CONOR KANE

A FILE has been sent by the Garda to the Director of Public Prosecutions after a man was arrested and questioned about a fatal assault in Thurles, Co Tipperary

James Tynan (25), died on Monday night after spending almost two days on life support after the assault in Thurles.

His wishes to become an organ donor were carried out after his death at South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel.

A native of Johnstown, Co Kilkenny, Mr Tynan was surrounded by his family when he died and his passing has left them devastated, according to parish priest Fr Frank Maher.

“That [donating his organs] was his own wish,” Fr Maher said yesterday.

“He had told his girlfriend last week that that’s what he wanted to happen if anything ever happened to him.”

Mr Tynan was socialising with friends in the nightclub at Hayes’s Hotel in the town’s Liberty Square on Saturday night and left the venue shortly before 1.30am on Sunday.

It is understood that another man, unknown to Mr Tynan, ran down the street and punched him once in the face. Mr Tynan fell and hit his head, and this proved to be the fatal injury.

He was brought by ambulance to South Tipperary General Hospital but later died on Monday night.

A man from Co Tipperary was arrested on suspicion of a breach of public order. Following further inquiries by gardaí, he was rearrested at 9am on Sunday for questioning regarding assault causing harm.

It is understood gardaí viewed CCTV images from local premises and spoke to witnesses who were in Liberty Square at the time of the incident.

The arrested man was released without charge on Monday night and a file is being prepared for the DPP.

Supt Pat Lordan said yesterday: “We’re satisfied that we’re progressing the inquiry well.”

A postmortem was carried out on Mr Tynan’s body yesterday at Waterford Regional Hospital and was expected to show the cause of death was severe trauma to the head.

The deceased’s parents, Pascal and Dolores Tynan, are both from well-known families in Johnstown, where Pascal runs a meat wholesale business.

Mr Tynan was the youngest of six children.

His girlfriend, Fiona Morrissey, is also from Johnstown.

Article source: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0222/1224312170064.html

An Altmire staffer expressed confidence in the three-term congressman’s chances but did not address specifics of the legal challenge.

If a judge agrees that Altmire does not have the required signatures, that would leave Johnstown-based U.S. Rep. Mark Critz as the lone Democrat pursuing the party’s nomination – short-circuiting an expected battle between incumbent congressmen.

Critz’s campaign officials said they are challenging the validity of more than half of the 1,651 names on Altmire’s nomination petitions. Among the allegations made by the Critz camp: Some signatures supporting Altmire “appear to have been forged by a circulator.”

“All candidates for office are required to follow state law when gathering signatures for nominating petitions, and members of Congress are not exempt,” Critz campaign attorney Scott Caulfield said in a prepared statement.

“It is clear that Jason Altmire’s campaign did not follow the law in this process and lacks the number of signatures required under law. Therefore, he does not qualify to appear on the ballot.”

Angela Ruslander, Altmire’s campaign manager, issued a one-sentence response.

“We will not comment on this until we have a chance to review the complaint, but we feel very confident that Jason Altmire will be on the ballot and will be the Democratic nominee from Pennsylvania’s 12th district,” Ruslander said.

Critz and Altmire must face off in the April 24 primary because they both reside in the new 12th District, which was redrawn by state Republican lawmakers during the decennial redistricting process. Altmire lives in Pittsburgh’s North Hills.

Both Democrats have been campaigning in the redesigned 12th District, which stretches from Cambria County to the Ohio border.

But the legal challenge, filed in Harrisburg before the state Commonwealth Court, claims Altmire should not appear on the primary ballot at all because 942 of the 1,651 signatures on his nomination petitions are invalid.

Candidates need 1,000 signatures to make the ballot.

The court document, which lists three Johnstown residents and a Windber woman as “objectors” to the Altmire petitions, claims “defects, irregularities, and unmistakable pattern of impropriety in obtaining the affixed signatures, addresses and dates as well as the signatures and statements of the circulators.”

In addition to the forgery allegation, the Critz announcement also said hundreds of signatures “appeared on petitions circulated by an Altmire staffer who currently lives in the City of Pittsburgh – outside the district.”

Overall, 610 signatures should be tossed due to “defective circulator’s affidavits,” the Critz campaign said.

Other, more-technical reasons also were cited for removing additional signatures. They include the names of people who signed illegibly; are not registered to vote; used nicknames or initials; omitted information; and omitted or cited an incorrect municipality.

The court will set a hearing date to consider the objections.

The 12th District has hosted such petition battles before. In February 2008, a judge ruled that Republican William Russell did not have enough valid signatures after a challenge was filed by supporters of then-U.S. Rep. John Murtha.

However, with no other GOP candidates running that year, Russell received enough write-in votes in the primary to win the Republican nomination anyway.

He went on to mount a forceful but ultimately unsuccessful campaign against Murtha in the general election, a victory that turned out to be the veteran Democratic lawmaker’s last before he died in February 2010.

It would be extremely difficult for Altmire, if he is removed from the ballot, to follow Russell’s path. Altmire would have to garner enough write-in votes to top an incumbent congressman – Critz – whose name would be the only one listed for Democratic voters.

The lone Republican who filed papers to run in the 12th District is Keith Rothfus, an Allegheny County attorney who narrowly lost to Altmire in 2010.

Article source: http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x2136340886/Critz-Boot-Altmire-from-ballot

As of Tuesday afternoon, police knew who they were looking for, it was just a matter of finding him. It didn’t take them long to track him down.

Police needed help finding Aubrey Brown in December when they said he walked into the First National Bank on Strayer Street demanding money from each teller. 

Police had very good surveillance to go off of. When Brown left the bank, he was caught taking off his ski mask and did not realize video is still rolling.

