Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 90
MAWC management contract extended with $5 million raise
An Allegheny County based private management company will get a $5 million raise to help run operations for the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County over the next decade. A new deal with Resource Development and Management Inc. comes five years into the company’s existing 10-year $13.8 million pact, which was...
State Senate seat winner to be determined by federal lawsuit
A pending federal lawsuit is likely to determine who represents residents in the state’s 45th Senatorial District. Incumbent Jim Brewster, a Democrat from McKeesport, currently holds a 73-vote lead over New Kensington lawyer Nicole Ziccarelli, a Republican. But a federal judge in Pittsburgh is considering a lawsuit Ziccarelli’s campaign filed...
As covid surges, Westmoreland County suspends criminal trials until February
Westmoreland County criminal and civil trials — suspended this month because of the surging number of coronavirus cases — will be halted until February. Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway signed a court order Tuesday to delay all trials until Feb. 1. Two weeks of civil trials and one...
Westmoreland County retirees awarded small raises in 2021
Westmoreland County government retirees will receive small cost-of-living raises in 2021. The county’s retirement board, which includes the three county commissioners along with Treasurer Jared Squires and Controller Jeffrey Balzer, on Tuesday unanimously approved a 0.4% benefit increase for about 1,300 retired government workers. Annual cost-of-living raises are determined using...
Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes, Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline test positive for coronavirus
Two Westmoreland County elected officials said Tuesday they tested positive for coronavirus. Sean Kertes, chairman of the county commissioners, and Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline both said they are experiencing symptoms of the virus and both are at their respective homes in isolation. “I had a 100-, 101-degree temperature and,...
East Huntingdon woman seeks dismissal of 1st-degree murder charge
An East Huntingdon woman in jail since September on charges of fatally shooting a former boyfriend claimed in court documents filed Monday there is no evidence she intended to kill her victim. Adam Gorzelsky, the lawyer for Meghan West, 24, asked a Westmoreland County judge to dismiss a first-degree murder...
Virus spreads quickly among Westmoreland County Prison inmates
A massive coronavirus outbreak at Westmoreland County Prison has seen more than 100 inmates and a number of staffers infected over the past 10 days, and officials believe additional cases are possible at the lockup in Hempfield. Interim Warden George Lawther said Monday two units are in lockdown in an...
Unity woman to seek district justice seat
A Unity woman who has worked for the last decade as a criminal justice liaison with the county’s mental health agency announced this week she will run to fill a potentially vacant district justice seat. Rebecca Salandro, 38, said she wants to serve as a judge on the local court...
New covid cases force 2 Westmoreland County courthouse offices to close
Two Westmoreland County Courthouse offices were shut down Friday as the coronavirus continues to surge. The Register of Wills Office, which processes estate documents and marriage licenses, was closed on the courthouse’s third floor along with the Public Defender’s Office on the fourth floor after staffers tested positive for the...
Westmoreland County to award additional pandemic grants
Westmoreland County will award a final round of covid-relief grants next week to small businesses, while nonprofit agencies and local volunteer fire departments will receive awards later this month. Commissioners on Thursday increased grants handed out last week to Penn and Washington townships to cover coronavirus-related costs incurred by their...
Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez again seeks dismissal of charges in teen sex case
The lawyer for former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez said 11 criminal charges related to allegations that he and a teenage girl exchanged sexually explicit text messages should be dismissed over jurisdictional issues. In court documents filed this week, defense attorney Gary Gerson said those charges related to alleged crimes...
Virus cases found at 5 Westmoreland County public housing properties
Coronavirus cases among residents in five public housing properties throughout Westmoreland County were reported over the past week. Residents in communities in Greensburg, Hempfield, Latrobe and Monessen have reported contracting the virus, confirmed Michael Washowich, executive director of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority. “It’s a trend that mirrors what has...
Westmoreland jury trials halted as virus cases mount in county
All trials scheduled for December in Westmoreland County will be postponed amid the rising number of coronavirus cases already diagnosed and the potential for a continued surge in the coming weeks. Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway said Wednesday that criminal trials slated to start next week will be...
