Hoping it will catch on - Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association

LIFE
This section
brought to you by
Mercer County
Community
Federal Credit
Union
SUNDAY
April 3, 2016
Sharon,
Pennsylvania
Hoping it will catch on
Man’s crusade
is to fight illegal
drugs locally
By SANDY SCARMACK
Herald Staff Writer
GREENVILLE – Ken Manko
Jr. will tell you flat-out and
right up front that he’s an
expert on illegal drugs. He
knows, he said, because he’s
done all of them for a good
number of years.
“Pot, pain pills, alcohol,
crack, LSD, mushrooms, you
name it, I did it. I won’t lie to
you. That’s why I know what
a terrible thing it is and how
prevalent it is in our community, and something has to be
done,” Manko said.
He also has no trouble admitting to several arrests,
from drunken driving to
stealing firearms. Most of the
charges have been withdrawn
and he’s paying fines and
court costs and checking in
monthly with probation officers. “I know a lot of people
will look that up online and
make judgments about me. Go
ahead. People that know me
know I’m a good guy. I never
hurt anyone, other than myself.”
His primary motivation for
wanting to tackle the drug
problem is because it hit home
for him. Drug addiction ruined a marriage for him and
cost him his children, he said.
Also, he said he was scared
straight by a court appearance. “The man straightened
me out,” he said.
At one point, when he said
he was feeling his lowest, he
got down on his knees in his
home, a recreational vehicle
he bought after selling his
house, and “sincerely prayed
to God.”
And that’s when he said he
had a dream that led him to
his recent goals, and a belief
that God is directing his steps.
Sitting in a restaurant in
Greenville, his eyes filled with
tears when he said “and if
God told you to do something,
wouldn’t you do it?”
“And I’m not asking people
to believe in me, just automatically. I want to get it started
and move on. It’s the idea I
want people to believe in, not
Kenny Manko,” he said.
He’s been clean, he said, for
nearly a month. He still suffers lingering side effects from
his battle with colon cancer,
but he said medication isn’t
the answer for him.
For the last several months,
Manko has been actively
trying to form C.A.T.C.H –
Citizens Against Trafficking
Cocaine and Heroin – a social
media movement that has attracted nearly 500 people.
Manko, 52, said he wants to
form a core group of people
to follow through on what he
envisions as a three-pronged
approach to fighting the drug
epidemic – eradication, rehabilitation and education. “I’d
like to see about 70 people take
it on, people who are dedicated
to the idea,” he said.
He has long-term plans to
try and bring drug rehabilitation centers to Greenville and
said he’d use his own personal
vehicle for transportation for
those who have none. “If I can
save even one life, then it’s all
worth it,” he said.
His other key piece, he said,
is education. He quotes statistics he’s researched online,
citing a 400 percent increase
nationwide in heroin overdoses. He plans to print materials
and distribute them wherever
he can. He hopes to be allowed
to reach into schools, to talk
to students in grades seven
through 12.
Most importantly, he said,
he plans to conduct peaceful
Contributed
Ken Manko Jr., promotes his cause along the streets of Greenville, where he hopes to catch public
attention and garner support for his newly created C.A.T.C.H. organization, which stands for Citizens
Against Trafficking Cocaine and Heroin.
rallies around Greenville and
hopes to get law enforcement
behind his effort. His outline
calls for marchers to sit outside homes where they suspect
there is illegal drug activity,
write down what they see and
turn it over to law enforcement.
Law enforcement, however,
isn’t solidly behind Manko.
He’s reached out to Brian Mazzanti, Greenville’s Director of
Public Safety. “Basically, he
won’t speak to me. He rebuffed
me. But if he thinks that will
stop me, it won’t,” he said.
Mazzanti did not return calls
to The Herald for comment.
Mercer County Sheriff Gary
Hartman said he listened to
Manko’s proposals, but thinks
his efforts would be better
focused on programs that
already exist to report illegal
drug activity and help those
dealing with addiction.
While there is nothing illegal about Manko’s plans,
Hartman said to provide anonymous tips about suspected
drug activity doesn’t help
police. “To give us a bunch of
addresses and license plates is
no help in any way,” he said.
He also said existing pro-
grams are already suffering
from a lack of volunteer support. “Perhaps he could get
involved in one of those and
make a difference that way,”
Hartman said.
Manko said he won’t be
discouraged by a lack of
support. “We have too many
people just minding their
own business. It takes a village to get a handle on this, it
really does. Who can’t relate
to losing someone they love?
I’ve had a lot of people come
up to me and tell me their
story. I’m going to do something to help,” he said. Looking for a new car or truck? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
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C
Fiction
should defy
categories,
stereotypes
Are you fond of fiction –
novels and short stories?
If so, what kind of fiction?
Maybe you like a fast-paced
plot, straight-up characterization, a theme that is clear
and unambiguous, language
that is not complex, and if
not a happy ending at least
one that satisfies you.