Police said he didn’t show a weapon at the time, but still got away with nearly $2,000. 

The court papers 6 News received said Brown met with two people on Monday. Those two people are remaining anonymous, but will be witnesses in this case.

They said Brown’s girlfriend told them he robbed a bank and had money hiding throughout the house he was staying in.

Brown maintains his innocence and told 6 News, “It wasn’t me.”

Brown is charged with two counts of robbery, theft and receiving stolen property. He is due back in court March 1.

Article source: http://www.wjactv.com/news/news/suspect-arrested-johnstown-bank-robbery/nJQxm/

By LYDIA GEHRING

Living Editor

WOOSTER — Women from every Christian denomination will come together on March 17 to exercise one of their greatest freedoms, as they unite in the 20th annual Women’s Prayer Breakfast.

This year’s event will be held at Jake’s, 6655 E. Lincoln Way, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Guest speaker will be Deborah Kitko, a genealogy librarian at the Wayne County Public Library. Other presenters will help to focus on this year’s Prayer Breakfast theme, “A Heritage of Faith and Prayer,” including special violin music provided by the Falla family.

“Our presenters will show the effect of heritage on our lives, especially appropriate as we celebrate our 20th year,” said Carolann Oswald, co-coordinator of the event with Marilyn Mokma. “This is a great event for women to believe in the power of prayer and to ask for blessings for our community, government, families and schools, both locally and for our nation. It is inter-denominational, so it allows women from all backgrounds to come together for one purpose.”

The breakfast is the resulting effort of the Women’s Christian Prayer Network, a group that “networks with women from other churches …”, said Mokma.

“There are strong promises in the Bible that God will hear His people when they pray together.”

A native of Michigan, Mokma moved to Wayne County after her husband, Arnold, began working for Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute. Now retired, she spent 16 years as the office manager for Real Estate Showcase in Wooster. She and her husband have three adult children.

At Church of the Saviour, Mokma serves as director of women’s ministries. She also volunteers at the Pregnancy Care Center.

Oswald and her husband, Gary, live in Wooster, where she works as an office assistant with Tri-County Educational Service Center. Also a mother to three grown children, she was born in Johnstown, Pa., but moved to Wayne County when she was four years old.

A member of Wooster Grace Brethren Church, she enjoys attending family gatherings and traveling.

Favorite foods of Oswald’s include well-prepared seafood. Anytime she has leftover roast beef, she takes the scraps and makes it into a delicious lunchtime meal.

“Leftover roast beef can be ground and mixed with onions, pickles and mayonnaise for a tasty sandwich spread,” she said.

Mokma is also a fan of seafood, and said she really enjoys salmon. She saves time in the kitchen where she can, and one of her favorite tips has to do with baking cookies.

“To save time when baking cookies, such as chocolate chip or oatmeal-raisin, instead of baking them on a cookie sheet, I like to bake them in a pan and cut them into bars,” she said.

The Prayer Breakfast will be served buffet-style. Tickets are $10 each and reservations are due by March 10. Call Mokma at 330-264-7573 for more information or to RSVP.

Living editor Lydia Gehring can be reached at 330-287-1655 or living@the-daily-record.com.

Article source: http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/5159733

Suspect is held in bank robbery

Patrick Buchnowski

pbuchnowski@tribdem.com
The Tribune-Democrat

Tue Feb 21, 2012, 11:25 PM EST

JOHNSTOWN —
The Johnstown man who in December allegedly robbed a First National Bank branch in the West End was taken into custody late Tuesday, authorities said.

Aubrey K. Brown, 55, of Cooper Avenue, was picked up at Memorial Medical Center on Franklin Street.

“He was there visiting someone,” city police Detective Lawrence Wagner said.

Brown was arraigned by on-call District Judge Leonard Grecek of Roxbury on charges of robbery, theft by unlawful taking or disposition and receiving stolen property. He was jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond.

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2012
The Tribune Democrat, Johnstown, PA. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or redistributed.

Article source: http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x560582802/Suspect-is-held-in-bank-robbery

THE communities of Johnstown and Urlingford have been numbed by the death of James”Duff” Tynan from Johnstown yesterday evening. His family and girlfriend Fiona Morrissey were by his side when the life support machine, which was aiding his breathing, was turned off at South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel. He was assaulted outside Hayes’s Hotel, Thurles at around 1.30am on Sunday morning and never regained consciousness in what gardai believe was an unprovoked assault.

It brought back memories of another assault on a Johnstown man in 1999 when Kilkenny hurler, PJ Delaney was left for dead after an attack close to where James Tynan was assaulted.

Parish priest of Johnstown, Fr Frank Maher said the tragedy had devastated the Tynan family and appealed for an end to violence on the streets. “James never knew this man and he just isn’t the kind of person who would be in trouble like that,” he said. A 22-year-old man, understood to be from Co Tipperary, was released from custody on Monday night without charge after being questioned by gardai. The dead man was an uncle of Kilkenny People photographer, Eoin Hennessy.

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Article source: http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/local/james_loses_fight_for_life_as_kilkenny_mourns_his_loss_1_3542714

Johnstown man satisfies court in blight case

Mike Faher

mfaher@tribdem.com
The Tribune-Democrat

Tue Feb 21, 2012, 10:53 AM EST

EBENSBURG —
A Johnstown man has secured a contractor to raze two blighted properties, including the former car wash where the late U.S. Rep. John Murtha got his start.

Kenneth Mirilovich, of Barron Avenue, had been scheduled to be sentenced today in Cambria County Court for violating property-maintenance codes in the City of Johnstown and Lower Yoder Township.

But the proceeding was deemed unnecessary after Mirilovich produced proof that he has paid a contractor who already has begun to demolish a deteriorated structure on Tremont Road in Lower Yoder.

