Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 42
Westmoreland Commissioner Thrasher appointed to state appeals board
Westmoreland Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher was confirmed on Tuesday to fill a vacancy on the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. Thrasher, 37, a Democrat from Hempfield is serving out her second four-year term and announced in February she would not seek reelection, instead focusing on a career as a lawyer....
Westmoreland officials pledge to reopen juvenile detention center
Westmoreland officials on Monday pledged to reopen the county’s juvenile detention center upon the conclusion of state investigations launched this month when two youths were injured at the Hempfield facility. “As soon as the investigations are done, we hope to be up and running. As soon as we can get...
Westmoreland closes juvenile detention center amid state investigation, staffing shortages
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center is temporarily closed amid ongoing state child welfare investigations and staffing issues that resulted in an inability to properly staff and secure the 16-bed facility in Hempfield. Director Rich Gordon confirmed that state investigators are conducting a review of operations in the wake of two...
Suspect identified with help of DNA pleads guilty in Lower Burrell robbery
An Allegheny County man was ordered to serve up to five years in prison for the armed robbery of a beer distributor in Lower Burrell. Blair Adam Payne, 29, of Mt. Oliver pleaded guilty to robbery, theft and receiving stolen property in connection with a heist police said was solved...
$8.8M in covid funds earmarked for water, sewer projects in Westmoreland
As many as 50 farms and other properties in East Huntingdon could have municipal water service this fall when water lines are extended to tap into the municipal system. It’s a project that might never have happened without funding from Westmoreland County, according to East Huntingdon Supervisor Joel Suter. “It’s...
Judge sets bond for Seward man charged with sex offenses
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday set bond for a Seward man charged with attempting to pay a juvenile for sex. Anthony Ronald Laughard, 41, was arrested and charged June 2 with the attempted rape of a child, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and other related offenses in connection with...
MAWC officials say local water supply in good shape despite dry conditions
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials said Wednesday that, based on local conditions, there is no reason to implement a mandatory water conservation order. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection last week issued a drought watch and suggested residents enact voluntary efforts to reduce water usage by 5% to 10%....
Ligonier Township man’s lawsuit claims injuries caused by public works employee
A Ligonier Township resident is suing the township and a public works employee, claiming he was attacked in front of his home last year. Mark Leonard claims that at 11:20 a.m. on April 20, 2022, he heard rocks and debris strike the outside of his Kissell Springs Road home and...
‘You are destroying your life,’ judge tells Jeannette man at sentencing hearing
The lawyer for Jeannette man convicted for his part in what prosecutors described as a major drug distribution ring told a Westmoreland County judge his client’s turbulent upbringing and future potential warranted a mitigated prison sentence. Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger disagreed when he sentenced Damone A. Morton to five...
$13M housing project aimed at addressing jump in retiree population in Westmoreland
A $13 million, 50-unit senior housing complex is planned in Rostraver. It will be the fourth project by the Westmoreland County Housing Authority in the past decade and is part of an effort to provide more senior housing for low-income residents. The authority on Tuesday approved the purchase of a...
Public safety officials warn of dangers at Creek Falls
Greensburg Dive Team Capt. George McFarland knows the dangers that loom at Creek Falls. “When there’s a call that comes over the radio about Creek Falls, a chill goes up my spine because of where it is,” McFarland said of the secluded spot along Jacobs Creek in South Huntingdon, a...
Rebuilt Westmoreland County Courthouse garage, plaza nears completion
Work will soon be completed on a $7 million project to rebuild a two-level parking garage under Westmoreland County Courthouse, officials said Friday. Public Works Director Greg McCloskey said parking for about 175 courthouse employees is expected to begin on June 30. Meanwhile, additional delays will postpone the opening of...
Judge rejects New Kensington man’s appeal of murder conviction
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday rejected the appeal filed by a New Kensington man, who said his claims of self-defense were not properly considered by jurors, and found him guilty of first-degree murder of an unarmed man in an Arnold home in 2020. Mario Gatti, 33, of New Kensington...
Former Delmont woman jailed again for threats against judge
A Westmoreland County prosecutor said Thursday a former Delmont woman convicted last summer of threatening a judge should serve time in prison. Prosecutors alleged similar behavior against the same public official at the county courthouse earlier this year. Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani ordered Jennifer L. Gesuale, 43, to remain...
Westmoreland human services director has personal stake in crisis intervention program
Rob Hamilton was a troubled young man. He struggled with homelessness and drug abuse during his formative years and, upon returning home from military service, couldn’t stay out of trouble. It wasn’t until he reunited with then-Blairsville police Officer Robert “B.J.” Shaw that Hamilton’s life changed. Shaw, rather than shuffling...
New Kensington man guilty of child sex assault
A New Kensington man has been convicted of the sexual assault of a 9-year-old girl. A Westmoreland County jury deliberated more than five hours on Thursday before returning guilty verdicts against Chester Elmer Green Jr., who prosecutors contended had improper sexual contact with a young girl in 2013 and 2014....
Westmoreland human services department to work from offices at WCCC Youngwood campus
Westmoreland County will pay more than $68,000 to rent space for an expanded human services department that will be located about six miles from the courthouse in Greensburg. Commissioners on Thursday approved an 11-month lease for seven suites in the Business Information Center at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood....
Westmoreland commissioners return to county’s roots at Hanna’s Town
Westmoreland commissioners returned the county’s roots on Thursday. Historic Hanna’s Town, the site of the county’s original courthouse at its founding in 1773, served as host to the commissioners’ public meeting where they commemorated the county’s 250th birthday. “I thought it was a great idea to do this out here....
Westmoreland park police hired to work at Steelers training camp
Westmoreland County Park Police again will help with security at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp this summer at Saint Vincent College near Latrobe. Commissioners on Thursday approved a new deal for park police officers to patrol the three-week event, set to begin July 27, mirroring the pact approved last year. The...
Westmoreland commissioners to take meeting on the road to Historic Hanna’s Town
Westmoreland’s board of commissioners will hold their June voting meeting at the site of the county’s first courthouse. The county’s road show will begin at 10 a.m., Thursday at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield to commemorate Westmoreland’s 250th birthday. Hanna’s Town was the site of the first seat of government...
Woman tells jury she expected to die during attack at Greensburg apartment
Mitzy Cordova thought for sure she was going to die at the hands of her boyfriend in a Greensburg apartment in early 2021. “I was terrified, and I thought this was it and I wasn’t going to make it,” Cordova testified Tuesday in the first day in the aggravated assault...
Dispute between Murrysville Golf Club owner, management company lands in court
A Westmoreland County judge will be asked to decide whether the management company that leases the Murrysville Golf Club can remove the 18-hole course’s irrigation system and concrete cart paths as part of an ongoing dispute over terms of its agreement to operate the 137-acre property. Golf course owner BIB...
Westmoreland certifies primary results; tiebreaker held to settle Democratic race for Hempfield supervisor
Results from Westmoreland County’s spring primaries are official. The county’s elections board on Monday voted to certify results from the 195 races that appeared on the May ballot, setting the stage for the November general election that will feature county, municipal and school board contests. Two countywide races will top...
Westmoreland school districts struggle with funding shortfalls
In the past decade, Westmoreland County’s 17 school districts incurred more than $115 million in costs to pay for state-mandated programs. But funding from the commonwealth covered just 54% of those expenses. Revenue figures recently released by the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit revealed all but one school district in the county...
Plea in catalytic converter thefts spotlights larger problem
While a New Florence man was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution this week for his role in a catalytic converter theft ring, a salesman at one of the dealerships targeted said there’s little more that could have been done to prevent the crime. William J. Glover III,...
