Top Johnstown Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
A fire destroys a home in Schellsburg in a matter of minutes on Saturday.6 News met the mother who let courage take over.
Motherly instincts kicked in last night when this mother of two knew she only had a matter of seconds to get her and her kids out of the house.
“I was thinking, we wouldn't make it out,” Stacey Ansell’s daughter said.
It was scary and unbelievable. Stacey Ansell was sitting at home Saturday night in her living room with her two kids, but an instinct to look out the window saved their lives.
"As soon as I looked out the bedroom window, all I could see was black smoke,” Ansell said.
She thought it was electrical and unplugged a space heater. She opened a window, but letting the fresh air in only caused more smoke to billow.
"As soon as I opened up the windows, the black smoke just rolled up through the vents and everything,” Ansell explained.
It made visibility nearly impossible, and time was running out.
"I stopped and kind of looking around thinking, ‘how am I getting my kids out?’ And then I don't know what came over me, I just busted out the screen and lowered them as far as I could lower them, and then I had to drop them,” Ansell said.
It was nearly a 15-foot drop to the ground, but with smoke filling the downstairs she knew it was the only way out.
"I could hear the windows busting out as I was jumping so it was only a matter of seconds after we got down and ran to the neighbors that it was down. So, we got out just in time,” Ansell said.
Now that the flames are gone and smoke has settled, Stacey is grateful for her maternal instincts that kicked in at the right time.
"I don't even know what made me think about that, but just something I did. Maybe, just the adrenaline, but I knew if I didn't get them out when I did, we wouldn't have made it,” Ansell said.
She said her family is already helping out and she’s been getting a lot of support from co-workers. Luckily, she and her kids are just walking away with a couple bruises and scratches.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:15:13 -0500
The bold and the brave dove into the chilly Quemahoning Reservoir Saturday for the Polar Bear Plunge.
Even 6 News’ Severe Weather Team Chief Meteorologist Jim Burton put on his grass skirt and did a little hula dancing in the water.
These folks were freezing for a reason. The plunge is the kick-off event for the Johnstown Special Olympics.
Participants raised about $50,000 for the games.
The high money raiser was Cambria County law enforcement with about $4,000.
Organizers are inviting the community to attend the opening ceremonies on Sunday.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:55:07 -0500
The Johnstown fire department isn't just fighting fires; it’s fighting to get back the manpower it lost with two rounds of layoffs last year.
The firefighter union is asking the city to apply for a federal grant to restore some of the positions lost.
A total of eight firefighters were laid off in 2011. The union said it may have a way to get those positions back without any money coming out of the city's budget.
A fire Saturday morning in Johnstown is why union president Randy Novosel said he is fighting more than fires; he said he fighting to get his guys their jobs back and cut down response times when fires are the most crucial to put out.
“For the truck responding to the downtown fire station would be approximately four minutes, and with the structure fire this morning, the first truck that was arriving on scene was from the west end fire station and it took approximately 10 minutes," said Novosel.
Novosel and his supporters fought in August to prevent four layoffs. They lost that battle. They tried to fight again in December for the remaining four layoffs the city was implementing.
The department lost a total of eight firefighters.
"You can rehire laid off fire fighters with 100% of the costs, both salary and benefits, all paid for, through FEMA,” Novosel said.
The federal grant was approved by Congress for more than $740-million to rehire and retain firefighters for two years. Novosel said with the most recent round of layoffs, which makes them the highest priority to receive the money.
The city isn't budging.
"There is a clause that would require the city not to make any more cutbacks or layoffs during that two year period,” Novosel said.
6 News tried to contact the city manager for a comment, but didn't get a call back.
A city council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday and the union says it plans to present its argument then.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:44:12 -0500
A Bedford County woman and her two kids were trapped inside a burning house and escaped un-harmed.
It happened along Peter Street in Schellsburg on Saturday afternoon.
Fire officials say the fire started in the garage and spread to the house where the woman and her two young children were in the living room.
A family member tells 6 News the woman and kids couldn't get downstairs, so the mom kicked-out a window and climbed out with her children.
"I have to credit the neighbors too for helping out. She ran down right away, started screaming,” said family member Joe Hillegass.
Fire officials said no one was seriously injured, but the woman and children were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
A fire marshal is investigating a cause.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:50:06 -0500
The state Attorney General's Office called it the largest psychedelic mushroom operation they have ever seen. 6 News reporter Maria Miller was there as police swarmed an apartment building in Tyrone for the bust.
