More Chargers for Alleged Arsonist
Erie – Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz has announced new charges against an Erie woman accused of starting a fire on 10th Street, bringing the total to 52. 29-year-old Colodgia Burns has been charged with arson and other crimes after investigators discovered evidence she was the culprit in a mid-June fire that destroyed four buildings on and around 10th Street in Erie. On Wednesday, DA Hirz also filed charges related to attempted homicide against Burns, alleging that she started the fire in an attempt to kill her boyfriend. Colodgia allegedly started the entire blaze by igniting a couch that he was sleeping on in their shared squat. Colodgia Burns remains in Erie County Prison with bail set at $1 million.
Two Charged with Bank Fraud
Franklin – An Erie couple has been charged with the crimes of forgery and access device fraud among other crimes in Venango County after authorities say they attempted to cash forged checks using fake ID’s in Franklin and Cranberry Township. Teana Thomas and Jamario Martin, both of Erie, were charged last Saturday with multiple felonies after both the Pennsylvania State Police and Franklin Police Department investigated attempts to cash forged checks. Both of them remain in Venango County Jail and have been denied bail – Martin was retained for existing warrants and Thomas is considered a flight risk.
Candlelight Vigil for Slain Mercer County Teen
Sharon – The community of Sharon has planned a candlelight vigil in memory of 14-year-old Pauly Likens for Saturday night. Pauly’s remains were found dismembered in the Shenango River Reservoir shortly after she was declared missing in late June and a 29-year-old man named DaShawn Watkins was arrested for her death; she became the subject of the national news media when it was discovered she identified as trans. The vigil will be held in Pauly Likens’s memory at 87 Stambaugh Avenue in Sharon on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Gover Signs Pennsylvania Budget
Harrisburg – Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro signed a $47.6 billion budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year on Thursday afternoon. The budget is a compromise between the Democratic governor and the divided legislature which has different parties in control of the House and Senate. The single largest budget item is education, where Governor Shapiro was able to convince Senate Republicans to agree to the $11 billion investment in K-12 education, the highest in state history; in exchange, the Governor allowed budget hawks to remove more than $700 million in increases to other parts of the budget. The budget also includes for the second time $1.2 billion in funding for the Pennsylvania State Police, with an eye on recruiting an additional 400 troopers.