This kind of fiction is written to entertain you and
to produce a
good profit
for the writer
and publisher. It attracts
a wide range
of readers.
It offers escape from
JACK
everyday
SMITH
life and life’s
A Word
problems.
with You
It is sold in
supermarkets
next to the
groceries. Crime, fantasy,
horror, mystery, romance,
science fiction, western, and
inspirational are typical.
Maybe you have read “Gone
Girl,” “The Da Vinci Code,”
“Memoirs of a Geisha,”
“The Girl on the Train,”
“The Bridges of Madison
County,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Author Joe
Ducie, says, “Commercial
fiction writing – where my
bread is buttered – is fairly
straightforward. The writing is simply efficiency and
story. The more you have of
one the less you need of the
other.”
Many readers prefer
depth in fiction, plots that
develop slowly, that say
something meaningful
about human lives and the
human condition. Literary
fiction has style and originality. It gives insights
into everyday life and life’s
problems. The author has
serious literary intentions
and is less concerned about
profit. Literary fiction is
found in small press journals, book stores, libraries
and college English classes.
“The Great Gatsby,” “To
Kill a Mockingbird,” “The
Catcher in the Rye,” “The
Lord of the Flies,” “1984,”
“Pride and Prejudice,”
“Slaughterhouse five,” and
“Of Mice and Men” are well
known. Does all fiction have to
fit a category? Literary
novels have been written in
every fiction category and
many commercial novels
sometimes embrace philosophical, psychological or
sociological themes. Stephen King publishes horror
stories – and serious fiction.
Much commercial fiction
is well-written and gives a
reader a rewarding experience. And some literary
fiction bores readers and
puts them to sleep.Many say
it’s all a matter of taste and
sometimes one’s education.
Among hundreds of new titles that appear daily, some
readers look for reviews of
new books before choosing
their next read.
In case you’re interesting,
you can take a course in
“bad fiction” in the English
Department at Juniata
College. Readings include
“Twilight” by Stephanie
Meyer, “The Dangerous
Land” by Marcus Galloway,
and “Matters of the Heart”
by Danielle Steel.
“There is an odd cognitive
dissonance that happens in
these conversations, where
we are simultaneously
See FICTION, page C-2
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SATURDAY
April 9,
2016
2 sections 18 pages
Sharon, Pennsylvania
SPORTS: Hickory High football ‘hero’ recovering from health scare | B-1
sharonherald.com
Volume 152, Number 361
SpaceX back in delivery business with futuristic pop-up room | A-6
75 cents
Drug-addicted babies: Wailing, gnashing of teeth
Help’s available
for women, children
but little used
By MELISSA KLARIC
Herald Staff Writer
MERCER COUNTY – What
happens to babies who start
out life battling drug withdrawal?
They can be left gasping for
air and plagued with inconsolable wailing, trembling and
clenching muscles. These are
just some of the physical symptoms that can last for months
in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome babies, or newborns
whose mothers were on heroin
or opioids during pregnancy.
Sharon and Farrell hospitals
reported treating 79 of these
babies in 2015.
County agencies that could
help the families of these newborns have seen only a very
few of these mothers for treatment.
“We have services but we
have to get people to come
to the well and drink,” said
Kim Anglin, drug and alcohol
administrator for the Mercer
County Behavioral Health
Commission. “It is voluntary
unless someone is legally
bound to the services and required to participate.”
The drug and alcohol program is designed for people
who are underinsured. Anglin’s staff assesses each case
and points the family in the direction of programs and treatment centers that will help
them most.
“We have policies in place,
CONTACT
Mercer County Behavioral Health
Commission – Drug & Alcohol and
Early Intervention programs – at
724-662-1550.
we have funding in place
and we have treatment services in place specific to their
needs,” Anglin said. “Once
they’re in our system we do
have case coordinators that
will follow them in the community and work on housing
issues, work on employment
issues, work on legal issues if
necessary.”
Pregnant women and women
with children are a priority
population, Anglin said, but
See ADDICTED, page A-2
Legislation would require more
accountability to protect infants
By MELISSA KLARIC
Herald Staff Writer
MERCER – Federal lawmakers believe states have fallen
short in protecting newborns
suffering from opiate drug
withdrawal – or Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome – but local
agencies disagree.
“There’s a lot of regulations
that we follow,” Kathryn Gabriel, Mercer County Children
and Youth Services administrator, said. “We go out, we do
a safety assessment, a risk assessment and we identify any
services that may benefit the
child. We work with the family
Nonprofit ministry opens thrift shop in Mercer
Proceeds to help
women in recovery
By APRYL FLYNN GILLISS
Allied News Correspondent
MERCER – Last week was
a busy one for Carol Mitchell,
executive director of Reaching
Up and Reaching Out, a Mercer County ministry supporting those on the journey from
jail to a new life in Christ.
