Published: March 25, 2008 11:19 pm         

In brief

Catholics invited to make video for pope

For those who can’t be at the April 17 Papal Mass in Washington, D.C., the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is making another opportunity available to greet Pope Benedict XVI.

Catholics in the eight-county diocese can make 5- to 10-second video greetings to the pope, and a compilation of some will be incorporated into a 90-second video to be shown at Washington National’s Ballpark before the Mass.

Submissions should be e-mailed to Rob Egan, diocese spokesman, at regan@dioceseaj.org. The deadline is 8 a.m. Thursday.

Woman charged

in bank robbery

INDIANA – An Indiana woman was arrested Tuesday on charges that she robbed an Indiana area bank March 10 – then, police said, admitted that she not only robbed that bank but another in Indiana Borough on Sunday.

Yvonne Kennedy, 42, was arraigned before District Judge Michael Steffee of Homer City and lodged in the Indiana County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.

State police said Kennedy robbed the First Commonwealth Bank in the Regency Mall around 10:30 a.m. March 10. Indiana Borough police are investigating the robbery on Sunday at a First Commonwealth Bank on Philadelphia Street.

Wire failure causes city power outages

About 6,500 customers in downtown Johnstown and the city’s West End were left without electricity for a brief period at 4:27 a.m. Tuesday because of a wire failure between two poles off Broad Street near the Sheetz.

Penelec, by using alternate circuits, was able to restore power to all customers within 20 minutes, spokesman Denny Platt said.

Later, because of an overload in a circuit, a second outage hit, affecting 3,400 customers in the same area at 5:13 a.m., Platt said. The power was restored within 12 minutes, also through alternate circuits, Platt said.

During the outages, traffic signals also were affected, and alerts were issued by the Johnstown police and city fire department through the Cambria 911 Center.

Platt said that it’s not yet been determined what caused the failure in the wire, especially with no storms moving through the area at the time. He suggested that a previous lightning strike could have affected the wire and caused its eventual failure.

Penn Highlands holding 5K

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will hold its Spirit to Success 5K run/walk Saturday at the Richland campus. Registration will be held from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. at the college and East Hills Recreation Commission entrance. The race begins at 9.

Awards will be given to the top three male and female overall finishers. In addition, awards will be given to the top three male and female finishers based on pre-determined age groups.

Proceeds go to the college’s foundation scholarships and special projects.

Interested individuals can pre-register at a cost of $15 and are guaranteed a T-shirt. Cost at race day is $18.

Registration forms are available at www.pennhighlands.edu. More information: 262-6434.

Woman sentenced in fiance’s stabbing death

UNIONTOWN – A Fayette County woman will serve up to five years in prison for fatally stabbing her fiancé.

Sandra Cleaver, 44, of Dunbar, was sentenced Monday to the maximum penalty for her conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge.

Cleaver testified earlier this month that Larry Dale Jeffers stabbed himself in the heart in their home on July 4.

She says Jeffers had threatened suicide before, and frequently called her names during fights.

Cleaver apologized Monday and says she loved Jeffers.

Bedford County

creek cleanup set

PAVIA – A stream cleanup of Bobs Creek Watershed in Pavia, Bedford County, will be held from 8 a.m. to noon April 5.

The cleanup is being sponsored by a Recreational Equipment Inc. grant, Bobs Creek Stream Guardians/Pavia Sportsmen, Bedford County Chapter of Pa. CleanWays, and Pavia, King, Lincoln, Greenfield and East Clair townships.

Those interested in helping with the effort are asked to meet halfway between Pavia and Weyant at the “Dumpster location.”

Child workshop available for parents

SOMERSET – A workshop for child-care providers and parents titled “Science for Young Thinkers” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. April 22 at the Somerset County Cooperative Extension conference room in Partners Hall, 6024 Glades Pike.

Extension educator Dorothy Bromley will present the workshop, being sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Extension’s Better Kid Care program.

Advance registration is required by April 15 and can be made by calling the county cooperative extension office at 445-8911, ext. 7.

Registration fee is $8 per person.

Child-care providers can receive training credits, continuing education credits and Act 48 hours by participating.

Windber officials urge rail crossing safety

WINDBER – Borough officials met Tuesday with representatives of the state Public Utilities Commission to review safety improvement options for reactivated railroad crossings on Graham Avenue and 15th Street. The borough is asking the state to consider a less-expensive strobe light flasher that a consulting engineer said could reduce costs by 85 percent compared with a traditional warning system.

The state officials agreed to consider the option, while the borough continues to explore funding options, administrator Robin Gates said.

“We are all still looking into it,” she said.

In the meantime, Rosebud Mining Co. and Norfolk & Southern Railroad workers notify police before each train moves through the borough so officers can stop traffic at the crossings.

Man tried to sell stolen gun, police say

A Coopersdale man will face Cambria County Court action on charges he conspired with two other men to sell a stolen handgun for $100 of crack cocaine in mid-February.

Justin Love, 25, of the 400 block of Cooper Avenue, waived his right to a preliminary hearing last week before District Judge Michael Musulin, of downtown Johnstown.

Johnstown police said Love conspired with Lucas Allen Koch, 25, of the 400 block of Bethel Cemetery Road, New Florence, and Perry A. King Jr., 32, of the 500 block of Coleman Avenue, Johnstown, to commit the crime at a location in Coopersdale.

     

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