Officials said Mirilovich also has paid $4,800 for the pending demolition of his auction house on Somerset Street in the City of Johnstown. The former Murtha car wash was damaged by fire in May 2009, and city officials have for years pushed Mirilovich to clean up the property.

Mirilovich has 45 days to complete both projects.

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2012
The Tribune Democrat, Johnstown, PA. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or redistributed.

Article source: http://tribune-democrat.com/latestnews/x2136340502/Johnstown-man-satisfies-court-in-blight-case

View full sizeJoe Hermitt, The Patriot-NewsPenn State offensive line coach Mac McWhorter chats with reporters in the Lasch Building.

Sit down with McWhorter for 15 minutes, and you come away
with the impression that the Atlanta, Ga. native should have no trouble going
into recruits’ homes and charming their parents.

He’s not the only charmer in the Lasch Building though.

Just one year into his retirement, after turning down offers
from other interested suitors, McWhorter was finally coaxed back into coaching
last month, when Bill O’Brien came calling.

“I had retired after 37 years of coaching and moved to
Athens, Georgia to be close to my grandchildren and enjoy life [while] still in
good shape. And everybody kept saying ‘Are you gonna coach again?’” said
McWhorter, 61, who retired after six seasons as associate head coach at the
University of Texas. “And I said, ‘Well at the right place, for the right
person.’

“When Coach O’Brien called, I got really excited about it,
and I am really excited about it. I had some other opportunities, but not like
Penn State.”

So what was it about the combination of O’Brien and Penn
State that got McWhorter to come out of retirement?

“Programs are made by people, and obviously Penn State, with
coach [Joe] Paterno, and his staff, and the era he went through here was
absolutely unbelievable,” McWhorter said. “I’ve always admired Penn State for
years and years in coaching. They just set a standard for integrity and quality
and doing things the right way, and winning. I was always a little enamored by
Penn State.

“And then coach O’Brien and I got to work together
at Georgia Tech, so I got to know him well and I think he is just a
rising star
in the business. Really bright, very energetic, he’s got a nice charisma
about
him. So I think it’s just a great opportunity.”

So McWhorter agreed to join O’Brien’s staff.

Of course, that was before he looked at the depth chart and
realized just how young and green the Nittany Lions will be on the offensive
line next season.

“We’re in a situation here where we’ve graduated four out of
five starters. I wasn’t smart enough to ask coach O’Brien that before I took
the job,” McWhorter jokes.

Center Matt Stankiewitch is the sole returning starter,
while right guard John Urschel and tackle Mike Farrell saw some playing time
last season, but “other than that, it’s very few reps that any of the offensive
linemen have had,” McWhorter said. “It’s a fresh start for all those guys.”

The coach said he’s been impressed with his group’s work
ethic so far, but the true evaluation will take place come spring practice,
which begins March 26.

But as recruiting picks up, he’ll be on the prowl for more
players who fit his mold of the model offensive lineman, specifically: “I like
productive offensive linemen. Guys that can block people,” McWhorter said. “In
general, I like athletic guys. The bigger the better without forsaking
athleticism. It’s really important in today’s game that offensive linemen can
move.

“Guys that tackles have to block coming off the edge can
really run these days and then in the running game, it’s about the inside
people, guards and centers getting up to the next level and staying with those
people. That athleticism is really critical.”

With his southern ties – McWhorter played at Georgia, and
his career includes stops at Alabama, Georgia Tech, Duke, Clemson and Memphis –
the Nittany Lions’ new offensive line coach could help Penn State re-establish
recruiting relationships below the Mason-Dixon line.

McWhorter will be responsible for recruiting in Georgia, and
“anywhere else that I have a contact.” In Pennsylvania, McWhorter will cover
the coal region throughout the central and north-central part of the state,
including State College, Altoona and Johnstown.

But, the coach notes, O’Brien has made it clear to the staff
that “We’re going to take care of our state first, our backyard,” McWhorter
said. “We’ve got [ties on the staff] to Texas now, we’ve got Georgia. We’ll
dabble in those areas when we have contacts there, and some connection where we
think we can get an outstanding player, we’ll go there. But we’re not going to
forsake our backyard.”

LOH on TWITTER: @StefanieLoh

Article source: http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2012/02/the_penn_state_allure_coaxed_o.html

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Article source: http://www.shoppersource.com/articles/2012/02/20/news/communitymembers-022212.txt

The Huskies withstood two late charges from the Vikings to earn a 71-60 win in the first round of the District 6 Class A boys playoffs.

Bishop Carroll senior guard Ryan Lauer scored 21 points and led by example for his young Huskies teammates.

“Offensively, Ryan got off to a good start,” Bishop Carroll coach Cosie Aliquo said. “I saw him shooting in warm-ups and I thought, ‘he was hitting them.’ Then he came out in the beginning of the game and he was hitting them and I said, ‘I’m turning him loose.’”

Bishop Carroll played seven players – each scoring at least six points – compared to eight for Blacklick Valley, which got 27 points from the game’s top scorer, 6-foot-1 junior Dalton Cesarz.

“I knew they weren’t going to go away,” Aliquo said. “Dalton’s a scorer, so I knew they weren’t going to go away. He moves well without the ball and we didn’t stop him from cutting.”

Bishop Carroll (12-11) twice held a 15-point lead, but Blacklick (9-14) also narrowed the gap to seven two times, but that’s as close as they got all night.

Bishop Carroll junior forward Scott Ranck scored 12 points, sophomore center Marcus Lee and freshman guard Brandon Martinazzi each scored nine points, sophomore guard Mitchell Madonna added eight and sophomore David Maruca and freshmen reserve Nik Suckinos each chipped in six points in the balanced victory.

