Fatal motorcycle crash

Fatal motorcycle crash
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- One person died and another was seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash Monday. Police said passenger Crystal Wilkins, 22, of New Castle, died in the crash, on Lincoln Avenue near Rhodes Place, at 5 p.m. The driver, Nicholas Lauro, 21, of New Castle, was flown to Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he was in critical condition today. Police said Lauro was westbound on Lincoln Avenue when he lost control and he and Wilkins were thrown from the motorcycle. The two slammed into a parked car.
Vehicle vandalism
SALEM -- Police received several reports that parked vehicles' windows were shattered. In at least some instances, it appears a pellet or BB gun caused the damage, police said. The crimes were reported Tuesday and involved vehicles parked along or near Bank, Columbia, East Fourth and Walnut streets.
Van is burglarized
SALEM -- Someone stole several hundred dollars' worth of tools from a van parked behind a building in the 200 block of Ohio Avenue. The crime occurred between 6 p.m. Sunday and 1:25 p.m. Tuesday.
Swimming pool slashed
SALEM -- A 14-foot-by-24-foot swimming pool was drained after someone slashed the vinyl liner. Damage to the pool, at a home in the 1100 block of Cleveland Street, is estimated at $1,100, police said. The crime occurred between 10 p.m. Monday and 7:37 a.m. Tuesday.
Basket auction
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will have a basket auction at 10 a.m. Saturday in the church pavilion, 3325 Morefield Road. Proceeds will benefit the church's Hand Chime Choir. The baskets offer a variety of merchandise. There are NASCAR baskets, Wendell August Forge collectible baskets, golf package baskets, dinner for two baskets, even a basket with two tickets to "The View" television show. More than 100 donors gave items.
Firefighters' field day
EAST PALESTINE -- The East Palestine Fire Department will sponsor a field day for area fire departments at 10 a.m. Saturday at the city park. Competition among teams include tug-of-war, hose relay and a bucket brigade. So far, teams from 19 area departments, including three from Pennsylvania, have registered to participate. The event is open to the public and concessions will be sold. A medical helicopter will land between 1 and 3 p.m. weather permitting. The day will conclude with a steak fry for firefighters.
Scuba classes
NILES -- The Trumbull County YMCA will conduct scuba classes at Waddell Pool. The classes, for those age 10 and older, meets from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays July 28 through Aug. 11. For information, call Paula at the Eastwood YMCA at (330) 544-2383.
Pittsburgh is literate
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Yinz might think people in the Still City talk funny 'n 'at, but apparently they're well-read. Despite Pittsburgh's image as a town populated by gritty blue-collar steelworkers, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater have ranked it among the country's most literate cities. The Steel City ranked sixth nationwide -- behind Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta and San Francisco -- in the university's sixth study of the most literate cities.
"Pittsburgh's better than it gets credit for," said Alex Tamsula, 47, as he browsed books at a bookstore. "We've got Carnegie Mellon here. We've got the University of Pittsburgh. I'm not surprised culture and literacy are high."
Meanwhile, Philadelphia, which includes printer Benjamin Franklin among its most revered residents, ranked 48th among the 64 cities with populations above 255,000 included in the study.
The study rated the cities based on the number of booksellers and libraries, the number of high school and college graduates, the number of magazines published and newspaper circulation, compared to population. The data were culled from sources such as the U.S. Census, American Booksellers Association and the Yellow Pages.