The New Castle News reports a Lawrence County Common Pleas Court jury after five hours of deliberation found 35 year old Tyler McMillan of New Castle guilty of first-degree murder. Jurors also found McMillan guilty of criminal conspiracy to commit murder for the killing of 25 year old Andre Robinson of New Castle, three years ago. Robinson was found dead in the driver’s seat of his vehicle in a lot behind McGrath Manor at 814 W. Washington St. on March 24, 2020. He was shot five times. Two other men also face charges in connection with the homicide.
Governor Josh Shapiro says communities in Beaver and Lawrence counties are getting money from Norfolk Southern, months after a train derailed in nearby East Palestine, Ohio. Governor Shapiro says Darlington Township in Beaver County is getting 660-thousand-dollars and Lawrence County is getting 340-thousand-dollars to use for community relief. Leaders in the area’s getting the money say the money will be used for businesses and residents who were most closely and directly impacted by the derailment. The money is being funded directly from Norfolk Southern.
State Police in Mercer County report a Greenville man was killed following a one vehicle accident in Sandy Lake Township yesterday afternoon. According to police, 42 year old Joseph Kerekes was traveling at a high rate of speed on Scofield Road and traveled off the roadway and first struck a telephone pole then struck a tree causing the vehicle to catch on fire. Kerekes was unable to get out of his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Pennsylvania judge continued the preliminary hearing for the suspect accused in the shooting death of a Sharon man. WFMJ-TV reports 32 year old Seon Perry of New Castle was charged with criminal homicide, robbery, conspiracy, burglary and cruelty to animals for his alleged part in the 2019 murder of 24-year-old Khalil Hopson. Perry was arrested in May in North Dakota, two years after he was charged in connection to the shooting death of Hopson on May 23rd of 2019. Two other men have been sentenced in connection with the crime. Perry’s preliminary hearing is set of September 26th.
A cousin is describing a long history of abuse, substance use, and suicide in the family of convicted synagogue shooter Robert Bowers. Defense attorneys called Naomi Grimm to the stand yesterday as they continue their efforts to convince the jury that Bowers should not be put to death. Grimm described the torment and abuse Bowers’ grandmother suffered while living in a children’s home in the 1930’s, a situation that set up a pattern of mental illness that continued into the next generation. Psychiatrists who treated Bowers after a suicide attempt when he was 13 were also called to testify.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is considering tax credits for the state’s emergency responders. The proposed bill follows the idea of offering tax credits to teachers, nurses, and police officers to keep them in the commonwealth. Many EMS workers have warned of a state-wide systemic struggle to recruit people and also to find financial stability. The bill that passed the House in June would give a 25-hundred-dollar tax credit for three years, with an estimated fiscal impact of 225-million dollars. It would be in effect through 2027, before it winds down in 2028. The measure awaits action in the Senate.
The Pennsylvania Department of General Services is looking for input from women who’ve been through the state contracting process. They want to hear from women, minority and veteran business owners if they’ve experienced any discrimination as they bid on jobs or services. A project outline says the state will likely release its results next year on whether any barriers exist for disadvantaged businesses and if new programs may be needed to address them. A similar study done by PennDot five years ago, found that small, diverse business owners were winning a relatively healthy share of subcontracts but that they were significantly under-represented as prime contractors.
The search for a missing Ohio woman on Monday moved to Butler County with reports that she could be in Winfield Township. According to authorities, 20-year-old Sarah Hopkins of Cambridge Ohio could be traveling in a stolen 2018 Chevrolet Silverado with Pennsylvania registration. Hopkins is described as standing five-feet four-inches tall and weighing 150 to 160 pounds with blue hair. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call police.
According to this week’s Triple-A East Central Gas Price report the average price of gasoline in Western Pennsylvania is nine cents higher this week to 3.73 a gallon. In New Castle the average price is 3.66 while in Sharon drivers are paying 3.73. The national average price for gasoline is three cents higher this week at $3.59. The primary culprit is a higher oil price, which has recently increased to the upper-$70s per barrel.