Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 101
Westmoreland government offices reopen Monday
Most Westmoreland County government offices reopen to the public today. Many restrictions enacted in late March to help control the coronavirus pandemic will be lifted to allow more government functions to operate as normal while still adhering to safety guidelines such as social distancing among staff and courthouse visitors. “Our...
Greensburg man guilty of assaulting Westmoreland prison guards
A Greensburg man will serve up to three years in prison for assaulting three guards and threatening another at the Westmoreland County Prison in 2018. Esteban Sosa, 38, pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault as well as one charge of making terroristic threats...
Longtime Westmoreland Judge Gilfert Mihalich dies at age 93
Gilfert Mihalich served as a Westmoreland County judge for more than three decades, but one case earned him a national cable audience through a 1992 appearance with CNN host Larry King. During that interview, Mihalich discussed the controversial 60-year prison sentence he imposed against a father convicted of repeatedly raping...
Westmoreland officials look to improve election process as last mail-in ballots are counted
As the counting of absentee primary ballots continued Wednesday, Westmoreland County officials said a plan to improve the speed of reporting election results is a top priority before the November general election. More than 40,000 mail-in ballots were received this spring for an election with no contested races during a...
Final election results in Westmoreland delayed as mail-in ballot count continuesVideo
Election night victory parties now might have to be multiday affairs. Final results of votes cast during Tuesday’s primary in Westmoreland County won’t be available for several days as the elections bureau adjusts to a new time-consuming process of counting tens of thousands of mail-in votes. “We don’t expect final...
Forged prescription lands Jeannette woman in jail
A Jeannette woman will serve up to nine years in prison for a failed attempt to fill a forged prescription last year at a New Kensington pharmacy. Erica Eisaman, 39, pleaded guilty in February to a felony charge of forging a prescription for 90 hydrocodone pills, prosecutors said. She also...
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...
