Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 31
Westmoreland sheriff appoints new chief deputy
Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert on Thursday announced the hiring of his fourth chief deputy since taking office in 2020. Albert, a Republican who was elected to his second four-year term last fall, named Jennifer Shipley as his second in command. Shipley, 37, of Youngwood has worked in the Sheriff’s...
Westmoreland County commissioners approve $2.7 million boost in pay
Raises for Westmoreland County’s union and nonunion employees will cost taxpayers an additional $2.7 million in 2024. Commissioners ratified a union contract and approved pay hikes for nonunion workers Thursday. A new three-year labor deal with the Service Employees International Union Local 668 and Healthcare Pa. includes average raises of...
Register of Wills says work continues to ease backlog as office restructuring OK’d by commissioners
A restructuring and boost in staff pay approved by Westmoreland County commissioners is expected to improve operations in the Register of Wills office. Filing delays and other deficiencies prompted Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton to be admonished last week by a county judge, who issued a court order that...
Woman testifies about alleged rapes as retrial begins for Unity couple
A 25-year-old woman returned to the witness stand Wednesday, six years after she first testified about allegedly being raped and sexually assaulted when she was an adolescent. The woman testified before a Westmoreland County jury she was 12 when she was subjected weekly rapes and other sexual activity at the...
Therapist acquitted in case involving boy with autism at Greensburg day care
Tonya Piper said she will not return to her career caring for special needs children even after a jury found her not guilty of an alleged assault against a boy with autism. Piper, 52, of New Stanton was emotional after the verdict was returned Wednesday and said she was grateful...
Trial begins for therapist charged with assault of autistic boy
Cassandra Colligan testified she knew almost immediately a 4-year-old autistic boy was mistreated while attending a Greensburg daycare in 2022. Colligan, a speech therapist for the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit told jurors Tuesday she watched as behavioral health therapist Tonya Piper violently slammed a child into a chair and up against...
Westmoreland commissioners OK road trips for public meetings
The Westmoreland County commissioners are heading out into the countryside. Commissioners announced Tuesday they will conduct three public meetings outside of the Westmoreland County Courthouse this spring and summer. “We’ll, hopefully, have the public there,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said. Here are the locations, times and dates: • The activity center...
Arnold teen charged with fatal New Kensington shooting pleads guilty to lesser charge
Westmoreland County prosecutors on Monday dismissed homicide charges against an Arnold man in the fatal shooting of a man at a New Kensington apartment building in July 2022. Jonathan Felder, 19, pleaded guilty to one lesser count of conspiracy to commit robbery. He was one of seven youths charged in...
Experts say voters will have the final say on register of wills’ job performance
Voters ultimately will decide whether embattled Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton can remain in her post beyond her current four-year term that started in January, political experts say. Westmoreland County judges this week intervened in the oversight of Hamilton’s courthouse office — which processes adoption and estate records —...
Homicide charge dropped against teen in 2022 fatal shooting in New Kensington
Westmoreland County prosecutors on Friday dismissed murder charges against a Pittsburgh teenager and allowed him to plead guilty to lesser charges in connection to a fatal shooting 19 months ago in New Kensington. Avian Molter, 16, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and the illegal possession of a firearm...
Arnold woman tells judge fatal overdose ‘could have been me’
A Pittsburgh man was ordered to serve up to eight years in prison for providing fentanyl-laced heroin to a Lower Burrell woman who died from an overdose in 2021. Otis L. Henley, 47, pleaded guilty to drug delivery resulting in death and other related offenses in connection to the May...
Greensburg Rialto shooter denied shortened prison sentence
A Westmoreland County judge Thursday rejected a request to shorten the prison sentence of one of the two men convicted for their roles in a downtown Greensburg shootout in early 2022. Evan Curley, 25, of Greensburg pleaded guilty to aggravate assault in connection with a confrontation in front of the...
