News Headlines

SHUSTER TO HAVE NOVEMBER OPPONENT

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:15:00 GMT

Congressman Bill Shuster, whose 9^th District will include all of Indiana County after the November general election, will have an opponent, albeit a longshot one, on the ballot.

40-year-old Franklin County resident Karen Ramsburg received more than the required 1,000 write-in votes in last month’s primary election and will be listed as the Democrat Party candidate opposite the Republican Shuster. Ramsburg is a nurse from Mercersburg who ran independently in the primary. She earned 1,643 confirmed write-in votes, with Washington County still to report.

Shuster attempted to lock down the election in the primary with a “Democrats for Shuster” campaign, but even if he were to get all 183 write-in votes from Washington County, he would not be able to overtake Ramsburg.

DRUG OPERATION DETAILED, MORE SUSPECTS NAMED

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:01:00 GMT

New details are emerging in the large-scale drug trafficking ring that was busted up this week, and many of the now-fifteen suspects are from Indiana County. It was headquartered locally in Johnstown and in Burrell Township, and operated in Cambria, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties. Authorities say in court documents that the ringleader was Kenneth “Kane” Carter of Detroit, Michigan. His chief “supervisor” in this area was 36-year-old DeWann Macon of Blairsville, who goes by the nickname “Woods”.

The so-called “stash house” in Johnstown is the home of another ringleader, 20-year-old Jelina “Gino” Cook, who would drive the drugs, including heroin and oxycontin, to this area from Detroit and package it for resale. Macon would be driven to Johnstown to get drugs to operate a stash house at his place on Stoney Run Road in Burrell Township. Macon and Cook made $1,000 a week salary from Carter and Macon paid drivers $50 to take him back and forth to Johnstown.

Other suspects in the drug operation include four more people with Blairsville addresses: 35-year-old Heather Bush, 19-year-old Clifford Camut Jr., 39-year-old Kimberly Cassidy, and 46-year-old Joan Janick. A familiar name in criminal cases in the area is also listed as a suspect in this case: 19-year-old David McGinnis Jr. of Bolivar. Others under arrest are 32-year-old Amanda Overly of Robinson, 22-year-old Brian Davenport of New Florence, 20-year-old Holly Thomas of Derry, 21-year-old Arley Earhart of Latrobe and 26-year-old Ethan Earhart of Derry, and Chivon Buttrom and Megan Holton of Detroit.

The Pennsylvania suspects are all scheduled in U.S. District Court in Johnstown today for detention hearings.

BLAIRSVILLE-SALTSBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT APPROVES PRELIMINARY BUDGET

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:17:00 GMT

The Blairsville-Saltsburg School Board approved a preliminary budget for the 2012-2013 school year in the amount of $30,188,135. The millage rates proposed are 126.34 mills for Indiana County and 109.86 mills for Westmoreland County. Those numbers reflect no tax increase... and there will also be no increase in student lunch prices next school year. The public can review the proposed budget at the district's Business Office until June 20th, when the directors are expected to take a final vote on it.

In other business, the directors also approved the acceptance of the $852,662 Keystone to Opportunities/Striving Readers Grant the District received from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and also approved one-year supplemental contracts for a number of positions for the 2012-2013 school year, which include contracts for basketball coaches. Head Coaches for next school year will be Todd McGee for the Blairsville Boys, Ralph McGinnis for the Blairsville Girls, Don Stitt Sr. for the Saltsburg Girls, and Jeff Clawson for the Saltsburg Boys.

FEDS RELEASE NAMES OF DRUG DEFENDANTS IN THREE-COUNTY INVESTIGATION

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:08:00 GMT

Federal prosecutors have released the names - but not the addresses – of the twelve suspects arrested in a drug sweep that involved dealers in Cambria, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says ten of the defendants will have detention hearings in Johnstown tomorrow, and prosecutors hope to hold all ten in custody. They are DeWann Macon, Jelina Cook,CliffordCamut Jr., Chivon Buttrom, Brian Davenport, Kimberly Cassidy, Arley Earhart, Ethan Earhart, Joan Janick, and Holly Thomas.

Two other suspects, Kenneth Carter and Megan Holton, are being held in Detroit, Michigan, pending their transfer to Pennsylvania.

The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Haines.

The feds still have not released any details on the investigation, other than to say it is a “large-scale drug trafficking scheme”. In addition to the FBI, investigating agencies included the drugs task forces from Cambria, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties, state police, the state Attorney General, and the district attorneys from Cambria and Indiana counties.

IRMC NET OPERATING MARGIN UP SLIGHTLY IN FISCAL 2011

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:47:00 GMT

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council has completed its annual report on the financial health of hospitals across the state, finding an overall increase in operating margin of 1.67 percent over 2010. As a group the state’s hospitals had a 6.93 percent margin in 2011.

