Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 77
Guilty plea deal rejected in 2018 Jeannette murder and arson case
A Jeannette man charged with murder and arson in connection with a deadly fire in 2018 that killed one person and injured another rejected a proposed plea bargain that would have spared him from a life prison sentence. Brian Rendon would not accept a deal to plead guilty to a...
Ballot error costly as Westmoreland officials scramble to fix 11th-hour mistake
Westmoreland County paid more than $8,100 for postage to correct errors that appeared on 151 mail-in and absentee ballots sent out to voters in two Mt. Pleasant Borough precincts. Officials on Monday confirmed the ballots erroneously instructed voters to choose one of two candidates seeking council seats in the borough’s...
Voter turnout projected to hit 30% in Westmoreland County
More than 200,000 Westmoreland County voters — or more than 80% of those registered — cast ballots during last fall’s Presidential Election. A year later, turnout for Tuesday’s election is expected to be just a fraction of that, election officials said. “We’re saying it will be be around 30%,” said...
No director, no problem: Westmoreland makes final election preparations
Westmoreland is one of five counties in Pennsylvania without a permanent election director heading into Tuesday’s balloting, but local officials insist operations have never run better. With days before voters head to the polls Tuesday and results are tallied, the fury and confusion that plagued the county election bureau a...
Westmoreland prothonotary announces extended hours for passports
The Westmoreland County Courthouse office that processes U.S. passport applications will have extended hours one day a week, officials announced. Beginning Nov. 4, the fifth floor Prothonotary Office at the courthouse will be open two additional hours every Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. to process passports. It’s a...
Westmoreland commissioners told to ‘do the right thing’ with covid relief money
Westmoreland County residents have a big shopping list for federal coronavirus relief funds but one unified message: “Do the right thing.” That was the common refrain from the dozens who testified Thursday during two public hearings held at Westmoreland County Community College about how county leaders should spend $105 million...
Westmoreland commissioners told to ‘do the right thing’ with covid relief money
Westmoreland County residents have a big shopping list for federal coronavirus relief funds but one unified message: “Do the right thing.” That was the common refrain from the dozens who testified Thursday during two public hearings held at Westmoreland County Community College about how county leaders should spend $105 million...
Hammers appointed to serve as Derry district judge
The Pennsylvania Senate on Wednesday unanimously confirmed Kelly Tua Hammers to fill the remaining two months in the term of Derry Magisterial District Judge Mark Bilik, who retired in August. Hammers, 49, a Democrat from Derry, won both the Democratic and Republican primaries in May and is unopposed on the...
Defense seeks 2nd ballistics expert for Loyalhanna triple murder case appeal
A second expert will be sought to review ballistics as part of an appeal to be filed for a former Indiana County man on death row for the killing of his mother, sister and elderly aunt in 2009 at a family-owned automotive glass repair shop in Loyalhanna. Westmoreland County Common...
Westmoreland leaders set to hear from public about how to spend covid relief money
Westmoreland commissioners will conduct two public sessions Thursday to hear recommendations as to how the county should spend $105 million in federal funds allocated for coronavirus recovery programs. “We just want to hear from residents who have opinions and what thoughts they have,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. Both sessions will...
Greensburg’s Town Clock on time, but now silent
For years the clock that sits in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse offered the correct time just twice a day. The four-sided timepiece has sat at the edge of Courthouse Square for three decades, having been donated to the city in 1991 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the...
Vandergrift man claims police interrogation was improper, seeks dismissal of charges
A Vandergrift man accused in the attempted rape of an Allegheny Township woman in May claims he was improperly questioned by police when he told them he acted to fulfill his accuser’s “rape fantasy.” Defense attorney Duke George, during a court hearing on Tuesday, argued his client, James Randall DeFilippi,...
Greensburg woman’s appeal rejected in drug delivery resulting in death case
A Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday rejected an appeal from a Greensburg woman who was sentenced to serve a 14-year prison term for the sale of heroin that caused the fatal overdose of a woman last year. Jamie Lynn Dickant, 35, sought to rescind her guilty plea and contended she...
