State police in Waynesburg said they arrested an Aleppo woman Friday after she allegedly hid a 15-year-old girl who was missing from her home in West Virginia.

Police said Teresa Jones, 40, was charged with interference with the custody of children for hiding the girl in a closet in her home.

Trooper John R. Simko took a report from the girl's father, William McClure, on Wednesday, after the teen did not come back to her home in Cameron.

McClure told police the girl was last seen at 142 Kuhn Hill Road in Aleppo. Police checked that home, and did not filed the girl there.

Simko received a tip on Friday that the girl was being unlawfully hidden at that home, and at 10 a.m., Simko and two others from the Waynesburg barracks went back to the home, police said.

Jones, 40, who lives there said she had not seen the girl, and told police the teen was not at the home, according to authorities. When police searched the home, they found the girl in a closet, police said.

The teen was returned to her father's custody.

"I have a pink flower, pink cloth and Mary,'' explained Claire Kingery, 6, of Holly Springs, N.C. "Right now, I'm putting orange glitter on a white dove.''

The children, ages 3 to 12, did the work as part of their own special pilgrimage, which has been a part of the Labor Day weekend event for at least the last 15 years. The children's pilgrimage includes these education sessions, the teaching of which is now rotated among the eparchies of Parma, Ohio, Phoenix, Ariz., and Passaic, N.J., as well as the archeparchy of Pittsburgh. This year, Parma is handling the children's pilgrimage, which is held under a tent near the House of Prayer.

The Rev. John Kachuba, director of religious education for the Eparchy of Parma, explained, "The sisters in Uniontown, as the years went on, wanted to make sure that younger people were involved. They wanted some programs for the children to do. This is part education - they learn something - and part fun.''

Kate Loya, of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Parma, is coordinating this year's children's pilgrimage, using teachers Greg Loya, Lory Nemeth and Michelle and Bob Dirda to instruct three separate age groups. They use the same theme as the general pilgrimage, "Our Lady of Compassion,'' but adapt it to the children's level of understanding.

Kate Loya explained they were working Saturday with the Sweet Kissing Icon, done by Christine Uvagas of Eikona with Nick Loya. The icon features the Blessed Mother comforting Jesus. She explained the children will also learn to make an icon corner in their home.

Claire Kingery came with her brother, Benjamin, 5, and her parents Patti and Travis. Her worktable included Julia Streidl, 6, of Parma, Ohio, who shared space with her brother Zachery, 3, and mother, Donna.

Both these families are making their first pilgrimages to Mount St. Macrina.

Donna Streidl explained her family is Roman Catholic from St. Mathias Church but has friends from St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church in Parma.

Donna Streidle said, "I'm learning the differences (between the rites) and I enjoy being here and the experience. I'm very glad we came.''

The Kingerys, who are from Ss. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Church in Cary, N.C., came with a group from their parish.

Travis Kingery said, "We started attending the Byzantine church in February or March and we thought this was a good way to get a fuller experience in the Byzantine Church.''

Patti Kingery said of the children's pilgrimage, "We take the kids to services where they have to sit still. Here they have a chance to talk about their faith and do an icon activity that's age appropriate.''

Michelle Dirda, who is teaching the 3- to 6-year-old age group, said, "They're doing very well. There's glue and glitter and that promotes happiness with this age group.''

She said the children are learning the importance of Mary and a devotion to her.

"Hopefully, this translates into them wanting to come back,'' said Dirda. "Something like this provides a unique experience for them.''

A Lemont Furnace man is facing aggravated assault and other charges after he allegedly led state police on a chase through North Union Township early Saturday.

Ryan P. Lavery, 29, was driving in the township when two troopers in a patrol car tried to pull him over for alleged traffic violations around 2:40 a.m.

Instead of stopping, Trooper Andrew S. Reith alleged Lavery ignored the emergency lights and siren and led police on a chase from Connellsville Street, and eventually onto Edison Street and North Gallatin Avenue.

Police said Lavery headed toward Oliver, and then turned around and headed back toward North Gallatin Avenue.

At the intersection of North Gallatin Avenue and Hogsett, Reith indicated that Lavery hit into the front end of a patrol car driven by Uniontown City Police Officer Jennifer Field.

Police said Lavery got out if the car near Whyel Avenue and fled on foot, but was apprehended on North Gallatin Avenue and allegedly resisted arrest.

After he was arrested, police said Lavery was taken to Uniontown Hospital "for injuries he sustained when he fell off a six foot wall."

Police said during the chase, Lavery repeatedly drove in the middle of the road and did not obey traffic signs.

In addition to aggravated assault, Lavery is also charged with fleeing and eluding and driving under the influence of alcohol.

State police in Waynesburg said they arrested an Aleppo woman Friday after she allegedly hid a 15-year-old girl who was missing from her home in West Virginia.

Police said Teresa Jones, 40, was charged with interference with the custody of children for hiding the girl in a closet in her home.

Trooper John R. Simko took a report from the girl's father, William McClure, on Wednesday, after the teen did not come back to her home in Cameron.

McClure told police the girl was last seen at 142 Kuhn Hill Road in Aleppo. Police checked that home, and did not filed the girl there.

Simko received a tip on Friday that the girl was being unlawfully hidden at that home, and at 10 a.m., Simko and two others from the Waynesburg barracks went back to the home, police said.

Jones, 40, who lives there said she had not seen the girl, and told police the teen was not at the home, according to authorities.

When police searched the home, they found the girl in a closet there, police said.

The teen was returned to her father's custody.

Cooler temperatures greeted pilgrims Saturday at the 76th annual Pilgrimage in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Mount St. Macrina near Uniontown.

Light winds and temperatures in the 60s persuaded many pilgrims to wear sweaters and light jackets as they traveled throughout the beautiful grounds of the home of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great where they attended Divine Liturgies and enrichment sessions and visited the different shrines on the property.

But Sister Seraphim Olsafsky, provincial, noted, "It's a relief after the hot, humid summer.''

Crowds have been good for the pilgrimage, which started Friday evening and will continue through Monday morning.

The pilgrims included Harry Mihalchick, 84, of Minneapolis, who has been volunteering for the Sisters of St. Basil since he was a youth.

"I used to come with my mother on a train from Minneapolis. We left at noon and got here at 2:30 in the afternoon the next day. Now, by air, it takes me an hour and a half to fly to Pittsburgh,'' he said.

George Cirka, 72, of Ambridge meets Mihalchick at the Pittsburgh airport and they travel to Mount St. Macrina in mid-August to spend weeks helping with preparations for the pilgrimage, including setting up chairs and preparing the altars and shrines. During the pilgrimage, they help deliver meals twice a day to the House of Prayer for religious and volunteers.

Mihalchick and Cirka start every day with a Liturgy at the monastery chapel, have breakfast and change for their work. But they still have time to take in pilgrimage events, such as afternoon enrichment sessions at Trinity Center where they were headed.

"I enjoy everything. This is our life,'' Mihalchick, a member of St. John Byzantine Catholic Church in Minneapolis, said of the pilgrimage.

"We call it a working retreat,'' said Cirka, a member of St. Mary Byzantine Catholic in Ambridge, who has been coming here 18 years. "We like the peace that is here.''

Many people were finding time Saturday to eat at the light lunch stand, operated during pilgrimage behind the gift shop.

Rebecca Howell of Cleveland shared a meal here with her daughter Makaylah, 4, while the rest of her family filled another table. They have been coming here about 10 years.

"It's different from everyday life,'' said Howell. "There's no TV - just quiet.''

Members of the Soroka family of Wilkes-Barre were among many pilgrims enjoying a walk at the mediation garden located between the mausoleum and St. Anne's Shrine.

The family includes Deacon Basil and Christine Soroka, their daughters Karen and Christine and their children and Basil Soroka's sister Mary Ann.

Karen Soroka Worlinsky said, "We love it here. It's very relaxing. It's nice to have family time and see people you don't see too often.''

Her mother, Christine Soroka, said, "We love it here. We can't wait. We make plans for next year before we leave. It's nice to see people you know every year and it's spiritually relaxing.''

Basil Soroka, who serves St. Mary Church in Kingston, St. John in Wilkes-Barre Twp. and St. Mary in Wilkes-Barre, said, "People who have never been here should come and experience the beauty of the pilgrimage.''

About 25 pilgrims from the Eparchy of Phoenix posed for a group photograph in front of the Shrine Altar.

Members came from Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada and included Sister Alphonsa Danovich, who has been working about two years as assistant financial officer for the eparchy and previously worked 22 years at the Vatican.

"I like the way people come and honor and praise the Blessed Mother,'' Danovich said of the pilgrimage. "And people come from afar and look up their friends.''

Bishop Gerald Dino of the Phoenix eparchy said, "We usually get quite a few people from the western eparchy. They enjoy coming here from pilgrimage. I've been coming here for close to 50 years, since I was a seminarian.''

Bob Grip, of Mobile, Ala., stepped outside the House of Prayer to talk. He serves as announcer for the pilgrimage, telling people when services and programs are about to start.

Grip, who is a news anchor for the Fox television station in Mobile, is a native of Connecticut and has been coming to the pilgrimage since he was a youth.

He said of the pilgrimage, "This is homecoming for me. It's a way to recharge our spiritual batteries. We don't have a Byzantine Catholic church in Mobile so it's a way to reconnect with my roots. My grandmother and parents were always here so when I walk around the grounds, it's a reminder of them. I always leave here feeling invigorated. In the news business, you deal with a lot of negative and this is a way to restore the balance.''

The pilgrimage continues today with more Divine Liturgies and enrichment sessions as well as the 1 p.m. children's procession and the 8 p.m. candlelight procession.

Participants in the ninth annual Festival of Lights - A Celebration of Jesus 2010 have been overwhelmed by their experience.

"God's presence is here. It's awesome,'' said Donna Stefel of Mount Pleasant.

"This is my first time being here but it's just awesome, just fabulous,'' said Pat Bryner of Connellsville.

Sponsored by World Christian Outreach Ministries of Connellsville, the Festival of Lights was held Friday and Saturday at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, located along Route 119 north of Uniontown. The conference and worship services took place in the gymnasium at the Community Center and featured nationally known speakers as well as dance workshops, pageantry and extravagant worship.

The conference, which was formerly held in November, moved to Labor Day weekend to allow participants an extra day to travel and explore area attractions. Coordinator Shirley Clawson reported Saturday morning that participants came from as far away as Canada, Michigan, Delaware, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. She said as many as 700 were at Friday's evening worship and about 400 were at the Saturday daytime conference, an increase from last year. She hoped to see more at the Saturday evening worship.

Talking about the participants, Clawson said, "I'm hoping they come out of this weekend with a greater sense of who they are in Christ Jesus and a greater sense of their Jewish roots. We've had great teaching.''

Worship leader, songwriter and Integrity Music artist Paul Wilbur, who first appeared at the 2009 event, returned as a featured speaker while "It's Supernatural'' television host Sid Roth of Brunswick, Ga., who also hosts a nationally syndicated radio broadcast called "Messianic Vision,'' came for the first time. Clawson noted that both Wilbur and Roth were well received.

Wilbur inspired the participants Saturday morning as he mixed anecdotes with lessons from the Bible.

Listening to just a segment of Wilbur's lesson, one heard Wilbur talk about God testing Abraham.

The speaker called on God to test him, but then joked, "Angels, this is for illustration only.''

Wilbur then seriously explained the difference between testing and tempting is that "the Lord tests you to graduate you.''

He said that testing is a way for someone to prove him- or herself. He also talked about showing respect and giving full attention to God.

Roth was among the people in the gymnasium listening intently to Wilbur.

Asked to comment on the weekend, Roth said, "There is a tangible presence of God in this entire auditorium and since God is here, all things are possible.''

The weekend also included workshops in interpretive and prophetic dance.

Clawson noted, "Mindy Seta, who has Messianic International Dance Camps and is from Las Vegas and goes all over the world, had a huge class this morning at 9, and Donna Zeigler (of Harmony Zelienople United Methodist Church) had a huge class in prophetic dance.''

Stefel, Bryner and Keith Krabach, also of Connellsville, and all members of World Christian Outreach Ministries operated tables with T-shirts and sweatshirts available for sale.

All spoke positively about attending the Festival of Lights with Krabach noting he was able to participate in the Friday night worship.

"It's a lot of hard work and a learning experience,'' Krabach said. "We're meeting a lot of nice people. We're all blessed.''

Dorine King of Fairchance, who operated a table with CDs and DVDs for Wilbur Ministries, said of the Festival of Lights, "It's just incredible. The power of God is felt. There are so many people from so many cultures and ethnic backgrounds who are coming together under one roof to worship God. It's like a little taste of heaven.''

The Herald-Standard will not be printed Monday because of the Labor Day holiday. The Herald-Standard's office will also be closed Monday because of the holiday. Obituaries will be taken at the normal times Monday evening. The newsroom will open Monday at 5 p.m.

The Uniontown Country Club has been sold.

Brian W. Boyle and his wife, Deborah, have purchased the club and property and will operate it under the name Bailey Lane LLC. Brian Boyle is an executive vice president at Advanced Acoustic Concepts (AAC) in the University Technology Park.

According to records in the Fayette County Recorder of Deeds office, Boyle paid $1.562 million for the real estate. Bailey Lane LLC is also on record as borrowing $1.6 million from Centra Bank, according to the recorder's office.

"As the new owners, we are excited to be part of this new venture with extensive plans to improve and add services for our members' benefit. To help us accomplish this effort, we are pleased to announce the promotion of Rich Conwell, our PGA head golf professional, to the position of general manager,'' Brian Boyle said in a press release.

According to Conwell, the club has revised its membership fee schedule to be "especially advantageous to most any young professional seeking to enjoy the many amenities planned.

Boyle extended an invitation to "our community of neighbors and friends to stop by soon and check out our friendly private club.''

Conwell said the club has hired executive chef Justin Schehr, adding renovations are planned "to expand our special event services for anyone needing gracious surroundings for weddings, parties, business meetings and so much more.''

More details about how the club will operate will be announced today at an invitation-only reception at the club, located on Bailey Lane.

In a letter to its shareholders in April, Uniontown Country Club's board of directors said that it had received an offer to buy the club.

The letter stated the club has "continued to experience a significant decline in regular members and thus in revenue. That problem has reached the critical stage in the last seven or eight months. While we continue to seek and attract new annual members, our overall membership continues to decline.

"At this point, it is clear that the club has only two ways to meet its financial condition. The first is to significantly increase the amount that members must pay, either in the form of dues or an assessment. However, past experience indicates that action would further reduce the number of members and thus it would not solve our problem.

"The second alternative is to consider selling the assets of the club. Needless to say, after 102 years of existence as a private country club, this is an extremely difficult alternative to even consider. Unfortunately, we must consider it.''

The letter said the basis of the proposal the group of members wanting to buy the club's assets was that the facility will continue to be used as a golf course with a restaurant, swimming pool and other amenities.

For many years, the club operated at a loss. "That the club has been able to continue to serve its members in spite of such losses in recent years has been possible largely because of the capital raised by the sale of class A preferred stock,'' according to the letter.

The board also said it would make it a condition of any offer that the privileges of members to use the facilities are honored for 2010 and that all debts of the club will be paid.

The probation officer for a McClellandtown man who participated in the beating death of a Monessen man has filed paperwork to revoke his federal supervision.

Michael McKoy, 44, was convicted on drug charges, and is one of several people who participated in the beating death of Michael Lucas in 1993.

The beating death made national headlines when Lucas' heart and liver were transplanted into former Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey, who later died.

McKoy was part of a drug-dealing organization run by Ronald Whethers of Edenborn, who is now serving a life sentence on drug and racketeering charges.

In paperwork filed in Western District Court, Chief Probation Officer Theodore W. Johnson indicated that McKoy was sentenced to serve 118 months in prison, and was released in February 2009.

As part of his sentence, McKoy, also known as "Fat Mike," was also ordered to serve five years on supervised release once his prison term in done.

During that time, he cannot violate state or federal laws, but Johnson alleged he did.

McKoy "admitted to Pennsylvania state parole agents that he was selling heroin and that he had sold approximately $5,000 worth of heroin in September or October 2009," according to the paperwork.

The paperwork also alleges that McKoy sold drugs to a state parolee, and when the Fayette County Drug Task Force detained him, agreed to work with them as a confidential informant.

McKoy is currently being held in the State Correctional Institution at Fayette in Luzerne Township, and will appear before U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti on Oct. 19 to determine if his probation will be revoked.

PERRYOPOLIS - Residents in Perryopolis are being advised to keep their doors and windows locked after police have received multiple reports of suspicious people in the area.

Perryopolis police said they have received multiple reports from borough residents regarding suspicious people walking around the community.

Police said that in some instances the suspicious people have tried to gain entry into area residences, but were unsuccessful.

Additionally, police said that several garages and sheds in Perryopolis have been burglarized in recent weeks.

Police said that residents should not allow a stranger access to their home and also advised residents to call Fayette County 911 to report any suspicious activity.

Residents wishing to provide police with non-emergency information can call the police department directly at 724-736-0700.

CARMICHAELS - The Flenniken Public Library is offering many programs for all age groups this fall.

Teen Game Night will be from 3-5 Friday. Game night is a program for teens that allows them complete access to the library's computers to play online games. The Wii will also be available. Refreshments will be provided.

For children interested in learning more about pollution and looking for something to do, Flenniken offers the Amazing Science Adventure Club at 11 a.m. Saturday. "We will find out about pollution through stories and science experiments," library officials stated. The Amazing Science Adventure Club meets every month on the second Saturday of the month at 11 a.m. to have fun with science and math for children in grades 1-5.

The Book Club will be meeting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14. The topic of discussion will be "The Cabinet of Curiosities" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

The Flenniken Public Library is forming a teen council. Teen council is a group of teens, grades 6th and up, who will help the library decide which materials to purchase, and what kinds of activities should be offered. The organizing meeting is at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 15.

The September library board meeting has been moved to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 15.

Flenniken Public Library also offers free computer classes. The library now offers hands-on computer training.

Since space is limited, participants must pre-register by calling 724-966-5263, or stopping by the library.

The computer classes offered are:

n Using a Mouse, Sept. 16 - Learn how to manipulate a mouse and some of the keyboard keys. It should be taken before any other class, unless the participant has prior computer experience.

n Microsoft Vista, Sept. 23 - Learn how to use the basics of Microsoft Vista.

n Microsoft Word 2007, Sept. 30 - Learn how to use Word to write letters and reports.

n Beginning Internet, Oct. 7 - Learn how to get online and find the information you need.

Sign-Up for an e-mail account, Oct. 14 - Sign up for a free Yahoo! E-mail account, and learn the basics of e-mail.

All of the above computer classes run from 2 to 3 p.m.

Library hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Library users can renew books, place holds and do research any time on the library's Internet website: www.flenniken.org.

A striking yet familiar figure can be seen this Labor Day weekend at the 76th annual Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Mount St. Macrina, located along Route 40 just west of Uniontown.

George Walter, better known to the public as Pilgrim George, is in Fayette County once more to end his annual season of walking by participating in the pilgrimage hosted each September by the Sisters of St. Basil. In fact, Walter is observing his 40th anniversary of walking, making trips each spring and summer as part of a spiritual journey that has led him around the world.

"I walk for Jesus,'' said Walter, a 69-year-old native of Glenshaw near Pittsburgh.

The quiet man is instantly recognizable for his long, white beard, denim robe and a staff that is topped with a crucifix. Walter is dressed this way as a sign of poverty and repentance.

"When people see me walking,'' he explained, "they know it's not for health or a sport, but for Jesus.''

Walter, who had once been in seminary before taking up his life as a pilgrim, talked as he took a break from his journey on a bench outside the Uniontown Public Library Friday morning on his way to Mount St. Macrina where the pilgrimage was to begin Friday night. He had been praying the rosary while enjoying a quiet moment.

A Roman Catholic who appreciates the Byzantine rite, Walter began walking when he traveled to Spain in 1970 to make a pilgrimage to a shrine dedicated to St. James, the patron saint of pilgrims, at Santiago de Compostello. Walter noted that his birthday, July 25, is also the feast day for St. James.

"In the Middle Ages, it was the third most important pilgrimage behind Rome and Jerusalem,'' he noted of Santiago de Compostello. "Pilgrims have been traveling there since the 700s and they still do.''

Walter arrived in Spain on a freighter that brought him to Barcelona on the east coast and he wanted to be on the west coast. So he walked to the shrine. And then he kept walking.

Walter traveled to Israel because he said, "I wanted to know Jesus in a deeper way.''

And he continued to walk.

His overseas treks have taken Walter through Mexico, Russia, Kazikhstan, China, Pakistan, India, continental Europe, the British Isles, Scandinavia, The Balkans, Turkey and back to Israel. He traveled through Israel in 2000 to observe the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus.

His journeys throughout the United States have included walks to California and Alaska.

Walter travels an average 1,500 miles a year, generally from May until early September.

He used to walk 15 to 20 miles a day. But after he turned 65, he slowed down to six or seven miles a day and rides the rest of the way. He depends on the kindness and generosity of strangers, who provide him with rides as well as food and water.

"I have little needs. I sleep in a tent in the woods,'' Walter said, nodding to the fold-up tent he carries with him. "If I need a ticket to cross the ocean, someone gives it to me. This summer, I walked from Houston to Santa Fe but a businessman bought me a round-trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Houston, and then I walked and rode to Santa Fe.''

When he's in the United States, Walter likes to end his season of walking by participating in the four-day pilgrimage at Mount St. Macrina before spending his winters at a Byzantine monastery in Butler.

"I enjoy being with other people who have come to spend a weekend in prayer and fellowship,'' he said. "It's like a taste of heaven because all you do is pray and listen to hymns. You put everything else aside.''

MENALLEN TWP. - Menallen Township supervisors said this week that work on Denny Road has been completed.

The road work included the replacement of a culvert pipe under a bridge on Denny Road because the walls supporting the bridge were collapsing.

The roadwork was completed in five days.

In other business at their meeting Thursday, the supervisors signed a contract to have the Fayette Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) handle animal-related matters within the township.

The Steve Courson Humane Society of Fayette County previously handled animal control issues.

The supervisors said they were not satisfied with the shelter's service and decided to choose another animal-control agency.

The contract with Fayette SPCA is in effect.

The supervisors set a tentative date for fall cleanup for the week of Oct. 18. This will coincide with the residents' garbage pick-up day. Tires, batteries, paints and toxic items are not permitted for disposal during the cleanup.

The next regular meeting of the Menallen Township supervisors is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 7.

Lori Groover-Smith, director of Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation, has announced that due to consumer requests, FACT has increased trips of the free shuttle that operates from the new transfer center at the Fayette County Business Park in South Union Township.

Groover-Smith said the shuttle schedule will begin at 8:30 a.m. on weekdays and includes three more round trips daily.

The shuttle service began on Sept. 1, when the transfer center opened for business.

The last shuttle will return to the transfer center at 5:30 p.m.

The shuttles will leave at 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., noon, 12:45 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

New schedules are available at both FACT locations and online at factbus.com. The change is effective on Tuesday.

Uniontown High School Renovations @ Yahoo! Video

"It's going to be both an exciting and challenging year," said Dr. Charles Machesky, district superintendent. "Exciting because the students are finally going to see some evidence of progress being made at all these schools and challenging because they will experience partially new and partially old buildings as the renovations continue."

At the start of the year, students and staff can expect to see some classrooms completely renovated. Additionally, Machesky said the new cafeteria is expected to be completed over Christmas break.

"The new food court will be completely functional when they return from the holiday," Machesky said. "So as we move them into that space, we can start the renovations of turning the existing cafeteria into other rooms."

Machesky said by the start of the 2011-12 school year, renovations to Ben Franklin School should be complete. The new wing, which houses four new rooms, should be completed by January 2011.

"Also by this time next year, the new Lafayette building will be constructed, so we will then be able to start some demolition of some existing space like the gym," he said.

Perhaps one of the biggest improvements students will experience academically is the upgrade in technology that comes along with the renovations. New classrooms are now equipped with smart boards and other high-tech equipment, and a mobile computer lab will be available.

"This is certainly going to be beneficial to the students. They are classrooms of the future. That's a huge plus to all of this," Machesky said. "I think the students are really going to appreciate having access to that type of equipment."

Machesky said renovations to the high school will be ongoing for the next two years. He said once the current renovations are completed at all three schools, every school in the district will have had construction improvements, with the exception of A.J. McMullen in Markleysburg.

"I believe it was time to get these projects moving. I've been waiting for a long while, and I am pleased that it's happening," Machesky said. "It's going to be an inconvenience for a while. It's not perfect conditions right now. But I think everyone will appreciate the fact of how much progress has been made so far."

CALIFORNIA - It's September and that means a new start for Jozart Center for the Arts.

