Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 63
Greensburg man found guilty of child rape
Prosecutors said a Greensburg man faces up to 372 years in prison after he was convicted Friday of the rape of a 5-year-old child and recording videos he took of a woman engaged in sex acts with the boy. Westmoreland County jurors deliberated just more than two hours before returning...
Allegheny Township man’s ‘reign of terror’ ends with rape, sexual assault convictions
Jurors on Friday found an Allegheny Township man guilty of four rapes and the sexual assaults of two other woman in crimes prosecutors said dated back to the early 2000s. Eric Wright, 50, could receive up to 100 years in prison for the rape offenses, according to Westmoreland County District...
Attorney: Prescription drugs, marijuana led Vandergrift woman to kill cousin
The lawyer for a Vandergrift woman told a Westmoreland County jury Thursday that marijuana, combined with medications she takes for ongoing mental health issues, left her unable to form an intent to kill her cousin nearly four years ago. “She was suffering from an altered state of consciousnesses,” defense attorney...
Closing arguments expected in retrial of Allegheny Township man accused of 6 rapes
The Allegheny Township man who prosecutors say raped and sexually assaulted six women dating back to the early 2000s told a Westmoreland County jury Thursday he is not guilty of the allegations. Eric Wright, 50, testified during the third day of his trial . He denied having any improper sexual...
Trial for Vandergrift woman accused in killing of Greensburg cousin to begin Thursday
Testimony in the murder trial of a Vandergrift woman accused in the 2018 shooting death of her cousin is expected to begin Thursday morning. A jury was seated Wednesday in Westmoreland County to hear evidence in the case against Ashley Croft. Prosecutors claim Croft, 38, shot and killed her 31-year-old...
Greensburg woman testifies former boyfriend recorded video of sex acts with young child
A Greensburg woman testified Wednesday both she and her former boyfriend had sexual relations with a 5-year-old boy and recorded a video of at least one of the sessions. That testimony came during the first day in the rape trial of Charles Jason Hunter, who police claim participated in sexual...
First of 6 accusers testifies as rape trial of Allegheny Township man begins
A Westmoreland County prosecutor on Tuesday told jurors the case against an Allegheny Township man charged with rape and sexual assault based on allegations from six accusers was “messy.” “This is a case of a sexual predator who hid in secret for more than a decade who was brought down...
Torrance patient pleads guilty to aggravated indecent assault, gets prison time
A longtime resident at Torrance State Hospital told police he raped a fellow patient last year as a means to leave the Derry Township facility, where he has lived since 2010. His plan succeeded, in part, this week after a Westmoreland County judge ordered Keith L. Saltonstall to serve up...
Unity couple’s retrial delayed over dispute with lawyer
A retrial of a Unity couple convicted in 2018 was delayed after one of the defense lawyers withdrew from the case. Jury selection was to begin Monday in the case against Bruce Palmer, 37, and wife, Marie Ann Farabaugh Palmer, 43, whose convictions were later overturned. Prosecutors claim Bruce Palmer...
Derry Township man pleads guilty in 2018 crash that injured motorcyclist
A Derry Township man pleaded guilty Monday to being under the influence of marijuana and causing a crash that severely injured a motorcyclist more than three years ago. Orrin W. Burbank, 42, was charged last summer with aggravated assault with a vehicle and driving under the influence in connection with...
Jury seated in retrial of Allegheny Township man accused of multiple rapes
A Westmoreland County jury was seated Monday to hear evidence in the retrial of an Allegheny Township man accused of the rape and sexual assault of six women. Prosecutors claim Eric Wright, 50, was a serial rapist who committed crimes for nearly two decades. Originally charged with more than 50...
Grow Westmoreland, nonprofit started by Commissioner Kertes, seeks scholarship applications
A North Huntingdon-based nonprofit announced it will award $16,000 in scholarships to students seeking nursing degrees and skilled labor jobs. Grow Westmoreland, an organization created last year by Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes, said it raised private donations that will be used to award scholarships to local students between the...