“Lauer’s tough, we knew he was going to be a threat deep,” Blacklick Valley coach Garry Wurm said. “We knew he can shoot long and he’s dangerous and his dribble penetration is tough too. He does a good job distributing the ball once he gets through the key.

“We knew those guys coming off the bench – Martinazzi and Suckinos – could give us some trouble. Martinazzi’s a really good shooter.”

The opposing coach wasn’t the only one praising BC’s depth.

“It started from day one, whenever I first met these kids coming into summer camp,” Lauer said. “They’re going to have their struggles, but you’ve just got to stick with them and keep their heads up, because they’re all great athletes. They’re all great ball players.”

The first half was an up-and-down sprint, with both teams running the floor and ringing up the scoreboard. Carroll led after the first frame, 21-16. Early in the high-paced contest, both teams were pressing defensively, but doing little behind the press to defend the basket. Bishop Carroll led 37-29 at the break.

“Our plan was to keep the tempo down,” Wurm said. “We didn’t want to get in a run-and-gun type game with them. That made me nervous, they have great speed, great team speed.”

Blacklick Valley junior Johnny Sheesley scored 16 points for the Vikings, and Cesarz pulled down 10 rebounds in an inspired effort.

“Dalton’s been playing that way all season,” Wurm said. “He’s a solid basketball player. There’s no one guy. Dalton just happens to be our big scorer. They all have their role on the team.”

BC will play No. 2 seed Conemaugh Valley later this week.

BLACKLICK VALLEY (60): Cesarz 10 4-5 27, Sheesley 6 2-4 16, Barzdo 1 4-10 6, Paul 3 0-0 7, Worthington 0 0-0 0, Gaydos 2 0-0 4, O’Connell 0 0-0 0, Palko 0 0-0 0. Totals – 22 10-19 60.

BISHOP CARROLL (71): Lauer 7 5-6 21, Lee 4 1-1 9, Ranck 6 0-0 12, Martinazzi 4 0-0 9, Madonna 4 0-2 8, Maruca 2 2-2 6, Suckinos 3 0-0 6. Totals – 30 8-13 71.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Blacklick Valley16 13 12 19 – 60

Bishop Carroll21 16 16 18 – 71

3-point goals: Blacklick Valley 6 (Cesarz 3, Sheesley 2, Paul); Bishop Carroll 3 (Lauer 2, Martinazzi).

Officials: Bill Antesberger, George Figura, Brad Eckenroth.

Records: Blacklick Valley (9-14); Bishop Carroll (12-11).

Article source: http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/558365/Huskies-wear-down-Blacklick-to-advance.html?nav=751

IN BRIEF | Fundraiser benefits ‘WalkWorks” program

Anonymous


The Tribune-Democrat
The Tribune-Democrat

Mon Feb 20, 2012, 11:04 PM EST

JOHNSTOWN —
A fundraiser and kickoff for a Greater Johnstown “WalkWorks” program is scheduled for tonight at Heritage Discovery Center on Broad Street.

The event, to be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the center’s fourth-floor Ethnic Social Club, benefits a program designed to “increase opportunities for walking in local communities,” organizers said.

A $5 admission charge includes food, refreshments and a raffle ticket for prizes including Pittsburgh Penguins tickets, Johnstown Area Heritage Association museum passes and Johnstown Farmers Market gift certificates.

Partners in the project include Lift Johnstown, the City of Johns-town, the state Department of Health, Conemaugh Health System and the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. More information is available at www.pawalkworks.com.

East Wheatfield sets meeting on crime

ARMAGH – East Wheatfield Township supervisors have scheduled a meeting on the local crime situation. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 28 at the Armagh and East Wheatfield fire hall.

Residents have complained about rising crime and wondered about the feasibility of establishing a police force, which supervisors have said is not affordable. All options will be discussed.

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Article source: http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x402363132/IN-BRIEF-Fundraiser-benefits-WalkWorks-program

A junior hockey league has shown interested in bringing a team back to the Cambria County War Memorial, but 6 News has learned that a new brand of minor league hockey wants to start its own franchise.

“I totally understand the history of Johnstown.  My father was a Johnstown Jet for years.”

Chuck Harrison watched his father play in the Cambria County War Memorial and he skated on the ice himself as a referee in the East Coast Hockey League.

The founder of the Northern Professional Hockey League wants to bring the game back to his hometown.

This afternoon Harrison was in Roanoke, Virginia meeting with city officials interested in joining the NPHL.

6 News spoke to Harrison by phone.  He told us that other cities are also interested, including Richmond, and Huntingdon, West Virginia.

The Johnstown Chiefs left in 2009 and struggled to fill seats at the War Memorial.

Harrison said the ECHL priced itself out of Johnstown and many other small markets.

He said his business plan is modeled after the success of minor league baseball.

He plans to offers professional hockey that families can afford.

“Our ticket prices are more family oriented”, said Harrison.  “I looked at some of these other hockey leagues. Their overhead is so high that they are forced to charge enormous ticket prices.  We’re not going to do that.”

A franchise fee to join the ECHL can cost around $1 million.

Harrison said it will only cost $30,000 to join the NPHL and the ownership must live in that town.

“Everybody I showed this plan to people inside of Johnstown and outside of Johnstown.  To people involved in hockey and other businesses.”  Harrison said, “They only have positive things to say about our plan.”

Harrison told 6 News that he has several Johnstown business leaders that are interested in owning a hockey team, but he may be playing shorthanded.

Harrison said he is frustrated that members of the War Memorial Authority have not returned his calls or taken the time to hear his sales pitch.

“Johnstown has the biggest hockey history.  The fans want the game.  For the life of me, I cannot understand why they don’t have their own team.”

The NPHL would bring 35 home games to the War Memorial.

