Police and Fire

Political Sign War The political-sign war rages on with many Ellwood residents who continue to report that their political signs are being stolen and sometimes even replaced with other political signs- and some perpetrators are getting creative with their schemes. We brought to you a story about a woman who was lured to a fake democratic event just so someone could have the opportunity to replace her “Hillary for President” sign with a Donald Trump sign. According to a recent police report on October 8, a woman who lives on Spring Avenue called the police station to report that three…

Man Faces Several Charges After Parking at McDonalds Brett Paul Ianarelli, 27, of Ellwood City, is facing charges of two counts of driving under the influence, driving without a registration, operating a vehicle without required financial responsibility, operating a vehicle without a valid inspection, and two counts of violation of controlled substance. He was arrested October 2 after officers responded to a call about an unresponsive man who was parked in the McDonald’s parking lot. When officers approached the vehicle they detected a strong smell of alcohol and required Ianarelli to do sobriety tests, which he failed and was taken…

According to reports, three service vehicles were destroyed in a fire that happened last night at the Wampum Fire Department. The fire reportedly started around midnight and continued for several hours after. The cause of the fire is not yet known, however it is speculated that one of the cars may have shorted out, causing the fire. The fire was mainly contained in the station and no injuries were reported. Update: 4 vehicles were destroyed in the fire.

140 mature marijuana plants were confiscated by state police from a property in Little Beaver Township last week. According to reports, the plants were growing among a cornfield and in total are estimated to be worth around a street value of $630,000. Police are still investigating.

Four volunteer fire companies in Beaver and Lawrence counties were recently awarded state grants for training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires, according to Senator Elder Vogel. Beaver County grant recipients are: Independence Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, $1,000, and Industry Borough Volunteer Fire Department, $7,500. Lawrence County grant recipients are: New Beaver Borough Volunteer Fire Department, $2,900, and Volant Volunteer Fire Company, $2,767. The grants of up to $7,500 were offered under the program to volunteer fire companies serving rural areas and communities with fewer than 10,000 residents and where forest and brush fires…

Ellwood Resident Gets “Trumped” By Mysterious Caller According to the police report, on September 17, officers received a complaint that a resident had their “Hillary Clinton for President” sign taken down and replaced with a Donald Trump sign after being lured to a fake voter registration event. The victim said she had received a call from “Sean Jackson” on the 15th who claimed to be a Democratic committee member; the caller asked the victim if she could participate in a voter registration event to be held Saturday September 17. The victim agreed but when she arrived there was no event…