Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 103
Irwin man sentenced to jail after being found with almost 30 pounds of marijuana
Saying he was a danger to the community, a Westmoreland County judge on Monday ordered an Irwin drug dealer to serve at least six months in jail for possession of nearly 30 pounds of marijuana. Zachary Morton, 33, was sentenced to serve up 23 months behind bars and an additional...
Westmoreland swamped with mail-in ballots
The action on primary day won’t just be at the polls. Westmoreland County elections officials on Tuesday morning will start counting what could be more than 40,000 mail-in ballots sent in advance of the primary. Republican and Democratic voters will nominate candidates for U.S. president, Congress, state attorney general, auditor...
Westmoreland to get millions through the CARES Act, but it won’t be enough
Westmoreland County expects to receive $31.5 million in federal funding for coronavirus relief efforts, but local officials said the cash won’t help ease a budget crunch exasperated by costs associated with the pandemic. The grant money is part of a $625 million allocation through the state from money received via...
Pandemic primary features no contested races in Westmoreland, but record mail-in ballotsVideo
More than 30,000 votes have already been cast in Westmoreland County ahead of Tuesday’s primary, where there are few contested races for more than a dozen state and federal offices. What was once anticipated to be a significant day for politics because of a contentious Democratic presidential primary has since...
Westmoreland leaders pleased to move to green phase next week
County leaders expressed relief Friday to learn Westmoreland soon will move into the green phase of the state’s coronavirus reopening plan. Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that Westmoreland is one of 16 additional counties in the region, including Allegheny, that will move from the yellow to green phase June 5....
Sewickley Township man accused of sexual abuse is denied bail
A Sewickley Township man will remain in jail as he awaits trial on charges that he repeatedly molested a young girl. David Lee Hresko, 33, was charged last year with felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, child endangerment and corruption of...
Westmoreland County still needs poll workers for Tuesday’s primary election
With five days left before the June 2 presidential primary, Westmoreland County still needs to fill poll worker jobs at dozens of precincts. County officials last week announced it needed to fill as many as 100 jobs at the polls. While many of those positions have since been filled, vacancies...
Suspended Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez also faces child porn charges in St. Louis
St. Louis authorities on Thursday confirmed that suspended Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez is charged with sending pornographic pictures of himself to a minor last summer. Documents provided by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said Vazquez was charged in February with one count of furnishing pornographic materials to a...
Westmoreland County recalling furloughed workers
Nearly half of the 475 Westmoreland County government employees furloughed in early April will be recalled to work by mid-June, officials said while making plans to increase courthouse office staff while meeting social distancing guidelines. “We hope everybody is back sometime in June,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said Wednesday. Furloughs came...
Most serious charge dismissed against Leechburg man accused of shooting girlfriend
A Leechburg man was found not guilty of aggravated assault on Wednesday after he was accused of shooting his girlfriend in the face during a drunken attempt to play Russian roulette. Roy Edward Berry Jr., 50, was convicted in a nonjury trial before Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan...
Judge rejects Scottdale man’s appeal in Mother’s Day crash
A judge on Tuesday rejected the appeal of a Scottdale man convicted after severely injuring two parents and their two young children as the family drove to church on Mother’s Day in 2016. Matthew Murphy, 29, asked that his conviction on assault and other offenses be overturned. Murphy claimed there...
Westmoreland Transit gets $7M in federal money to cover pandemic losses
Westmoreland County’s Transit Authority received $7.2 million in federal bailout money, an award officials say will enable the public transportation agency to continue operating its full schedule for the next several years even as other revenues erode because of the coronavirus pandemic. The federal money comes at a time where...
Allegheny, Westmoreland courts prepping for safe return to more normal schedules
The ornate courtroom occupied by Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani has for decades been a frequent tour stop for visitors at the century-old courthouse building in Greensburg. Ornate plaster, colorful paintings on the ceiling and dark wood moldings now have new company in the age of the coronavirus pandemic —...
Allegheny, Westmoreland labor unions ready to get back to work — safely
Labor leaders in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties have similar desires: to get their members back to work in safe environments. Their message to public officials is where they diverge. The Greater Westmoreland County Labor Council this week publicly backed county commissioners and local state lawmakers who previously called on Gov....
New lawyer for Arnold man appeals conviction for 2015 murder
An Arnold man serving a life prison sentence for the fatal shooting of a family friend more than four years ago now contends his trial lawyer’s continued misrepresentation of his age to jurors warrants a new trial. In an appeal filed Thursday, Erik Lamont Reed Jr., now 23, contends his...
Westmoreland County in dire need of poll workers for June primary
Westmoreland County elections officials said more than 100 staffers still are needed to work at the polls for the June 2 primary. Elections Bureau Deputy Director Scott Sistek said the county in recent days lost dozens of poll workers and hasn’t been able to hire enough staff to fully staff...
In wake of coronavirus, Excela’s ink runs from black to red with nearly $36 million in losses
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the current title of Excela Health CEO John Sphon. Until early March, the financial turnaround that Excela Health officials had been expecting for the past year was in full swing. Just two months later, a nearly $3 million profit has turned...
Pair plead guilty to drug charges stemming from Salem traffic stop
Two Allegheny County residents pleaded guilty to conspiracy, drug and other charges in connection with their September 2018 arrest in Salem Township. Police said Joseph J. Baughman, 38, of Green Tree, and Samantina Maria Perri, 31, of Crafton, were passengers in a car that was stopped for a traffic violation...
Westmoreland County aims for safe in-person voting June 2Video
Westmoreland County Elections Bureau Deputy Director Scott Sistek said additional measures will be implemented at each of the county’s 307 voting precincts to ensure a safe environment for poll workers and voters during the June 2 primary. Poll workers will wear masks in the precincts and, while voters will not...
Westmoreland prison guard fired amid inmate assault investigation
A Westmoreland County Prison guard was fired Monday, less than a month after the launch of an investigation into allegations that an inmate was assaulted by staff at the jail. Warden John Walton declined to reveal details that led to the firing. Sheriff James Albert, who serves as a member...
Bipartisan request to loosen restrictions in Westmoreland County sent to Gov. Wolf
Westmoreland County’s top elected officials are pleased with having been moved into the yellow phase of coronavirus reopening. They would just prefer a more robust shade. In a letter sent to Gov. Tom Wolf, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers and county commissioners asked for an enhanced designation that would...
Westmoreland jail benefits financially through pandemic slowdown
Although the coronavirus has not impacted the Westmoreland County Prison like some other jails, the pandemic has improved the facility’s bottom line, officials said. The virus considerably lowered the inmate count at the Hempfield lockup, which in turn has led to savings of more than $18,000 in medical expenses this...
Westmoreland waiting on Gov. Wolf’s reopen orders before changing election precincts
Some voting precincts in Westmoreland County might have to be consolidated should the state’s stay-at-home order remain in place for the June 2 primary, the county’s elections bureau director said. County officials will look to relocate or consolidate precincts slated for local school buildings, churches and senior living centers if...
Former South Greensburg secretary denied early release from jail
South Greensburg’s former borough secretary will remain in jail after a judge on Wednesday rejected his request for an early parole. Dennis Lee Kunkle Jr., 56, sought his release from the Westmoreland County Prison more than a year before the end of his nearly two-year sentence for stealing money from...
Westmoreland officials planning for when state eases restrictions
Westmoreland County officials said they don’t know when Gov. Tom Wolf will lift the state’s stay-at-home order for the county but planning is under way for what the anticipated reopening will look like. “We’ve been told by the governor’s office that Westmoreland County (government) can reopen anytime,” Commissioner Chairman Sean...