Harrison said he only needs 6 teams to start his league and he is planning to drop the puck in October with or without Johnstown.

Article source: http://www.wjactv.com/news/news/nphl-wants-bring-hockey-johnstown/nJJsc/

Meanwhile the shopping center, formerly known as the Kanawha Mall, remains open for business.

In its Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition filed on Jan. 30, KM Associates Limited Liability Co. lists assets of $17.3 million and debts of $26.5 million.

Donald Simpson, the company’s managing member, signed the petition. Simpson, whose company has been managing the mall since 2002, heads a group of investors who bought the shopping center in 2007 for $11 million.

In its petition, KM Associates lists seven people or entities that own or control 5 percent or more of the voting securities of the company. They are: ERECT Co-Participation Fund of Johnstown, Pa., 15 percent; ERECT Fund II/Equity of Johnstown, Pa., 30 percent; Frank A. Baer II of Charleston, 8.34 percent; Highmark Specialty R/E Trust of Johnstown, Pa., 5 percent; Lee O. Hill of Charleston, 8.33 percent; SAK LLC, in care of Donald Simpson of Johnstown, Pa., 25 percent; and Thomas E. Potter of Charleston, 8.33 percent.

The bankruptcy petition lists Thistle Financial Group, Latrobe, Pa., Citizens National Bank of Elkins, CNB Bank of Johnstown, Pa., First United Bank Trust of Oakland, Md., Merchants National Bank of Kittanning, Pa., Progressive Bank of Wheeling, and Standard Bank of Monroeville, Pa., as holding a mortgage with $17 million in secured claims and $4.4 million in unsecured claims.

The 20 largest creditors holding unsecured claims are: ERECT Fund II/Equity, in care of Dave Mordan, Johnstown, Pa., equity investment, $1.7 million; Thistle Financial Group, Latrobe, Pa., mortgage, $4.4 million, secured value $17 million; ERECT Co-Participation Fund, in care of Dave Mordan, Johnstown, Pa., equity investment, $859,859; Donald Simpson, Johnstown, Pa., equity investment, $712,500.

Also: Highmark Specialty R/E Trust, in care of Dave Mordan, Johnstown, Pa., trade debt, $261,426; South Charleston Electric Co., South Charleston, trade debt, $241,830; Marvin Masters and Charles Love, Charleston, $200,000; Kanawha County Sheriff’s Tax Office, Charleston, property tax, $185,096; RC General Contractors, Charleston, trade debt, $134,313; Rock Branch Mechanical, Poca, trade debt, $132,879; Agsten Construction, Charleston, trade debt, $111,000.

In addition: Tri State Roofing Sheet Metal Co., Poca, trade debt, $79,612; Raynes and Sons Excavation, Eleanor, trade debt, $60,000; Robinson Son Plumbing Heating, Scott Depot, trade debt, $56,652; Lee O. Hill, Charleston, equity investment, $55,588; Thomas Potter, Charleston, equity investment, $55,588; Frank A. Baer II, Charleston, equity investment, $55,255; Associated Architects, Charleston, trade debt, $47,900; Prizm Painting, Charleston, $42,179; and Brewer and Co. of WV, Charleston, trade debt, $32,424.

The filing shows that several creditors have civil suits pending against KM Associates in Kanawha Circuit Court.

A meeting of creditors is scheduled for 10 a.m. March 13 in the Office of the U.S. Trustee, Room 2009 of the Robert C. Byrd Courthouse, Charleston.

A March 14 hearing is scheduled to consider KM Associates’ application to employ Simpson Properties Inc. as managing agent and an objection to the application filed by CNB Bank, one of the creditors.

Simpson and the other investors bought the mall with the idea of reconfiguring it from an enclosed mall to an open-air center with storefront parking. The reconfiguration was complicated – the mall never closed during construction – and it took longer than expected. While the work was under way, the nation went into an economic recession and retail chains pulled back their expansion plans.

The mall was scheduled to be auctioned in front of the courthouse several times over the past year, but the sale was postponed each time.

The Morgantown law firm of Gianola, Barnum, Wigal London is representing KM Associates in the bankruptcy.

Contact writer George Hohmann at busin…@dailymail.com or 304-348-4836. Follow him at Twitter.com/GeorgeHohmann.

Article source: http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/201202200139

In the Class A boys bracket with games set for Thursday, Southern Fulton earned the top seed and will face No. 8 Fannett-Metal. The WestPAC runner-up Vikings have the second seed and host seventh-seeded Forbes Road.

“The message in the locker room was that playing Township was a good test for us and we did well,” said Shanksville coach Bob Snyder after Saturday night’s title game. “Hopefully we grow from this and down the road this will help us.”

In the other Class A boys games, third-seeded Shade hosts No. 6 Rockwood while No. 5 Berlin Brothersvalley travels to No. 4 Hyndman.

The semifinals are set for Feb. 28 at neutral sites with the championship on March 2 at 8 p.m. at the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center.

In Class AA girls, WestPAC runner-up Conemaugh Township has earned the top seed and along with second-seeded Tussey Mountain, get a first-round bye.

“With districts coming up, it’s a whole new mindset,” Indians coach Stacey Hazlett said after her team’s loss to Berlin in the WestPAC final. “We’re going to get into the gym and start working on some things that we saw and try to turn things around.”

On Thursday, No. 5 Everett will be at fourth-seeded Windber with the winner heading to Conemaugh Township to face the Indians in the semifinals on Feb. 28.

The other matchup Thursday has

No. 6 Bedford at Northern Bedford, the third seed, with the winner to play in the Feb. 28 semifinal at Tussey Mountain.

The championship for the Class AA girls is at 6 p.m. on March 2 at UPJ.

