SEWARD – The officer who was appointed officer-in-charge of the Seward Borough police on Tuesday was suspended without pay for 10 days two days later.

At Tuesday’s Seward Borough Council meeting, council members asked police Chief Steven Baird to cease serving the department. Baird had been furloughed for budgetary reasons since June but had continued serving on a volunteer basis.

He was asked to leave out of fear that the borough could be liable if he became injured while serving.

After the meeting, Baird, following procedure, handed the keys for the office and file cabinets to the newly appointed officer-in-charge, Robert Malnofsky, said council President Brian Custer.

Mayor Thomas Mulligan, who heads the police department, then asked for the keys from Malnofsky, Custer said.

Malnofsky declined, resulting in the suspension, Custer said.

The mayor and Malnofsky could not be reach for comment Friday.

Deputies padlock Amish barns

EBENSBURG – Cambria County sheriff deputies padlocked the barns Friday afternoon on the farms of two ultraconservative Amish couples who were evicted from their properties under court order after failing to bring them into compliance with building and sewage regulations.

The farm houses and outhouses had been padlocked Monday by the deputies on the order of Judge Norman Krumenacker, who had found the two couples in contempt of court when they did not follow his January order to be in compliance within 60 days.

Robert Tutko, chief deputy sheriff, said that the padlocking had been delayed in order to give the couples time to get the cattle and horses out of the barns.

 The last animal – a bull that was sold by one of the couples – was removed by the buyer Friday morning, he said.

The farm properties were the homes of John and Susan Miller and their family in Blacklick Township and Joely and Mary Swartzentruver and their family in Barr Township.

They are members of the Swartzentruver sect, which shuns most modern ways. They do not have telephones and could not be reached for comment.

Northampton Township bridge work to begin

Work will begin Monday on a deck replacement project on Route 2022 (Leister Road) in Northampton Township, Somerset County, PennDOT said.

Workers will remove and replace the parapets and deck, along with replacing guiderail and any necessary roadway adjustments.

A detour will be in place and will follow Route 2022 (Leister Road) to Route 2020 (Glencoe Road) to Route 2017 (Brush Creek Road) back to Route 2022 (Leister Road).

PennDOT’s Somerset County maintenance bridge crew is the contractor on the $30,000 project.

Work is expected to be completed by mid-June.

Portage man jailed on burglary charges

PORTAGE – A Portage man has been jailed on theft charges after borough police said he entered the residence of a

74-year-old woman and stole pain medication.

Michael Allen Kovacic, 48, was being held in the Cambria County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond. He faces charges of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.

Napoleon Street to be closed for Showcase

Napoleon Street/Route 403 between Market Street and Walnut Street in the city will be closed to vehicle traffic from

6 a.m. May 27 until 10 a.m. May 30 for Showcase for Commerce. An emergency lane will remain open and the street will be open to pedestrians.

Showcase for Commerce uses the Cambria County War Memorial for its public exhibition and the Pasquerilla Conference Center for receptions.

The street between the two facilities hosts outdoor displays and is closed for safety reasons.

For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 536-5107.

District announces meal-program sites

The Greater Johnstown School District has announced sites for the summer National School Meals Program for needy children. The district said the children depend on the meals for a substantial part of their daily nutrition.

Free meals will be available to all children at the following sites:

• Solomon Homes, Oakhurst Homes, Prospect Homes and Coopersdale Homes.

• East Side Elementary School, West Side Elementary, and the middle school and high school.

• St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 400 Pine St.

• ACRP, St. Michael’s School, 188 Gilbert St.

• Zion Lutheran Church, 613 Locust St.

• ACRP Recreation Park, Tanneryville, 34 Knox St.

• Dale Municipal Building, 810 Bedford St.

• Ferndale United Methodist Church, 221 Atlee St.

The summer food program will operate from June 15 through Aug. 7, Monday through Friday. Breakfast will be served from 9 until 10 a.m. Lunch runs from noon until 1 p.m.

For more information, call food service official Amy Smith, 533-5683, or Director Dave Trotz, 533-5563.