Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 29
GOP commissioners reject call for drop box use in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County’s Republican commissioners said they will not consider installation of drop boxes for mail-in ballots at the courthouse or at remote locations around the county for this spring’s presidential primary or the fall general election. Nearly a dozen residents appeared county’s election board on Wednesday to lobby for drop...
Hunker man acquitted of animal cruelty in dog shooting, found guilty of other charges
A Hunker man told a Westmoreland County jury he had no alternative but to kill his neighbor’s dog as it lay wounded in his driveway after being shot by another neighbor. “The dog was growling, showing it’s teeth. I was intimidated. It stood up on its front legs but couldn’t...
Former WCCC student not guilty of screwdriver assault of instructor
It took a Westmoreland County jury just 20 minutes on Tuesday to find a former Westmoreland County Community College student not guilty of assaulting his instructor. Jurors acquitted David Ross, 26, of Unity, of a felony charge of aggravated assault and a simple assault offense. Prosecutors claimed Ross used a...
Jury conduct questioned in appeal of Apollo man’s conviction for wife’s murder
The lawyer for an Apollo man sentenced last month to life in prison for the first-degree murder of his estranged wife claims improper conduct by jurors should have warranted a mistrial. In court documents filed Monday, defense attorney Adam Gorzelsky claimed one juror improperly contacted an assistant district attorney during...
Trial begins for Hunker man accused of shooting neighbor’s dog
Two dogs who were shot to death were killed by neighbors in retaliation for a dead peacock, a Westmoreland County prosecutor said in court Monday. Jason Beal, 37, of Hunker is accused of shooting one dog and other crimes in an attempt to cover up the incident. He is facing...
Western Pa. elections officials say higher pay for poll workers helped to ease staffing crunch
It takes thousands of employees to run an election. Elections officials across Southwestern Pennsylvania said they continue to gear up and prepare staff needed for the April 23 presidential primary, including the hiring of judges of elections, inspectors and clerks needed to man voting precincts. Concerns about staffing levels have...
Westmoreland to consider services similar to Uber and Lyft as public transit options
A program modeled on ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft could begin in Westmoreland County early next year as part of a recasting of the county transit system. The Westmoreland County Transit Authority plan includes changes to existing routes and an emphasis on local service. The ride-sharing program would...
Former public defender found not guilty in incident with Greensburg police
A former Westmoreland County assistant public defender was found not guilty of evading arrest by a Greensburg police officer last fall following a traffic stop. Following a lengthy hearing Tuesday, David Mulock, 38, of Murrysville was acquitted on one summary count in connection with an incident Oct. 4 on North...
Westmoreland broadband installations to begin this spring
Work to install new high-speed internet service to as many as 400 Westmoreland County residents unserved by broadband is set to begin this spring. County officials announced Wednesday that after months of delays, crews will soon be starting work on the $1.7 million project designed to connect homes in Derry,...
Pelesky named as new warden for Westmoreland County Prison
Westmoreland County has hired a new warden to run the prison. Steven Pelesky, 49, of Ligonier, was promoted Wednesday to serve as the full-time warden after having serving in the same role in an interim capacity since last September. “He has done a great job here at the prison for...
Family objects to plea deal for uncle’s role in overdose death
Roseanne DeBruyn’s call for a Westmoreland County judge to reject the terms in a proposed plea bargain for her former brother-in-law went unheeded on Tuesday. Jeffrey R. Carlson, 58, of Glassport, Allegheny County, was charged in connection with the death of DeBruyn’s son in 2022. Carlson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor...
Westmoreland DA convenes grand jury for unsolved homicides
Westmoreland County’s first investigating grand jury in more than three decades was seated Tuesday to hear evidence in unsolved homicides and major crimes. District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli announced last fall the creation of the grand jury. It is intended to be a tool to compel witnesses to produce evidence and...
