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Police and Fire

February 18, 2020

Ellwood City Council Hires Home Blood Services Company to Test DUI Suspects

Ellwood City Council voted to implement an agreement for services for blood toxicology testing following DUI arrests. Monday night council voted unanimously to hire Becky’s Home Blood Services at a rate of $50 per venipuncture. The move comes after the closing of the Ellwood City Medical Center. Since the closing of the hospital, local officers were forced to travel at least 30 minutes to area facilities for the DUI testing. Becky O’Neil, owner of Becky’s Home Blood Services, also provides home blood business services to residents. She has been providing service in the area since 2018 and has more than…

February 14, 2020

Project Safe Initiatives Nab Two Beaver County Arrests

Project Safe Childhood (PSC) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), both nationwide initiatives of the Department of Justice to combat child exploitation and violent crime have recently nabbed two arrests in Beaver County according to United States Attorney Scott W. Brady. A resident of Freedom, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release on his conviction of possession of child pornography and materials depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced this week. United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Adam Hosie,…

February 12, 2020

Fatal Accident Reported On Route 288 In Wayne Township

According to a Pittsburgh news outlet, a 68-year-old was killed as a result of a fatal head-on collision this morning in Wayne Township. KDKA reports state police announced the crash occurred just after 5:00 a.m. on Route 288, Wampum Road between Wampum and Ellwood City, at the intersection with Jockey Moore Road. One other person was injured in the crash. Route 288 at Jockey Moore Road was closed due to the accident.  The Wayne Township Fire Department recently announced Wampum Road to be open. According to reports, the cause of the crash and the identity of the victim have not…

February 7, 2020

Evans City Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing NexTier Bank in Zelienople

PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Evans City, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a bank robbery charge, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today. Chad Vaughan, 33, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was informed that Vaughan robbed the NexTier Bank, located at 226 South Main Street, in Zelienople, on October 23, 2018, of $2,065.00. Vaughan was dressed in all black, including a ski mask and gloves, and demanded “big bills” from the bank tellers. After receiving money from the tellers, he placed…

January 27, 2020

Police Reports: Criminal Complaints

The following are police criminal complaints filed at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Lawrence County office of Honorable Jerry G. Cartwright. According to a complaint, on January 20, 2020, at approximately 8:45 a.m. police were called and advised on the whereabouts of defendant, Maria Carmen Rozzi, 55, of New Castle, who left a residence on foot and was in possession of a pistol. Rozzi was known to police as having active warrants for Terroristic Threats and for having made treats to law enforcement.  Troopers responded to the area and searched for Rozzi and later encountered Rozzi on Cooper Road, in Slippery…

January 17, 2020

One Person Dead After Two-Vehicle Crash In Wampum

According to a multiple news report, one person has died following a two-vehicle accident in Wampum this morning. According to WFMJ.com website, the crash happened Friday morning at approximately 9:00 a.m. at the intersection of Route 18 and Route 288. One of the vehicles involved was a tri-axial dump truck that collided with a passenger car. One person was trapped in a vehicle while the other was covered at the scene. The roadway was closed for a couple of hours in that area while crews are on the scene.  Traffic was routed from Koppel through Ellwood City and back. Coroner…

December 27, 2019

Koppel Man Charged In Double Shooting

A Koppel man has been arrested in connection with a double shooting this week. According to a published report, 70-year old Rickey Neal was arrested on December 26 and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, six counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of possessing a firearm when he was not permitted to own one. He was charged after being found in connection to a double shooting that happened on Wednesday in Big Beaver of Beaver County. Witnesses told police that they were sitting with four other people in a vehicle outside the Fairline Boulevard home where…

December 24, 2019

Police Reports: Criminal Complaints

The following are police criminal complaints filed at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Lawrence County office of Honorable Jerry G. Cartwright. According to a complaint, on December 13, at 9:16 p.m. police responded to a call claiming a victim’s ex-boyfriend was at the front door of their residence in Perry Township. Shaquone Lockett, 23, of Ellwood City, was claimed to be threatening the victim with a silver pistol while they held their child. Upon police arrival, the victim said that Lockett had been aiming a silver pistol at them and their daughter through a pane of glass at her head. While…

December 17, 2019

Council Passes 2020 Budget: Will Not Include First Responder Command Vehicle

In a three to four vote, Ellwood City Borough Council passed the $15.47 million 2020 budget. Before casting the votes, Councilwoman Lisa Guerrera urged council to consider adding in the purchase of a new first responder command vehicle. Fellow council representatives Rob Brough and Judith Dici agreed with Guerrera, which led to their vote of “No” on the 2020 budget. Guerrera said with the recent closing of the Ellwood City Medical Center, the time to upgrade is now. “This is our only line of defense to keep someone alive,” she said. “We are on our own here.” According to Guerrera,…

December 12, 2019

Beaver County Man Admits Robbing PNC Bank in Cranberry Township

PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Patterson Township, (Beaver County) Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced on Wednesday. Michael Ryan Neppach, 40, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, on August 28, 2019, Neppach had robbed the PNC Bank at 20940 Route 19 in Cranberry Township of approximately $1,400. Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for April 15, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not…