The lease for the former for-profit Jozart Studio ended Aug. 31. The newly formed nonprofit group took over as of Sept. 1, never missing a beat, with the weekly Wednesday night open mike program going on as usual.

"It was a seamless transition. We were able to assume the insurance, so open mike is going on and guitar lessons are going on," said Carla Anderton, the president of the nonprofit group. "We agreed that our open mike remains substance and alcohol-free. We are committed to having a place where college kids and others can come and maintain their sobriety. We want Jozart to remain a family-friendly venue."

The new group has a six-month lease for the second-floor space at the corner of Second and Wood streets in California that has been home to acoustic music, theater productions, art shows, music lessons, movie nights and more for the past 10 years. Before the next six months are over, the new nonprofit group must decide if it will be able to make a go of things and enter into a longer lease with the building's landlord.

"The commonwealth has recognized us as an entity. That does not mean we are recognized as a nonprofit by the IRS; that's something separate," Anderton said.

The IRS recognition is important for landing grants and other financing that could be used to keep the arts center going. Meanwhile, the group is looking at other ways to raise money.

"We need to be able to cover our rent and basic expenses. Right now, they're being covered by a group of people committed to the effort. The big thing is to get the nonprofit status to begin applying for the grants," Anderton said.

A brainstorming session was held recently to come up with other projects to raise the much-needed cash and to promote the arts in the region.

"I was impressed with the range of ideas and the willingness of everyone there to take on tasks and roles to bring it to fruition. This will not be the work of one person. It has to be a collaborative effort," Anderton said.

Anderton said the first event for the new art center will be a flea market Sept. 11 and 12, so some of the miscellaneous items already at Jozart can be sold off to raise money for the new nonprofit.

Members of the public are also invited to rent space to sell their own items by contacting the studio at 724-938-9730 or e-mailing carla@jozart.com.

Anderton said the group would like to have some live music and refreshments at the flea market.

"We're also talking about having a film festival like we had a few years ago," Anderton said.

Anderton said it could possibly be a horror fest for Halloween, or something featuring movies in the public domain.

"We also talked about having some kind of jazz concert. We're all big fans of acoustic music, which is why open mike has lasted so long, but there are other types of music and we want to reach out," Anderton said.

Anderton said the group is also consulting members of the California University of Pennsylvania faculty about hosting an art exhibit as has been done in the past.

She is also looking at other arts programs in the region, including one based in Washington, Pa.

"I'm trying to get in touch with the people at WashArts. It's just a tremendous model to follow, offering workshops for children and adults," Anderton said. "We have a lot of kids around here who are home schooled, so as such, they don't have art or music classes."

Anderton said the organization welcomes anyone who may be interested in teaching art or music classes at the center and the facility remains available for rent for special occasions.

Boy Scouts are charged to "do a good turn daily."

Clarance "C.J." Harrold, 16, of Connellsville took the directive to heart as he completed his Eagle Scout project in August.

"I have been involved (in Scouting) since I was in the fifth grade, so it was five years ago," said Harrold.

Harrold said he originally became involved in Scouting with inspiration from a family member.

"I was interested in Scouting because my brother (Joseph Harrold) got his Eagle Scout a few years ago," said Harrold. "He was one of the people that inspired me to become a Scout."

Harrold, who is a member of Troop 150 in Mount Pleasant, decided to make the restoration of a picnic pavilion at Jacob's Creek Park, also in Mount Pleasant, his Eagle Scout project.

"I saw that the park pavilion needed some remodeling, and I got a hold of the proper people to ask if I could do it for my Eagle Scout project, and they said yes," said Harrold.

The first step of Harrold's restoration project was to remove staples that were used to hang signs and decorations around the pavilion.

Once the staples were removed, Harrold completed his project by staining the posts, replacing damaged boards and cleaning the area around the pavilion.

With the assistance of Jeff Stefl of Mount Pleasant, Derek Smith of Scottdale, Wayne Lockner of Connellsville and his parents, James and Mary Harrold, Clarance Harrold was able to complete his Eagle Scout project in 90 work hours.

"It feels pretty good, especially when I know it helped out the park, and it will be a lot nicer for people to have parties there," Harrold said about how it felt to finish the project.

Harrold received his Eagle Scout award on Aug. 22.

As for advice for other Scouts who would like to pursue the rank of Eagle Scout.

"My advice would be to work hard, not give up, get help from your Scoutmaster and ask other Scouts to help you," said Harrold.

FARMINGTON - Potter Phil Schaltenbrand will be the speaker for the next Friends of Fort Necessity's September Lecture Series.

The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the interpretive center's auditorium at Fort Necessity National Battlefield.

The potter, who has written and published three books, will discuss "Stoneware's Impact on Western Pennsylvania Beyond 1850-1890.'' His most recent book, "Big Ware Turners,'' will be available at the program and autographed by the author.

Schaltenbrand has been making pots since 1967. He was introduced to ceramics at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, where he earned his master's degree. He taught art for 35 years, the last 27 as a professor at California University of Pennsylvania.

For many years, Schaltenbrand created unique one-of-a-kind pieces of pottery for sale in galleries and art fairs. Research of the 19th century stoneware of southwestern Pennsylvania led him to found Westerwald Pottery. Westerwald was the first to make reproduction-customized stoneware in America. Only two companies make the blue-and- gray stoneware.

Westerwald Pottery has produced and shipped quality custom stoneware throughout the world. Its customers have included Arnold Palmer, Robert Mitchum, Hank Aaron, the DuPont family and President Bill Clinton.

As a special feature of the evening, Schaltenbrand will identify pots brought by participants. Anyone who has a pot that has been a mystery can bring it in for identification.

Friends of Fort Necessity is sponsoring Wednesday's lecture. It is free and open to the public. For more information on this and other programs at Fort Necessity, call 724-329-5512 or visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/fone.

Fort Necessity is located 11 miles east of Uniontown on U.S. 40, the National Road.

Hey, Coach! My wife and I have been married for two months, and she is on my case about not putting the toilet seat down after I am finished.

I tell her that she needs to look before she sits.

Isn't that simple common sense?

I think it is.

Why blame someone else for their own responsibilities?

How do you see this?

Signed+Up or Down

Dear Up or Down: The Coach is surprised that it took seven years (since this column's inception) to hear from someone with regards to a toilet seat, but stranger things have certainly happened in that period. To be candid, the thinking here would have been that a female would be the one asking for support with regard to this issue.

Having said all of that, congrats on your marriage, and, hopefully, it will be fruitful and successful until death due you part.

OK, here's the Coach's take on this matter -- one that may seem trivial to some.

For you, this isn't even worth arguing over.

When picking "battles" in a marriage, this should not be one of them.

You are encouraged to do whatever it takes to put the seat down after you finish your business, if that's what your wife wants.

Make a mental note, place a reminder note above the toiletor even on the toilet -- whatever works to remind you that this will make your wife happy.

Remember the saying: happy wife+happy life.

This takes basically no effort on your part, and you have an opportunity to score points, so to speak.

OK. Many guys reading this may be all over the Coach for taking the woman's side in this.

Not so fast.

For the wife and females, the Coach agrees that they have more responsibility in this because it completely pertains to them.

In fact, the writer is correct. Females should take complete responsibility for where they sit.

What this may all boil down to is if a female is used to perhaps many thousands of repetitions of sitting down without looking because the seat is always down from a previous environment, this habit may be hard to break.

But after going ka-plunk a time or two, one would think that your wife would start to make this connection to look first, just like crossing a road.

So, you are encouraged to do what your wife is asking, and your wife is encouraged to look where she's sitting.

Let's hope that this does not escalate into something far bigger.

If so, you may be headed for a very rocky marriage, with everything life is about to throw at both of you in the future. Good luck!

Hey, Coach! I heard that jogging on a treadmill is not quite as good as regular jogging.

Why would that be?

Thank you.

Signed+..Exergenie

Dear Exergenie: There are pluses and minuses at play here.

At least one minus, and it's a small thing, is that jogging on a treadmill is done in place, so to speak.

Thus, that activity is not quite as difficult as jogging where one is moving forward, all things being equal.

Some of the pluses of a treadmill are that it is not quite as hard on the lower body because of a lower impact running in place (although it's still high impact).

Another plus is that you can control the speed and incline, which is many times a good thing to do to mix it up.

Also, the treadmill comes in handy during inclement weather.

Both activities are good.

It really comes down to being nothing more than a matter of personal preference.

Coach's Comment: Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness is to stick to one thing until it gets there.

---

You can contact the Coach at askthecoach2003@yahoo.com.

The public is invited to attend a 9/11 memorial picnic at Shady Grove Park in North Union Township.

Sponsored by the Fayette Patriots, the picnic will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday and is free of charge.

Dave Show, co-founder of the recently established Fayette Patriots, said people of all political affiliations are welcome.

The picnic, according to Show, will feature a memorial remembrance for the victims of 9/11 and patriotic speeches.

Guest speakers will include Fayette County Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink and Tim Burns, Republican candidate for U.S. representative in the 12th Congressional District.

Show said other political candidates - including gubernatorial candidate and Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey - also have expressed an interest in attending the picnic but have yet to commit.

In addition, Show said the pool will be open, and hot dogs and drinks will be provided.

People attending the picnic are asked to bring a picnic basket or a favorite dish.

Show said there will be live music, children's games and re-enactors from the late 1700s present during the day.

In the evening, a campfire will be lit and there will be stories and movies, in addition to hayrides.

Shady Grove park is located off Route 119 at the Connellsville Street exit in Lemont Furnace.

Fayette Patriots, according to Show, is a diverse group comprised of Republicans and Democrats who believe there is something fundamentally wrong with the way the United States is governed.

The goal of the group is to educate people, promote the U.S. Constitution and become a political force at all levels of government.

Fayette Patriots meet at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Laurel Mall in Dunbar Township. The group is associated with the Tea Party Patriots.

For more information on Fayette Patriots or the 9/11 memorial picnic, e-mail fayettepatriots@gmail.com or call 724-620-0110 or 724-438-0417.

A pre-purchase housing seminar for prospective homebuyers will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Fayette County Community Action Agency Inc. will present the seminar, which will take place at Meadow Heights Apartments, located on North Beeson Boulevard, one block from Community Action's offices.

Kristen Radovich of the agency's housing department said the seminar isn't just for low-income residents. It is open to anyone who is interested in buying a home.

Registration and welcoming remarks will take place from 5:30 to 6 p.m.

Shelley Sharp of Howard Hanna will speak about "Selecting a Home" from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

Other speakers will address "Financing a Home." They include Mary Ellen Polosky of USDA Rural Development from 6:30 to 7 p.m.; Kim Parker of Huntingdon Mortgage Group from 7 to 7:30 p.m.; Violet Baird of First National Bank from 7:30 to 8 p.m.; and Dave Molchan of Threshold Housing Development from 8 to 8:30 p.m.

Certificates, closing remarks and questions will take place from 8:30 to 9 p.m.

For more information or to pre-register for the seminar, call Radovich at 724-437-6050, extension 3263, or Mary Jordan at extension 3244.

Birthdays

Emily Marshall, Vivian (West) Conn, Chaise Bertocci and Keith Langley celebrate their birthdays today. Other birthdays this week include: Kristi Semans Marteny, Harold West and John Oberlietner, Monday; Christine Falbo, Willis Franks and Corre Strickler, Tuesday; Sandy Masciarelli, Millie White, George Usher, Sondra Clem, Diane Koget and Jeffrey Downer, Wednesday; Chelsea Clem, Norma Pasquinelli CB, Thursday; Peggy Sizemore, Tommy Lake, Tim Kruszka and Lila Krukowsky, Friday. Lila turns 84 this year and is an avid fan of the Frazier football and basketball teams. She has been a volunteer at the Perryopolis Senior Center for 22 years. Irma Strother celebrates on Saturday.

Yolanda and John Pato will celebrate their wedding anniversary Monday.

Shirley and Joe Dutchko and Lori and Butch Clem celebrate anniversaries Wednesday.

Denise and Paul Pato celebrate their 21st anniversary Thursday, and Ann and Mike Vindivich celebrate 56 years together on Saturday.

n Friday - Dancing Under the Stars, Sampey Pavilion, from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance. Call Norene at 724-736-2133 or Pam at 724-736-0166.

n Sept. 30 - Perry Football Boosters spaghetti dinner is from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Sons of Italy. Tickets are $7 adults, $4 per child, age 12 and younger. Take-outs available. Bring your own containers.

n Oct. 2 - Stockdale Volunteer Fire Department oldies dance from 8 p.m. to midnight. Cost is $10 per person and attendance is limited to 600. Call for reservations, 724-938-7950.

n Oct. 2 and 3 - Pioneer Days at Sampey Park. Antique/collectible vendors, crafters, general merchandise vendors and organizations distributing information may contact Bob DeCroo at 724-326-8741.

n Oct. 23 - Scaryopolis from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Adult volunteers are needed to assist with the haunted hay ride. To volunteer, call Elma Sokol at 724-736-4031.

n For information on the Perryopolis Travel Club, call Ed at 724-326-4579.

n Christian Thrift Shop, Tuesdays, Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

n Perryopolis Food Bank, second Thursday of the month. Call Helen Coldren 724-736-2713 for information.

n Frazier Class of 1991 is gathering e-mail addresses, from classmates for a 20th-year reunion for 2011. Information can be e-mailed to frazierclassof91@hotmail.com.

n To rent the Sampey Park Pavilion for weddings, reunions, graduations, parties contact Bob DeCroo at 724-326-8741.

n Fairview United Methodist Church in Grindstone is seeking an organist for the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Call the church at 724-677-0828 or Karen Langley at 724-677-4503.

n Wednesday night Sons of Italy bowling starts after Labor Day. For more information, call Connie at 724-736-2534

The Frazier Community Library will reopen Tuesday at 2:50 p.m., beginning its extended schedule. New hours are as follows: Monday and Wednesday, 2:50 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 2:50 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Rev. Ed Arbogast Jr. and his wife, Joyce, recently arrived in Perryopolis from Santa Barbara, Calif. His first Sunday in the pulpit at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will be today at the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. services. Rev. Ed was born in South Charleston, W.Va., and his wife, Joyce, was born in East Prospect, so this is homecoming for both of them. They are looking forward to getting involved with the community and with working with the youth of the church. You may have seen Rev. Ed walking around town with a reddish brown dog. She's a Jindo named Zia. Jindos are a Korean breed of hunting dogs. She'll greet everyone with a wagging tail.

The Frazier Class of 1968 is collecting mailing and e-mail addresses from classmates for their 60th birthday party/reunion on Oct. 3. Addresses may be phoned to Norma and Brad Baker at 724-736-8328 or e-mailed to them at Seydor@comcast.net.

Lois Sechrist of Glassport will play her harp for the Golden Agers at their noon meeting on Sept. 14 at the Perryopolis Senior Center. If you would like to come hear Lois' concert, and eat lunch at the center, call the center at 24-736-2250 before Sept. 13 to make a reservation. Lunch is $2 and all seniors are invited.

The 22nd annual Perryopolis Pioneer Days parade will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 2. This year's parade will feature at least 11 high school marching bands. Any group or organization wishing to participate should call Rod Staggers at 724-736-0352. Rod would love to have all the groups in town represented in the parade.

In organizing the reunions, several people in the 1960's classes have suggested that the classes get together and have one reunion or a yearly picnic. The next question is what classes to include. The main thought seems to be to include every class from 1960 to 1969. If any of the organizers of the reunions would like to get together and discuss this, you can e-mail Ruthie and she will make the connections.

Car show and hog roast

The McClellandtown Volunteer Fire Department and the Summit Mountain Early Iron Car Club will hold its 39th annual "Old Fashion Car Show" and hog roast Sept. 12. This is the longest running car show in Fayette County.

The activities begin at 11 a.m., rain or shine, at the firemen's field in McClellandtown. Registration is by donation and the first 250 cars will receive a dash plaque. There is no admission fee for spectators.

Visitors can participate in a Chinese auction, 50/50 drawing and a children's coloring contest. A variety of food and refreshments, including the "hog" sandwich, will be available.

Oldies music will be provided by Joe's Dusty Discs.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the fire company and the car club. Vendors for vehicle parts and accessories only are invited.

For additional information, call 724-737-5987 or 724-737-5010.

All Saints Church will hold the final day of the 45th annual Labor Day festival today from 3 to 10 p.m. on the church grounds in Masontown.

A variety of delicious food, great entertainment and family fun will be available each evening. Church pastor, the Rev. John Butler; festival chairman, Bob Pope, and the parish family of All Saints invite everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities.

Foods featured will include the following: halushki (cabbage and noodles), holupki (stuffed cabbage), pieroghi; hot sausage sandwiches, Texas burgers, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken wings, pizza, curly fries, funnel cakes, fried dough, baked goods, ice cream and confections.

Games and activities include: golf, basketball, darts, plush pic-a-tickets, roll down, instant bingo, games of chance and raffles. A special "Kiddie Corner" features a variety of games and activities for children and the popular festival baskets will be available.

The following cash awards will be given today: $1,000; $300, $200 and four prizes of $100 each. To participate, purchase a ticket at the umbrella stand. The tickets sell for $1 each or you can purchase an entire book of 25 tickets for $20. If you purchase an entire book, you qualify to participate in a special raffle in which eight $25 bonus awards will be given today.

There will be live musical entertainment throughout the festival. Stereotype will be performing today from 3 to 5:30 and the Vibrations will be on stage from 6 to 10 p.m.

All Saints Regional School will hold its 2010 annual golf outing on Sept. 25 at Rohanna's Golf Course, Waynesburg. The cost is $85 per golfer. This includes 18 holes of golf and cart, green fees, course refreshments, continental breakfast, lunch and buffet dinner that features sliced roast beef, lemon pepper cod, stuffed chicken breast, potatoes, vegetable, salad and dessert. The dinner-only option is $25.

There will be cash prizes for the top three teams and skill prizes, for men and women, which include Tom-Tom GPS Navigation System, Sony Blu-Ray Player and Apple I-Pod Nano.

Proceeds from this event help with the school's operating budget, help to keep the price of tuition affordable for all and to allow for a few extra benefits for the students.

Registration and sponsorship information is available at www.allsaintsmasontown.org.

For more information, call the school at 724-583-2141.

The Albert Gallatin School District will hold its annual "Curriculum Night" this week. This evening serves as an opportunity to discuss the curriculum, student expectations and classroom procedures with your child's teachers, administrators and counselors.

On the date Curriculum Night is scheduled in your child's building, the school will operate on an early dismissal schedule.

Dismissal times and dates are as follows: Tuesday, AG High School will dismiss at 11 a.m.; Wednesday, North and South middle schools will dismiss at 11:45 a.m. and all elementary schools will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m. All visitations are scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m.

Masontown Matters will hold a golf outing at the Springdale Golf Club on Saturday. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m., and tee-off is scheduled for 8 a.m.

Team registration is $260 with a $65 deposit due at registration. Individual play is $65 per person.

Contact Steven at 724 583-0681 or pfotta@atlanticbb.net for more information or to register a team or visit the Facebook page to register at Masontown Matters.

The Mission of Masontown Matters, a non-profit organization, is to assess issues and concerns of the Masontown Community and German-Masontown Park.

The goal is to provide funds for security cameras for the German-Masontown Park and Main Street in Masontown.

Mount Calvary Baptist

The Steel City Quartet will perform at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Dinnerbell-Five-Forks Road, Farmington.

Today at 7 p.m. is the last night of revival services at the church. John Pickett is the speaker.

The Addison United Methodist Church will hold a soup, salad and sandwich benefit from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 12.

A free-will offering will be taken. Proceeds will help ship a busload of supplies to Haiti. Greg Stiver is the pastor.

The TNT dinner will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 16, followed by a performance by Art DiLoretto, who will sing songs of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Andy Williams. There is no charge for this monthly event, but donations will be accepted. Reservations are not necessary. Call 814-395-5047 for more information.

It was nice to see the nine people, including residents, driver and staff from Henry Clay Villa and South Fayette Nursing Center of Markleysburg, at the August TNT dinner.

The Markleysburg Henry Clay Volunteer Fire Department Community Days will include the following events:

Friday, 7 p.m., parade, talent show, food and games.

Saturday, flea market, bake sale, starting at 9 a.m. Free setup available in the lower lot. Bring your own tables.

For more information, call 301-746-4084.

Saturday, 5 p.m., cash bash.

Sunday, Community Church service, at 11 a.m.

Sept. 12-14, Community tent revival.

Angel Food orders for September must be placed by Saturday and picked up at the Markleysburg Union Church Sept. 18 between 9 and 10 a.m. To order, call Wendell Guthrie at 724-329-5276.

The Sansom Chapel, Route 40, Farmington, will hold an indoor sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Mountain Citizen Action Group, Old Dinnerbell Road, Farmington, will hold an indoor sale and bake sale Sept. 24-25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Outdoor spaces will be available for $10.

Christy Walsh and Austin Evans of Maricopa, Ariz., were recently engaged and will wed Nov. 11, 2011. Christy has many relatives in the area.

Celebrating birthdays are Jerry Bowers, Sept. 3; Dr. Gary Compton, Sept. 12; Rich Mitchell, Sept. 18; Pastor Chuck Gray, Sept. 22.

Celebrating wedding anniversaries are Amy and John Clinton, Sept. 11; Barbara and Albert Marker, Sept. 17; and Faye and Leroy Glisan, Sept. 18.

Those on the prayer list include Clyde Burnsworth, Duck Hendirx, Faye Humberson, Toots Liston, Larry Myers, the Rev. Shirley Norman, John Savage, Ray Savage, Beulah Seese, Lillian Shartzer and Clinton Thomas.

A golf tournament to benefit Marclay Elementary School's fifth-grade field trip will be held Oct. 2 at Nemacolin Woodlands' Links.

Cost is $60 per person for those registering before Sept. 25 and $65 after that date. Call H.E. Uphold at 724-329-0788 or 724-880-6724 to register.

The Westmoreland County Historical Society will sponsor a day trip to the site of Fort Dewart, located on the border of Bedford and Somerset counties near present day Rohr's Gap.

The Fort Dewart tour is scheduled at 10 a.m. Sept. 18.

The Folmont Property Owners Association will permit limited access to the remains of earthworks Fort Dewart and a section of the historic road for this tour.

Forbes Road historian John Finnigan is the featured speaker.

The fee, which includes lunch, is $15 for Westmoreland County Historical Society members and $18 for non-members.

Participants will provide their own transportation to the site. Call 724-532-1935 ext. 10 for details and to make a reservation by Sept. 14.

In the late spring of 1758, Gen. John Forbes organized a campaign to drive the French from the forks of the Ohio River by cutting military routes of attack through the Pennsylvania wilderness.

Col. Henry Bouquet, Forbes' second-in-command, was directed to implement the plan.

Bouquet selected the east to west Raystown (Trader's) Path as the most direct route to Fort Duquesne.

Fort Dewart (Duart), a site that was named for the Scottish Castle Duart, was constructed in mid-August 1758 on the summit of the first rise Allegheny Mountains.

The fort served as an overnight stop on the Forbes Road, a place for rest and defense, as the campaign moved west toward Fort Duquesne.

The expedition reached the smoldering remains of the abandoned Fort Duquesne on Nov. 25, 1758. Forbes renamed the fort in honor of William Pitt the following day.

Uniontown Senior

Citizens Center

137 N. Beeson Blvd.

Uniontown, PA 15401

724-437-6050

Fairchance Center

In The Bank

67 West Church Street

Fairchance, PA 15436

724-564-0600

Connellsville Senior

Center

100 East Fayette Street

Connellsville, PA 15425

724-626-1515

Mountain Citizens

Action Group, Inc.

P.O. Box 105

Farmington, PA 15437

724-329-4260

Beth-Center Senior

Center

316 Station Street

Vestaburg, PA 15368

724-377-0000

Brownsville

Senior Center

302 Shaffer Avenue

Brownsville, PA 15417

724-785-6180

Republic Senior Center

36 Fairgarden Street

Republic, PA 15475

724-246-7740

Masontown

Senior Center

22 South Main Street

Masontown, PA 15461

724-583-7822

Carmichaels

Senior Center

P.O. Box 184

Carmichaels, PA 15320

724-966-2290

Clarksville

Senior Center

P.O. Box 357

Clarksville, PA 15322

724-377-1144

Jefferson

Senior Center

P.O. Box 184

Carmichaels, PA 15320

724-966-2290

Mount Morris

Senior Center

P.O Box 43

Mount Morris, PA 15349

724-324-5396

Waynesburg Senior

Center

341 N. Richhill St.

Waynesburg, PA 15370

724-627-6366

West Greene Senior

Center

341 N. Richhill St.

Waynesburg, PA 15370

724-627-6366

Perryopolis

Senior Center

403 Liberty Avenue

Perryopolis, PA 15473

724-736-2250

Smithfield

Senior Center

14 Water St.

Smithfield, PA 15478

724-569-2895

Bullskin

Senior Center

52 Medsger Road

Connellsville, PA 15425

724-887-0655

Center In The Woods

130 Woodland Court

Brownsville, Pa. 15417

724-938-3554

Bobtown

Senior Center

P.O. Box 43

Mount Morris, PA 15349

724-324-5396

The lunch menu for the week follows:

Monday, holiday;

Tuesday, baked pork chop, sweet potato wedges, applesauce, rye bread, cake with peaches;

Wednesday, hot roast beef sandwich, cream of potato soup, seasoned green beans, fresh fruit;

Thursday, meat loaf, home fries, broccoli w/herb butter, mixed grain bread, strawberry shortcake;

Friday, pot roast, mashed potatoes w/gravy, sugar snap peas, wheat bread, apple cobbler w/vanilla ice cream.