Families, survivors mark 1991 missile attack that killed reservists based near Greensburg
For more than three decades, Norman Madison Sr. has made the trip on Feb. 25 from his Monessen home to the Hempfield community of Carbon to honor his son. A memorial there honors Anthony Madison along with 12 other members of the 14th Quartermaster unit based near Greensburg who were...
Game savers: Seton Hill trainers honored for reviving heart attack victim
John Palumbo is a regular at Seton Hill men’s basketball games, but he didn’t get to see the Griffins’ last home game two weeks ago. That’s when he was stretchered out of the gym after suffering what officials described as a “widow maker” heart attack but was revived by Seton...
1 dead, 3 wounded in Marshall-Shadeland shooting
Pittsburgh police said one person was killed and three others wounded in a shooting early Saturday morning in front of a bar in the city’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood. Authorities said police received calls at 2:10 a.m. to respond to a dispute at 703 Social Club along Brighton Road. When they arrived,...
$1 million to be invested in lead water line replacement in Vandergrift, Leechburg areas
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will ramp up its efforts this year to replace thousands of lead waterlines throughout its five-county service area. Authority officials announced this week it will use a $1 million state grant to pay for the swapping out of as many as 200 waterlines in...
Victims sought for testimony at Westmoreland Register of Wills contempt hearing
People impacted by delays in filing adoption records could be called as witnesses at a hearing next month in Westmoreland County court to address the issue. Two county judges will review whether Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton violated court orders that required her courthouse office meet specific deadlines to...
Water authority approves fracking leases in Hempfield, Washington townships
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members on Wednesday approved new lease agreements for local energy companies to drill for natural gas, including at a site near the Beaver Run Reservoir in Washington Township. The new contracts come as the authority continues to ban the sale of water from the...
Defense blames Westmoreland DA for trial delays in death of New Kensington boy
Attorneys for an Allegheny County man facing a potential death penalty for the alleged murder of his 9-year-old son in New Kensington told a Westmoreland County judge that prosecution delays have left them unable to move forward with preparing their defense. The case has languished in the courts for nearly...
Westmoreland Transit sees increased ridership as plans for revised service loom
Ridership on commuter and local bus service continues to rebound, according to the Westmoreland County Transit Authority The bus service saw the number of passengers increase by nearly 6% in January and over the last year its performance has been on an upward trajectory following declines caused by the coronavirus...
‘It’s not black or white’ judge says of circumstances in case against Stanko
A Unity man claimed Friday he cannot be prosecuted for the homicide of a former girlfriend because there is no proof she is dead. The lawyer for Thomas G. Stanko said proposed evidence recently disclosed by prosecutors that his client targeted, stalked and harassed Cassandra Gross before she went missing...
3 sentenced for roles in slaying outside New Ken apartment; Judge: ‘maybe the saddest case I’ve ever dealt with’
A Westmoreland County judge said he struggled with how to strike a balance between the rough upbringings that impacted three young defendants and their convictions last year related to their roles in July 3, 2022, fatal shooting in front of a New Kensington apartment building. Amir Kennedy, 16, DaMontae Brooks,...
Trial set for Monessen teen charged with friend’s killing
The murder trial for a Monessen teen charged with the fatal shooting of a friend as they played video games is set to begin May 6. Terry Newton, 17, is awaiting trial on charges of criminal homicide in connection with the November 2022 shooting death of 16-year-old Amari Altomore. Police...
Attorneys for Rostraver murder-for-hire suspect say case details remain elusive
Prosecutors in Westmoreland County must turn over evidence to defense attorneys for a Philadelphia man charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot. Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger made the ruling Thursday in the case that resulted in the shooting death of Boyke Budiarachman, also of Philadelphia, in the parking lot of...
Westmoreland County judge grants appeal by Rostraver commissioner of harassment citations
A Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday granted Rostraver Commissioner John Lorenzo’s appeal of two summary harassment citations that Lorenzo said ultimately will have little impact on his political career. Prosecutors agreed to what amounted to a plea bargain to resolve the appeal without a hearing. Senior Common Pleas Court Judge...