Westmoreland jail moves to in-house covid-19 shots
Covid-19 vaccinations will soon be administered in-house to inmates at Westmoreland County Prison. Warden Bryan Kline said Monday that the jail’s medical provider has been granted permission to administer shots, a move local officials hope will increase the vaccination rate at the Hempfield lockup. “Vaccinations will be offered to all...
Tablets for all at Westmoreland County Prison
Every inmate at Westmoreland County Prison will have access to new tablets on which they can conduct video visits, make calls or watch movies. Westmoreland Commissioners on Monday approved a new contract extension with the private company that provides communication services to the jail that officials said will generate more...
Former Jeannette man returns to court to appeal conviction for house fire that killed wife, sons
A former Jeannette man serving three consecutive life sentences in connection with the 1993 deaths of his wife and two young children in a house fire appeared Monday in a Westmoreland County courtroom as part of his ongoing appeal. James C. Young, 54, has maintained since his 1995 trial that...
Peck seeks to fight off Ziccarelli challenge in Westmoreland district attorney race
For the first time in a quarter century, Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck has a race on his hands. Republican Nicole Ziccarelli, fresh off a razor-thin defeat in a bid for state Senate last fall, insists it’s time to change leadership in the county prosecutor’s office. “I respect the...
Acting office holder, coach face off in rookie campaigns for Westmoreland Clerk of Courts
Megan Loughner was on a different career path in 2010 when she went to work for Bryan Kline, the newly elected Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts. Loughner was 24 with aspirations to work as an intelligence officer. She was awaiting a final job offer with the U.S. Department of Justice...
Westmoreland district attorney race sees challenger Ziccarelli outspend Peck 9-to-1
Nicole Ziccarelli, the Republican candidate with designs on unseating six-term Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck, holds a substantial edge in campaign fundraising and spending heading into the Nov. 2 election. The lastest campaign finance reports, filed Friday, show Ziccarelli since June has spent more than $141,000 — an amount...
Monessen man to serve 10 to 20 years in prison for rape of a child
A Monessen man will serve up to 20 years in prison for the rape of a preteen. Quentin Timothy Simpson, 24, pleaded guilty Friday to charges of rape, indecent assault and other offenses in connection with a sexual assault last year. According to court records, police said Simpson showed pornographic...
Covid-19 vaccinations lag at Westmoreland County Transit Authority
Covid-19 vaccinations among Westmoreland County Transit Authority drivers, mechanics and administrative staff continue to lag. Executive Director Alan Blahovec said just 57% of the agency’s nearly 140-person workforce has been vaccinated and little progress to increase that number is expected in the coming months. “The noes we’ve gotten are pretty...
Quality assurance manager hired for Westmoreland elections, pay is $80K
Westmoreland County will pay $80,000 a year to the man hired to serve as the quality assurance manager for the election bureau. Commissioners created the position this year to serve as a backstop for potential problems in the department that oversees elections. This week, the commissioners — acting as the...
Pandemic bonuses approved for Westmoreland Manor staff
Nurses, administrators and support staff at Westmoreland Manor will receive bonuses for their work over the last 20 months during the coronavirus pandemic. County commissioners on Thursday voted to divert about $670,000 of the $1.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds awarded directly to the county-owned nursing home this...
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County pays fine for fish kill in Dunbar Creek
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has agreed to pay a $5,000 fine for its role in an incident last month that killed about 1,500 fish in Dunbar Creek, Fayette County. A water line break on Sept. 11 near Connellsville triggered the incident. The authority sells water to more than...
Poll workers needed in Westmoreland County for Nov. 2 election
Poll workers are needed for the Nov. 2 election in Westmoreland County. Officials said at least three judges of elections and 10 poll worker vacancies remain less than two weeks before the general election. Judges are needed to oversee polling locations in Arnold, Derry and New Kensington, while poll workers...
