Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 43
Greensburg’s Rialto to remain closed; owner gives DA power to approve future sale
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli will have the right to approve any potential sale of the shuttered Rialto bar and restaurant in Greensburg under an agreement approved Wednesday. Common Pleas Judge Harry Smail Jr. signed off on a consent decree between Ziccarelli and Rialto Inc. owner John Rullo that...
Teen charged in New Kensington fatal shooting to be prosecuted as a juvenile
A 15-year-old boy who is one of seven people charged in connection with a fatal shooting last summer in New Kensington will be prosecuted as a juvenile. After what was described in court records as an emergency hearing, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani on Tuesday transferred the...
What’s That: Dillinger & Sons distillery in Ruffs Dale marks heyday of area’s whiskey production
Editor’s note: ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com or call 724-838-5146. The 160-foot smokestack that towers above a cluster of aging buildings in the small hamlet of Ruffs Dale once...
Hempfield man sentenced for sexual assault of teens
A Hempfield man accused of fathering two children with two teen girls was ordered to serve up to 23 months in jail for sex offenses. Tristan M. Huffine, 23, pleaded guilty in March in two incidents of statutory sexual assault in connection with allegations from 15-year-old girls in Hempfield and...
Westmoreland DA files nuisance bar lawsuit against Rialto in Greensburg
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to have the Rialto in downtown Greensburg declared a nuisance bar. If approved by a county judge, the move would shutter the restaurant and bar — which has been closed since the end of last year — for 12...
Arrest warrant issued for mother convicted in 2009 drowning of baby in Monessen
A former Monessen woman who served 10 years in prison for the death of her 7-month-old son soon could be back behind bars. Seairia D. Henderson, 35, now of North Charleroi, failed to appear in a Westmoreland County courtroom Thursday for a hearing during which prosecutors sought to revoke her...
Westmoreland Republican row officers secure Democratic nominations through write-in votes
Westmoreland County Treasurer Jared Squires and Controller Jeffrey Balzer were out to lunch in late April when they decided to put in motion a plan to ensure they wouldn’t have any competition for the jobs they’ve held for the last 11 years. “We realized no one was running against us....
Man accused of leaving nephew for dead in North Huntingdon fails to appear for hearing
A warrant was issued for a Forest Hills man who failed to appear for a hearing Wednesday in a case involving his nephew’s 2022 death in North Huntingdon. The lawyer for Jeffrey Carlson said his client claimed work obligations kept him from attending the hearing in which he was to...
Menu options could change at Westmoreland courthouse as county seeks food service proposals
Lunch options could be expanding at the Westmoreland County courthouse. The county is seeking proposals from private food providers and restaurants to operate the former cafeteria space that since 2016 has been run by Subway, commissioners said this week. “We as a county are open to different options, such as...
Plea talks ongoing for suspected Greensburg shooters
Lawyers for two men charged in connection with a shootout in downtown Greensburg told a Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday that negotiations toward potential plea bargains are ongoing. As a result, a planned June trial was postponed for at least two months as defense attorneys and prosecutors attempt to hash...
Former Johnstown man was attempting suicide when he attacked cop, lawyer says
A man who tried to disarm a police officer as he was being discharged from a Greensburg hospital did so in an attempt to end his own life, his lawyer said. “My client grabbed the pistol to have the officer shoot him. He wanted to commit suicide by officer because...
Controller questions Westmoreland County Prison medical costs
Westmoreland Controller Jeffrey Balzer on Monday criticized an additional $175,000 expense that must be paid for medical services at the county prison. The extra fee is required under a contract county commissioners approved with a new medical provider last summer. The agreement nearly doubles the costs to care for inmates,...
North Huntingdon man ordered to prison for assault against disabled victim
A North Huntingdon man was ordered to serve up to two years in prison for an assault he claimed he didn’t commit. Tracy Steele Painter, 60, was sentenced Monday to state prison after he was convicted in absentia following a nonjury trial last month in connection with what police said...
