Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 4
Westmoreland County kicks off America’s 250th with courthouse light-up ceremony
Westmoreland County will launch its celebration of America’s 250th birthday this weekend with a symbolic light-up ceremony at the heart of the county seat. On Saturday afternoon, officials will illuminate the “Westmoreland” sign in front of the courthouse in Greensburg. The event serves as the official kickoff for a yearlong...
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County approves new budget that keeps water, sewer rates level
Water and sewer rates for Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers will remain unchanged for at least the next year. Authority board members this week approved a $129.7 million budget for the multi-county agency that keeps its current rate structure in place after two straight years of increases. “We always...
Judge tosses criminal case against man accused of causing trooper overdose in Delmont drug sting
A Westmoreland County judge has dismissed the criminal case against a Pittsburgh man accused of causing an undercover state trooper to overdose during a drug sting in Salem. Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears ruled prosecutors were unable to support criminal charges filed against Robert M. Whitley Jr., 27, following a...
Pa. Game Commission considers Saturday start before Thanksgiving for deer seasonVideo
For Mike Shipley, the Monday after Thanksgiving was a holiday tradition that died in 2019. That was the year the Pennsylvania Game Commission shifted its hunting schedule to start two days earlier, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, ending a decadeslong ritual of hunters heading into the woods the first Monday after...
Westmoreland sheriff: Rescinding 2006 court order could save at least $250K in overtime
Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert has asked a county judge to rescind a two-decade-old court order that requires his deputies to transport jailed inmates to district judge offices for preliminary hearings. Albert said the move could save taxpayers at least $250,000 in annual overtime costs and refocus his deputies’ job...
Lawsuit alleges teen injured in crash was illegally served alcohol in Westmoreland Co. bar
A lawsuit filed last week in Westmoreland County alleges a Cook bar illegally served alcohol to a teenager before he crashed his vehicle and suffered severe injuries. Jacob M. Roadman of Latrobe claims he was just 17 when he and another teen were served alcoholic beverages including a six-pack of...
2 injured in North Huntingdon crash
Two people were injured in a vehicle crash Sunday afternoon on Route 30 in North Huntingdon. According to Westmoreland County 911, the crash occurred just after 1 p.m. in the eastbound lanes near the Wendy’s fast food restaurant. The crash closed a portion of Route 30 for about 30 minutes....
Fugitive nabbed inside Pittsburgh home
A Pittsburgh fugitive convicted a decade ago of attempted homicide was taken into custody Friday by the Allegheny County sheriff’s department. Officials said Tyrus Campbell, 35, was located at a Reed Street home in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. After surveillance of the residence, detectives gained entrance, found him at the top...
‘His stories live on through us now’ as Battle of the Bulge soldier dies
Joseph Folino was the last of a generation. Folino of Jeannette died Thursday at 103. He is believed to be among the last surviving veterans who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, the last German offensive during World War II. “He came from our greatest generation, and we should...
Officials worry for future as passenger levels at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport hit new lows
Air traffic through Arnold Palmer Regional Airport last year fell to its lowest level since 2011 even as local leaders brace for more decline while questions linger about the future of the facility’s lone commercial carrier. According to figures released this week, just 119,379 passengers went through the gates in...
Derry woman pleads guilty to forged death certificate scam
A Derry Township woman’s widowhood was only to last just long enough for her refund check to be cashed. Lori Shawley, 54, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two felony counts of forgery in connection to allegations she faked her husband’s death. Prosecutors said it was part of a scam designed to...
Probation imposed on massage parlor worker charged in prostitution ring raids
A New York woman was ordered to serve two years on probation for offering to perform illegal sex acts last year at a Hempfield massage parlor. Zhang Peiyun, 61, following a brief court hearing Wednesday was admitted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for first-time nonviolent offenders. Peiyun was arrested...
Attorney: New Florence murder suspect expected to testify for prosecution
One of three people accused in the murder of a New Florence grandmother will be tried separately from his two co-defendants, signaling a potential agreement to cooperate with prosecutors, an attorney said Tuesday. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio pushed back the first-degree murder case against Robert Patrick Jack,...
