Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 110

A Greensburg man in prison for raping a teen-aged boy lost a legal appeal claiming his potential century-long sentence was excessive. Kenneth Richie, 64, pleaded guilty in 2013 to nine counts, including rape, in connection with sexual assaults against a 15-year-old boy in April 2011. Greensburg police said Richie developed...

A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday denied the appeal of a Donora man convicted earlier this year in a brutal assault against his pregnant girlfriend. In a 23-page opinion, Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway ruled there was no basis for the appeal filed by Travis Magash, who was convicted...

The Greensburg woman who testified against her roommates in connection with the 2010 torture slaying of a mentally disabled friend has applied for clemency, saying she wants to rejoin society. Amber Meidinger, 29, filed paperwork last month with the state’s Board of Pardons, seeking early termination of her 40- to...

The witness intimidation trial of the father of the Harrison man convicted of the murder of New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw has been delayed until February to allow the defense to investigate claims of new evidence. Just before a jury was to be selected to hear his case on...

A Youngwood man was found not guilty Wednesday of all serious felony charges filed against him after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in two separate attacks two years ago. Charles R. Agger Jr., who served as his own lawyer during the two-day trial, claimed he acted in self-defense....

Westmoreland County’s board of elections on Wednesday issued a final certification of results from last month’s municipal balloting. The board made official the results from township supervisor, borough and city councils, mayors and other municipal races, according to Elections Bureau Director Beth Lechman. Elections officials last week certified the results...

Renee Scott said she thought her life was about to end as she struggled but failed to pull away from her boyfriend as he sat atop her and clasped both hands around her throat. “I thought this was it. I couldn’t even fight. He was too overbearing on me,” Scott...

A Penn Hills man will serve at least five years in prison for two incidents described by Westmoreland County prosecutors as “strikingly similar” to one in which a New Kensington police officer was shot and killed two years ago. Brandon M. Jeter, 20, pleaded guilty Monday to firearms offenses and...

A Derry Township man pleaded guilty Monday to selling doses of fentanyl-laced heroin blamed for the fatal overdose two years ago of his friend in a Greensburg apartment. Westmoreland County prosecutors charged Glenn A. Levtzow with drug delivery resulting in death and child endangerment in connection with the Nov. 18,...

A former Franklin Regional High School student pleaded guilty Monday to launching a cyber attack on the school’s computer network that disrupted servers at more than a dozen other local school districts and government offices. Police said Michaela G. King, 21, of Murrysville, was a high school senior in November...

Alahna O’Brien was one of more than 50 people who last summer submitted resumes to replace the Westmoreland Bar Association’s retiring executive director. “When she came into the room, we knew. What stood out is her energy and her people skills,” Joyce Novotny-Prettiman, president of the bar association board, said...

Jeannette was where Terrelle Pryor first became a football star. The day after news of his serious wounding during a domestic dispute at his Pittsburgh apartment, his hometown fans said they still have his back. “It’s unfortunate, but he’s done a lot of great things for Jeannette,” said Brooke Fornalczyk....

Greensburg officials said a late morning blaze Saturday at a home on South Maple Avenue was caused by an overload of electrical appliances. Both residents of the two-story family home were able to escape the fire, which was reported shortly before noon and was quickly extinguished, Greensburg fire Chief Tom...

Westmoreland County wants no part of a tentative multibillion-dollar settlement to resolve opioid cases filed by thousands of local governments across the country. Instead, it will focus on its own legal action against opioid manufacturers and distributors now pending in an eastern Pennsylvania court. Commissioners on Friday formally opted out...

Westmoreland County commissioners have not ruled out a property tax increase for 2020. Commissioners unveiled a preliminary budget that continues to spend more money than the county takes in from tax revenue, fees and state and federal allocations. As it stands, the county’s surplus fund would be nearly drained to...

A Youngwood couple sued two local hospitals and medical personnel, claiming doctors and nurses failed to properly identify and treat a prenatal condition blamed for their son’s death in late 2017. In a 20-count wrongful death lawsuit, Joanie and Samuel Adams contend an ultrasound performed at UPMC Magee Womens Hospital...

A Westmoreland County judge ruled the evidence presented against a Hyde Park man at his June sexual assault trial was sufficient to support the guilty verdicts rendered by jurors. In a 16-page opinion issued Wednesday, Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio rejected the appeal by Larry Lee Redmond. Redmond, 40, was convicted of...

Westmoreland County elections officials will meet Friday at noon to break ties in 10 local municipal elections. Elections Bureau Director Beth Lechman said multiple candidates in the Nov. 6 election finished with identical vote totals for council seats in Arona, Hyde Park, Laurel Mountain, North Irwin, Penn and Sutersville along...

Planners have identified 123 road, bridge and transportation improvements needed in southwestern Pennsylvania, and said a list of priority projects — including a handful in Westmoreland County — will be adopted by next summer. The Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, or SPC, and PennDOT on Wednesday afternoon outlined proposals that could be...

Westmoreland County commissioners are expected this week to approve more than $2.7 million in upgrades to the 911 emergency dispatch system. Public Safety Director Roland Mertz said Tuesday that plans call for replacement of aging computer-aided dispatch equipment and installation of a new transmission tower to provide better radio service...

Ryan Skuta was home about a year after his third tour of duty, a four-month stint as a freelance infantryman fighting with the Kurds against ISIS in 2016, when he was arrested in Jeannette and charged with drunk driving. On Tuesday, Skuta, 33, of Irwin, became the first graduate of...