Westmoreland courthouse offices limit visitors amid covid surge
As covid-19 cases continue to surge, Westmoreland officials said Tuesday that courthouse offices will scale back some public-facing services in an effort to mitigate the spread of infections. County Commissioner Sean Kertes said that unlike the spring, when commissioners furloughed hundreds of workers and limited most courthouse functions, there will...
O’Barto makes second run for Westmoreland prothonotary office
Republican Gina O’Barto announced this week her candidacy for what is expected to be an open seat as prothonotary in Westmoreland County. O’Barto, 57, of Unity finished second in the 2017 Republican primary for the office that has for the last 11 years been held by Christina O’Brien, a Democrat....
Court decisions loom in tied state Senate race between Brewster-Ziccarelli
Lawyers for the campaigns of Democratic incumbent state Sen. Jim Brewster and Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli continued to argue in two different courts Friday over the legality more than 400 ballots cast in two counties that will swing the outcome of the tied race for the 45th District, which straddles...
Transit authority to reopen refurbished North Huntingdon park-and-ride lot
Westmoreland County Transit Authority’s refurbished park-and-ride lot in North Huntingdon will reopen Monday. The lot, near Carpenter Lane next to a Sheetz location on Route 30, was closed since March for resurfacing and other upgrades. Transit officials said this week the $1.8 million project to pave and line the lot...
State Sen. Brewster now tied with challenger Ziccarelli in 45th District race
Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli has pulled into a tie with Democratic incumbent state Sen. Jim Brewster in the race for the 45th District seat. Ziccarelli, a New Kensington lawyer, was trailing Brewster by 28 votes late Thursday afternoon, but she made up those votes as the tally from the Westmoreland...
Supreme Court upholds death penalty in Greensburg Six torture-murder appeal
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court this week upheld the death sentence imposed against the man convicted in the 2010 torture slaying of a mentally disabled woman in Greensburg. Justices unanimously rejected the appeal from Melvin Knight of Swissvale, who claimed a Westmoreland County jury improperly sentenced him to death by lethal injection...
Provisional board member axed after call to poll watcher
Westmoreland County commissioners unanimously fired a Republican volunteer from his role as a member of the county’s provisional board for partisan activity during ballot reviews. Commissioners said Thomas Altman, 70, of Ligonier, improperly coordinated efforts with a Republican campaign poll watcher to challenge contested provisional ballots earlier this week. Altman...
Virus outbreak delays Westmoreland vote certification
Westmoreland County Commissioners said a final certification of election results won’t come until after Thanksgiving as officials continue to deal with a coronavirus outbreak among employees tasked with completing the ballot count. As of Wednesday, the outbreak that started days before the Nov. 3 election left just two full-time and...
Judge rules no merit to claims that dead twin brother was Jeannette shooter
The appeal of a Penn Hills man serving life in prison for a murder he claims was committed by his dead twin brother was rejected Tuesday by a Westmoreland County judge. Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio, in an 11-page decision, called the appeal from Darrelle Tolbert-McGhee “without merit” and...
Arnold man appeals 20-year prison sentence connected to drug overdose death
An Arnold man claims his 20-year prison sentence for the sale of drugs connected to the 2014 fatal overdose of a Lower Burrell woman is excessive. In an appeal filed Monday, the lawyer for Demetrius Houser claims prosecutors agreed to more disproportionate and lenient sentences against two co-defendants who served...
Westmoreland budget vote pushed to Nov. 24
Westmoreland commissioners on Monday postponed a vote to approve a preliminary 2021 operating budget until next week to allow county staff additional time to count remaining ballots cast in the November election. Officials said the processes to review and count ballots cast during the November election has taken longer than...
Westmoreland County rules staff errors won’t disqualify provisional ballots
Westmoreland County commissioners on Monday agreed to count dozens of provisional ballots cast at more than 30 precincts on Election Day originally classified as defective based on clerical errors made by county staff. Sitting as the county’s Elections Board, commissioners unanimously agreed to count ballots cast by voters who received...
