Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 6
Legal expert: Misconduct allegations lodged against DA’s office, police may be difficult to prove
Allegations of misconduct aired this week against a former Westmoreland County prosecutor and the New Kensington Police Department could be difficult to prove, according to a legal expert. Saint Vincent College law professor Bruce Antkowiak said Thursday that defense attorneys for a former Pittsburgh man not only have a high...
Westmoreland DA accused of history of misconduct during murder appeal
A former Pittsburgh man twice convicted of a 1999 murder outside a New Kensington bar claims he was the victim of a systematic effort by Westmoreland County prosecutors to subvert and hide evidence. During a hearing Tuesday, lawyers for Denard Galloway, 59, argued the county district attorney’s office withheld key...
Man admits stealing car with Lucky the dog inside, but provides no leads
Willard Martz and his dog, Lucky, were nearly inseparable. Martz, a retired Marine from Donegal Township, had cared for his late son’s dog since 2020, and they were rarely apart until last fall, his daughter told a Westmoreland County judge Monday. She addressed the court during a guilty plea hearing...
Trial date set for man charged in Unity woman’s murder
A Westmoreland County judge has set a February trial for a Unity man accused in the suspected murder of his girlfriend more than seven years ago. Cassandra Gross was last seen in April 2018, and authorities almost immediately named her boyfriend, Thomas Stanko, as a person of interest in her...
MAWC approves upgraded security at New Stanton campus
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will spend about $350,000 to upgrade security at its New Stanton headquarters. Officials announced the plan last week that includes upgraded surveillance cameras and a gate to prevent unsupervised access to the water and sewer agency’s garages and warehouse. “Over the years we’ve had...
State budget stalemate not expected to result in Westmoreland transit authority service cuts
The ongoing budget stalemate in Harrisburg will have little impact on Westmoreland County Transit Authority operations, officials said. Executive Director Alan Blahovec, during the authority’s monthly board meeting Thursday, said the agency has enough funding in place to continue its current schedule of fixed-route bus service and paratransit programs throughout...
Allegheny jail guard to serve probation for drunken driving crash in North Huntingdon
An Allegheny County Jail guard pleaded guilty this week to being drunk when he caused a violent crash three years ago in North Huntingdon, injuring another motorist. Dwight D. Edwards, 52, of Penn Township was charged following the Nov. 14, 2022, crash on Morris Avenue. Police said Edwards’ pickup truck...
Unity plumber pleads guilty to bilking homeowner
A Unity plumber was ordered to serve at least 11½ months in jail for failing to complete a sewer replacement job at a Hempfield home in 2022. Mark E. Loughran, 55, pleaded guilty to felony counts of deceptive business practices, theft and receiving advance payment for work not completed. But...
Judge orders closure of sex assault case against former Pirates pitcher
A Westmoreland County judge has ordered the closure of the criminal case that ended the Major League Baseball career of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez. Vazquez, 34, was convicted of the sexual assault of a Scottdale teenager and served about four years in prison before he was deported in...
Westmoreland launches program to assist searches for missing at-risk residents
First responders in Westmoreland County know all too well the dangers that exist for those with dementia, autism, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders who wander away from home. In the last year, nearly three dozen searches throughout the county were undertaken in response to missing person reports filed by caregivers,...
Prosecutors say threats continue following 2021 Election Day assault
An East Huntingdon man charged with a 2021 Election Day assault at a Westmoreland County voting precinct was jailed Tuesday. Prosecutors told a judge that continued threats have been made against the alleged victim and her family. Zachary Lambing, 38, of Alverton, is awaiting trial on charges of simple assault...
Staffing woes, economics threaten future of Westmoreland Manor
Westmoreland Manor has seen better days. County leaders this month issued a warning that persistent nursing shortages and a dwindling number of residents have created economic pitfalls that could endanger the facility in the years to come. The six-story nursing home in Hempfield has served Westmoreland County’s aging and disabled...
Southwest Greensburg father pleads guilty to charges related to infant’s death
A Southwest Greensburg man will serve 10 years on probation for his role in the 2023 death of his 8-month-old son. Jason Frederick Ludwig, 40, pleaded guilty Monday to a felony count of child endangerment and misdemeanor charges of obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. Police said he attempted...
