Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 24
Westmoreland Judge Feliciani recognized for drug court advocacy
In the nine years since its inception, Westmoreland County’s Drug Court has helped dozens of participants struggling with addiction to turn their lives around. Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani has been at the center of that program since its beginning in 2015 and recently received the Anthony “Tony” Marcocci...
Latrobe man called danger to community sentenced to 3-year prison term
A Westmoreland County judge said he had no choice this week but to impose a three-year maximum prison sentence for a Latrobe man who pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a teenage girl. Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger ordered Cristofer R. Dowden, 25, to serve at least 18...
Westmoreland OKs new jobs, more pay for human service staffers
Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday added 32 jobs to the county payroll to expand the fledgling human services department and help ease staffing concerns at Westmoreland Manor. Commissioners also extended the workday for 10 human services administrators in what officials said was a coordinated effort to enhance public outreach and could...
Judge limits taxpayer funds for father’s death penalty defense in New Kensington slaying
A Westmoreland County judge said she will limit defense spending of taxpayer funds for the pending trial of a Brackenridge man who faces a potential death sentence in connection with the alleged killing of his 9-year-old son. Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio said Wednesday excessive costs incurred by public defenders...
Beaver Run’s water levels remain OK despite dry spell, authority officials say
Water levels at Beaver Run Reservoir remain far above the limit where conservation efforts need to be enacted, Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials said Wednesday. The recent dry spell that has turned lawns brown and wilted flower gardens in Western Pennsylvania has so far not stressed the primary water...
North Huntingdon man pleads guilty to sexual assault of teen
A North Huntingdon man was ordered Tuesday to serve up to four years in prison for sexual assault of a teenage girl. Brandon Roy Satolli, 29, pleaded guilty to felony counts of statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and child pornography in connection with allegations from last July in which...
Conservator says he expects to scale back role in Register of Wills office
Conservator Jim Antoniono said Tuesday his intensive oversight of the beleaguered Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office is no longer needed. “I feel comfortable with the new leadership. My time over there is going to be really limited to just making sure it is going in the right direction,” Antoniono...
Marinucci appeal rejected by state Supreme Court
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal of a Greensburg woman who claims her 60-years-to-life prison sentence for her role in the 2010 torture slaying of a mentally disabled woman should be overturned. Angela Marinucci, 32, has argued the latest sentence imposed in 2022 was unconsitutional and was...
Texas lab to use advanced DNA testing to help Westmoreland investigators with cold cases
Westmoreland County investigators will tap into advanced DNA testing in an attempt to formulate new leads or identify suspects as part of an effort to solve violent crime cold cases. District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli this week announced the hiring of Othram Inc., a Texas-based company, to evaluate and study DNA...
Defense seeks to bar testimony in appeal of decades-old Jeannette arson murder case
Attorneys for a former Jeannette man in prison for the deaths of his wife and two young children killed three decades ago in a house fire are seeking to bar new testimony about the origins of the fatal blaze. James Young, 57, was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder...
Former medical provider removed from inmate’s lawsuit against Westmoreland jail
The former medical provider at Westmoreland County Prison has been removed from a federal lawsuit filed last year by an inmate. Robert James Frantz, formerly of Hempfield, claimed he was improperly cared for at the Hempfield lockup. Senior U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti, in a ruling finalized Monday, dismissed...
Bretz reelected to head Westmoreland GOP
Westmoreland County Republican Committee members have reelected Bill Bretz as their chairman to oversee the local GOP for the next two years. Bretz, 52, was unopposed in his bid for a third term at the helm of the Republican committee which over the last decade has surged into power in...
Westmoreland authority targeted in ‘vendor impersonator scheme,’ official says
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County said Monday that it lost a significant amount of money in what the agency’s top legal official described as a “vendor impersonator scheme.” “This was not a data breach. It was a vendor impersonator scheme,” said Scott Avolio, the authority’s solicitor. “It was literally...
Rostraver church holds service for pets, owners
John Harkins and Lucy, his Schnauzer-Yorkie mix, have been together for just three months. They are a family and last Saturday, along with dozens of other local pets and owners, gathered at the First Presbyterian Church for the 9th annual Blessing of the Animals. Harkins, adopted Lucy in Florida earlier...
New errors discovered in Westmoreland Register of Wills Office lead to personnel changes
The ongoing review of records in the embattled Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office has unearthed more incomplete adoption files, leading to personnel changes enacted this week by the conservator appointed to oversee the office. According to court documents filed Thursday, conservator Jim Antoniono said staff found multiple cases of...
Westmoreland approves GPS tracking of county vehicles
Westmoreland County soon will begin intensive tracking of its vehicle fleet, including dozens of take-home cars used by employees and elected officials. Commissioners on Thursday revised the county’s fleet management policy to require drivers to log in to a GPS device installed in nearly every vehicle. The equipment will provide...
Advocates blast Westmoreland commissioners for not recognizing Pride Month
Local leaders of a LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group on Wednesday accused Westmoreland County commissioners of refusing to recognize local diversity. The group last week submitted a petition asking commissioners to proclaim June as Pride Month in the county. The request is not listed for consideration at Thursday’s commissioners meeting. “They...
Former nursing aide sentenced for jewelry theft from dementia patients
A former nursing aide was ordered to serve nearly 10 months in jail for the theft of jewelry from dementia patients at a Murrysville nursing home. Christina Louise Ankney, 40, of Braddock, Allegheny County, pleaded guilty in April to two misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property in connection...
Delmont mom rejects torture claim in adopted son’s death
A Delmont mother charged in connection with the death of her 5-year-old adopted son last year “categorically denies” allegations she caused the boy’s fatal injuries, her defense lawyer said after a court appearance Tuesday. Defense attorney Adam Gorzelsky said the prosecution’s case against Lauren Maloberti is based on false assumptions....
Defense suggests alternate causes for New Kensington toddler death
The lawyer for a New Kensington man accused in the death of a 2-year-old boy said Tuesday that fatal injuries suffered by the child were caused by accidents or another family member. Prosecutors contend Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 35, caused multiple head wounds and other injuries suffered by Mikel Fetterman,...
Westmoreland increases capacity at reopened juvenile detention center
The Westmoreland County juvenile detention center in Hempfield has hired enough staff to double its capacity three months after a limited reopening in March, officials announced Monday. The detention facility that makes up half of the Regional Youth Services Center was temporarily shuttered last year amid a series of negative...
Abortion rights take center stage as first lady Jill Biden campaigns in Millvale
First lady Jill Biden, in her second campaign appearance this month in the Pittsburgh region, attacked Republicans and former President Donald Trump, saying this fall’s election could put abortion access and women’s rights at risk in Pennsylvania and throughout the country. Speaking to several hundred invited supporters at Mr. Smalls...
Westmoreland housing authority’s newest apartment building set to open in July
The first tenants at the Westmore- land County Housing Authority’s newest community are expected to move to their new homes next month. Officials confirmed this week that construction of Grand View Senior Residences in Irwin is set to wrap up in July. “We’re more than 90% complete, and we’re looking to...
Arrest made in Arlington Heights fatal shooting
Pittsburgh police arrested a suspect in last week’s fatal shooting of a man in Arlington Heights. Jason Ingram, 37, of Pittsburgh was taken into custody without incident Friday afternoon by detectives with the Pittsburgh Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force. He was charged...
Jeannette flood control project set to begin after years of delays
A long-delayed project to ease flooding concerns in Jeannette is finally expected to begin in early 2025, officials said. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members this week formally accepted two low-interest 40-year loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for the $14.3 million flooding containment project. It...
