Jan 25, 2018 6 min read

AMWELL

Fire cause determined: A state police fire marshal has determined that the cause of a fire Monday afternoon at a home owned by the Dwight Pees estate at 38 Hinerman Road, Amwell, was electrical. The fire, which was ruled accidental, started in a first-floor family room.

CANONSBURG

Two charged: Amy Lynn Levy, 48, and Bernice Ann Stratton, 56, both of 305 Greenside Ave., Canonsburg, were charged last week by Canonsburg police with possession of crack, marijuana and paraphernalia, stemming from a Nov. 19 traffic stop that began on Cecil Street. Levy also was charged with traffic violations. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

Driver charged: Sherri Lee Stiffler, 41, of 88 Country Club Road, Washington, was charged last week by Canonsburg police with illegally operating a motor vehicle without an Interlock and a red light violation after a Jan. 12 traffic stop in the 100 block of East Pike Street. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

Theft charge: Samuel Henry Higgins, 68, of 154 W. Pike St., Canonsburg, was charged  last week by Canonsburg police with theft after he allegedly stole $400 from a money bag from Snowy White Laundry, 154 W. Pike, on Dec. 27. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

Charged in crash: Christopher Havelka, 38, of 30 Main St., Atlasburg, was charged last week by Canonsburg police with leaving the scene of a crash, failure to drive at a safe speed and other traffic violations in connection with a Jan. 18 hit-and-run crash at the intersection of Cranberry Alley and Bluff Street. He allegedly went through a stop sign, struck another vehicle and fled.

Charged in stop: Cole Barefoot, 19, of 24 Emery Road, Fredericktown, was charged last week by Canonsburg police with possession of paraphernalia and marijuana and driving the wrong way in connection with an Aug. 21 traffic stop. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

CANTON

Drug charges: Matthew Scott Higgins, 22, of 100 Evans Drive, McMurray, was charged last week by state police with possession of ecstasy, marijuana and paraphernalia, driving under the influence of a controlled substance and traffic violations stemming from a Nov. 28 traffic stop near the intersection of Grove Avenue and Sheffield Street, Canton. Police said he was under the influence of marijuana. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

DUI alleged in crash: Ryan Keith Morris, 24, of 200 Sprowls Alley, Claysville, was charged last week by state police with driving under the influence of alcohol, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia and traffic violations in connection with a Dec. 17 crash on South Hewitt Avenue, Canton. Police said his blood-alcohol content was almost double the 0.08 percent limit at which intoxication is presumed. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

Driver charged: Gregory Keith Gayle, 53, of 77 Smiley Road, Washington, was charged last week by state police with driving under the influence of alcohol, duty of a driver to yield to an emergency vehicle and traffic violations after a Jan. 1 traffic stop near the intersection of Angott and Smiley roads, Canton. Police said his blood-alcohol content was more than double the 0.08 percent limit at which intoxication is presumed. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

CHARTIERS

Charged with assault: Lloyd F. Harper, 53, of 90 Barnickle St., Meadow Lands, was charged last week by Chartiers police with simple assault and harassment after he allegedly shoved another man into a wooden television stand during a Dec. 19 confrontation at their home. The alleged victim was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment of a broken rib and an injured disc in his back. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

Charged in theft: Shannon Leigh McGowan, 31, of 730 Regent St., Houston, was charged last week by Chartiers police with theft and access device fraud after she allegedly used her parents’ debit card to make an $83.50 withdrawal from their Chrome credit union account June 27. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.

NORTH BETHLEHEM

One injured: Albert Comer, 69, of Washington, was slightly injured when his pickup truck and a pickup truck driven by Drew Marko, 22, of Eighty Four, collided Jan. 15 on Roberts Road, North Bethlehem. State police said Marko’s truck slid on the icy road and hit Comer’s truck.

SMITH

Trespassing charges: Rebecca Plaisted, 48, of Lincoln Avenue, McDonald, was charged Wednesday by township police with two counts each of defiant trespass and disorderly conduct following an allegation that she had been at the residence of her ex-husband on Elder Street in Bulger on Jan. 17. Her ex-husband had died a few weeks earlier, and she was told by police Jan. 1 that she would be charged with trespassing if she returned to the property, according to court records. Charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge Gary Havelka.

Two men charged: Township police filed charges of child endangerment, possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia Tuesday against Morgan R. Esno, 31, of Walnut Street and Jonathan E. Martin, 25, of Avella Road in Independence Township, in connection with an incident Jan. 11. Police allegedly smelled burnt marijuana in the residence’s living room, where they also found Martin’s five-month-old son. Police also searched the home and allegedly found paraphernalia including marijuana smoking pipes, bongs, grinders and a digital scale; a medicine bottle containing marijuana and another containing seeds of the plant; and a ripped corner baggie with suspected cocaine in and around it. Martin allegedly took responsibility for the suspected cocaine. Charges were issued by summons from the office of District Judge Gary Havelka.