Municipal court site

Municipal court site
LISBON -- Columbiana county's newly created municipal court may be located off Market Street on a lot now occupied by a county-owned building. The commercial structure, part of which is used by businesses, would be vacated and razed to make room for a new court building to be paid for through court fees, county commissioners said Wednesday. A final decision on the new courthouse's location has yet to be made. The new structure would contain a county municipal court and possibly some other county offices. The county's courthouse at the intersection of Market Street and Lincoln Way would continue to house common pleas court and other county offices.
Septic waste spills
BEAVER, Pa. -- Waste from septic tanks was spilled on the southbound lane of Pa. Route 60, causing two car crashes and closing the road to other traffic. Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver said Gerald Taylor, 23, of New Castle was driving a dump truck owned by AEC Trucking Inc. of Tuscarora Drive, New Castle, when the tailgate opened and deposited 20,000 gallons of septic tank waste on the road between exits 11 and 10. The waste caused two car crashes, but no one was injured in either crash, police said. The road reopened this morning. It had been closed since the crash, at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and area fire departments were called to help clean up.
School board president
SHARPSVILLE, Pa. -- The Sharpsville Area School Board has a new president. The board selected Terry Karsonovich on Monday in a 5-4 vote over Chris Ruffo. Karsonovich succeeds Robert Timmerman, who held the post for several years. Timmerman was elected assistant treasurer. David DeForest was elected vice president, succeeding Karsonovich.
Farrell school board
FARRELL, Pa. -- Michael Wright was re-elected president of the Farrell Area School Board for a second term. Vice President Lester Robinson was also re-elected for the coming year during the board's reorganization meeting Monday.
Men sentenced
MERCER, Pa. -- Three men were sentenced in Mercer County Common Pleas Court. Robert Bowers Sr., 51, of West Water Street, Slippery Rock, was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for statutory sexual assault, a felony. Judge Thomas Dobson imposed the term on Bowers on Wednesday for engaging in sexual intercourse with a boy younger than 16 between June 1995 and June 1996 in Springfield Township. Bowers is in Butler County Jail and has other charges pending against him in Butler County. Eric Powell, 27, of Siverling Road, Saegertown, was sentenced to one to two years and fined $5,000 for possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and to six to 12 months for conspiracy to deliver the drug. Duane Panunzio, 20, of Ridge Avenue, Greenville, was placed on two years' probation and ordered to make restitution for the July 2, 2000, theft of a car in Greenville.
Drug arrest
SHARON, Pa. -- While Gov. Mark Schweiker was in town launching a Weed & amp; Seed program targeting drug abuse and other illegal activities Wednesday morning, three Sharon High School girls were getting high on marijuana. When the girls, ages 14, 15 and 16, showed up at school under the influence of the drug, authorities called police to investigate. Police said their probe led them to Aaron J. Falba, 18, of Fifth Avenue, who is accused of supplying the marijuana to the girls. Falba was arrested at noon at the police station on charges of possession of a controlled substance and corruption of minors and lodged in Mercer County Jail on $3,000 bond.
Fugitive recaptured
SHARON, Pa.-- Police said a man who escaped from a police officer while being arrested on a drug charge a month ago is back in custody. Lamar L. Wilder, 21, of Fruit Avenue, Farrell, was caught with small bags of marijuana and crack cocaine at George Street and New Castle Avenue Nov. 6 but managed to break away from the arresting officer. Police secured a warrant for his arrest on charges of possession of controlled substances and caught up with him hiding under a pile of dirty laundry in a closet in an apartment on Euclid Avenue around 7:55 p.m. Wednesday. The 18-year-old female tenant of the apartment was arrested on a charge of hindering apprehension after she said Wilder wasn't there, police said. She faces arraignment on that charge at a later date. Wilder was held overnight for arraignment.