Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 42
Rebuilt Westmoreland County Courthouse garage, plaza nears completion
Work will soon be completed on a $7 million project to rebuild a two-level parking garage under Westmoreland County Courthouse, officials said Friday. Public Works Director Greg McCloskey said parking for about 175 courthouse employees is expected to begin on June 30. Meanwhile, additional delays will postpone the opening of...
Judge rejects New Kensington man’s appeal of murder conviction
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday rejected the appeal filed by a New Kensington man, who said his claims of self-defense were not properly considered by jurors, and found him guilty of first-degree murder of an unarmed man in an Arnold home in 2020. Mario Gatti, 33, of New Kensington...
Former Delmont woman jailed again for threats against judge
A Westmoreland County prosecutor said Thursday a former Delmont woman convicted last summer of threatening a judge should serve time in prison. Prosecutors alleged similar behavior against the same public official at the county courthouse earlier this year. Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani ordered Jennifer L. Gesuale, 43, to remain...
Westmoreland human services director has personal stake in crisis intervention program
Rob Hamilton was a troubled young man. He struggled with homelessness and drug abuse during his formative years and, upon returning home from military service, couldn’t stay out of trouble. It wasn’t until he reunited with then-Blairsville police Officer Robert “B.J.” Shaw that Hamilton’s life changed. Shaw, rather than shuffling...
New Kensington man guilty of child sex assault
A New Kensington man has been convicted of the sexual assault of a 9-year-old girl. A Westmoreland County jury deliberated more than five hours on Thursday before returning guilty verdicts against Chester Elmer Green Jr., who prosecutors contended had improper sexual contact with a young girl in 2013 and 2014....
Westmoreland human services department to work from offices at WCCC Youngwood campus
Westmoreland County will pay more than $68,000 to rent space for an expanded human services department that will be located about six miles from the courthouse in Greensburg. Commissioners on Thursday approved an 11-month lease for seven suites in the Business Information Center at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood....
Westmoreland commissioners return to county’s roots at Hanna’s Town
Westmoreland commissioners returned the county’s roots on Thursday. Historic Hanna’s Town, the site of the county’s original courthouse at its founding in 1773, served as host to the commissioners’ public meeting where they commemorated the county’s 250th birthday. “I thought it was a great idea to do this out here....
Westmoreland park police hired to work at Steelers training camp
Westmoreland County Park Police again will help with security at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp this summer at Saint Vincent College near Latrobe. Commissioners on Thursday approved a new deal for park police officers to patrol the three-week event, set to begin July 27, mirroring the pact approved last year. The...
Westmoreland commissioners to take meeting on the road to Historic Hanna’s Town
Westmoreland’s board of commissioners will hold their June voting meeting at the site of the county’s first courthouse. The county’s road show will begin at 10 a.m., Thursday at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield to commemorate Westmoreland’s 250th birthday. Hanna’s Town was the site of the first seat of government...
Woman tells jury she expected to die during attack at Greensburg apartment
Mitzy Cordova thought for sure she was going to die at the hands of her boyfriend in a Greensburg apartment in early 2021. “I was terrified, and I thought this was it and I wasn’t going to make it,” Cordova testified Tuesday in the first day in the aggravated assault...
Dispute between Murrysville Golf Club owner, management company lands in court
A Westmoreland County judge will be asked to decide whether the management company that leases the Murrysville Golf Club can remove the 18-hole course’s irrigation system and concrete cart paths as part of an ongoing dispute over terms of its agreement to operate the 137-acre property. Golf course owner BIB...
Westmoreland certifies primary results; tiebreaker held to settle Democratic race for Hempfield supervisor
Results from Westmoreland County’s spring primaries are official. The county’s elections board on Monday voted to certify results from the 195 races that appeared on the May ballot, setting the stage for the November general election that will feature county, municipal and school board contests. Two countywide races will top...
Westmoreland school districts struggle with funding shortfalls
In the past decade, Westmoreland County’s 17 school districts incurred more than $115 million in costs to pay for state-mandated programs. But funding from the commonwealth covered just 54% of those expenses. Revenue figures recently released by the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit revealed all but one school district in the county...
Plea in catalytic converter thefts spotlights larger problem
While a New Florence man was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution this week for his role in a catalytic converter theft ring, a salesman at one of the dealerships targeted said there’s little more that could have been done to prevent the crime. William J. Glover III,...
Greensburg’s Rialto to remain closed; owner gives DA power to approve future sale
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli will have the right to approve any potential sale of the shuttered Rialto bar and restaurant in Greensburg under an agreement approved Wednesday. Common Pleas Judge Harry Smail Jr. signed off on a consent decree between Ziccarelli and Rialto Inc. owner John Rullo that...
Teen charged in New Kensington fatal shooting to be prosecuted as a juvenile
A 15-year-old boy who is one of seven people charged in connection with a fatal shooting last summer in New Kensington will be prosecuted as a juvenile. After what was described in court records as an emergency hearing, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani on Tuesday transferred the...
What’s That: Dillinger & Sons distillery in Ruffs Dale marks heyday of area’s whiskey production
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. The 160-foot smokestack that towers above a cluster of aging buildings in the small hamlet of Ruffs Dale once...
Hempfield man sentenced for sexual assault of teens
A Hempfield man accused of fathering two children with two teen girls was ordered to serve up to 23 months in jail for sex offenses. Tristan M. Huffine, 23, pleaded guilty in March in two incidents of statutory sexual assault in connection with allegations from 15-year-old girls in Hempfield and...
Westmoreland DA files nuisance bar lawsuit against Rialto in Greensburg
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to have the Rialto in downtown Greensburg declared a nuisance bar. If approved by a county judge, the move would shutter the restaurant and bar — which has been closed since the end of last year — for 12...
Arrest warrant issued for mother convicted in 2009 drowning of baby in Monessen
A former Monessen woman who served 10 years in prison for the death of her 7-month-old son soon could be back behind bars. Seairia D. Henderson, 35, now of North Charleroi, failed to appear in a Westmoreland County courtroom Thursday for a hearing during which prosecutors sought to revoke her...
Westmoreland Republican row officers secure Democratic nominations through write-in votes
Westmoreland County Treasurer Jared Squires and Controller Jeffrey Balzer were out to lunch in late April when they decided to put in motion a plan to ensure they wouldn’t have any competition for the jobs they’ve held for the last 11 years. “We realized no one was running against us....
Man accused of leaving nephew for dead in North Huntingdon fails to appear for hearing
A warrant was issued for a Forest Hills man who failed to appear for a hearing Wednesday in a case involving his nephew’s 2022 death in North Huntingdon. The lawyer for Jeffrey Carlson said his client claimed work obligations kept him from attending the hearing in which he was to...
Menu options could change at Westmoreland courthouse as county seeks food service proposals
Lunch options could be expanding at the Westmoreland County courthouse. The county is seeking proposals from private food providers and restaurants to operate the former cafeteria space that since 2016 has been run by Subway, commissioners said this week. “We as a county are open to different options, such as...
Plea talks ongoing for suspected Greensburg shooters
Lawyers for two men charged in connection with a shootout in downtown Greensburg told a Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday that negotiations toward potential plea bargains are ongoing. As a result, a planned June trial was postponed for at least two months as defense attorneys and prosecutors attempt to hash...
Former Johnstown man was attempting suicide when he attacked cop, lawyer says
A man who tried to disarm a police officer as he was being discharged from a Greensburg hospital did so in an attempt to end his own life, his lawyer said. “My client grabbed the pistol to have the officer shoot him. He wanted to commit suicide by officer because...
