Paraglider Rescued from Tree
Erie – First responders rescued a paraglider trapped in a tree near the Penn State Behrend campus on Tuesday afternoon. Calls about the trapped man came to Erie County 911 at about 4:40 p.m. after the man collided with a tree near the soccer field. An aerial ladder was used to extract the man from his precarious position and authorities have offered no information about the man’s identity and whether or not they suffered any injuries.
FBI Investigation in Sharon
Sharon – The FBI was seen investigating the Shenango Valley River near Sharon on Tuesday, but there is no word on what they were searching for. Federal agents as well as other law enforcement were searching the river near the Bud Street Boat Launch with metal detectors for much of the day on Tuesday. In a statement, the FBI acknowledged the search but only stated that it was for an ongoing investigation and provided no further details.
State News PA Trooper Killed Off-Duty
Coroapalis – A Pennsylvania State Police Trooper was killed in some kind of off-duty altercation with a Pittsburgh man. In Allegheny County local police responded to reports of a man with stab wounds on the Montour Trail in Moon Township; the victim was transported to a hospital but was declared dead from his injuries soon after. The Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris announced to the national news that the victim was 44-year-old liquor enforcement officer Benjamin Brailer. A man named Anthony Quesen has been arrested for the killing.
Spider Crashes Car, Still on Loose
Saegertown – A woman is blaming a spider for a car crash in Crawford County. A Saegertown woman told crash scene investigators that a spider was crawling on her when she crashed her car on Tuesday, October 15th. The woman lost control of her Ford Fusion on Price Road in Woodcock Township sometime around 9 a.m. and rolled her vehicle onto its roof after a collision with a guard rail. The driver was reportedly uninjured, but a state trooper had to cut her seatbelt off before she could be freed. Nobody can confirm what happened to the spider.
Erie Nuns Debunk Internet Claims
Erie – The Benedictine Sisters of Erie have responded to claims made on social media that 54 people are registered to vote at Mount Saint Benedict when nobody lives there. The claims have been repeatedly made on the former Twitter by Cliff Maloney, the CEO of a group called Citizen’s Alliance of Pennsylvania which seeks to increase Republican participation in mail-in voting. More than 60 nuns live at the priory and one sister famously turned 107 years old earlier this month. Sister Stephanie Schmidt, prioress of Mount St. Benedict made a press release which she also posted to social media and the sisterhood’s website rebutting the claims and reads in part “We want to call Cliff Maloney to account for his blatantly false post that accuses our sisters of fraud”.
The Benedictines are exploring whether legal action may be required to defend their reputation. Erie County is under international scrutiny as a key battleground between presidential candidates on November 5th and claims of voter fraud, especially made online, have become common despite lack of evidence. Those claims only became louder in Erie County after nearly 300 duplicate ballots were accidentally mailed to Erie County residents.
Man Injured When Tree Falls on Him
Slippery Rock – A man was airlifted to a Pittsburgh hospital after he was hit by a falling tree on Tuesday afternoon. Butler County 9-1-1 confirmed that they received a call about a man who was trapped beneath a fallen tree near Snyder Road in Brady Township. The man was deep into the woods, having difficulty breathing, and had suffered injuries to the chest and lower body when a tree fell on top of him. After his extraction, he was taken to a nearby field where he was medevacced from the scene.
Double Rollover Crash Injures Three
Union City – Police are investigating the cause of a double rollover crash that hospitalized three people near Union City on Tuesday. At the intersection of Leboeuf Road and Route 6 in Union Township, first responders arrived to find two cars rolled onto their sides and roof after crashing into each other. It’s reported by fire and EMS that two people were injured but were able to remove themselves from their vehicle, but the third had to be extricated from their car. Crash scene investigators have not provided details on what caused the crash.
9-1-1 Calls from Trump Attack Released
Butler – Butler County has publicly released 9-1-1 recordings and transcripts and other public records related to the July attempt on Donald Trump’s life at the Farm Show Grounds. Yesterday’s release was part of a settlement with NBC and other news networks over the county’s refusal to provide them under freedom of information requests. There are still multiple independent investigations underway into how the shooter, Thomas Crooks, was able to access the roof of a Farm Show building and fire eight shots before he was killed by Secret Service marksmen.