The plans for the 40th annual Covered Bridge Festival were finalized at a recent meeting of the Greene Academy of Art. It will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 18 - 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Craft vendors and entertainment will be held in the Greene Academy building and the courtyard, which is adjacent to the 121-year-old Carmichaels Covered bridge. Food will be available both days. Listing of vendors, and entertainment, will be publicized later. Co-chairmen are Alan and Dorothy Vozel, 724 966 8993.

The academy has been the site of the festival since the first festival 40 years ago, when the academy was still in the process of being restored.

The directors approved retaining a cleaning person to clean the academy from top to bottom, after the festival, and again in the spring. The directors routinely did this maintenance, specifically Bill Cole, for the past 40 years.

The new president, Ed Chess, conducted the meeting, and he will announce his committees at a later meeting. Nancy Reynolds reported she would be mailing a newsletter to all members prior to the covered bridge festival.

Birthdays

Theodore Piwowar is celebrating his birthday today.

Thursday will mark the birthday of Matthew Vensko.

Tuesday marks the birthday of Eleanor Grote of Uniontown.

Shirley Burley of Uniontown will celebrate her birthday Saturday.

Bill and Dana Opar celebrate a wedding anniversary Wednesday.

Stan and Norma Machesky celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary Saturday.

Editor's note: How did people spend a Sunday afternoon in the good old days? In today's article, the first of a four-part series originally published in the spring of 2004, Glenn Tunney takes a look at the region's Sunday traditions during a bygone era.

It was May 3, 1931, and a growing crime wave in Waynesburg was threatening to burst into full blossom, unless the town's law enforcement authorities could nip it in the bud.

Determined to do just that, police fanned out in the community, knowing exactly where they could find hotbeds of criminal activity in town. They struck pay dirt.

Lawbreakers all over town were caught committing criminal acts, nabbed red-handed on their own property. Men who for years had been known as good providers and men of upstanding character now had their true natures revealed. Their filthy habit was unearthed for all to see.

In back yards throughout Waynesburg, a Greene County version of "Crime And Punishment" was played out. Stunned wrongdoers stopped their illicit activity, obeyed police orders and surrendered their tools of crime. Spades clattered to the ground. Hoes were tossed aside. Garden rakes were left lying in the broken earth (tines down, of course).

The offenders wiped their soiled hands on their trousers and stood in disbelief as each was informed that he would have to appear before the Justice of the Peace to answer for his transgressions.

Two days later, on Tuesday, May 5, 1931, the offenders got a reprieve.

The local newspaper, the Brownsville Telegraph, reported that Waynesburg authorities had had a change of heart. The lawbreakers who had been caught in the act on Sunday would be allowed to go unpunished.

The Telegraph reported, "Announcement that no prosecutions or hearings would be given violators yesterday terminated Waynesburg's attempted enforcement of ancient state laws prohibiting Sunday manual labor. [On] Sunday statements were made that several reputed violators were slated for hearings last night, most of whom were said to have been engaged in garden making and other domestic occupations on the Sabbath."

Gardening. That was the crooked cultivators' dirty deed.

The scofflaw seedslingers had run afoul of Pennsylvania's Blue Laws, an array of legislative acts rooted in the commonwealth's ancient Quaker beginnings. The blue laws date back to 1682, when William Penn put them in place to "preserve the Lord's Day and to promote piety and virtue in Pennsylvania." Since then, these laws have been repeatedly amended.

Why call them "blue laws?" A popular explanation is that the Sabbath laws in the early New Haven, Conn., colony were printed on blue paper. The idea of Sabbath laws can be traced as far back as ancient Rome, where the first Christian emperor, Constantine I, commanded all citizens except farmers to rest on Sunday. Here in America, the first blue laws were enacted in the early 1600s in Virginia.

Blue laws still exist in the United States. The "Reader's Companion to American History" estimates that three-fourths of the states "still carry on their books laws imposing some kind of Sunday restriction on such activities as retail sales, general labor, liquor sales, boxing, hunting, or barbering, as well as polo, cockfighting, or clam digging."

Most of these laws have been challenged in recent years as violations of the First Amendment's prohibition of a state "establishment of religion."

Surprisingly though, many blue laws have been upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court on the grounds that they serve the non-religious function of regulating public health, safety and welfare.

On May 5, 1931, the same day that charges were dropped against the Waynesburg gardeners, the Pennsylvania state legislature voted down a proposed amendment to the 1794 Sunday Law of Pennsylvania.

That law prohibited most commercial activities on Sundays, but it permitted milk deliveries before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

The new amendment would have allowed milk delivery until 10 a.m., but when politicians tacked on a proposal to also permit Sunday baseball, the baseball provision doomed the bill. Milkmen continued to race the clock to complete their Sunday route by 9 a.m.

In 1939, Pennsylvania overhauled its blue laws, but they still banned "all worldly employment, business and sports on Sunday." Only works of charity and necessity, such as delivery of milk and "necessaries," were permitted, along with "wholesome recreation" such as golf, tennis, boating, swimming, bowling, basketball, picnicking and shooting at inanimate targets.

In 1959, Pennsylvania added still more restrictions, forbidding the retail sale of clothing and wearing apparel, clothing accessories, furniture, housewares, home, business or office furnishings, household, business or office appliances, hardware, tools, paints, building and lumber supply materials, jewelry, silverware, watches, clocks, luggage, musical instruments and recordings, and toys, excluding novelties and souvenirs.

Also outlawed was the Sunday sale of motor vehicles and trailers, operation of pool or billiard rooms, conduct of boxing or wrestling matches, harness racing, and pawn brokering. Sunday movies were allowed, but only after 2 p.m. (with the municipality's consent), and baseball, football and polo were permitted only between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday sale of alcohol was prohibited except in private clubs and certain restaurants.

Hunting and shooting on Sunday were banned, and barbers or beauticians who worked on Sunday faced license revocation.

Even male prisoners were not permitted to do manual labor on Sunday. In addition to this list of unlawful activities, others were legal but were frowned upon by the church as being inappropriate on the Lord's Day.

So, what was left to do on a Sunday? For many former residents of this area, visiting friends and relatives topped the list.

"Sunday afternoons were usually spent on the porch with family when the weather was warm," observed Jeanne Luda-Barrett of Columbia Station, Ohio, "and around the kitchen table when the weather was cold. Sundays were also reserved for visiting the cemeteries and taking care of the graves."

Keith Jobes of Melbourne, Fla., added, "Sunday was the day to either visit or dine with relatives, at your house or at theirs. In the spring, Sunday after church was the time for going to the cemetery to clean up the graves in anticipation of planting flowers for Decoration Day. Sometimes we took a picnic lunch and ate in the cemetery, which my grandchildren today find morbid but was common back in those days."

"Going to church and visiting family was what Sundays were for," said Rosalie Coughenour of Connellsville. "Families were much closer then. If we were not visiting family, they were visiting us. My grandparents and I would often visit my Aunt Opal and Uncle Jim Galley, who had a farm past Flatwoods. I was permitted to gather eggs and play the piano and sing while Sunday dinner was being prepared, and conversation at dinner was intense."

On the farm, one could have wholesome fun without worrying about getting caught in the bewildering maze of blue laws and church rules.

"After Sunday School, my dad would take us to visit friends on several farms in the Bull Run Road area," recalled South Brownsville native Hannah Millward Fisher, "where we would visit and check on the cows and pigs. We would come back home to a cooked dinner, and often company would drop by to spend the afternoon. When they left after supper, my dad would load up the visitors' cars with fruits and vegetables."

What about those folks who did not care to spend Sunday afternoon at the cemetery or on the farm? As it turns out, there were plenty of other legal options available. Join us next week as other readers tell us about their typical Sabbath activities in an era of blue laws and quiet Sundays.

Advance orders for a new book, "LOOKING BACK: The Best of Glenn Tunney," are now being accepted. The book is the first of a planned 4-volume set of collected Glenn Tunney articles that originally appeared in the Herald-Standard from 1998-2006. All proceeds from sales of this book are being donated by the author to support the efforts of the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation (BARC) toward historic preservation and community redevelopment in the Brownsville area. The book, featuring 300 pages of nostalgia, local history, and vintage photos, will be released around September 30. For more details or to place an advance order, you may call BARC at 724-785-9331 during business hours.

Herald-Standard

A striking yet familiar figure can be seen this Labor Day weekend at the 76th Annual Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Mount St. Macrina, located along Route 40 just west of Uniontown.

George Walter, better known to the public as Pilgrim George, is in Fayette County once more to end his annual season of walking by participating in the pilgrimage hosted each September by the Sisters of St. Basil. In fact, Walter is observing his 40th anniversary of walking, making trips each spring and summer as part of a spiritual journey that has led him around the world.

"I walk for Jesus,'' said Walter, a 69-year-old native of Glenshaw near Pittsburgh.

The quiet man is instantly recognizable for his long, white beard, denim robe and a staff that is topped with a crucifix. Walter is dressed this way as a sign of poverty and repentance.

"When people see me walking,'' he explained, "they know it's not for health or a sport, but for Jesus.''

Walter, who had once been in seminary before taking up his life as a pilgrim, talked as he took a break from his journey on a bench outside the Uniontown Public Library Friday morning on his way to Mount St. Macrina where the pilgrimage was to begin Friday night. He had been praying the rosary while enjoying a quiet moment.

A Roman Catholic who appreciates the Byzantine rite, Walter began walking when he traveled to Spain in 1970 to make a pilgrimage to a shrine dedicated to St. James, the patron saint of pilgrims, at Santiago de Compostello. Walter noted that his birthday, July 25, is also the feast day for St. James.

"In the Middle Ages, it was the third most important pilgrimage behind Rome and Jerusalem,'' he noted of Santiago de Compostello. "Pilgrims have been traveling there since the 700s and they still do.''

Walter arrived in Spain on a freighter that brought him to Barcelona on the east coast and he wanted to be on the west coast. So he walked to the shrine. And then he kept walking.

Walter traveled to Israel because he said, "I wanted to know Jesus in a deeper way.''

And he continued to walk.

His overseas treks have taken Walter through Mexico, Russia, Kazikhstan, China, Pakistan, India, continental Europe, the British Isles, Scandinavia, The Balkans, Turkey and back to Israel. He traveled through Israel in 2000 to observe the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus.

His journeys throughout the United States have included walks to California and Alaska.

Walter travels an average 1,500 miles a year, generally from May until early September. He used to walk 15 to 20 miles a day. But after he turned 65, he slowed down to six or seven miles a day and rides the rest of the way. He depends on the kindness and generosity of strangers, who provide him with rides as well as food and water.

"I have little needs. I sleep in a tent in the woods,'' Walter said, nodding to the fold-up tent he carries with him. "If I need a ticket to cross the ocean, someone gives it to me. This summer, I walked from Houston to Santa Fe but a businessman bought me a round-trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Houston, and then I walked and rode to Santa Fe.''

When he's in the United States, Walter likes to end his season of walking by participating in the four-day pilgrimage at Mount St. Macrina before spending his winters at a Byzantine monastery in Butler.

"I enjoy being with other people who have come to spend a weekend in prayer and fellowship,'' he said. "It's like a taste of heaven because all you do is pray and listen to hymns. You put everything else aside.''

By Carla DeStefano

Herald-Standard

After five years of planning, students in three schools in the Uniontown Area School District will return to class on Tuesday to see major improvements amid the ongoing construction.

"It's going to be both an exciting and challenging year," said Dr. Charles Machesky, district superintendent. "Exciting because the students are finally going to see some evidence of progress being made at all these schools and challenging because they will experience partially new and partially old buildings as the renovations continue."

At the start of the year, students and staff can expect to see some classrooms completely renovated. Additionally, Machesky said the new cafeteria is expected to be completed over Christmas break.

"The new food court will be completely functional when they return from the holiday," Machesky said. "So as we move them into that space, we can start the renovations of turning the existing cafeteria into other rooms."

Machesky said by the start of the 2011-12 school year, renovations to Ben Franklin School should be complete. The new wing, which houses four new rooms, should be completed by January 2011.

"Also by this time next year, the new Lafayette building will be constructed, so we will then be able to start some demolition of some existing space like the gym," he said.

Perhaps one of the biggest improvements students will experience academically is the upgrade in technology that comes along with the renovations. New classrooms are now equipped with smart boards and other high-tech equipment, and a mobile computer lab will be available.

"This is certainly going to be beneficial to the students. They are classrooms of the future. That's a huge plus to all of this," Machesky said. "I think the students are really going to appreciate having access to that type of equipment."

Machesky said renovations to the high school will be ongoing for the next two years. He said once the current renovations are completed at all three schools, every school in the district will have had construction improvements, with the exception of A.J. McMullen in Markleysburg.

"I believe it was time to get these projects moving. I've been waiting for a long while, and I am pleased that it's happening," Machesky said. "It's going to be an inconvenience for a while. It's not perfect conditions right now. But I think everyone will appreciate the fact of how much progress has been made so far."

By Christine Haines

Herald-Standard

CALIFORNIA - It's September and that means a new start for Jozart Center for the Arts.

The lease for the former for-profit Jozart Studio ended Aug. 31. The newly formed nonprofit group took over as of Sept. 1, never missing a beat with the weekly Wednesday night open mike program going on as usual.

"It was a seamless transition. We were able to assume the insurance, so open mike is going on and guitar lessons are going on," said Carla Anderton, the president of the nonprofit group. "We agreed that our open mike remains substance and alcohol-free. We are committed to having a place where college kids and others can come and maintain their sobriety. We want Jozart to remain a family-friendly venue."

The new group has a six-month lease for the second-floor space at the corner of Second and Wood streets in California that has been home to acoustic music, theater productions, art shows, music lessons, movie nights and more for the past 10 years. Before the next six months s over, the new nonprofit group must decide if it will be able to make a go of things and enter into a longer lease with the building's landlord.

"The commonwealth has recognized us as an entity. That does not mean we are recognized as a nonprofit by the IRS; that's something separate," Anderton said.

The IRS recognition is important for landing grants and other financing that could be used to keep the arts center going. Meanwhile, the group is looking at other ways to raise money.

"We need to be able to cover our rent and basic expenses. Right now, they're being covered by a group of people committed to the effort. The big thing is to get the nonprofit status to begin applying for the grants," Anderton said.

A brainstorming session was held recently to come up with other projects to raise the much-needed cash and to promote the arts in the region.

"I was impressed with the range of ideas and the willingness of everyone there to take on tasks and roles to bring it to fruition. This will not be the work of one person. It has to be a collaborative effort," Anderton said.

Anderton said the first event for the new art center will be a flea market Sept. 11 and 12 so some of the miscellaneous items already at Jozart can be sold off to raise money for the new nonprofit. Members of the public are also invited to rent space to sell their own items by contacting the studio at 724-938-9730 or emailing carla@jozart.com

. Anderton said the group would like to have some live music and refreshments at the flea market.

"We're also talking about having a film festival like we had a few years ago," Anderton said.

Anderton said it could possibly be a horror fest for Halloween, or something featuring movies in the public domain.

"We also talked about having some kind of jazz concert. We're all big fans of acoustic music, which is why open mike has lasted so long, but there are other types of music and we want to reach out," Anderton said.

Anderton said the group is also consulting members of the California University of Pennsylvania faculty about hosting an art exhibit as has been done in the past. She is also looking at other arts programs in the region, including one based in Washington, Pa.

"I'm trying to get in touch with the people at WashArts. It's just a tremendous model to follow, offering workshops for children and adults," Anderton said. "We have a lot of kids around here who are home schooled, so as such, they don't have art or music classes."

Anderton said the organization welcomes anyone who may be interested in teaching art or music classes at the center and the facility remains available for rent for special occasions.

The public is invited to attend a 9/11 memorial picnic at Shady Grove Park in North Union Township.

Sponsored by the Fayette Patriots, the picnic will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, and is free of charge.

Dave Show, co-founder of the recently established Fayette Patriots, said people of all political affiliations are welcome.

The picnic, according to Show, will feature a memorial remembrance for the victims of 9/11 and patriotic speeches.

Guest speakers will include Fayette County Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink and Tim Burns, Republican candidate for U.S. representative in the 12th Congressional District.

Show said other political candidates - including gubernatorial candidate and Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey - also have expressed an interest in attending the picnic but have yet to commit.

In addition, Show said the pool will be open, and hot dogs and drinks will be provided.

People attending the picnic are asked to bring a picnic basket or a favorite dish.

Show said there will be live music, children's games and re-enactors from the late 1700s present during the day. In the evening, a campfire will be lit and there will be stories and movies, in addition to hayrides.

Shady Grove park is located off Route 119 at the Connellsville Street exit in Lemont Furnace.

Fayette Patriots, according to Show, is a diverse group comprised of Republicans and Democrats who believe there is something fundamentally wrong with the way the United States is governed. The goal of the group is to educate people, promote the U.S. Constitution and become a political force at all levels of government.

Fayette Patriots meet at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Laurel Mall in Dunbar Township. The group is associated with the Tea Party Patriots.

For more information on Fayette Patriots or the 9/11 memorial picnic, e-mail fayettepatriots@gmail.com or call 724-620-0110 or 724-438-0417.

BROWNSVILLE - The filming of the Lionsgate Entertainment thriller "Abduction" in Brownsville next week will mean some minor detours for motorists.

The film crew will be shooting in the area of Fiddles diner on Water Street from Tuesday through Thursday.

According to police Chief Stanley Jablonsky, Bank Street from Market to Water Street will be closed, as will Water Street from Bank to Arch Street. Traffic will be detoured onto Second Street, past the borough building, to Arch Street and back to Water Street.

"There are going to be intermittent delays in West Brownsville on Main Street near Bob's Cash Feed as well," Jablonsky said.

Jablonsky said the detour will only be in effect during filming hours and the road should be open overnight.

Because the only entrance to the Bank Building parking lot is on Water Street, Jablonsky recommended that residents of the Brownsville Apartments park in the Bank Street parking lot during the day.

"Abduction" is a thriller starring 18-year-old actor Taylor Lautner, who was in "Eclipse," as a young man who finds his baby picture on a missing persons website and tries to uncover the truth about his life. Lily Collins, who was in "The Blind Side," is also in the movie, portraying Lautner's girlfriend. Filming is being done on a closed set, so members of the public will not have the opportunity to watch the movie-making process for this production.

The movie has been filming throughout southwestern Pennsylvania this summer, including PNC Park and other locations in Pittsburgh and in Sutersville. The movie is expected to be released in 2011.

All but one charge was held for court Wednesday against a Uniontown man accused of kidnapping a Fayette County man at gunpoint Aug. 24, one day before police arrested his alleged co-conspirator in the incident.

State police Trooper Scott A. Krofcheck said Victor Maurice Tarpley, 31, of 125 Rear Collins Ave. was charged with kidnapping, robbery, theft, unlawful restraint, simple assault, terroristic threats, illegal possession of a firearm, fleeing and eluding police and criminal mischief.

All charges except for the count of fleeing and eluding were held for Fayette County Court against Tarpley following a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

State police said they also filed charges against a New Salem woman accused of conspiring with Tarpley to kidnap the alleged victim last week and hold him for ransom.

Police said Kathy Ann Bass, 21, is facing conspiracy charges for kidnapping, robbery, theft, simple assault, unlawful restraint and terroristic threats.

Krofcheck said the charges against Tarpley were filed after he kidnapped a man from a location in Menallen Township sometime after 9 p.m.

Police have not identity the alleged victim.

Krofcheck said the alleged victim told investigators that he was in a car driven by Bass near Searights when she stopped the vehicle to drop him off and Tarpley opened a door of the vehicle and pointed a gun at him.

Krofcheck said that Tarpley then blindfolded the man before he got into the vehicle and Bass then drove around for about 35 minutes.

The alleged victim told police that Tarpley then forced him into an unknown residence and began to question him about money, Krofcheck said.

Krofcheck said that at that point Tarpley stole $100 from the man and then forced him to make multiple telephone calls to his mother, brother and girlfriend to try and get additional money.

He also told police that Tarpley shot him with a Taser gun during the incident. Krofcheck said the man also was bound at the wrists and ankles.

Krofcheck said that Tarpley forced the alleged victim to instruct the people he called to leave cash at three different locations, including a bar in South Union Township, a bar in Uniontown and a store in Menallen Township.

Krofcheck said after the man's mother alerted police to the incident, officers responding to the store in Menallen Township started to pursue a suspicious vehicle near Searights.

During the pursuit, police said a man, later identified as the alleged victim, jumped from the vehicle and rolled over an embankment.

Krofcheck said Tarpley eventually fled from the car on foot and was captured by police.

The alleged victim told police that he jumped from the car when he felt he was able to wrest the weapon used by Tarpley from him as he tumbled from the car.

This is not Tarpley's first run-in with the law.

According to court records, he has spent more than half of the last decade in prison for numerous offenses ranging from possession with intent to deliver drugs to attempted homicide.

In 1996, Tarpley pleaded guilty to attempted homicide, two counts of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.

He was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in state prison.

In 1998, Tarpley pleaded guilty to two separate cases involving possession with intent to deliver drugs.

He was sentenced to 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison following his guilty pleas.

He is also scheduled to go to trial next month on charges of stalking after he and another man allegedly followed and fired gunshots at a Uniontown man in early 2009.

Tarpley remains in the Fayette County Prison on $50,000 straight cash bond.

He had posted $15,000 bond Aug. 2 after being jailed on a bench warrant in July.

Bass was placed in the Fayette County Prison on 10 percent of $20,000 straight cash bond following her arraignment Thursday.

A preliminary hearing for Bass will be held at a later date.

Greene commissioners accept Pollock's resignation

WAYNESBURG - Greene County commissioners agreed Thursday to accept the resignation of the county's solicitor.

Dave Pollock submitted his resignation after his law partner, Waynesburg attorney Charles Morris, was appointed to the commissioner's seat that was vacated after former commissioner Dave Coder resigned from the position.

Coder, a Democrat, resigned in the middle of his fourth consecutive term in July to accept a job as deputy district director for U.S. Rep. Mark S. Critz, D-Johnstown.

Morris was appointed to serve the remainder of Coder's term, which expires on the first Monday in January 2012.

Pollock and Morris are partners at the firm of Pollock-Morris LLC.

The county retained Pollock and attorney Cheryl Cowen as solicitors in July 2009 to replace former solicitor Farley Toothman, who resigned from the position after being sworn in as Court of Common Pleas judge.

The solicitor serves as the legal adviser to the commissioners and the attorney for the county and its officials, and draws up contracts and assures a legal basis for all county governmental functions.

Commission chairwoman Pam Snyder said Pollock and Cowen were contracted as solicitors until the end of the year, and that Pollock will finish litigation matters already in progress prior to Morris being appointed as commissioner. She added that Cowen would continue to handle all solicitor duties until the end of the year.

Pollock's resignation will be effective Sept. 11, which is the end of the county's current pay period, Snyder said.

She added that the commissioners wished to thank Pollock for his "service and dedication" to the county.

In other business, commissioners proclaimed Sept. 9 as "Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day" in Greene County.

The proclamation is designed to raise awareness about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and the complexities the disorder brings to the lives of affected children and their families.

The proclamation also encourages all residents to show their support to pregnant women and emphasizes the importance of abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy. The date (Sept. 9) reflects the ninth day of the ninth month of the year to represent the nine months of pregnancy.

Cheryl Andrews, Drug and Alcohol Services director, and prevention specialist Tracie Wilson presented the commissioners with T-shirts that the Drug and Alcohol Services staff will wear on Thursday in support of FASD Awareness Day.

In other business, the commissioners reappointed officers to the county boards of elections and assessments appeals.

For both boards, Snyder was appointed chairwoman, commissioner Archie Trader was appointed as vice chairman and Morris was appointed as secretary. The reorganization of the boards was required after Morris was selected to fill Coder's seat.

