Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 14
Greensburg man on trial for rape of young child
Testimony began Tuesday in the trial of a Greensburg man accused of raping a 3-year-old child in 2019. James Swanson, 48, is charged with three felony counts of rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse in connection with allegations that he had repeated sexual contact...
Westmoreland libraries rebrand, announce name change
Westmoreland County’s library system is freshening up its vibe. The network of 26 locations and branches has rebranded as Westmoreland County Libraries and has started to distribute new cards to its nearly 60,000 users to reflect the name change. “We did an entire rebranding and polled the community to design...
New Kensington man’s past crimes cited for lengthy prison sentence
A New Kensington man was sentenced Thursday to serve up to 14 years in prison for the illegal possession of a firearm, a continuation of what Westmoreland County prosecutors said has been a lifetime of crime. Alejandro David D’Argan, 28, was convicted last December of two charges — a weapons...
Westmoreland County suspends new purchasing director
Westmoreland officials for the second time in less than a year suspended the director of the county’s purchasing department. Daniel Ellingsen, who has been on the job since mid-November, was placed on paid leave early last week for undisclosed reasons. His suspension was changed to unpaid starting Wednesday, Commissioner Ted...
Scottdale man ruled sexual predator after serving prison term for rape
A Westmoreland County judge Tuesday declared a Scottdale man, who completed a six-year prison sentence in 2023 for assaulting a teenage boy, to be a sexually violent predator. Anthony Kiliany, 59, pleaded guilty in 2017 to 14 charges including multiple felony counts of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault...
Judge says sex assault victim’s emotional outburst no grounds to overturn conviction
A teenage girl’s behavior while testifying before a jury did not prejudice their decision to convict a man accused of sexually assaulting the girl, a Westmoreland County judge ruled Tuesday. In a 19-page opinion, Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio ruled convictions of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault...
Westmoreland juvenile detention center could double its capacity
Plans remain on course for the potential doubling of the number of teens confined at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield, Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention board members said Monday. The facility closed in June 2023 following a series of state inspections that were critical of its operation. It reopened...
On release from Westmoreland jail, ex-inmates often have to hoof it
John Boettger says his automobile shop in South Greensburg has seen a number of unwanted visitors over the past year. Boettger on Monday told members of Westmoreland County’s prison board that released inmates have become a common sight walking along the roadways near his store. He asked officials to find...
Westmoreland prosecutors defend conviction of Jeannette man in 1993 fire that killed wife, 2 children
Westmoreland County prosecutors claim overwhelming circumstantial evidence led to the conviction of a Jeannette man who is serving three life sentences for the murders of his wife and two young children three decades ago. But a judge is now weighing whether to overturn James Young’s conviction. Following a jury trial...
Injunction sought to halt planned demolition of condemned North Huntingdon tavern
The owners of a former restaurant on Route 30 in North Huntingdon have asked a Westmoreland County judge to halt the dilapidated building’s demolition. The Rivertowne Pub and Grille building has been vacant since it shuttered in 2018. Township officials in 2021 condemned the property after inspectors declared the building...
Hempfield man seeks to withdraw guilty plea in murder-for hire case
A Hempfield man who is accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill his estranged sister wants to rescind his guilty plea, his attorney said Tuesday. Peter Cute, 64, in October pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal solicitation to commit homicide. “He said he didn’t understand...
Hunter seeks dismissal of assault charge in Smithton shooting
A South Greensburg man awaiting trial for the alleged aggravated assault of a hunter in a private field last year claims his victim was partially at fault for being shot. Cody Ostrosky, 33, was originally charged last summer with a misdemeanor count of shooting at a human while hunting and...
Heavy rain brings flood warnings for region; snow expected in afternoon
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for parts of Western Pennsylvania. Rain is expected to increase Sunday morning and early afternoon, creating conditions for potential flooding in parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland counties. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen over the last...
Horrell joins race for Westmoreland Register of Wills
A former second deputy in Westmoreland County’s Register of Wills Office announced her second attempt to oversee the courthouse office where wills and estates are filed. Kimberly Horrell, 60, of Greensburg is the third candidate to enter the race to take over the embattled office that has had four different...
Fire contained at Pittsburgh airport construction site
An afternoon trailer fire at Pittsburgh International Airport resulted in no injuries and no service disruptions, officials said Saturday. The fire was reported just after noon in the construction site at the airport. “Airport crews have extinguished the fire, which was contained to a single trailer near the parking area...
Federal judge rejects NLRB injunction sought by Post-Gazette unions
A federal judge has rejected an injunction request filed by the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of three striking unions against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. If granted, the injunction would have forced the newspaper to allow workers to return to the job as negotiations and legal actions continue. Newsroom and...
Saturday morning snow disrupts travel across Western Pa.
Roads throughout Western Pennsylvania were closed or saw traffic restrictions as a result of early morning storm that dumped an inch or two of snow throughout the region. Emergency dispatchers in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties reported numerous crashes. Route 30 near Greengate Center in Hempfield was among the roadways where...
Westmoreland’s new register of wills and judge take office
Westmoreland County’s new register of wills and judge were sworn in to office Tuesday at the courthouse in Greensburg. Jon Wian, 43, of Delmont, was installed as the head of the county row office where wills, estates, adoptions and guardianships are filed. Both Wian and Common Pleas Court Judge Matt...
Spirit to resume daily flights to Florida from Westmoreland airport
Spirit Airlines will resume daily flights next week from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity to Florida. That announcement is expected to help reverse financial losses that began last fall amid a reduced flight schedule as the facility’s lone commercial carrier worked through bankruptcy concerns. “This will help,” said Westmoreland...
Death penalty trial remains on hold for New Kensington man charged with toddler’s murder
The lawyer for a New Kensington man facing a potential death sentence told a Westmoreland County judge Monday a defense-hired expert must review medical evidence before the case can proceed to trial. Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 35, has been in jail without bond since his arrest in 2020 on charges...
Civilian vigilante group’s sting leads to dismissal of child porn charges against Hempfield man
A Westmoreland County judge on Monday dismissed hundreds of child pornography charges against a Hempfield man identified in a sting operation by an online Texas-based civilian vigilante group. The continued prosecution of Thomas James Hibbard, 62, had been in question since late December when Judge Tim Krieger ruled evidence collected...
Westmoreland sheriff says deputy shortage strains department, but agrees to pause planned service cutback
A plan to halt the transport of some criminal defendants to hearings at local magistrate offices was put on a temporary hold Friday after intervention from a Westmoreland County judge. Sheriff James Albert this week issued an edict that would have limited his department’s workload starting next week in response...
Westmoreland County readies for U.S. 250th birthday bash
Fresh on the heels of Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday celebration in 2024, local officials are looking to the forward to the nation’s Semiquincentennial. The celebration will actually begin this spring at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield to commemorate what history experts tout as one of the first signs of U.S....
Westmoreland voters to elect new register of wills for abbreviated term
Westmoreland County voters this year will elect a new register of wills to serve an abbreviated term that runs through the end of 2027. Jon Wian, 43, of Delmont was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro and confirmed this week by the state Senate to run the courthouse office where wills,...
Jury convicts New Alexandria man of resisting arrest
A Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday sided with police officers who used force to subdue a New Alexandria man who was found wandering through a Unity neighborhood two years ago. After nearly three hours of deliberations, the jury convicted Denton Krapf of one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest in connection...