Transit authority eyes Go Westmoreland fare hikes
Fares for travel on Westmoreland County Transit Authority’s shared-ride program are expected to increase this year to make up for potential revenue shortfalls. Authority board members last week approved a $16.3 million budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year that is balanced through use of more than $3.9 million in federal...
Free pet health clinic fills community need in Jeannette
Dogs and cats, with their owners in tow, lined up outside the City of Jeannette Fire Department more than 30 minutes before the doors opened Sunday morning to receive free medical care. “I think this is a blessing for the community. We really need this, especially since our family can’t...
Day care center building collapses in Pitcairn
A child day care center building collapsed Sunday morning in Pitcairn. Pitcairn fire chief Thomas Dick said calls of an explosion came in shortly after 9:30 a.m. at the corner of Center Avenue and Second Street. “We didn’t detect any gas, and we’re trying to figure out what happened,” Dick...
Arrests made for alleged violent home invasion in Latrobe
Three men were in Westmoreland County Prison on Saturday after they were charged with a violent home invasion in Latrobe. According to city police, Edwardo Romero-Gross, Paul Kline and Christian Long work black face masks as they forced entry into an apartment on Lincoln Avenue early Friday morning. They allegedly...
Local whiskey, honey among treats at West Overton Village Makers Market
Heavy rains can’t dampen the desire for local spirits. Dozens of thirsty visitors jammed into the small tasting room in the brick barn at West Overton Village on Saturday afternoon to sample rye whiskey and take a short indoor break during the annual Makers Market. Weather made for some muddy...
Mail-in ballots drive Westmoreland primary voter turnout
Nearly 29% of all votes cast in Tuesday’s primary election in Westmoreland County were submitted through the mail, according to election officials. Just shy of 18,000 ballots were cast by mail in addition to the more than 44,700 Democrats and Republicans who cast votes in person at the county’s 307...
Democrats set sights on Westmoreland commissioner race
As votes were tabulated Tuesday to determine the two Republican candidates for Westmoreland County commissioner in November, Democrats sat quietly on the sidelines, setting their sights on trying to regain majority control of county government this year. The Democrats, Ted Kopas, who served more than a decade as a commissioner...
Norwin: School board race to continue with 10 candidates in fall
All 10 candidates seeking five open seats on the Norwin School Board won party nominations Tuesday and will continue their campaigns in the fall. With all 32 precincts reporting, Lynda Funk, 60, of North Huntingdon; Tammy Moreno, 46 of Irwin; Thomas Ryan 47, of North Huntingdon; Robert Weisensee, 59, of...
Kertes, Chew top GOP ballot for Westmoreland commissioner
Incumbent Westmoreland County Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew finished in the top two spots on the Republican ballot Tuesday to secure nominations to seek second terms in office this fall. With all 307 precincts reporting, Kertes and Chew defeated three challengers seeking to end their tenures as the Republican...
Madison tax collector fined for late payments says life events got in the way
Madison Borough’s tax collector is accused of ignoring requests from county auditors to access his records and as a result owes more than $2,800 for making late tax payments. Westmoreland County Controller Jeffrey Balzer said an audit released Monday of collections made by Madison tax collector John Fassett last year...
Inmate pleads guilty to assault of prosecution witness in New Kensington murder trial
A Wilkinsburg man was ordered to serve up to a year in prison for assaulting a jail inmate who testified last year in the trial of New Kensington man convicted of first-degree murder. Shawnti Eugene Shifflett, 27, pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of simple assault after Westmoreland County...
Sewickley Township man testifies wife’s death at hands of a drunk driver is his nightmare
James Wardezek had little sympathy for the man police said was responsible for his wife’s death and the injuries he suffered that were caused by a drunk driver two years ago in Hempfield. “I hope this day finds you unwell. The problem is the decision you made for yourself,” Wardezek...