The WestPAC champion Berlin girls are the second seed in Class A, which begins on Friday, and play host to No. 7 Shade.

“We set goals at the end of last year and at the beginning of this season that we wanted to get back to the District 5 championship and win it,” Berlin coach Rachel Prosser said. “We have to get better at the little things in order to accomplish our goals. We are a different team than we were earlier in the season and we have to focus on the task at hand, and that’s Shade.”

In the other Class A girls action, top-seeded Southern Fulton hosts No. 8 Forbes Road, No. 5 McConnellsburg is at fourth-seeded Shanksville and No. 6 Fannett-Metal is at third-seeded Meyersdale.

The semifinals are Feb. 29 at neutral sites with the Class A title game set for 6 p.m. on March 3 at UPJ.

The WestPAC champion Conemaugh Township boys are the top seed in Class AA and have earned a first-round bye along with second-seeded Chestnut Ridge.

“It’s one and done now,” Township coach Chuck Lesko said. “If you want to continue playing into March, then you have to take care of business. We’re probably going to take a day or two off because we don’t play for at least a week (Feb. 29 in the semifinals) and then we’ll get back to work and try to refocus on the next goal.”

The Indians get a tough draw in the semifinals, earning the winner of fourth-seeded Tussey Mountain/No. 5 Windber, who play their first-round game set for Friday in Saxton.

The other game set for Friday features No. 6 North Star at third-seeded Northern Bedford, with the winner to play the Lions on Feb. 29.

The Class AA boys championship is at 8 p.m. on March 3 at UPJ.

The defending District 5 champions are Southern Fulton in Class A girls and boys, Windber in Class AA girls and North Star in Class AA boys.

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Article source: http://tribune-democrat.com/sports/x1457645257/District-5-playoffs-start-this-week

MILTON, N.Y. — A 6-year-old boy has been killed in a two-car accident in upstate New York.

It happened last Saturday night at the intersection of State Route 29 and Murray Road in the town of Milton.

State Police say a car driven by 34-year-old Scott McIntyre, of Rensselaer, failed to yield the right of way, striking another car driven by 21-year-old Thomas Stuart, of Johnstown.

Police say the 6-year-old boy, Tyler McIntyre, died several hours later. The other five people involved in the accident were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Police say there is no indication alcohol was involved. No charges have been filed, but the investigation is continuing.

—Copyright 2012 Associated Press

Article source: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP2df6ed919e55421b897d596561b433ca.html

The average temperature for January was 36.3 degrees, 5.5 degrees above normal, the agency said.

And up until now, February has been mirroring that trend.

In the Johnstown region since the beginning of the year, the average temperature stands at 3.5 degrees above normal, said Michael Pigott, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather in State College.

The average temperature from Jan. 1 until now in the Johnstown region is 29 degrees, he said. The normal average for that time span is 25.5 degrees, he said.

“That’s significant,” he said in a telephone interview. “That means more rain than snow.”

According to records maintained by The Tribune-Democrat, snowfall in downtown Johnstown totaled 13 inches in January compared with 33 inches last January and

44 in 2010.

So far this month, 51/2 inches of snow has fallen on city streets.

There was a concern among residents in October that the region was in store for a harsh winter when 4 to 7 inches of wet snow fell in the area on Oct. 28.

But it warmed up shortly afterward and no more snow accumulated until December, when only a little more than an inch of snow fell over the entire month.

Pigott said that it also has been drier than normal so far this year.

Normal precipitation for the Johnstown region from Jan. 1 through middle of February is 4.13 inches. So far 3.42 inches have fallen with about half that amount coming as snow, he said.

Pigott said that not having a snow cover on the ground is not hurting the region.

There has been enough of steady, gentle rain that is soaking into the ground to replenish the water table just as a melting snow pack would, he said.

“It’s warmer this year mainly because of the jet stream pattern,” he said.

“Essentially, we’ve seen a lot of storms moving from west to east, and not a lot traveling northward or southward. So anything in the Arctic is staying up there, and anything in the U.S. is staying put as well.”

The warm trend may continue through the end of February and into March, but temperatures are not expected to be as high as they were in January, he said.

At Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Anna Weltz, communications director, said with all things considered, it has not been the best ski season weather-wise.

However, the number of skiers and hotel reservations have remained solid, she said.

“We have relied heavily on our mountain crew to make snow this season,” she said.

“Essentially, the crew has been on standby every day and every night so that when the snow-making window presents itself, we can turn on the guns and turn out the white stuff.”

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Article source: http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x471170928/February-following-January-s-lead-on-snow-temperatures

In the Class A boys bracket with games set for Thursday, Southern Fulton earned the top seed and will face No. 8 Fannett-Metal. The WestPAC runner-up Vikings have the second seed and host seventh-seeded Forbes Road.

“The message in the locker room was that playing Township was a good test for us and we did well,” said Shanksville coach Bob Snyder after Saturday night’s title game. “Hopefully we grow from this and down the road this will help us.”

In the other Class A boys games, third-seeded Shade hosts No. 6 Rockwood while No. 5 Berlin Brothersvalley travels to No. 4 Hyndman.

The semifinals are set for Feb. 28 at neutral sites with the championship on March 2 at 8 p.m. at the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center.

In Class AA girls, WestPAC runner-up Conemaugh Township has earned the top seed and along with second-seeded Tussey Mountain, get a first-round bye.

“With districts coming up, it’s a whole new mindset,” Indians coach Stacey Hazlett said after her team’s loss to Berlin in the WestPAC final. “We’re going to get into the gym and start working on some things that we saw and try to turn things around.”

On Thursday, No. 5 Everett will be at fourth-seeded Windber with the winner heading to Conemaugh Township to face the Indians in the semifinals on Feb. 28.

