Murder Victim Identified
Spartansburg – The Pennsylvania State Police have released the identity of a woman killed near Spartansburg. The victim is 23-year-old Rebekah Byler and her death is being investigated as a homicide. Rebekah was a member of Sparta Township’s Amish Enclave and pregnant, she was discovered Monday afternoon by a family member and a friend. The Pennsylvania State Police based in Corry are handling the murder investigation and have asked anyone who may have seen suspicious activity or anything out of the ordinary in the area of Sportsman’s and Fish Flats Roads to contact them by calling (814)663-2043.
New PennDOT Senior Maintenance Managers
Oil City – PennDOT has promoted two new heads of maintenance in counties located in District 1. New Senior Highway Maintenance Managers have been promoted in Crawford and Mercer Counties. Jason Warner has been promoted in Crawford County, he is a 20-year PennDOT veteran, has served as acting Manager since last April, and lives in Kennerdell. Zachary Miles has been promoted to head up Mercer County, he is a civil engineer with a degree from Youngstown University and has worked for PennDOT since 2015; Mr. Miles is a PennDOT Star of Excellence winner who served in the US Navy.
Man Claims County Executive Assaulted Him
Erie – Police in Erie County are investigating claims that the County Executive assaulted a political rival about two weeks ago. Jay Breneman is President of the Erie School Board and an instructor at PennWest University, he is formerly a member of the Erie County Council; he claims that Brenton Davis assaulted him during a gaming authority board meeting on February 15th. Breneman claims that Davis deliberately elbowed him in the head as he was leaving the meeting. The two men have been prominent members of the Erie County political scene for years and have a contentious relationship.
Woman Ransoms Former Employer’s Website
Harmony – A Butler County woman has been accused of hacking the website of her former employer and holding it for ransom. It has been alleged that Kelly Yockey of Cranberry Township accessed the website of Harmony Family Chiropractic about a week after she was terminated from her job there. Yockey, it is said, changed the website’s passwords and then demanded $36,000 in ransom on top of her final paycheck; she also allegedly threatened legal action against the firm. The owner of the clinic did not wish to make any public comments on the matter and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Authorities Search for Major Lego Thief
Bensalem – Bucks County authorities are searching for a man who stole a felonious amount of Lego toys. Five boxes, over $1,000 worth of specialty Lego sets were stolen from Barnes & Noble in the Neshaminy Mall on February 10th. The suspect is a heavyset white man in his forties who was wearing a puffy winter jacket and gray sweats during the theft; he drove away in a gray pickup after the heist. Surveillance photos released on Friday showed the man taking five Star Wars Lego sets and leaving the retailer.