High-tech manufacturer expands presence at Westmoreland County industrial park
Fossil Industries, a high-tech manufacturing company, plans to more than double its footprint in Westmoreland County. The company — which builds barbecue grills, fireplace components, aftermarket automotive parts and supplies the military — said it plans to build a new 52,000-square-foot facility at the Westmoreland Technology Park II, which is...
Westmoreland commissioner defends rehiring of juvenile detention center director
Westmoreland Commissioner Doug Chew this week defended the decision to rehire the county’s former juvenile detention center director. Commissioners announced Wednesday the county rehired Rich Gordon, who ran the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield between 2013 and 2015 before leaving for a job in Allegheny County and eventually serving...
Westmoreland commissioners settle federal lawsuit filed by jail nurse
Westmoreland County commissioners have agreed to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit filed by a former nurse at the county jail. Commissioners unanimously approved a $8,500 payout to Sophie Puskar, who sued the county and Wexford Health Sources, the private medical provider at Westmoreland County Prison. Puskar contended she was sexually...
Westmoreland County hires back former Shuman Juvenile Detention Center director
Westmoreland commissioners rehired the man who ran the county’s juvenile detention center nearly a decade ago before he took the helm of the of the now-shuttered Shuman Juvenile Detention Center in Pittsburgh. His new salary will pay him 64% more than the woman he is replacing. Rich Gordon served as...
Jeannette Manor residents demand county commissioners help correct bug, mold issues
More than a half-dozen Jeannette Manor residents appeared at the Westmoreland County commissioners’ public meeting Wednesday to ask for help with what they claim is an ongoing insect and mold infestation in their building. Residents claim they have yet to receive any acknowledgement from the Westmoreland County Housing Authority —...
Probation ordered for Norwin Middle School musical volunteer
A Greensburg man convicted earlier this year of failing to disclose a prior conviction before volunteering at a middle school musical production was ordered Tuesday to serve one year on probation. After a trial in January, Brad Geyer, 40, was convicted of one misdemeanor count of not complying with the...
Westmoreland’s plan for $105 million in covid relief funds remains elusive
Nearly a year after Westmoreland County received the first half of its $105 million coronavirus relief fund allocation, there is still no consensus on how that money should be spent. Commissioners said Monday that internal discussions are continuing in an effort to craft a comprehensive blueprint to use the funds. And,...
Westmoreland museum’s ‘Windframe’ one of a kind
Editor’s note ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com The 14-foot-high art piece affixed to the west wing of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg always is changing. “Windframe,”...
4th lawsuit filed against Westmoreland County over Giant Slide
A New York woman claims she was injured on the Giant Slide at Westmoreland County’s Mammoth Park when she stopped by for a ride in July 2020. Nicole Freiburger of Lockport, N.Y., near Buffalo, suffered substantial foot and leg injuries as a result of riding the 100-foot steel racing slide...
Who pays? Experts discuss what comes next after $19 million swimming pool verdict
A month after a jury awarded the largest judgment ever assessed in a Westmoreland County civil trial, questions remain about just who will pay the $19 million verdict rendered last month against Washington Township homeowners over life-changing injuries sustained when a family friend dove onto a raft in their swimming...
Scottdale man’s appeal of child rape conviction rejected
A Pennsylvania appeals court on Monday upheld the 20- to 40-year prison sentence imposed last year for a Scottdale man who was convicted of the repeated rapes of a 4-year-old girl. A three-judge panel of the state’s Superior Court rejected claims made by Dylan Chiaramonte, 29, who said jurors were...
Tired of tires, scout troop cleans up woods in North Huntingdon
Ryan Zaya has seen too many tires and too much trash strewn on the side of local roads. So, he and his fellow members of Boy Scout Troop 284 in Irwin took action Sunday afternoon. Zaya, 16, an 11th grader at Hempfield Area High School, along with five fellow scouts...
Body found near Ohio River in Pittsburgh
A body was discovered late Saturday afternoon near the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, police said. River Rescue, Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Services and police responded to Doerr Street in the city’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood around 5:30 p.m. and were directed by a kayaker to an area near the river where the body...