On Thursday morning,
Mitchell closed on a house
in Mercer that will become
the nonprofit organization’s
Manna House. Over the last
two years, the group raised
$107,000 through donations
and fundraisers and purchased the house with cash.
On Friday morning, the
organization opened Twice
Blessed, a new thrift store in
Mercer featuring gently-used
fashions and furniture. The
store is next to Walt’s grocery
store in the Mercer Plaza on
state Route 58.
“People were standing in
line to come in, and we were
busy all day,” Mitchell said.
“It was amazing, and it’s
amazing the help we’ve had.
Volunteers have spent hours
and hours making this happen.”
The store’s grand opening
is scheduled for April 16, she
said, and will include music,
food, and free T-shirts.
The income from the store
will be used to finance the
ministry and operation of
the Manna House, a facility
for women in crisis. Once
the Manna House is up and
running, it will provide a
residence for women who
are willing to enter into a life
recovery program. The women will develop employment
skills as they volunteer in the
store and work through their
life recovery.
“I really have a vision for
the store,” Mitchell said. “It’s
more than just a thrift store.
It’s a place where people may
come if they’re hurting or are
in need. This is our prayer
corner. If they need prayer,
we’ll have a volunteer here.
See LEGISLATION, page A-2
Justice for
sex-abuse
victims
dividing
lawmakers
By JOHN FINNERTY
CNHI Harrisburg
Correspondent
APRYL FLYNN GILLISS | Allied News
Twice Blessed volunteers Patti Phillips of Mercer, left, and Linda Porter, Slippery Rock, sort items at
the new nonprofit thrift store in Mercer. The Mercer County ministry Reaching Up and Reaching Out
supports those on the journey from jail to a new life and its thrift store opened April 1, but its grand
opening on April 16 will include music, food and free T-shirts.
We want it to be the light in
Mercer.”
Mitchell said that The Winner in Sharon donated more
INDEX
Annie’s Mailbox...........A-7
Ask Doctor K................A-7
Business....................... A-6
Classified...................... B-5
Comics/horoscopes... B-4
Crossword.....................B-7
to formulate a service plan.”
Out of 79 babies treated in
Mercer County for NAS last
year, CYS received 55 referrals
for newborns affected by maternal substance abuse in 2015. Gabriel believes there is a
reasonable explanation for
the discrepancy in numbers
reported by the hospital versus
the number of referrals that
CYS reported.
“If the family does not reside
in Mercer County, then the report of abuse or neglect would
go to the county or state where
the child resides,” Gabriel said.
Life..................................A-7
Lotteries........................A-2
Obituaries.................... A-5
Opinion......................... A-4
Public notices............. B-6
Sudoku......................... B-9
than $50,000 worth of inventory, including beautiful gowns,
to Twice Blessed.
“We’re hoping that the
store will provide girls who
can’t afford expensive prom
See MINISTRY, page A-2
See JUSTICE, page A-3
DEATHS
BRIGHTEN UP THE CORNER
Mervin James “Jim” BUTSON, 73, of Hermitage.
Evelyn E. CHESMAR, 80, of Hermitage, formerly
Kenny, my grandson
who is in the first grade
read a poem honoring his
great-aunt who recently
passed away.
I was overcome when
of Clark.
Debra Ann COLLINS, 64, of Sandy Lake.
Richard W. CONLEY, 82, of Transfer.
Anna M. KOMOREK, 101, of Masury.
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HARRISBURG – Amid
outrage over hundreds of
cases of child sex abuse
committed by priests, lawmakers are now divided
over how much time victims
should have to seek justice.
A proposal to lift the time
limit for prosecution of
sex-abuse crimes, in current form, only looks to the
future but does nothing for
victims of long-ago crimes.
Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks
County, calls it a “slap in
the face.”
Rozzi, himself a survivor
of sex abuse by a priest, has
led efforts to eliminate statutes of limitations. He plans
a proposal to allow victims
of old crimes to sue their
abusers, he said, which will
bring forward victims “from
every corner of the state.”
Debate is unfolding in the
aftermath of a grand jury’s
finding that priests in the
Altoona-Johnstown Catholic
Diocese abused hundreds of
children, over four decades
– actions that were covered
up by church leaders.
Those crimes happened
too long ago to bring sexabuse charges – in criminal
or civil court. Legal limits
depend on the age of a victim, who may seek criminal
charges until they turn 50,
and make civil claims until
age 30.
The House proposal
removes the age limit for
criminal charges, and allow
victims to press a civil claim
until age 50. But it would
only apply to new cases. The
House Judiciary Committee
approved the measure by a
26-1 vote on Tuesday.
David Hickton, the U.S.
Attorney in Pittsburgh, has
he uttered to me, “GeGe,
(Japanese for grandpa)
did she really have a
heart of gold?”
