Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 47
Prosecutors say Jeannette man confessed to setting fatal fire during calls from jail
Westmoreland prosecutors said a Jeannette man accused of setting a fire in 2018 that killed an elderly woman confessed his guilt in telephone calls he made from the county jail. Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Ranger told a judge Wednesday that prosecutors this week obtained 400 calls made by Brian Rendon...
Westmoreland candidates face lawsuits that could boot them from primary ballot
Several candidates for contested races in the May primary are facing challenges to be removed from the ballot because of perceived flaws in their nominating petitions. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Jim Silvis will hear the challenges at 11 a.m. Friday in the cases. Silvis is hearing the cases because...
Westmoreland to bank another $26 million from 2nd opioid lawsuit settlement
Westmoreland County is expected to receive another $26 million as part of a national settlement of opioid lawsuits, officials said Tuesday. Pennsylvania so far has secured about $2.2 billion in payments that resolved litigation against drug manufacturers and distributors accused of spreading opioid abuse throughout the United States. The county,...
Westmoreland County judge withdraws from hearing election lawsuits
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Harry Smail Jr. has recused himself from presiding over election challenges this spring. Smail, in a court order signed Monday, said his candidacy for a vacant seat on the Pennsylvania Superior Court created an appearance of potential impropriety and withdrew from hearing a lawsuit...
Westmoreland GOP head seeks to remove 2 commissioner challengers from ballot
Attempts to remove two Republican challengers for Westmoreland Commissioner from the May ballot will be heard this week. Two lawsuits were filed late last week by the chairman of Westmoreland County’s Republican Committee alleging John Ventre and Paul Kosko, both making their second attempt to run for commissioner, did not...
Pedestrian killed in McCandless hit-and-run identified
A pedestrian was killed Saturday night as a result of a hit-and-run crash in McCandless. Donald Gene Leach, 78, of Wexford, was identified Monday by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner as the man killed in the incident. Police said a black Honda struck Leach at 10:15 p.m. near the Pine...
Man killed in Penn Hills shooting identified
Allegheny County Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man early Sunday morning in Penn Hills. Police said the shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Penn Towers apartment building on the 11000 block of Frankstown Road at 3:11 a.m. First responders found a man who had been...
Police investigating Hempfield, Salem road rage incident
State police are investigating an alleged road rage incident Thursday night in Hempfield and Salem townships. Police said two vehicles traveling northbound along Business Route 66 and west on Route 22 at 8:30 p.m. were spotted weaving in and out of traffic. A grey Mercedes sedan and a white Ford...
Sewickley library adapts to building closure as preparations made for move across town
Even a building closure can’t keep the Sewickley Township Public Library from its role as a community gathering place. Structural concerns last month shuttered the library and the township’s recreation center, which for decades, operated out of the former Sewickley Township High School building on Highland Avenue in Herminie. But...
Stowe arson suspect arrested in Colorado
A McKees Rocks man suspected in setting the Aug. 12, 2021 fire that destroyed a Stowe duplex and caused injuries to four firefighters was captured in Colorado this week, Allegheny County police said Saturday. Andre Quinones, 30, who had been on the run for nearly 20 months, was detained Thursday....
Mt. Pleasant Township man pleads guilty to starving dogs
A Mt. Pleasant Township man was ordered to serve up to 23 months in jail for starving three dogs at a rental home in 2020. Howard Wayne McCloy, 36, pleaded guilty this week to three felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty. Police say one adult dog and two puppies were...
Hamilton to run for Ligonier district judge seat
Cook Township attorney Mark Hamilton announced he will be a candidate for the district judge seat in Ligonier. Hamilton, 68, has worked as a lawyer for more than four decades and serves a partner with Summers, McDonnell, Hudock, Guthrie and Rauch in Pittsburgh. He also has served as solicitor for...
Lawyers seek Jeannette fire records to bolster defense in fatal arson case
A history of arson and unsolved fires in Jeannette over the last six years could be key in the defense of a man charged with setting a fatal row house blaze in 2018, resulting in the death of an 87-year-old woman. Lawyers for Brian Rendon, 38, of Jeannette said statistical...
Westmoreland ballot set with primary races for commissioner, sheriff
Westmoreland Republican Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew will have three challengers in the May 16 primary election as the field of candidates for countywide offices appears to be set. Meanwhile, Democrats will have two candidates seeking the party’s two nominations in a bid to reclaim a majority at the...
Mt. Pleasant man pleads guilty to assaults against police, jail staff
A Mt. Pleasant man was sentenced this week to serve up to 42 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges in seven cases including allegations that he assaulted police officers and staff at the Westmoreland County Prison. Joe Paul Biller, 37, has been in jail since his latest...
Bail set for North Huntingdon man accused of sexual assault
A Westmoreland County judge set a $200,000 bail on Monday for a North Huntingdon man charged with molesting a young child in 2006. Patrick. M. Winwood, 71, was arrested last week and charged with felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, criminal mischief, child endangerment and indecent...
Westmoreland County warns of potential scam involving blighted properties
People who own property near blighted structures are being warned about a potential scam to purchase parcels owned by the county land bank. Brian Lawrence, executive director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority, said county and Monessen city officials were alerted after letters were sent from a company called Ythron...
Westmoreland CASA welcomes newest volunteers
Liza Moran knows she can help. A 37-year-old software engineer from Murrysville, Moran was among five new volunteers sworn in Monday to serve as court-appointed special advocates for troubled Westmoreland County children. “I have been really blessed with support during difficult times in my life, and I thought this is...
Elections issues the focus at League of Women Voters forums
Elections will be the focus of two upcoming talks sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Westmoreland County. The Timely Topics speakers series will kick off on March 28 with a discussion about open primaries in Pennsylvania. Former state Sen. Jack Wagner will discuss efforts to amend state laws...
Greensburg’s headless ‘muffler man’ ready for his makeover
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. The hulking, 20-foot headless male figure who for the last half century has kept watch outside of a Greensburg auto repair shop...
Sewickley Township man receives prison sentence for sexual assault of teen
A Sewickley Township man was ordered to serve a 10- to 20-year prison sentence Friday for the sexual assault of a teenager in 2021. Steven Stemmler, 40, was convicted by a Westmoreland County jury last summer of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated assault, indecent assault and corruption...
Teens charged in Greensburg knife attack to be prosecuted as juveniles
Two teens charged as adults in connection with a knife attack and robbery in 2021 at Lynch Field in Greensburg will be prosecuted in juvenile court. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani, following a brief hearing on Thursday, ruled a private evaluation determined Jackson Jeffrey Martin, 18, of...
Elliott Co. grant paves way for purchase of Westmoreland Park Police dog
The Westmoreland County Park Police Department will enlist its newest police dog this summer. Officials this week announced that the county received a $12,000 grant from Elliott Co. in Jeannette to purchase a second police dog that will be trained to detect narcotics and other drugs, according to park police...
Former chief deputy sheriff launches 2nd bid for Westmoreland commissioner
A former chief deputy sheriff announced she will run a second time for Westmoreland County commissioner in this spring’s primary election. Patricia Fritz, 68, a Republican from Mt. Pleasant, finished sixth in a seven-candidate GOP field in the 2019 primary. “I know I can make a difference,” Fritz said. “I...
Belle Vernon Area community gathers to remember 6-year-old Aria Woznick
Aria Woznick would have loved the spotlight that her family, friends, teachers and classmates shined upon the 6-year-old North Belle Vernon girl Wednesday. A community in mourning gathered en masse to remember the child described as a precocious kindergartener who loved life and embraced everyone she met. “I really think...
