Court drops charges against teen in plot

Court drops chargesagainst teen in plot
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Charges against a 16-year-old Neshannock High School student accused of plotting to kill his father were dismissed in Lawrence County Juvenile Court.
The boy had been accused of criminal solicitation to commit homicide and criminal conspiracy after Neshannock police received a tip from one of the boy's classmates. The boy was taken into custody Thursday and held until a hearing Tuesday, when the charges were dismissed by Juvenile Master Susan Papa.
District Attorney Matthew Mangino could not be reached this morning to explain why the charges were dismissed. Neshannock Police Superintendent Philip Carlo said he did not know why the charges were dropped.
Prison inmate diesafter being stricken
MERCER, Pa. -- A Crawford County man imprisoned at the State Regional Correctional Facility at Mercer died after apparently suffering a heart attack at the minimum security prison.
William Gary Troutner, 62, received first aid at the scene Tuesday and was transferred by ambulance to United Community Hospital in Grove City, where he was pronounced dead by an emergency room physician, said Gilbert A. Walters, prison superintendent.
Pennsylvania State Police and the Mercer County coroner's office will determine the official cause of death, he said. Troutner had been at the state prison since 1997, serving 5 to 15 years for involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and statutory rape on a 1996 conviction in Crawford County.
Farrell school board
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer County common pleas judges will interview four candidates for a Farrell Area School Board vacancy beginning at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
The three judges are expected to announce their selection immediately after the interviews. The applicants are Sadie Reid-Benham of Emerson Avenue, Leslie Hite of Haywood Street, Brian K. Sanders Sr. of Emerson Avenue and Michael Zaborowski of Shady Drive.
The school board was unable to agree on a candidate to fill part of the unexpired term of school director Rose Marie Branca, who died Jan. 1, and turned the matter over to the court.
Threat against justice
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- An Edinburg man is accused of threatening to kill a Lawrence County district justice. Pennsylvania State Police said they arrested Ralph Leroy Cornwell, 63, at 5:50 p.m. Tuesday.
He was arraigned on a charge of terroristic threats and put in the Lawrence County Jail after failing to post $25,000 bond. Police said Cornwell threatened District Justice J.V. Lamb's life while talking to another person and that person alerted police. Police said it's unclear why Cornwell might want to threaten Lamb.
Vehicle donations
GIRARD -- Cars for Kids Sake is a national vehicle donation program that benefits the Big Brothers & amp; Big Sisters of Mahoning Valley. Under the program, people donate vehicles, boats and motorcycles to the organization and receive a tax deduction for the fair market value of their vehicles.
Big Brothers & amp; Big Sisters, a nonprofit organization that provides one-to-one mentors and role models for at-risk children, then sells the vehicle and receives the proceeds. People who want to donate a vehicle may call (800) 710-9145 for information about the program and to answer some preliminary questions about their vehicle.
Milton aids FDNY
LAKE MILTON -- Milton Township Volunteer Fire Department raised more than $2,600 to send to the New York 9-11 Fallen Firefighters Fund.
The fund was set up by the International Association of Fire Fighters for the sole purpose of helping families of fallen firefighters and emergency medical personnel in New York City as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The 30-member force raised the money through a raffle and donations.