Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 6
Paper ballots now an Election Day option for Westmoreland voters
Westmoreland County voters in November will be given the option to use paper ballots on Election Day. Republican Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew on Tuesday, acting as the county’s Election Board, authorized an optional shift to paper ballots while also saying voters can still use the touch-screen voting machine...
Defense claims police cover-up as trial begins for man charged in East Huntingdon shootout
The lawyer for an East Huntingdon man charged with the attempted murder of two state police officers told a Westmoreland County jury Monday that the case against her client is based on a police cover-up. In her opening statement to jurors, defense attorney Jill Devine claimed officers concocted evidence to...
Mt. Pleasant man pleads guilty in friend’s overdose death
A former Fayette County man pleaded guilty on Monday to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter for providing drugs to an East Huntingdon man who died of an overdose in 2020. Steven T. Shively, 36, now of Mt. Pleasant Township, was originally charged with a felony count of drug delivery...
Washington Township man sentenced for possession of ‘obscene amount’ of drugs
A Washington Township man was sentenced Friday to serve at least 4 1/2 years in prison for possession of what prosecutors described as an obscene amount of drugs discovered during a search earlier this year. Michael Stephen Sisco, 54, pleaded guilty in June to four felony counts of possession with...
Hempfield man guilty of assault against first responders
A Hempfield man was convicted Thursday of aggravated assaults against two first responders as they attempted to treat and transport him to a local hospital for a stomach ailment. Westmoreland County prosecutors said Anthony Michael Flowers, 33, spit on two emergency medical technicians, threatened additional violence and to bomb a...
Preliminary hearings ordered for retired detective facing drugs, witness intimidation charges
Criminal cases against a retired Allegheny County detective were remanded to a district court Thursday after plea negotiations faltered. Raymond W. Bonacci, 59, of Murrysville was charged last year with drug offenses in connection with allegations that in 2019 he injected his then-juvenile son with testosterone and provided him with...
Defense questions trooper’s overdose in bid to nix assault, drug charges
A Pennsylvania State Police trooper testified this week he overdosed after being exposed to fentanyl during an arrest of a Pittsburgh man last year. “I woke up in the hospital later that day and was treated for a suspected overdose,” Trooper Joshua Wiskeman said during a pretrial hearing related to...
Delmont couple accused in torture killing of adopted son, 5, to have separate trials
A Delmont couple charged with the torture killing of their adopted 5-year-old son will be prosecuted separately, a Westmoreland County judge ruled. The move sets the stage for the spouses to blame each other for the February 2023 death of Landon Maloberti, according to Lauren Maloberti’s lawyer. Lauren Maloberti, 36,...
Legal expert: Misconduct allegations lodged against DA’s office, police may be difficult to prove
Allegations of misconduct aired this week against a former Westmoreland County prosecutor and the New Kensington Police Department could be difficult to prove, according to a legal expert. Saint Vincent College law professor Bruce Antkowiak said Thursday that defense attorneys for a former Pittsburgh man not only have a high...
Westmoreland DA accused of history of misconduct during murder appeal
A former Pittsburgh man twice convicted of a 1999 murder outside a New Kensington bar claims he was the victim of a systematic effort by Westmoreland County prosecutors to subvert and hide evidence. During a hearing Tuesday, lawyers for Denard Galloway, 59, argued the county district attorney’s office withheld key...
Man admits stealing car with Lucky the dog inside, but provides no leads
Willard Martz and his dog, Lucky, were nearly inseparable. Martz, a retired Marine from Donegal Township, had cared for his late son’s dog since 2020, and they were rarely apart until last fall, his daughter told a Westmoreland County judge Monday. She addressed the court during a guilty plea hearing...
Trial date set for man charged in Unity woman’s murder
A Westmoreland County judge has set a February trial for a Unity man accused in the suspected murder of his girlfriend more than seven years ago. Cassandra Gross was last seen in April 2018, and authorities almost immediately named her boyfriend, Thomas Stanko, as a person of interest in her...
