Top Johnstown Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
The Johnstown Fire Department met with council for one last time to try and persuade them to get the jobs back they lost last year.
The union was first to speak in Wednesday’s city council meeting. They told council this was a golden opportunity and that it was slipping through their fingers, but council said it’s not financially feasible.
"To just turn down a window of opportunity of a free two years of increased fire protection; to me, it just seems ridiculous,” Union President Randy Novosel said.
"The hesitation is on several fronts that the city has to be able to manage its workforce and it can't have restraints put on onto the city because we don't know what unforeseen circumstances shall come,” City Manager Kristen Denne said.
The Johnstown Fire Department put in its last ditch effort to put more on its roster with a federal grant through FEMA. The grant was created after the 9/11 attacks to maintain manpower, but the city said they still can’t afford it.
"We run in a city that's 50% non-profits. We have a dwindling tax base, and I cannot put the city into a situation where it would jeopardize having to raise taxes on the residents once again,” Denne said.
"Yes, they're living within their means right now, but at what cost? The cost of public safety,” Novosel explained.
The city said there’s more of a cost than what the grant covers.
"It's not just the salary costs. You also have a benefits cost, you also have a pension cost, you also have FICO, workman's comp, I mean it increases sufficiently. It’s not as easy as just benefits and salary,” Denne said.
"Down the road after the two year period is up, they could re-evaluate if there was a need to make changes at that point, obviously, if there is a need to do so,” Novosel said.
The window of opportunity may look good now, but when the grant runs dry, the options could be limited.
"Yes, it covers for those two years, but what happens after those two years to the individuals? Would we have to raise taxes to cover those individual's working gear?” Denne questioned.
"We'll keep looking, and we'll keep trying to do what's out there to try and keep everyone safe, the citizens and the firefighters,” Novosel said.
The department said after tonight’s meeting it’s not expecting the city to apply, and its efforts may be at a standstill for now, but there’s always next year.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:15:51 -0500
For the last 15 years, Clearfield-Jefferson Mental Health/Mental Retardation has been providing services at the Clearfield and Jefferson County jails.
Bill Mendat of Clearfield-Jefferson MH/MR said it recently received a grant for more than $496,000.
Mendat said that the grant will help launch a new program called "March to start."
Mendat said that this program is similar to the "Right turn program," it has been offering for some time.
Clearfield-Jefferson MH/MR has provided services to those incarcerated at county jails.
Mendat said that MH/MR provides services to people who have recurring substance abuse. MH/MR also treats those who are incarcerated or who have mental illnesses.
Mendat said that all of its clients that are incarcerated go through a screening that determines whether they can be helped.
As "March to start" gets ready to kick off, Mendat said that this program will also provide housing for inmates once they are released back into society.
Mendat said that often inmates don't have a family to turn to and don't have a place to stay after they serve their time.
This grant from the Department of Justice will provide housing and it will also help reduce recidivism in the county, said Mendat.
Mendat said he expects the program to initially help 20 people who are incarcerated. He said that they will screen for 10 inmates at each the Clearfield and Jefferson County jail.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:41:05 -0500
The Department of Welfare is just one of many departments that has faced cuts statewide.
For Fayette Resources, every year it is figuring out ways to work with what it has.
And what it has, seems to be decreasing every year.
Regis Lizor, director of programming at Fayette Resources, said that when Gov. Tom Corbett was campaigning for office he said that his priority was to continue to provide help for those with disabilities.
Employees at Fayette Resources said that they still have not seen any help, rather, just more cuts.
Fayette Resources provides services throughout Clearfield, Jefferson, Elk and Indiana counties.
They provide services solely to people with multiple disabilities.
Throughout the four counties, they have 21 group homes, four day programs, 38 life-sharing families and nearly 200 employees.
Lizor said that their services help those that need help.
Most of the people that use their services live at home, and coming to something such as the day program gets them out and about daily.
Lizor said that in November 2011 they were told that they would be facing 6 percent in cuts. When it actually went into effect, they saw 11 percent cuts to their budget.
As Corbett weighs his options for the next budget, Lizor said that he and other employees at Fayette Resources are worried.
To provide adequate services, and to stay in compliance with state regulations, one staff member can help six disabled adults.
Lizor said that the need for assistance is growing, so its organization has a staff of nearly 200 employees that work throughout the four counties.