James R. Pacillo
Sharpsville
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS,
SCHOOL OF HEALTHCARE,
SCHOOL OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY,
SCHOOL OF SPA AND
COSMETOLOGY ARTS,
AND SCHOOL OF TRADES
WEDNESDAY
April 20,
2016
2 sections 24 pages
Sharon, Pennsylvania
TRIBUTE: Actress Doris Roberts dies at age 90 | A-9
sharonherald.com
Volume 153, Number 7
Bankruptcy court OKs sale of 2 lots at Conneaut Lake Park | B-5
75 cents
A gem of a career
Musser
school,
athletic
facilities to get
upgrades
Teen builds business
with crystal clear vision
By JOE PINCHOT
Herald Staff Writer
HERMITAGE – Mark
Rossi has been collecting
rocks, crystals and fossils
since he was very young,
but he didn’t consider
starting a business around
his interest until he took
a web design class with
Gray McKenzie.
Rossi, 19, of West Middlesex, said he needed a
Check out
the videos
at
sharonherald.
com
“business” to design his
web page around, and
thought of his hobby.
“Basically, I went to
school, I went to work and
I collected this stuff,” Rossi said. “That was pretty
much all I did. So, then, I
decided why not make it
geared toward that?”
After he completed the
By MELISSA KLARIC
Herald Staff Writer
class, he made the fake
business a real one.
“I just decided, ‘Let’s
just try it,’ “ Rossi said.
The business started at
home but now he has half
a suite at the eCenter@
LindenPointe, Hermitage.
He shares the space with
McKenzie, co-founder of
GuavaBox, a marketing
and web design firm.
Rossi had wanted to go
to college when he graduated from high school last
spring, but put that idea
on hold when he was accepted at the eCenter.
“College really isn’t
going anywhere,” Rossi
said. “I can always go back
to school. These opportunities, I have these now. I
may or may not have them
later.”
Rossi attended the Entrepreneurship Academy
at LindenPointe during his
senior year, and summer
workshops offered by the
eCenter, giving him basic
business skills. “I look at
it as my additional education,” he said.
the pills.”
Maguire recommended
treating the chronic disease
of addiction and then helping
the mothers to become good
parents.
In 2014, Magee collaborated
with three local insurance
companies and the Allegheny
County Office of Behavioral
Health to open a Pregnancy
Recovery Center to provide
concurrent treatment for opiate use disorders and prenatal
care and delivery.
“We don’t need to spend time
putting guilt on this mother,”
Maguire said. “When you get
a woman into recovery you’re
helping her future.”
Magee sends its moms home
with an enhanced sleep package. “Cribs for Kids,” provides
cribs and Halo donates Pack
and Plays so each baby has a
safe place to sleep.
The United Way of Mercer
County will continue its efforts
to help the families of NAS babies as part of its “Lifting Families out of Poverty” initiative.
“There was a lot of discussion today about communication,” Micsky said. “That’s
probably one of the first keys
SHARON – Plans to
study the Sharon City
School District’s athletic
facilities and repair work
outside C.M. Musser Elementary top the district’s
housekeeping spending
list.
The school board on
Monday unanimously
approved spending about
$150,000 for the work.
The money will be taken from a $6 million bond
issue taken out in July
2014 and earmarked for
capital improvements.
The district’s business
manager, Tresa Templeton, estimates that $1.5
million remains in the
coffer.
The immediate priority
is fixing the concrete outside of Musser. The board
approved paying $8,500 to
Taylor Engineering, New
Castle, to conduct the
study so that a contract
can be awarded for work
to start in the summer.
The board also approved paying Eckles Architecture and Engineering, New Castle, $18,500
to look at all of the district’s athletic facilities
and come up with a priority list by September. “The purpose is for
us to do some long-term
planning,” Superintendent Michael J. Calla
said.
Engineers will study
the outside fields owned
by the district and used
by the athletic programs.
That would include
recommending the best
use for Hadley field at
Boyd Drive and Highland
Road, Calla said.
Calla also mentioned
inside facilities such as
the high school gymnasium and the swimming
pool.
“They’re going to look
at the shape they’re in
now and what needs to be
done,” Calla said. “Then
they will present their
findings and recommendations.”
Other contracts were
awarded to Commercial
Appliance Contracts Inc.,
Grove City, for $55,157
for a walk-in freezer; to
R. Donatelli Electric Inc.,
Sharpsville, for $2,970 for
electrical work on the
freezer; and to Penn Ohio
Electric, Masury, for
$62,000 for exterior lighting and a stage company
switch project at the high
school.
In other business, the
board:
• Approved a special
ticket price of $3 for senior citizens at sporting
events in 2016-17.
• Approved agree-
See SAFETY NET, page A-2
See UPGRADES, page A-2
Crystals and
polished minerals sit on a
table which
are for sale
from Mark
Rossi who
started Earthbound Crystals out of
the eCenter@
LindenPointe
- the business
Incubator in
Hermitage.
