Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 31
Greensburg Rialto shooter denied shortened prison sentence
A Westmoreland County judge Thursday rejected a request to shorten the prison sentence of one of the two men convicted for their roles in a downtown Greensburg shootout in early 2022. Evan Curley, 25, of Greensburg pleaded guilty to aggravate assault in connection with a confrontation in front of the...
Connellsville teen pleads guilty for role in New Kensington fatal shooting and later assault of a shelter worker
A Connellsville teen pleaded guilty Wednesday in juvenile court to his role in the July 2022 fatal shooting of a man in New Kensington. Braedon M. Dickinson, 16, was one of seven suspects charged with the killing of 39-year-old Jason Raiford in front of the Valley Royal Court Apartments. Dickinson...
Judge says court intervention needed to improve Westmoreland County Register of Wills office
Westmoreland County judges issued new deadlines and warnings Wednesday to Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton to properly file and process court documents. A hearing was held in response to allegations that her office has failed to process documents related to adoptions, estates and appeals. Hamilton was questioned for more...
Connellsville teen pleads guilty for role in New Kensington fatal shooting and later assault of a shelter worker
A Connellsville teen pleaded guilty Wednesday in juvenile court to his role in the July 2022 fatal shooting of a man in New Kensington. Braedon M. Dickinson, 16, was one of seven suspects charged with the killing of 39-year-old Jason Raiford in front of the Valley Royal Court Apartments. Dickinson...
Raises rejected for retired Westmoreland County employees
For the first time in 13 years, Westmoreland County’s 1,400 retired government employees will not receive cost-of-living increases. “This is a very difficult budget, and one where we couldn’t afford to do a COLA this year. Difficult decisions had to be made,” Commissioner Ted Kopas said. Retirees received 8.1% cost-of-living...
Latrobe social worker pleads guilty to sex crimes against teen clients
Victims and their supporters stood and cheered Tuesday as a former Latrobe social worker was led out of a Westmoreland County courtroom in handcuffs. Gregory P. Miscik, 63, pleaded guilty to 13 charges stemming from seven separate cases involving 10 victims. The charges involved sex crimes against teenage clients dating...
Strike averted: Union approves new contract with Westmoreland County
More than 500 Westmoreland County courthouse and nursing home employees ratified a union contract Monday. Approval of the three-year deal averted a strike that would have started Friday if a deal wasn’t reached. Rank-and-file members of the Service Employees International Union Local 668 and Healthcare PA overwhelmingly voted to accept...
Westmoreland register of wills faces more questions about office’s handling of filings
Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton conceded Monday her office has been scrambling to keep up with its workload. “We understand it is an issue, and we are making progress slowly and we will do whatever we have to do to make it happen,” Hamilton said after another...
Scottdale contractor pleads guilty to home improvement fraud
Jacqueline Anke’s biggest regret isn’t the more the $3,300 she lost to a Scottdale contractor. It’s that she waited to report the swindle to authorities. “We thought it was just going to be a civil matter, then I read about all of these other folks in 2021 and 2022. It’s...
Westmoreland to ramp up search for new jail warden
Westmoreland commissioners said a new warden for the county jail could be hired in February. Efforts to fill the vacancy left by the September resignation of Warden Bryan Kline will ramp up in the coming weeks, officials said Monday following a meeting of the county’s prison board. “We’re going to...
Water authority lifts mandatory conservation for customers served by Beaver Run Reservoir
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County lifted its mandatory water conservation order Monday for more than 56,000 customers served by the Beaver Run Reservoir in Bell and Washington townships. Customers who live north of Route 30 in Westmoreland, Allegheny and Indiana counties have been under a mandatory order since mid-December...
Westmoreland Register of Wills faces contempt of court allegations
Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton has been ordered to appear before a judge in early March to respond to contempt of court allegations. Common Pleas Judge Jim Silvis said Hamilton violated requirements that her office promptly file adoption records. Hamilton, a Republican from Hempfield, was unopposed when...