The other matchup Thursday has

No. 6 Bedford at Northern Bedford, the third seed, with the winner to play in the Feb. 28 semifinal at Tussey Mountain.

The championship for the Class AA girls is at 6 p.m. on March 2 at UPJ.

The WestPAC champion Berlin girls are the second seed in Class A, which begins on Friday, and play host to No. 7 Shade.

“We set goals at the end of last year and at the beginning of this season that we wanted to get back to the District 5 championship and win it,” Berlin coach Rachel Prosser said. “We have to get better at the little things in order to accomplish our goals. We are a different team than we were earlier in the season and we have to focus on the task at hand, and that’s Shade.”

In the other Class A girls action, top-seeded Southern Fulton hosts No. 8 Forbes Road, No. 5 McConnellsburg is at fourth-seeded Shanksville and No. 6 Fannett-Metal is at third-seeded Meyersdale.

The semifinals are Feb. 29 at neutral sites with the Class A title game set for 6 p.m. on March 3 at UPJ.

The WestPAC champion Conemaugh Township boys are the top seed in Class AA and have earned a first-round bye along with second-seeded Chestnut Ridge.

“It’s one and done now,” Township coach Chuck Lesko said. “If you want to continue playing into March, then you have to take care of business. We’re probably going to take a day or two off because we don’t play for at least a week (Feb. 29 in the semifinals) and then we’ll get back to work and try to refocus on the next goal.”

The Indians get a tough draw in the semifinals, earning the winner of fourth-seeded Tussey Mountain/No. 5 Windber, who play their first-round game set for Friday in Saxton.

The other game set for Friday features No. 6 North Star at third-seeded Northern Bedford, with the winner to play the Lions on Feb. 29.

The Class AA boys championship is at

8 p.m. on March 3 at UPJ.

The defending District 5 champions are Southern Fulton in Class A girls and boys, Windber in Class AA girls and North Star in Class AA boys.

Article source: http://tribune-democrat.com/sports/x1457645257/District-5-playoffs-start-this-week

Quincy Robinson, Phil Lehman, Wyatt Fleisher and Calder Shepherd were sixth in the 1,600 relay (3:52.9), and Robinson, Fleishcer, Shepherd and Tyler Kuhnes were 10th in the 800 relay (1:38.3).

For Valley’s girls, Mackenzie Butler was seventh in the 800 (2:30.37) and ninth in the 1,600 (5:28.84).

Other top placers in the girls meet were Johnstown’s Stephanie Loshbough (4th, 5:24.45) and Watkins Memorial’s Mara White (5th, 5:25.95) in the 1,600; Watkins’ Alison Gillilan in the weight throw (1st, 44-10); Watkins’ 1,600 relay of White, Ginny Cortes, Atyauna Jones and Josie Woosley (3rd, 4:18.03); Watkins’ Taylor Amrine in the pole vault (3rd, 10-0) and Sheridan’s Mikaela Kunkler in the long jump (4th, 15-3).

Article source: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120219/SPORTS/202190353/Indoor-track-Crouse-fifth-Butler-seventh

By 2014, all English and math classes will be operating under new curriculum standards because of a voluntary federal program the state adopted.

By the 2013-14 school year, all teachers must be paid based on merit, using a teacher evaluation system that has yet to be established.

To make these changes, about half of the school districts in the state, including five in Licking County, have a significant leg up: They’re participating in the federal Race to the Top program, the Obama administration’s education reform plan that calls for improved student testing, more data collection and a special focus on turning around low-performing schools.

These two mandates aren’t part of the program, although Race to the Top carries its own requirement for teacher evaluation. However, school officials are finding these new requirements play right into Race to the Top’s strategy of encouraging innovation in the classroom to boost graduation rates and college readiness.

Race to the Top

Ohio is one of nine states and the District of Columbia to receive the federal Race to the Top grant.

Of the $400 million Ohio received, half went to the state and half went to 470 participating school districts and community schools that agreed to the grant program’s terms.

Both the state as a whole and schools in the program must use the grant money to work toward the state’s goals, which include increasing the graduation rate, improving the performance of minority students, closing the gap between Ohio and top-performing states on national assessments, and increasing college enrollment.

“I think we have lofty goals, I think we definitely stretch, and it’s good to do that,” said Maggie Niedzwiecki, director of the Race to the Top program for the Ohio Department of Education. “I’m happy to see we didn’t try to underachieve and overpromise. … I believe at the end of the four years the Race to the Top strategy will make a difference at the classroom level.”

Teachers need a better understanding of what level students are achieving and progressing. To do this, they need better data.

“What are they collecting?” Niedzwiecki said. “What’s important to collect on their students? And what is the best way to provide intervention or enrichment for students in their classroom?”

The Common Core

A national movement is afoot to intensify and unify curriculum standards in core subjects across the country.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers developed the Common Core State Standards, which call for students to think deeper, read more critically and answer more complex questions on tests. Bubble sheets won’t disappear completely, but they’ll mostly become a thing of the past.

Ohio is one of 45 states that adopted these standards. The Ohio Board of Education adopted them in 2010 and hopes to have them in place by 2014.

But implementing them is a major task.

“Teachers have to spend the next few years getting to know the level of depth that’s in those standards,” Niedzwiecki said. “Yes, you did the professional development, you rolled it out to the district, but do they truly understand how it affects them in the classroom?”

“The classroom should look a little different,” she said.

Race to the Top means about half of the school districts in the state have extra cash to spend. They can use this money to bring in experts, purchase materials or pay substitutes to cover classrooms while teachers are in training.

But it also means half of the districts in the state don’t have these resources.

At a forum Wednesday on the new standards, panelists suggested this may create some inequities among districts, though they acknowledged after the forum that the state is providing professional development resources to all schools using the state’s share of Race to the Top dollars.

