Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 15
Westmoreland homeless count reveals growing shelter needs
Westmoreland officials said a study conducted Thursday morning identified 25 people across the county who were classified as homeless. It’s a number that is believed to be only a fraction of the true scope of homelessness in Westmoreland County. “We know that if we’re finding people there are definitely more....
Westmoreland-based water authority hikes rates, blames increase on inflation, upgrade needs
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers will be charged an additional 9.5% for water and sewer services starting in April. The authority board approved a $129 million budget that included the second rate hike in the past two years. The latest, officials said, is attributed to costs for energy, construction...
Greensburg mother pleads guilty but mentally ill to young child’s attempted murder
A Greensburg woman could face up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced this year for the attempted first-degree murder of her 8-year-old child. Skye C. Naggy, 32, pleaded guilty but mentally ill Tuesday to six criminal offenses in connection with an incident in which prosecutors claimed that,...
Lawyer for New Florence woman charged in mother’s slaying explores insanity defense
A New Florence woman will be evaluated by a psychologist to determine if she can be held criminally responsible for the killing of her mother last year. The lawyer for Melissa Sue Fox-Beacom told a county judge during a court hearing on Tuesday that questions remain about his client’s mental...
‘We’re getting our president back’: Republicans excited about Trump’s return to office
Roberta Corpuz stood just feet behind Donald Trump when bullets rang out at the Butler Farm Show grounds during a July campaign rally. Six months after watching Trump fall to the ground and then rise with a bloodied ear and raised fist following the Butler assassination attempt, Corpuz will be...
Westmoreland housing authority honors former chairman as it taps former Pa. Sen. Regola to lead board
Dan Wukich came to the Westmoreland County Housing Authority a quarter century ago as a disruptor. He is leaving with a plaque on the wall in a conference room that bears his name. Wukich, 86, of Penn Township resigned from the board at the end of December and was honored...
Westmoreland’s ‘librarian’s librarian’ honored
Westmoreland County’s library system is turning the page to 2025 and the woman appointed to serve as its chief traffic cop for all operations is expected to play a large role in what’s ahead. But, Melinda Tanner is no footnote to the system’s past success. She’s been credited with helping craft...
Westmoreland commissioners approve $1.7M tourism plan
Westmoreland commissioners Thursday allocated more than $1.7 million to promote and enhance tourism, with a primary focus on the county park system. Commissioners signed off on the 2025 tourism plan that is funded through 40% of the county’s hotel tax. The tourism plan this year focuses almost exclusively on Westmoreland’s...
Hempfield lawyer announces campaign for county judge
Hempfield attorney Matt Schimizzi on Wednesday announced his candidacy for a seat on Westmoreland County’s Court of Common Pleas. Schimizzi, 41, is making his second run for a judicial post after finishing third in both the Democratic and Republican primaries in 2019, in what was among the expensive local judicial...
Westmoreland to charge more to ensure the price is right
Westmoreland County’s department that ensures local consumers get what they pay for could charge business owners more to ensure checkout line scanners, gas pumps and other equipment remain accurate. Commissioners are expected to consider the change in fee structure this week. A plan was unveiled Tuesday to increase licensing fees...
Arnold Palmer airport expansion project on track to take off in December
A new terminal for passengers at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is on track for completion by Christmas. Officials said Tuesday that work on the $22 million expansion is on schedule and a second phase of the overall construction project that includes new offices for the county airport authority is set...
Suspended Arnold police chief claims setup, seeks dismissal of criminal charges
Arnold’s suspended police chief on Monday claimed his arrest was a result of a setup orchestrated by his former wife. Joshua I. Stanga, 42, was charged with five misdemeanor counts including theft, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence and related offenses in connection with what state investigators described as a...
Unity man pleads guilty to lesser charge in knife attack
A Unity man who faced attempted homicide charges in connection with a stabbing last year pleaded guilty to a lesser charge as part of a deal with prosecutors Monday. Prosecutors agreed to allow William Kennet Evans Jr., 62, to plead guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault. They dismissed...
