Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 62
Man tells Westmoreland County judge he thought he was a time traveler when he led police on high-speed chase
A Virginia Beach man told a Westmoreland County judge he believed he was a time traveler who was in desperate need to save his son from a corrupt government when he stole a car in a Hempfield shopping plaza and later led police on a high-speed 40-mile chase on the...
Westmoreland prison dog pulled from service over anxiety issues
Kira, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, has been on the job at the Westmoreland County Prison since she was a puppy. On Monday, the county’s prison board took the drug-detecting dog out of service after her handler said she is struggling with anxiety issues related to the electronics at the jail...
McFall takes helm of Westmoreland Democratic committee
Michelle McFall knows just how difficult a job she has. McFall, 53, of Murrysville was elected to lead the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee, an organization that in recent years has seen its influence in local politics erode as voter registration numbers plunge and ballot box losses mount. “We’re now the...
Funerals for Westmoreland County’s unclaimed veterans moved to larger venue
Funeral services next month for 15 veterans whose remains sat unclaimed at the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office will be relocated to Hempfield Park to accommodate a larger-than-expected crowd. Officials said there has been an “overwhelming response” from the community to attend the ceremony. Coroner Tim Carson said Friday he expects...
Hyde Park man guilty of third-degree murder in wife’s 2017 death
Jeffrey Mark Fondrk told a jury Thursday that as his wife lay unconscious on the floor of their Hyde Park home, he extracted a gate from under her body and stepped over her to pour a glass of Pepsi and did so again to sit on a sofa and watch...
Lawsuit settled in lawyer’s death at Greensburg YMCA
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family members of a local attorney who was found dead in the sauna last year at the Greensburg YMCA has been settled. According to court records, a Westmoreland County judge on June 7 approved the agreement to end the litigation that claimed the...
Westmoreland Democrats to select new leader
After weeks of delay caused by the litigation over the results of the May primary, Westmoreland County Democrats once again are set to elect a new party chairperson. Democrats are scheduled to convene tonight at Hempfield Park for their reorganization meeting to select a replacement for committee chairwoman Tara Yokopenic,...
Wecht testifies Hyde Park woman’s injuries not caused by accidental fall
Head wounds and multiple bruises on the body of Patricia Fondrk after her death were not caused by an accidental fall, forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht testified Wednesday in the murder trial of her husband, Jeffrey Mark Fondrk. The prosecution rested its case against the 59-year-old Hyde Park man, who...
Son describes family chaos in Hyde Park man’s murder trial
Chaos is the word that 24-year-old Jeffrey Dakota Fondrk used to describe his upbringing. He told a Westmoreland County jury Tuesday how he would wear headphones and seclude himself in his bedroom and play video games while his parents abused alcohol and fought and argued nearly every day. “I tried...
Judge orders house arrest, probation in Derry overdose death
A Blairsville man will serve 18 months on house arrest as part of a probation sentence imposed Monday after he pleaded guilty to providing his cousin the fentanyl used in her 2017 overdose death. Shawn Ray Jodon, 32, pleaded guilty to a charge of drug delivery resulting in death and...
Connellsville woman pleads guilty for role in fatal overdose
A Connellsville woman was ordered to serve seven years on probation for her role in the 2019 overdose death of a woman in Greensburg. Marcia Lynn Shearer, 61, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy as Westmoreland County prosecutors dismissed a more serious charge of drug delivery resulting in...
Judge says Greensburg shooting suspects exceeded expectations after posting bond
In the five years since Daishawn Stikkel and Nathan Childs were released from Westmoreland County Prison, their lives have significantly changed. Both men were charged with attempted homicide in connection with a shooting in March 2016 in Greensburg and had been behind bars for about five months before they posted...
Pittsburgh man gets up to 40 years prison for 2019 fatal Arnold shooting
Shawden L. Ross told a Westmoreland County judge Friday he understood the pain his victim’s family members experienced as he endured the same kind of loss. Ross, 36, of Pittsburgh was ordered to serve 20 to 40 years in prison for the third-degree murder of 27-year-old Lamont Simmons on April...
Westmoreland certifies final results from May primary
Westmoreland County’s election board on Friday approved a final certification of the May primary for seats on the local Republican and Democratic committees. Results from those races had been delayed as county election officials counted thousands of write-in votes cast this spring. Election officials earlier this week broke ties in...
Lease deal fills Jeannette Industrial Park
The Jeannette Industrial Park is sold out. The Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. this week approved a 5-year deal to lease a more than 50,000 square-foot space in the park to Scott Electric. “Obviously, we’re very excited to bring Jeannette Industrial Park to full occupancy,” said Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean...
Judge accused of bias in Greensburg woman’s appeal of sentence for 2010 torture slaying
The former Greensburg woman who was the first person convicted in the 2010 torture murder of a mentally disabled woman contends a Westmoreland County judge abused her discretion late last month when she imposed a prison sentence of 60 years to life. In an appeal filed Friday, Angela Marinucci, 29,...
Westmoreland commissioners walk out of public meeting after violation claim raised
Westmoreland County commissioners briefly walked out of their public meeting Thursday after an audience member accused them of violating the state’s open meeting law. The voting session was recessed for about 30 minutes to meet requirements of Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Law, which was amended by state lawmakers last year to require...
Westmoreland launches pilot program for electric vehicle chargers at county parks
Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday launched a pilot program to install an electric vehicle charging station at Twin Lakes Park with an eye toward a future expansion at three additional locations in the county. Commissioners approved a contract with Rostraver-based startup company Kilocharge LLC to place one station near the boathouse...
Westmoreland Courthouse construction project on pace for October completion
Demolition work to expose and remove the underground parking structure at the Westmoreland County Courthouse will continue through July, officials said on Wednesday. Public Works Director Greg McCloskey said the $7 million project to rebuild the two-level dilapidated garage remains on schedule and is on pace for completion in October....
Marathon session breaks Westmoreland County election ties
Lucky No. 1 was what Westmoreland election officials wanted to see. That tiny numbered ball helped to select winners in more than 300 tied races from May’s primary election. Those deadlocks were broken during a marathon session at the courthouse on Wednesday. For more than five hours elections officials drew...
Delmont man to remain in jail as judge seeks answers to mental health questions
An 82-year-old Delmont man’s mental health struggle has left him behind bars for more than two years, and a Westmoreland County judge this week said he is at a loss as to what should happen next. “I think anything would be better than him spending his last years in jail...
Dismissal of Unity man’s criminal cases upheld by state appeals court
The dismissal of three criminal cases against a Unity man named as a suspect in his former girlfriend’s disappearance has been upheld by a state appeals court. A three-judge panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed the ruling issued last year by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger,...
Westmoreland County to break election ties on Wednesday, results to be certified Friday
Westmoreland County election officials on Wednesday will break ties in the more than 300 deadlocked races in the May primary. The tie-breaking process will begin at 10 a.m. at the courthouse and be conducted through a random casting of lots. Candidates in each of the tied races will select numbered...
Westmoreland issues final certification of results for the May primary
Results from most races in last month’s primary election were certified Monday afternoon by the Westmoreland County Elections Board. County commissioners, who serve as members of the board, signed off on the final official results from the key ballot races that saw Republicans and Democrats nominate candidates for governor, U.S....
Acquitted in cop’s death, Ray Shetler eager for trial in assault case
A New Florence man previously acquitted of killing a police officer and now charged with assaults against law enforcement officials insisted in court on Monday he had no interest in delaying his upcoming trial. Ray A. Shetler Jr. 37, issued instructions to push ahead with his scheduled trial in June...