What started as a few police and a mobile lab unit, quickly grew to crews dressed in protective suits and an entire Hazmat department called in. It was quite the production for what police called an elaborate drug operation.
The man police said is responsible for it all is Justin Thompson, 26. Police said he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend several times this week at his apartment along Pennsylvania Avenue in Tyrone.
"On Monday, I guess he punched or slapped her in the face and she got two black eyes," said Tyrone police chief John Romeo. "Then yesterday they got into some kind of disagreement. ... They got into a physical scuffle and he ended up tying her to a chair with duct tape, took off her shirt and stuff and left with her car."
She was eventually able to get away and contact police who then were able to track Thompson down arrest him. But when police went back to his apartment, they said they found an elaborate psychedelic mushroom growing operation. Officials from the Blair County drug task force and the Attorney General's Office narcotics team were immediately called in to dismantle the operation.
"It's a little more dangerous than a regular grow operation for marijuana because of the mold spores and things of that nature," said James Walstrom of the Attorney General's Office narcotics team. "At that point we had to call in our Hazmat lab team, take everything down, dismantle it, package all the evidence in safety suits so that nobody's ingesting any of the mold that's in the house."
It was around 2:30 Friday afternoon that crews started bringing out bag after bag and containers full of supplies and equipment used to grow the drugs. They filled an entire dump truck.
The Attorney General's office tells 6 News it's the biggest case they've ever seen.
"He took it from the spores, injecting the spores, the whole way through the process in about six different levels of the process," said Walstrom. "Wiithin that there were several different types of psychedelic mushrooms within those five levels of process, so he had quite an elaborate system going where he had items in each segment of that operation."
By the time crews wrapped up around 4 Friday afternoon, they had filled several dump trucks full of evidence, including the actual mushrooms. As for how much they confiscated, the Attorney General's Office tells us they won't know until they can bring it back to their lab for processing.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:37:46 -0500
Friday morning 11 people were arrested in Clearfield County in connection to a drug operation conducted by the Clearfield County Drug Task Force. Officials said that 13 arrest warrants were issued to people involved in selling controlled substances.
Clearfield County District Attorney, William A. Shaw Jr., said that the arrests are the results of a two year cooperative drug investigation.
“Over the past year we’ve received a volume of calls and emails from citizens reporting drug activity in their neighborhood,” he said.
Shaw said that the investigation was coordinated by the Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (State College Office).
Shaw said that the investigation focused on street and mid-level drug dealers.
He said that many of the suspects were selling controlled substances on streets, in parking lots, in local establishments, and in apartments and houses throughout the county.
Shaw provided the names of the 11 people that were arraigned and charged on Friday.
The following were arrested: Chad Butler, Dennis Rauch, Dexter Mclaughlin, Sam Saverino, Robert A. Dixon Jr., Catherine L. Luzier, Dustin A. Dixon, Mark Hackett, Sr., Charles Scott Mayhew, Billie Jo Shaw and Dennis Collins.
Shaw said that once the suspected dealers were identified, various law enforcement agencies combined resources to make purchases.
Shaw also added that investigators used undercover agents and officers, surveillance, electronic intercepts as well as informants to make the purchases.
Officials said that illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription pills and marijuana were purchased.
Shaw told 6 News that he hopes this round-up will serve as a reminder to other drug dealers; that officials are watching.
“We’re going to work very hard to identify you, to investigate you, to capture you and to prosecute you. If nothing else people should take from this that we’re not done, we have not given up, and we’re going to continue the fight,” he said.
Bail was set between $50,000 and $200,000 for those that were arrested.
Shaw said that police are also looking to arrest Michael D. Warrick, 21, Clearfield and Autumn Tillman, 25, Curwensville.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:07:09 -0500
Attorneys for the former Penn State defensive coordinator facing dozens of child sex abuse charges asked a judge to ease his bail restrictions so he can visit friends and grandchildren on Friday.
During the 70-minute pretrial hearing, prosecutors and defense attorneys also argued motions requesting that Jerry Sandusky should be allowed to leave his home to work with private investigators on his case and whether the jury for his anticipated trial should be composed of Centre County residents.
Authorities charged the 68-year-old with dozens of charges of child sex abuse involved eight boys in November, followed by a second arrest and brief incarceration after additional charges involved two additional accusers in December.