Also during the election board meeting, Frances Pratt, county director of elections, announced several details regarding the November general election.

The general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2, and the last day for voters to register for the election is Monday, Oct. 4, Pratt said.

The election office started mailing military and overseas absentee ballot applications this week and will begin mailing civilian absentee ballot applications during the week of Sept. 13, she said.

She also announced that the last date the office will accept civilian absentee ballots is Tuesday, Oct. 26, and the last date the office will accept voted civilian absentee ballots is Friday, Oct. 29.

She also said classes for district boards will be held on Oct. 18 and 19.

Finally, Pratt said that the office does not expect any changes in polling places throughout the county's 44 voting precincts during the November election, and that the county will continue to use the same touch-screen iVotronic electronic voting machines that they have used since the primary election in 2006.

The next election meeting has been scheduled for Oct. 21 in the commissioner's meeting room on the first floor of the county office building; the meeting will be held immediately following the commissioners' regular meeting, which begins at 10 a.m.

State police in Greene County will join with Waynesburg police to conduct a drunken driving sobriety checkpoint at a location in the county to try and curtail drunken driving.

Officers will conduct the checkpoint sometime between Saturday and Sept. 11.

Police said the checkpoint, part of the state police initiative Operation Strike Force, is designed to catch drunken drivers or drivers impaired by drugs and is used as a deterrent for motorists to drive while impaired.

The Uniontown Redevelopment Authority opened four bids ranging from just less than $12,000 to $34,000 for demolishing three condemned houses in Uniontown.

The apparent low bid was $11,998 from B & G Trucking of Uniontown.

The authority board will consider awarding a contract for the work at its Sept. 14 meeting.

Other bids were $14,300 from Ritenour Construction of Connellsville, $20,300 from Hopwood Enterprises Inc. and $34,000 from Franty and Sons of Uniontown.

The bids were opened Tuesday.

Authority executive director Mark Yauger said the three houses, which are blighted and have been condemned, are located at 102 Lenox St., 114 Millview St. and 39 Prospect St.

The authority is using money from a Neighborhood Stabilization Grant to pay for the demolitions, he said.

The theme of the pilgrimage, which runs through Monday, is "Mary, Icon of Compassion.''

"Things are going well,'' Sister Seraphim Olsafsky said in an interview earlier this week. "We have a super group of volunteers. They are a great help to us.''

Olsafsky is provincial for the Sisters of St. Basil, who live at Mount St. Macrina and host the pilgrimage each year. The pilgrimage, which attracts thousands of people from throughout the country, became a Labor Day weekend tradition following a decree issued by Pope Pius XI, who gave the sisters an icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and requested them to spread devotion to her.

During the pilgrimage, the original icon is enshrined near the Mount St. Macrina House of Prayer. It will be carried in a procession at 5:15 p.m. today from the monastery to the Shrine Altar where Bishop William Skurla will celebrate the opening Divine Liturgy at 5:30 p.m.

Volunteers have been helping the Sisters of St. Basil throughout the spring and summer prepare for this weekend's pilgrimage.

Olsafsky talked about their work, including Gene and Nancy Barnhart of McClellandtown, who help clean the grounds.

"As soon as spring breaks, they come,'' said Olsafsky. "They start sweeping and weeding and working around various shrines. We're blessed with a lot of nice volunteers. There's a group of men from Trenton, N.J., who come regularly each year. One does the light lunch stand each year and they help our men with cleaning debris and the heavy-duty work. Father Michael Huszti, our chaplain, has a small parish in Morgantown. The last several years, he brought a group of parishioners who work by the racetrack.''

The smallest volunteer is a toddler from the Morgantown, W.Va., group, while the oldest is 90-year-old Harry Mihalchick of Minneapolis, Minn., who also is one of the longest-serving volunteers.

Olsafsky noted the death this past year of volunteer Robert Mangiacarne of Uniontown, who would annually refurbish the outdoor wooden benches on the grounds. A local woman is taking on the task of caring for these memorial wooden benches. Currently, memorials can be placed on granite benches by the mausoleum and the meditation garden near the mausoleum.

This year's preparations included the installation of three new festal icon shrines. The icon for Our Lady of Perpetual Help, made possible by multiple donors, is located in front of the House of Prayer. A Pentecostal icon, which is donated to honor the Kuruc family, is located on the left side of the main road before the House of Prayer. And an icon of the Resurrection, which was donated in memory of the Rev. Joseph Homa and in honor of Sister Ambrosia Homa, is located before the Lourdes Grotto on the left.

Because of the locations, private blessing services will be held for the first two icons, while Skurla will officiate at a blessing for the Resurrection icon about 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Members of the Archeparchial Metropolitan choir of Pittsburgh, directed by Darlene Fejka, will sing during this blessing service.

On Saturday night, Skurla will bless a hand-painted icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help located in the foyer of the gift shop. Members of the Wegman family have donated it in memory of their families.

Skurla, who is bishop of the eparchy of Passiac, N.J., also is administrator of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh. He was named to the latter position following the death of Archbishop Basil Schott in June. The Very Rev. Eugene Yackanich was named administrator of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.

Olsafsky remembered Schott, saying, "Archbishop Basil will be greatly missed because of his gentle spirit and his great love for people, the Sisters of St. Basil and Mount St. Macrina.''

Special arrangements are available during the pilgrimage to help the elderly, sick and physically challenged. Pilgrims also have an opportunity to purchase icons, religious cards and gifts.

Casual attire is accepted but participants are asked to dress according to traditional Christian values and standards of modesty.

More information on the pilgrimage is available online at www.sistersofstbasil.org or by calling the monastery at 724-438-8644.

A Markleysburg man charged with committing a rash of burglaries in Henry Clay Township will stand trial.

Trooper Kiprian S. Yarosh said James Lee Savage, 20, of 409 Braddock Road was charged in June before Magisterial District Judge Wendy D. Dennis with three counts each of burglary and theft, as well as two counts each of criminal conspiracy to commit burglary and receiving stolen property and a single count of institutional vandalism.

Additionally, Yarosh said Jason Robert Delara, 36, of Markleysburg was charged with two counts each of burglary, theft, criminal conspiracy to commit burglary and receiving stolen property as well as a single count of institutional vandalism for his alleged role in the burglaries.

Savage waived all charges against him to Fayette County Court during a preliminary hearing Wednesday before Dennis.

Delara is still awaiting preliminary hearings before Dennis.

Yarosh said the charges were filed against the men following several burglaries reported in Henry Clay Township in May and June.

Yarosh said the first burglary occurred sometime in May when Savage and Delara broke into the Family of Faith Outreach Church on Route 40.

Yarosh said the men stole a flat-screen television and other electronics before fleeing the scene.

Yarosh said a second burglary was reported sometime between May 24 and June 8 when Savage, acting without an accomplice, broke into a garage owned by Christopher Peta of Irwin on Taylor Road.

Savage stole a lawn tractor from the garage, Yarosh said.

He noted that police later recovered the tractor and returned it to the owner.

Yarosh said a third burglary occurred between 2 and 2:30 a.m. June 2 at a garage owned by James Burnworth of Confluence on Tub Run Road. He said that Savage and Delara broke into the garage and stole a lawn tractor, a chain saw and a weed trimmer.

All items were again recovered and returned, Yarosh said.

Police said Savage was also charged with burglary, receiving stolen property and two counts of theft by unlawful taking for another burglary allegedly committed last year.

Police said that Savage and Shawn Michael Riggle of Markleysburg broke into the home of Harvey Early Maust Jr., 76, of 417 Braddock Road in Markleysburg in September or October 2009.

Police said once inside, the men stole a 16-gauge shotgun and a 20-gauge shotgun, and then sold them.

The majority of charges filed against Riggle were withdrawn Wednesday. He waived a single count of receiving stolen property to Fayette County Court.

Work on the "concrete overlay" project on Route 119 between the Connellsville Street and Pechin Road exits started in June and is supposed to be finished by Sept. 30.

The state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) awarded a $4.39 million contact for the 2.19-mile project.

It marks the first use of concrete overlay technology in Pennsylvania, said Rachel Duda, assistant district executive for PennDOT's District 12, which encompasses Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

To demonstrate the technique, district officials hosted a workshop in which at least two busloads of people in the paving business observed contractors working on the project.

"Our district had an industry-wide workshop, which was held on June 30, for our (Route 119) project," Duda said. "PennDOT, in association with the American Concrete Pavement Association, Federal Highway Administration and various PennDOT bureaus, hosted the event to demonstrate the new technology of concrete overlays. This project is the first in the state. Other states in the Midwest have been successful in the past with this technology."

District spokesman Jay Ofsanik said concrete overlay construction is designed to produce stronger and longer-lasting roads than traditional highway construction methods.

"The big benefits are minimal construction impact and an increase in structural capacity and performance life," District 12 spokesman Jay Ofsanik said. "We're very excited to have this in our area and to try it on a project. It gives us the chance to evaluate it."

The concrete overlay project started with the contractor milling about 4 1/2 inches off the top of the old hot-mix asphalt surface and leaving 5 to 14 of hot-mix asphalt in place, according to information from PennDOT.

Eight to 14 inches of hot-mix asphalt was left in one section of Route 119 from the intersection at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, in North Union Township to Highway Supply Road in Dunbar Township, and 5 to 9 inches of hot-mix asphalt was left in the second section from Eberly Way intersection to the Penn State intersection in North Union Township.

Six inches of concrete is then bonded to the hot-mix asphalt, making the road stronger and longer lasting than an asphalt-only road, according to PennDOT.

Concrete overlays also minimize construction impact because the old road surface is not excavated, PennDOT said.

BULLSKIN TWP. - The accounting firm for the Bullskin Township/Connellsville Township Joint Sewerage Authoruty provided good news Wednesday, noting that there were no major problems identified in the audit for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2009.

Leo Rudnik, certified public accountant with Kisiel and Rudnik PC of Connellsville, said the authority exceeded its liabilities for the time audited by $980,594.

Rudnik did however suggest some changes to the authority's internal accounting system regarding the general ledger.

For that reason, the authority voted to purchase a computer software program for officer manager Julie Paull for payroll and cash receipt purposes.

According to Rudnik, the authority's total net assets increased by $98,479, mainly from a decrease in the balance of a loan with the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVEST).

Rudnik added the authority's total liabilities decreased by $66,174 during the year in relation to the principal payment on the PennVEST loans, along with a minor decrease in accounts payable.

With $438,248 in net assets, Rudnik said that figure was up from the previous year at $284,180 because of depreciation.

Overall, the audit reported operating revenue at $584,298 and expenses at $410,193.

For the most part, the audit stated increases in expenses closely paralleled increases in revenues.

"Things have improved, but we need to take the next step," said Rudnik.

Turning to other business, the authority received an update from Glenn Wolfe, engineer for Widmer Engineering, on an application still under review by the U.S. Rural Department of Agriculture for the third phase of an $11 million sewage project.

Wolfe said Widmer completed its final report on the project with the agriculture department concerned the system could overflow since the sanitary system would be discharging into a combined system.

Wolfe said Widmer was able to document 75 percent of malfunctions and that the system has the ability to discharge properly under the right conditions.

One problem Wolfe did present was the authority would have to provide updated figures for possible funding since the initial application with the agriculture department was filed several years ago.

In an unrelated matter, solicitor John Cupp suggested the authority make a new set of copies of its rules and regulations since it has undergone a lot of revisions.

Cupp added that a copy should be filed in the law library at the Fayette County Courthouse.

Alan Eichler, an environmental program manager with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), said the industry often takes a beating it doesn't deserve.

Eichler said rumors of creeks going dry from water being pumped from them to extract natural gas from the Marcellus shale and stories that no one, not even the DEP, knows what chemicals are used to "frac" wells are simply not true.

"We have not one documented case of a stream going dry because of operators pumping water out of it," he said, noting that the DEP also keeps a list of all chemicals used to frac a well.

Eichler said the DEP closely monitors the industry's activity and that the most common citation issued is for erosion and sedimentation at well sites that were not properly reclaimed.

Eichler was one of three presenters who spoke Wednesday during a public meeting to discuss various aspects of Marcellus shale natural gas drilling at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.

The meeting was sponsored by the Fayette County Marcellus Shale Task Force in conjunction with Penn State Cooperative Extension.

The natural gas industry, according to Eichler, has grown quickly in southwestern Pennsylvania over the last several years.

Eichler said the DEP issued 1,600 permits from Marcellus shale drilling in 2009.

This year, the DEP has already issued 2,000 permits and expects to issue a total of about 3,000.

"Southwestern Pennsylvania is a very unusual area in that it has significant gas reserves and significant coal reserves," he said.

The Marcellus shale, a deep layer of rock that lies 5,000 to 9,000 feet underground, runs from the southern New York through western Pennsylvania and into eastern Ohio and West Virginia.

Eichler said people who are approached by gas companies wanting to drill on, or near, their properties need to exercise caution.

Marcellus shale drilling requires acres of land, he said, can affect water supplies and can be bothersome.

Eichler said a gas company that contaminates or disrupts a water supply is responsible for correcting the problem. Companies will often want to take water samples before drilling begins to compare with samples following drilling, and Eichler urged residents to allow the sampling.

Eichler said residents can also ask the gas company to conduct a pre-drill flow test on their water supply; however, most companies won't agree to it. A pre-drill flow test costs a few hundred dollars, but is the only way to prove drilling has disrupted water flow, he said.

In addition, Eichler said the DEP has strict standards when it comes to the water used in the hydraulic fracturing of gas wells.

The DEP has a water management plan and all gas companies must abide by regulations set forth in it. Companies are required to notify the DEP how much water they are taking from rivers and the rate at which they are taking it.

Companies are also not allowed to dump untreated frac water into rivers. Frac water is a water and sand mixture used in the process of freeing natural gas from the Marcellus shale. The water is recycled following the process.

Eichler urged people who see gas companies committing harmful or suspicious behavior to call the DEP at 412-442-4000.

"The fact of the matter is that the public is the eyes and ears of the department. We can't be everyplace all the time," he said, noting, however, that the DEP recently began having inspectors work evenings and weekends to check on drilling sites in off hours.

The DEP, according to Eichler, is given a list of all the chemicals used to frac individual gas wells. A list of the most common chemicals can be found on the DEP's website, as can other reports and studies, by going to www.depweb.state.pa.us and clicking on the "Oil & Gas" tab on the left of the page.

Other presenters at Wednesday's public meeting included John B. Laughner, director of Penn State Cooperative Extension in Beaver County, and attorney Kris Vanderman.

Laughner outlined specific findings and conclusions on research on the environment and community impacts as a result of Marcellus shale gas drilling, while Vanderman discussed leasing considerations for landowners and legal issues concerning Marcellus shale exploration.

Fayette County Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, who also serves as chairwoman of the task force, said Wednesday's meeting was the first of future public meetings that will discuss issues surrounding natural gas drilling.

Anyone wanting more information can visit that task force's website at www.mshaletaskforce.org.

Uniontown City Council offered praise and support for the fire department on Wednesday and said negotiations for a new contract with the firefighters are under way.

The comments came a week after council notified the firefighters' union that all firemen will be laid off before the end of the year, which is when the current three-year contract expires.

That notice was given a day before the city's labor relations attorney, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 955 union's attorney and an arbitrator held their first negotiating session.

"No one at this table is out to hurt anyone," Councilman Philip Michael said.

He said he values the department and will work to preserve all the services the city provides, but he will act in the best interest of taxpayers.

Mayor Ed Fike said the city's labor relations attorney Bernie Schneider is negotiating on behalf of the city, but council will have to vote on any proposal that results from those negotiations.

He said the city's career and volunteer firefighters do a great job.

Fire Chief Charles Coldren said he is having difficulty obtaining information from federal officials about the $632,835 grant the U.S. Homeland Security Department awarded the city in May to recall the laid-off firemen.

Firemen and their families feel a great deal of stress, Coldren said, adding that the four firemen who remain laid off want to come back to work.

Coldren said he wants to continue having a professional relationship with council and offered to do anything he can to help resolve the differences between the department and council.

"Hopefully, we can turn the stumbling blocks in our path into stepping stones for success," Coldren said.

"I think we're all on the same track," Fike said.

Councilman Gary Gearing, the public safety director, called the department a "top notch outfit."

Police Chief Jason Cox said the police department also values the fire department and he hopes the firefighters remain on the job.

After the meeting, Gearing reaffirmed that the city is trying to negotiate a new contract with the firefighters' union.

"Contract negotiations are under way," Gearing said. "It's a new contract being negotiated."

He declined to comment on whether the council is trying to hold a referendum on disbanding the department.

After receiving last week's letter from the city, IAFF attorney Joshua Bloom said city voters would have to approve a referendum to disband the department.

Fike said contract negotiations are taking place and he never discussed a referendum with anybody.

In addition, he said he believes it is too late to place a referendum on the ballot for the November elections.

Council laid off seven firemen in two rounds of layoffs in 2008 and 2009 after Fike and council members reported the city inherited a debt of more than $1 million from the previous administration.

The firemen were called back to work in March 2009, but were laid off again in December that year.

Two of them have been recalled and one firefighter retired.

In other business, council:

n Introduced an ordinance that would extend the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program for the central business district for three years.

n Agreed to buy a 2011 Ford F-550 truck from Davies Ford of Connellsville for $31,045, which was the lowest of five bids submitted to council.

n Hired Nicole Hoover as deputy treasurer at an annual salary of $23,000 effective Sept. 7.

n Hired Elaine Otterstrom as a tax clerk in the treasurer's office at $13.25 per hour under a 60-day probationary period that started Aug. 23.

n Authorized Cox to apply for a $5,000 technology grant from the Community Foundation of Fayette County.

n Adopted a resolution that requires council approval to hang banners and signs for events in state road right of ways. A banner for the Sept. 19 "Cycles in the City" was approved.

South Union Township supervisors expressed displeasure Wednesday that work being done to the bridge on Bailey Avenue was not completed on time.

Supervisors Thomas Frankhouser, Rick Vernon and Robert Schiffbauer said the construction project was supposed to be completed before the school year began. Classes resumed Monday.

Schiffbauer said the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) was given the summer to complete the project, and said he is concerned about vehicles and school buses traveling on detour routes this winter when roads can be icy.

Supervisors said the extended completion date for the project has been moved to Nov. 30.

"It's been a persistent problem," Schiffbauer said, noting that utility companies have added to the problem by working slowly to relocate wires and poles.

"Everybody points the finger at each other, and, meanwhile, the bridge doesn't get completed," Schiffbauer said.

Last month, supervisors said the township was told construction was being put on hold because Verizon failed to relocate wire that needed to be moved.

This month, supervisors said crews were now waiting for Allegheny Power to relocate a pole.

Schiffbauer said he finds it ridiculous that a small project has taken so long to complete, and he said state legislators need to address the problem so that utility companies can't delay projects.

Schiffbauer said he visited the site Wednesday and that a skeleton crew was their working to install a drain.

"They were doing nothing directly related to the installation of the bridge," he said, noting that he is doubtful the project will even be completed by the extended deadline.

Frankhouser said the township needs to consider having stricter penalty clauses put in contracts in the future.

"They have no incentive to work quicker," Frankhouser said.

Supervisors said the matter will be addressed with the state Public Utility Commission.

In other business, Frankhouser said crews have been out painting lines on several township streets.

Supervisors also unanimously voted to transfer 396 square feet of property along Matthew Drive to First Federal Savings & Loan of Greene County.

Frankhouser said the bank lost a tract of land when Matthew Drive was widened and asked for a small piece back so that a stone wall could be constructed at the site.

The next township meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Oct. 6 in the municipal building.

A preliminary hearing was continued this week for a Washington woman accused of homicide by vehicle in the 2009 death of a West Virginia man.

Last month, state police charged Elizabeth Enedina Adams, 33, of 50 Panorama Drive with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol, homicide by vehicle, two counts of drunken driving and two traffic violations in connection with a crash Sept. 20 that resulted in the death of Jacob Eli Hively of Spencer, W.Va.

The crash occurred at 2:01 a.m. on Interstate 79 in Perry Township, Greene County.

According to police, Adams was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado the wrong direction in the southbound lane of travel when she collided with a 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Hively, 27.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Police said Adams had a blood-alcohol content of .164, more than twice the legal limit at the time of the collision.

Adams remains free after posting 10 percent of $50,000 straight cash bond.

A preliminary hearing today before Magisterial District Judge Glenn Bates was continued.

A new hearing date has not been set.

The Fayette County coroner has ruled that smoke from an electrical fire caused the death of a Connellsville man last week.

Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip Reilly said that Leonard E. Williams, 65, died from respiratory distress after inhaling smoke and fumes from an electrical fire at his home on South Arch Street on Aug. 26.

He was taken from the residence to Highlands Hospital in Connellsville, where he was pronounced dead by emergency room personnel at 3:13 a.m.

Officials said that the fire occurred at an electrical outlet inside Williams' home and that the fire had been extinguished by the time volunteer firefighters arrived at the residence.

Officials said that Williams was able to extinguish the blaze by using a wet towel but ingested smoke and other fumes while doing so.

Reilly said that the manner of death has been ruled an accident.

Two of Greene County's three public pools will mark the end of summer with final swims of the season during Labor Day weekend.

The Foundation Coal Family Aquatic Center in Waynesburg will hold its last swims from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Hours are subject to change in the event of inclement weather.

Next year, the aquatic center will open under a new name, Alpha Aquatics, to reflect last year's merger of Foundation Coal and Alpha Natural Resources.

Admission prices at the aquatic center are $5 for children ages 17 and younger and senior citizens ages 62 and older, and $7 for adults ages 18 to 61. Active-duty military personnel and their immediate families may swim for free under a resolution passed by the Greene County commissioners. Military members must bring their military identification cards to be admitted.

Mon View Pool in Greensboro's last swim will be the annual "Dog Gone Pool Party" for dogs and their owners at 6 p.m. Sunday. Dog owners are asked to make a donation as admission. All proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Greene County.

Aside from the Dog Gone Pool Party, Mon View Pool is closed and will not be open for swimming during Labor Day weekend.

Carmichaels Pool in Carmichaels also has closed because of a lack of lifeguards and other staff. Season memberships purchased this year for either Mon View or Carmichaels pools will be honored at the aquatic center during Labor Day weekend.

"When students go back to high school and college, we lose most of our lifeguards and pool staff," said Pam Snyder, chairwoman of the Greene County commissioners. "Therefore, we usually end up closing the pools during the last week of August before officially closing for the summer on Labor Day."

This summer, the Greene County Department of Recreation offered swimming lessons at all three pools.

About 350 people took the classes, which ranged from elementary lessons for babies and children to advanced techniques for more experienced swimmers.

Dozens of private pool parties were also held at the pools this summer.

Anyone interested in becoming a lifeguard for the 2011 season should call the Department of Recreation at 724-852-5323. For more information on the Dog Gone Pool Party, call 724-627-9988.

Uniontown police are investigating a report of a man being robbed at gunpoint early Wednesday.

Sgt. Jonathan Grabiak said the incident occurred at 1:46 a.m. on East Main Street.

According to Grabiak, Louis Allen, 23, of Uniontown was in a parking lot along East Main Street when two men approached him, one wielding a handgun in each hand and the other holding a shotgun.

Allen told police that the man with the handguns struck him in the head with one of the weapons, causing the gun to fire a single round, Grabiak said. Grabiak noted that the bullet did not strike Allen.

During the assault and robbery, Grabiak said the man wielding the shotgun approached a woman accompanying Allen and forced her to the ground.

Grabiak said the men then stole $1,000 from Allen before fleeing the area.

Allen said he also discovered that a handgun he owns was stolen from his vehicle while it was parked on East Main Street, Grabiak said.

He suffered a laceration to his forehead during the robbery, Grabiak said.

Officers were able to find a single shell casing at the scene.

The suspects were described as black men wearing all black clothing and red masks.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 724-430-2929.

A Mather man serving a life sentence for pushing his girlfriend down an abandoned mine shaft in 1996 will remain behind bars.

Frank Delano Virgili Jr., 41, unsuccessfully petitioned a Greene County judge to withdraw his guilty plea in the Jan. 19, 1996, death of Joelene Bowers, 20, of Mather.

On Monday, the state Superior Court also declined to hear the case.

In 1997, Virgili agreed to plead guilty to a general count of criminal homicide. In exchange, prosecutors withdrew their intent to seek a death sentence.

After the plea, Virgili had a non-jury trial to determine of which degree of homicide he was guilty.

Homicide is broken down into first-, second- and third-degree murder, and voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.

Virgili was charged two days after he killed Bowers, according to news accounts from 1997.

He tossed her purse and coat into the shaft after he shoved her down the shaft, and talked to one friend about how he had "taken care of" Bowers.