“We should be doing things as unified as possible,” said Deb Tully, director of professional issues for the Ohio Federation of Teachers. “The state should have a step-by-step on what does it really mean to implement the Common Core.”

It will more difficult for some districts, Tully said.

“You’ve got some places that won’t have a curriculum director,” she said. Implementing the Common Core “takes some kind of organization.”

Debe Terhar, president of the state board of education, said some districts will have more resources than others, but all will have access to professional development.

“It is a difficulty for them,” she said. “Half of our districts do not have those Race to the Top dollars.”

Some districts chose not to apply for Race to the Top because they didn’t want to be beholden to additional federal regulations or faced opposition from their teachers unions.

The 2011 state budget required all school districts to implement a teacher evaluation process and pay teachers based on merit. This also is something required of Race to the Top schools.

Although all districts will be required to evaluate teachers in the 2013-14 school year, Race to the Top districts are tasked with piloting several different evaluation models.

“Race to the Top is trying to build a collaborative culture,” Niedzwiecki said. “We work very closely with the (teachers unions), everyone wants to build themselves up professionally. Our evaluation plan is not supposed to be a ‘gotcha.’”

Locally

The Johnstown-Monroe School District received $100,000, the minimum grant level award.

“It was not enough money to do everything we wanted to do, but a lot of things jived and fit together well with things that we were already doing,” Johnstown Superintendent Damien Bawn said.

Bawn said there was a bit of disappointment, however. He thought participating in the program would mean more access to detailed data, but that hasn’t been the case.

Much of Johnstown’s focus has been on assessing students and implementing the new standards.

“It’s a way to both gauge where students are at any given moment and predict how they’ll learn best,” Bawn said.

They’re also participating in the new pilot program to evaluate teachers and principals.

Race to the Top is an undertaking for all schools, and requires officials to think outside the box.

“It’s an overwhelming process,” Niedzwiecki said. “… Nobody has ever tried these reform methods. We’re trying to build the plane as we’re flying it.”

Article source: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120219/NEWS01/202190315

Johnstown netted the first

11 points against Penn Cambria on Saturday afternoon at Richland High School.

That fast start didn’t automatically guarantee the Section 2 Trojans the crown, but it did put Section 1 winner Penn Cambria in a deep hole. The Panthers edged closer on a few occasions, but Johnstown didn’t relent in an 84-59 victory.

The 21-2 Trojans won their third consecutive LHAC boys crown and fifth overall.

“They didn’t miss a shot,” Penn Cambria coach Jim Ronan said. “Actually we had three or four layups that were simple layups that we missed probably because we were nervous. We make those three, four layups it’s a different start.”

Penn Cambria (16-6) instead had to regroup against a versatile opponent.

“You can’t get down that quick, that early against Johnstown,” Ronan continued. “The hill is just so steep after that and you have to expend so much energy just to try to get back in the game.

“The guys played extremely hard for us. Johnstown was just playing on all cylinders. There aren’t many teams that were going to beat them today.”

Johnstown’s 6-foot-5 senior forward Dwight Andrews had 27 points, mixing in a pair of dunks and two 3-pointers.

“All week we were anticipating this game because of how good they played against us last time,” said Andrews, referring to a close 68-67 Johnstown win at Cresson on Jan. 9. “We came out with intensity from the start and jumped on them and we kept the foot on the pedal.”

Alkwan Williams, a 6-2 senior, had six of his 20 points in the first 2:57 of play as Johnstown rushed to an 11-0 advantage. Williams camped under the basket and was almost automatic  while making six first-quarter field goals.

“I just post up and try to get the ball in the hoop as easy as I can,” Williams said.

Johnstown also had 15 points by Philip Madison and 14 by Mark Watson as the Trojans overcame the absence of standout senior Isaiah Haselrig, who was injured during a practice this week.

“We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of different things,” Johnstown coach Neil Cobaugh said. “If you try to take away our inside game we’ve got some guys who can score on the perimeter.

“If you play us zone, our guys can pick apart the zone dumping it down low to Alkwan and kicking it out for some open jump shots. If you defend us man, it’s tough to defend us off the dribble.”

Penn Cambria got back into the game after 6-7 junior A.J. Leahey made two of his eye-popping eight 3-pointers to make it 11-6.

Leahey’s long-range prowess had the large crowd marveling as he nailed one trey after another, including one from near NBA range as he was falling backwards.

“Leahey was hitting shots. He was falling out of bounds and hitting 3’s,” Cobaugh said. “He’s a tremendous player and they’re going to be tough in the playoffs.

“They’ll make a run.”

Leahey had 28 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. He made three 3-pointers in the first quarter and added five more 3-pointers in the third.

“I’ve been telling A.J. this is when the best players shine,” Ronan said. “This is when they’ve got to put the guys on their back, especially when the guys are shell-shocked, and he certainly did that. He showed he is one of the best players in this area.”

Joel Myers had three 3-pointers and 11 points, as the Panthers made 11 3-pointers overall. Johnstown had seven 3-pointers.

The Trojans defense often was stifling.

Penn Cambria committed

25 turnovers, with 14 of those in the first half. The Trojans made 13 turnovers.

“They did a little bit more pressure on the point guard,” Ronan said. “At home (on Jan. 9) we didn’t turn the ball over as much, and we had a lot more possessions at home.”

Johnstown has won LHAC boys titles in 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011 and this season.

The Trojans are the top seed in District 6-AAA and have a bye into the title round.

Penn Cambria is the No. 5 seed in 6-AA and will play No. 12 Blairsville at 8 p.m. on Monday at Central Cambria.

Article source: http://tribune-democrat.com/sports/x143598002/Fast-start-sends-Johnstown-to-LHAC-title