Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 17
Norvelt VFD dedicates new fire station
After more than 80 years at its old station, including one expansion in the 1970s, the Norvelt Volunteer Fire Department celebration a move into a new station on Sunday. The department’s fleet includes: three full-size fire engines; squad and brush trucks, each built on a pickup chassis; and a utility...
Handmade holiday crafts featured at West Overton Village Makers Market
Evalee Toby was looking for a hobby as the world sat and waited out the coronavirus pandemic. So she gathered some wood, watched some YouTube videos and through trial and error learned to craft handmade decorative blocks. Four years later, it’s become a business. “I wish I had been a...
Police say 3 shot in Mt. Oliver
Three people were injured in a shooting Saturday night in Mt. Oliver. Allegheny County police said first responders received reports shortly after 9:20 p.m. of a shooting in the 200 block of Brownsville Road and when they arrived on the scene found several spent casings on the ground outside of...
Jeannette celebrates the season with parade, craft show
Amanda Skiffington said she’s ready for the holiday season. Skiffington and her 8-year-old son, Levi, were among the crowds that gathered Saturday afternoon in downtown Jeannette for the city’s Sparkle of Christmas celebration with a parade down Clay Avenue and a holiday craft show at the American Legion. “We’re here...
Westmoreland jury convicts Pike County man of sexual assault of teen at Keystone State Park
A Northeastern Pennsylvania man was convicted Wednesday of the sexual assault of a teenaged girl four years ago at Keystone State Park. David Stone, 62, of Dingmans Ferry in Pike County, was found guilty of two misdemeanor charges of indecent assault and corruption of a minor in connection with allegations...
Westmoreland commissioners, row officers to receive 3.4% raises in 2025
Westmoreland County’s elected officials will again receive raises in 2025. The commissioners and row officers are slated to see their paychecks jump next year by nearly 3.4%, nearly mirroring the hikes received this year and once again prompting one official to call for a cap on future raises. “This is...
Ohio man pleads guilty to stalking of Flyleaf singer
An Ohio man jailed since May after he was accused of stalking a singer at her Murrysville home was paroled Monday after he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges. Anthony A. Carpenter, 44, of Rutland, Ohio, had been in jail without bond for more than six months after he was...
Bolivar man pleads guilty to arson, insurance fraud
A Bolivar man serving a 20-year prison sentence for the sexual assault of a child pleaded guilty Monday to burning a vehicle for insurance money in a separate case. Jerry Allen Boring, 60, was ordered to serve a concurrent one- to two-year prison sentence and an additional year on parole...
Westmoreland officials announce pursuit of conference center for county
A decade after the shuttering of a hotel in Hempfield that functioned as Westmoreland County’s de facto convention center, local officials said it’s time to consider a replacement. The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce announced Monday it has launched a $25,000 study to explore the potential construction of a convention...
Arnold man ruled competent to stand trial in mother’s stabbing death
An Arnold man charged in the fatal stabbing of his mother last summer has been ruled competent to stand trial. Brian Rebold, 38, has been in jail since he was charged with criminal homicide and first-degree murder Aug. 4 in connection with the death of his 73-year-old mother outside her...
Judge to decide if ex-girlfriend’s texts are bullying or free speech in Hempfield man’s suicide
A Westmoreland County judge will determine if text messages sent by a woman were a criminal attempt to bully her boyfriend into killing himself, or a form of free speech. Defense attorneys for Mandie Reusch, 36, of South Greensburg, claim charges of aiding suicide and involuntary manslaughter should be dismissed,...
Westmoreland County expands, refocuses veterans affairs office
Westmoreland County’s veterans affairs department will be expanding to provide additional access to services for former military members and their families. The five-person office will be renamed the Division of Veterans Affairs and Services and is expected to enhance service coordination, improve transportation to clinics in the Pittsburgh region and...
John McCain, Tom Hanks and Taylor Swift get votes for president in Westmoreland County’s official election results
The Westmoreland County Election Board on Monday unanimously approved the final certification of the Nov. 5 election results. “It’s a wrap,” Election Bureau Director Greg McCloskey said. The certification included all races that appeared on the ballot, including the closely contested election that saw Republican Dave McCormick oust three-term incumbent...
