Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 20
‘Difficult August’ leaves Westmoreland juvenile detention center looking to fill job vacancies
A series of clashes among residents at Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center in August resulted in injuries to one staff member and multiple job vacancies, director Rich Gordon said. The detention center, one of two residential programs for juveniles at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield, continues to operate,...
Chicago men sentenced for Western Pa. catalytic converter theft ring
Three Chicago men were ordered Friday to serve up to 15 years in prison for operating what authorities said was one of the largest organized theft rings in Western Pennsylvania as they stole catalytic converters from parked vehicles in Westmoreland, Allegheny and Fayette counties. “These three individuals terrorized the Western...
Judge rules young boy’s statements admissible in grandfather’s assault trial
Statements made by a 3-year-old boy who claimed he was assaulted by his grandfather two years ago in Vandergrift can be used in the court case against the grandfather, a judge ruled Thursday. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio rejected a defense bid to end the case against Timothy...
Westmoreland commissioners say no ballot curing allowed for November election
Westmoreland commissioners Wednesday said county voters will not be offered an opportunity to correct flaws that might cause their mail-in ballot to be disqualified. Ballot curing — or the process that allows elections officials to contact voters to correct ballot errors such as missing dates and signatures — will not...
Westmoreland County makes changes to some polling locations; addresses accessibility
Westmoreland County officials announced in September all 306 voting precincts for the Nov. 5 presidential election will be accessible to disabled voters. The county’s election board approved location changes for 10 precincts, including eight that were not in compliance with with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. “We are 100% ADA-compliant,”...
Probation ordered for suspects in Hempfield casino scam
Two out-of-town gamblers charged last month with cheating at Live Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield were sentenced Wednesday to serve two years on probation. Police said Bahri Sahpolat, 47, of California, and Serdar Ozmen, 44, of Maryland, marked playing cards at a Mississippi stud poker table as part of a scheme...
Former high school teacher pleads guilty to possession of child porn
A former Indiana County high school teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of child pornography. Charles Kirkland, 33, of Derry Township, was arrested in late 2022 after a state police investigation revealed he downloaded as many as nine pornographic images of children on his home computer. Kirkland pleaded guilty to...
Man charged in suspected Rostraver road rage killing rejects plea deal
A Belle Vernon man awaiting trial for the alleged road rage killing of a motorist two years ago in Rostraver has rejected a plea deal to a lesser charge. During a pretrial hearing Tuesday, prosecutors confirmed they proposed a deal that called for Anthony Hairston, 29, to serve 25 to...
Judge grants leniency for key witness in New Kensington killing
A Pittsburgh man who testified during a criminal trial last year against three co-defendants charged with killing a New Kensington man was granted leniency Tuesday by a Westmoreland County judge. “You are going to get a second chance because of those two people,” said Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani...
Former Westmoreland caseworker claims he was fired because of disability
A New Stanton man who worked for one month as a caseworker for the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau claims he was fired earlier this year because he was disabled. In a two-count lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, Sean Lally contends he was discriminated against by...
DA confirms 1993 fatal Jeannette fire cause as undetermined, but says murder, arson convictions should stand
Westmoreland County prosecutors told a judge on Monday an expert hired to review the evidence used to convict a Jeannette man of intentionally setting a deadly fire in 1993 cannot conclude the blaze was arson. James Young, 57, is serving three life sentences after he was convicted of setting fire...
Pecarchik sworn in to lead Register of Wills Office in Westmoreland County
Katie Pecarchik says she knows how the Register of Wills Office is supposed to run. Pecarchik worked for two decades as a clerk in the office before she retired last summer. The office records adoptions, files wills and estates and issues marriage licenses. She now has the title of acting...
Westmoreland County seeks $1.5M share of Pa. casino revenue
Westmoreland County commissioners want a bigger piece of the state’s gambling profits. Commissioners submitted an application for $1.5 million in funding through the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The money is collected through assessments on slot machines and table games at Pennsylvania’s casinos, including Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield....
Westmoreland County waives residency requirement for government workers
Westmoreland County commissioners waived for one year a residency requirement Thursday for all government employees, and officials suggested the change could become permanent. A policy was enacted decades ago to ensure that employees at the courthouse and other county facilities were county residents. It was previously waived for certain essential...
Westmoreland County fires purchasing managers after payroll irregularities discovered
Westmoreland County commissioners fired the director and assistant director of the county’s purchasing department Thursday over alleged payroll irregularities. Authorities suspended Purchasing Director Kristopher Cardiff and his deputy, Kristen Coyne, on Aug. 15 after allegations surfaced that they approved — without authorization — additional pay for themselves and the department’s...
Jury acquits woman in alleged Scottdale vehicular assault
Nicole Louise Moore doubled over and let out a cry of joy as a Westmoreland County jury acquitted her Wednesday of allegations that she drove over and severely injured a woman two years ago in a Scottdale parking lot. Following two days of testimony and more than two hours of...
Neighbors, hotel owners spar over planned event venue in Ligonier
A fight is brewing in Ligonier between the future and the past. Owners of the historic Thistledown at Seger House, just two blocks from the Diamond, received a building permit to erect a 2,000-square-foot pavilion that its owner says will host large events and bring new visitors to the borough....
Former friends testify in Scottdale vehicular assault trial
Nicole Moore and Tiara Stout and their children once vacationed together in Virginia Beach. A year later, Moore was in jail, charged with running down Stout with her car outside a Scottdale apartment building. Both women testified Tuesday during the second day of Moore’s trial in Westmoreland County. Moore is...
Buyers eye deals at Westmoreland County’s tax sale
Mellissa Gardina wants to move out of her Vandergrift neighborhood. She was looking for a deal and over the summer found her potential new home in nearby Oklahoma Borough, not through a real estate listing but in a booklet of Westmoreland County’s tax delinquent properties that the county publishes each...
Mt. Pleasant woman claims self defense in 2022 Scottdale hit and run
A prosecutor told a jury Monday there is no reasonable way to explain why a Mt. Pleasant woman ran over another woman two years ago outside of a Scottdale apartment building. Nicole Louise Moore, 28, is accused of aggravated assault, hit and run, and other offenses in connection with an...
Food, music highlight Latrobe Italian Festival
Lucy and Terry Lappi certainly didn’t have to worry about stopping for a bite to eat Sunday afternoon on their way back home to Somerset. The Lappis were among those drawn to this weekend’s third annual Latrobe Italian Festival, where more than 50 merchants and food vendors lined the streets...
Woman dies in Carrick house fire
A 72-year-old woman rescued from a house fire late Saturday night in Carrick has died, police said. Officials said Pittsburgh city fire crews responded to a residential structure fire in the 100 block of Minooka Street, where a 72-year-old woman was found on the first floor of the home. Medics...
Bushy Run Battlefield reopens after June tornado
Anna Watson couldn’t wait to return to the walking trails at Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township. “We didn’t realize how much damage it did,” said Watson, 33, of Sewickley of the June 26 tornado that cased what officials estimated to be about $1 million in damage to the historic...
Red sand used to bring awareness to human trafficking in Westmoreland County
For Sister Mary Norbert Long, the red sand being spread on sidewalks in Greensburg represents a mission to ensure that the issue of human trafficking is one that remains on the front burner. Long, 85, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill and a member of Westmoreland...
Trump set to return to Westmoreland County
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to return to Southwestern Pennsylvania this month to speak at an event in Westmoreland County. On Saturday, the Trump campaign announced Trump will address The Projecting America Initiative, a nonprofit group led by former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grennel. The group says it...