During the hearing, Centre County Probation Director Tom Young was sworn and addressed concerns that Sandusky was pushing the envelope with the rules of his home confinement.
Young said that Sandusky did have permission to leave his Grandview Road home to help shovel snow from his driveway and that he is allowed to spend time on his backyard porch attached to his house.
Attorney General Agent Anthony Sassano later testified that prosecutors received calls of concerns from several neighbors, as well as a day care worker inside Lemont Elementary School.
According to Sassano, Christie Williams reported that after-school K-6 students repeatedly saw Sandusky from classroom windows and outside recess and were alarmed.
State College Area School District Public Information Specialist Julie Miller told 6News that district officials have not received direct reports of concern from parents during school hours.
“Mr. Sassano provided testimony on behalf of a number of individuals, including one individual identified as a teacher/day care worker. This individual is not employed by State College Area School District, but rather by Child Development and Family Council, which runs an after-school program at Lemont Elementary,” Miller said in a written statement. “This program is in the building after regular school hours, therefore any testimony of classroom disruption is referring to that time frame. Lemont Elementary Principal Scott Deshong can attest to the quality of instruction taking place in the school during the regular school day, and has received no direct parental or faculty/staff complaints about the school day or classroom instruction.”
Sandusky was briefly sworn in and testified from the stand that he agreed with his defense team’s motion to request a jury selection of Centre County residents.
Following the hearing, Sandusky told reporters that he maintains his innocence.
“All of a sudden these people turn on me when they've been in my home with their kids, when they've attended birthday parties, when they've been on that deck, when their kids have been playing in my yard, and when their kids have been sled riding, when they've asked to sled ride at our home. It's difficult for me to understand to be honest,” said Sandusky.
Deputy Attorney General Mark Costanzo said prosecutors are requesting a venire change because of all the pretrial publicity and concerns that vetted local jurors might recognize anonymous accusers once they take the stand.
"We're trying to avoid as many as those problems as possible by asking for an out-of-county jury because we want to get the case tried as soon as possible and we want the verdict to not only be an actually valid verdict, but one perceived to be so as well,” said Costanzo. "Both the school, the football program, the coaches. We're going to have witnesses that are coaches. We're going to have victims from the Second Mile. There's just too many areas for potential for information in the hands of a jury before they even get here that may somehow slant their and sometimes they don't even mean it to happen, but it may slant their perception of the evidence."
Defense attorney Joe Amendola said it would be easier for Sandusky’s grandchildren to visit him if were incarcerated than under his current house arrest agreement.
“He’s being treated exactly the same way by the system. Unfortunately, however, he’s being treated much worse by the outside folks involved in the community,” said Amendola.
Assistant defense attorney Karl Rominger told 6News that the recent death of legendary head football coach Joe Paterno appears to be impacting the prosecutors plans.
"In Centre County, people can be fair,” said Rominger. “The government, for some reason, wants to get out of Centre County. I suspect that all comes back to how they treated Joe Paterno throughout this entire case."
Stay with 6News, WJACTV.com and WJAC Mobile for the latest on this developing story.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:59:06 -0500
TYRONE, Pa. --
Hazmat teams surrounded a home in Tyrone in Blair County on Friday after police said they uncovered a large drug operation.
6 News' Maria Miller said the attorney general's drug task force ordered people to be evacuated form the apartment building on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Officials said someone was growing psychedelic mushrooms and that it's one of the largest drug operations they've ever uncovered.
Streets in the area were closed as of 12:30 p.m. Stay with 6 News, WJACTV.com and WJACTV.com Mobile for continuing coverage.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:23:06 -0500
BELLEFONTE, Pa. --
Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky says he wants his bail restrictions eased so he can see longtime family friends and his young grandchildren while he awaits trial on child sex-abuse charges.
Sandusky told reporters following a pretrial hearing Friday that his grandchildren have expressed their hope they could see him for their birthdays -- activities that would not be permitted under the terms of his release.
Sandusky said his "home has been open for 27 years to all kinds of people."
But prosecutors said Sandusky's home isn't a safe place for children. Authorities say some of the alleged abuse happened in the home's basement.
Sandusky also wants it to be easier for him to see old friends, who currently would need to be approved by probation officials.
During Friday's hearing in Bellefonte, prosecutors said that it would be difficult to find potential jurors from Center County who are "completely unscathed" by the alleged crime. Prosecutors further said that there is a chance a juror could recognize one of the alleged victims.
