THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010

APARTMENT BUILDING FIRE

5 FAMILIES ARE HOMELESS, BUT UN-HURT, AFTER FIRE BROKE OUT LAST NIGHT AT AN APARTMENT BUILDING IN ST. CLAIRSVILLE, BEDFORD COUNTY. A STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHALL WILL LOOK INTO THE CAUSE OF THE BLAZE TODAY.

FATAL FIRE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION

FOLLOWING AN AUTOPSY YESTERDAY, THE CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH OF 55 YEAR OLD JAMES TIRPAK REMAINS UNDETERMINED AND IT MAY BE SEVERAL MORE WEEKS BEFORE ALL THE TESTS ARE FINISHED. TIRPAK DIED TUESDAY AFTERNOON WHEN HIS HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE IN CHEST TOWNSHIP. HE WAS A LONG TIME MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR FOR CAMBRIA HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OWNED HUBCAPS GRILL NEAR THE HIGH SCHOOL.

FATHER FOUND GUILTY

A CAMBRIA COUNTY JURY LAST NIGHT FOUND JOHN NERONE OF MIDDLE TAYLOR TOWNSHIP GUILTY OF BEATING HIS 8-WEEK OLD SON LAST YEAR CAUSING PERMANENT BRAIN INJURIES. THE JURY ALSO FOUND NERONE GUILTY OF SIMPLE ASSAULT INVOLVING HIS WIFE. HE WILL BE SENTENCED WITHIN 90 DAYS AND THE JUDGE DENIED BOND, SO NERONE WILL REMAIN BEHIND BARS.

PREPARING FOR MURDER TRIAL

SEAN ALLEN’S ATTORNEY IS PREPARING HIS MURDER TRIAL AND HAS ASKED BLAIR COUNTY JUDGE TIM SULLIVAN TO EXCLUDE EVIDENCE THAT SHOWED THERE WAS SEXUAL CONTACT BETWEEN ALLEN AND PENN STATE ALTOONA STUDENT MARGO “MAGGIE” DAVIS AT SOME POINT. HER BODY WAS FOUND IN THE TRUNK OF HER CAR PARKED NEAR ALLEN’S HOLLIDAYSBURG APARTMENT LAST MARCH. THE JUDGE WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS MARCH 26TH. JURY SELECTION IS SET TO BEGIN MARCH 31ST WITH TESTIMONY ON APRIL 5TH.

ACCUSED MILITIA MEMBER ACQUITTED

A FEDERAL JURY IN JOHNSTOWN YESTERDAY DELIBERATED FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS BEFORE FINDING BRADLEY KAHLE OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY NOT GUILTY OF POSSESSING MATERIALS TO MAKE BOMBS AT HIS HOME. AUTHORITIES SAY KAHLE IS A MILITIA MEMBER WHO WANTED TO STRIKE BACK AT THE GOVERNMENT. 4 OTHERS WERE ARRESTED ON WEAPONS VIOLATIONS AND ALL WERE CONVICTED.

RUSSIANS WAIVE HEARINGS

3 ACCUSED ROBBERS WAIVED THEIR PRELIMINARY HEARINGS YESTERDAY IN CENTRE COUNTY. 21 YEAR OLD MAKSIM ILLARIONOV OF STATE COLLEGE…28 YEAR-OLD ALEXEI SEMINOV OF BROOKLYN NEW YORK…AND 23 YEAR-OLD DMITRY LITVINOV OF BOALSBURG ALLEGEDLY HAD STOLEN ASSAULT RIFLES WHEN THEY WERE BUSTED FOLLOWING A STATE COLLEGE HOME BURGLARY LAST WEEK. ONE OF THE MEN POINTED HIS WEAPON AT A POLICE OFFICER. AUTHORITIES THINK THEY MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A STRING OF RECENT ARMED ROBBERIES IN THE AREA.