CORY BYKNISH |
Herald
See CRYSTAL, page A-2
United Way will join safety net
for drug-addicted babies
By MELISSA KLARIC
Herald Staff Writer
HERMITAGE – How can our
community help women who
are addicted to opiates and deliver babies who face detoxing
at birth?
The United Way of Mercer
County held a brainstorming
session last week to get to the
root of the growing problem.
“We realize that there are
barriers in people’s lives,” said
Jim Micsky, United Way executive director. “And that’s the
first thing we recognize, that
we want to break the barrier
today that the person’s facing. Let’s get over that, but let’s
not go back to it tomorrow.
Let’s try and get over this little
step today and keep going.”
One of the biggest barriers
in the battle is the judgmental
attitude against opiate addiction, according to Bawn Maguire, a clinical nurse specialist
at Magee-Womens Hospital of
UPMC, Pittsburgh, who started
an inpatient methadone conversion program there in 2002.
“In every medical journal
you’ll read it is a chronic medical condition and yet we still
fight the battle that people still
want to decide that it’s a moral
“In every medical journal you’ll read it (opiate
addiction) is a chronic medical condition and yet we
still fight the battle that people still want to decide
that it’s a moral failing.” Clinical nurse specialist Bawn Maguire
failing,” Maguire said of
opiate addiction. Maguire spoke
to volunteers,
some of whom
were administrators and
clinical nurse
managers from
both Sharon
Regional Health
System and
UPMC Horizon,
Farrell,
the two
hospitals
in the
county
where babies are delivered.
Combined, the two hospitals
delivered 79 Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome babies in
2015.
“There’s a whole lot of layers
to opiate addiction,” Maguire
said. “And we’re trying to take
INDEX
Annie’s Mailbox.......... A-8
Business....................... B-5
Classified.......................B-7
Comics/horoscopes... B-6
Crossword.................... B-8
Life..................................A-7
Lotteries........................A-2
a look at all the layers.”
One of those layers
is societal, due to
prescription pain
pills being readily available,
according to
Maguire. “Most of the
women that I
talk with have
started their
addiction either
through
prescribed
pills for
themselves
for an injury or prescribed
pills for a family member that
progressed into the full-blown
addiction,” Maguire said.
“They don’t typically jump
straight into heroin. I never
see it. They move into heroin
when they can no longer get
DEATHS
Obituaries.................... A-5
Opinion......................... A-4
Public notices..............B-7
Sudoku........................B-10
Sports............................ B-1
TV grid.......................... A-6
Weather.........................A-2
Donald A. BENNETT, 92, Hermitage, formerly
of Sharon.
Louise F. BURT, 93, Sharpsville. Lois M. CARNEY, 91, of Okeechobee, Fla.
Karen D. FOUST, 64, of Mill Creek Township
Rose Ann JOVENALL, 92, of Farrell.
Blair Steven KENNELL, 58, Hermitage.
Floyd D. McGHEE, 68, of Masury.
Robert NOIR, 81, of Hermitage.
Billy W. ODEM, 63, Webster Street, Farrell.
Victoria Ann Maykowski SOVESKY, 95, of
Negley Street, Farrell.
Mary Catherine “Katie” SUMMERVILLE, 91,
Hermitage, formerly of Masury.
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FRIDAY
May 27,
2016
2 sections 24 pages
Sharon, Pennsylvania
BUSINESS: WHO: Some 1,000 killed in attacks on hospitals | A-6
sharonherald.com
Volume 153, Number 44
United Methodist hopeful about study on gay issues | A-10
75 cents
The drug deal
Prisoner
appeals
swamp open
records office
Forum explores how
addiction is taking
its toll locally
By JOHN FINNERTY
CNHI Harrisburg
Correspondent
By SANDY SCARMACK
Herald Staff Writer
GREENVILLE – There’s no
doubt that heroin is tearing
through Mercer County, devastating families who have lost
loved ones to overdoses, while
burdening law enforcement
and the court system with addiction-related crimes, according a 12-member panel of local
experts.
Speaking at a town hall
meeting Wednesday night in
Greenville, these experts told
the crowd of about 150 that
times have changed and that
youth today are doing a lot
more than sneaking a cigarette
or chugging some alcohol, the
“problems” that might have
been common among young
people years ago.
Greenville-West Salem
“We’re also seeing a
huge resurgence of
narcotic pills. I think
somehow people are
getting the idea that
that is a ‘clean’ drug,
because it’s prescription
and is regulated by the
government. Well, it’s
anything but clean when
abused.”