Reports at the time of the sentencing indicate that Virgili got angry with Bowers after she divulged to the mother of his daughter that he and Bowers were having a relationship.

During a March 1997 court appearance, Virgili claimed Bowers accidentally fell down the well.

A former Fayette County man who had more than 1,000 pornographic images of children on his computer was sentenced Tuesday to serve 144 months in federal prison.

When he is released from his federal sentence, Timothy Murphy, 26, of Youngwood will be subject to a lifetime of supervision that will include mental health or sex offender treatment under the sentence fashioned by U.S. District Judge Gary L. Lancaster.

The judge's sentence will not start running until Murphy serves sentences in Fayette and Westmoreland counties relating to the sexual abuse of children.

While Murphy's Fayette County sentence for sexually abusing a girl he was baby-sitting soon will be up, he still will have to serve up to 32 years for abusing a child in Westmoreland County.

He will have to serve that time before starting on his federal sentence, according to Lancaster's ruling.

Murphy's attorney had asked the judge to run the federal sentence at the same time as the state court sentences.

Murphy pleaded guilty earlier this year to possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Murphy was on parole for sexually assaulting a child in Fayette County when probation officers found 1,000 pornographic images of children - some as young as age 3 - in his possession in 2007.

Murphy's parole was revoked, and the federal charges were filed.

Lancaster also precluded Murphy from having contact with minors.

"With the exception of brief, unanticipated and incidental contacts, the defendant shall not associate with children under the age of 18, except for family members' children in the presence of an adult who has been approved by the probation officer," the sentence read.

A federal magistrate found that the lawsuit filed by a Fayette County Republican commissioner against her Democratic colleagues "is insufficiently specific."

In a report and recommendation handed down Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy Bissoon found that an attorney for Angela M. Zimmerlink should file a more definitive complaint that further outlined her claims against Commissioners Vincent A. Vicites and Vincent Zapotosky.

An attorney for Vicites and Zapotosky had asked that the lawsuit be dismissed, or that Zimmerlink be required to file a more detailed lawsuit.

Earlier this year, Zimmerlink sued, claiming her colleagues violated her First Amendment rights, took official action without her and retaliated against her for being an outspoken critic.

Bissoon found that the lawsuit did not define what "official actions" were taken without Zimmerlink.

"Perhaps the starkest illustration of the lack of specificity is plaintiff's allegation that defendants retaliated against her by taking 'official action' without allowing her to participate. The complaint is devoid of any factual allegations concerning the nature of this alleged 'official action,'" Bissoon wrote.

Vicites and Zapotosky asked the suit be dismissed because the allegations were about legislative activities. However, Bissoon said in her ruling that the complaint did not give her enough information to go on to determine if the activities were indeed legislative.

If the actions were legislative, Vicites and Zapotosky can't be sued, their attorney had argued.

But without more information, Bissoon found a judge couldn't make that determination.

"A careful review of plaintiff's complaint, however, reveals that her examples are far from concrete and her allegations are not sufficiently specific to evaluate defendants' legislative immunity defense," she wrote.

Zimmerlink will have until Sept. 14 to object to the report and recommendations, otherwise, they will go to a district judge to adopt them.

Road work set

Route 201 will be resurfaced from the Fayette County border in Washington Township to Interstate 70 in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, starting Thursday.

The state Department of Transportation (Penn-DOT) said work will be done between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Flaggers will control traffic.

No work will be performed on weekends or on Labor Day. The project is expected to be finished on Sept. 17.

Surface improvements will be occurring on sections of routes throughout the summer. The projects include milling the road surface and placing an asphalt overlay. Work will depend on weather conditions, PennDOT said.

The Washington Rides offices will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day, but regular service will be provided.

The offices will reopen at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Passengers needing to schedule trips for Monday and Tuesday must call in their trips by 4 p.m. Friday.

For information regarding hours of operation, holiday closings, service provider information and contact numbers, call 724-223-8747 or 800-331-5058 or visit the website at www.washingtonrides.org.

Current and retired coal miners who show proof of work will be admitted free at the Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, on Sept. 11.

Festival committee co-chairwoman Gina Jones said, "The Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival is designed to celebrate and honor the unique coal and coke heritage of southwestern Pennsylvania. With that in mind, the committee wanted to honor our local coal miners, so we are doing that by offering coal miners free admission to the festival if they bring proof of work. And, as a way to show their pride in their occupation, we are encouraging miners to wear their hard hats at the festival."

The festival will begin at noon and will feature food, arts and crafts and a variety of musical and dance performers, including The Clarks, Chris Higbee Project, Joe Grushecky, Harold Betters, NewLanders and many more. The Kiddie Koal Mine will offers activities for children. And new this year will be a fireworks display.

The Coal and Coke Heritage Center - another highlight of the festival - will showcase the softer, feminine side of the Connellsville Coke region through photographs, paintings, books and crafts.

Wives, mothers and daughters have contributed to the rich coal and coke history in this area and their work will be displayed for all to enjoy. Paintings by Alex Varnak, Dorothy Hook and John Tomasko will depict the home and family. Chris Della Mea's photography of the Northern Appalachian Landscape will be exhibited. Photos from the Brier Hill community and mining complex from the 1920s and art in the Frick Museum of New York City, including the Connellsville Coke Arch and the Davidson coke yard, also will be on display. In addition to the visual exhibits, the popular musical group NewLanders will perform in the Coal and Coke Heritage Center. The group combines American-style music with the history, heritage and culture of Pennsylvania.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Children ages 4 and younger will be admitted free. Tickets for the festival are being sold online via a link on www.coalandcokemusicfest.org, at Penn State Fayette's business office and by phone at 724-430-4101.

For more information, visit the festival website at www.coalandcokemusicfest.org or call 724-430-4101.

State Sen. Richard A. Kasunic, D-Dunbar, presented a $20,000 grant to foundation officers at the Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center, where $2,000 has been committed to install a weather station.

Kasunic said that he has been aware of the work being done by the foundation and when he became knowledgeable of funding available through the state Department of Education funding, he contacted the local organization.

"The good news is that there is a group of concerned citizens in the school district that recognize the need to boost the ability of the school district to enhance the education of the students," he said. "These are our leaders for tomorrow and we have to be sure they are prepared for that challenge."

Foundation Vice President Bob McLuckey said that the funding will be divided into mini-grants and distributed to foundation-approved projects submitted by the teaching staff.

"This will assist us in helping the teachers," he said. "Right now, we have several people that are staying on the cutting edge of technology and we are trying to help out there as much as possible."

Foundation Secretary/Treasurer Paul Harshman said that since the founding of the organization in 2006, a primary goal has been to meet the needs of the students and teachers when the district is unable to do so because of budgetary constraints.

"We have purchased DVD players, projectors, screens, laptops and Smart Boards," he said.

A portion of the funding will be utilized to purchase a classroom response system for Junior High West.

The system allows students to immediately respond to a question posed by the teacher via a hand-held device, said Harshman.

Teachers can gauge the student's knowledge of the subject matter and determine whether to move forward or spend more time on the topic.

The available funding is distributed throughout the district, said McLuckey.

"We look for situations where whatever is purchased is shared among a number of teachers to get it to as many students as possible," he said.

While the additional money will allow for more purchases, foundation President Ken Jaynes said that the yearly fundraising activities will be held, including the annual basketball game with current and former Pittsburgh Steelers players, a Jimmy Buffett party, golf tournament and other activities.

Although the organization is also sponsoring the Hall of Fame program, McLuckey said that none of the funds would be used for the initiative.

"It is a separate program with separate funds," he said.

Jaynes, along with McLuckey and Harshman, said that the organization is very appreciative of Kasunic's role in obtaining the grant.

The foundation accepts several forms of contributions including cash gifts, stocks and securities, paid life insurance policies, bequests and memorial gifts.

Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the Falcon Foundation, P.O. Box 400, Connellsville, Pa. 15425, or for more information, call 724-626-4073.

BROWNSVILLE - Brownsville is once again being transformed into a movie set, this time for the Lionsgate Entertainment film "Abduction."

The thriller features teen star Taylor Lautner. His character sees his baby picture on a missing persons website, kicking off his search for the truth behind his past.

Crews Monday removed the mural from under the Inter-County Bridge to keep it from being damaged during the filming. Norma Ryan of the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp., which originally commissioned the mural, said she was unaware that it was being taken down. Ryan said she had been told that it would simply be covered during the movie. Now that the mural has been taken down in sections, Ryan said there have been plans to have the mural restored by the art department at California University of Pennsylvania and she will see if it will be easier for that work to be done now that the mural is down.

Fiddle's diner also closed as of Monday and will remain closed for the filming through Sept. 12, according to a sign in the window.

Tuesday, two 48-foot long tractor-trailer trucks full of equipment and electrical cables came into town, wiring the area between Bank and Arch streets for when the film crews arrive later this week.

"We have to be ready for any eventuality, any move they would like to make. We'll have two generators. Our options are to have a lot of generators and a few cables, or a lot of cables and a few generators. We have the cables, so that's what we do," said Russ McCormack of Pittsburgh, the rigging electric best boy for the movie.

"What the best boy does is take care of all the men and equipment, make sure we have the right lights and stuff for each location," said Jimmy Keys, the rigging gaffer for "Abduction."

As the rigging gaffer, it is Keys' job is to oversee the setup.

"I tell the guys where the lights are going, where to put the generators. I coordinate where we're going to be rigging one day, where we're going to be striking," Keys said.

Once shooting starts in Brownsville, Keys said the rigging crew will go back to the last shoot location, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, and strike the equipment set up there.

When shooting in Brownsville finishes, the rigging crew will be back to pack up the equipment again.

"It's interesting, though it's a lot of hours. A short day is 12 hours. You can work anywhere from 18 to 20 hours," Keys said.

While Keys came from the West Coast for the production along with other key staff members, many of the crewmembers were hired regionally. Jim Bruner is one of the truck drivers for the equipment trucks, hired out of the Pittsburgh Teamsters union. Bruner, who is retired, said he's enjoyed working on the movies being shot in southwestern Pennsylvania.

"I've worked on a bunch of them. I worked last year on "Unstoppable" with Denzel Washington. We were all over for that one; everywhere there were railroad tracks. I worked on one in 2000, when the "The Mothman Prophecies" was shot. I know the guy in charge and he calls me now and then," Bruner said.

Bruner said he was called earlier this summer to work on "I Am Number Four" but he was leaving for vacation and had to turn the job down. He was glad to get called for "Abduction."

"The best thing is to show up and do what you're told, and they'll call you again. It's the same thing I taught my sons: go to work and do your job. If they make money, you make money," Bruner said.

Bruner said he'll keep driving trucks for the movies as long as they are shooting in southwestern Pennsylvania.

"As long as it lasts in the city and I get a shot to work it, I'm going to work it. I'm in a good position; I'm retired. I just put my pension on hold. If it dries up, I just go back to my retirement," Bruner said.

Keys said it's likely that more films will be shot in this region.

"All the states out here are giving these tax breaks, so the work is moving out of California," Keys said.

Keys said his last movie shoot was in Boston. Last year he was in the Pittsburgh region for "The Next Three Days," which was shot in part on the Brownsville-to-Uniontown section of the Mon/Fayette Expressway.

"Abduction" will be shot on a closed set, meaning no members of the public will be allowed to observe the filming as it takes place in Brownsville and West Brownsville over the next week or so.

An Everson man is behind bars after he allegedly assaulted his infant son at their residence in Everson Sunday.

State police Trooper Joseph W. Panepinto said Phillip Eugene Silvers, 31, of Apartment 4, 315 Brown St., was charged before Magisterial District Judge Dwight K. Shaner with two counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person following the alleged incident.

Panepinto said the incident occurred Sunday afternoon when the baby's mother, who police did not identify, returned to her home and found Silvers suctioning blood from the baby's nose.

The infant's mother told police that when she asked Silvers about the blood he said that he had accidentally head-butted the baby in the face, Panepinto said.

Panepinto said that the infant was taken to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, where doctors discovered multiple injuries on different parts of his body, including fractures to both of his legs.

At that point, Fayette County Children and Youth Services officials alerted state police to the incident.

Silvers was subsequently questioned by police Tuesday and told officers that he head-butted his son, causing the bloody nose because he was angry that the baby would not stop crying. Silvers said it was not the first time that he had head-butted the child in the face, Panepinto said.

Panepinto said Silvers also admitted to twisting the baby's legs because he would not stop crying and told police that he had flicked the infant's genitals with his fingers because the baby had urinated on him during a diaper change.

Silvers was placed in the Fayette County Prison on $75,000 straight cash bond following his arraignment.

A preliminary hearing will be held at a later date before Shaner.

All charges were dismissed Tuesday against a Uniontown man accused of assaulting his girlfriend in Uniontown and then trying to convince officers that she had assaulted herself in an attempt to frame him, police said.

Uniontown police Officer Matthew Painter said Derrick Young, 41, of 58 Pershing Court was charged earlier this month before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros with aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.

Painter said the charges were filed after Young allegedly attacked Melissa Miller, 32, of 112 Pershing Court on Aug. 9.

Painter said all charges against Young were dismissed Tuesday after Miller failed to testify against him.

Painter said police were summoned to a location on Coolspring Street early Aug. 9 where they found Miller suffering multiple injuries.

He said that Miller told police that the couple got into a fight at her home, during which Young grabbed her by the face and threw her to the floor.

Painter said that Young then grabbed Miller by the hair and started to beat her head off the floor and struck her in the face multiple times.

He said that during the assault, Miller told investigators that she momentarily lost consciousness.

She was eventually able to break free from Young and flee the house, Painter said.

As she ran from the residence to her mother's residence on Coolspring Street, Young called Fayette County 911 and reported that Miller was rolling around in the yard and punching herself in the face in an attempt to get him arrested for assault.

Painter said that when the call from Young was initially made, officers were unable to respond because they were busy on another incident involving a teenager with a gun.

Before officers could respond to Young's report, Miller called 911 and Painter said he was able to respond to the incident. He noted that Young's allegations did not correspond with evidence observed by police.

Painter also noted that multiple witnesses were unable to corroborate Young's allegations regarding how Miller's injuries occurred.

Time is running out for anyone interested in wishing to make their voice heard regarding a plan by Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington to operate a casino with slots and table games.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will accept public comments on Nemacolin Woodland's application for a resort gaming license at a hearing at the Wharton Township Municipal Building at 10 a.m. Sept. 8, but only for those who are registered.

Anyone wishing to speak at the hearing is required to register through the Gaming Control Board's website, www.pgcb.state.pa.us, by Thursday.

Although the list of who will testify will be posted on the website, it is not yet available.

Among those who will testify is Muriel Nuttall, executive director of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce. Nuttall said her testimony would reflect the responses that are received through a survey that the chamber has been sending to members. The survey was initially sent to chamber members on Monday. The chamber has 540 members, who represent more than 325 businesses in the county.

As of Tuesday, Nuttall said the responses were "more mixed than expected."

While the surveys likely will be accepted through the end of the week, Nuttall said she wouldn't likely write her testimony until the day before the hearing.

The survey asks whether or not local businesses support the application, how they think it will affect Fayette County, if it would have a positive or negative affect, and any additional comments people wish to make.

Nemacolin Woodlands has partnered with Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. in planning to open the "Lady Luck Casino at Nemacolin" with 600 slot machines, 28 table games and two restaurants at the resort in a building that currently houses the Wildside, which features bowling alleys, a bar, games, a rock-climbing wall and also boasts a miniature train, live birds and numerous animal displays, as well as a tunnel with aquarium. The building is located at Route 40 and Smith School Road in Wharton Township.

The resort filed an application for a license in January.

According to the resort's impact statement, the casino would create 400 jobs, as well as 120 jobs during the construction phase, and 200 additional jobs at the resort.

Category 3 licenses allow for as many as 600 slot machines and 50 table games.

Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. of St. Louis, Mo., would manage and market the proposed casino at Nemacolin Woodlands if the license is granted.

Nemacolin Woodlands officials previously said they were going to apply for one of the two resort casino licenses to be awarded in the state.

At the time, table games were not included and there were requirements about a $25 patron fee.

However, the plan to seek a license renewed late last year when the Legislature expanded the casinos to include table games and dropped the patron fee amount to $10.

The gaming board awarded one license to the Valley Forge Resort Casino in April, but Nemacolin Woodlands and three other resorts and hotels are seeking the second license.

The other applicants are: Holiday Inn Harrisburg West in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County; the Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center in Gettysburg, Adams County; and the Fernwood Hotel and Resort in East Stroudsburg, Monroe County.

There are currently nine casinos operating in the state.

Previously, gaming board spokesman Richard McGarvey said later this year the board will conduct license hearings with the four applicants. Board members will be able to ask questions and the applicants will be allowed to add testimony, McGarvey said. Those hearings haven't been scheduled yet. They will be open to the public, but the public will not be allowed to address the board or ask questions of the applicants, he said.

McGarvey said the seven-member board hopes to schedule a public meeting to vote on the license by the end of the year.

The bells in the schools of Uniontown Area School District are set to ring on Tuesday, despite rumors that the start of classes would be pushed back a second time for the 2010-11 academic year.

Dr. Charles Machesky, district superintendent, said rumblings regarding everything from black mold found in the band room to unsafe conditions in other areas of the high school are all untrue statements circulating in the community.

"None of the air quality reports from the specialists show any indication of problems. It's just a rumor. Anyone can come view the reports," he said.

"It just keeps getting louder and louder. But there are no alligators in the swimming pool. No special meeting Wednesday night to cancel school. We are opening on Sept. 7."

School was originally scheduled to begin on Aug. 30, but delays in the extensive renovation projects at the high school and LaFayette and Ben Franklin schools forced school officials to adjust the academic schedule pushing the start date back just over a week.

This week, some area residents voiced their concerns about the rumors to social media networks and questioned Machesky about other unconfirmed reports that school may not open on the already-delayed schedule.

Renovation crews needed more time to complete projects that would provide safety for students entering the high school, and Machesky said those renovations will be complete by the start of school.

Additional renovations will occur during the school year, with crews arriving after the school day, Machesky said. "We would never jeopardize students or teachers by putting them into a dangerous building," he said.

"It's not going to be the optimum conditions like it was before any renovations began, but it's very manageable. There will be no disruption in the educational process."

Uniontown police said a West Virginia man seriously injured when a car struck him Monday has been upgraded to fair condition.

Police Capt. David J. Rutter said Barry Nicholson, 33, of Fairmont was walking on Penn Street in Uniontown when a car driven by William Green of Fairchance struck him.

Rutter said Nicholson was flown by medical helicopter to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., for treatment.

Rutter said Tuesday that hospital personnel had upgraded Nicholson's condition to fair. He noted that Nicholson suffered a fractured skull, a broken back in three places, a crushed vertebrate, several broken ribs, a broken pelvis and a fractured femur in the accident.

Rutter said that Nicholson also lost part of a toe in the accident.

Rutter said Green's car also struck Sara Coddington, 23, of Uniontown. She suffered minor injuries to her left arm.

Green told police that he was looking at his gas gauge when he was driving on Penn Street, and when he looked up, Nicholson and Coddington were in front of him.

Coddington and Nicholson are both students at Laurel Business Institute (LBI) in Uniontown and were crossing the street from one LBI building to another when the crash occurred.

Rutter, who is the police department's crash reconstruction expert, said the accident remains under investigation.

An employee from the Uniontown Street Department was repainting the crosswalk on Penn Street Tuesday morning.

A Uniontown mother is facing multiple charges after she allegedly left her 8-month-old son unattended in a vehicle in South Union Township last month.

State police Trooper Ozzie Mills III said Melissa Marie Fordyce, 31, was charged with recklessly endangering another person, leaving a child unattended in a vehicle and disorderly conduct following the incident.

Mills said the incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. Aug. 14 when Fordyce left her 8-month-old son unattended in her minivan while it was parked at a retail store in South Union Township.

The child was left inside the vehicle for about 22 minutes while Fordyce shopped inside several stores, Mills said. He noted that all windows on the van were closed while the child was left inside.

When she returned to the vehicle, she told police that she had thought her 12-year-old daughter had taken the baby with her, but Mills said that video surveillance from the parking lot showed Fordyce's daughter exit the vehicle shortly before her mother exited and neither Fordyce nor her daughter had the child with them.

A preliminary hearing will be held at a later date.

State police caught two suspects trying to steal copper from a burned building in Jefferson Township, Greene County, Monday afternoon.

Police said they were called to a home at 109 Clarksville Road at 2:20 p.m. for a report of two people entering the fire-damaged residence.

Trooper Mark Peiper responded to the home, where he caught a Clarksville man and a Millsboro woman inside the residence.

Peiper said the couple was attempting to remove copper wire and tools from the home when he arrived.

He said that both provided police with written statements admitting to trying to steal the items, however, charges remain pending further investigation.

The identities of the man and woman are being withheld pending the formalization of charges.

DUNBAR - Rob Grover was picked Monday by borough council to fill a vacant seat when Mayor Ron Gross gave the deciding vote during a special meeting.

Grover and Charles T. Stefanick each received three votes for the position formerly held by Robert Opst who resigned Aug. 2 and whose term expires in 2014.

Grover and Stefanick were among two other candidates that submitted letters of interest for the seat that included former Mayor John C. Williams and Jerry D. Brame.

The vote was conducted after council cast individual selections.

Grover was nominated by John Maddas with Amy Gross and Normon Gordon voting in favor; and Stefanick was nominated by Laureen Malachin with Jason Bartholomai and Patrick Fitzgerald, council president, also voting yes.

According to borough code, Grover will serve in the seat until the next municipal election.

Opst is the second council member to resign within the last few months, following Peggy Zadell, who stepped down in June citing health reasons.

Zadell was replaced by Bartholomai.

Last month, council debated the proper procedure to fill the position following Opst's resignation, with Fitzgerald pointing out the borough code does not specify how to appoint an interested candidate.

According to Fitzgerald, past procedure from council included nominating someone that provided a letter of interest and then voting on the candidate.

Fitzgerald also moved to purchase six copies of Robert's Rules of Order, suggesting that council make themselves familiar with it for future reference.

Members of the Junior ROTC groups at Albert Gallatin and Laurel Highlands high schools, along with Rolling Thunder Inc. Chapter 5 PA, will be on hand Friday to help War & Veterans Inc. collect supplies for troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Toiletries, food and postage will be collected from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Shop 'N Save supermarkets on Walnut Hill Road in South Union Township and in Fairchance.

The group also will accept the names of those serving the country in harm's way.

Additional volunteers are needed.

For more information, call Joe T. Joseph or Chuck Thomas of War & Veterans Inc. at 724-438-8688.

Morale is low and stress is high among Uniontown's full-time firemen who are facing their third layoff in as many years.

The city's volunteer firefighters, who City Council may ask to take over, say they lack the manpower to adequately replace the paid full-timers and longer emergency response time would be the price residents pay for the layoffs.

In a surprise move last week, council notified the firefighters' union that all the career firemen will be laid off before the end of the year and the city intends to form a volunteer department to take over.

The notice came the day before the city and union met with an arbitrator to negotiate a new contract to replace the existing three-year contract, which expires at the end of the year.

"Obviously, we're devastated," fire Chief Charles Coldren said.

The current layoff threat and the layoff and recalls that have taken place since 2008 have taken a toll on the firefighters, he said.

"Dealing with the uncertainty, the stress level is pretty bad," Coldren said. "The morale down here is pretty bad."

Council laid off seven of the 13 paid firemen and dozens of other employees in two rounds of layoffs in 2008 and 2009 after city officials reported they inherited more than $1 million in debt from the previous administration.

In between those rounds of layoffs, council increased the real estate tax rate by 4.5 mills.

Council recalled the seven laid off firefighters in March 2009, but laid them off again in December of that year.

Two of the seven have been recalled and one fireman retired. The department now has seven full-time firefighters, with two working each shift. Coldren said some of the firemen have worked 36 consecutive hours, resulting in overtime pay because of the manpower shortage.

The city will lose a $632,835 federal grant it received in May to recall the laid-off firemen if council doesn't accept the money by Sept. 30, according to Councilman Gary Gearing, the public safety director.

The city's three volunteer fire departments, the Union Hose Company, Keystone Fire Company and the Chief Williams Hook and Ladder Company, work with the career firemen.

About 15 volunteers respond to alarms, but only one is regularly available during the day and three or four who work shifts at their regular jobs are available on some days, Coldren said.

He said the number of volunteers statewide is a third of what it was in the 1970s and Uniontown is no exception from that trend.

"It's a dying breed. It's hard to commit to the training to be a volunteer," said Coldren, who spent the first two of his 37 years in the department as a volunteer.

Young people aren't joining the city's volunteer ranks because many are forced to relocate from the city to find jobs, he said.

