Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 37
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...
Westmoreland shifts Election Day polling locations
The Westmoreland County Elections Board on Thursday approved the relocation of three polling locations for the Nov. 7 general election. The East Murrysville precinct will be moved to the First Presbyterian Church at 3201 North Hills Road. It was previously located at the First United Methodist Church on Old William...
Commissioners finalize deal to buy Unity district court property
After a monthslong delay, a $375,000 deal to purchase property in Unity which houses a magisterial district judge office is expected to be completed this week. Westmoreland County commissioners on Wednesday signed off on the final approvals for the deal and in doing so, continued the county’s takeover of properties...
State inspectors find deficiencies at Westmoreland prison
A state inspection of the Westmoreland County Prison found inmate restraints were improperly tracked by staff, keys and security access devices were insufficiently inventoried and cells had sanitary and maintenance issues. State inspectors who toured the facility in Hempfield on Aug. 1 found seven deficiencies, according to a report obtained...
Staffing shortage limits access to Westmoreland courthouse office
The Westmoreland County Courthouse office where wills are filed and marriage license applications are processed will limit access starting Sept. 25 to account for staff shortages. Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton said appointments will be required to conduct routine business in the third-floor office that oversees orphans court records,...
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County seeks to extend charter to 2073
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members want the water and sewer utility to stick around for another half century. The board Wednesday formally asked that county commissioners extend the authority’s charter until 2073, a move they said will enable the agency to take out a lengthy loan to pay...
Derry man claims plea deal to domestic violence will support family
A Derry Township man told a Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday he would plead guilty to domestic violence charges to help his family. In doing so, Kane Markle will have limited contact with his two children, according to terms of a plea deal. The deal will enable his parole from...
New Kensington shooting suspect seeks move to juvenile court
Jonathan Felder was six days shy of his 18th birthday when, according to police, he and six others ambushed and fatally shot a man inside the lobby of a New Kensington apartment building last summer. A forensic psychologist testified Tuesday that Felder, now 19, of Arnold should be prosecuted as...
Restitution payments could accelerate under new auto pay system set to launch in Westmoreland County
Five years after Richard Larrabee was mauled by a dangerous dog, he continues to deal with the pain and costs associated with the attack. Owed more than $3,800 in restitution to cover his medical bills, Larrabee, 76, of Ruffs Dale hasn’t seen a dime since March and has received just...
Derry burglary suspect pleads guilty
An Allegheny County man pleaded guilty Monday to the theft of $65,000 in cash from a Derry Township home last year. Tyrus Martin, 23, who according to court records also lists a home address in Johnstown, faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced later this week....
‘Great mistake’ leads to jail sentence in Greensburg armed robbery
A Mt. Pleasant man who was acquitted two years ago in connection with a shooting in Arnold pleaded guilty to the armed robbery last year at a Greensburg home. Nicholas Haynes, 27, was ordered Monday to serve nine to 23 months in jail and an additional five years on probation...
Westmoreland increases pay in move to reopen juvenile detention center
Westmoreland County’s shuttered juvenile detention center could reopen as early as next month, officials said Thursday. The 16-bed detention program at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield has been closed since early June amid staffing shortages and multiple state investigations. New hires, along with an elevated pay scale approved...
Clairton man chased by North Huntingdon police convicted of fentanyl possession
An Allegheny County man was found guilty of possession of fentanyl after police claimed he tossed out as he ran from police during a traffic stop. Anthony Martin Jamison, 34, of Clairton, was convicted by a Westmoreland County jury Wednesday of one felony charge and three misdemeanors. The investigation began...
Westmoreland County equipment auction seeks bids on cars, pedal boats, skis
Westmoreland County officials are having a garage sale — of sorts. Among the many items up for grabs are about 12,000 covid-era disposable plastic face shields looking for a new home. Unused personal protective equipment accumulated during the early days of the pandemic is among the nearly 200 lots up...
Jury finds Mt. Pleasant man not guilty of shooting at police
Richard Teeters has heard the whispers and noticed the stares from community members since his arrest more than two years ago on charges that he fired a handgun toward police as they responded to his Mt. Pleasant Borough residence following a report of a home invasion. He said he hopes...
Hunker man not guilty of sexual assault
A Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday acquitted a Hunker man who was charged with sexual assault. After more than three hours of deliberations, jurors found Dakota Archibeque, 21, not guilty of indecent assault and simple assault in connection with accusations made by an 18-year-old woman. “I knew exactly what happened...
Trial begins for Mt. Pleasant man accused of shooting at police
The trial began Tuesday for a Mt. Pleasant man accused of firing a gun at police as officers responded to a report of an alleged home invasion in 2021. Westmoreland County prosecutors say Richard Teeters, 52, was the lone occupant of the Pine Street home when police fled for cover...
Hunker man on trial for sexual assault
A now-20-year-old woman told a Westmoreland County jury Monday she never expected to be the victim of a sexual assault. “I was going to go have a good time. I just turned 18 and wanted to get out in the world,” she testified during the first day of the trial...
