Monday March 5 2012

MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012

3 DEAD IN 2 WRECKS

STATE POLICE IN CAMBRIA COUNTY SAY 29 YEAR OLD LUCAS BAKALE OF DYSART HAD A BLOOD ALCOHOL OF POINT-33 PERCENT WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR JUST AFTER 2AM SATURDAY ALONG STATE ROUTE 36 IN CLEARFIELD TOWNSHIP. BAKALE AND HIS PASSENGER, 27-YEAR-OLD DEVIN DICKERT OF CHEST SPRINGS, WERE BOTH KILLED WHEN THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO A CAR DRIVEN BY A 17-YEAR-OLD PATTON BOY. 4 OTHER TEENAGERS WERE IN THE SECOND CAR AND 2 OF THEM REMAIN HOSPITALIZED AT ALTOONA REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM. THE OTHERS WERE TREATED AT MINERS’ HOSPITAL IN HASTINGS. THE TEENS WERE RETURNING HOME FROM BOWLING IN ALTOONA.

72 YEAR OLD EDWARD MONTINI OF CLEARFIELD WAS KILLED ABOUT 11:30 SATURDAY MORNING WHEN HIS PICKUP TRUCK STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT AND A TREE ALONG GOSHEN ROAD IN GOSHEN TOWNSHIP. STATE POLICE SAY MONTINI WAS PRONOUNED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

WEATHER CAUSES TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

MORE THAN A DOZEN ACCIDENTS WERE REPORTED ACROSS THE AREA YESTERDAY AS FAST-MOVING SNOW SQUALLS BLEW THROUGH. A TRACTOR-TRAILER JACKKNIFED ON THE ICY WESTBOUND LANES OF ROUTE 22 NEAR EBENSBURG IN CAMBRIA COUNTY AROUND 6PM. THE DRIVER WAS NOT SERIOUSLY HURT AND 22 REOPENED ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER.

PICKUP ENDS UP IN RIVER

FRIDAY NIGHT, A PICKUP CRASHED INTO THE LITTLE JUNIATA RIVER IN FRANKSTOWN TOWNSHIP, BLAIR COUNTY. NOW THE DRIVER, 55-YEAR-OLD ROBERT HILEMAN OF HOLLIDAYSBURG IS CHARGED WITH DRUNK DRIVING. STATE POLICE SAY HILEMAN HIT A TREE AND ROLLED INTO THE WATER. EMERGENCY WORKERS HAD TO RESCUE HIM, BUT HILEMAN WAS NOT INJURED. 

DUPLEX FIRE NEAR JOHNSTOWN

8 CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS ESCAPED SUNDAY MORNING WHEN FIRE BROKE OUT AT A DUPLEX ON LEMON STREET IN DALE BORO, CAMBRIA COUNTY. A STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHAL SAYS THE BLAZE STARTED IN A CHILDREN’S PLAYROOM AND WAS APPARENTLY CAUSED WHEN A SURGE PROTECTOR POWER STRIP OVERHEATED. THE RED CROSS IS ASSISTING THE FAMILIES.

SUSPECTED METH LAB

TYRONE POLICE AND THE ALTOONA HAZ-MAT CREW SPENT HOURS YESTERDAY AT A HOUSE AT 13-19 BLAIR AVENUE IN TYRONE WHEN A MAN REPORTED HE THOUGHT A METH LAB WAS BEING OPERATED IN HIS FORMER RESIDENCE. THE MAN MOVED OUT 3 WEEKS EARLIER…AND WHEN HE RETURNED FOR SOME OF HIS THINGS…HE NOTICED A STRONG ODOR. THE HAZMAT TEAM DID NOT FIND ANY HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS, BUT POLICE DID TAKE SOME EVIDENCE FROM THE SCENE. NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED SO FAR. THE RESIDENTS OF THE HOUSE ARE MOVING OUT.

NO MORE TEXTING

PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW BAN ON TEXTING WHILE DRIVING GOES INTO EFFECT THIS WEEK. STARTING THURSDAY, YOU CAN BE PULLED OVER AND FINED FOR TEXTING, E-MAILING, OR SURFING THE WEB FROM BEHIND THE WHEEL. TALKING ON YOUR HAND-HELD MOBILE PHONE IS STILL PERMITTED IN PENNSYLVANIA AND POLICE SAY THIS WILL MAKE ENFORCING THE NEW LAW DIFFICULT.

GAS PRICES UP, UP, & UP

THE PAIN AT THE PUMP IS NOT EASING AS TRIPLE-A REPORTS THAT GAS PRICES ROSE FOR THE 26^TH STRAIGHT DAY YESTERDAY, TOPPING $3.76 A GALLON ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE PRICE IS UP NEARLY 30 CENTS FROM A YEAR AGO. STATEWIDE, THE AVERAGE PRICE IS $3.77, BUT MOST AREA DRIVERS ARE PAYING $3.79.