MAWC approves upgraded security at New Stanton campus
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will spend about $350,000 to upgrade security at its New Stanton headquarters. Officials announced the plan last week that includes upgraded surveillance cameras and a gate to prevent unsupervised access to the water and sewer agency’s garages and warehouse. “Over the years we’ve had...
State budget stalemate not expected to result in Westmoreland transit authority service cuts
The ongoing budget stalemate in Harrisburg will have little impact on Westmoreland County Transit Authority operations, officials said. Executive Director Alan Blahovec, during the authority’s monthly board meeting Thursday, said the agency has enough funding in place to continue its current schedule of fixed-route bus service and paratransit programs throughout...
Allegheny jail guard to serve probation for drunken driving crash in North Huntingdon
An Allegheny County Jail guard pleaded guilty this week to being drunk when he caused a violent crash three years ago in North Huntingdon, injuring another motorist. Dwight D. Edwards, 52, of Penn Township was charged following the Nov. 14, 2022, crash on Morris Avenue. Police said Edwards’ pickup truck...
Unity plumber pleads guilty to bilking homeowner
A Unity plumber was ordered to serve at least 11½ months in jail for failing to complete a sewer replacement job at a Hempfield home in 2022. Mark E. Loughran, 55, pleaded guilty to felony counts of deceptive business practices, theft and receiving advance payment for work not completed. But...
Judge orders closure of sex assault case against former Pirates pitcher
A Westmoreland County judge has ordered the closure of the criminal case that ended the Major League Baseball career of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez. Vazquez, 34, was convicted of the sexual assault of a Scottdale teenager and served about four years in prison before he was deported in...
Westmoreland launches program to assist searches for missing at-risk residents
First responders in Westmoreland County know all too well the dangers that exist for those with dementia, autism, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders who wander away from home. In the last year, nearly three dozen searches throughout the county were undertaken in response to missing person reports filed by caregivers,...
Prosecutors say threats continue following 2021 Election Day assault
An East Huntingdon man charged with a 2021 Election Day assault at a Westmoreland County voting precinct was jailed Tuesday. Prosecutors told a judge that continued threats have been made against the alleged victim and her family. Zachary Lambing, 38, of Alverton, is awaiting trial on charges of simple assault...
Staffing woes, economics threaten future of Westmoreland Manor
Westmoreland Manor has seen better days. County leaders this month issued a warning that persistent nursing shortages and a dwindling number of residents have created economic pitfalls that could endanger the facility in the years to come. The six-story nursing home in Hempfield has served Westmoreland County’s aging and disabled...
Southwest Greensburg father pleads guilty to charges related to infant’s death
A Southwest Greensburg man will serve 10 years on probation for his role in the 2023 death of his 8-month-old son. Jason Frederick Ludwig, 40, pleaded guilty Monday to a felony count of child endangerment and misdemeanor charges of obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. Police said he attempted...
Sale of Sutersville-Sewickley sewer system awaits state approval
A $3.25 million deal to sell the Sutersville-Sewickley Sewage Authority is awaiting approval from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Authority chairman Bruce Riley confirmed Friday a deal was reached this spring for Pennsylvania-American Water Co. to purchase the small system’s infrastructure and provide service to nearly 500 customers. “It needs...
Westmoreland convention center study revealed, casino area is preferred site
An $86 million hotel and conference center adjacent to Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall could infuse more than $720 million into the community in just 10 years. That was the conclusion of a six-month study commissioned by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce. Local leaders are hopeful the study...
Jeannette’s Smarto remembered for strong community ties, commitment to family
Janice Smarto made a name for herself in real estate and community service, but it was dedication to her family where she stood tall, her daughter said Wednesday. Smarto, 82, died Aug. 10 from injuries sustained in a fall two weeks earlier in her Jeannette home. “She was a spitfire...
Former county purchasing head claims public records refute theft allegations
In court documents filed Monday, the lawyer for Westmoreland County’s former purchasing director claimed that county leaders approved a transfer of the funds prosecutors contend was stolen during a yearlong payroll scheme. Kristopher Cardiff, 48, of Trafford was charged with felony theft counts in connection with allegations that he misappropriated...
