Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 24
Former medical provider removed from inmate’s lawsuit against Westmoreland jail
The former medical provider at Westmoreland County Prison has been removed from a federal lawsuit filed last year by an inmate. Robert James Frantz, formerly of Hempfield, claimed he was improperly cared for at the Hempfield lockup. Senior U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti, in a ruling finalized Monday, dismissed...
Bretz reelected to head Westmoreland GOP
Westmoreland County Republican Committee members have reelected Bill Bretz as their chairman to oversee the local GOP for the next two years. Bretz, 52, was unopposed in his bid for a third term at the helm of the Republican committee which over the last decade has surged into power in...
Westmoreland authority targeted in ‘vendor impersonator scheme,’ official says
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County said Monday that it lost a significant amount of money in what the agency’s top legal official described as a “vendor impersonator scheme.” “This was not a data breach. It was a vendor impersonator scheme,” said Scott Avolio, the authority’s solicitor. “It was literally...
Rostraver church holds service for pets, owners
John Harkins and Lucy, his Schnauzer-Yorkie mix, have been together for just three months. They are a family and last Saturday, along with dozens of other local pets and owners, gathered at the First Presbyterian Church for the 9th annual Blessing of the Animals. Harkins, adopted Lucy in Florida earlier...
New errors discovered in Westmoreland Register of Wills Office lead to personnel changes
The ongoing review of records in the embattled Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office has unearthed more incomplete adoption files, leading to personnel changes enacted this week by the conservator appointed to oversee the office. According to court documents filed Thursday, conservator Jim Antoniono said staff found multiple cases of...
Westmoreland approves GPS tracking of county vehicles
Westmoreland County soon will begin intensive tracking of its vehicle fleet, including dozens of take-home cars used by employees and elected officials. Commissioners on Thursday revised the county’s fleet management policy to require drivers to log in to a GPS device installed in nearly every vehicle. The equipment will provide...
Advocates blast Westmoreland commissioners for not recognizing Pride Month
Local leaders of a LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group on Wednesday accused Westmoreland County commissioners of refusing to recognize local diversity. The group last week submitted a petition asking commissioners to proclaim June as Pride Month in the county. The request is not listed for consideration at Thursday’s commissioners meeting. “They...
Former nursing aide sentenced for jewelry theft from dementia patients
A former nursing aide was ordered to serve nearly 10 months in jail for the theft of jewelry from dementia patients at a Murrysville nursing home. Christina Louise Ankney, 40, of Braddock, Allegheny County, pleaded guilty in April to two misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property in connection...
Delmont mom rejects torture claim in adopted son’s death
A Delmont mother charged in connection with the death of her 5-year-old adopted son last year “categorically denies” allegations she caused the boy’s fatal injuries, her defense lawyer said after a court appearance Tuesday. Defense attorney Adam Gorzelsky said the prosecution’s case against Lauren Maloberti is based on false assumptions....
Defense suggests alternate causes for New Kensington toddler death
The lawyer for a New Kensington man accused in the death of a 2-year-old boy said Tuesday that fatal injuries suffered by the child were caused by accidents or another family member. Prosecutors contend Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 35, caused multiple head wounds and other injuries suffered by Mikel Fetterman,...
Westmoreland increases capacity at reopened juvenile detention center
The Westmoreland County juvenile detention center in Hempfield has hired enough staff to double its capacity three months after a limited reopening in March, officials announced Monday. The detention facility that makes up half of the Regional Youth Services Center was temporarily shuttered last year amid a series of negative...
Abortion rights take center stage as first lady Jill Biden campaigns in Millvale
First lady Jill Biden, in her second campaign appearance this month in the Pittsburgh region, attacked Republicans and former President Donald Trump, saying this fall’s election could put abortion access and women’s rights at risk in Pennsylvania and throughout the country. Speaking to several hundred invited supporters at Mr. Smalls...