DOG ACTIVIST ARRESTED

AFTER LOCAL ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST TAMIRA THAYNE, THE FORMER TAMMY GRIMES, VIDEOTAPED CHAINED-UP DOGS ON A SNYDER TOWNSHIP PROPERTY THIS WEEK, A BLAIR COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY OFFICER TOOK 3 OF THE ANIMALS BECAUSE THE OWNER SAID SHE COULDN’T AFFORD PROPER CARE.
THAYNE IS CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL TRESPASS BECAUSE THE PROPERTY IS CLEARED MARKED “NO TRESPASSING.” 2 OTHER DOGS WERE RE-LOCATED AND THE OWNERS HAVE AGREED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE CARE FOR THE LAST 2 DOGS. THE OWNERS HAVE BEEN CITED BECAUSE SOME OF THE ANIMALS DID NOT HAVE CURRENT RABIES VACCINATIONS.

ANOTHER DRINKING HOLIDAY AT PENN STATE?

STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY PARK POLICE MADE 160 ARRESTS OVER STATE PATTY’S DAY WEEKEND…NO SOME STUDENTS ARE MAKING PLANS FOR ANOTHER DRINKING HOLIDAY. “CINCO DE STATE” WOULD BE APRIL 17TH SINCE THE MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY FALLS DURING FINALS WEEK. BORO POLICE AREN’T TALKING ABOUT “CINCO DE STATE”…SAYING THEY DON’T WANT TO GIVE IT ANY CREDIBILITY.

HAFER BOWS OUT

ONE LESS CANDIDATE IS RUNNING FOR THE 12TH DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL SEAT FORMERLY HELD BY JOHN MURTHA. FORMER STATE TREASURER AND AUDITOR GENERAL BARBARA HAFER DROPPED OUT, JUST HOURS AFTER SHE TURNED IN HER NOMINATING PETITIONS TO APPEAR ON THE MAY 18TH PRIMARY BALLOT. MURTHA’S FORMER DISTRICT DIRECTOR MARK CRITZ HAS WON THE STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S NOMINATION FOR THE SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL THE REMAINDER OF MURTHA’S TERM.

REPLACING COUNCILMAN

ALTOONA CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT HELD ITS FIRST MEETING SINCE COUNCILMAN JASON IBRAHIM DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES AFTER JUST 7 WEEKS ON COUNCIL. COUNCIL BEGAN WITH A MOMENT OF MEDITATION… THEN MAYOR BILL SCHIRF INTRODUCED A RESOLUTION FOR A TRIBUTE TO GO INTO THE PERMANENT ALTOONA RECORD MEMORIALIZING IBRAHIM. IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE SO FAR HAS RECEIVED APPLICATIONS FROM 4 RESIDENTS INTERESTED IN SERVING THE REMAINDER OF IBRAHIM’S TERM. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS MONDAY AT NOON.

SOLDIERS READY FOR IRAQ

THE ALTOONA MIRROR REPORTS THAT 200 SOLDIERS FROM THE 298TH MAINTENANCE COMPANY HEADQUARTERD IN ALTOONA WILL LEAVE FOR TRIANING IN TEXAS TOMORROW…THEN THEY WILL DEPLOY TO IRAQ FOR A YEAR. SERGEANT CRYSTAL ADAMOSKY OF THE ARMY RESERVE SAYS ABOUT HALF OF THE SOLDIERS ARE FROM ALTOONA…AND THE REST FROM OTHER UNITS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND 15 OTHER STATES. PART OF THEIR JOB WILL BE TO GET EQUIPMENT READY FOR SHIPMENT BACK TO THE U-S UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA’S WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE OF 2011.

PROBLEM POTHOLES
IT’S BEEN A LONG, HARD WINTER…AND THAT MEANS POTHOLES. NOW THE CITY OF ALTOONA IS HOPING RESIDENTS WILL HELP THEM FIND ALL THE PROBLEM SPOTS.YOU CAN E-MAIL www.potholes@altoonapa.gov... OR CALL THE HIGHWAY YARD AT 949-22-12 BETWEEN 7AM AND 3PM. YOU CAN RECORD A VOICE MAIL AFTER HOURS. CALLERS ARE ASKED THE PROVIDE THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE POTHOLE…THE DATE AND TIME OF THE REPORT…AND THEIR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER.