THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2008

HOUSE FIRE IN BLAIR COUNTY

AN EARLY MORNING HOUSE FIRE IN LAKEMONT, BLAIR COUNTY. THE BLAZE BROKE OUT SHORTLY BEFORE 3AM ON THE 500 BLOCK OF LOGAN BOULEVARD. 4 PEOPLE ESCAPED SAFELY. NO OTHER DETAILS HAVE BEEN RELEASED.

LOCAL AIRMAN KILLED

THE AIR FORCE SAYS AN AIRMAN FROM LEWISTOWN IS ONE OF 6 CREW MEMBERS KILLED IN A B-52 BOMBER CRASH OFF THE COAST OF GUAM MONDAY. 25 YEAR OLD FIRST LIEUTENANT JOSHUA SHEPHERD WAS A NAVIGATOR WHO GRADUATED FROM LEWISTOWN AREA HIGH SCHOOL IN 2001 AND EARNED HIS DEGREE FROM PENN STATE IN 2005. HE WAS MARRIED AND THE FATHER OF 2 LITTLE BOYS. A MEMORIAL SERVICE IS BEING PLANNED AT BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE IN LOUISIANA, WHERE THE SHEPHERD FAMILY LIVED.

STABBING IN PORT MATILDA

AN ATTEMPTED MURDER LAST NIGHT NEAR THE PORT MATILDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN CENTRE COUNTY. STATE POLICE SAY 20 YEAR OLD RICHARD BARGER STABBED 30 YEAR OLD RYAN MORGAN MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE CHEST, ARMS, BACK, AND ABDOMEN. MORGAN SUSTAINED DAMAGED TO HIS HEART REGION PLUS A COLLAPSED LUNG. HE WAS TREATED AT MOUNT NITTANY MEDICAL CENTER IN STATE COLLEGE, THEN TRANSFERRED TO ALTOONA REGIONAL TRAUMA CENTER. POLICE BELIEVE BARGER HAD BEEN ASKING OTHER PEOPLE TO HELP HIM ASSAULT MORGAN. BARGER IS IN THE COUNTY JAIL.

FOOTBALL PLAYER PLEADS GUILTY

FORMER PENN STATE WIDE RECEIVER CHRIS BELL WILL NOT HAVE TO GO TO JAIL AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO TERRORISTIC THREATS YESTERDAY IN CENTRE COUNTY COURT. POLICE SAY BELL THREATENED A TEAMMATE WITH A KNIFE BACK IN APRIL AT A CAMPUS DINING HALL. THE DEAL CALLS FOR 2 YEARS OF PROBATION, BUT JUDGE BRAD LUNSFORD HAS ORDERED A PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATION INTO BELL’S PAST BEFORE HANDING DOWN A FORMAL SENTENCE. AFTER THE INCIDENT, JOE PATERNO KICKED BELL OFF THE TEAM.

DRUG DEALER CONVICTED

A BLAIR COUNTY JURY YESTERDAY CONVICTED CYNTHIA WISSINGER OF ALTOONA OF CONSPIRACY TO SELL CRACK COCAINE AND DELIVERY OF DRUGS. WISSINGER FACES A MINIMUM OF 9 YEARS IN A STATE PRISON BECAUSE THE SALES OCCURRED NEAR WRIGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND BECAUSE SHE USED HER 17 YEAR OLD NEPHEW TO DELIVER DRUGS. SENTENCING IS SET FOR OCTOBER 23^RD.

FBI INVESTIGATES LOCAL ROBBERIES

3 RECENT ARMED ROBBERIES…AND THE FBI THINKS THE SAME MAN MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE. THE FIRST HOLDUP WAS JUNE 30^TH WHEN A MAN WITH A GUN ROBBED THE DOLLAR GENERAL STORE IN CLYMER, INDIANA COUNTY. JULY 12TH, A MAN WITH A KNIFE HELD UP THE S&T BANK IN DUBOIS, CLEARFIELD COUNTY. AND ON MONDAY, A MAN ROBBED THE COMMUNITY FIRST BANK IN PUNXSUTAWNEY, JEFFERSON COUNTY, BUT DIDN’T SHOW A WEAPON. THE SUSPECT IS DESCRIBED AS WHITE, IN HIS MID 20’S TO EARLY 30’S, ABOUT 6 FEET TALL, WITH A TONED OR MUSCULAR BUILD. HE WEARS A LONG SLEEVED SHIRT. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, CALL THE LOCAL POLICE.