"Our problem is compounded 10-fold by not having a pool of young people to draw from," Coldren said.

The limited number of volunteers and the extra time it would take them to respond to a fire from their homes or jobs would result in diminished emergency service, said Dave Dzurnak, a 32-year city volunteer and a captain in the Morgantown, W.Va., fire department.

"Volunteers can't provide the same level of service as a paid firefighter can because they're at the station and available to answer the calls," Dzurnak said. "There's no way the volunteers can provide the service the city deserves from the paid staff. We work pretty good with the paid staff and it's working."

Three volunteers would be needed to replace a single paid firefighter because more time is needed for volunteers to respond to alarms, he said.

"It takes three volunteers to take the place of one paid personnel," Dzurnak said.

He also said the number of volunteers has dwindled over the years and young people are not volunteering.

"There is no such thing as volunteers. There's only a couple guys and that's it," said 28-year volunteer Alvin Sapp. "There might be three guys during the day at the most and that depends on where they are during the day."

He said he will leave a job site if it is near the city to respond to a fire, but he can't respond in time to help if he is working in Connellsville.

"It can't happen. There's just no way," Sapp said about the volunteers taking over.

Perhaps anything that can survive the heat, humidity, rain and cold of the South is heroic. This is most apparent in the dog days of late summer when crape-myrtle trees burst into grandiose bloom. While the heat and shortening days signal the end of flowering in most plants, this rugged rebel is just gearing up.

The crape myrtle carries the whole garden till the bright hues of late fall take over.

Native to Japan, Lagerstroemia indica was imported into Charleston, S.C., where it has become a signature tree of the region. They say crape myrtle holds its blossoms for longer than any other tree, retaining color from 60 to 120 days. The extended bloom explains why its color is so reliable through heat and weather challenges of the late season. It also explains why they are so beloved in the South.

The blooms aren't all that makes them beautiful. The bark is a smooth, sinuous patchwork of beiges and grays, and in the fall before its foliage drops, the leaves can be tinged with smoky sunset hues.

While crape-myrtle trees are grown with a single trunk called a standard, they are more popular as multiple-trunk trees. This increases the size of the canopy and produces more flowers as well.

Crape myrtle is without question one of the best small trees for accents. Large enough to cast shade but small enough to respect limited spaces, it is easy to fit into nearly every existing garden. Depending on the variety, a specimen may grow from 15 to 30 feet tall, and nearly as wide. Therefore, it's important to know the proportions of the type you select to ensure it will fit the space you have in mind.

With all crape myrtles, prune immediately after a flower stem fades to prevent seed formation and to stimulate new growth so that the tree will yield next year's blooms. Do not prune any other time.

Over the past century, breeders have been hard at work developing new strains and hybrids. As always, the desire to improve flower production as well as the color range has produced varieties from snow white to dark red and every shade in between. For this reason, shop container-grown crape myrtle while in bloom to find the perfect flower color.

Crape myrtles are vulnerable to mildew, a fungus disease of the damp South and coastal climates. The solution is a disease-resistant fauriei hybrid. This hybrid crape myrtle tends to be of slightly shorter stature than its predecessors, but makes a superior choice for courtyards and small urban gardens with limited air circulation.

Dwarf crape myrtles are true shrubs identical to their tree-sized parents in everything but size. They add color to waning beds and borders during the dog days, spicing up the entire landscape. The shrub forms make fine background plants with perennials and roses. Plant enough of them, and your garden becomes a late-summer hot spot.

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Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist. Her blog, the MoZone, offers ideas for cash-strapped families. Read the blog at www.MoPlants.com/blog. You can e-mail her at mogilmer@yahoo.com.

While I love the charm of wood floors, I confess that I think of them as a blank canvas just waiting to be dressed up with the right area rug.

Areas rugs are a key component of a well-designed room. They must be the right size to anchor the room's furnishings and the right style to complement the room's decor. Plus they must be tough enough to withstand lots of abuse and still look lovely. Picking a rug that can accomplish all that is not an easy feat.

If you're on a quest for a new rug, read on for tips on how to pick a rug you'll love.

I think of area rugs as artwork. They bring loads of color, texture, style and personality to a space. So when I'm on the hunt for a new area rug, I only consider those that capture my heart. Don't ever purchase an area rug just because it has the right colors for your room or is the right size. Rugs can be very expensive, so chances are you'll be living with your choice for many years. Hold out for a rug that captivates you and complements the room.

Right now I have two favorite styles. The first is a Persian rug reproduction by Kalaty Rug Corp., which is located in the heart of the rug district in New York City. I'm head over heels in love with its Soumak collection because these classic beauties look just like the old Persian rugs I fawn over in antiques stores but can't afford.

I stock several Soumak patterns in my stores, and each one looks like it has a history, a story to tell. I've also been impressed by the workmanship and affordability of the Kalaty rugs. Each rug is made with high-quality wool and features a harder, thinner weave that doesn't easily crush or show wear.

My other top pick? Natural-fiber rugs. They look great with just about any decorating style, from traditional to modern. Their subtle texture and subdued color work with any color scheme. They wear like iron so they are family-friendly. And they are so affordable you don't feel like you're making a lifetime commitment when you purchase one.

For my living room, I picked a large sisal that covered most of the floor. In the winter, I layer Persian rugs on top to warm up the two distinct sitting areas. But during the summer, I roll up the wool rugs so I can enjoy the crisp look of the sisal. I'm so crazy about the effect that I may install wall-to-wall sisal in my bedroom.

If you're considering a natural-fiber rug for your home, here's a quick look at three popular types:

Sisal, my favorite, is made from the same cactus plant used to make tequila. The pulp is spun into ropes, which are then woven into mats. With its clean, bright appearance, sisal is a great choice for those who want a transitional or contemporary feel.

Seagrass rugs are made from a reed that grows in marshy areas. As a result, the grass has a natural coating that allows it to more easily repel moisture. A friend swears by seagrass rugs after her teen boys spilled a cola on one and, the morning after, the liquid was still beaded on top of the rug and wiped up easily.

Dragongrass is simply seagrass that's grown in more arid soil, giving it a slightly darker color. Often, dragongrass rugs are available in a wider variety of patterns, some of which have a more refined appearance, making them a better pick for formal rooms.

Coir rugs are made from coconut husks and are the roughest of the vegetable-fiber rugs. It's best to use them for walk-off mats by your door.

or on a screened porch. While these are some of the most common vegetable-fiber rugs, you can also find rugs made of hemp, jute, bamboo and even woven paper.

You'll also need to pick how the edges of your new rug will be finished: surged or bound in cotton tape. I'm a fan of cotton tape, but picking the right color can be tricky. Light-colored tapes look marvelous and are so versatile you can move them from room to room. However, they will show dirt more readily. Dark-colored tape hides dirt, but when you pick a distinct color, like navy or red, you limit your design options.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to purchase an area rug that is too small for the space. This cost-saving measure usually doesn't pay off in the long run because an incorrectly sized rug can throw off the look of the entire room, even if the furnishings are fabulous.

To determine what size you'll need, decide where your furnishings will be placed. If the furniture will rim the room, your area rug should measure a foot or two smaller than the room's perimeter. If your furniture grouping will float in the center of the room, perhaps in front of a fireplace, the area rug should be large enough so that the front legs of your furniture can rest upon it.

Similarly, in your dining room, don't make the common mistake of getting a rug that's the same size as your tabletop. Add 18 inches to each side to accommodate your chairs.

Once you invest in a gorgeous rug, treat it right so it will look lovely for years to come. Start by putting a high-quality pad under the rug because the right pad can double the lifespan of a rug, especially if the rug is in a high-traffic area.

Sunlight can slowly leach the color out of a rug, so if your rug is in a sunny room, close the window shades when the sun is beating down directly on the rug. In addition, be sure to rotate your rug on a regular basis to even out factors like sun exposure and wear.

When cleaning a wool rug, sweep or vacuum on low suction and never vacuum against the nap of the rug. Check with the manufacturer for recommendations on how to treat stains. But when accidents happen, you should clean the stain immediately, before it has a chance to set in, working from the outside of the stain in to avoid the stain spreading.

While vegetable-fiber rugs are very durable, they are not indestructible. Like any natural product, they can break down under wear and weathering. Keep the rugs away from moisture and treat them with stain protector to prevent spills and dirt from absorbing into the fibers. For day-to-day maintenance, use a high-suction vacuum cleaner, but don't ever engage the beater bars as they can tear up the fibers.

(Adapted from nellhillsblog.com, which can be linked from the nellhills.com home page. Mary Carol Garrity can be reached at marycarol(at)nellhills.com.)

A week ago, I was driving down a local road and spotted a turtle trying to cross the pavement. I skirted his path, quickly calculated his potential for success, and turned around to retrieve him from his path. For the next few hours, he resided in a cardboard box; then I took him home to release in the woods behind my house.

At first sight, I knew the turtle to be an eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina. When I was younger, spending summers in the Poconos of northeastern Pennsylvania, box turtles were a common sight. On occasion a box turtle would be a temporary pet, and my sisters and I would feed it ground beef, fruit and berries, and salad greens.

Most gardeners won't come across a turtle in their cultivated garden, but turtles have been a part of nature's garden since prehistoric times. I have a special affinity for box turtles because they are so interesting.

Box turtles are strictly a North American turtle, ranging across the United States and into Mexico. There is a western box turtle, but in the eastern part of the country, you'll find only the eastern box turtle. There are variations of the eastern box turtle with subspecies T. carolina bauri in Florida, T. carolina major along the Gulf Coast, T. carolina triunguis in the Midwest from Michigan south through eastern Texas, and T. carolina carolina everywhere else in the eastern box turtle range.

While you will sometimes see them soaking in mud or water, the eastern box turtle is terrestrial, content to live on land in woodlands, meadows, pastures and near streams or ponds.

They are active during the day and enjoy a varied menu. In fact, their diet can include insects, slugs, snails, earthworms, salamanders, frogs, fish, snakes, eggs, berries, fungus (including mushrooms poisonous to humans, so don't eat box turtles), plant roots and flowers, and much more. According to scientists, younger box turtles are more carnivorous than older turtles, which tend to be herbivores. I suppose as box turtles age they become more concerned with their figure.

The shells of box turtles are distinctive. The dome-shaped upper shell (the carapace) is dark brown or olive colored with beautiful yellow or orange patterned markings. The lower shell (the plastron) is hinged, allowing the box turtle to pull in its legs, tail and head, close up its shell tight and wait secure inside at any sign of danger. The shell is actually part of the turtle's body, so a turtle cannot crawl out and leave it behind. The shell is bone covered by keratin, the same material as human hair and fingernails.

The plates you see making up the turtle shell are called "scutes," and the rings do not indicate a turtle's age. I recently read that researchers seem to believe that the rings are thin or fat depending on a turtle's growth spurts; wide rings perhaps indicating good food conditions, while thinner rings may indicate leaner times or drought.

Male and female box turtles have slightly different characteristics. Female box turtles have a higher domed upper shell, while males are slightly flattened.

Females have flat plastrons, where males are somewhat concave.

And males have bright orange-to-red eyes, while females have yellowish-brown eyes. My turtle was definitely a male.

In northern parts of the country eastern box turtles hibernate in the winter, digging down into the earth, stump holes or animal burrows in October or November. They emerge in spring to mate, but can mate all through the summer. Females that successfully mate can lay eggs for several years afterward. Female box turtles will dig nests in the earth to hold their eggs - from three to eight of them - which are covered up again to incubate. Depending on the temperature and moisture conditions, the eggs may hatch in about three months.

Eastern box turtles can grow to be seven inches or so long. They can live 30 to 40 years, with some surviving as long as 100 years.

Unfortunately, in many areas eastern box turtles are rarer than they used to be for a variety of reasons, including loss of woodland and meadow habitat to agriculture and suburbia, the use of pesticides, automobiles, and people taking them from the wild for pets.

I kept the turtle I "rescued" in a large fenced-in area in my front yard for a few days to observe him.

He was slow and purposeful in his activity. He seemed to hunker down a lot among the shrubs and plants. During the hot part of summer, box turtles will do that.

I almost gave him a name, but I didn't. That made releasing him in the woods easier.

So did finding out box turtles typically have a home range of 750 feet or so - though they will travel much farther, if necessary.

Maybe I'll see him again sometime. I'll recognize him from his shell pattern. He seemed to enjoy posing for photos.

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Susan Brimo-Cox gardens, observes nature and writes in Ohiopyle. Readers can send questions or comments to her at naturesgarden@brimo-cox.com.

CONNELLSVILLE - After two years of planning, the renovation of the Connellsville Area Senior High School and nearly another year of discussion as to whether the project should go forward, the Connellsville Area School Board Monday opted to reject the bids received over the past two months and begin again.

By a 5-4 vote, the proposed $65 million project was nixed and architects asked to return to the drawing board to scale back the costly endeavor.

The action came after the panel was advised of lower than anticipated loan rates and the likelihood the district will be the recipient of the no-interest, $15 million Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) to help pay for the project.

Director Gary Wandel urged his fellow board members to "move forward" with the project and at the same time begin to consolidate the district to save money.

"This board has a real opportunity," he said, noting that prior boards have been unable to take the necessary steps to close schools. "Let's get it done."

Wandel's plan to defray the annual $395,000 loan payment was to shutter Junior High West and move students to Junior High East beginning next year.

The proposal was tied to a report from facilities director Mike Omatick that indicated that more than $455,000 would be saved in utility, maintenance and supply costs at the building.

"(The closing of the school) would be more than enough to make the payment," he said. "There would be no need to raise taxes."

The closure, too, would allow for staff reductions and consolidation of programs, said Wandel.

Board member Denise Martin, who along with board members Paul Means, Jim Fabian, Tom Dolde and Dr. P.J. Carte, voted to reject the bids, speculating that proceeding with the project would cause massive staff and program cuts, said she favored streamlining the overall project.

"I am not in favor of cutting teachers and cutting programs for a building," she said.

Means said that the bids exceeded the maximum price range, which initially included all the features but now were options to be cut.

"We went out for a Cadillac and came back with a Yugo," he said.

The board also briefly reviewed a cost analysis of several school closure options that would result in savings should the panel approve any of the plans.

The plans were submitted by the public, administration and board members several months ago.

Jeffrey Straub, senior project manager for the district's architectural firm of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg estimated savings from $513,000 to $1 million per year depending upon the number of elementary buildings closed.

However, in several scenarios, other buildings would need renovated which would delay any savings, said Means.

"So in order to save $1 million we would have to spend $7 million (to renovate other facilities)?" he inquired of Straub.

Board President Kevin Lape said he favored moving forward with the project and would vote to raise taxes, if necessary.

"If you want to wait, I guarantee you (the project cost) will be higher," he said, adding that the district had already spent nearly $4 million in architectural and engineering fees. "I'd hate to see us throw that away."

Straub said that revisions to the drawings would likely add to the overall cost.

The decision to reject the bids also will impact the district's eligibility for the QZAB loans.

"Without a project we will lose the loan," said board member Francis Mongell. "We have lost so much money over the past several years."

Means, meanwhile, made the motion to reject the bids for general construction, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, asbestos abatement, food service and pool construction.

Those not supporting the bid rejections included Wandel, Mongell, Lape and board member Jon Detwiler.

Means scheduled a building and grounds meeting with Straub for Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. to discuss a new project.

The office. The classroom. The sports field. At home.

No matter where Rich Constantine was, he profoundly touched the lives of those around him.

The Uniontown man's dedication to students, athletes, colleagues, family and friends was one of selflessness, said his wife and friends, adding that the values he lived by were the values he expected in return. And even until the very end, the longtime Uniontown Area School District administrator was readying the fall sports teams for play.

Constantine, 63, who held many positions during his nearly 40-year career with the district, lost his battle with cancer on Sunday.

"My husband lived by the belief that you don't just worry about making a living. You take the time to make a life," said Marcia Constantine, who was married to her husband for 39 years.

Born in Brownsville, Constantine was a star on the football field for Uniontown High School. He also excelled in wrestling, finishing second in the state championships in 1965.

He then attended the University of Virginia on a full athletic scholarship and after graduation in 1969, he returned to Uniontown High School as a social studies teacher.

"I am one of the very few individuals who can say I've known someone as a teacher, a coach and a colleague," said Dr. Charles Machesky, superintendent of UASD, who was a junior in the district when Constantine was teaching and coaching.

Constantine earned his master's degree from West Virginia University and later obtained his principal's papers. He was the principal at the high school for 19 years before becoming an assistant to the superintendent under Machesky for four years until his retirement. He came out of retirement to serve as the school's administrative athletic director until his passing.

"Generations of students at Uniontown were very fortunate to have Rich share his academic and athletic skills with them," Machesky said. "He was a great human being. He was humble. He never wanted recognition. He just wanted to do his job and he did it admirably and meticulously."

John Fortugna, the head football coach at Uniontown, remembers growing up idolizing Constantine, who was a member of the "Big 33," an all-star state football team comprised of high school seniors.

"He showed me the ropes. He was always there for me," said Fortugna, who was coached by Constantine in high school and later shared athletic duties with him. "His whole family had a great work ethic, and he brought that to us in Uniontown."

Fortugna, who is also the in-school discipline coordinator at Uniontown, said it will be tough to go on without Constantine's guidance, but he said he will try to continue providing to others the lessons learned from a great teacher.

"He set the stage for my academic career. He helped me mature as a teacher and as a coach," Fortugna said. "He was completely responsible for that. But I have to go on sharing what he taught me."

Constantine also was also president of the WPIAL, chairman of PIAA District VII, and a member of the PIAA's board of directors.

"It was never about Rich. It was always about what Rich could do for others," said Tim O'Malley, executive director of WPIAL. "Rich was one of the good men put on this planet. He was tremendously dedicated and will be sorely missed."

In addition to his wife, Constantine is survived by a son, Dr. Richard Constantine, a dentist who lives in South Carolina with his wife, Trisha.

He was diagnosed in April 2009 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. By December of that year, the cancer had mutated to Burkitt's Lymphoma, said his wife, explaining that the new diagnosis was an aggressive form of cancer.

"He really fought the cancer," said Marcia Constantine, who noted that even while receiving treatments her husband would make phone calls and schedule referees. "He loved the outdoors and golf was his passion. That was his only vice."

Marcia said her husband also loved music, theater and reading.

"But his family was always of the utmost importance," she said. "He took time to make a life."

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Dolfi Funeral Home. For details see Constantine's obituary on page B-3.

The Laurel Highlands School Board in special session Monday voted to hire Angela Constantine as a full-time high school English teacher.

The board last week tabled action on the full-time English position after discussing the candidates in an executive session lasting nearly an hour. The board met Monday for about a half hour to discuss the hiring before announcing Constantine's hiring.

"I can't say enough. There were four excellent candidates and I wish there were four openings, I'd hire every one of you," said board president Angelo Giachetti.

The board also hired Jessica DuBois as a long-term substitute high school English teacher and Nicole Rypczyk as a long-term substitute first-grade teacher at Clark Elementary School.

The board Monday also accepted the resignation of board member Edward George, who was just elected last November. The resignation was effective as of noon Monday.

"He has a job and he's moving out of the area for a position and he's relocating out of the Laurel Highlands School District," Giachetti said. "On behalf of myself and the whole board, we wish him a lot of luck in the future."

According to solicitor Gary Frankhouser, residents of the school district interested in serving on the school board should submit letters of interest to the district office by Monday, Sept. 13.

A Uniontown woman wanted on outstanding warrants is in jail after allegedly telling state police she had been kidnapped when she had not.

Trooper Kiprian S. Yarosh said 22-year-old Amber Marie Rayoni was placed in Fayette County Prison on outstanding traffic warrants after filing the false report with police Monday.

According to Yarosh, Rayoni reported she had been kidnapped while walking on Cinder Way in South Union Township around 1:30 p.m.

Yarosh said Rayoni initially told police she had been walking when a man came up from behind her, grabbed her and placed her in his vehicle.

Rayoni told police the man then drove her to an isolated area along Nelson Road in Wharton Township where she was able to escape and ran to Benner's Campground in Farmington.

Yarosh said he and Trooper David Bell responded to the campground to speak with Rayoni, and that Rayoni allegedly admitted she had not been kidnapped but had instead been arguing with her boyfriend.

Rayoni confessed that her unidentified boyfriend drove to the Nelson Road area and that they got in an argument and he left her, Yarosh said, noting that Rayoni reported she ran to the campground after being left and told workers there she had been kidnapped so that her boyfriend wouldn't get in trouble for leaving her there .

Yarosh said Rayoni was arraigned on the outstanding traffic warrants before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros.

Rayoni could face charges for making false reports to law enforcement officials, Yarosh said.

Fayette County Drug Task Force Detective Ryan Reese said Gary A. Rose II, 24, of Morgantown, W.Va., was found with 1 pound of heroin during an undercover operation in Connellsville.

One pound of heroin is valued at $450,000 and equals about 22,400 stamp bags, which are sold separately on the streets to drug users. Reese said a stamp bag sells for about $20 each.

"This obviously is vastly superior to any other heroin buy we have ever known in Fayette County history," said Fayette County District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr., who oversees the task force.

Heneks said the largest amount ever confiscated at one time before was five bricks of heroin, which has a street value of about $5,000.

Heneks commended Reese, who led the investigation that led to Monday's arrest, for keeping thousands of drug transactions from occurring in the streets of Fayette County.

"Detective Reese and the Fayette County Drug Task Force have been instrumental in removing a huge and obviously insidious amount of drugs from our streets," Heneks said.

According to Reese, the undercover operation occurred in the parking lot of a Connellsville restaurant at 2:25 p.m.

Reese said Rose allegedly came to Connellsville to pass the heroin on to a confidential informant. The informant was kept under surveillance during the transaction, and Reese said task force detectives observed Rose enter the informant's vehicle carrying two white plastic bags.

Reese said the informant signaled to officers once the heroin transaction was occurring and then police moved in.

Both bags, according to the criminal complaint, were confiscated. One bag contained two smaller plastic bags containing a combined total of 1 pound of heroin. The second bag contained two guns, a .22-caliber handgun and a .25-caliber handgun.

Reese said Rose was read his rights, and that Rose allegedly admitted to delivering the heroin and guns.

Rose was arraigned Monday evening on a felony count of possession with intent to deliver the heroin before Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty Jr.

Rose also faces felony charges for possession of firearms not to be carried without a license. In addition, he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Haggerty set bail at $100,000 straight cash. Rose was taken to Fayette County Prison after failing to post bond. His preliminary hearing will be held at a later date before Haggerty.

Heneks said Rose, who has a prior criminal record, faces a minimum sentence of 12 years in jail - seven years on the drug charges and another mandatory five years because of the gun charges - if convicted.

"We will certainly prosecute this case to the fullest extent," he said.

Heneks said the war on drugs requires dedicated officers willing to complete nitty-gritty and oftentimes dangerous police work.

The task force has made a number of recent arrests responsible for taking large quantities of drugs off the streets.

In August the task force, as a result of an investigation conducted by Reese, arrested a Washington County man found in possession of 1 ounce of powder ecstasy that had the capability of making between 280 and 400 pills. With a street value of between $5,000 and $8,000, the ecstasy bust was also the largest amount of ecstasy to ever be confiscated in Fayette County.

Other task force investigations, led by Reese, have resulted in three separate drug busts involving buys that each netted a kilo of cocaine. A kilogram of cocaine is about 2 pounds and has a street value of more than $100,000.

Heneks said the war on drugs is an ongoing battle that requires persistent police work.

"It's a large war we are fighting, but we win it one battle at a time. Today's heroin seizure was definitely a victory," Heneks said, following Monday's heroin seizure.

The task force, supervised by Assistant District Attorney Mark Brooks, the county's chief drug prosecutor, is comprised of officers from several local police departments in Fayette County. The task force is responsible for investigating drug violations throughout the county and following through with each violation.

Anyone wishing to report illegal drug activity can call the Fayette County Drug Task Force hotline number at 724-415-3100. All people giving tips will remain anonymous.

CALIFORNIA - At California University of Pennsylvania, professors aren't telling students to turn off their cell phones in class.

In fact, a growing number of faculty encourage students to use smart phones and handheld devices, such as the iPad or iPod Touch, to access information, take notes or keep up with current events. It's all part of Cal U Fusion, a campus-wide mobile technology initiative that has begun to explore innovative ways to use handheld devices as tools for teaching and learning.

At this state-owned university in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, school officials said:

n Cal U students in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences study plant and animal life using the iPod Touch in place of bulky field guides.

n In meteorology classes, a Cal U professor can alter his lecture when students learn via their smart phones that the National Weather Service has issued an alert.

n Cal U students increasingly refer to handheld devices instead of traditional notes when they give class presentations. Professors, in turn, snap photos and videos with their cell phones and incorporate the images into their lessons.

n A mobile website includes a "people finder" that lets students connect with professors by e-mail or phone.

