THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
BLAIR COUNTY BRUSH FIRE

FIRE SCORCHED 2 ACRES OF LAND IN WILLIAMSBURG, BLAIR COUNTY, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. FIREFIGHTERS SAY A PROPERTY OWNER ON BUFFALO RUN ROAD WAS BURNING BRUSH AND THE BLAZE GOT OUT OF CONTROL…DESTROYING A NEARBY SHED ALONG WITH SOME TOOLS AND FURNITURE.
WILLIAMSBURG ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF STEVE LANE SAYS FOLKS SHOULD NOT BURN IF THEY DON’T REALLY NEED TO.

WOMAN KILLED IN ACCIDENT

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, 83-YEAR-OLD DOROTHY HOWARD OF BOSWELL DIED WEDNESDAY MORNING WHEN SHE PULLED HER SMALL CAR INTO THE PATH OF A COAL TRUCK AT THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTES 219 AND 30 IN QUEMAHONING TOWNSHIP. HOWARD WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT.

WANTED MAN FOUND IN ALTOONA

ALTOONA POLICE ARRESTED A WANTED SEX OFFENDER FROM OHIO YESTERDAY AFTER GETTING A TIP FROM A MAN WHO SAW THE SUSPECT’S PICTURE ON THE MEGAN’S LAW WEBSITE. POLICE DISCOVERED THAT 29 YEAR OLD MATTHEW FRIES WAS LISTED AS A VIOLENT SEXUAL PREDATOR …CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS… AND AN ESCAPE RISK. OFFICERS FOUND HIM AT AN APARTMENT AT 11-01 14TH AVENUE. FRIES WILL BE EXTRADITED.

SUSPECT CHARGED WITH RAPING BABY

STATE POLICE IN SOMERSET COUNTY HAVE CHARGED 38 YEAR OLD RODNEY THOMAS OF ELK LICK TOWNSHIP WITH RAPING A 9-MONTH OLD BABY AT LEAST 3 TIMES OVER THE PAST MONTH. TROOPERS ALSO SAY THOMAS HAD “SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS” WITH A “PET DOG WHICH LED TO THE ANIMAL’S DEATH.” THOMAS IS JAILED ON 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS BOND

DRUG ARREST IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY

HUNTINGDON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY GEORGE ZANIC HAS ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF 48 YEAR OLD DAVID FLEISCH OF CALVIN. STATE POLICE INTERCEPTED A U-P-S PACKAGE IN BLAIR COUNTY THAT WAS ADDRESSED TO FLEISCH. IT WAS DELIVERED BY AN UNDERCOVER TROOPER. WHEN POLICE SEARCHED FLEISCH’S HOUSE, THEY FOUND SEVERAL POUNDS OF MARIJUANA, 17 FIREARMS, DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, A LARGE AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL GRADE FIREWORKS AND VARIOUS OTHER PYROTECHNIC DEVICES. FLEISCH IS NOW IN THE HUNTINGDON COUNTY PRISON.

STILL NO VERDICT

6 WEEKS OF TESTIMONY…AND 4 DAYS OF DELIBERATIONS…BUT STILL NO VERDICT IN THE PUBLIC CORRUPTION TRIAL OF FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE MIKE VEON AND 3 FORMER AIDES. ONE JUROR TOLD THE JUDGE YESTERDAY THE STRAIN IS STARTING TO SHOW AND THEY’VE BEEN TURNING ON EACH OTHER. 3 SEEMED TO BE WIPING TEARS AS THEY LEFT THE COURTROOM. DELIBERATIONS RESUME THIS MORNING.

FIRED COP HOPES TO BE RE-HIRED

A FIRED PUNXSUTAWNEY POLICE OFFICER IS ASKING THE STATE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION TO GIVE HIM HIS JOB BACK NOW THAT STATE PROSECUTORS HAVE DECIDED NOT TO CHARGE HIM IN THE AUGUST DEATH OF STEVEN OBBISH. THE CORONER SAYS OBBISH DIED OF A COMBINATION OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. HE PASSED OUT IN BRIAN ANDREKOVICH’S POLICE CRUISER AND WAS FOUND DEAD 5 HOURS LATER. ANDREKOVICH’S ATTORNEY SAYS POLICE OFFICERS AND THE MAYOR REPEATEDLY CHECKED ON OBBISH BEFORE HE DIED.

U-S SENATE RACE

A NEW RASSMUSSEN TELEPHONE POLL OF LIKELY VOTERS SHOWS EXPECTED REPUBLICAN NOMINEE PAT TOOMEY HAS A 9-POINT LEAD OVER ARLEN SPECTER IN PENNSYVLANIA’S U-S SENATE RACE. THE NUMBERS HAVE CHANGED LITTLE IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS. MEANWHILE, SPECTER CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN A SOLID LEAD OVER HIS DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY CHALLENGER JOE SESTAK.