houses
A lack of halfway houses in Westmoreland County has officials calling for community partners to help fill that gap. During a meeting with the Tribune-Review editorial board Thursday, Westmoreland County Detective Tony Marcocci and Tim Phillips, director of the Westmoreland County Drug Overdose Task Force, said that type of living...
Police: ‘Very large marijuana dealer’ arrested in Hempfield
A Hempfield man who police described as a “very large marijuana dealer” was arrested Friday after a search of his home. Nickolas Boyd Hobaugh, 28, was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison without bond. Investigators seized more than 55 pounds of marijuana and 2,200 vape pens that contain THC,...
State police release surveillance video in Hempfield gas station robbery
State police are trying to identify a suspect who robbed a Hempfield convenience store this month. A surveillance video released Friday showed the suspect enter the BP store on Route 136 carrying a blue bag just before 9 p.m. Feb. 9 and walk to the cash register. The suspect appears...
Troopers seize 510 pounds of marijuana on Pennsylvania Turnpike
State police on Thursday seized 510 pounds of what they suspect to be marijuana from a box truck traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, according to court papers. Mark Joseph Doyle, 63, of Oregon, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. Troopers stopped the truck in Mt. Pleasant...
Man arrested after police standoff in Munhall
A man surrendered early Friday after a standoff with police, who were called to a Munhall home for a violent argument, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. Jamar Grimes, 25, of Pittsburgh is charged with aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment and related offenses. Police were called to a...
Ohio developer signs on to Sewickley Twp. Commerce Crossing development
A Cincinnati-based real estate development firm plans to occupy two spots at an industrial park under construction in Sewickley Township, according to an option agreement approved Thursday by board members of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. The agreement with Al. Neyer involves the company paying $3.2 million to buy...
4 firefighters honored for heroic efforts in rescuing woman from vehicle crash
Four firefighters were honored this week for their heroism in rescuing a woman from a Hempfield vehicle crash that involved a downed power line. The men extinguished a fire caused by the line and freed the woman from her sport-utility vehicle, Westmoreland County solicitor Melissa Guiddy said, reading a certificate....
Third suspect in Sutersville shooting arrested
A third person is under arrest in connection with a November shooting in Sutersville that left two injured, according to court records. Aaron Devaugntae Brown, 26, of Jeannette, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond. He was picked up on an arrest warrant Wednesday after state police...
13 Pittsburgh-area Payless stores among those closing nationwide
About a dozen Payless ShoeSource stores in the Pittsburgh region are among the 2,300 closing nationwide. Payless officials announced the closures last week and locations — including Westmoreland, Ross Park, Robinson and Monroeville malls — have started liquidation sales, according to a notice on the company’s website. Merchandise is between...
Twin Lakes nature center getting upgrade for Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival officials hope to have a newly-renovated hub at Twin Lakes Park this summer to use during their annual event. Bids for improvements at the county’s John F. Laudadio Sr. Environmental and Nature Center are due March 12. Festival officials use the small building on the...
Westmoreland firefighters to distribute 9-volt batteries to communities
About 50 Westmoreland County fire departments will give out 9-volt batteries to households as part of a grant from Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling. The organization got 18,480 batteries through a 2018 Duracell/Keep America Beautiful grant. The departments will each get a case of batteries to distribute around daylight savings time...
South Connellsville sex offender accused of sexual interaction with boys, 14 and 17
A registered sex offender from South Connellsville is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old boy and sending a 14-year-old boy nude photographs, according to police. Crystal Shannon Shroyer, 36, is being held in the Fayette County Prison on $25,000 bail. She was arrested Friday on charges of statutory sexual...
Police: 3 charged in robbery plot sought to raise money
An apparent plot to raise money by robbing drug dealers led to the recent arrests of two men in connection with a November shooting in Sutersville that left two injured, according to court documents. Curtis Thomas Everett, 26, of Glassport, and Chad William Wolfe, 34, listed as homeless, are being...
Weather station in Sewickley Township to help municipal crews, residents
A weather station installed in Sewickley Township will help municipal and emergency management crews make quick location-specific decisions. “During the (weather) event itself, I would be heavily accessing that data,” said Jason Ritchie, a deputy director of the township’s emergency management agency. It’s a tool residents can use, too, to...
Police: 3 dogs abandoned at Latrobe home after owners move out
Three dogs were rescued last week after apparently being abandoned in a Latrobe home that had been vacant for several weeks, according to police. A neighbor who heard the animals barking inside reported the situation to police Wednesday. Sgt. Joe Angus said officers found feces and urine throughout the Loyalhanna...
Police: Parts stolen from new quad at Unity dealership
State police are looking for information about who stole parts from a new quad at a Unity dealership. Troopers said someone broke into Hillview Motorsports overnight between Wednesday and Thursday and took numerous parts off of a new Suzuki quad, according to a news release. Two tools were left behind...
Westmoreland court offices closed for President’s Day
Westmoreland County court offices will be closed today for President’s Day. The closure includes district courts, the courthouse and other county offices. They will reopen Tuesday....
Women’s club: Westmoreland County Prison has become home to more female inmates
Editor’s note: Renatta Signorini participated as a 2018 jails and justice reporting fellow through a program by the John Jay Center on Media, Crime and Justice in New York City. The fellowship program supported journalists in examining issues related to jails in small towns and rural communities. Signorini’s work will...
Westmoreland ax throwers sharpen skill for national tourney
Paul Wedge has been practicing morning, afternoon and evening for the national ax-throwing championships. The Westmoreland City man remembers how tough the competition was last year when he first qualified through Valhalla Indoor Axe Throwing in Hempfield. “This year, I’m a lot more mentally prepared and I know what to...
Police: Worker failed to deposit $10,000 from Donegal McDonald’s
State police on Friday arrested a Cambria County woman on accusations she took $10,844 from a Westmoreland County McDonald’s restaurant where she worked, according to court papers. Cheryl Anne Dahmen, 33, is charged with two counts of theft. Troopers said the Donegal Township restaurant owner reported Jan. 24 that three...
Summer food truck events planned in Jeannette
The 500 block of Clay Avenue in Jeannette is going to see some action this summer. Construction of an amphitheater was approved by city council Thursday as were plans for a biweekly food truck event, both of which are in the same block where a microbrewery is relocating. “We’re really...
Turnpike to close between Irwin and Pittsburgh for bridge removal
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for about five hours early Sunday between the Pittsburgh and Irwin interchanges as crews remove a bridge. The closure is planned from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m., depending on the weather. Crews have been working to replace the bridge that previously carried Trafford-Murrysville Road...