Westmoreland housing authority’s newest apartment building set to open in July
The first tenants at the Westmore- land County Housing Authority’s newest community are expected to move to their new homes next month. Officials confirmed this week that construction of Grand View Senior Residences in Irwin is set to wrap up in July. “We’re more than 90% complete, and we’re looking to...
Arrest made in Arlington Heights fatal shooting
Pittsburgh police arrested a suspect in last week’s fatal shooting of a man in Arlington Heights. Jason Ingram, 37, of Pittsburgh was taken into custody without incident Friday afternoon by detectives with the Pittsburgh Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force. He was charged...
Jeannette flood control project set to begin after years of delays
A long-delayed project to ease flooding concerns in Jeannette is finally expected to begin in early 2025, officials said. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members this week formally accepted two low-interest 40-year loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for the $14.3 million flooding containment project. It...
Unity man to serve prison sentence for check scheme to pay for stepdaughter’s wedding
A Unity man was ordered to serve nearly seven years in prison for bilking vendors at his stepdaughter’s wedding and related weapons offenses. Joseph A. Malago, 52, was convicted in December by a Westmoreland County jury of 18 criminal counts in four separate cases. Prosecutors alleged he wrote a series...
Salem woman to serve jail sentence for drunk driving crash that injured bicyclist
Nearly three years after Edward Chatterton was hit by a drunk driver as he bicycled in Export he continues to have physical, emotional and financial struggles. Chatterton testified Tuesday during a sentencing hearing for the woman who prosecutors said was responsible for the crash. “I used to live an active...
Westmoreland Register of Wills fined, agrees to resign
Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton, whose management of the office has been sharply criticized, was ordered Monday to pay a $10,000 fine as she agreed to step down from her elected position at the end of the year. The agreement resolves a criminal contempt of court case...
Protesters call for resignation of register of wills hours ahead of sentencing hearing
Protesters called for the immediate resignation of embattled Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton on Monday morning, hours ahead of a court hearing to determine her penalty for contempt of court. Hamilton faces a potential jail term and fines when she is sentenced by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judges...
Westmoreland register of wills meets deadline, pays $422,000 into county treasury
More than $422,000 from court fees collected by the Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office was turned over Thursday to the county treasury. Treasurer Jared Squires confirmed the embattled row office met a court-ordered, afternoon deadline to turn over funds it received from routine office filings since the start of...
Westmoreland County launches human services expansion
Officials with Westmoreland County’s burgeoning human services department said an expansion of services launched this month will improve the quality of care for many of its 35,000 clients. A newly formed six-member complex care unit will oversee the consolidation of services administered by the county’s separate human services departments including...
Embattled Westmoreland Register of Wills vows to remain in office through 2027
Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton, who faces a potential jail sentence next week for contempt of court, said Wednesday she will not seek reelection when her term expires at the end of 2027. “After careful consideration and prayer, I have decided to retire from politics at the...
Therapy dogs offer comfort for Westmoreland County Courthouse employees
Employees in Westmoreland County’s controller’s office spend much of their work day staring at numbers. It was quite the welcome distraction Wednesday morning when volunteer handlers brought a parade of therapy dogs into the first-floor courthouse office for belly rubs and heads scratches during a brief 15-minute break in the...
Judge rules Lower Burrell man accused in slaying of Mogie’s owner is incompetent to stand trial
The case against a Lower Burrell man accused in the fatal shooting last year of the owner of Mogie’s Irish Pub in Lower Burrell will be postponed indefinitely. A Westmoreland County judge Tuesday found the accused killer, Nathan Salem, incompetent to stand trial. “He has lost touch with reality,” testified...
Judge rejects plea deal for Murrysville man in mother’s stabbing
A Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday rejected a plea bargain for a Murrysville man accused of the attempted murder of his mother. Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger said the deal that would have allowed Andrew J. Farbarik to plead guilty to lesser charges and serve four years on probation...