Lizor said that if they see any more cuts, they are looking at major setbacks. He said that those setbacks may include letting go some employees, or even turning away people that need help.
In Clearfield County,there are three, day programs that help dozens of disabled adults.
The day program in Dubois sees an average of 20 adults Monday through Friday.
The other two programs across the county also see a few dozen adults. One employee added that its program in Punxsutawney caters to 43 adults daily at its facility.
Lizor explained the need to continue to provide services is important.
He and another worker added that for some of these adults, this is the only time they get to go outside. It is also the only time they get to interact with others with similar disabilities.
Lizor said that day programs also enable family members that take care of the disabled a chance to have a break during the day.
Fayette Resources is hoping that it can sway Corbett's decision in possibly announcing more cuts.
Lizor and Fayette Resources encourages neighbors to contact local officials and state legislatures voicing concerns.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:34:21 -0500
The flames were intense as they swallowed an apartment building in Portage at the end of last month. Main Street has been closed since the fire as officials decided what to do with the building.
On Wednesday, demolition crews took their first hit at those buildings and it appears that they're finally on their way down -- but not before creating a huge inconvenience for residents and businesses in the borough.
6 News was there last month when fire ripped through three buildings along Main Street in Portage borough. But two weeks later, the road is still closed. A detour takes traffic around the town, not only causing an inconvenience for drivers, but also for residents.
"People are going to end up in accidents for sure," said David Hayes, who lives along the detour. "Just thetraffic, just trying to get around here is ridiculous."
And local businesses tell 6 News the detour is hurting them.
"Come Wednesday morning when the road was shut down, my lunch crowd hadn't showed up and we just lost a lot of business the last two weeks," said Craig Mazzarese, owner of Mazz's Pizza. "It's been a rough couple of weeks."
Mazz's is located in the heart of it all. Mazzarese said traffic has been so bad, he's put up signs. He also said he's afraid someone is going to get hurt.
"The traffic just comes down the ally nonstop," said Mazzarese. "You can't get people to slow down. My customers are afraid to pull in and out, afraid their vehicles will be damaged or run over by a car."
According to Portage Borough Manager Robert Koban, there are several steps to follow before beginning a demolition and that's why it's taken so long.
"Fortunately or unfortunately, it just takes time," said Koban. "But I would like to note that every party involved, including the property owner, insurance companies, even the demolition company, as of today, has been working very diligently to make this process happen."
On Wednesday, after two weeks of waiting, crews started to tear the buildings down. As residents gathered to watch, they told 6 News they couldn't be happier.
Koban told 6 News it should only take a few days before the buildings are knocked down, but it's the cleanup that could take a couple more weeks.
He said Main Street will reopen as soon as it's safe to do so
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:42:18 -0500
INDIANA, Pa. --
State police are meeting with the FBI and Internal Revenue Service to determine whether federal prosecutors will take over the case of a man charged with embezzling nearly $1 million from a gas drilling firm in Indiana County.
Online court records don't list an attorney for 51-year-old Larry Winckler, of Indiana, who's been in the Indiana County Jail since Monday on charges he stole the money from Falcon Drilling in Rayne Township.
Police said the company's controller told police that Winkler ordered her to write him a check in 2005 when he "desperately needed money" and that he's since siphoned up to $5 million from the firm.
Trooper John Matchik said federal authorities may take over the investigation because of its scope.
Winckler is charged with stealing $955,000 found missing so far.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:30:31 -0500
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. --
One of Johnstown's busiest bridges is back open to traffic.
The Hickory Street Bridge was closed more than three weeks ago after an inspection found corrosion under the bridge deck.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials determined it was easier to complete the repair work with the bridge shut down rather than trying to work around a lane closure.
Weight restrictions on the 75-year-old bridge were lowered after the repairs.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:24:58 -0500
CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. --
Cambria County commissioner said they have come up with a fair and balanced budget with no tax increases.
Since taking office in January, the new board of commissioners has worked to cut spending from the 2012 spending plan, which was approved at the end of December.
Commissioner Doug Lengenfelder said, "Even though the previous budget had $670,000 coming in as revenue for the Day Reporting Center, we all know that the Day Reporting Center isn't even built yet. And so we took a look at it and said, 'Is this realistic? Is it really realistic to expect this type of revenue?'"