Connellsville teen pleads guilty for role in New Kensington fatal shooting and later assault of a shelter worker
A Connellsville teen pleaded guilty Wednesday in juvenile court to his role in the July 2022 fatal shooting of a man in New Kensington. Braedon M. Dickinson, 16, was one of seven suspects charged with the killing of 39-year-old Jason Raiford in front of the Valley Royal Court Apartments. Dickinson...
Judge says court intervention needed to improve Westmoreland County Register of Wills office
Westmoreland County judges issued new deadlines and warnings Wednesday to Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton to properly file and process court documents. A hearing was held in response to allegations that her office has failed to process documents related to adoptions, estates and appeals. Hamilton was questioned for more...
Connellsville teen pleads guilty for role in New Kensington fatal shooting and later assault of a shelter worker
A Connellsville teen pleaded guilty Wednesday in juvenile court to his role in the July 2022 fatal shooting of a man in New Kensington. Braedon M. Dickinson, 16, was one of seven suspects charged with the killing of 39-year-old Jason Raiford in front of the Valley Royal Court Apartments. Dickinson...
Raises rejected for retired Westmoreland County employees
For the first time in 13 years, Westmoreland County’s 1,400 retired government employees will not receive cost-of-living increases. “This is a very difficult budget, and one where we couldn’t afford to do a COLA this year. Difficult decisions had to be made,” Commissioner Ted Kopas said. Retirees received 8.1% cost-of-living...
Latrobe social worker pleads guilty to sex crimes against teen clients
Victims and their supporters stood and cheered Tuesday as a former Latrobe social worker was led out of a Westmoreland County courtroom in handcuffs. Gregory P. Miscik, 63, pleaded guilty to 13 charges stemming from seven separate cases involving 10 victims. The charges involved sex crimes against teenage clients dating...
Strike averted: Union approves new contract with Westmoreland County
More than 500 Westmoreland County courthouse and nursing home employees ratified a union contract Monday. Approval of the three-year deal averted a strike that would have started Friday if a deal wasn’t reached. Rank-and-file members of the Service Employees International Union Local 668 and Healthcare PA overwhelmingly voted to accept...
Westmoreland register of wills faces more questions about office’s handling of filings
Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton conceded Monday her office has been scrambling to keep up with its workload. “We understand it is an issue, and we are making progress slowly and we will do whatever we have to do to make it happen,” Hamilton said after another...
Scottdale contractor pleads guilty to home improvement fraud
Jacqueline Anke’s biggest regret isn’t the more the $3,300 she lost to a Scottdale contractor. It’s that she waited to report the swindle to authorities. “We thought it was just going to be a civil matter, then I read about all of these other folks in 2021 and 2022. It’s...
Westmoreland to ramp up search for new jail warden
Westmoreland commissioners said a new warden for the county jail could be hired in February. Efforts to fill the vacancy left by the September resignation of Warden Bryan Kline will ramp up in the coming weeks, officials said Monday following a meeting of the county’s prison board. “We’re going to...
Water authority lifts mandatory conservation for customers served by Beaver Run Reservoir
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County lifted its mandatory water conservation order Monday for more than 56,000 customers served by the Beaver Run Reservoir in Bell and Washington townships. Customers who live north of Route 30 in Westmoreland, Allegheny and Indiana counties have been under a mandatory order since mid-December...
Westmoreland Register of Wills faces contempt of court allegations
Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton has been ordered to appear before a judge in early March to respond to contempt of court allegations. Common Pleas Judge Jim Silvis said Hamilton violated requirements that her office promptly file adoption records. Hamilton, a Republican from Hempfield, was unopposed when...
Westmoreland County, union reach tentative labor deal
After announcing plans to strike next month, more than 500 Westmoreland County government workers instead will vote on a new three-year labor deal next week. Officials on Thursday confirmed that a tentative agreement has been reached. A vote on the proposed contract is set for Monday. Neither the county nor...
Westmoreland commissioners pushed to take meetings on the road
Westmoreland County commissioners might be taking their show on the road later this year. Bowing to public criticism leveled at the start of Thursday’s public meeting at the courthouse in Greensburg, commissioners agreed to consider a plan to relocate future sessions in communities throughout Westmoreland County during the latter part...
