WINSLOW, N.J. — A New Jersey woman was sentenced Thursday to nine years and two months in jail on her convictions for vehicular homicide and drunken driving in a 2009 wreck in Winslow that killed a Windber woman and injured three Windber residents.

Killed was Kathleen Lucas, 44, a passenger in a car driven by Darlene Siska, 53, of Windber. Also in the car were teen­agers Vaughn Siska and Tyler Rugg, both of Windber. The three have since recovered.

Warren Faulk, Camden County prosecutor, said the defendant, Tiece Riddick, 35, of Sicklerville, was going home from a night out when her vehicle struck the rear of the Siska car. The impact caused the Siska car to spin into the opposite lane, go through the guardrail and travel into a wooded area.

Siska and members of Lucas’ family spoke at the sentencing about how much the victim meant to them and how much she was involved in the community.

Task force charges 3 in Oakhurst drug probe  

Three men were arrested Thursday by the Cambria County Drug Task Force as the result of a three-month investigation into crack and powder cocaine distribution throughout the Oakhurst Homes public housing complex.

Those arrested were Brian Wimbley, 40, of Carnegie; Chan Scott, 48, of Pittsburgh; and Larry Ressler Jr., 50, of Johnstown.

Cocaine with a street value of $10,000, heroin, prescription pills and about $500 cash was seized during the arrests.

The men face various drug charges and were placed in Cambria County Prison.

The investigation continues and additional arrests are expected, authorities said.

Items stolen from vehicles in Carrolltown

CARROLLTOWN – Borough police are asking residents to lock their vehicles in the wake of several thefts Wednesday morning.

Chief Dave Murphy said items were taken from at least five unlocked vehicles.

“But we know for sure there were more,” he said.

Among the items taken were wallets, clothing and GPS equipment.

Murphy is asking residents who may have had items stolen or who may have information to contact the department at 344-6400.

Driver charged after vehicle hits restroom

SOMERSET – A motorist escaped with minor injuries after driving over an embankment off Route 31 at Kooser State Park about 4 a.m. Wednesday.

State police said the vehicle driven by Christopher Carl Sonafelt, 31, no address given, traveled about 200 feet across two parking lots within the park. It then struck a restroom and came to rest.

Sonafelt was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, troopers said.

Details emerge about undercover cop scam

HOMER CITY – An Indiana County couple were jailed on charges they pretended to be undercover cops to fool a

92-year-old Homer City man into paying them $7,000 which he believed were fines.

State police from the Indiana station said Jacquelynn Forsythe, 31, and Christopher Dobies, 27, stayed with the man. Forsythe met the man at church when he offered to help her out of a financial mess five years ago.

The couple ran up a drug debt and conspired to pay it by tricking the man into believing he committed or was suspected of crimes, police said. The two claimed to be undercover police who could pay the fines with money he gave them.

Dobies’ attorney didn’t return a call Friday and Forsythe didn’t have one yet.

District bans fur-lined boots over cellphones

POTTSTOWN – A suburban Philadelphia middle school’s ban on a popular type of fur-lined boots isn’t about fashion, it’s about cellphones.

Pottstown Middle School parents were informed of the school district’s ban on the unlaced boots Wednesday.

District community relations director John Armato told the Pottstown Mercury that pupils are using the boots to hide cellphones and bring them into class. School policy allows pupils to bring their phones but requires them to keep the phones in their lockers during the day.

Armato said the ban targets the unlaced boots with fur or faux fur lining made by footwear companies including Ugg. It will go into effect Monday.

Principal Gail Cooper said pupils can still wear the boots to school but must remove them before going to class.

Judge upholds expulsion over threat

HARRISBURG – A judge said a central Pennsylvania school district was within its rights to expel a student over a death threat that the teen insists was a joke.

The court declined Thursday to overturn the expulsion of Middletown Area High School senior Scott Wiestling, 17, despite his assertion he was only kidding when he scrawled the threat on a classroom whiteboard.

School officials said Wiestling was expelled in October after another teacher reported the written threat and said Wiestling also stated aloud that he planned to kill his former English teacher.

Wiestling’s attorney argued his client simply made a very poor joke. An attorney for the district said the school cannot risk endangering its staff, The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported.

Cambria prison employee promoted

EBENSBURG – A veteran corrections employee has been named as the deputy warden of operations at the Cambria County Prison to succeed Darcy Regala, who retired.

He is Christian Smith, who has been the deputy warden of facility services since 2004.

Smith began working at the prison in February 1997 as a corrections officer.

He was promoted to lieutenant in 2000 and to captain in 2003.

His salary was set at $49,322 a year, up $1,500 from what he had been paid.

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