Mercer County
Sheriff Gary Hartman
DAVID E. DALE | Herald
Leaders from law enforcement and public and community service offer their perspective on the worsening problem of drug abuse and overdose in Mercer County. Among those at the forum were from left,
Sgt. Paul Molton of Greenville-West Salem Township police, Hempfield Township Police Officer Dan
McCloskey, Mercer County Sheriff Gary Hartman, District Attorney Miles Karson Jr., county Coroner John
A. Libonati, state Sen. Michelle Brooks, Mark Benedetto, Mercer County Chief Juvenile Probation officer
and Laura Leskovac, community mobilizer from the Communities that Care program.
Township Police Sgt. Paul
Molton, who has been on the
job for 18 years, said the drug
problem has come “full circle”
since the 1990s. “It used to be
heroin in the late 1990s. Then
GREENVILLE – A Greenville
Exchange – a database that
it went to pills, Oxycontin,
man was arrested last week for
logs and controls purchases of
Percocet and Vicodin. Now it’s
operating
a
meth
lab
using
the
pseudoephedrine – it was found
back to heroin, and just very
“one-pot” method, police said.
that Martin recently purchased
recently, we’re seeing a lot
Police
were
informed
of
a
posan amount of the chemical
more methamphetamine labs
sible meth lab at 38 Wilbur St.,
between January and April
popping up,” he said.
where
Brian
Scott
Martin,
44,
to show a pattern of possible
The meth labs, he added,
was staying with
methamphetamine production,
have been common in Venanhis
son,
police
said. police said.
go and Crawford counties, he
After the owner
Martin was charged with opsaid, but it’s spread south to
consented
to
a
erating
a meth lab, depositMercer County. search on April
ing, storing and disposing
Hempfield Township officer
15, police found in
of chemical waste, risking a
Dan McCloskey said he often
Martin’s room a
catastrophe, manufacturing
works with the state Office of
lithium
battery
cut
methamphetamine with a child
Attorney General to get the
in half, a plastic bag present, manufacture, delivMartin
most up-to-date information on
with coffee filters
ery, or possession with intent
illicit drugs. The drug trade is
with an unknown residue on
to manufacture or deliver, posever-changing, he said, noting
them,
two
boxes
of
pseudoephedsessing red phosphorus with
that heroin itself is deadly, but
rine, a cold pack, a clear glass jar the intent to manufacture a
when mixed with Fetanyl, a
with clear liquid in it and a bottle controlled substance, reckless
synthetic drug that is 100 times
with a white powdery substance
endangerment and knowingly
more potent than morphine,
in
it
–
or
a
one
pot,
police
said. possessing ephedrine.
even a single dose can be fatal.
The clandestine team seA preliminary hearing is set
cured
the
area
and
after
checkfor
1 p.m. Wednesday in GreenSee ADDICTION, page A-3
ing the National Precision Log
ville’s district court.
Greenville man arrested
on suspicion of meth production
Deputy chief Jewell promoted to top cop
Hermitage moves quickly
on Blair successor
By JOE PINCHOT
Herald Staff Writer
HERMITAGE – Paul Eric Jewell doesn’t
mince words when talking about his new
job.
“I want to be the best chief the city has
ever seen,” he said.
Jewell was promoted Thursday to chief
in Hermitage, one day after Brian Blair
announced his retirement.
He’s set a lofty goal but it’s hard to quibble with Jewell’s background and how it
has prepared him for the job. The Mercer
native enlisted in the Army out of high
school, serving as a military policeman
for seven years. He attended night school
during his service, earning an associate’s
degree in criminal justice from Central
Texas College.
Jewell entered the civilian police academy following the Army and got to the job
with the city 22 years ago.
He served the last 16 years in the investigation department, as a criminal investigator, captain and deputy chief.
Jewell has served on the Mercer County Drug Task Force, as a member of the
Shenango Valley Major Crime Scene Unit,
INDEX
Ask Doctor K................A-7
Business....................... A-6
Classified...................... B-5
Comics/horoscopes... A-8
Crossword.................... B-9
Life..................................A-7
Lotteries........................A-2
“I’m personable. I like to talk to
people. I like to try to help people try
to solve their own problems. I’m fair,
but I’m firm. I believe in service, not
just law enforcement. People expect
a high-quality service and I’m going
to give it to them.”
New Hermitage
Police Chief Eric Jewell
as commander of the Mercer County Criminal Incident Response Team, and spent
another year on active duty with the Army
Criminal Investigation Division after he
joined the reserves.
“All this experience together, I think, it
makes me a very unique chief,” said Jewell, who goes by “Eric.”
“Eric Jewell’s appointment will continue the city’s tradition of having highly professional leadership in the police
department,” said City Manager Gary P.
Hinkson. “Eric will be a strong, innovative
See CHIEF, page A-2
DEATHS
Obituaries.................... A-5
Opinion......................... A-4
Public notices..............B-7
Sudoku......................... B-8
Sports............................ B-1
TV grid.......................... B-6
Weather.........................A-2
Dale CRITCHLOW, 84, of Shelburne,
Vt.
