Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 133
Fairfield cruelty case involving 99 animals to head to trial
Hundreds of animal cruelty charges against a Fairfield woman and her parents will go to trial after a Westmoreland County judge Monday refused to dismiss the cases. “It’s clear to me there is enough evidence to make a … case,” Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani said after hearing testimony from...
Judge finds suspended Westmoreland sheriff’s captain not guilty of trespassing charge
A suspended Westmoreland County sheriff’s captain was acquitted Monday of trespassing at the state police barracks in Greensburg. Senior Common Pleas Judge Richard E. McCormick Jr., following testimony from three witnesses during a summary appeal hearing, ruled there was not enough evidence to support the citation issued against Travis Day...
Lawyer: Head injury effects render Laurel Mountain man unfit for murder trial
The lawyer for a Laurel Mountain man jailed nearly five years on charges that he killed his live-in girlfriend wants a county judge to rule him incompetent to stand trial. Defense attorney Brian Aston, in court documents filed this week, argued Gregory Randall, 62, suffers memory and cognitive impairments as...
Westmoreland pension fund reported in good shape
Westmoreland County’s pension fund lost more than $45 million in 2018 and for the first time in five years has been designated at a minimum distressed level. The account, which provides benefits to about 1,300 government retirees, has more than $415 million in assets after its value dipped by nearly...
Westmoreland Manor administrator out, replacement named
The private company that manages Westmoreland Manor has hired a new administrator to oversee day-to-day operations at the county-owned nursing home. Premier Healthcare Resources, the Penn Township-based firm that was paid more than $586,000 last year to run the 408-bed facility in Hempfield, this week replaced John Austin, the nursing...
Hempfield Republican announces bid for commissioner
A program director for a local senior citizens home on Friday announced she will be a candidate for Westmoreland county commissioner. Heather Cordial, 39, a Republican from Hempfield, said she will campaign on a platform of improving education and job creation in the county. “We have a major challenge in...
Ted Kopas announces re-election campaign for county commissioner seat
Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas said Thursday he will seek re-election for the seat he has held since 2010. Kopas, 45, a Hempfield Democrat, touted his role in enhancing economic development, upgrading county parks and reducing blight in communities throughout the county as well as his support of initiatives to...
County to borrow $44 million for new voting machines, other projects and to refinance debt
Westmoreland County commissioners said Thursday they won’t wait for more state funding — which could become available later this year — to buy a new voting system. “We have to move forward with this now so we have it in place before the presidential election. We want to make sure...
County to pay $25,000 to Hempfield man who claims guards beat him in Westmoreland jail
Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday approved a $25,000 out-of-court settlement with a Hempfield man who claimed he was “savagely beaten” by guards while incarcerated at the county jail. Kevan Kolling, 68, was arrested in December 2014 and charged with burglary offenses. According a lawsuit filed last year, Kolling claimed he...
County honors Westmoreland sheriff’s deputies for arrest
Westmoreland deputy sheriffs were honored this week by county commissioners for their role in the arrest of a suspected drug dealer following a three-mile vehicle chase last month in North Huntingdon. Deputies John Dixon, Rob Orbin and Frank Neal; Sgt. Irvin Shipley and Lt. Jesse Salandro assisted police during a...
Greensburg man found guilty of sex assault
A Greensburg man was found guilty Wednesday of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and could face up to 23 years in prison when he is sentenced this year. Westmoreland County jurors convicted Daniel DeAugustine, 38, of five counts, including felony offenses of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault,...
Westmoreland president judge, husband sue Delmont storage company over damaged furniture
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway and her husband George Hathaway on Tuesday sued a Delmont self-storage facility for damage to furniture kept in a unit at the business. According to the three-count lawsuit, Hathaway said she leased a unit at the StoreExpress indoor facility on Route...
