Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 36
Jeannette man to serve life prison term for friend’s murder
Desiha Davis said her brother’s murder more than two years ago is still being felt by his five children. “This is really hard and I pray to be stronger than I am right now. This was our heart. And now I have to make sure these kids are empowered and...
Greensburg meat cleaver attack victim to remain jailed following claims of alleged payoff plot
A Mexican immigrant who Westmoreland County prosecutors say was the victim of a meat cleaver attack was ordered to remain jailed as a material witness after authorities said they have evidence he was offered $20,000 to withhold his testimony and flee the area. Jamie Hernandez Ruiz, 19, has been in...
Judges appoint Matthew Thomas to Norwin school board
Westmoreland County judges selected a former Cambria County school principal to serve a six-week stint as a member of the Norwin School Board. Matthew Thomas, 49, of North Huntingdon was named Monday as the replacement for school board member Joanna Jordan, who died in August. The deeply divided school board...
Sutlers Row, history takes center stage at Fort Ligonier Days
Fort Ligonier Days is all about the history. Sure there’s plenty of food, drink, crafts and live music for the thousands of visitors who flocked to Ligonier this weekend for the three-day festival that has marked the start of the fall season for more than six decades. But, it’s the...
Police say man stabbed in Pitcairn
A man was stabbed multiple times Saturday night in Pitcairn, according to police. Authorities said Allegheny County 911 was notified that an adult male was found wounded on the 400 block of Second Street at 11:20 p.m. The male was taken to a hospital and was listed in critical condition....
South Side shooting under investigation
Pittsburgh police said a man was shot in the chest early Sunday morning in the entertainment district on the city’s South Side. Officers assigned to the area at the intersection of East Carson Street and South 17th Street shortly after 2:30 a.m. found the unidentified male victim with a gunshot...
Rain can’t halt Fort Ligonier Days parade
Sandi Wilkins Wallace knows first-hand how big a deal it is to march down Main Street during the Fort Ligonier Days parade. Wallace, 64, moved to Florida as an adult, but as a kid who grew up in Ligonier she marched the mile-long parade route as a member of the...
What’s that?: Haunted Larimer mansion holds historic importance for North Huntingdon
Editor’s note: ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com or call 724-838-5146. Lynne and Larry Moisey didn’t know they were getting roommates when they purchased an abandoned but once stately two-story...
Police: Trib delivery person reports seeing woman fitting description of missing Bradenville woman
A Bradenville woman missing since Friday evening may have been seen Saturday morning. Pennsylvania state police troopers say Georgetta Marshall, 63, was possibly seen walking along Mission Road toward Route 30 in Unity Township early Saturday morning. Troopers were contacted Sunday morning by a carrier for the Tribune-Review who reported...
Voting begins ahead of November election
Early voting has started in Westmoreland County ahead of the Nov. 7 general election. Elections Bureau Director Greg McCloskey said more than 25,000 mail-in ballots have been sent out to voters with another 1,000 being processed and expected to be distributed within days. “We’re on pace with everything,” McCloskey said....
Westmoreland County to distribute opioid settlement funds
Westmoreland County Commissioners are expected to award grants to three municipalities this week with money from the national opioid abuse settlements. North Huntingdon is slated to receive nearly $105,000, while Rostraver and Lower Burrell each will receive $62,832 to operate drug prevention and education programs through municipal police departments. The...
Court hearing set for Hempfield students in school gun case
Three Hempfield Area High School students charged last week with possessing guns on school property are scheduled to appear in court this month. They are being prosecuted in the juvenile court system and are scheduled to appear for adjudication hearings Oct. 26 before Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Michele Bononi....
Derry Township man not guilty of attempted murder of wife
A Derry Township man accused of installing a trip wire to cause the fatal fall of his wife three years ago was found not guilty Friday of attempted murder. Westmoreland County prosecutors claimed William “B.J.” Dankesreiter, 63, spent months plotting his now former wife’s death to end a bad marriage...
Acquitted of killing St. Clair cop in 2015, Ray Shetler found guilty of assault in case involving deputy sheriff
A New Florence man acquitted in the 2015 killing of a police officer was found guilty of assaulting a deputy sheriff during a violent confrontation with law enforcement officials who attempted to serve an arrest warrant nearly two years ago. Following two days of testimony and more than three hours...
Police trooper testifies Derry husband researched ways to kill wife, defense says wife’s story not plausible
A Derry Township husband spent weeks researching potential methods to kill his wife, a state police detective testified on Thursday. State Police Tpr. John Beynon told a Westmoreland County jury William “BJ” Dankesreiter Jr., 63, conducted multiple internet searches about chloroform, other forms of anesthesia, and uses for fishing wire...
New Florence man claims he was targeted for retribution by police over officer’s killing
A New Florence man told jurors he was he severely beaten and blinded in his left eye with a targeted shot from a Taser as retribution for his role in the the 2015 death of a police officer. Ray A. Shetler Jr., 39, testified that a group of masked police...
911 dispatch centers struggle with staff shortages
It’s a call that can save someone’s life, but the local centers where 911 dispatchers work to answer those pleas for help are seeing more and more empty work spaces. Officials say staffing issues continue to plague emergency dispatch centers as municipalities struggle to fill shifts and force employees to...
Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in South, Southwest Greensburg
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...
Westmoreland judge rules Shetler trial still timely
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday ruled time is on the prosecution’s side in its effort to bring a New Florence man to trial on charges that he assaulted police officers. Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio rejected a defense demand that criminal charges against Ray A. Shetler Jr. be...
Westmoreland DA announces plan to create collaboration center for law enforcement
Westmoreland County plans to open a collaboration center that aims to allow county detectives to have improved cooperation with state and federal agents. District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said she will allocate a portion of a $1.08 million grant from Pennsylvania’s share of federal American Rescue Plan funds to finance what...
Shetler’s lawyer claims Westmoreland criminal trial system unconstitutional
Lawyers for a New Florence man accused of assaulting a police officer nearly two years ago argued during a hearing Wednesday that Westmoreland County’s criminal trial system is unconstitutional. Assistant public defender Mike Garofalo said the assault and resisting arrest charges against Ray A. Shetler Jr. should be dismissed. The...
Lawyer: Delmont dad accused in death of adopted son should be released on bail
The lawyer for a Delmont man accused in the death of his adopted son told a Westmoreland County judge on Wednesday that prosecutors cannot prove his client committed first-degree murder. Assistant Public Defender David Mulock argued that evidence presented last month during a preliminary hearing did not conclusively show that...
Westmoreland transit readies real-time bus tracking
Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus passengers will be able to track their rides online next year. Agency officials said training for a real-time tracking program is expected to begin this fall, with an anticipated launch date in January. Global positioning software is being installed on the authority’s fleet of more...
Delmont dad charged in son’s death seeks release on bail
A Delmont man accused in connection with the killing of his 5-year-old adopted son is seeking release from jail on a no-money bond. Jacob Maloberti, 33, was charged along with his wife, Lauren, in July with criminal homicide, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, conspiracy and other related offenses related to allegations...
New Florence man seeks dismissal of criminal case for speedy trial violation
A New Florence man has asked that criminal charges that he assault police who attempted to arrest him two years ago be dismissed because Westmoreland County prosecutors violated his speedy trial rights. Ray A. Shetler Jr., 38, has been in jail since December 2021 after he was charged with two...