In response to Sandusky's request for eased bail restrictions, prosecutors argued that house arrest is a privilege.
Some people who live in Sandusky's neighborhood have expressed safety concerns. Because of his house arrest, they don't think he should be allowed outside.
One man said people saw Sandusky shoveling snow and sitting on his back porch watching children on the playground of Lemont Elementary School. State College Area School District officials said reports that a district employee filed a police complaint are not true.
Friday morning, school district spokeswoman Julie Miller said in a statement that, "The State College Area School District continues to follow all current safety and security measures district-wide. In addition, specifically at Lemont Elementary, we are maintaining an increased level of security with additional monitors during recess, and continued collaboration with state college police, along with our school-assigned police officers."
Stay with 6 News, WJACTV.com and WJACTV.com Mobile for continuing coverage.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:05:55 -0500
HARRISBURG, Pa. --
Thousands of jobless Pennsylvanians will be able to collect federally funded unemployment benefits through early March.
Gov. Tom Corbett signed a bill Wednesday that updates Pennsylvania law to ensure residents continue to qualify for up to 13 weeks of benefits.
The state Labor and Industry Department estimates the measure will allow 17,000 people to collect $30 million in benefits through March 10th.
A Dec. 23 federal law provided a 60-day benefits extension, but the benefit would have ended last week unless the state acted to extend it into March.
The federal benefits cover private-sector employees, but not public-sector employees.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:13:22 -0500
BELLEFONTE, Pa. --
A dispute about whether people from the State College area will be allowed to sit as jurors in Jerry Sandusky's child sex-abuse case was the subject of a hearing in Bellefonte.
The proceeding today at the Centre County Courthouse also addressed Sandusky's request to have contact with his grandchildren and others while he awaits trial on 52 criminal counts.
The judge said he will rule on the issues quickly with a target day for trial sometime in May.
Sandusky attended Friday's hearing and a number of witnesses were brought in to testify. After Sandusky's attorney filed a bail modification motion, requesting that a judge change his home confinement agreement to allow his grandchildren to visit his house, as well as let Sandusky work with private investigators outside of his home, prosecutors filed a frenzy of motions, urging a judge to select an out-of-county jury to hear the case.
After years of investigations and grand jury testimony, prosecutors at the attorney general's office filed 52 charges connected to child sex abuse allegations involving 10 boys on and off of the Penn State campus.
Several neighbors claimed that they recently saw Jerry Sandusky shoveling snow outside his Grandview Road home and sitting on his back porch, watching children on the playground at the neighboring Lemont Elementary School.
"It's not just the safety of the children, our children; it's also just the quality of life," said neighbor Jody Harrington. "Given the crimes that Jerry Sandusky is accused of, it's very difficult to sort of not have a very guarded state of mind when you think about what I've heard about his crimes that he is accused of."
Defense attorney Joe Amendola said that the claims are being blown out of proportion and that Sandusky has fully complied with the set rules of his home confinement.
"What has happened is that he's been out there on occasion when kids come out, maybe for recess, and somebody walks through the yard," said Amendola. He tells me that there are actually people who walk their kids through the Sanduskys' yard to school."'
According to court documents obtained by 6 News, allegations of misconduct between Sandusky and two young family members have been ruled unfounded, and a court-appointed guardian working with three of Sandusky's grandchildren told the judge that they should be allowed to visit.
Unlike the preliminary hearing in December that attracted hundreds of reporters from across the country, Bellefonte Police Chief Shawn Weaver said officials decided not to close down streets around the courthouse.
"We're going to handle this one within our town, with our own department," said Weaver. "We don't foresee any problems, but if we do have to hit the panic button, help is only a minute away."
Local restaurant owners told 6 News that they were disappointed with the extra business promised by national media outlets during the preliminary hearing and decided not to open early on Friday.
"We had coffee and breakfast pizza. We just heard that the town was going to be crazy," said Mamma Lucrezia's owner Stefania Albegiani. "It was disappointing last time. This time, we're just doing the regular hours."
For the latest on this developing story, stay with 6 News, WJACTV.com and WJACTV.com Mobile.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:58:17 -0500
Since 2004, Clearfield County has been implementing hotel taxes.
Holly Komonczi, director of Visit Clearfield County, told 6 News that in 2011, taxes generated thousands of dollars for the county.
