A fire termed “suspicious” destroyed a vacant, two-car detached garage at the rear of a vacant house in the 300 block of Beatrice Avenue on Thursday evening.
The garage, which was empty, was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, said Johnstown Assistant Fire Chief Bob Statler.
No utilities were connected to the garage, he said.
A state police fire marshal was asked to investigate the blaze. Johnstown police also are investigating the blaze, reported shortly after 7 p.m.
Witnesses told firefighters that at about 5:30 p.m. someone had set a pile of trash on fire about half a block away, Statler said. That fire was not reported.
The trash was soaked from the rain and burned itself out, he said.
Johnstown police also are investigating that blaze.
Teen charged with fleeing police
SOMERSET – A Markleton man was charged with fleeing police and reckless endangerment after authorities said he took off when troopers tried to stop his vehicle for an equipment violation.
Chad Kerns, 19, fled on Route 31 near Scott Avenue in Somerset about 3 p.m. Wednesday, state police said.
He was arrested after a brief pursuit, troopers said.
Kerns had two juvenile passengers with him, police said.
He was arraigned by District Judge Douglas Bell and lodged in the Somerset County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.
Work to begin on Chickentown Road bridge
SOMERSET – Work will begin Monday on the Route 3017 (Chickentown Road) bridge, which carries the road over the west branch of Coxes Creek in Somerset Township.
A 9.4-mile detour will be in effect for the duration of the project.
Motorists will be rerouted from Route 3017 to Route 3015 (Water Level Road) to Route 3010 (Piedmont Road) and then back to Route 3017.
The bridge will be replaced with a new concrete box beam bridge. The contractor also will replace the tops of the bridge abutments, replace guiderails and do minor approach work.
C.H.&D.; Enterprises Inc. of New Stanton is the contractor for this $390,592 project, which is expected to be completed by the end of August.
Upgrade to start on Route 219 near Sidman
SIDMAN – Work will begin Monday on a 5-mile stretch of Route 219 from Sidman to New Germany.
The $9.1 million job includes concrete patching, milling and resurfacing, guardrail updating and rehabilitating six sets of dual bridges.
PennDOT said no traffic delays are expected, though maximum road widths will be 11 feet.
Motorists with wide loads are asked to find an alternate route.
New Enterprise Stone and Lime Co. Inc. is the contractor.
Local News
IN BRIEF | ‘Suspicious’ fire destroys garage in city
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$27.1B budget proposed
Gov. Tom Corbett on Tuesday proposed a budget of $27.1 billion, with no tax increases, deep cuts to higher education assistance and a range of cost-cutting in services for the poor, elderly and disabled.
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Highlights of Gov. Corbett's state spending plan
Read on to see a bulleted list of Gov. Tom Corbett’s $27.1 billion state spending plan for the year that starts July 1.
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Universities face steep cuts
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Senators voted 31-19 to approve the 174-page bill that would fund road work and environmental clean-ups and give local governments the power to decide if the fee would be imposed on their local wells.
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Blogging with heart
I've got so much stuff for this Sunday's American Heart Month package, that some of the stories will spill over onto Monday. But I don't know what to leave out, or hold for the next week, so it looks like a double hit this week.
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Pa. gas drilling fee bill debate ends without vote
Pennsylvania, the only major gas-producing state that does not tax the taking of natural gas from its soil, moved closer Tuesday to imposing a fee on the drilling in the vast Marcellus Shale reserves that have transformed the state in recent years.
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Detour hurting some Portage businesses
Craig Mazzarese’s business depends heavily on drive-by customers, but since last week fewer drive-bys have been stopping
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Local airport funding intact
Airport leaders here are breathing sighs of relief after Congress approved funding to support local commercial air service through 2015.
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With state revenue tight, Westmont seeks school budget input
The Westmont Hilltop school board on Tuesday night held a public forum at the middle school to explain why the district, already one of the most efficient in the state, must raise taxes each year.
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