Collection to be held

for household chemicals

Residents can safely and effectively dispose of common chemicals found in their homes at a special collection to be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Concurrent Technologies Corp., 128 Industrial Park Road, Richland Township.

Common household products such as cleaners, auto fluids, paints, pesticides and pool chemicals can be dropped off at a fee of $2 per gallon.

Payment must be cash only.

For information on what can and can’t be accepted at the collection, visit swpahhw.org or call (412) 488-7452.

Church fire causes

minimal damage

Richland Township Volunteer Fire Department was called to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 609 Walters Ave. shortly after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when smoke was spotted coming from a second-story window.

Paul Ellsworth, a battalion chief, said a ventilator fan motor had overheated and caught fire. The fire was confined to the motor, he said.

Damage was minimal. No injuries were reported.

Staffing levels at

Laurel Crest touted

EBENSBURG – In a recent surprise inspection, the state Department of Health found staffing levels at Laurel Crest, Cambria County’s nursing home, exceeded state requirements, the commissioners said.

The inspection followed news reports two weeks ago of an employee shake-up, mainly involving nurse’s aides, the commissioners said.

They maintained that there had not been a “shake-up,” but admitted that some employees were terminated when they resisted changes to avoid any new deficiencies being found by state inspectors.

Seminar will focus on

vegetable gardening

SOMERSET – A seminar on advanced vegetable gardening techniques will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Somerset County Cooperative Extension conference room in Partners Hall, 6024 Glades Pike.

The seminar is free but, because of limited seating, those planning to attend are to register by calling

445-8911 before Tuesday.

Extension agents Tim Elkner and Steve Bogash, through the use of videoconference technology, will cover various topics, including soil preparation and nutrition, irrigation, pest management and variety selection.

Attendees are to bring their own lunches and beverages.

Problems with 911 radio system being addressed

Cambria County 911’s radio system is making adjustments for the radio channels for police, fire and ambulance services in East Taylor and Conemaugh townships and East Conemaugh Borough, said Brian Feist, county emergency services director.

Emergency services workers had complained about problems.

The three municipalities had been on what is known as the metro frequency along with Johnstown police, but were switched to the south system – covering suburban Johnstown – with the changes in the county’s wireless telecommunications system, Feist said.

The three have been switched back to the metro system temporarily until the adjustments are made, Feist said.

The switch to the south system was done because of safety concerns that police in the those localities might encounter problems on the busier metro system, he said.

Feist reported that there were no problems in tests conducted on radios from East Taylor’s municipal building Tuesday.

Police await paternity in suspected rape of girl, 12

ALTOONA – Altoona police say they’re waiting for paternity test results before arresting anyone for raping a 12-year-old girl who gave birth earlier this year.

Police say the 20-year-old suspect has acknowledged having sex with the girl, but told police it was consensual.

But police say the man has confided to someone else that he raped the girl.

A police affidavit says the girl told a Blair County Children & Youth caseworker that she was raped at home and named the suspect. The affidavit was filed so police could get a search warrant to obtain two tubes of blood from the suspect for the paternity test.

High school students

to tour Gamesa plant

EBENSBURG – Cambria County’s youth advisory council is working on Green Week projects this month, including tours for high school students of the Gamesa plant, the commissioners were told.

Renold Sossong, a senior at Bishop Carroll High School and president of the council, said school groups interested in having a tour should call him: 242-9462.

Raffle will benefit

The Learning Lamp

The National Drug Intelligence Center Employee Community Outreach Association will kick off its 2008 fundraising year with a basket raffle to benefit The Learning Lamp.

The event will be held Sunday at Our Mother of Sorrows school gym in Westmont.

The Learning Lamp is a local nonprofit that offers out-of-school educational opportunities students from pre-K to seniors in Cambria, Somerset, Bedford and surrounding counties.

The raffle will feature items such as jewelry and appliances, as well as theme baskets of brand-name and designer merchandise.

Interested businesses may contact Judy Inboden at 532-4645 for more information or send donations directly to the NDIC ECOA, P.O. Box 1083, Johnstown, Pa. 15907-1083.

In addition to the basket raffle, the association will raise money for this event through e-Bay auctions featuring donated merchandise and gift certificates. The Web site is ebay.com eBay ID: ndicecoa.

Ribbons honor officers

killed in line of duty

All marked state police vehicles are displaying blue ribbons this week in honor of law-enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

The ribbons will be tied to the left rear door handle through Saturday.

According to state police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller, 91 state police officers have died in the line of duty during the department’s 103-year history.

Woody biomass to

be topic of meeting

SOMERSET – A meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative Community Room in Somerset Industrial Park to discuss woody biomass utilization.

Woody biomass is a term given to leftover products from various wood operations that are being touted as an alternative fuel source.

Ed Gee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, who is a national woody biomass utilization team leader, will conduct the meeting.