BOSWELL — No serious injuries were reported after a pickup truck collided with a school bus carrying 25 North Star School District middle school pupils Friday afternoon.

One pupil was taken to Somerset Hospital for an examination after the child’s head bumped a window, said Shawn Kovac, assistant school district superintendent. The child was taken to the hospital as a precaution, he said.

The accident happened at 2:55 p.m. on Route 30 just north of First Street in Quemahoning Township.

State police identified the bus driver as Christina F. Lepley, 48, of Boswell, and the truck driver as identified as Paul R. Childers, 54, of Central City.

Neither driver was injured, police said.

Childers, who was traveling east, said he was distracted by some deer he saw in the distance, police said.

The truck crossed into the path of the westbound bus and sideswiped it, police said.

Cambria seeks to fill commissioner’s post

EBENSBURG – Judge Timothy Creany said Friday that he will accept letters of interest from any county resident interested in the position of county commissioner.

On Friday, Commissioner Bill Harris announced his resignation effective Dec. 31. The vacancy will be filled by the county court.

Harris’ successor must be a registered Republican to maintain that party’s presence on the board.

Creany will be responsible for deciding how the vacancy is filled. He will take over as president judge Jan. 4 with the retirement of Judge Gerard Long.

Letters should be sent to Judge Timothy Creany, Cambria County Courthouse, Ebensburg, Pa. 15931.

Man sentenced for raping two women

SOMERSET – A Somerset man was sentenced Thursday to serve seven to 20 years in state prison for raping two women, one at knifepoint.

Adam Joseph Carnline was sentenced by Somerset County President Judge John Cascio.

Carnline, 24, of the 100 block of Lowrey Road, had pleaded guilty to two counts each of aggravated assault, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and unlawful restraint.

Carnline forced the two women to have sex with him at their Boswell apartment in April 2007.

He also must register as a Megan’s law offender.

Suspect charged in sexual assault

SOMERSET – State police have arrested a local man in a sexual-assault incident they say took place Nov. 27 along Lake Road.

Police identified the suspect as James Leonard Gary Jr., 18, of the 100 block of David Lane.

Gary was charged with aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors. He was placed in Somerset County Jail after failing to post $10,000 bond.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday before District Judge Art Cook.

The victim is a 14-year-old girl, police said.

Funeral donation funds stolen from deli

SALISBURY – A container of donations to be used for funeral expenses has been stolen from the 219 Deli, state police in Somerset said Friday.

The container held about $150 that had been contributed toward the funeral expenses of Shawn Romesburg.

Police listed the victim of the theft as Jeannette Lowery, 38.

Anyone with information may call state police at 445-4104.

Faculty vote: ‘No confidence’ in Atwater

INDIANA – More than 80 percent of the faculty at Indiana University of Pennsylvania have voted that they have “no confidence” in its president.

The results were released Friday at the IUP Board of Trustees meeting.

About 84 percent of the 672 faculty who voted expressed “no confidence” in President Tony Atwater. A total of 777 faculty were eligible to vote.

Faculty critics said the school has spent too much on renovations and capital improvements during a rough economy.

Atwater has disputed the faculty union’s claim that he has frozen the filling of vacant faculty positions this semester and has an “imperialistic” leadership style.

He has been president of the state-owned school since 2005.

PSU trustees approve next budget request

STATE COLLEGE – Penn State trustees have approved the school’s next appropriation request from the Legislature.

The approval comes a day after the school learned it would receive its long-delayed state subsidies.

A Board of Trustees’ executive committee gave the OK Friday to seek $360.9 million from the state for 2010-11. That includes a roughly 4 percent increase for base appropriations and federal stimulus money to about $347 million.

A school spokeswoman said it’s the smallest increase request since at least 1964. Penn State said the increase covers just rising costs in an otherwise austere budget.

Tuition increases would be limited to between 3 percent and 5 percent next year if Penn State gets its full request. The request must be ratified by the full trustees board.

Rodent infestation shuts Capitol eatery

HARRISBURG – The cafeteria in Pennsylvania’s Capitol was shut down and workers scoured the facility Friday after health inspectors found evidence of a rodent infestation and dishwashing water that wasn’t hot enough.

The ground-floor cafeteria, a popular coffee and lunch spot for visitors to the statehouse and people who work there, was closed Thursday after state Department of Agriculture officials made an unannounced inspection.

“There were mouse droppings around the facility too numerous to mention,” said Justin Fleming, a spokesman for the state Agriculture Department.

Aramark Corp., the Philadelphia-based food service company that runs the cafeteria, said the problems were being corrected.

Incoming councilman charged by police

ERIE – A man who has been elected to Erie County Council but has yet to take office has been charged with resisting arrest by Erie police during a traffic stop.

Sixty-year-old Ebert Beeman has some strong libertarian views and has said he doesn’t carry a valid license because he doesn’t believe the state has a right to ask for his Social Security number, among other reasons.

On Thursday, Erie police saw him driving and pulled him over because they know he has four convictions for driving with a suspended license. Police said Beeman offered passive resistance and was cited for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and again driving with a suspended license when he refused to get out of his car.

Beeman didn’t immediately return a call for comment to his home in Waterford Township.

Off-duty cop charged with DUI in crash

CECIL – An off-duty police officer has been charged with drunken driving and aggravated assault for a crash that injured two officers responding to a crime scene in Washington County.

Thirty-eight-year-old Thomas Walker, an officer for South Fayette Township, was charged in the crash just before 2 a.m. Friday.

Bridgeville Sgt. Gary James and Officer Chris Manolakos were setting up a roadblock to help police in Cecil Township when Walker allegedly crashed into the sergeant’s car, which then hit the officer’s car. James was in stable condition in a Pittsburgh hospital Friday, while the other officer was treated and released.