There were cuts in the $56 million budget, but Lengenfelder said there were savings, too. He said he and other commissioners restructured their expenses and asked county managers to make a 5 percent cut.
With all of the adjustments made, the commissioners were able to cut $1.2 million. Lengenfelder said, however, that there isn't really a full $1.2 million because some of that money will go toward restructuring the revenue portion of the budget.
He said commissioners plan on working on next year's budget much earlier to figure out where the money is going and how it's being spent.
They also decided on a 2 percent pay increase for management this year. Lengenfelder said commissioners did this to avoid what they call an inverted pay scale, which is where people who are working are receiving more than the managers.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:19:48 -0500
BLAIRSVILLE, Pa. --
State police are trying to figure out who abandoned a portable methamphetamine lab in a picnic cooler along a busy highway.
Police said a trucker reported the cooler along U.S. Route 22 near Blairsville, and troopers have determined it was likely left there between 4:30 p.m. Monday and 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant, can be cooked using various volatile chemicals and the ingredients in some over-the-counter cold medicines.
Trooper Steve Limani, spokesman for the Greensburg barracks, says this portable lab was "definitely functional. It was missing two different ingredients."
Limani said anyone could have begun cooking the drug immediately if they had those unspecified ingredients.
Police aren't sure if the lab was left there for someone else to pick up or whether someone dumped it there because they feared being caught with it.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:41:42 -0500
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. --
Police are searching for three men who broke into a Johnstown house and badly beat a woman while her children were home.
The incident happened on Horner Street in Johnstown. A witness told police that three masked men broke into the home, pointed guns at the woman, then beat her while demanding information.
Another woman in the home was able to hide with the children.
Police said the men may have been searching for someone who fled just before the break-in.
According to police, suspect Cartina Albany showed up and joined in during the beating, demanding to know where something was.
Albany is facing burglary and assault charges, while police are still searching for the three men.
Anyone with information is asked to call police.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:28:01 -0500
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. --
A Johnstown man is facing close to 50 charges after police said he sexually assaulted a young girl nearly 13 years ago.
Albert Baldish Sr., 48, was arraigned Tuesday.
Police said Baldish sexually assaulted a young girl for a period of six years, starting in 1993. Police said the assaults started when the girl was 9 years old.
Police said the victim was forced to perform sex acts with Baldish on a daily basis, and was sometimes taken out of school to be with him.
When the victim was 15 years old and in ninth grade, police said she finally told someone at school about the alleged sexual abuse.
Cambria County Children and Youth Services removed her from the home, but according to police, when questioned, the victim was too terrified to say anything.
The victim is now almost 30. Police said it's not unusual for victims of sexual abuse to wait a long period of time to come forward.
"A lot of times the victims need to mature and understand that a crime was committed against them," said Johnstown Police Chief Craig Foust. "As they get older, they get influences from outside family members and friends that gives them the strength and courage to finally come forward even after they're an adult."
Baldish posted his $50,000 bond Tuesday. Stay with 6 News, WJACTV.com and WJACTV.com Mobile for continuing coverage.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:26:25 -0500
A local woman grabbed the attention of the Facebook world by creating a page standing up for a big-name celebrity.
Cathie Miller of Everett created a page to stand up for talk show host Ellen DeGeneres when a group of moms petitioned her JCPenney endorsement.
The group wanted the department store to fire Ellen as their spokesperson, but Miller said, not so fast.
Her page is steadily gaining support with nearly 200,000 ‘likes’ in just under a week. She said she’s standing up for what she believes in.
“It's a great feeling to know that I made a difference and can support people, because I don't believe that we should judge people based on their lifestyle as far as who they prefer to marry, or be with, or their race, or anything else about them,” Cathie Miller said.
Miller said she would love if Ellen saw the page to see all the support she has, and wouldn’t mind going on the show to show it to her herself.
The link to the page is: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/1-Million-people-who-support-Ellen-for-JC-Penney/171435642966371
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:15:40 -0500
Somerset County is proposing a new policy for its arraignment procedure. Some county officials are in support, but smaller police departments said it’s going to create problems with manpower.
It’s not in effect yet, but this policy could change the way people are arraigned if arrested after a certain time at night.
The proposal on the table is if any arrests are made after 10 p.m., those charged would be arraigned the following morning.
If this policy goes through, those arrested will be taken to the county jail until the next day. Homicide would be the only exclusion to the policy.
