Wednesday, March 13, 2002
Planning officials OKrequest for parking
COLUMBIANA -- The city planning commission approved Columbiana Public Library officials' request to use the area behind a West Salem Street home for additional parking.
Bob Belding, city building and zoning officer, said library officials intend to buy the West Salem Street property, which is adjacent to the library. He said they will create about 10 employee parking spaces on the residential lot.
The commission also approved home occupation requests for Kathy Holcomb and Katherine Reese. Belding said Holcomb will do cake decorating in her East Friend Street home and Holcomb will use a room in her home on Washington Avenue as an office for a health-care business.
Facing escape charge,man remains in jail
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Michael B. Stull, 20, of Glenn Avenue, Greenville, remained in Mercer County Jail this morning on $30,000 bond after his arraignment on an escape charge. Police said Stull was picked up by Southwest Mercer County Regional Police on Friday on an Ohio fugitive-from-justice warrant and taken before District Justice Henry Russo for arraignment. Bond was set at $25,000 but, as Stull was being taken from Russo's office, he broke free and ran. Police caught him moments later hiding under a truck in Russo's parking lot. Hermitage police filed the escape charge and Stull was arraigned on that count Monday with an additional $5,000 bond set, said police. Stull is wanted in Trumbull County for failure to appear in court on a probation violation charge, said officials, who were not certain about why he had been on probation.
Man escapes from fire
FARRELL, Pa. -- Authorities said a Federal Street man awakened by smoke was able to get out of his burning house safely early today.
Tom Greene Jr., who owns the duplex at 310-312 Federal St., was asleep in a second floor bedroom of unit 312 when he smelled smoke around 12:25 a.m. He escaped but a 9-month-old Labrador puppy didn't, Fire Chief Joseph Santell said.
The fire started in the basement of 312 and burned up through the living room floor; damage to 310 was limited to smoke and heat, he said.
The tenant of that unit, William Macmillan, wasn't home, Santell said.
The cause of the fire is undetermined and a state police fire marshal has been called in to help pinpoint the origin, Santell said. Greene said he had no insurance on the property.
Stolen from cars
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Someone rifled through two cars park along the 700 block of Arlington Avenue, taking compact discs, money and other items. City police said someone entered the cars overnight Monday. One car was unlocked and the other had an open window, police said.
Accused in assault
SHARON, Pa. -- Harry Kennedy, 33, of Wallis Avenue, Farrell, was freed on a $20,000 bond after his arraignment on assault and other charges.
Police said Kennedy is accused of attacking a man in the 200 block of Mesabi Street. Police said the victim worked for Kennedy and called him asking for the return of an electrical extension cord. Witnesses said Kennedy was carrying a handgun when he arrived on Mesabi Street around 2:40 p.m. Sunday and struck the victim in the back and then hit him in the face with the gun. Kennedy drove away but was stopped in Farrell by Southwest Mercer County Regional Police who said they found a loaded .380 caliber handgun in his possession. He was charged with simple and aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and illegal possession of a firearm.
Work on turnpike
HARRISBURG -- The westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike near the Allegheny tunnel and Somerset are limited to a single lane from mileposts 114 to 122 through 8 a.m. Friday. Because this single-lane pattern stretches through the Allegheny tunnel, motorists should be aware of the possibility of long delays.
The lane closure is in preparation for the reconstruction of the turnpike between milepost 109-122 in Somerset County. The $94-million project involves rebuilding the road.