Man suffocated by truck

Man suffocated by truck
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Fillmore Basham Jr., 58, of 152 Perrine Road died when a pickup truck he was working on at his home fell on him, causing him to suffocate. The accident occurred around 5:30 a.m. Monday. Authorities said a relative found Basham pinned beneath the truck and called for help.
Bob Snyder, Mercer County deputy coroner, pronounced him dead at the scene at 6:34 a.m. and said death was caused by traumatic asphyxia.
Election watch slated
PITTSBURGH -- An election watch meant to handle any complaints of election fraud and voting-rights abuses in western Pennsylvania will be overseen by U.S. Assistant Attorney A. Elliot McLean today. The goal of the program is to deter election fraud and discrimination at the polls and to prosecute those offenses. McLean and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be on duty while polls are open to investigate any complaints. To report a problem, call (412) 432-4000 or (412) 894-7401.
American Indian heritage
COLUMBIANA -- November is national American Indian Heritage Month, and the Columbiana Public Library, 332 N. Middle St., will have John "Spiritwolf" Kountz on hand to share a program about his Indian heritage at 6 p.m. Thursday in the library's Salchow Room.
Red Cross officers elected
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The Beaver-Lawrence chapter of the American Red Cross elected officers at a regular meeting of its board of directors. Jack Waddell of Beaver, Pa., is the chairman, Jon Whittaker of New Castle is vice chairman, Mike Winiarski is treasurer and Judy Garbiniski is secretary; Winiarski and Garbiniski both are from Beaver County, Pa.
The board of directors also appointed John Stubbs as executive director, Amy Icenhour as office manager of the Beaver office, Susan Micco as office manager of the New Castle office, Andy Randza as emergency services coordinator in Beaver County, and Tom Ford as emergency services coordinator in Lawrence County. Kathleen Rumbaugh was named health and safety coordinator in the Beaver office.
Hepatitis A warning
MONACA, Pa. (AP) -- State health officials are warning people who ate at a western Pennsylvania restaurant in the past two weeks to seek testing and get vaccinations after at least eight people contracted hepatitis A.
According to state health officials, at least 12 restaurant employees and at least 10 people who ate at the Chi-Chi's Restaurant at the Beaver County Mall, about 20 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, likely have been infected with hepatitis A. Tests have confirmed that eight of those people were infected with the disease.
Hepatitis A is spread by eating something contaminated with the feces of someone with hepatitis A, according to the state department of health. Symptoms include fever, nausea, diarrhea, jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. The disease usually clears up in about two months.
Anyone who ate at the restaurant between Oct. 22 and Sunday should get an injection of immune globulin, an antibody treatment that greatly reduces the chances of contracting the disease if given within 14 days after exposure.
Stolen-property charges
PETERSBURG -- Two 19-year-old men were arrested by Springfield Township police on Woodworth Road after an East Garfield Road resident saw them using a flashlight to look into car windows early Sunday, Patrolman Ray Fellows said.
Shane Houshour of Damascus and Terry Thomas of Alliance were arraigned Monday in Struthers Municipal Court and will be back in court Friday for pretrial, Fellows said.
Houshour, whose bond is $9,500, faces one count each of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia (marijuana pipe), and three counts of receiving stolen property. Thomas, whose bond is $7,500, is charged with three counts of receiving stolen property.
Fellows said stolen CDs, a purse belonging to an East Palestine woman and a purse belonging to an Enon Valley woman were found in their car. Fellows alleged the young men were more or less lost and looking into cars to see what they could steal.