The Daily American reports that the district attorney said the burden will be taken off police departments and put on those that were arrested, but for smaller departments like Shade Township, it said it will only create more problems for the little staffing they already have.
“It's going to affect me very badly because I don't have the manpower, nor will the elected officials authorize the extra pay to keep extra officers doing the arraignment, and what not, for them,” Shade Township Police Chief Tom Holand said.
The chief said his three part-time officers are only guaranteed eight hours, and all of their work must be completed within that time frame. He said the mileage to the jail and back would also cost the township more money.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:15:02 -0500
Residents in Somerset County could soon have a newly formed community.
The mayor of Windber Borough has proposed an idea that would take several municipalities and consolidate them into one.
The municipalities include Scalp-Level, Ogle and Paint townships along with Paint and Windber boroughs. All are only about a mile apart from each other in Somerset County, and that's why Mayor Simon Ohler wants to consolidate them.
"We just happen to be a unique community where we are close," said Ohler. "It would work for us."
Students from all five municipalities already attend the same district, Windber Area, and the police departments have recently combined.
"They're a bigger police force and, when they want grants, they listen to you right away and all the municipalities would save money. The borough would save a lot of money," said Ohler. "I think we can carry this over into being one municipality."
While Ohler said consolidation would be a huge cost savings, he said he doesn't feel cutting jobs would be necessary.
"This isn't a business. This is a government," said Ohler. "You have to have people to operate equipment, you'll have to have different kinds of equipment, so it's not a matter of losing jobs, you'll gain jobs out of it."
Ohler said he's been in talks with the leaders of the other municipalities as well as the residents, and said everyone seems to agree.
"Most people think it would be a good idea, and it's time. That's the key word," said Ohler. "From the conversations that I get from the people and the elected officials, it is a win-win situation."
Ohler said he hasn't heard from anybody who disagrees with the idea, but he said there will be public hearings in the near future, and he hopes that people will attend and voice any concerns they might have.
If the consolidation were to happen, it's still about two years away.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:03:07 -0500
Move over, estrogen. There's a new theory that helps explain why men are more likely than women to get heart disease.
A new study shows that some men may inherit a higher risk for heart disease directly from their fathers.
The finding is significant in the world of genetics because it ties heart disease risk to the male Y chromosome. Previous studies have suggested that the Y chromosome, which carries relatively few genes, has little to do with inheritance beyond conferring male sex characteristics.
“It gives a completely new role for the Y chromosome,” says Lisa Bloomer, MSc, who made the discovery as a third-year PhD student in the department of cardiovascular sciences at the University of Leicester in the U.K. “It changes a lot of how we see genetics and the sex chromosomes and how important they are.”
A Visual Guide to Heart Disease
For the study, which is published in The Lancet, an international team of researchers analyzed DNA from more than 3,000 men in the U.K.
In particular, they looked at 11 regions on the Y chromosome. Because the Y chromosome has not changed much over time, scientists can use these regions to determine a person’s ancestry. In genetics, people with shared ancestry belong to the same haplogroup. There are thought to be about 30 haplogroups worldwide.
Researchers found that men who developed heart disease were more likely to belong to the same haplogroup -- haplogroup I -- compared to men who stayed healthy. In fact, being a member of haplogroup I raised a man’s risk for heart disease by about 50% compared to men of different backgrounds.
That risk remained even after researchers took into account traditional risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and obesity.
Haplogroup I was the third most powerful predictor that men would develop heart disease, behind their HDL, or “good,” cholesterol levels, and whether or not they were taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. Experts estimate that about 20% of men in Europe and 10% of men in the U.S. belong to haplogroup I.
The lineage is more commonly found in northern European countries, like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and it becomes less frequent in southern countries including Spain, France, and Italy.
“You see kind of a gradient in Europe between the North and the South,” Bloomer says. “Many more people in the North have this group than in [the] South, and you have many more people getting coronary artery disease in the North of Europe than in the South.”
Beyond the association between heart disease and haplogroup, researchers went one step further. They looked to see if the activity of certain blood cells was different between ancestral groups. They found that genes related to the development of atherosclerosis -- hardening of the arteries -- were more active in men who belonged to haplogroup I. There were other key differences related to inflammation and immune function.
“The sex chromosomes matter in terms of disease,” says Virginia M. Miller, PhD, a professor of physiology and surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Miller, who studies sex differences in heart disease, wrote a commentary on the new findings, but she was not involved in the research.