Stephen P. “Pete” HAJDUK, 89, of
Greenville.
Robert HASSEL, 70, of St. Augustine,
Fla. Carol Lynne PHILLIPS, 58, of Sharon.
JOE PINCHOT | Herald
Eric Jewell will be taking over as police chief
for the Hermitage department.
BRIGHTEN UP THE CORNER
Children play under
a parachute at the
Wyoming Valley
West School District’s
football stadium, in
Kingston.
AP
HARRISBURG – One
day last November, Jonathan Lee Riches, a federal
prison inmate, decided he
wanted to know whether
the state is stockpiling
milk.
He wrote the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing
Board to ask.
The board didn’t respond, so Riches appealed
to the state Office of Open
Records.
It rejected his appeal
– not based on the merits of whether the milk
marketing board should
have to turn over records
but because Riches had
not waited long enough to
appeal.
Riches has used the
state’s open records law
hundreds of times – and
he’s not alone among
prison inmates.
The state Office of Open
Records presided over
2,926 appeals when agencies refused to release
records last year – a 45
percent increase from
the prior year and the
most since Pennsylvania
rewrote its public records
law in 2008.
Prisoners filed 1,414 of
last year’s appeals.
A proposed revision of
the records law, which
passed the state Senate
last fall without any
opposition, would bar
prisoners from seeking
records about anything
other than themselves or
their case.
Erik Arneson, director of the state Office of
Open Records, said he is
a “strong proponent” of
limiting prisoners’ access
to records. Arnerson is
former chief of staff for
former Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware County, who authored the
revision.
“Some inmate requests
are for legitimate records.
However, many requests
are for records that can
be generously described
as questionable,” Arneson said.
“The most concerning
requests are probably
those that involve a clear
attempt to get information about someone
involved in the inmate’s
case – the prosecutor, the
judge, a prison guard, for
example,” he said.
That type of request is
rare, he added.
Arneson said his office
knows only of appeals
filed by prison inmates.
He had no guess as to
how often prisoners have
successfully used the
open records law without
needing to appeal, or had
requests denied but chose
not to appeal.
The state Department
of Corrections alone
received more than six
See PRISONERS, page A-2
THE HERALD | Sharon, Pa.
sharonherald.com
Friday, May 27, 2016
A-3
Audit reveals new questions over Clinton emails Trump reaches magic
WASHINGTON (AP) –
Democratic presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton
was supposed to have
turned over all work-related emails to the State
Department to be released to the public. But
an agency audit found at
least three emails never
seen before – including
Clinton’s own explanation of why she wanted
her emails kept private.
After 14 months of public scrutiny and skepticism
over Clinton’s motives in
keeping her emails secret,
new questions emerged
Thursday. They centered
on her apparent failure
to turn over a November
2010 message in which she
worried that her personal
messages could become accessible to outsiders, along
with two other messages
a year later that divulged
possible security weaknesses in the home email
system she used while secretary of state.
The Clinton campaign
has previously denied
that her home server
was breached, but newly
revealed emails show
an aide worried it could
have been compromised.
The existence of these
previously unreleased
messages – which appear to have been found
among electronic files
of four former top Clinton State Department
aides – renew concerns
that Clinton was not
completely forthcoming
when she turned over a
trove of 55,000 pages of
work-related emails. And
it has drawn fresh criticism from presumptive
Republican presidential
nominee Donald Trump.
“I have turned over all
my emails,” Clinton said
late Wednesday in an interview with Univision’s
Los Angeles affiliate.
Addiction
Forum explores how
addiction is taking its toll
FROM PAGE A-1
The meth labs are
deadly not only because
of the drug produced
but also because of the
associated risks of fire,
explosion and death from
the deadly gases that are
released while it’s being
made.
Mercer County Sheriff
Gary Hartman said drug
abuse has a high cost
within the jail system as
well. A large percentage
of the 250 or so inmates
housed in the Mercer
County Jail have some
kind of “addiction” and
are struggling through
withdrawal while they
are incarcerated.
“We’re also seeing a
huge resurgence of narcotic pills. I think somehow people are getting
the idea that that is a
‘clean’ drug, because it’s
prescription and is regulated by the government.
Well, it’s anything but
clean when abused,” he
said. He also said drug
addiction is not segregated into any one area or
socioeconomic bracket.
“It affects the affluent
AP
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was
supposed to have turned over all work-related emails to
the State Department to be released to the public. But
an agency audit found at least three emails never seen
before – including Clinton’s own explanation of why she
wanted her emails kept private.
These previously
unreleased messages
renew concerns
that Clinton was
not completely
forthcoming.
Most of those messages
have been made public
by the State Department
over the past year in part
to a court order. But hundreds were censored for
national security reasons
and 22 emails were completely withheld because
the agency said they contained top secret material
– a matter now under investigation by the FBI.
