UNIONTOWN — State police are searching for a convenience store clerk who is suspected of conspiring with a man who robbed the store last month and pistol-whipped another clerk in the process.

Troopers from the Uniontown barracks have charged 18-year-old Shawn Knight, of Uniontown, with conspiring to rob the Sheetz store in South Union Township along with 20-year-old Matthew Etling, who was arrested last week.

Police say Etling told them Knight helped plan the May 28 robbery and let Etling into the store through a rear door. Police say surveillance video supports Etling's claims.

Police charge that Etling pistol-whipped the store's manager, who had to be treated at a hospital to close head wounds before stealing about $2,300.

Troopers say they can't find Knight, who may also be armed.

Group buys land to conserve W. Pa. wildflowers

SLIPPERY ROCK — A conservancy group has purchased 23 acres to expand a nature preserve known for its wildflowers along a western Pennsylvania creek.

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy says it now owns 115-acres in the Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area.

The land is known for wildflowers including trillium, bluebell and trout lilly.

The conservation area is across the road from a 42-acre Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary known as Miller Woods. That land is owned by Slippery Rock University.

Conservancy president Tom Saunders says, "The spectacular display of spring wildflowers and its tall bluffs" make the Wolf Creek area "one of western Pennsylvania's rare landscapes."

Police: Western Pa. man drove into wedding guests

NEW CASTLE — A western Pennsylvania man has been jailed on charges he drove into a group of wedding guests after a wedding reception, injuring two of them.

Police in New Castle have released little information about how the incident started, but say 20-year-old Justice Mackey is now in the Lawrence County Jail.

Police say Mackey was not invited to the reception before he showed up, argued with his girlfriend and then allegedly drove his car into the crowd on Saturday night.

Policce said two men were hit by Mackey's vehicle and taken to separate hospitals where their injuries were not immediately clear.

Online court records don't list an attorney for Mackey, who is charged with drunken driving and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, among other crimes.

Clay drilling lubricant leaks into Fayette County creek

POINT MARION — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is monitoring a creek where a clay substance used as a lubricant leaked from an underground drilling operation in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The DEP says the bentonite leaked into Georges Creek in Fayette County on June 2 or 3. The substance is naturally occurring clay used to lubricate natural gas pipeline drilling bits and sometimes the underground pressure of drilling forces it up through fissures in the ground and into waterways.

The pipeline is owned by operated by Laurel Mountain Midstream. A spokesman says such leaks are unpredictable and that the company is working with regulators.

Although bentonite is a natural substance, environmentalists say if too much gets into the water is could harm fish by coating their gills.

Second ex-jail guard pleads in Pa. inmate beating

ERIE — A second former northwestern Pennsylvania county prison guard has pleaded guilty to arranging the assault of an inmate.

Jason Worcester, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of official oppression on Monday and faces up to two years in prison when he returns for sentencing Aug. 15.

A second guard has also pleaded guilty and five inmates are also charged with beating another inmate on Jan. 29. That inmate, Thor Perry, was jailed awaiting trial on charges he beat up his 17-year-old girlfriend who happened to be Worcester's niece. Perry was sentenced to six to 20 months in jail last week for beating the girl.

Palmer was fired after an internal probe and Worcester resigned after county prosecutors charged that he arranged Perry's beating with Palmer's help.

Animal group offers reward for Pa. dog poisonings

MCKEESPORT — An animal advocacy group is offering a reward in a series of suspected dog poisonings in one Pittsburgh suburb.

Officials with Animal Friends in McKeesport say three dogs on the same street are being treated for liver failure and other symptoms that suggest they've been poisoned in recent days.

One of the dogs, a boxer named Vader, was apparently poisoned just before Memorial Day and has lost about 20 pounds since then. His family expects to decide by Tuesday whether he'll have to be euthanized or whether there's hope he'll recover.

A pit bull and a small Chihuahua mix have also been poisoned on the same street.

Pittsburgh man killed, 2 wounded outside Detroit bar

DETROIT — A 28-year-old Pittsburgh man was shot to death and two other people wounded following a fight at an east side Detroit bar.

Detroit police officer Cassandra Lewis says the shooting at the Mai Tai Lounge started about 1:45 a.m. Monday.

She says a fight broke out inside the bar and the shots were fired outdoors as some of those involved were leaving. A 25-year-old woman and 39-year-old man were wounded and listed Monday morning in stable condition.

No arrests were made. The shooting is under investigation.