Komonczi said that taxing hotel visits generated $83,000
Anyone who visits the county and stays for fewer than 30 days is taxed 3 percent each day, Komonczi said. Visitors who stay for more than 30 days will no longer be taxed by the county.
Despite the downturn in the economy, Komonczi said that the county has seen an influx of visitors.
"We're in a good position for hotel stays. We are in a great location, and we already know that hotels are being used by travelers," she said.
Komonczi said that Clearfield County has some of the most hotels along Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania.
"We get a lot of travelers that are maybe heading to another destination. We're a great halfway point for travelers, which is also great for us," she said.
Of the visitors who are staying in the county, Komonczi said that most are just drivers passing through the area looking for a place to sleep for the night.
Penn State University's close proximity to the county also helps fill hotel rooms.
Komonczi said that the Marcellus Shale industry is also helping generate more tax revenue dollars.
"These monies are being used to market the county. It is also being used to develop and strengthen businesses," she said.
Komonczi told 6 News that the money generated from taxing hotel visits stays in the county.
An example of where the money goes is a grant program. Komonczi said that it is a 50/50 matching grant through which businesses can apply for up to $7,500. Komonczi said that businesses can use this money to promote tourism in the county.
Anyone interested in applying for the grant can contact Visit Clearfield County at 866-469-4537
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:12:36 -0500
According to the 2010 census, Cambria County's population dropped almost 6 percent and because of that, the state superior court has asked the county to eliminate some of its magisterial districts to help cut costs.
Because two magistrates in the county will soon be retiring, president judge Timothy Creany said he believes he can make the cuts through attrition. But by closing two out of 10 offices, other districts would need to take over their cases. Creany said he hopes to find a way to realign those districts with as little inconvenience as possible.
"We anticipate being in a position that we're not going to inconvenience the police departments and the private citizens by more than a few minutes from what they now see," said Creany.
The county will conduct public meetings in each district to gather further input. Those times and place are listed below.
Tuesday, Feb. 14
Michael Musulin
John Barron
CPC Building, 110 Franklin St., Johnstown - 6 p.m.
Leonard Grecek
Wenesday, Feb. 15
Max Pavlovich - Richland Office - 5:30 p.m.
Rick Varner - Sidman Office - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 16
Mary Ann Zanghi - Mineral Point Office - 5:30 p.m.
Frew Creany - Ebensburg OFfice - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 17
Charity Nileski - Cresson Office - 5:30 p.m.
Galen Decort - Portage Office - 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Michael Zungali - Hastings Office - 6:00 p.m
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:58:20 -0500
A Cambria County man who already has a checkered history with police, is behind bars.
Police picked him up for an alleged rape, but investigators said they've dealt with him for some time going back to an incident where he allegedly threatened his wife and small children. That harassment forced Cambria Heights Middle School in Patton to go on lockdown back in December.
During that incident, police say Steven Fisher's estranged wife told school officials that she and her daughter were threatened by him, and he was banned from school grounds. But when he was charged with harassment the next day, police said he sat in the school's parking lot forcing officials to go into lockdown mode until police could respond. He was charged with trespassing and issued a restraining order against his estranged wife.
On Tuesday, police said Fisher again threatened her.
"He wanted her to drop the protection from the abuse order that was filed against him on her behalf," said State Police Trooper John Matchik. "If she did not go back to his residence with him, (he said) he would subsequently kill himself and one of their children."
Due to sheer terror, police said Fisher's estranged wife took her daughter and went to his house Tuesday night where she gave in to his demands. Police said after she cooked dinner and put the kids to bed, Fisher sexually assaulted her and then became even more violent.
"Also present in the room were a number of guns and knives," said Matchik. "Through the course of that evening, he proceeded to throw several of these knives into an adjacent wall in the bedroom."
Police said she was able to get away in the morning. When she notified police, they arrested Fisher and went to his home to gather evidence and that's when they found much more than they were expecting.
"Our troopers then arrive on scene, gain entry into the property and immediately they recognize signs of a possible meth lab," said Matchik.
On Thursday, state police and their lab response team were at the home along Ashcroft Road just outside of Patton. Dressed in hazmat suits, they carefully searched for further verification of a meth lab and if needed were going to dismantle the operation.
Investigators were on scene for most of the day today. It is unclear at this time if they found anything. Police said it's a very rural area and they were able to secure the site so neighbors wouldn't be in any danger.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:54:44 -0500
A man accused of committing thefts throughout Cambria and Indiana counties was arrested Wednesday in Armstrong County.