Indiana Regional Medical Center showed net patient revenue of about $130 million in fiscal 2011, an increase of $4 million from the year before. Over three years, IRMC has shown a revenue increase of 4.11 percent. However, operating expenses are up 5.9 percent over those same three years. IRMC’s expenses in fiscal 2011 were $135 million, an increase of $5 million from the year before. With the operating margin off by .26 percent last year, it was the hospital’s other sources of revenue that kept it in the black, with a total margin of 1.37 percent. Over three years, the total margin is off by 1.04 percent.

A sign of the times for the region…IRMC’s percentage of care for which it received no compensation increased 2.92 percent last year. Medicare paid 48.21 percent of its net patient revenue and medical assistance took care of 7.16 percent. That means that only 44.63 percent of the compensated care provided by IRMC in fiscal 2011 was paid for by insurance or out-of-pocket payment.

TRAFFIC TO BE STOPPED TODAY ON 422 IN WHITE TOWNSHIP

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:52:00 GMT

PennDOT says that traffic be stopped periodically today on Route 422 beneath the Route 119 bypass in White Township. The stoppages are for the erection of beams on the project to rehabilitate the 119 North bridge, and will last from 7 AM until the beams are installed. It is best if you avoid the area altogether as traffic will back up while it is stopped on the heavily-traveled highway. The delays will be lengthy and the work will most likely take all of today and maybe part of tomorrow.

The $6.9 million bridge project on Route 119 was made necessary when a truck on 422 hit the bridge several years ago. The bridges on the divided highway are not only being rehabilitated, they’re being raised to allow for more clearance underneath. The project is scheduled for completion in mid-October.

IUP NAMES VP OF RENAMED DIVISION OF UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:05:00 GMT

IUP has changed the name of its Division of University Relations to the Division for University Advancement, and has named William Speidel (III) as its vice president. Interim IUP President David Werner made the appointment – effective May 1^st - in consultation with incoming university president Michael Driscoll. Speidel will also oversee the Office of Alumni Relations and the Advancement Services area and serve as liaison to the Foundation for IUP.

Speidel came to IUP in February of last year as the associate vice president for development, and has been head of the Divison of University relations since last August. Previously, he was director of development at UPMC’s Passavant Hospital Foundation, and he has served in adminstrative positions at Butler County Community College and at Clarion University.

His new duties will include the direction of a comprehensive fundraising program, including annual giving, major gifts, prospect research, donor relations, and atheltics giving. Private gifts to IUP the last three years have averaged $5.2 million.

DRUG OPERATION BUSTED IN CAMBRIA, INDIANA, WESTMORELAND

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:45:00 GMT

Very little information has been released yet on a police crackdown on what is being described as a “large-scale drug operation” that had been going on in Cambria, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties.

Twelve people were taken into custody, ten of them in this area, in an action announced yesterday by U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton. Ten of the twelve suspects were in U.S. District Court in Johnstown yesterday for preliminary appearances, and detention hearings for all ten are scheduled for Friday. The other two suspects are being held in Detroit, Michigan.

ACCIDENT PROMPTS POLICE WARNING TO MOTORCYCLISTS

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

The unusual circumstances of a motorcycle crash over the weekend have prompted state police to issue a warning to riders who travel in large cycling groups.

The accident happened at the intersection of Routes 210 and 422 in Plumcreek Township. Armstrong County, near Elderton. Police say a very large group of riders came to the traffic light and several members tried to stop traffic to allow their group to continue together, ignoring the light. 53-year-old David Amorose of Pittsburgh suffered major injuries when his cycle ran the red light and collided with a vehicle. The other driver has not been publicly identified. Amorose was flown by helicopter to UPMC Prebyterian.

Police warn motorcyclists that it is against the law to attempt to stop or control traffic so the entire group can proceed together.

MARION CENTER SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO RESOLVE LAWSUIT

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:56:00 GMT

At a special budget meeting, the Marion Center School Board voted to resolve a lawsuit that was filed after the closure of two elementary schools.

The lawsuit, which was filed by the group Marion Center Concerned Taxpayers, and included board members Lori Marshall and Keith Isenberg. As we've reported here on your hometown radio station, the lawsuit sought to force the district to keep open the Creekside-Washington and Canoe-Grant elementary schools, which closed at the end of the school year in June 2010.

At last night's board meeting, officials say the board voted 6 to 1 to resolve the litigation, along with 2 members abstaining. Officials say the plaintiffs and the school district came to an agreement on the suit, but details aren't being released at this time.

In other business, the board received on update on the district's budget. Officials say the state is still reporting better than expected tax revenue. They plan to vote on a preliminary budget at next week's regular meeting.