LAWRENCE COUNTY District attorney reorganizes

The overall number of assistant district attorneys will decrease this year.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- An increase in federal funding will allow the Lawrence County district attorney's office to have nearly all full-time prosecutors.
District Attorney Matthew Mangino said he recently reorganized his office in an effort to become more efficient.
"I am excited about the makeup of the office and the potential for more effective case management," he said.
The changes have resulted in salary increases for all prosecutors.
But there will be an overall decrease in the district attorney's budget because of federal grants received and fewer staff members, he said.
The district attorney said there will be five full-time prosecutors, up from three, but the overall number of prosecutors will decrease from nine to seven.
Joanne Weber, Michael Bonner and Shawn Sensky, all part-time assistant district attorneys, left the office to dedicate more time to their private law practices, he said.
Who stayed: Thomas Minett will remain on staff as the only part-time assistant district attorney. He is responsible for prosecuting homicides and other violent crimes and will be paid $32,000 per year.
Other prosecutors who were already on staff, some working part time, will work full time, which is a minimum of 35 hours per week, Mangino said.
They are John Bongivengo, $40,500 per year; Thomas Bashara, $40,500 per year; Diane Demeter, $42,500 per year; and Robert Barletta, $44,500 per year.
Birgitta C. Tolvenan also recently joined the staff as a full-time assistant district attorney. She received her law degree from Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio, and her undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Her yearly salary is $40,500.
Mangino said Richard Presnar was promoted from assistant county detective to chief county detective. Presnar's salary is $22,787.
Randall Russo, a former Shenango Township police officer, was hired as the assistant county detective at $21,148 a year.