Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 2
Treatment of Jewish inmate improving at Westmoreland jail, attorney claims
A Mt. Pleasant man awaiting trial for allegedly trying to kill his mother has recently been granted access to some kosher foods necessary for his religious beliefs while jailed in Westmoreland County, his lawyer said Thursday. Attorney Amy Levenson Jones said Westmoreland County prison officials have improved conditions for her...
Inmate relieved of freedom for holding-cell assault
An Arnold man pleaded guilty to charges that he urinated on another inmate while in a holding cell earlier this year at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. Tahnook Sewell, 23, was charged in connection to an incident on July 21 that police said was recorded on security cameras recorded video a...
East Huntingdon man sentenced for shootout with state police
An East Huntingdon man, convicted last fall of firing shots at two state police troopers, was sentenced Tuesday to serve up to 44 years in prison. James R. Miller Jr., 63, declined to speak and presented no witnesses on his behalf during the court hearing in which prosecutors said his...
Westmoreland hospital, former nurses sued over patient photos
A Greensburg hospital and two fired nurses have been named as defendants in a negligence lawsuit filed by the daughter of one of up to 10 former patients whose images were recorded and distributed without consent last year. The three-count lawsuit filed last month contends Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital...
Westmoreland preps for 1st snowfall with reduced staff amid limited furlough savings
Furloughs will leave Westmoreland County with just half of its staff available Tuesday morning to maintain 52 miles of roads during the season’s first significant snowfall. Public Works Director Dante DeCario said all four remaining employees will begin salting and clearing county roads as early as 3 a.m. and will...
$500K invoice: Westmoreland awaits response from state over lost interest income
Westmoreland officials said the county has yet to receive a response to an invoice sent last month to the state, seeking money they claim is owed as a result of the state budget impasse. Controller Jeffrey Balzer in October sent a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro claiming the county is...
Westmoreland transit authority cuts ties with state lobbyists
A divided Westmoreland County Transit Authority board fired the agency’s state lobbyists this week. Four of the board’s seven members voted against retaining the Harrisburg-based firm, Malady and Wooten, which has represented the county transportation agency’s interests to state officials since 2022. The authority, which operates fixed-route local and commuter...
How Westmoreland County uses blue ‘pills’ to break more than 200 election ties
Brian Carnahan didn’t even know he’d be a candidate for public office until he cast a write-in vote for himself on Election Day. That single vote was enough to put him into a five-way tie for the position of inspector of elections at his Jeannette 5th Ward precinct for the...
Layoffs possible as commissioners seek to reduce $30M deficit from 2026 budget
Westmoreland County commissioners said additional spending cuts and layoffs could be implemented to trim a nearly $30 million deficit from the proposed 2026 budget. Commissioners unveiled a preliminary spending plan Thursday that calls for more than $463 million in expenses, an $11 million increase over this year. About 30% of...
Latrobe man sentenced for child porn possession
A Latrobe man was sentenced Thursday to serve at least six years in prison for possession of child pornography. Joshua Allen Clawson, 46, pleaded guilty in August to 10 felony counts in connection to files police said were discovered on a computer he sold to a Hempfield pawn shop in...
Community leaders anticipate economic boost from Independence-WVU Health merger
The proposed acquisition of Independence Health System by the West Virginia University Health System (WVU Medicine) could be a major benefit for the community, local leaders said Wednesday. Officials announced that Independence’s five hospitals — including facilities in Greensburg, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant, Butler, and Clarion counties — will join the...
Independence Health announces merger with WVU Health System
Independence Health System — with hospitals in Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant — announced Wednesday that it will join West Virginia University Health System beginning in fall 2026. The agreement includes an $800 million commitment from the WVU system over the next five years to strengthen Independence Health System’s five...
Westmoreland to break 200 election ties with draws from a jar
More than 200 races in this month’s municipal election in Westmoreland County ended in ties. The county election board Tuesday issued a precertification of the results of the hundreds of races that appeared on the Nov. 4 ballot after tallying more than 22,000 write-in votes, said Election Bureau Director Scott...
Westmoreland officials refute claims of backdoor salary deal for former purchasing director
Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas on Tuesday refuted defense claims that the criminal prosecution of the county’s former purchasing director was an effort to cover up actions taken outside of official channels. Kopas, Controller Jeffrey Balzer and county finance director Meghan McCandless testified under defense subpoenas as part of an...
Westmoreland detention center passes state inspections
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center has been given a clean bill of health by state inspectors. Inspections conducted this month by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and over the summer by federal auditors found no deficiencies in operations of the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield. The facility serves...
Murrysville man sentenced to prison for sex videos with teens
A Murrysville man was ordered Monday to serve up to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession and dissemination of child pornography. Prosecutors said Kevin M. Hullenbaugh, 32, had a sexual relationship from October 2023 through mid July 2024 with two 16-year-old girls. According to court records...
Westmoreland casino marks 5th anniversary as local officials tout community impact
It was not exactly a roll of the dice when Live Casino Pittsburgh opened five years ago at Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield. The small-scale casino was envisioned by state lawmakers to bring additional tax dollars into the state coffers. For county leaders, it was expected to enhance local tourism, and...
MAWC seeks funds to fix century-old underground arch in Scottdale
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County is seeking $1 million in aid from the state to make repairs to a century-old underground brick arch that allows the flow of sewage through Scottdale. The small 4-foot arch, which authority engineer Dan Schmitt described as similar to an aqueduct, was discovered shortly...
New Kensington woman sentenced for assault on grandmother
A New Kensington woman was ordered to serve one year on house arrest for the assault of her 83-year-old grandmother last year in Lower Burrell. Nicole Patricia Smith, 29, pleaded guilty in October to aggravated and simple assault in connection to a violent confrontation as the older woman cared for...
Westmoreland commissioners say new state budget won’t immediately fix county finances
Westmoreland officials warned that passage of a state budget on Wednesday will not immediately resolve the county’s financial hardships, which led to cutbacks and employee furloughs. “It’s a relief and we’ll be getting back to work but we expect this will have an impact for the next 24 months,” said...
Westmoreland Food Bank receives grant to help stock shelves as demand increases
The Westmoreland County Food Bank this week received a $75,000 emergency grant to help feed hungry residents. The money from the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County is needed to assist the food bank as uncertainty over federal SNAP benefits funding continues amid the federal shutdown, according to Executive Director McCrae...
Jury convicts roommate of attempted murder in Penn Township shooting
A North Versailles woman was convicted Friday of attempted murder in the shooting of her former roommate in Penn Township. After just over an hour of deliberations, a Westmoreland County jury found Leah H. Gillis, 36, guilty of all three charges she faced: attempted murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment....
Prosecutors say jealousy led woman to attempt to kill her Penn Township roommate
A woman’s jealousy over her roommate’s romantic interests led her to attempt to kill him more than three years ago in Penn Township, a Westmoreland County prosecutor said Thursday. Leah Hope Gillis, 36, now of North Versailles, Allegheny County, is on trial on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and...
Higher-than-expected election turnout boosted by judicial race, officials say
Political leaders on attribute a higher-than-expected voter turnout for Tuesday’s general election to the hotly contested state judicial retention vote. Turnout in Westmoreland County, which featured few contested local races, reached 42%. County election officials had initially predicted turnout would be about 30%. In neighboring Allegheny County, where the Pittsburgh...
Guilty plea entered for man charged in Jeannette chase
An eastern Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Wednesday to fleeing from police following a traffic stop two years ago in Jeannette. Police said a Jeep driven by Lance W. Frederick, 36, of Chester County, was stopped on Oct. 8, 2023. Police say he consented to a search of the vehicle, during...