As mobile technology finds its way into classrooms, customized "apps" are making campus life safer and more convenient at Cal U. A campus navigator helps newcomers find their way, and NextBus uses the University's mobile website to show when a shuttle is on its way.

Busy students use a smart phone app to pre-order food from a Cal U dining venue, tapping PayPal accounts to cover the tab and grabbing their meals on the run.

With the Emergency Button app, students can use any GPS-enabled phone to sound an alarm and summon police.

New students learned about Cal U Fusion during a four-day orientation program. As the fall semester opens today, Cal U officials estimate that 99 percent of students and 97 percent of professors carry cell phones. Roughly one-third of that group already uses smart phones to send text messages and access the Internet and their numbers are growing.

"Mobile technology has the potential to reshape our ideas about how professors teach and students learn," says Cal U President Angelo Armenti Jr. "With Cal U Fusion, we intend to bring 21st-century technology onto our campus and into our classrooms. Our students deserve nothing less."

Uniontown police Capt. David J. Rutter said Barry Nicholson, 33, of Fairmont, W.Va., and Sara Coddington, 23, of Uniontown were walking across Penn Street when a car driven by William Green of Fairchance hit them.

The impact threw Nicholson onto the hood of Green's four-door Honda sedan and then into the driver's side windshield, Rutter said. When Green stopped his vehicle, Nicholson fell from the car and onto the street.

Green told police that he was looking at his gas gauge when he was driving on Penn Street, and when he looked up, Nicholson and Coddington were in front of him.

Nicholson was taken by Uniontown Firemen's Ambulance to Uniontown Hospital for treatment.

Rutter said Nicholson was later flown by medical helicopter to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., for treatment.

Rutter said that Nicholson suffered a fractured skull, a broken back in three places, broken ribs and also lost part of a toe in the accident.

Rutter said Coddington was taken to Uniontown Hospital for treatment of minor injuries to her left hand and arm.

Rutter, who is the police department's crash reconstruction expert, closed Penn Street from Beeson Boulevard to Gallatin Avenue for about an hour while he and Officer Chuck David worked to reconstruct the crash.

David also photographed the scene, from the crosswalk at the entrance to LBI where the collision occurred to the location where Nicholson's shoes were discovered, about 50 feet away.

Rutter said the crash remains under investigation.

U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster said progress is being made in Afghanistan and urged Americans to continue supporting the troops and the ongoing military effort.

"It's so important that the American people stay resolved to having success in Afghanistan, because Afghanistan is no longer just about Afghanistan. It's about Afghanistan and Pakistan, and we can't afford to have an unstable Pakistan," he said, noting that Middle East country is equipped with nuclear weapons.

Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, said al-Qaida and Taliban cells located in Pakistan would be even more dangerous if they were able to gain control of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

"Osama bin Laden would not hesitate to use a nuclear weapon against us or one of our allies, and if that were to occur it would make 9/11 look like a minor event.

"It would be devastating," he said.

Shuster, who recently returned from a weeklong trip to the Middle East as part of a congressional delegation, said the trip gave him a firsthand assessment of the security situation in Afghanistan and its impact on regional allies.

"I want to be able to look our troops in the eyes and hear what they have to say," he said.

Shuster said the most recent trip to Afghanistan was his fifth time in the country, and he said improvements were noticeable.

"I came away from Afghanistan with a fairly positive outlook," he said.

According to Shuster, the Afghan economy has become more stable, growing 20 percent in 2009, and Afghan military and police recruitments are rising.

"I could see and feel the improvements driving through the streets of Kabul. Improvements in infrastructure, roads, sanitation, schools and hospitals are transforming the city. I saw traffic jams and what seemed like thousands of Afghanis in the streets doing everyday business at a rate not seen on my previous tours of the city," he said.

Shuster said that contrary to reports made by national media outlets, progress is being made in Afghanistan. He credited former President George W. Bush, Gen. Stanley McChrystal and President Barack Obama for their respective roles.

"I believe it's the direct result of President Bush's commitment of additional resources beginning in 2008 and more recently, Gen. McChrystal's well thought out counterinsurgency strategy and President Obama's willingness to surge combat troop levels in Afghanistan," he said.

Shuster said the United States didn't just add more than 30,000 troops during the surge, but also tripled the civilian security force. The Department of State, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security and FBI now have more than 1,000 civilian employees helping stabilization efforts, he said.

"These improvements demonstrate that the strategy put in place by Gen. McChrystal and continued by Gen. (David) Petraeus of protecting citizens and aggressively killing or capturing Taliban insurgents is having a positive impact on the security situation in Afghanistan," Shuster said.

Despite the improvements, Shuster said Afghanistan still faces several challenges. Corruption in the Afghan government, both at the local and national levels, is a problem.

"It is extremely important that the Afghan government roots out corruption," he said. "The government of President (Hamid) Karzai is still very fragile. He needs to stamp out corruption or he will lose faith with the Afghan people. I can see that he is fighting, but it is a struggle he must win."

Shuster said al-Qaida and Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan also remain a significant challenge in regards to the security situation in Afghanistan and surrounding area. The recent flooding in Pakistan has made it even more difficult for the unsettled government to clamp down on insurgents.

State Rep. Peter J. Daley, D-California, chairman of the House Commerce Committee, announced the awarding of more than $20.5 million in state funding to help finance 40 clean energy projects across the commonwealth.

"These grants demonstrate how Pennsylvania is promoting and providing good, clean alternative energy projects to foster and maximize the growth of energy efficiency and conservation.

The Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority approved the grants. Daley is a board member and one of the prime legislative sponsors of the authority's programs.

"By making alternative energy research and development a priority, we can ensure that Pennsylvania becomes a leader in the field," Daley said. "This is another positive step forward for growing our economy. I want to keep even more of our energy dollars here at home."

PEDA was established in 1982 to promote applied energy research, provide financial incentives for the deployment of clean, alternative energy projects and promote investment in Pennsylvania's energy sector.

After a period of inactivity during the Ridge administration, Gov. Edward G. Rendell revitalized PEDA as part of his strategy to build a clean, indigenous, diversified energy industry in the state. Daley had campaigned for the revival of the authority with both governors. The Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Energy and Technology Development administer the authority.

The 40 approved projects were selected from a field of 213 applicants.

The applications were evaluated on a variety of criteria, including their ability to promote Pennsylvania's indigenous energy resources, encourage energy diversity and enhance energy security. The projects were judged on their potential to create jobs and stimulate investment in the commonwealth, Daley said.

Potential environmental benefits, as well as technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness, also were considered, he said.

CONNELLSVILLE - A "Walk for East Park" on Saturday triggered a stroll down memory lane for some people who participated in the event organized by a Connellsville Area High School junior hoping to revive a popular pastime from the 1950s and 60s.

Ethan Keedy decided to take on the project in an effort to help raise funds to improve the historic landmark as a means to bring back movie nights as well as other family activities.

"I want to make East Park a good place," said Keedy.

The Connellsville Cultural Trust sponsored the event, approved earlier this month by city council.

Keedy also received support from Linda Shearer, Connellsville Senior High School teacher, and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

The walk-a-thon kicked off at noon at Yough Park where music, a climbing wall, Chinese auction and other activities were on hand as roughly 24 walkers headed to East Park on the city's south side and back to Yough Park.

During a break at East Park, Keedy said walkers reflected on old times, including his dad, Albert, who took advantage of many recreational activities at the park when he was young and his family lived on North Prospect Street.

"Hopefully, with (Ethan's) ideas, it will happen again," added Albert Keedy.

Keedy's twin brother also took part in the walk.

For Keedy, volunteering comes natural and is something he has done for a while, having hit the 1,000-hour mark last week.

"I like to help others," Keedy said.

With the walk a success, Keedy said he'd like to have some type of related activity in the winter, possibly with ice skating and ice sculptures, paid in part with school fundraisers.

Aside from the walk, a river poker run was launched in the afternoon on the Youghiogheny River, where participants made their way from St. Rita's social hall to Yough Park, with winners were awarded cash prizes.

Michael Edwards, cultural trust president, said he was pleased with the turnout with a number of other activities going on in the area.

"You can't say there's nothing to do in Connellsville," said Edwards.

Edwards added he was hoping the walk would get students excited about going back to school, which starts Monday.

According to Edwards, the cultural trust will pursue possible grant avenues to put Keedy's project into motion as the next step.

Additionally, 20 percent of the proceeds generated from sales of a book about East Park written by Connellsville native Larry P. Buttermore will be donated to the project.

The book, titled "Switch Hitters," focuses on the "Franklin Playground" team from the 1950s that Buttermore played on as a youth sponsored at the time by the park's playground committee.

The team rose to the top to clinch the championship in its second season.

A Connellsville man is behind bars after he allegedly threatened a man with a gun Saturday night in Uniontown.

Uniontown police Officer Matthew S. Painter said Aaron Joseph Meade, 22, of 1351 W. Crawford Ave. was charged before Magisterial District Judge Joseph M. George Jr. with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and harassment.

Painter said the incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday when Meade and another man approached Gerald Hall of Uniontown outside his home on Askren Street.

Hall told police that the men confronted him about an argument between Hall and the men that occurred two weeks prior, Painter said.

During the confrontation Saturday night, Meade pulled a semiautomatic handgun from his pants and threatened to shoot Hall, Painter said.

Police were able to find Meade in a neighboring residence and took him into custody without incident.

Painter said that Meade denied having a gun during the confrontation, but told investigators that if he had had a weapon, he would have simply shot Hall.

The second suspect, who was not identified, was taken into custody following an incident later Saturday night in Uniontown.

Police said that charges are pending against him as a result of the incident. His identity is being withheld pending the formalization of charges.

Meade was placed in the Fayette County Prison on $25,000 straight cash bond following his arraignment.

A preliminary hearing for Meade is set for 9 a.m. Sept. 7 before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros.

The state Department of Transportation has announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed on Saturday and Monday in observance of Labor Day.

Customers of the department may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services online through PennDOT's Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.state.pa.us.

Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver's license and photo identification renewals; vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; and exam scheduling.

There are no additional fees for using online services.

A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2010 is available on the PennDOT's Driver and Vehicle Services website under "News, Stats and Facts."

Roberta Conner, a nutritionist employed by the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program at Fayette County Community Action Agency Inc., is visiting local grocery stores to help WIC clients make healthier food choices.

WIC clients who need help spending their WIC vouchers or would like to try some new recipes to use their WIC foods are encouraged to talk to Conner.

Conner's schedule of events for September is as follows:

n Uniontown Walmart, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday; 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8; and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20.

n Giant Eagle, Route 51 in North Union Township, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday; 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16; and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23.

n Walnut Hill Shop 'N Save, South Union Township, noon to 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9; noon to 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13.

n Connellsville Walmart, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday; 12:30 to 4:30 pm. Friday, Sept. 10; 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14; and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21.

WIC is an equal opportunity provider. This project was funded, in part, under a contract with the state Department of Health using funds provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For more information, call FCCAA's WIC program at 724-437-6050, extension 3211, or visit Fayette County Community's Action website at www.fcaa.org.

Local briefs

The Uniontown Downtown Business District Authority's Storey Square Concert Series will be held Thursday as a make-up date for an earlier show that was canceled because bad weather was forecast.

The band Black Dog Hollow will perform and Caporella's Italian Ristorante, which is planning to relocate from Perryopolis to Uniontown, is the food vendor. Golden Butterfly is donating a gift that the East End United Community Center will raffle as a fund-raiser.

The event starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m. in Storey Square on Main Street.

The Southwest Regional Police Department will provide another area community with police coverage after they recently entered into an agreement with Bentleyville Borough in Washington County.

The hours of coverage remain in negotiations, but according to Southwest Regional police Chief John D. Hartman, officers assigned to Bentleyville will work out of the old Bentleyville police station.

Hartman said his department covers communities in Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties, including Belle Vernon, Newell, Long Branch, Coal Center and Cokeburg.

The department is headquartered in Belle Vernon.

The public is invited to attend a rally sponsored by the Greene County TEA Party Patriots (G.C.T.P.P.) on Sunday, Sept. 12, at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

The event, titled a "T.E.A. (Taxed Enough Already) Party Rally," will feature speakers at 2 p.m.

The rally will be preceded by patriotic music beginning at 1:30 p.m. and followed by invited speakers.

Greene County TEA Party Patriots is a non-partisan, grassroots organization, and there is no charge to attend.

According to a press release, members of the group are particularly concerned about the unconstitutionality of the recently passed national health-care legislation, as well as an increase in the national debt.

Other areas of concern are pending "cap and trade" legislation threatening the economic survival of this region, together with the tens of trillions of unfunded liabilities in the big entitlement programs of Social Security and Medicare, the release states.

Anyone interested in additional information about organization is asked to attend the event.

Those wishing to participate in the Connellsville Area School District's installment plan program for the payment of real estate taxes are advised that the first installment payment is due by today.

Office hours will be extended from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. The office does not close for lunch and payments postmarked Aug. 31 will be honored. All installment plan participants are reminded that once the payment plan is chosen, no discount can be given. Homebound residents can call the office for personal service.

For more information, call Marigrace Butela, Dunbar Township tax collector, at 724-626-0804.

Sentences for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) generally require driver's license forfeiture and attendance in the county's alcohol safe-driving school, and also can include admission to the Interlock Program.

The following people were recently sentenced by Wagner:

Bryan Justin Brink, 22, of Fairchance was sentenced to 72 hours to six months in prison for DUI.

Jesse James Loya, 30, of Morgantown, W.Va., was sentenced to one to six months in prison for possession of drug paraphernalia.

John Michael Hurst, 33, of Uniontown was sentenced to one year probation for criminal solicitation of a prostitute.

Terrell Anthony Poole, 35, of Uniontown was sentenced to 30 days probation for possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Scott Eric Gardner, 34, of Lake Lynn was sentenced to two years probation for simple assault.

Miranda Cecelia Stevenson, 22, of York was sentenced to 48 hours to six months in prison for DUI.

Kenneth Eugene Showman, 24, of Connellsville was sentenced to 36 to 72 months in prison for theft by unlawful taking.

Jeffrey Allen Crews, 48, of Uniontown was sentenced to one year probation for robbery.

Antoine S. Samuel, 23, of Uniontown was sentenced to three to 12 months in prison for criminal mischief.

Jason Levi Hayden, 36, of Everson was sentenced to 23 months intermediate punishment, with the first 90 day served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Nicholas L. Salerno, 25, of Connellsville was sentenced to 23 months intermediate punishment, with the first 11 months served on electronic monitoring, for burglary.

Eric James Robinson, 38, of Masontown was sentenced to one to two years in prison for DUI and 90 days for driving with a suspended license.

Lisa Marie Tichnor, 30, of Brownsville was sentenced to one year probation for promoting prostitution.

Jeremy D. Theakston, 27, of Brownsville was sentenced to one year probation for retail theft.

Charles Widener, 36, of Connellsville was sentenced to two years probation for theft by unlawful taking.

Earl Frank Shandorf Jr., 33, of Scottdale was sentenced to six months intermediate punishment, with the first 60 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Jacob Zachary Sesek, 41, of Connellsville was sentenced to 90 days to 12 months in prison for DUI.

Gerel Isaac Monroe, 20, of Fairchance was sentenced to 72 hours to six months for DUI.

Floyd Richard Calloway, 43, of Masontown was sentenced to one year probation for terroristic threats.

John Swank III, 25, of Connellsville was sentenced to four to 12 months in prison for possession of a controlled substance.

Timothy David Weaver, 51, of Masontown was sentenced to a total of nine to 24 months in prison in two cases, involving one count each of possession with intent to deliver drugs and possessing an instrument of a crime.

Derek Joseph Walker, 24, of Lemont Furnace was sentenced to 36 to 72 months in prison for possession of firearms and an additional 30 days to six months for DUI.

Tyler Lee Keffer, 20, of Connellsville was sentenced to six months intermediate punishment, with the first 30 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Seth Michael Reed, 23, of Connellsville was sentenced to one year probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lisa Marie Ansell, 32, of Uniontown was sentenced to a total of 24 to 48 months in prison in two cases involving possession with intent to deliver drugs.

Larry D. Burkholder Jr., 43, of Dunbar was sentenced to 72 hours to six months in prison for DUI.

Travis Grady, 29, of Connellsville was sentenced to 30 days probation for possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Brian Erick Reese, 42, of Connellsville was sentenced to 23 months intermediate punishment, with the first 180 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Paul Mickey, 25, of Hiller was sentenced to 90 days to 20 months in prison for DUI and 90 days in prison for driving with a suspended or revoked license.

David D. Newcomer, 47, of Smithfield was sentenced to one year probation for simple assault.

Sami Jo Trump, 24, of Normalville was sentenced to 30 days probation for possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Jerry Lee Jordan, 48, of Uniontown was sentenced to two years probation for theft by unlawful taking.

Angel Marie Hull, 20, of Grindstone was sentenced to one year probation for retail theft.

Carrie Allison Emmons, 33, of Smithfield was sentenced to 48 hours to six months in prison for DUI.

Jessica A. Randolph, 25, of Uniontown was sentenced to three to 23 months in prison for possession with intent to deliver drugs.

Amanda Dodd, 22, of Connellsville was sentenced to one year probation for theft by unlawful taking.

Jason Wayne Gardner, 33, of New Paris was sentenced to 48 hours to six months in prison for DUI.

Steven Michael Martinowski, 31, of Acme was sentenced to one year probation for forgery.

Gary Edward Benford, 26, of Uniontown was sentenced to two years probation for criminal trespass.

Jessie Gage Courville, 25, of Greensboro was sentenced to 72 hours to six months in prison for DUI.

Roger Lee Shipley, 49, of Confluence was sentenced to 23 months intermediate punishment, with the first 180 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Michael Earnest Harris, 21, of Uniontown was sentenced to three to 12 months in prison for aggravated assault.

Kristopher Norris, 28, of Uniontown was sentenced to 48 hours to six months for DUI.

Tina Jean Price, 33, of Smithfield was sentenced to a total of 23 months intermediate punishment, with the first six months served on electronic monitoring, for two cases, each involving multiple counts of identity theft.

Joshua Harold Albaugh, 23, of Donora was sentenced to four to 23 months in prison for possession with intent to deliver drugs.

Charles Edward Lincoln, 31, of Connellsville was sentenced to one year probation for possession of a controlled substance.

Nicholas Jordan, 31, of Smithfield was sentenced to one year intermediate punishment for possession of a controlled substance.

Christopher Lee Leonard, 42, of Connellsville was sentenced to two years probation for criminal trespass.

Randal Hank Williams, 22, of Point Marion was sentenced to one year probation for criminal mischief and an additional 72 hours to six months in prison for DUI.

Robert Samuel Klink, 31, of Dunbar was sentenced to nine to 23 months in prison for retail theft.

Timothy V. Harvey, 47, of Labelle was sentenced to one year probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Charles Jacob Berger, 36, of Adah was sentenced to one year intermediate punishment, with the first 180 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Dale Patrick Sledge, 30, of Connellsville was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in prison for possession with intent to deliver drugs.

James Lee Sparks, 48, of Indian Head was sentenced to six months intermediate punishment, with the first 30 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI. In a second case, he was sentenced to one year probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Todd Montogomery Rugg, 32, of Connellsville was sentenced to 23 months intermediate punishment, with the first 18 months served on electronic monitoring, for theft by unlawful taking.

Todd A. Lough, 48, of Hopwood was sentenced to six months intermediate punishment, with the first 30 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Samuel Brian Zimmerman, 42, of York was sentenced to six months intermediate punishment, with the first 30 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Eugene Allen Grooms, 35, of Brownsville was sentenced to one year intermediate punishment, with the first six months served on electronic monitoring, for possession with intent to deliver drugs.

Randy J. Cartwright, 23, of Connellsville was sentenced to a total of four year, three months to eight years, six months in prison in five cases, each involving possession with intent to deliver drugs.

David Hickle, 40, of Uniontown was sentenced to six to 23 months in prison for possession of a controlled substance.

Thomas James Blaho, 33, of Uniontown was sentenced to 23 months intermediate punishment, with the first 180 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Kevin Edward Haines Jr., 25, of Fairchance was sentenced to 72 hours to six months in prison for DUI.

Arthur Wade Engle Jr., 63, of Smithfield was sentenced to six months intermediate punishment, with the first 30 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Paul Martin Wilde, 47, of Uniontown was sentenced to 18 months intermediate punishment, with the first nine months served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Stephanie Grace Johnston, 30, of Dunbar was sentenced to one year intermediate punishment, with the first 30 days served on electronic monitoring, for retail theft.

Clinton Dalton Haskins, 28, of Grindstone was sentenced to two years probation for theft by unlawful taking.

David Roy Boyd, 45, of Belle Vernon one year probation for simple assault.

Richard Keith Kennison Jr., 22, of Smithfield was sentenced to six months intermediate punishment, with the first 60 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Vincent Thomas Wallace, 53, of Pittsburgh was sentenced to one year probation for possession of a controlled substance and six months intermediate punishment, with the first 14 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

Paul M. Wilde, 47, of Uniontown was sentenced to five months intermediate punishment, with the first 30 days served on electronic monitoring, for DUI.

A public meeting to discuss various aspects of Marcellus shale natural gas drilling will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.

Community members are invited to attend and participate in the event, which will be held at Swimmer Hall in the Williams Building. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

The event is being presented by the Penn State Cooperative Extension through a partnership with the Fayette County Marcellus Shale Task Force.

Fayette County Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, who also serves as chairwoman of the task force, said this is the first of future public meetings that will discuss issues surrounding gas drilling.

Wednesday's program will deal with issues surrounding water quality/testing, water treatment/disposal and state Department of Environmental Protection regulations. Legal issues involving lease agreements will also be discussed.

Panelists for the event include Alan Eichler, environmental program manager of the state Department of Environmental Protection; John B. Laughner, director of Penn State Cooperative Extension in Beaver County and attorney Kris Vanderman.

Vanderman will discuss leasing considerations for landowners and legal issues concerning Marcellus shale; Laughner will outline specific findings and conclusions on research on the environment and community impacts as a result of Marcellus shale gas drilling and Eichler will give a review of permitted waste water treatment plans and allowable discharges in Fayette county, regulations for compressor stations and discuss the DEP's recent violation report and how the DEP addresses public concerns on water quantity and quality. The meeting will include a question-and-answer session. Eichler, Laughner, Vanderman and Zimmerlink will give closing remarks at 8:30 p.m.

Anyone with a question may submit it online at the task force's website, www.mshaletaskforce.org and the question will be read and answered at Wednesday's meeting.

For more information on Wednesday's public meeting and future meetings, visit the task force's website.

"Gasland" tells the story of natural gas drilling, from New York to Wyoming, focusing on horizontal hydraulic fracturing, referred to as hydrofracking.

According to Fox, hydrofracking accesses shale deposits by using a mixture of water and chemicals to create pressure, which fractures the shale and releases the natural gas.

Until Halliburten delevoped the technology to hydrofrack, the natural gas drilled throughout Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia, was inaccessible.

Now, as land in southwestern Pennsylvania becomes dotted with gas wells, Barnes thought it would be important to show the documentary to her community.

She invited Fox to visit Greene County and scheduled an opportunity for the community to view "Gasland" Saturday in the Central Greene High School auditorium. Concerned citizens, landowners and a handful of politicians showed up for the screening, where Fox was available for questions following the documentary.

"I have no agenda," Barnes said. "I just wanted to offer information, because the people in the documentary are exactly like us here."

Fox, who is the founder of the International WOW Company, which is a film and theater company, lives in northeastern Pennsylvania. When he was contacted about leasing the gas rights to his family property, he decided to investigate the effects of gas drilling, beginning in the Delaware River Valley.

What Fox discovered led him to create "Gasland."

Fox said that each gas well uses one to seven million gallons of water for the hydrofracking process, water that is laced with 596 chemicals. The natural gas drilling companies are not forced to disclose the chemicals. Some of the chemicals, many of which are hazardous, make their way into the water supply.

"Gasland" shows home after home, from Pennsylvania to Colorado, where tap water is undrinkable, and in some cases, even flammable, but the gas drilling companies refuse claim responsibility.

Fox said in 2005, the Bush/Cheney Energy bill exempted natural gas drilling from the Safe Drinking Water Act, which ensures clean drinking water free from manmade or natural pollution. There is currently a bill in the House of Representatives that would force companies to disclose the chemicals used in hydrofracking.

Terry Greenwood of Daisytown said in 2007 a gas company approached him and asked if he would sell his gas rights. He told them no, but he said a lease from 1921 gave the company access to the gas under is property.