Police said Clinton Edwards broke into a home in Penn Run, Indiana County early Wednesday morning, was shot several times by the homeowner and then fled to Armstrong County.
On Thursday, 6 News was able to find what exactly happened at that home in Penn Run.
Police said Edwards was driven by his girlfriend to a home along Weston Road in Penn Run. Police said he was attempting to burglarize the home when the homeowners dogs noticed and started barking.
Police said when the homeowner came outside to confront Edwards, the two men got into a physical fight and Edwards pulled a gun.
Police said the homeowner was able to get hold of the gun, but when Edwards charged at him, investigators said he fired three shots, hitting Edwards once in the shoulder and once in the thigh.
Police said Edwards' girlfriend then dropped him off at a convenience store in Penn Run and drove off.
"The information we have at this point is that the girlfriend proceeded to drop Mr. Edwards off at a local store," said State Police Trooper John Matchik. "We're not sure what store it was at this time, but she drops him off, [then] proceeds back to Cambria County. Back to her mother's house."
Police said their investigation becomes pretty fuzzy after that
They're trying to figure out how Edwards got to Elderton, Armstrong County, which is about 25 miles away, and what connection, if any, he has to the homeowner he tried to burglarize.
For that, they're asking for the public's help. Anyone with information about this case is asked to give state police a call.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:50:50 -0500
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. --
A casino resort scheduled to open this spring in the Philadelphia suburb of Valley Forge has been approved for table games.
Valley Forge Casino Resort is scheduled to open this spring.
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved a petition by the operators to have table games like blackjack, roulette and poker.
The casino is approved to have up to 50 tables, in addition to up to 600 slot machines.
The $132.5 million resort will be Pennsylvania's 11th slot-machine casino.
Pennsylvania could one day be home to 14 casinos.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:31:07 -0500
Members of the Punxsutawney State Police, Troop C-Vice Unit executed a search warrant on Thursday.
Officials said that they went to a residence along South Main Street for an undercover drug investigation in the borough.
As a result of the search, police said they seized the following items: 179 bags of heroin, 264 empty heroin bags, 4.8 grams of crack cocaine, assorted pills, $1,603.00 in U.S. Currency, a digital scale, syringes and various drug paraphenalia.
State police took Kenneth Ball, 60, and Aaron Meanor, 28, into custody.
Police said that they were arraigned before District Judge Douglas Chambers.
Ball and Meanor were charged with: possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.
Meanor was charged additionally with criminal conspiracy.
Ball's bail was set at $300,000 straight bail.
Meanor's bail was set at $500,000.
Both Ball and Meanor were taken to the Jefferson County jail.
Police said that there are also additional known suspects.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:12:30 -0500
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. --
Loved ones said goodbye on Thursday to a couple who died 88 minutes apart after more than 65 years of marriage.
Erin Miller said her grandfather, James Landis, was with his 87-year-old wife, Marjorie, when she died Monday at the Laurelwood Care Center near Johnstown.
The last thing he said to her was, `It's OK. I love you. We had many good years together. I will see you real soon,'" Miller said.
Less than an hour-and-a-half later, 89-year-old James Landis died of a heart attack.
Miller said she thinks her grandfather "died of a broken heart. I don't think
they could have lived apart from each other."
The couple's funeral was held Thursday morning at the Westmont Presbyterian Church.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:08:24 -0500
A few weeks ago Steven Rebert was found guilty of first and second-degree murder.
After a lengthy trial, Rebert was found guilty of the shooting deaths of Wayne and Vicky Shugar in April 2010.
Judge John H. Foradora sentenced Rebert to four consecutive life sentences without parole.
According to paperwork filed at the Jefferson County prothonotary, Rebert has filed post sentencing motions.
This is the first step in beginning the appeals process.
A court administrator said that the judge will look over the motions. Foradora will determine whether or not the motions will be granted.
If they are granted, there would be an appeals hearing at the Jefferson County courthouse.
If the judge dismisses the motions they will then go to the Superior Court.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:31:08 -0500
SANDY TOWNSHIP, Pa. --
Police are investigating a possible train accident in Sandy Township.
Investigators said a woman was injured near train tracks in the 600 block of South Brady Street near DuBois around 11 p.m. Wednesday.
Police said it is not clear if she was struck by a train or if she fell onto the tracks.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:52:21 -0500
BarnesboroPennsylvania.com
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