Westmoreland officials say reduced children’s bureau staffing hours will have no impact on services
Westmoreland County’s Children’s Bureau officials said the expansion of its on-call program to process new reports after business hours will continue in 2025. The child welfare agency operates around the clock but, until recently, has had staff on duty at the courthouse complex offices until 6 p.m. to handle calls...
Mt. Pleasant woman guilty for drunken crash that injured pedestrians
A Mt. Pleasant woman was convicted Friday for her role in a drunken-driving crash more than four years ago that injured two pedestrians. Elizabeth M. Sirianni could serve at least one year in prison as a result of the verdicts rendered by a Westmoreland County jury following a three-day trial....
Jeannette man not guilty of ordering teen brother to shoot adversary
A Westmoreland County jury on Thursday cleared a Jeannette man of allegations that he ordered his teenage brother to shoot his opponent after losing a street fight nearly four years ago. Following just one of hour deliberations, jurors returned not guilty verdicts for all five counts against Brandon Ingram. Ingram,...
Jury finds Monessen man not guilty of rape, sex assault charges
A Monessen man was acquitted of sexual assault charges on Wednesday. After nearly two hours of deliberations by a Westmoreland County jury, Jerry Francis Griest, 63, was found not guilty of three charges in connection with allegations made by an autistic woman who claimed she was raped after she rejected...
Defense claims Mt. Pleasant woman’s drinking not the cause of crash that injured pedestrians
Westmoreland County prosecutors contend a Mt. Pleasant woman was severely drunk when she drove her sports utility vehicle off the road and struck two pedestrians in early July 2020. Assistant District Attorney Theresa Miller-Sporrer told jurors on Wednesday that Elizabeth Sirianni’s decision to drive home after drinking at two local...
Trial begins for brother accused of ordering gunfire that started Jeannette shootout
Terra Dudley knew her son was in trouble but hesitated when she pulled out a gun to defend him as he fled from a barrage of bullets. She then fired at the teenage boy who had taken aim at her 17-year-old son, James Sanders. “My heart broke. I had just...
Trial begins for Monessen man accused of sexually assaulting autistic woman
The lawyer for a Monessen man told a Westmoreland County jury that a sexual relationship between his client and a Rostraver woman more than two years ago was consensual. Jerry Francis Griest, 63, is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault in...
Commissioners look to ‘retool’ Westmoreland election bureau
The search for a new director of Westmoreland County’s election bureau could begin in earnest this month as officials said Monday they want to have a new leadership team in place before the May primary. Former director Greg McCloskey retired in December, leaving a vacancy officials have yet to begin...
North Belle Vernon man accused of withholding dog’s medical care pleads guilty
A North Belle Vernon man will serve six years on probation after he pleaded guilty Friday to animal cruelty charges. Westmoreland County prosecutors said Dan Karbowsky, 55, intentionally withheld medical care for his aging and cancer-ridden dog. According to prosecutors, humane officers went to Karbowsky’s home in March 2022 and...
Arnold man who killed intruder in self-defense could serve 17 years in prison for firearms violations
An Arnold man who admitted to fatally shooting a home intruder in self-defense was sentenced Friday to serve up to 17 years in prison because he wasn’t allowed to own guns. Malique Jamal Black, 26, pleaded guilty in October to weapons and drug charges in three cases dating to 2022...
‘There is no such thing as a non-political decision,’ Duquesne prof says of Biden’s U.S. Steel decision
The intersection of politics and national security likely played a role in President Joe Biden’s decision to reject the proposed sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese company, according to experts. The White House announcement Friday morning to halt the nearly $15 billion deal to transfer ownership of the iconic...
2050 look-ahead: Pennsylvania’s influence may shrink in next 25 years as political winds shift
Editor’s note: One-fourth of the way through this century, TribLive is looking ahead to the next 25 years, using the events of the past 25 as a roadmap of what possibly is to come. This installment of the occasional series looks at politics. In late December 2000, America waited for...