In November 2007, the company started building a well. Greenwood, who runs a small cattle farm, had two springs and a pond. By January 2008, he said his water looked like tea. By March, the springs disappeared. He contacted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP reported that there was nothing wrong with the water, but in April of that year, Greenwood lost 10 of 18 calves. In mid-2008, the gas company provided a water buffalo, but Greenwood said without a natural water source, his property is useless. Other members of the audience shared their experiences with the natural gas drilling companies.

Fox said landowners and concerned citizens, like Greenwood, should either form, or partner with, local organizations like the Isaac Walton League, to help ensure individual rights and to contact local, state and national politicians.

Ken Dufalla, president of the local branch of the Isaac Walton League, said he is working to protect the water.

"We have a very serious problem, and the key factor is water," Dufalla said. "No one wants to see people lose jobs, but water is the most valuable resource- the most precious resource we have."

Dufalla said the Isaac Walton League meets at 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at Rohanna's Golf Course in Waynesburg. He encouraged anyone with concerns or questions regarding gas drilling to attend the meetings.

Fox, who was visiting Greene County for the first time, said he was happy to make it to the Southwest corner of the state. He said that although the 2009 Dunkard Creek fish kill was blamed on a coalmine, he said the chemicals found in the total dissolved solids were more in line with gas drilling. He plans to investigate and shoot footage around Dunkard Creek during his stay in Greene County.

The documentary "Gasland" will be available for purchase in December. For more information, visit gaslandthemovie.com.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said more than 1,000 trout being raised in the Youghiogheny River were killed when a piece of equipment malfunctioned.

Jeff Hawk, public affairs officer with the Army Corps of Engineers, said an investigation into what killed between 1,100 and 1,200 trout was launched Friday after a fisherman notified officials that he saw dead fish floating in and around the rearing pens.

The rearing pens are owned and operated by the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited and are located belong the Youghiogheny River Lake Dam and adjacent to a privately-operated hydropower facility.

Hawk said the fisherman reported seeing no dead fish in net pens around noon Friday while fishing in the area, but reported they were dead when he passed by the pens later in the day.

Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers took initial water samples and walked the riverbank, noting that no other problems to the fish population in the lake or downstream of the dam were observed or reported.

On Saturday, officials were able to determine that piece of equipment supplying oxygen to the rearing pens was not working and that the problem had killed the fish.

According to Hawk, a piece of equipment used by the hydropower facility and the oxygenator for the trout rearing pens had been on the same breaker.

The piece of equipment for the hydropower facility is believed to have tripped the breaker, resulting in a lack of oxygen to the rearing pens.

Hawk said officials with the Army Corps of Engineers, Trout Unlimited and the hydropower plant met Saturday and have determined the oxygenator for the trout rearing pens will be put on its own breaker to prevent further issues.

Plans call for the trout to be restocked, Hawk said.

Tom Shetterly, a member of the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited, said between 400 and 500 trout are still alive.

Trout Unlimited released about 2,500 trout from the pens last week, he reported.

Lauren Linza of Hiller, 2010 winner of the Uniontown Italian Heritage Festival's meatball contest, knows a lot about Italian cooking and will tell you the most important ingredient is secrecy.

"I don't give out my meatball recipe to anyone," she said, following Sunday's contest.

Linza said meatballs and hot chicken are her specialties and that she plans to have a booth at next year's Italian festival.

Owner of the former Stella Bella's Pizzeria, Linza said she and a business partner used the top-secret meatball recipe when they had the pizza shop open.

"I decided to come enter the contest and give it a shot," Linza said, noting that she was proud her meatballs were chosen as number one.

"I would have been happy just to be a runner up, but this is great. I'm really pleased," she said.

Linza said her booth next year will advertise that her meatballs were chosen as winner of Fayette County's Best Meatball contest during the 2010 Italian Heritage Festival.

"It's something to be proud of," she said. "It makes you stand out a little bit from the others."

Linza said she also refuses to give out her recipe for hot chicken, adding that the dish is a favorite amongst family and friends.

"I get asked to make it a lot, but I can't share the recipe," she said.

The meatball contest, sponsored by Pasta Lorenzo restaurant, was held in the Public Safety Building parking lot Sunday afternoon.

Chef Joe Carei, owner of Pasta Lorenzo in South Union Township, and a panel of judges selected the beat meatball based on flavor, texture and appearance.

Event organizers who planned this year's Italian festival said everything went well and deemed the two-day event a success.

The streets of Uniontown were filled with people both Saturday and Sunday, with musical entertainment abounding both days.

A variety of Italian cuisine was also available at booths, as were a variety of crafts and other items for purchase.

Italian Heritage Festival Committee members thanked business sponsors and individuals who donated for their ongoing support in making the event a success.

With the opening of a new bus transfer center, an advertising campaign kickoff and National Try Transit Week all occurring next month, things are going to be very busy in September for Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation.

Wednesday will mark the opening day for the new FACT transfer center on Matthew Drive at the Fayette County Business Park in South Union Township. The glass and brick building is located on more than two acres of land formerly owned by the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority, which is developing the business park.

The transfer center, which cost more than $1 million, was constructed using primarily money from the federal economic stimulus package. The 40-by-48-foot single-story building includes two offices, a mechanical room, restrooms and a waiting/vending area for bus patrons.

The waiting area contains about two-dozen seats.

Jill Streit, program specialist for FACT, said the new transfer center, which will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, is a "nice, clean, warm friendly environment for our riders to come and sit while they wait for the bus."

The transit hub, where schedules and snacks will be available, will feature a free hourly shuttle for FACT riders to access areas such as Uniontown Mall, Uniontown Hospital, Wal-Mart Super center, K-Mart and Target. At the center, riders also will be able to drop off reimbursement forms and buy bus passes. Also, two electronic signs will be mounted that will give patrons up-to-the-minute information on the status of their bus routes.

FACT director Lori Groover-Smith said the signs will let riders know exactly where their bus is and how long of a wait they can expect.

Each of FACT's nine fixed-route buses will make stops at the transfer center, which will include a staff member at the site during operation.

When it isn't operational, the transfer center will be a secure facility and not open for public use.

Groover-Smith said without the assistance of the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority and the Fayette County commissioners, the transfer center would not have become a reality.

What was formerly known as the Uniontown hub of FACT, located in downtown Uniontown at the site of the former Greyhound station, is now just a stop along the fixed routes.

Also on Wednesday, FACT will officially begin an advertising campaign on the inside of the buses. Streit said the advertising campaign would allow local businesses to advertise on the inside of the buses for the first time.

The ad space, which measures 11 by 28 inches, can be purchased on a monthly or quarterly basis. Streit said the longer the commitment to the ads, the more of a discount businesses will receive. All the revenue generated from the ads will go back to FACT.

Streit said although the ad campaign doesn't begin until Wednesday, she has been getting calls after a public-awareness campaign began this month. The county commissioners previously approved a contract, which will be followed for contracts, which means ad prices are non-negotiable.

Any business or organization wishing to advertise on the buses should call Streit at 724-628-7433, extension 415.

The transfer center will be showcased as a part of "National Try Transit Week," on Wednesday, Sept. 22, when there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening featuring entertainment and refreshments at the transfer center, beginning at 10 a.m.

A variety of other events also are planned for Try Transit Week, including "Jammin' Jingle Day" with a live radio broadcast on the shuttle bus; "College Card Day," in which students ride free with a student identification card; "Stuff the Bus," in which patrons get $1 off their next ride when they donate two canned goods and "Feedback Friday," when riders can fill out a suggestion/comment card and get a prize. Additional details will be announced.

Try Transit Week, which was officially declared by the county commissioners for Sept. 20 to 24, marks the occasion as the week to encourage people to use public transportation to save money, protect the environment, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and improve the quality of life for all Fayette County residents.

According to figures from FACT, in fiscal year 2009-10 FACT riders made 116,953 trips on fixed routes.

The highest total ever, with 11,633 trips, was in June.

1. A little more than three weeks after this performing couple appeared in Uniontown in 1926, they were married. They would forever be linked as one of America's greatest entertainment teams. Who were they?

A) Ozzie and Harriet Nelson

B) George Burns and Gracie Allen

C) Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald

D) Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

E) Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

2. Fayette County had a rather unusual election back in 1933. It sparked a bit of national interest. Why?

A) One of the candidates for mayor had been indicted for manslaughter.

B) The name Donald Duck was on the ballot for county commissioner.

C) A man and his wife ran against each other for tax collector.

D) One of the candidates for county sheriff had been 10 years old.

E) A candidate for judge ran against a man who was on trial in his courtroom.

3. Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited Fayette County twice. He had traveled to Connellsville when he was assistant secretary of the Navy in July of 1919, to welcome home the veterans of World War I. What were the circumstances of his second visit?

A) Deer hunting in 1926.

B) He accompanied Gen. George C. Marshall on his visit home in 1942.

C) He was campaigning for reelection in 1936.

D) He came to commemorate the reopening of Fort Necessity in 1942.

E) He was the grand marshal of the 1943 May Day parade in Uniontown.

4. Another U.S. president visited Fayette County twice within a week. Which one, and why?

A) Harry Truman, who made two campaign stops in 1951.

B) William Henry Harrison, after he was elected in 1840, and then after he was inaugurated.

C) James Polk made two visits while campaigning in 1845.

D) Warren G. Harding, when he made stops to and then from his 1922 vacation.

E) Abraham Lincoln, when he visited as president, and then when his funeral procession passed through the county in 1865.

5. Grocery store robberies rarely make national news. But in September 1956, news coverage about an attempted robbery of a grocery story in Fayette County got that kind of attention. Why?

A) The robber accidentally locked himself in the store's meat locker.

B) The robber was shot in chest, but he lived because his heart moved.

C) The robbers' getaway car was being ticketed by a state trooper as he left the store.

D) The robber was 7 years old.

E) The robber slipped and fell on the wet floor of the store, and he sued.

THE ANSWERS

1. B, George Burns and Gracie Allen. The Jan. 4, 1926, edition of the Uniontown Morning Herald carried the notice about "Act No. 4" that was coming to the stage of Uniontown's Dixie Theatre. Act No. 4, of course, was the young vaudevillian pair known as Burns and Allen.

George Burns and Gracie Allen would be married just 23 days after their Uniontown performance.

2. C, A married couple ran against each other for tax collector.

According to the Nov. 18, 1933, edition of the Hagerstown (Md.) Daily Mail, Ewing and Margaret "Ma" Swaney of Georges Township had run against each other for tax collector.

"Ma" Swaney (the Democrat) beat Ewing (the Republican), and that meant Ewing had to supply the celebratory ox roast, in which "two oxen and himself" were to be roasted.

3. C, He was campaigning for r-election in 1936.

Between 500 and 1,000 people gathered to see him in Point Marion. His B&O train then passed through Uniontown, where an estimated 3,500 failed to get a glimpse of him.

But in Connellsville, where there were estimates as high as 15,000 people on hand, Roosevelt gave a strong argument in support of his New Deal. But before he spoke on the virtues of his program, he told the assembled crowd, "I'm very happy to come back here." He also noted the exact date (July 17, 1919) that he'd previously been there.

4. D, Warren G. Harding, when he made stops to and then from his 1922 vacations, both at the Summit Hotel. The Morning Herald noted that, "Few communities in this country are honored by having a president of the United States as a guest twice in one week. That has been Uniontown's rare honor and privilege the past week and the famous Summit Hotel is now more famous than ever."

5. B, The robber was shot in chest, but he lived because his heart moved.

According to the Sept. 14, 1956, edition of the Long Beach (Ca.) Press-Telegram, a 17-year-old from Edenborn was robbing a grocery store, when the store's owner pulled a gun and shot him in the chest.

Doctors at Uniontown Hospital reported that they believed the shock of the bullet entering the would-be robber's chest may have caused his heart to "twitch" out of the way. He was later taken to jail for "an indefinite sentence."

Edward A. Owens can be reached by e-mail at freedoms@bellatlantic.net

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The Uniontown Redevelopment Authority received one response to a request for proposals to design and build three single-family houses on Maple Street.

Threshold Housing Development of Uniontown submitted the proposal, which will be reviewed before the authority's next meeting on Sept. 14, authority executive director Mark Yauger said.

The cost of the work will be negotiated and the authority board will consider awarding a contract at the meeting, Yauger said.

Contractors have to be certified as Community Housing Development Organization to qualify for the project, which is being funded with a $300,000 federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grant administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development, and Threshold has the certification, he said.

The three homes will be the first of 10 the authority plans to build on Maple Street using NSP money, Yauger said.

The authority used a $500,000 Core Communities grant the state Department of Community and Economic Development awarded in 2006 to buy the lots, and a $45,000 state grant will be used to construct new sidewalks, he said.

The houses, which will be built on double lots, will come in three different Victorian styles, and colonial-style streetlights also will be installed.

Yauger said the authority is required to have a construction contract in place by Sept. 30 to qualify for the NSP money.

The houses will cost about $175,000 to build and will be sold to people meeting the income qualifications. A buyer's income can be up to 115 percent of the median income to qualify, Yauger said.

The other houses in the Maple Street development will be built using proceeds from the sales of the first three houses and proceeds from three houses built in Masontown using NSP money, Yauger said. Future NSP funding also could be used, he said.

Also on Friday, the authority received and opened two bids for resurfacing Lenox Street, Pershing Avenue, Cleveland Avenue and Edgemont Drive.

Yauger said A.C. Moyer of Lemont Furnace submitted the apparent low bid of $71.30 per ton of asphalt. El Grande Construction of Monessen bid $81 per ton. A contract for the work will be awarded on Sept. 14 and work will be completed in the fall, he said.

In her first pageant competition, a local high school senior was named the 2010 Pennsylvania Bituminous Coal Queen.

Annie Caccimelio, 17, of Chalk Hill said watching past contestants from Geibel Catholic Middle-High School and her dance studio inspired her to take part in the pageant, held Aug. 22 in Carmichaels.

"I thought it would be a good opportunity for me," she said.

As coal queen, Caccimelio, who is a Geibel student, will appear at various events during the 57th Pennsylvania Bituminous Coal Show, which is ended Saturday.

She was one of 13 contestants for the crown, and she succeeds Erica Bristor of Waynesburg, who was the 2009 Coal Queen.

Among the things she will get to do as coal queen will be to talk about coal mining before the state House of Representatives.

Caccimelio, daughter of James and Susan Caccimelio, said doing that would be an honor for her.

She also will tour a coal mine to understand more about the importance of the industry.

"I'm excited for that. I think it will be really interesting," she said.

The pageant was made up of a personal interview, talent and evening gown competitions and a question asked of the contestants on stage.

Contestants were asked to tell the judges what they would do if a friend visited from out of the state, and wanted to see the area.

She said she answered that she would show them both small-town life that is common to the area, and show them the contrast of city life in Pittsburgh.

Caccimelio was awarded prizes for top interview and top evening gown.

Caccimelio sang "Defying Gravity" from the Broadway musical "Wicked."

The song was made famous by Idina Menzel, who portrayed Elphaba in the show.

"Wicked" is based on the upbringing of the Wicked Witch of the West character and her counterpart, Glinda the Good Witch, from the "Wizard of Oz."

"I was nervous for the talent (portion) but once I got through that, I was fine," she said.

Caccimelio is involved at her school, where she is on the volleyball team, in the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, the Chamber Ensemble Choir, Gator Entertainers and participates in the annual spring musical.

She also is a student and member of the senior theater group at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmichaels.

As for whether she'll participate in another pageant, Caccimelio said that's unlikely right now.

"I'm pretty busy, so this is enough for right now," she said.

Fourteen communities in Washington County, including California Borough, are going green with their traffic lights.

The 14 communities are participating in the Washington County Municipal Traffic Signal LED Replacement program, anticipating energy and maintenance savings with the new signals.

"The county is going to pay 80 percent of the installation," said California Borough Councilwoman Donna Bridges, who worked on the grant application with the borough's engineer Art Brower of Fayette Engineering.

"The LED's are going to last a lot longer," Brower said.

While some incandescent bulbs in traffic signals may need to be replaced every few months, it is anticipated that the new Light Emitting Diode bulbs will last several years.

California Borough currently has only one intersection controlled by a traffic light, plus another blinking light warning of a bridge near Coal Center, Brower said. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is installing new traffic signals at the south end of town, which will be LED units from the start, so no grant money will be needed to convert those lights.

The Washington County Redevelopment Authority is overseeing the Department of Energy grant that is being used to purchase and install the new lights.

Susan Morgan, the redevelopment authority's municipal planning manager, said the LED traffic signals use 85 to 90 percent less electricity than the incandescent fixtures they are replacing. Morgan said that some municipalities already using LED signals have seen energy savings of at least $40 a month per intersection. Brower said the grant application estimated that municipalities would see a return on their investment within two years. Morgan said she is hoping bids come in low enough for the boroughs to save the installation costs in no more than one year.

Morgan said the next step is for HMT and Associates, a Canonsburg engineering firm, to go around to each of the municipalities to develop the bid specifications. The project will then be advertised for bids and the work should be completed this year, Morgan said.

Morgan said that if the bids come in low enough, all of the communities will receive all of the replacement signals that they requested and crosswalk signals will be included as an alternate bid item. Morgan said with all 14 municipalities under one contract the bid price should come in lower than if they each bid the work separately.

Participating in the current grant are Beallsville, Bentleyville, California, Carroll, Charleroi, Chartiers, Donora, East Washington, Hanover, North Charleroi, North Franklin, Peters, South Strabane, and Union. There are 25 municipalities that own and maintain traffic signals. Seven of those municipalities have already replaced their incandescent signals with LED signals.

The Pittsburgh Panthers football team will win more games than Penn State or West Virginia in the upcoming season, according to a majority of those responding to a poll question on heraldstandard.com last week.

According to poll results, 116 respondents said Pitt would win the most games this season, while 110 said they believed the Nittany Lions would post the most victories and 85 said the Mountaineers would win the most.

The poll question this week is: Do you believe a Islamic center and mosque should be allowed to open near the site of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City in 2001?

Website viewers will have until Friday to take part in the poll. The results will be printed in this column next Monday.

To show their gratitude for his hard work and dedication, Uniontown Scrabble Club members recently hosted a surprise going-away party for their founder who is heading off to college.

Mike Tony, son of Michael and Cindy Tony of Uniontown, walked through the door of the second-floor meeting room at the Uniontown Public Library to find it decorated with red and blue balloons and a "good luck'' sign that featured a Scrabble board.

Mike Tony, who was dressed appropriately in a Scrabble T-shirt, greeted the smiles and good wishes with a smile of his own.

"It's a blessing to have people willing to acknowledge me but it's about them, really. They're the club. It's awesome. I love it,'' he said of the party. "It's a nice sendoff, that's for sure.''

Mike Tony started the club at the Uniontown Public Library as his senior project. He graduated from Uniontown Area High School in the spring and will be leaving Fayette County to attend the University of Pennsylvania in September.

The club, which meets once a month, will continue under the leadership of Cindy Tony and Dr. Judith Taylor, two of the founding members. Mike Tony plans to attend club meetings when he's home on school breaks.

"We enjoy it so much,'' explained Cindy Tony. "We hate to give it up. He still wants to come when he's on breaks. I'm excited he has this opportunity to go to Penn.''

Michael Tony said of his son, "I wasn't sure when he first said he wanted to do this but it turned out better than anyone thought. He's a great kid. We're proud of him.''

Other members also had kind words for Mike Tony.

"He's an extremely mature young man,'' said Taylor.

"It's remarkable that he started this club,'' said Sister Karen Flaherty, who's been a regular club member since February.

"His love of the game is contagious,'' Taylor added.

Mike Tony developed an interest in Scrabble as a youth, and then played the game at Ben Franklin School as part of the gifted program. He also participated in tournaments at California University of Pennsylvania that were for students at the elementary and junior high levels.

"Scrabble is a good game. It teaches vocabulary, strategy, language and humanities,'' he said.

Mike Tony started the club because he wanted to be able to continue his interest in Scrabble as he grew older and to share it with others. "It's an outlet for Scrabble that wouldn't otherwise exist,'' he said of the club. "All ages can play and I'm glad to do it at the library. They're great partners with us.''

The club started in September 2008 and meets from 6 to 7:30 p.m. the third Monday of each month. In January and February, the meeting dates are changed to the fourth Monday because of Martin Luther King Day and Presidents Day holidays.

The library has provided meeting space as well as Scrabble boards and a Scrabble dictionary. Mike Tony thanked director Lynne Tharan and children's librarian Dianne McFeaters for their support.

Contacted later, Tharan also commended Mike Tony and said of the club, "I think it just shows that some things are universal and lasting - the fascination with words and a game that has been popular for generations and is intergenerational.''

"I'm fascinated by (the club),'' she added. "I'm so glad it persisted and is still going on.''

The club attracts an average of 10 members a month but attendance has gone as high as 30. Anyone who comes is considered a member. Snacks are available. People sit around tables and play the game. Mike Tony has acted as referee when words are challenged and offered help by sharing handouts with word suggestions that range from seven-letter words, such as radioman (a radio operator) and movieola (a device for viewing and editing film) to two-letter words such as za, slang for pizza. The members talked about their interest in Scrabble.

Flaherty said, "I just love the game. In our family, we were always playing it and I was glad to see the notice about it on the front door of the library.

Melvin Lerch and Kyle Karwatski, who were members of Uniontown's Hometown High Q quiz team with Mike Tony, are also regulars at Scrabble Club. Lerch and Karwatski are also recent graduates of Uniontown Area High School and will both be attending Rochester Institute of Technology this fall.

Karwatski said of the club, "We get to have fun as friends and play Scrabble and challenge each other.''

Lerch said, "We play with our friends and new people. Scrabble is still, by far, my favorite board game.''

Karwatski and Lerch came to the August meeting with Lauren Zuzak, another Uniontown grad who will attend Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, this fall. She joined in July.

"I think it's interesting to watch and play,'' Zuzak said.

Earl Christopher, who is a freshman at Uniontown Area High School, came to his first meeting in August.

"I've been wanting to do this for a few months,'' Christopher said. "It's really good, really competitive and I'm determined to win.''

Mike Tony thanked everyone who's come to the club over the past two years and said, "It's exceeded my expectations. I didn't think it would be a success and attract the different people that it has. I'm willing to keep it going and the library is, too.

FARMINGTON - "Relief for cancer" is the focus of the traditional American Indian powwow at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa this weekend.

The "Singing Back the Buffalo" powwow began Saturaday morning and will continue through this afternoon in Millioke Meadows.

"Let's take the opportunity to make our prayers and set aside everything and come with one thought that this cancer is something we are all fighting equally. It crosses culture, race, gender, lifestyles and color," said Nathan Phillips, Founder and Spiritual Adviser of Native Youth Alliance, a nonprofit organization for preserving American Indian culture.

Phillips' wife, Shoshana, was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer several years ago. Prior to the diagnosis, their daughter, Alethea May, had a dream of a place for healing for all those who are suffering.

Inspired by the dream, and in response to the growing concern of cancer for American Indians, Native Youth Alliance began the Heritage of Healing Project. The project blends modern healing with traditional American Indian culture.

The goal is to promote awareness and relief for American Indian children in families experiencing cancer.

The Phillips are originally from Nebraska. They plan to have "Singing Back the Buffalo" powwows across the country for the next four years.

"This is our first time in Pennsylvania," said Shoshana, as she rested in a lawn chair facing the white buffalo enclosure across the meadow.

The sound of drums carried through the open air on the light breeze from somewhere within the cluster of vendors. Bright jewelry glistened on tables in the summer sun.

Changes in Shoshana's health during the last several days had postponed the planned sunrise prayer and healing walk around the lake that morning.

"My wife feels very bad sometimes because of this cancer. We are not great doctors or smart people, just humble Indian people who are inflicted with it and doing it the best way we know how," Phillips said.

"On Sunday afternoon, we will send everybody home with good thoughts and good feelings."

The gathering is not the routine powwow.

"We want to emphasize the focus," Phillips said softly later as he watched his wife across the field, her long skirt billowing with her steps, hand-in-hand with Alethea May.

Phillips said the afternoon session would consist of drums, songs and dances, followed by a memorial song for all those who have lost someone to cancer. A campfire and music would bring the evening to a close.

After a morning purification ceremony today, brunch is served at 11 a.m., followed by another dance session.

"I've tried to express that everybody is welcome regardless of where you are at in this sacred circle. You can be whatever walk of life to dance with us," Phillips said.

"I'm going to see if Nathan will play the drums for me," Shoshana said later, rising from her chair. "I want to dance. I always feel better when I'm dancing."

The event is free, but donations for the Heritage of Healing project are welcome.

For more information about Heritage for Healing, please call Nathan and Shoshana Phillips at 734-323-0762.