The Cambria County commissioners will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday to set salaries for the next four years for the county sheriff and the two jury commissioners.

By law, the salaries have to be set in the year before the new terms begin for the three officeholders.

Sheriff Bob Kolar, Tom Chernisky, the Democratic jury commissioner, and Richard Speicher, the Republican jury commissioner, are expected to run for election again this year.

The sheriff’s salary now is $51,234 a year, and the two jury commissioners, who are part-time workers, are paid $11,015 each.

All of the other county officeholders are in the middle of their four-year terms and will not be up for election until 2011.

Former councilman running for mayor

NORTHERN CAMBRIA – John W. Dospoy, a former Democratic councilman in Northern Cambria, is running for mayor.

Dospoy, 55, is employed as a custodian by Northern Cambria School District.

“I hope to restore the dignity to the police force that was taken away by the former chief,” Dospoy said in a written statement registering his candidacy.

He said he would “stand behind the officers and help them any way I can and not run the police department by the way council wants it run.”

Dospoy described the mayor as the primary person to run the police department, rather than council members.

Bridge work to start Monday on Route 219

Work will begin Monday on the Route 219 bridge that crosses over Route 281 in Somerset Township.

Work will consist of repairs to portions of a bridge beam.

The contractor for this $34,841 project is J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen, Chester County. The project is being paid for with state monies.

Long-term traffic control devices will be in place through the work zone and will remain for the duration of the project. Channeling devices will be used to control the flow of traffic in the work area to limit delays.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Health fair offering free screenings

A Community Health Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Pasquerilla Conference Center on Napoleon Street in Johnstown.

Sponsored by Conemaugh Health System’s Office of Community Health and Cardiovascular Services, the fair will feature free screenings and an array of informational booths hosted by physicians, pharmacists and other health-care providers.

Conemaugh Valley starting registrations

Conemaugh Valley School District is preparing to hold registrations for kindergarten and prekindergarten pupils for the 2009-10 school year.

Kindergarten registration will be March 11 at Conemaugh Valley Elementary School, 1451 Frankstown Road.

Pupils being registered for kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 31.

Parents or guardians should call 535-6970 in advance to schedule an appointment.

Registration appointments are now being accepted, a school district spokeswoman said Friday.

Pupils who currently attend prekindergarten for 4-year-olds in the Conemaugh Valley district and plan to attend its kindergarten next school year need not register.

Parents or guardians of pupils who will attend pre-kindergarten sessions should call 535-6970 for registration appointments after March 12, the spokeswoman said.

Registration for prekindergarten for 4-year-olds will take place April 21, 22 and 23 at East Taylor Elementary School, 1340 William Penn Ave. Pupils being registered for 4-year-old kindergarten must be that age on or before Aug. 31.

Registration for prekindergarten for 3-year-olds will take place April 28 at East Taylor Elementary. Pupils being registered for 3-year-old kindergarten must be that age on or before Aug. 31.

Rider injured when cycle catches fire

LATROBE – A Stahlstown man suffered moderate injury when his motorcycle became engulfed in flames Wednesday evening, state police said.

Police said Jacob W. Bradshaw, 21, was traveling east on Route 130 in Westmoreland County when the incident occurred.

Bradshaw pulled the 1986 Kawasaki 454 LTD to the side of the road.

Fire grants to help purchase equipment

Three fire departments from Cambria and Somerset counties have received Assistance to Firefighters Grants from the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Johnstown Fire Department was awarded $78,363 that will be used to improve communications and for training.

Fire Chief Anthony Kovacic said the grant will go toward upgrading portable two-way radios and purchasing a mobile repeater and amplifiers for face plates of breathing systems.

“Hopefully, this will really improve communications on the scene (of an emergency),” he said.

The grant also will be used for training for another firefighting certification, Kovacic said.

Dauntless Fire Company in Ebensburg was awarded $38,637.

Fire Chief Jeff Evans said the grant will be used to purchase rescue equipment and to update existing rescue equipment. Such equipment is used at the scene of vehicle accidents, he said.

In Somerset County, Sipesville Volunteer Fire Company was awarded $33,345.

Fire Chief Jim Shroyer said the grant will be used to purchase rescue equipment. The equipment includes inflatable air bags that would be used to lift or stabilize vehicles at the scene of traffic accidents, he said.

Reception planned for dog art project

State Sen. John Wozniak, Cambria County Crimestoppers and Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center will hold a wine and cheese reception to introduce businesses to the Morley’s Dog Art Project.

The reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Bottle Works, 411 Third Ave. in Johnstown’s Cambria City section.

The project’s goal is to get businesses to purchase a replica Morley’s Dog to be painted as the business wishes.

Organizers would like to see dozens of dogs scattered throughout the Johnstown area. The project is based on similar projects in other cities across the country.

To RSVP, call Gary Martin at 421-7825 by Feb. 23.

Emergency services receive $250G grants

INDIANA – Twenty-five volunteer fire companies and ambulance services in Indiana County have been awarded nearly $250,000 in state grants.

The fire companies and their grant amounts are:

Armagh-East Wheatfield, $9,773; Aultman, $9,500; Black Lick, $10,246; Brush Valley, $9,500; Cherry Tree, $9,686; Cherryhill Township, $10,246; Clyde, $9,500; Clymer, $10,246; Coal Run-McIntyre, $9,500; Commodore, $9,500; Coral-Graceton, $9,500; Creekside, $9,500; Glen Campbell, $9,500; Homer City, $9,873; Indiana, $10,069; Iselin, $19,000; Marion Center, $9,500; Pine Township, $9,500; Plumville, $9,686; Rossiter, $9,686; Saltsburg, $9,500; Tunnelton, $10,807; and Blairsville, $10,060.

The ambulance associations are Citizens Ambulance Service, Indiana, $9,833, and Lifestat Ambulance Service, Saltsburg, $4,916.