She says the new findings mean that family history may be a stronger predictor of heart disease risk for men than for women.
“You may have a family history, but this paper says it matters if it’s from your father’s side and you’re a man,” she says.
Some heart disease risk calculators, like the widely used Framingham Risk Score, don’t account for family history or whether it comes from the mother’s or father’s side, she says. If further research confirms the findings of this study, Miller thinks they will probably need adjusting.
“We need to broaden our scope in terms of what is the individual risk and really personalize it for people in terms of managing their own health,” she says.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:02:08 -0500
SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. --
Pennsylvania State Police in Somerset are investigating a break-in at a medical office in Stoystown Borough.
Officials said someone smashed the front door glass at the Medical Associates Of Boswell office just before midnight. A plate-glass window inside the office was also broken.
It was still unclear as of noon Tuesday if anything was stolen until office personnel take inventory.
Anyone with information is asked to call police.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:04:13 -0500
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. --
Penn State University says it's spent more than $3 million on lawyers, consultants and public relations firms in response to the child sex-abuse allegations against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
The university posted a breakdown of its related costs Monday as it unveiled a new website, part of an effort to provide more information to the public.
Through December, the university had spent $2.5 million on crisis communications and on an internal investigation led by the Freeh Group.
It's also reporting having spent about $470,000 on university legal services, and more than $210,000 for the legal defense of former Vice President Gary Schultz, former President Graham Spanier and Tim Curley, on leave as athletic director.
Curley and Schultz await trial on charges of perjury and failure to report abuse, which they deny. Spanier hasn't been charged with any crime.
Other investigations have cost it more than $50,000.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:57:56 -0500
PITTSBURGH --
A coalition of environmental and community groups say they plan to file a new lawsuit against an Indiana County power plant.
The Sierra Club and Earthjustice said in a statement Monday that the Homer City Generating Station, the state's second-largest coal plant, is violating clean air standards. The groups claim the plant released more sulfur dioxide last year than any plant in the nation.
A federal judge in Pittsburgh dismissed another pollution lawsuit against the plant last year, saying some claims were too old while others were superseded by state and federal laws.
California-based Edison Mission Energy said last month that it plans to add $700 million in pollution control equipment to the plant.
Edison spokesman Charley Parnell told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the company can't comment on potential litigation.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:52:07 -0500
HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Pa. --
A Huntingdon County man was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl.
Mount Union Borough police arrested 53-year-old Timothy Neely at his apartment on Federal Drive.
Neely is charged with 13 felony counts, including aggravated indecent assault of a minor and possession of child pornography.
Police said the incident happened in November with a girl who knew Neely.
Neely remains in jail with bail set at $50,000. A hearing is set for next week. Stay with 6 News, WJACTV.com and WJACTV.com Mobile for continuing coverage.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:48:16 -0500
HARRISBURG, Pa. --
Gov. Tom Corbett's signature is on three key bills for Pennsylvania's energy sector, including one that would require Marcellus Shale natural gas drillers to help fund various state and local government programs.
Corbett signed the bills yesterday.
The gas-drilling bill also would toughen safety standards and limit the ability of local officials to keep drilling out of their towns.
Money paid by the drillers could provide millions of dollars to help build a massive petrochemical refinery in southwestern Pennsylvania and the reuse of three Philadelphia-area oil refineries that are shutting down.
Such facilities may also qualify for tax breaks for 10 or 15 years under a second bill Corbett signed. A third bill he signed allows public utilities to charge ratepayers upfront for improvements to power lines and pipelines.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:23:58 -0500
SMICKSBURG, Pa. --
An Amish man has died of burns suffered in an Indiana County house fire that killed one of his young sons and critically injured another.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Tuesday that 29-year-old Ervin Hostettler Sr. died Sunday at a Pittsburgh hospital where he'd been treated since the fire Jan. 24.
Hostettler Sr. and his 5-year-old son, Andy, both suffered third-degree burns to 50 percent of their bodies when a wood-burning stove exploded while he was trying to restart it with kerosene.
Another boy, 4-year-old Ervin Jr., died of burns the day after the fire.
Andy Hostettler's condition has been upgraded from critical to stable condition at UPMC Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh.
The family's house is located in West Mahoning Township.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:08:47 -0500
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