IN BRIEF | Robinson motorist dies in crash

BRUSH VALLEY – A 30-year-old West Wheatfield Township man was killed in a one-vehicle accident just after noon Wednesday on Route 259, about four miles south of Brush Valley.

Mark Martin of Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:10 p.m., said Indiana County Coroner Michael Baker.

The cause of death was blunt-force injuries to the head and chest, he said.

Martin was wearing a seat belt, state police said.

A passenger, Sheryl Reeder, 26, of Robinson, was treated at Memorial Medical Center, Johnstown. She was wearing a seat belt. A 3-year-old boy, who was in a child-restraint seat, was not injured, police said.

Police said Martin’s vehicle was southbound when he failed to negotiate a left turn just north of Rhine Road. The vehicle went out of control and struck a parked, unattended van. The impact pushed the van into a house.

Sentencing delayed 2nd time in drug case

EBENSBURG – For the second time in less than a month, sentencing was delayed Wednesday for a Johnstown man who had pleaded guilty to drug charges after shooting and killing a man who had tried to break into his house.

Earlier this month, the sentencing of Andrew Herdman was postponed at the request of Assistant Public Defender David Raho, who raised questions about the prosecutors’ intent to seek a mandatory

five- to 10-year prison term.

On Wednesday, Assistant District Attorney Kelly Callihan asked for the delay because of legal issues about the prison sentence being sought by prosecutors.

Although Raho objected to a further delay, Judge Gerard Long granted a continuance until Nov. 18.

Herdman shot and killed David Turner, 29, of Johnstown on March 22 after Turner went to Herdman’s third-floor apartment, allegedly to rob him of money and drugs.

The defendant was never charged in Turner’s death after authorities said that he had acted to protect himself, his property and a girl who was in the apartment. Herdman admitted to police that he sold drugs, and authorities said they found 259 packs of heroin in the apartment.

Man accused of lying to police

GARRETT – Charges are pending against Christopher Hoover of Garrett, who told authorities his truck was stolen Oct. 3 when instead he was fleeing Somerset Borough police, state police said.

Police said they will charge Hoover with unsworn falsification to authorities and making a false report to police.

Ceiling fan sparks fire at Patton pub

PATTON – A malfunctioning ceiling fan is being blamed for an early morning fire that caused minimal damage to a local business.

The 1:10 a.m. fire at the Park Avenue Pub on Park Avenue in Patton Borough was quickly brought under control, but volunteers stayed on the scene for about an hour, said a firefighter answering the telephone at the station Wednesday.

The business is owned by Charlie Davis.

No injuries were reported.

GOP candidates will speak tonight

Republican candidates for Johnstown mayor and City Council will share the spotlight at tonight’s rally of the Cambria County Republican Committee at 7 at Ace’s Lounge, Chestnut Street.

GOP candidate Sharyn Spinelli is hoping to unseat Democratic Mayor Thomas Trigona. The GOP candidates for council are incumbent Councilman Ann Wilson and Lonnie Rietscha and Richard Beauregard.

Robert A. Gleason Jr., who is both the state and county GOP chairman, said that Judge Joan Orie Melvin of Allegheny County, the Republican nominee for the state Supreme Court, also will speak.

Home Show open to public this weekend

The Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association of the Alleghenies have partnered to produce the 2009 Home Show.

The event will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Pasquerilla Conference Center in downtown Johnstown.

The Home Show committee has added several new components to the show and moved the event from spring to fall.

Also new is an invitation-only VIP reception for vendors, their guests and members of the business community on Friday.

An educational component also has been added. Two rooms have been set aside for seminars.

The home show is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is $5 with tickets available at the door.

Task force to target drunken drivers

The Cambria County DUI Task Force will conduct roving DUI patrols over the Halloween weekend.

Four teams lead quiz competition

After five weeks of competition in the Central Western Scholastic Quiz League, Somerset Area, Westmont Hilltop, Bishop McCort and Greater Johnstown are leading the pack.

Results of Monday’s competition were Greater Johnstown 52, Cambria Heights, 14; Windber Area 38, Central Cambria 30; Penn Cambria 15, Bishop Carroll 12; Westmont Hilltop 70, Portage Area 6; and Somerset Area 55, Richland 6.

Forest Hills, Bishop McCort, Conemaugh Valley and Northern Cambria had byes.

Church offers early Thanksgiving dinner

VINTONDALE – First Baptist Church in Vintondale will host a free Thanksgiving dinner for members of the community.

The meal will be served from noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 7 in the basement of the church, located at 485 Main St.

It is for dining in only. Takeouts are not available.

For more information, call 749-7102.

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