State Police in Lawrence County report a man was arrested Saturday morning after police believed drugs and alcohol were involved in a hit and run accident in North Beaver Township. The victim of the accident told police the suspect had sideswiped his car while on the I-76 exit to Route 18. The victim followed the suspect to his home and then called police. 30 year old Blake Wolfe was arrested and charges are pending. No injuries were reported.
The Shapiro Administration announced Friday that it will continue to offer services to Pennsylvania residents living near the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine by extending the operations at the Health Resource Center in Darlington Township through Thursday, March 16th. Staff from Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection will be on site to answer questions and listen to concerns from residents affected by the derailment.
No injuries were reported following a one vehicle accident in Taylor Township Saturday morning. State Police report 21 year old Michael Stull of Pulaski, was eastbound on Route 422 when he lost control of his vehicle, struck an embankment and flipped over. Stull was not hurt.
A Monroeville man has been sentenced in federal court to 51 months in prison and five years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws. 33 year old Damon Johnson was convicted for conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl between September 2020 and December 2021. Johnson sold some of the fentanyl to another distributer, who then sold it to an individual who suffered a fatal overdose after ingesting the fentanyl. Johnson was sentenced this past Friday.
The state’s jobless rate held steady in January at 4.3 percent, with the national rate dropped a tenth of a percentage point to 3.4 percent. The estimated number of PA residents looking for work was up 11- thousand over the month, while nonfarm jobs increased by 14,800 to more than 6 million, 85-thousand. Jobs rose in six of the 11 industry super sectors with education and health services posting the largest gain.
Officials continue to focus attention on the clean-up and recovery effort in East Palestine Ohio. The community just across the Pennsylvania state line was the scene of train derailment last month in which a number of the cars that went off the tracks were carrying hazardous materials. Ohio Senator JD Vance is scheduled to visit the area today.
State Police in Butler County arrested a Karns City man on assault charges. 33 year old Joseph Parker faces a number of charges. Parker is accused of allegedly assaulting a 32 year old female. The victim told police Parker assaulted her with a barrel of a gun and threatened to kill her if she called police. The investigation is ongoing.
Testimony is expected to resume today in the sexual assault trial of suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeff Thomas. Thomas is accused of attacking a Windber woman inside her home in September of 2021 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Jurors have heard three days of testimony from the accuser. She testified under cross examination on Friday where she was asked about her past statements concerning Thomas and her claims.