Westmoreland County could borrow $44M for voting machines, parks, Manor, other projects
Westmoreland commissioners this week are expected to finalize plans to borrow $43.9 million to buy new voting machines, refurbish the county-owned nursing home, improve local parks, upgrade emergency response communications and provide additional budget flexibility. The financial package, which could be approved Thursday, will provide about $26.9 million to pay...
St. Clair Township police officer’s widow to have husband’s belongings returned to her
St. Clair Township police Officer Lloyd Reed’s gun, eyeglasses and other personal belongings will be returned to his widow more than three years after he was gunned down while responding to a domestic violence call in New Florence. Ray Shetler Jr., the man accused of killing Reed, was acquitted of...
Jurors seated in second trial for Westmoreland man accused of sexual assault
The lawyer for a Greensburg man on trial for a second time for the alleged sexual assaults of a teenage girl told a Westmoreland County jury Monday his client was a victim of false allegations. “There will be discrepancies in her testimony. The evidence doesn’t make sense that things happened...
Public corruption retrial of Westmoreland sheriff Held likely off until after primary
An appeal filed by Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held seeking to reverse a judge’s refusal to dismiss public corruption charges is expected to delay his retrial until after the May primary election. Held, 44, of Hempfield is awaiting his second trial on charges he forced on-duty sheriff’s department staff to...
Hempfield consultant announces GOP bid for Westmoreland County commissioner
A microbiologist who left a university teaching job last summer to open his own consulting business announced Monday he will be a Republican candidate for Westmoreland County commissioner. Doug Chew, 48, of Hempfield said if elected he will donate a portion of his salary to help fund the county’s drug...
Rostraver man gets up to 5 years in jail for driving drunk in crash
A Rostraver man will serve up to five years in jail for driving drunk when he collided with another vehicle in which a young child rode as a passenger. John Summers, 47, pleaded guilty in November to drunk driving and related offenses in connection with the April 14, 2017, crash...
Ligonier man’s appeal in 2011 murder case rejected
First-degree murder convictions against a Ligonier man serving two consecutive life prison sentences for the 2011 killings of a Washington Township couple were upheld by a state appeals court. In a ruling issued this week, a three-judge panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed a ruling issued last year by...
Taxpayers will foot bill for expert in Derry Township murder case
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday authorized spending $9,700 of taxpayer money to hire an expert to analyze nearly 100,000 computer images connected to a Derry Township murder case. Walter Cable, 26, of Greensburg, is one of two men charged with criminal homicide for the 2017 death of 34-year-old Ronny...
Westmoreland County judge to consider Upper Burrell’s request to redistrict voting precincts
Westmoreland County officials said Friday it will begin work in March to potentially redistrict two voting precincts in Upper Burrell. Attorneys for the township and county appeared before Common Pleas Court Judge Harry Smail Jr. to address a lawsuit filed last week by Upper Burrell and 20 of its residents...
Westmoreland courthouse space applications now online
Residents seeking to hold public events in meeting rooms and the courtyard in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse can now submit applications online. County officials on Thursday issued a revised policy that will take effect Feb. 1 to allow online applications and other minor changes to the reservation process...
‘Got away with one’: Judge dismisses DUI charges for Greensburg woman’s driveway crash
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday dismissed drunken driving charges against a Greensburg woman who was arrested in her own driveway following a collision with a neighbor’s car. Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani ruled in favor of Mary Britz, 58, who Greensburg police charged after she crashed into a car...
Woman who helped Lower Burrell cop killer gets parole
A Lower Burrell woman convicted of helping a fugitive evade police in the days before he shot and killed a police officer was released from jail Thursday. Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani granted parole to Amanda Walters, who had been behind bars since last summer following an arrest for possession...
Westmoreland County ups fees for filing civil, family court documents
Fees to file civil and family court documents in Westmoreland County will increase beginning Friday. The move will raise about $30,000 in new revenues for the county, Prothonotary Christina O’Brien said. The money is expected to balance her department’s budget and cover rising personnel and equipment costs. “We have to...