Defense says police ruse invalidates confession in sex assault case
The lawyer for an Erie man accused of sex offenses claimed his client’s confession should be barred from evidence at an upcoming trial because police lied about the circumstances of the interrogation. Timothy Colcombe, 37, was charged in January with felony counts in connection to allegations that he attempted to...
Guilty but mentally ill plea planned for Greensburg woman charged with attempting to kill girl
A Greensburg woman accused of attempting to kill a child will plead guilty but mentally ill at a hearing next month, her attorney said Tuesday. Skye C. Naggy, 31, was charged in 2022 with 15 counts, including first-degree attempted homicide, attempted drug delivery resulting in death, attempting to aid suicide,...
Westmoreland County officials defend voting machine accuracy as most results approved
Westmoreland County’s Election Board on Tuesday issued a precertification of results for most races that appeared on this month’s presidential election ballots. The board approved final tallies for all but the race for U.S. Senate, in which a statewide recount was ordered as Republican Dave McCormick continues to hold a...
10 new theft allegations surface as probe into Latrobe attorney continues
A Westmoreland County detective testified Tuesday that authorities are looking into 10 new theft allegations leveled against Latrobe lawyer J. Allen Roth. Roth, 70, was charged and jailed on theft counts earlier this month in which he was accused of bilking a jailed client out of more than $31,000 that...
Murrysville man pleads guilty in mother’s stabbing
A Murrysville man pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the stabbing of his mother, months after a judge rejected a proposed deal with prosecutors that would have seen him serve four years on probation. Andrew J. Farbarik, 32, was allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced...
Son of former Steelers star to serve up to 16 years for drug offenses
The son of a former Pittsburgh Steelers star was ordered to serve up to 16 years in prison for the attempted sale of raw fentanyl to undercover officers in the Ligonier area. Cortez Marcell Haselrig, 27, of Johnstown pleaded guilty to four felony drug counts in connection with what authorities...
‘Maybe we were living in a silo’: Westmoreland Democratic leader reflects on failed election
Democratic Party leaders in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties experienced a range of emotions over the past two weeks as they assessed what comes next in the wake of defeat and the threat of a red wave sweeping through the state. Anger, sadness and confusion marked the reactions to this month’s...
Mt. Pleasant woman charged as part of lawyer’s alleged theft scheme
A Mt. Pleasant woman was arrested Friday for her alleged role as an accomplice to a Latrobe attorney charged last week with swindling funds from a jailed client. Tina Curry, 50, was charged with six felony offenses including theft counts and conspiracy in connection with allegations she and lawyer J....
Defense demands dismissal of charges in Jehovah Witnesses sex abuse case
The lawyer for a Lower Burrell man charged as part of a grand jury probe into allegations of widespread child sex abuse claims within the Jehovah Witnesses community on Thursday argued the case should be dismissed for lack of evidence. Defense attorney Dan Joseph said the alleged victim’s testimony during...
Penn Township nurse practitioner to serve jail sentence for fake prescriptions
A Penn Township nurse practitioner who pleaded guilty last summer to forging prescriptions for thousands of pain pills said two decades of drug addiction led to professional and personal ruin. He asked for leniency from a Westmoreland County judge at his sentencing Thursday. “I am very remorseful for my actions...
Westmoreland County reopens rental assistance program
Westmoreland County will reopen its program to assist low-income renters with monthly bills and housing costs. Finance director Meghan McCandless said the county has allocated the final $80,000 left over from the program along with another $727,000 earned through bank interest over the last three years again offer rental assistance...
Judge exits Latrobe lawyer’s theft case
Westmoreland County President Judge Christopher Feliciani recused himself Wednesday from presiding over a bail hearing for a Latrobe lawyer jailed on charges that he stole money from a client. The judge cited a conflict of interest related to pending legal matters that involved an alleged personal relationship between attorney J....
