Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 18
Bolivar man pleads guilty to arson, insurance fraud
A Bolivar man serving a 20-year prison sentence for the sexual assault of a child pleaded guilty Monday to burning a vehicle for insurance money in a separate case. Jerry Allen Boring, 60, was ordered to serve a concurrent one- to two-year prison sentence and an additional year on parole...
Westmoreland officials announce pursuit of conference center for county
A decade after the shuttering of a hotel in Hempfield that functioned as Westmoreland County’s de facto convention center, local officials said it’s time to consider a replacement. The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce announced Monday it has launched a $25,000 study to explore the potential construction of a convention...
Arnold man ruled competent to stand trial in mother’s stabbing death
An Arnold man charged in the fatal stabbing of his mother last summer has been ruled competent to stand trial. Brian Rebold, 38, has been in jail since he was charged with criminal homicide and first-degree murder Aug. 4 in connection with the death of his 73-year-old mother outside her...
Judge to decide if ex-girlfriend’s texts are bullying or free speech in Hempfield man’s suicide
A Westmoreland County judge will determine if text messages sent by a woman were a criminal attempt to bully her boyfriend into killing himself, or a form of free speech. Defense attorneys for Mandie Reusch, 36, of South Greensburg, claim charges of aiding suicide and involuntary manslaughter should be dismissed,...
Westmoreland County expands, refocuses veterans affairs office
Westmoreland County’s veterans affairs department will be expanding to provide additional access to services for former military members and their families. The five-person office will be renamed the Division of Veterans Affairs and Services and is expected to enhance service coordination, improve transportation to clinics in the Pittsburgh region and...
John McCain, Tom Hanks and Taylor Swift get votes for president in Westmoreland County’s official election results
The Westmoreland County Election Board on Monday unanimously approved the final certification of the Nov. 5 election results. “It’s a wrap,” Election Bureau Director Greg McCloskey said. The certification included all races that appeared on the ballot, including the closely contested election that saw Republican Dave McCormick oust three-term incumbent...
Defense says police ruse invalidates confession in sex assault case
The lawyer for an Erie man accused of sex offenses claimed his client’s confession should be barred from evidence at an upcoming trial because police lied about the circumstances of the interrogation. Timothy Colcombe, 37, was charged in January with felony counts in connection to allegations that he attempted to...
Guilty but mentally ill plea planned for Greensburg woman charged with attempting to kill girl
A Greensburg woman accused of attempting to kill a child will plead guilty but mentally ill at a hearing next month, her attorney said Tuesday. Skye C. Naggy, 31, was charged in 2022 with 15 counts, including first-degree attempted homicide, attempted drug delivery resulting in death, attempting to aid suicide,...
Westmoreland County officials defend voting machine accuracy as most results approved
Westmoreland County’s Election Board on Tuesday issued a precertification of results for most races that appeared on this month’s presidential election ballots. The board approved final tallies for all but the race for U.S. Senate, in which a statewide recount was ordered as Republican Dave McCormick continues to hold a...
10 new theft allegations surface as probe into Latrobe attorney continues
A Westmoreland County detective testified Tuesday that authorities are looking into 10 new theft allegations leveled against Latrobe lawyer J. Allen Roth. Roth, 70, was charged and jailed on theft counts earlier this month in which he was accused of bilking a jailed client out of more than $31,000 that...
Murrysville man pleads guilty in mother’s stabbing
A Murrysville man pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the stabbing of his mother, months after a judge rejected a proposed deal with prosecutors that would have seen him serve four years on probation. Andrew J. Farbarik, 32, was allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced...
Son of former Steelers star to serve up to 16 years for drug offenses
The son of a former Pittsburgh Steelers star was ordered to serve up to 16 years in prison for the attempted sale of raw fentanyl to undercover officers in the Ligonier area. Cortez Marcell Haselrig, 27, of Johnstown pleaded guilty to four felony drug counts in connection with what authorities...
‘Maybe we were living in a silo’: Westmoreland Democratic leader reflects on failed election
Democratic Party leaders in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties experienced a range of emotions over the past two weeks as they assessed what comes next in the wake of defeat and the threat of a red wave sweeping through the state. Anger, sadness and confusion marked the reactions to this month’s...
