Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 61
Dismissal of Unity man’s criminal cases upheld by state appeals court
The dismissal of three criminal cases against a Unity man named as a suspect in his former girlfriend’s disappearance has been upheld by a state appeals court. A three-judge panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed the ruling issued last year by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger,...
Westmoreland County to break election ties on Wednesday, results to be certified Friday
Westmoreland County election officials on Wednesday will break ties in the more than 300 deadlocked races in the May primary. The tie-breaking process will begin at 10 a.m. at the courthouse and be conducted through a random casting of lots. Candidates in each of the tied races will select numbered...
Westmoreland issues final certification of results for the May primary
Results from most races in last month’s primary election were certified Monday afternoon by the Westmoreland County Elections Board. County commissioners, who serve as members of the board, signed off on the final official results from the key ballot races that saw Republicans and Democrats nominate candidates for governor, U.S....
Acquitted in cop’s death, Ray Shetler eager for trial in assault case
A New Florence man previously acquitted of killing a police officer and now charged with assaults against law enforcement officials insisted in court on Monday he had no interest in delaying his upcoming trial. Ray A. Shetler Jr. 37, issued instructions to push ahead with his scheduled trial in June...
Westmoreland Drug Court graduates say program changed their lives
Lindsie Spillar’s drug addiction had gotten so bad she couldn’t help herself as she walked through security while entering the Westmoreland County Courthouse more than three years ago. She stole a purse just after it was checked through an X-Ray machine. Addicted to heroin and methamphetamine since her teens, the...
Greensburg’s St. Clair Park was initially a cemetery
St. Clair Park in downtown Greensburg is more than just a recreation hub in the city. Gravestones and monuments to lives both notable and now anonymous dot the 10-acre park that hosts weekly free concerts during the summer months. St. Clair Park, deeded to the city in 1808 by landowner...
Westmoreland Democrats leadership vote delayed in fallout over GOP Senate primary vote count
Despite the fact that David McCormick dropped out of the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate, it was the fallout from the continued fight over votes that prompted Westmoreland County Democrats on Friday to indefinitely postpone their weekend meeting to elect a new party chairperson. Democratic Committee Chairwoman Tara Yokopenic...
Westmoreland Democrats to select new party leaders
Amid voter registration declines and defeats at the polls, Westmoreland County Democrats will pick new leaders this weekend with an eye toward reinvigorating the political party that, two decades ago, held a dominant position in local politics. Current committee chairwoman Tara Yokopenic was elevated to the job in early 2020...
Westmoreland County on pace to finish recount in GOP Senate race on Friday
Westmoreland County election officials said the state-ordered recount of ballots cast in last month’s Republican U.S. Senate primary is on pace to be completed Friday. About 15 county staffers worked 12-hour shifts Wednesday and Thursday to scan the more than 87,000 ballots cast this spring. “The worst-case scenario is we...
North Huntingdon man pleads guilty to killing Penn Township couple
The man who was brazen enough to gun down their brother and his girlfriend last year refused to even make eye contact with Seth and Zack Erdeljac as they sat in court for his sentencing Wednesday. “Evil does exist in this world, and it is sitting here in the courtroom...
Write-in candidate wins Democratic primary to run for 55th District state House seat
A retired corporate executive has won the Democratic primary to run for the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives seat in the 55th District. Westmoreland County elections officials Tuesday issued a precertification of results from the May primary that included more than 600 write-in votes for Scott Gauss of Murrysville in...
Greensburg woman resentenced for 2010 torture killing of mentally disabled victim
The youngest member of a group of six Greensburg roommates convicted for the 2010 torture slaying of a mentally disabled woman will be eligible for parole at the age of 78 under a new sentence imposed Tuesday. Angela Marinucci, now 29, was resentenced to a term of 60 years to...
Provisional ballots challenged as Westmoreland officials gear up for recount
John Holwell had no intention of letting the ballot he cast this month be invalidated, so he came to the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Friday armed with information to defend his vote. “I was ready to do battle,” said Holwell, 66, of Madison. Holwell’s provisional ballot was one of eight...
Ohio man sentenced for sex crimes involving Irwin teen
An Ohio man will serve up to 23 months in jail for sending pornographic images to a 14-year-old Irwin girl last year. Phillip A. Puszak, 35, pleaded guilty in March to three felony counts of disseminating explicit sexual materials and unlawful contact with to a minor and one misdemeanor charge...
Greensburg man sentenced to prison for teen bathroom images
A Greensburg man was ordered Thursday to serve up to five years in prison for secretly recording images of two teenage girls in a bathroom. Carlos Rafael Alvarado, 49, was convicted following a nonjury trial in February of one felony charge of attempting to record illicit images of a child...
Westmoreland Transit fares hold steady as officials warn of potential increases in 2023
Fares to ride Westmoreland County Transit Authority buses and paratransit vehicles will remain at current levels for now under a $15.9 million budget unanimously approved this week. But a system overhaul — including the revamping of bus routes — is likely to spur fare increases next summer as the authority...
Westmoreland courthouse construction project prompts revision to bail payment process
Westmoreland County Park Police Chief Henry Fontana said he wasn’t quite sure how his department became responsible for collecting bail payments on behalf of inmates seeking release from prison at night or on weekends. But that’s about to change, thanks in part to the $7 million reconstruction of the underground...
Mt. Pleasant contractor pleads guilty for work not performed
A Mt. Pleasant contractor will serve up to three years on probation for accepting payment for work he never performed. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Mears said Wednesday that penalty could be converted into a jail sentence unless at least $8,000 in restitution is paid by Sept. 1....
Judge says Greensburg shooting suspect will be prosecuted as an adult
An Allegheny County man who turned 18 just one month after he was charged with the attempted murder of three people outside of a Greensburg apartment building will be tried as an adult. A Westmoreland County judge this week rejected a defense request to transfer the criminal prosecution of Jaron...
Judge grants defense access to financial records in alleged Murrysville theft
A judge ordered the owners of a now defunct Murrysville business that streamed wildlife videos over the internet to turn over personal financial and tax records to lawyers representing a former employee accused of stealing from the company four years ago. Attorneys for Rick V. Furnari, 61, of Murrysville claim...
Westmoreland elections board to rule on undated mail-in ballots
Westmoreland County election officials said Monday that a decision about whether to count 64 undated mail-in ballots could be made later this week. Interim Election Bureau Director Greg McCloskey said vote counting was completed Friday with the review and tabulation of 278 provisional ballots submitted at the polls on Election...
Motorcyclists seek blessing ahead of spring riding season
George Cunningham knows both the joys and the potential dangers of motorcycle riding. Cunningham, 50, of Derry was among the nearly 100 bikers who gathered late Sunday morning at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Latrobe for the 18th annual Blessing of the Bikes. “I’m on two wheels, so it’s...
Man dead in Washington County police-involved shooting
One man was killed Saturday in a confrontation with Pennsylvania State Police following a traffic stop in Washington County. Police said troopers responded to a retail theft call at 6 p.m. at the Rural King store at the Washington County Mall, identified the suspect’s vehicle and later located it in...
3 shot on Pittsburgh’s South Side
Three people were shot early Sunday on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Police said they were directed to the 1700 block of East Carson Street to respond to a call just before 3 a.m. that shots were fired. One man was wounded in the leg. A woman sustained multiple gunshot wounds to...
Hometown heroes honored in Greensburg
George Whipkey sat in the front row Saturday morning at St. Clair Park in Greensburg and watched as city leaders honored him and more than 90 hometown heroes. But Whipkey, 81, a Marine Corps veteran and Southwest Greensburg police sergeant, wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge his place among the honorees....
