Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 100
November ballot to feature plenty of contested races for Westmoreland County voters
November’s general election in Westmoreland County will likely look much different than the relative calm of this month’s primary as a slate of incumbent lawmakers finally will face challenges. The county’s elections board on Wednesday precertified primary results. Barring any unexpected protests, they become official July 1. No write-in candidates...
2nd worker at Westmoreland Manor tests positive for covid-19
At least one worker at Westmoreland Manor has tested positive for the coronavirus as state-mandated testing at the county-owned nursing home started this week. Officials said the employee, who was not identified, does not provide direct care of residents at the Hempfield facility. Westmoreland Manor management “immediately implemented steps to...
Doctor’s lawsuit claims Westmoreland children’s bureau abused its power
A lawsuit that claims a Ligonier physician and his wife were harassed and threatened by child welfare caseworkers will be litigated in Westmoreland County. Court documents filed this week revealed the six-count lawsuit filed last year in Somerset County was transferred to Westmoreland, where allegations of conspiracy, negligence and abuse...
Bike blessings celebrate another rite of summerVideo
Summer may have started right on schedule this weekend, but it came as riding season stalled while the region struggled to stay safe during this spring’s pandemic. After months of delays and the easing of coronavirus-related restrictions, motorcycles are ready to hit the road. Bikers throughout the area gathered at...
Route 31 in Donegal reopened after motorcycle crash
A portion of Route 31 in Donegal Township was reopened Sunday afternoon after being closed for several hours following a collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle, according to state police in Greensburg. One person was flown to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown in critical condition following the 11:30...
4 critically injured in crash in Scott Township
Four people were seriously injured late Saturday afternoon in a crash along Noblestown Road in Scott Township. Allegheny County Police said a Ford Fiesta driven by a 47-year-old woman driving south at 4:45 p.m. on the 400 block of Noblestown Road when it crashed into stationary vehicle that was being...
Dad’s Pub and Grub closes both locations after employee contracts covid-19
The owners of Dad’s Pub and Grub restaurants announced Saturday that they have temporarily closed both locations after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus. According to a notice posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page, the owners said that locations in Monroeville and Braddock Hills as well as its food...
Jacobs Creek in Mt. Pleasant Township among waterways cleaned up in 6-state effortVideo
Mt. Pleasant brothers Ethan and Carter Mates wanted to help so they donned bright orange vests, gloves and face masks as they walked nearly two miles to collect bottles, cigarette butts, fast food wrappers and other trash left near the banks of Jacobs Creek. “We thought it was a good...
34 million criminal cases now removed from public view under Pa.’s Clean Slate law
More than 34 million criminal cases have been removed from public records under the Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate law, state court officials say. The law, the first of its kind in the United States, was implemented last June and provides for the automatic expungement of public records pertaining to low-level crimes...
Westmoreland Transit to keep fares flat despite losses during covid-19 pandemic
Westmoreland County Transit Authority fares will remain steady for the next year even as ridership continues to decline amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Authority board members Thursday approved a new $13.4 million budget that will increase spending for its fixed-route bus service and paratransit shared ride “Go Westmoreland” program, which...
Westmoreland to provide additional $4M for homeless services, housing aid
Human service agencies in Westmoreland County will receive an additional $4.1 million in federal grants to assist homeless and hungry residents struggling because of the coronavirus. County commissioners are expected to approve an amended grant program next week that allocates supplemental community development funding made available through the federal CARES...
Saltsburg man sentenced to 6-12 years in prison for selling drugs that killed Derry woman
An Indiana County man will serve up to 12 years in prison for the sale of drugs to a Derry woman who died from an overdose a day after Christmas in 2016. Dylan Blair, 24, of Saltsburg was convicted by a Westmoreland County jury in February of drug delivery resulting...