Sale of Sutersville-Sewickley sewer system awaits state approval
A $3.25 million deal to sell the Sutersville-Sewickley Sewage Authority is awaiting approval from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Authority chairman Bruce Riley confirmed Friday a deal was reached this spring for Pennsylvania-American Water Co. to purchase the small system’s infrastructure and provide service to nearly 500 customers. “It needs...
Westmoreland convention center study revealed, casino area is preferred site
An $86 million hotel and conference center adjacent to Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall could infuse more than $720 million into the community in just 10 years. That was the conclusion of a six-month study commissioned by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce. Local leaders are hopeful the study...
Jeannette’s Smarto remembered for strong community ties, commitment to family
Janice Smarto made a name for herself in real estate and community service, but it was dedication to her family where she stood tall, her daughter said Wednesday. Smarto, 82, died Aug. 10 from injuries sustained in a fall two weeks earlier in her Jeannette home. “She was a spitfire...
Former county purchasing head claims public records refute theft allegations
In court documents filed Monday, the lawyer for Westmoreland County’s former purchasing director claimed that county leaders approved a transfer of the funds prosecutors contend was stolen during a yearlong payroll scheme. Kristopher Cardiff, 48, of Trafford was charged with felony theft counts in connection with allegations that he misappropriated...
School district to turn over student records in criminal cases against special ed teacher, aides
The Greensburg Salem School District was ordered Monday to turn over sensitive student records to prosecutors and a defense attorney in the case of alleged mistreatment of three children in a special education classroom. Teacher Brooke Stanko, classroom aide Teri Kepchia and four other employees are awaiting trial on allegations...
Westmoreland’s covid cash could ease financial crunch as state budget impasse persists
Westmoreland County may tap federal coronavirus pandemic grant funds to cover impending budgetary shortfalls. The county still holds less than a third of the $105.4 million in federal grants that it received. Finance Director Meghan McCandless said even though all of the funds received through the American Rescue Plan program...
Westmoreland County announces plan to renovate former Jeannette glass site
Westmoreland County development officials will spend $1.6 million to renovate the last remaining vacant space in the Jeannette Industrial Park. A former centerpiece of Jeannette’s glass making past, the more than 211,000-square-foot property has served as one of 19 industrial parks in the county since the mid 1990s. It is...
New Kensington man’s murder retrial ends after 2nd jury unable to reach a verdict
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli on Thursday said her office will seek a third trial for a New Kensington man charged in connection with the 2020 fatal shooting of an Arnold drug dealer. After 10 hours of deliberations over two days, jurors failed to reach a verdict for charges...
Jury deliberations to continue in New Kensington murder trial
A Westmoreland County jury will resume deliberations Thursday morning in the retrial of a New Kensington man charged with the murder and robbery of an Arnold drug dealer. Jurors heard three days of testimony and deliberated nearly six hours Wednesday without reaching a verdict in the case against Letresse Williams....
Witnesses link New Kensington man to 2020 murder of Arnold drug dealer
A New Kensington woman testified Tuesday that her former boyfriend confessed to his role in a fatal shooting of an Arnold drug dealer nearly five years ago. Shawnti Lee told a Westmoreland County jury that Letresse Williams made a frantic call to her in the late afternoon of Jan. 15,...
Retrial begins in 2020 New Kensington fatal shooting
For the second time in 14 months, Westmoreland County prosecutors will attempt to convince a jury that Letresse Williams killed a suspected drug dealer during a botched robbery attempt. Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli said the Jan. 15, 2020, fatal shooting of Anthone Williams warrants a second-degree murder conviction. (Letresse...
Former Greensburg police chief pleads guilty to evidence tampering charges
Former Greensburg police chief Shawn Denning pleaded guilty Monday in Westmoreland County court to three misdemeanor counts of tampering with evidence. Denning, 44, of Delmont was sentenced to serve three concurrent one-year probation terms, which will run alongside the 15-month federal prison sentence he is serving after pleading guilty this...
