Unknown Body Found after Fire
Wattsburg – Authorities in Erie County are attempting to identify the body of a person killed in a Wattsburg area fire on Thursday morning. The fire on Haskill Hill Road near Arbuckle was already fully involved when fire crews arrived shortly after 3:00 a.m. Thursday morning. The house was home to an 86-year-old woman, but the coroner’s office cannot confirm it was her. A team from Mercyhurst University’s Forensic Science Division has taken possession of the remains and the task of identifying them.
PennDOT Sends Trucks to Rhode Island
Providence, RI – On Wednesday, over 30 PennDOT vehicles and dozens of employees were sent to Rhode Island to help with their storm cleanup. Along with Connecticut, PA sent help through the National Emergency Management Assistance Compact. During last weekend’s blizzard, Rhode Island received a record 38 inches of snowfall across most of its small state, overloading the state and local governments’ ability to manage the situation. Help mostly came from central Pennsylvania, where there were no blizzards or lake effect snow, and is expected to remain until next Thursday.
Fatal Venango County Crash
Sugarcreek – An Oil City man is dead, and another man is hospitalized after a collision in Sugarcreek on Wednesday morning. According to the Sugarcreek PD, 29-year-old Zachary Hilliard of Oil City was declared dead at the scene of a crash on Allegheny Boulevard. Another driver, 38-year-old Joshua Munoz, was trapped inside his car and had to be extracted. Joshua suffered multiple injuries, including spinal fractures and broken teeth, according to Sugarcreek PD. Investigators believe slushy road conditions and speeding caused the crash.
Wal-Mart Spark Settlement Announced
Harrisburg – A total of over $1.4 million will be paid to Wal-Mart’s Spark Drivers and delivery customers in Pennsylvania, according to Attorney General Dave Sunday. Wal-Mart has agreed to pay $100 million in fines and restitution across several US States and the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that it misrepresented its Spark Driver and delivery programs to customers and employees. The company’s alleged infractions include withholding all or part of the delivery driver’s tips and failure to pay out incentives; it also modified orders in ways that harmed both customers and drivers.