Two men were charged following a drug raid in Sharon. WFMJ-TV reports the raid led to the seizure of 500 fentanyl pills, along with marijuana and a loaded handgun. 23 year old Joshua Morales and 21 year old Sindey Folwel, were both charged with possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, Possession of Controlled Substances, Possession of a Small Amount of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Preliminary hearings are set for May 2nd.
Authorities executing a search warrant Monday in Beaver Falls reportedly found a substantial amount of illegal drugs inside a Fifth Avenue residence. The Beaver County D.A.’s Office says that officers discovered suspected cocaine, heroin and fentanyl along with drug packaging materials and two firearms. One arrest was made. Suspect Quinmarr Cooper is facing charges including three counts of drug possession with the intention to distribute.
Residents across Pennsylvania have only a few days to register to vote in an upcoming election. The deadline to register in the May 16th primary is May 1st. Anyone who has moved, changed their name or changed their party affiliation also has until May 1st to notify the Elections Division. Online voter registration can be done at P-A-voter-services-dot-P-A-dot-gov.
The manager of the Shell cracker plant in Beaver County is apologizing for odors recently reported by area residents. General Manager Bill Watson spoke at a virtual community meeting yesterday evening, saying he realizes the smell may have caused concerns. He explained that hydrocarbons got into the wastewater system during a maintenance shutdown, resulting in the smell and an elevated pollutant level. Doctor Chris Kuhlman with the Center for Toxicology and Environment Health also spoke, saying scientists who monitored the air quality in the area did not report any ongoing impacts away from the plant site.
A joint resolution to amend the Pennsylvania constitution to give childhood sexual abuse victims more time to file civil action has received final passage in the state House. It would open up a window in the commonwealth’s statute of limitations to allow survivors a two-year legal window to file suit against their abusers. The measure known as House Bill one received final passage Tuesday. The proposal also has to pass the full Senate before it can be voted on by the public. However, the Senate has attached two, unrelated constitutional amendments to its version of the proposal. One would create stricter voter ID requirements and the other would give the legislature power to kill regulations without the governor’s consent.
A state House committee has forwarded a measure to the full House that would help counties have more time to get ballots organized. Supporters say the legislation would give counties a seven-day head start on getting ballots ready for tabulating. It would also require voters be given the chance to correct minor issues to make sure their ballot gets counted. Representative Scott Conklin says the proposal would help clear up voter confusion about absentee and mail-in voting.
Two Arkansas men accused of taking a Butler County teen out of state are now in custody. Authorities report Nicholas Padgett and Nathaniel Archer are facing a list of charges including theft and interference with the custody of children. Butler County District Attorney Rich Goldinger says the two suspects met the 15-year-old online before agreeing to pick him up last Friday night. The boy was later found unhurt after he was left at an Econo Lodge in Missouri. Padgett and Archer are also accused of stealing around one-hundred-50-thousand dollars in silver coins the teen took from his parents. Officials say the suspects are awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania.
Jury selection continues today in the government’s case against accused Tree of Life mass shooter Robert Bowers. Thirty-five potential jurors have been questioned by attorneys since the process began on Monday. Twelve jurors and six alternates are to be selected for the panel. Bowers is accused of killing eleven people in an attack on the Squirrel Hill synagogue in October of 2018.
Some new measures have been introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature that would update the state’s 40-year-old laws on hate crimes. Representative Dan Frankel says the definition of hate crimes needs to be extended to crimes committed against people because of their gender or sexual identity as well as for their disabilities. Three other proposed measures would strengthen civil and criminal penalties for hate crimes, increase training for police and educators and expand the “Safe2Say Something” program, which helps school students report hate-based incidents.