Judge Delays Murder Trial for New Evidence
Meadville – Jury selection for the trial of Shawn Cranston was going to begin today, but after an appeal by the defense, the trial has been delayed until June. On Friday, Judge Francis Schultz granted a continuance in order to allow the defense counsel time to review new evidence presented by Crawford County DA Paula DiGiacomo. Shawn Cranston is accused of the murder of a pregnant 23-year-old Amish mother of two named Rebekah Byler outside of Spartansburg in Crawford County in February of last year; jury selection for the trial has been rescheduled for June 9th.
The continuance was granted after the court allowed Crawford County DA Paula DiGiacomo to use Cranston’s previous arrest and criminal records as evidence during the trial and she did not oppose the defense’s motion for a continuance. Cranston is 54 years old and has a residence in Corry, but has been remanded to Crawford County Jail since his arrest on March 1st last year.

Bulldogs Banned from Playoffs After Dustup
Meadville – After reviewing the events of Friday Night’s brawl, the PIAA has determined that the Meadville Bulldogs will not be advancing into tonight’s second round of basketball playoffs. On Monday, the league announced that both the Meadville Bulldogs and the Uniontown Red Raiders had forfeited the game due to multiple rules violations, and both teams were removed from the playoffs. The PIAA further ruled that each team will be ineligible for next year’s playoff tournament unless they meet a series of demands set forth by the league.
To meet those demands, both schools must provide a plan of action to prevent further altercations in the gymnasium by the 19th; players and coaches from the two high schools must complete a training module about sportsmanship before the 2025-26 season; the spectators who participated in the fight must be banned from all school activities until June 2026. At press time, the Meadville City Police Department had not charged anyone with crimes for the fight.

Fireproof Non-Profit Raises Funds for Family
Chicora – A Butler County non-profit has started a GoFundMe campaign for a couple who lost their child in a fire on Saturday. Melina Bryner and Alex Umbaugh lost their home and their two-year-old son Jesse when a fire swept through their home on March 8th; both parents suffered third-degree burns in their attempts to save their son. The nonprofit organization Fireproof is managing the campaign, and its director, Daniel Weidenhoff, will ensure that every dollar donated will be given to the family. Weidenhoff also said Fireproof is taking donations of basic necessities on behalf of the family.