Wesco International buying Conney Safety Products

PITTSBURGH — Industrial supplies company Wesco International Inc. said Monday that it is buying safety products distributor Conney Safety Products LLC. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Pittsburgh-based Wesco said it expects the addition of Madison, Wis.-based Conney to strengthen its line-up of safety products and services and boost its e-commerce capabilities.

Conney's annual revenue totals about $85 million. Wesco said it expects the deal to boost its profit by at least 10 cents per share in the first year of operation.

The deal is expected to close in July, Wesco said.

Wesco shares finished at $53.33 per share on Friday. They have traded in a 52-week range of $31.08 to $68.19 per share.

Municipalities conference set for Tuesday

PITTSBURGH — Organizers of the upcoming Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities conference say they'll be focusing on ways to revitalize downtowns and neighborhoods amid budgetary belt-tightening that has led to decreased state funding.

The conference begins Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

Municipal officials in attendance won't just talk about revitalizing neighborhoods, they'll actually take part in a project by helping building a playground on the city's North Side.

The four-day conference will also focus on unfunded pension liabilities, green initiatives and increased natural gas drilling.

Pa. mother-daughter killing suspect arrested in NJ

LEOLA — A man who allegedly killed a woman and her mother inside the central Pennsylvania home they shared is in custody in New Jersey after police say he confessed to the killings.

Authorities say 22-year-old Gary Charles Gerlach was arrested at a Wildwood, N.J. hotel on Sunday, two days after the bodies of 22-year-old Makenzie Hess and her mother, Mona, were found at a home in Lancaster County.

A police affidavit says Gerlach confessed to the killings and shared specific details about the scene with detectives.

District Attorney Craig Stedman says Gerlach had been living in the family's Upper Leacock Township home.

An autopsy is set for Monday.

Gerlach remains jailed in New Jersey. Online court records don't list an attorney for him.

Corruption trial set to open for ex-Rep. Stetler

HARRISBURG — Testimony is about to begin in what may be the final trial spawned by the Pennsylvania attorney general's investigation into corruption in the state Legislature.

The trial of former Rep. Stephen Stetler starts Monday. The attorney general's office says its investigation is ongoing, but Stetler's the last defendant waiting to be tried.

The 62-year-old Stetler has pleaded not guilty to four counts of theft and one count each of conspiracy and conflict of interest. Prosecutors say he used taxpayer-paid employees to carry out campaign work, including research to expose the weaknesses of political opponents.

He represented a York County district for 16 years and chaired the House Democratic Campaign Committee for several years. He was state revenue secretary under former Gov. Ed Rendell when he was arrested in 2009.

Pa. priest-abuse jury returns for Day 10 of talks

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia jury is resuming deliberations for a 10th day on the fate of two Roman Catholic priests.

Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged over his handling of child sexual abuse complaints. He faces up to 21 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and child endangerment for allegedly helping the Philadelphia archdiocese cover up the complaints. However, an appeal seems likely if he's convicted.

The Rev. James Brennan is charged with attempted rape and child endangerment. His accuser says he was molested in 1996. Brennan's lawyer calls him a con man.

The deliberations, which are restarting Monday, follow 10 weeks of evidence.

Jurors have asked more than two dozen questions, repeatedly asking for help with the law on conspiracy and endangerment.

Off-duty NJ officer arrested after Pa. standoff

DOYLESTOWN — The off-duty New Jersey police officer arrested at his estranged wife's Philadelphia-area home faces 13 counts of attempted homicide following a 10-hour standoff in which he opened fire with a high-powered rifle.

Investigators are still trying to determine exactly what sparked the standoff in Doylestown involving a Clifton Township, N.J., police officer.

Forty-two-year-old Richard Klementovich was taken into custody late Sunday night. The standoff started just before 2 p.m. after police were called to the home over a neighborhood dispute.

Authorities say officers were under fire as soon as they arrived at the home. One officer suffered minor injuries from shrapnel.

Officials say Klementovich eventually surrendered to negotiators. He was arraigned early Monday on dozens of charges including aggravated assault. Court records don't list an attorney for him.

Police: 2 deaths in Pa. apartment ruled homicide

NORRISTOWN — Investigators say the deaths of two people inside a suburban Philadelphia apartment appear to be a double homicide.

Norristown police say the deaths Sunday afternoon initially appeared to be a murder-suicide but authorities now believe the man and woman were both killed by a third person.

Police chief Russell Bono says authorities were called to the scene around 4 p.m. for an unresponsive person. They found both victims dead inside in a small rental unit.

Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the victims.

Bono says the killings would be Norristown's first murders since last August.

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