Woman dies in crash

Woman dies in crash
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- One woman was killed and three people suffered minor injuries in a two-vehicle crash on Pa. Route 358 in Otter Creek Township.
Pennsylvania State Police said Tamera K. Myers, 40, of Hughey Road, Greenville, was eastbound on Route 358 around 10:40 p.m. Monday when she lost control of her car on a curve and it ran off the right side of the road.
The car swerved back onto the road and slid broadside into the path of a westbound pickup truck driven by David S. Ligo, 24, also of Greenville.
Myers, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:19 p.m. by Cris Loutzenhiser, a deputy Mercer County coroner.
Ligo and two passengers, Kelli S. Miller, 23, of Pittsburgh and Logan P. Smith, 5, of Pittsburgh, escaped from the pickup as it caught fire, police said. They were all treated at UPMC Horizon.
West Nile virus
HARRISBURG -- Three additional birds infected with the West Nile virus were reported in Lawrence and Mercer counties. Pennsylvania health officials said a dead blue jay in Mercer borough, an American crow in Neshannock Township and a blue jay in New Castle tested positive for the disease over the weekend. This is the fourth infected bird in Mercer County. A total of seven dead birds with West Nile virus have been found in Lawrence County.
Route 18 widening work
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- The Pa. Route 18 widening project will see some night work this week. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said motorists should be alert to work beginning at 9 p.m. and ending at 6:30 a.m. today through Friday. That will also mean Lamor Road will be closed at Route 18 tonight only.
Pit bull is shot
SHARON, Pa. -- Police shot a pit bull that was running loose near the sewage treatment plant on the Shenango Valley Freeway this morning. Workers at the plant called police at 5:25 a.m. to report two pit bulls running loose in the area. Police called Shenango Valley Animal Control and went to the scene. However, one of the dogs, a female, became aggressive and bared its teeth, charging at a police officer and a plant worker before animal control arrived. The officer shot the dog once with a rifle, killing it, police said. The second dog, a male, was captured by an animal control officer. Neither dog was wearing a license or identification tag, police said. In July, police shot and killed a German shepherd dog that was running loose.
Marijuana plants found
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Police said they arrested two men after finding 64 suspected marijuana plants in their car. Justin Walker, 20, of Canal Street, and Jonathan Hovis, 19, of East Ridge Avenue, are charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, prohibitive offensive weapons, criminal conspiracy and criminal attempt. Hovis was still in jail this morning on $50,000 bond, and Walker, on $75,000 bond. Police said they found the plants when the men were pulled over for a traffic stop at 9 p.m. Saturday.
Jesus essay lawsuit
WARREN -- A lawsuit contending that a 14-year-old Brookfield middle school pupil suffered psychological and emotional damage because he wasn't allowed to write an essay about Jesus has been refiled in Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas.
Atty. Mark Colucci, who represents plaintiff Peggy E. Koehler, of Hazleton Street, on behalf of her son Phillip M. Vaccaro, said he decided to move the case out of federal court because jurors in Trumbull County will be closer to the case.
Koehler's suit says the school refused to allow her son to write about Jesus as a homework assignment on the most influential person in his life.
Toys 'R' Us theft
NILES -- A 22-year-old Austintown woman is to appear for a preliminary hearing later this month on charges she took more than $12,000 from Toys "R" Us.
Sarah Winston of South Raccoon Road was released on $5,000 bond on the theft charge after her arraignment Monday in Niles Municipal Court.
Police say Winston, who worked at the toy store, was fraudulently ringing coupons through the register and pocketing the money. Reports said Winston, who was arrested Saturday afternoon at the store, admitting performing the transaction about four times a week for the past nine months.
Her next hearing is set for 9 a.m. Sept. 18.