Westmoreland County extends primary election certification deadline another week
Certification of Westmoreland County’s election results from the June 2 primary will be delayed one week, officials said Wednesday. Additional time is needed to ensure every ballot cast this month has been accounted for and properly counted, a process that will require more time than initially was planned, Elections Bureau...
Hempfield school board member gets probation for DUI, plans to continue serving
Hempfield Area School Board member Michael Alfery will serve one year on probation for a drunken driving arrest last fall. Alfery, 51, was charged in October with two counts of DUI after a traffic stop, according to court records. Police said Alfery sped away from a Sheetz parking lot in...
Man sentenced for sending pornographic images to Derry Township girl
A Forest County man will serve time in jail for sending pornographic pictures of himself to a 15-year-old Derry Township girl last year. Shawn M. Negley Jr., 19, pleaded guilty to two felony offenses in connection with pictures police said he sent to the juvenile via social media. According to...
Westmoreland courts to resume jury trials in August
Jury trials in Westmoreland County will resume in August with a little help from a neighbor. The Palace Theatre in Greensburg will serve as an alternate site to host jury selection for cases assigned to some of the smaller courtrooms where social distancing cannot be accommodated, Westmoreland County Common Pleas...
Westmoreland officials planning to dole out $30 million in pandemic relief money
Westmoreland County will allocate $30 million to help local governments, small businesses and nonprofit organizations that suffered financial losses during the coronavirus pandemic. That broad spending plan constitutes a baseline of how county officials said they intend to dole out the $31.5 million grant awarded this month as part of...
Many Westmoreland taxpayers not noticing extended discount period
Many Westmoreland County residents aren’t taking advantage of this year’s extended discount period for property taxes, and it’s causing headaches for local tax collectors. Earlier this spring, the county commissioners extended the deadline for the 2% property tax discount — which usually ends in April 30 — through Aug. 31...
Westmoreland water authority mulls hunting leases near Beaver Run Reservoir
Hunters may have a new area to harvest deer in 2021. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members this week approved an update to the agency’s policy that protects its water sources, including a provision that could open up a 3,000-acre site around the Beaver Run Reservoir in Bell for...
Superior court turns away appeal from former Westmoreland sheriff
The Pennsylvania Superior Court on Wednesday quashed the appeal of former Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held, who sought the dismissal of corruption charges against him following a mistrial in 2018. A three-judge panel said it did not have jurisdiction to rule on Held’s appeal, in which the former two-term Republican...
Youngwood man accused of flag desecration will serve probation
A Youngwood man will serve a short probation term after he was charged with desecration of the U.S. flag. Matthew J. Utzman, 21, appeared in court Tuesday to answer charges associated with an incident Sept. 2 in which police said he took a small flag from a veterans monument in...
Westmoreland expects hand-counting of primary ballots to be finished soon
Hand-counting of more than 1,200 provisional primary ballots cast should be completed Wednesday, according to the Westmoreland Elections Bureau. “We expect about 75% will be counted and accepted,” director Beth Lechman said. Provisional ballots were used at the polls in the June 2 primary by voters who were not eligible...
Greensburg man gets house arrest, probation in child porn case
A Greensburg man will serve seven years on probation for possession of child pornography police said he solicited from young girls last year. Joshua Bittner, 21, pleaded guilty to eight felony counts in connection with an investigation in which two girls, ages 10 and 11, told police that a 12-year-old...
House arrest for Ligonier woman who stole jewelry from clients
Claudia Narcisi told a Westmoreland County judge on Monday she wasn’t sure what troubled her the most, the loss of irreplaceable family heirlooms or that she initially blamed another person before she learned a year later that the woman she hired to paint rooms in her Hempfield home had absconded...
West Newton police, street department closed after officer tests positive for covid-19Video
The West Newton police and street departments are shut down and employees are in quarantine after a part-time officer tested positive last week for covid-19. Mayor Mary Popovich said Monday officials don’t believe there is a widespread outbreak of the virus in West Newton but borough officials decided to close...