Mt. Pleasant woman charged as part of lawyer’s alleged theft scheme
A Mt. Pleasant woman was arrested Friday for her alleged role as an accomplice to a Latrobe attorney charged last week with swindling funds from a jailed client. Tina Curry, 50, was charged with six felony offenses including theft counts and conspiracy in connection with allegations she and lawyer J....
Defense demands dismissal of charges in Jehovah Witnesses sex abuse case
The lawyer for a Lower Burrell man charged as part of a grand jury probe into allegations of widespread child sex abuse claims within the Jehovah Witnesses community on Thursday argued the case should be dismissed for lack of evidence. Defense attorney Dan Joseph said the alleged victim’s testimony during...
Penn Township nurse practitioner to serve jail sentence for fake prescriptions
A Penn Township nurse practitioner who pleaded guilty last summer to forging prescriptions for thousands of pain pills said two decades of drug addiction led to professional and personal ruin. He asked for leniency from a Westmoreland County judge at his sentencing Thursday. “I am very remorseful for my actions...
Westmoreland County reopens rental assistance program
Westmoreland County will reopen its program to assist low-income renters with monthly bills and housing costs. Finance director Meghan McCandless said the county has allocated the final $80,000 left over from the program along with another $727,000 earned through bank interest over the last three years again offer rental assistance...
Judge exits Latrobe lawyer’s theft case
Westmoreland County President Judge Christopher Feliciani recused himself Wednesday from presiding over a bail hearing for a Latrobe lawyer jailed on charges that he stole money from a client. The judge cited a conflict of interest related to pending legal matters that involved an alleged personal relationship between attorney J....
Authority calls for voluntary conservation in response to state drought conditions
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County water customers are being asked to conserve water as drought conditions take hold throughout Pennsylvania. Conservation efforts are voluntary, and municipal authority officials said there is no immediate expectation mandatory cutbacks of water use will be required. “It’s not panic time. It’s nothing like that,”...
Judge rejects former Ligonier Valley police chief’s bid to dismiss sexual assault charges
A former police chief accused of sexually assaulting a patient at an addiction treatment facility will be tried on the charges, a Westmoreland County judge ruled Tuesday. Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio rejected a defense claim that the case against former Ligonier Valley police Chief John Berger was defective. The...
Provisional ballot challenges heard in Westmoreland County
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg students Sadiki Raessa and Brionna Woodson were anxious to cast their first votes in a presidential election. Raessa, 22, of Lancaster and Woodson, 21, of Philadelphia learned Tuesday their votes will not count. Both were among the 39 voters whose provisional ballots were rejected by...
Westmoreland County doubles scope of 2024 demolition program
Westmoreland County is doubling down on knocking down blighted properties this year. Commissioners this month approved demolition of an additional 13 dilapidated properties and, in doing so, signaled an expansion of a wide-ranging effort to reduce what is estimated to be as many as 1,500 blighted buildings throughout the county....
Man accused of shooting Mogie’s Lower Burrell pub owner remains hospitalized, criminal case on hold
The prosecution of a man accused in the fatal shooting last year of the owner of Mogie’s Irish Pub in Lower Burrell has again been delayed. Nathan Salem, 45, has been in custody without bond since Dec. 21 after he was charged with criminal homicide and first-degree murder in the...
Jury finds Belle Vernon man guilty in Rostraver road rage killing
A Westmoreland County jury after more than two hours of deliberations Thursday night convicted a Belle Vernon man of third-degree murder for a road rage killing nearly three years ago in Rostraver. Prosecutors contended Anthony Hairston, 29, was guilty of the first-degree murder and the intentional killing of 59-year-old Holly...
Westmoreland County set to review, count provisional ballots
Westmoreland County on Friday will begin counting an estimated 1,200 provisional ballots cast at the polls on Election Day. County officials said it appears nearly 83% of Westmoreland’s more than 255,000 register voters cast ballots during the November presidential election. According to unofficial totals, more than 211,000 ballots were cast....
