Madasyn Czebiniak stories, Page 11
Leechburg police to get new uniform patches
Leechburg’s seven police officers will be receiving new patches for their uniforms. “Ever since I can remember, the patch and the uniforms have stayed the same here,” said newly appointed police Chief Jason Schaeffer. “Everybody wanted a change.” The words “Police” and “Leechburg” stretch across the top of the patch....
Memorial event for Christchurch victims planned in Pittsburgh
A free community event to remember victims of the Christchurch attack in New Zealand will take place Sunday at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Oakland. The event is organized by local Muslim leaders in partnership with the Muslim Student Association at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie...
Police charge 2 men with transporting cocaine, pot on Route 28 in South Buffalo
Two men were arrested Saturday night after state police said they were driving on Route 28 with illegal drugs in their vehicle. State police said Fabian Fitzroy Douglas and James Pierre Louis had more than a half-ounce of cocaine and more than a pound of marijuana when they were pulled...
McKees Rocks man charged in shooting at housing complex
A McKees Rocks man was behind bars Monday afternoon after police say he shot another man in the leg Sunday at the Hays Manor housing complex. Charles Jeffrey Dwyer, 27, remained in Allegheny County Jail after failing to post $100,000 bail. He faces charges of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment....
Entrances to Wood Street T station back open
The Wood Street entrance at Wood Street T Station reopened Friday, the Port Authority of Allegheny County announced Monday. Contractors have completed the majority of construction at the station, which began in mid-December. The construction is part of a $2 million project to enhance various Port Authority-owned facilities. Additional work...
New Kensington police find woman who had been reported missing
New Kensington police have located a woman who was reported missing on Thursday. New Kensington police Chief Bob Deringer said Dana Nicole Pfund, 30, was found Friday afternoon by Detective Sgt. Sam Long at a residence along Johnson Street in Lower Burrell. Family members reported her missing on Thursday. “Ms....
Police arrest man accused of robbing Leechburg Sunoco
A man accused of robbing a Leechburg Sunoco and making off with $70 late Tuesday was carrying a newspaper clipping about the robbery when he was arrested. Leechburg Officer in Charge Jason Schaeffer said Travis M. Haun of Leechburg had the news clipping in his back pocket when Schaeffer and...
New Kensington water authority hydrant flushing begins soon
The 15,000 water customers of the Municipal Authority of the City of New Kensington could experience low water pressure and discoloration because of hydrant flushing in the coming months. The work will begin Wednesday, March 20, and take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, weather permitting....
Pittsburgh man involved in heroin trafficking sentenced to 18 years in prison
A Pittsburgh man was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said Norman Blackwell, 43, conspired with others to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin from November 2015 to January 2016. Blackwell also received eight years...
Washington, Pa. man pleads guilty to West End drug trafficking
A Washington, Pa. man has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said Antoine Dean, Jr., 29, and his co-conspirators distributed at least an ounce of crack cocaine from November 2017 through June 2018. According to prosecutors, in...
Lower Burrell police: Drug-addled man goes on naked rampage
A drug-addled Lower Burrell man accused of robbing and assaulting a woman along Leechburg Road while naked told law enforcement officers to shoot him, police said. Robert E. Brown, 48, told officers, “Just shoot me in the back of the head and end it,” according to a criminal complaint. “In...
Home security group defends report ranking McKeesport as 4th most dangerous in country
The trade group that published a recent study naming McKeesport one of the most dangerous cities in America defended its statistics after the city’s mayor criticized the report. McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko accused the study of using “manipulated statistics” and “unethical scare tactics” to sell home security systems. The study,...
McKeesport mayor critical of study ranking city as 4th most dangerous in country
McKeesport’s mayor lashed out at a recent study that claimed his city was one of the most dangerous in the country. Mayor Michael Cherepko accused the study of using “manipulated statistics” and “unethical scare tactics” to sell home security systems. The study, conducted by the National Council for Home Safety...
Downtown Pittsburgh buses will be detoured for St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Buses will be detoured in Pittsburgh’s Downtown on Saturday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Port Authority of Allegheny County announced Wednesday. The parade runs from 10 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m. Buses that operate on Boulevard of the Allies (Routes 56, 57, 58, and 67) will begin...
Penn Hills man headed to court on charges in Lower Burrell man’s fatal overdose
A Penn Hills man is headed to court on charges he provided the drugs that killed a Lower Burrell man last summer. Christopher Krishawn Napper, 24, of Penn Hills faces a charge of drug delivery resulting in death. He is accused of providing the combination of heroin and fentanyl police...
Man indicted in scheme to fraudulently process credit card payments
A man set up an elaborate network of shell companies to trick credit card companies into processing payments for designer drugs, kratom and CBD oil, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania said Tuesday. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said Lancelot De Montsegur, also known as Patrice...
Munhall man gets 1½ years for stealing packages, mail from Pittsburgh
A Munhall man was sentenced to 1½ years in prison for stealing packages and mail from apartment buildings in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside and North Oakland neighborhoods. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said Christopher Eric Carr, 46, and co-defendant Ron Matthew Sharp, of Duquesne, went to multiple apartment buildings and stole packages...
Police: Vandergrift man robs, beats up man for $600, iPhone
A Vandergrift man is accused of taking $600 and an iPhone from another man he allegedly beat up and threatened with a handgun early Saturday. Police said Javon Michael Thom Lambert, 19, then ran from officers who went to his house to arrest him later Saturday. He remained in the...
Monroeville man caught with loaded gun at Pittsburgh airport
A Monroeville man was stopped Sunday after federal workers found a loaded .38-caliber revolver in his carry-on bag as he passed through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Allegheny County Police responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and detained the man for questioning. He was...
PennDOT: Route 28 lane restrictions from East Deer through Harrison to resume Monday
Separate projects along Route 28 will restrict traffic for several months in most of the stretch from Harrison to around the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. The larger of the two projects is the completion of a $34 million project started last year. That work covers a seven-mile stretch of...
Friday’s $2.4 million Cash 5 jackpot is largest in game’s history
Friday’s Cash 5 jackpot of $2.4 million is the largest top prize offered in the game’s nearly 27 year history. “It’s very exciting that the Cash 5 jackpot has set a new all-time record,” Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko said in a statement. Cash 5 is the Pennsylvania Lottery’s...
Port Authority doesn’t want your two cents
Say goodbye to the penny. At least on Port Authority of Allegheny County vehicles. Buses and trains will stop accepting pennies by the end of the month. Port Authority hopes the change will speed up boarding and reduce farebox downtime. Boxes began receiving a software upgrade this week. Spokesman Adam...
Attorney General warns of twist to social security number phone scam
Scammers pretending to be with government agencies are calling people and telling them that their Social Security number has been compromised or suspended, and threatening to arrest them if they don’t make an immediate payment, Attorney General Josh Shapiro warned. The scam differs from traditional Social Security scams, where scammers...
Westmoreland DA says Vandergrift father was ‘reckless’ in infant’s death
The death of a 1-month-old boy who police said suffocated after his father fell asleep with him was not an accident, Westmoreland County’s top prosecutor said Thursday. Owen Copney was repeatedly told not to fall asleep with the boy, Isiah, on his chest but did it anyway, District Attorney John...
Grants up to $20,000 available for programs that discourage unsafe drinking
There isn’t much time left to apply for grants of up to $20,000 to discourage and reduce underage and dangerous drinking. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board on Thursday sent out a reminder that applications for the grants are due by noon March 15. The PLCB awarded about $1 million in...