Judge considers release for Murrysville man accused in neighbor’s assault
A Westmoreland County judge will decide by Friday whether to grant bail to a Murrysville man accused of breaking into a neighbor’s home to make sexual overtures. During a court hearing Monday, defense attorney Pat Noonan said Gregory P. Schneider, 47, was experiencing the effects of a medication change at...
Defense demands dismissal of murder, arson charges in 1993 Jeannette fire case
Lawyers for a former Jeannette man awaiting retrial for the 1993 death of his wife and two young children claim Westmoreland County prosecutors cannot prove the fire that killed them was intentionally set. In pretrial motions submitted Monday, defense attorneys for James Young, 58, argued that homicide and arson charges...
Judge sentences Latrobe man for rape, tells teen victim ‘this was not your fault’
A Westmoreland County judge on Monday sentenced a former Latrobe man to up to 20 years in prison for the 2024 rape of a child. Randy B. Shipley Jr., 40, appeared via video from a state prison in Forest County, where he is awaiting a hearing for an alleged parole...
Trial set for Delmont mother accused in torture death of adopted son
The trial for the Delmont mother accused of torturing and killing her adopted son has been scheduled to begin in early May. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Mears issued a court order setting jury selection to begin May 4 for Lauren Maloberti, 36. She faces charges that include...
Jury finds Monessen parents not guilty of child endangerment
Felicia Dugan embraced a friend and sobbed Thursday afternoon outside a Westmoreland County courtroom after a jury found her and her former boyfriend not guilty of endangering their 2-year-old twins in their Monessen home in 2024. “I am so happy. I’m getting my kids back, and that’s all that matters,”...
Hotel tax revenues doled out to help promote Westmoreland tourism
Dwight Brown knows that word of mouth isn’t enough to sustain business growth. Brown opened Great Scott Escape in November 2020, a Scottdale business that has grown over the last several years to include three separate rooms for gaming enthusiasts. He wants to see it continue to grow, and said...
Westmoreland jury convicts defendant of drug offenses who refused to attend his trial
A Westmoreland County jury took just nine minutes to convict a Philadelphia man of three drug offenses after he refused to appear in court for his trial. Rysheid Malik Baldwin, 44, was to serve as his own lawyer in what was expected to be a three-day trial on charges that...
Jury expected to begin deliberations in child endangerment trial for Monessen parents
One of two Monessen parents charged with endangering their 2-year-old twins told a jury Wednesday he had not seen his children on the day they were found by police. The children were trapped in an upstairs bedroom surrounded in squalor, according to Westmoreland County prosecutors. Jerimiah Roberts, 32, testified he...
Judge OKs prosecution alleging woman’s messages led to boyfriend’s suicide
Prosecution of a South Greensburg woman on allegations that she bullied her former boyfriend to kill himself in 2021 can continue. In a 20-page opinion, Westmoreland County Judge Scott Mears said a series of demeaning messages sent by Mandie Rose Reusch provided sufficient evidence to allow a jury to consider...
Prosecutors: Monessen parents left 2-year-old twins in squalor
Two Monessen parents broke the law when they left their 2-year-old twins trapped in a bedroom strewn with feces and infested with insects, a Westmoreland County prosecutor told jurors Tuesday. Felicia Dugan, 31, and Jerimiah Roberts, 32, are on trial, accused of felony child endangerment. Prosecutors allege the children were...
Westmoreland slashes benefits for retired workers
Westmoreland County’s salary board on Monday rescinded a policy that allowed nonunion employees to receive health benefits after retirement, a move officials said could save taxpayers up to $3.5 million annually. The three commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer voted unanimously to eliminate the program, which allowed retirees to buy into...
Communities reap millions from Pennsylvania casino revenue
State-mandated distribution of revenue from the state’s casinos has paid off for Western Pennsylvania municipalities. More than $60 million in grants was distributed in 2025 to municipalities through a state program that allocates tax revenue collected from casinos to pay for economic development projects, infrastructure upgrades, public safety and equipment...
