Fire was accidental
Fire was accidental
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Fire officials said a fire that damaged tires and air filters at an industrial building was accidentally started. Assistant Chief John Onufrak said the fire at Barletto Corp., 526 South Jefferson, started around 3 a.m. Monday. Besides the property, a wall was damaged. No injuries were reported. A damage estimate was not available. The building is located next to the fire station.
Woman seeksearly prison release
YOUNGSTOWN -- Lawyers for a city woman imprisoned for running over a man with her car after a road rage encounter have asked that she be released early from prison.
Tina Davis, 38, of Powers Way, was sentenced in June to four years in prison after a jury found her guilty of felonious assault. She ran over an Austintown man in the parking lot of a Boardman restaurant in March 2000. She had followed the man's car into the parking lot from Interstate 680, where they'd been engaged in what prosecutors called a road rage encounter.
Davis appealed her conviction and sentence to the 7th District Court of Appeals, but later dismissed the action.
Wildlife group givesSRU exemplary rating
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Slippery Rock University is one of only 12 universities in the nation that has achieved an exemplary rating for setting environmental goals and policies, according to the National Wildlife Federation.
The National Wildlife Federation recently completed its first comprehensive survey of environmental initiatives at the nation's colleges and universities. The agency sent a survey to 4,100 institutions of higher education; 22 percent, or 891 institutions, responding to the questionnaire.
SRU received the exemplary designation in a category that recognizes nine areas of stewardship -- reducing pollution, recycling, energy conservation, water conservation, protecting natural habitats, growing organic food, buying environmentally sound products, making sound environmental investments and designing environmentally-conscious buildings.
SRU achieved the exemplary rating, in part, because of its Macoskey Center, where students grow organic vegetables and study sustainable systems, and the development of the new Physical Therapy Building that opened in August. The university also offers majors in environmental studies, environmental education, environmental science and parks and recreation, as well as a concentration in marine science.
Boys who stoned Santato do community work
LEWISBERRY, Pa. (AP) -- Two boys who threw rocks at a volunteer firefighter playing Santa Claus on Saturday night will not be charged but may be required to perform community service at the local fire company, authorities said.
The boys, about 10 or 12 years old, knocked on the door of the president of Lewisberry Fire Co. on Sunday to confess that they were among a group of four that stoned Santa.
"I indicated that we'd figure out some kind of community service for them to do at the fire company," said president Stan Gerberich.
Denny Gopear, the assistant chief who was dressed as Santa Claus and rode atop a fire engine on a lawn chair, dodged the stones as the Lewisberry Fire Co. truck passed through the tiny borough on a trip through several York County communities.
He said he thinks the punishment is appropriate.
"No grudges, but something like that never happened before -- kids trying to do that to Santa Claus. It's weird," he said.
The barrage continued for two or three minutes as the truck fled the intersection for the safety of the fire hall. Once inside, stones continued to rattle off the side of the station.
None of the volunteer firefighters was injured.
Members of the fire company have been making the rounds through the Lewisberry area before Christmas for at least 15 years. They spend several hours cruising through neighborhoods, lights flashing, distributing hundreds of candy canes.