Westmoreland County, union reach tentative labor deal
After announcing plans to strike next month, more than 500 Westmoreland County government workers instead will vote on a new three-year labor deal next week. Officials on Thursday confirmed that a tentative agreement has been reached. A vote on the proposed contract is set for Monday. Neither the county nor...
Westmoreland commissioners pushed to take meetings on the road
Westmoreland County commissioners might be taking their show on the road later this year. Bowing to public criticism leveled at the start of Thursday’s public meeting at the courthouse in Greensburg, commissioners agreed to consider a plan to relocate future sessions in communities throughout Westmoreland County during the latter part...
Frustration sets in as hiring struggles continue at juvenile detention center
Westmoreland commissioners said there is growing frustration over delays to fully reopen the county’s juvenile detention center program. The 16-bed detention center at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield was closed in June following a series of state inspections that cited the facility for staffing and training issues. It...
Westmoreland tops 100 demolished properties as part of ongoing revitalization effort
Mayors in two Westmoreland County communities said demolition of dozens of dilapidated structures has improved the health and safety of local residents and set the stage for revitalization efforts in their cities. “It means we have reduced crime and reduced costs all around. It allows the concept of a reset...
Evidence linking Unity woman’s death to Thomas Stanko revealed in court filing
A Unity man prosecutors contend killed his girlfriend, although her body hasn’t been found, was suspected of prior abuse against her and former wives, according to court filings. Thomas G. Stanko, 53, was charged in late 2022 with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence and abuse of corpse in connection with...
Westmoreland County, union exchange proposals as strike deadline looms
Negotiators for Westmoreland County’s largest labor union and the commissioners have exchanged what was described as “final offers” in an effort to avoid the first strike against the county government in more than three decades. Al Smith, staff director and business agent for the Service Employees International Union Local 668...
Cost overruns, supply delays push back opening of Westmoreland Transit Authority garage
Cost overruns and construction delays are likely to push back the scheduled opening of Westmoreland County Transit Authority’s new storage complex in Hempfield for at least several months. Transit officials had planned for the $7.4 million, 16,000-square-foot garage and storage facility to open in February. It sits on a 10-acre...
Future brides search for options at Greensburg wedding show
It’s been a whirlwind since Christmas for Tatum Tocco and her fiance, Steven Whiteman. The Jeannette couple became engaged over the holidays and are planning an October wedding. They were among the hundreds of future brides and grooms who explored options for their impending nuptials at Cavanaugh’s Bride Show at...
2 dead in Indiana County house fire
State police said they are investigating the cause of a house fire early Saturday in Indiana County that killed two people. Authorities said the six departments were called out at 5:23 a.m. to respond to the fire at a residential structure on Fox Road in East Wheatfield. The bodies of...
Man slain in Coraopolis shootings identified, 3 others wounded
An Aliquippa man was killed and three others wounded during a shooting Saturday morning in Coraopolis. Allegheny County Police said the shooting was reported at about 1:45 a.m. along the 800 block of Fourth Avenue. First responders to the scene found a man dead from apparent gunshot wounds. The Allegheny...
Westmoreland County looks to data to improve human service efforts
The concept behind the movie “Moneyball” is coming to Westmoreland County government. Data and analytics will become a central component of how and where the county Human Services Department spends its money and crafts future programs. Human Services Director Rob Hamilton said officials will spend the next year integrating data...
Ligonier Township man sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography
A Ligonier Township man was sentenced Thursday to serve at least two years in prison for possession of child pornography. Mathew Louis Hoffer, 57, pleaded guilty in September to 31 felony counts in connection with more than two dozen photos and videos police said were found on a computer in...
Greensburg law firm gets $72K raise for Westmoreland water, sewer advice
A Greensburg law firm will be getting a 42% raise this year for the work it provides to the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. Avolio Law, led by Scott Avolio, has been the authority’s attorney since 2013, and, for the past decade, was paid a flat fee of $170,000 annually...