“It is disturbing that
the State Department
knew it had emails like
this and turned them
over to the inspector
general, but not to Congress,” said Iowa Sen.
Charles Grassley, the
chair of the Senate judi-
segment of the population the same as it does
the poor,” he added.
“And when the pills get
too expensive, heroin fills
the void,” Hartman said.
District Attorney Miles
Karson Jr. said since
taking office in January
he’s been privy “to have
a view of Mercer County
from 30,000 feet. I see the
drug problem as something that has multiple
issues, multiple layers.”
He said in recent months
there have been several
arrests of people traveling Interstates 79 and 80
who were transporting
large amounts of cocaine
and heroin from the
Midwest, likely to Philadelphia, New York or
Boston.
“And those cases I
will be turning over to
federal authorities, because they can impose
much stiffer penalties
than the 7 to 15 years I
can go for. The feds can
do 20 to 30 years, and
they can do much, much
more with the information gathered than I
can,” Karson said.
He noted, also, that for
first-time drug offenders,
particularly those willing
to seek treatment, he’d be
more likely to consider a
reduced sentence.
ciary committee that’s
been probing Clinton’s
use of a private server.
The emails appear to
contain work-related passages, raising questions
about why they were not
turned over to the State
Department last year.
The inspector general
noted that Clinton’s production of work-related
emails was “incomplete,”
missing not only the
three emails but numerous others covering Clinton’s first four months in
office.
A spokesman for the
Clinton campaign did not
immediately respond to
emails seeking comment
Thursday. The report said the inspector general was able
to reconstruct some of
Clinton’s missing emails
by searching the email
files of four former Clinton aides who had turned
over thousands of pages
of communications in
2015 at the request of the
State Department, which
is defending itself in
As for treatment available, the opinions of some
in the audience differed
from what the panel said.
One woman said she was
trying to find an in-patient bed for her granddaughter and it took a
week of calling every day
at 7 a.m. to see if there
was an open bed. Others
said that even if they did
manage to find an opening in a treatment center
somewhere in the state,
many insurances only allowed a three-day stay.
There are no in-patient
treatment programs in
Mercer County. The closest are in Franklin and
Erie.
Jeff Hanley, a prevention specialist with
Mercer County Behavorial Health Commission,
said his agency works
to help addicts find
treatment, both in-patient and out-patient,
and there are state and
federal funds available
to help those who do not
have insurance. Many
programs also accept
the state’s Medicaid
card, he said, and his
office can provide transportation for those who
don’t have a car.
What is available
in Mercer County are
out-patient programs,
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multiple public records
lawsuits, including one
filed by The Associated
Press. The four aides who
turned over those files,
according to the report,
were Clinton’s former
chief of staff, Cheryl
Mills, and top aides
Huma Abedin, Jake Sullivan and Philippe Reines.
Abedin was the aide
who authored the key
email in November 2010
that provoked Clinton’s
concerns about outsiders
obtaining her personal
emails. After the State
Department’s computer
spam filters apparently
prevented Clinton from
sending a message to all
department employees
from her private server,
Abedin suggested that
she either open an official
agency email or make
her private address available to the agency.
Clinton told Abedin
she was open to getting
a separate email address
but didn’t want “any risk
of the personal being accessible.” Clinton never
used an official State Department address, only
using several private addresses to communicate. Two other emails sent
to Abedin were cited in
the inspector general’s
report, but also did not
turn up among the emails
released by Clinton.
Those messages to Abedin contained warnings
in January 2011 from an
unidentified aide to former President Bill Clinton who said he had to
shut down Hillary Clinton’s New York-based
server because of suspected hacking attacks.
In response, Abedin
warned Mills and Sullivan not to email Clinton
“anything sensitive” and
said she would “explain
more in person.”
many that are faithbased, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or
Narcotics Anonymous,
Hanley said.
Tracy Bornick, a
central intake coordinator for the Behavorial
Health Commission,
said her office sees
about 75 people a month
who are looking for help
to get off drugs. She
admits there are many
“complicating” factors
when it comes to insurance coverage and the
specifics of what is covered. Much depends, she
said, on the type of drug
the person is using, as
well as the length of
time. Priority is given to
adolescents and women
who are pregnant.
But help is available,
usually within 24 hours,
by calling 724-662-2230,
she said.
The forum was organized by The Record-Argus newspaper and was
moderated by Managing
Editor Caleb Stright. number, clinches
nomination
WASHINGTON (AP) –
Donald Trump reached
the number of delegates
needed to clinch the
Republican nomination
for president Thursday,
completing an unlikely
rise that has upended the
political landscape and
set the stage for a bitter
fall campaign.
Trump was put over
the top in the Associated
Press delegate count by a
small number of the party’s unbound delegates
who told the AP they
would support him at
the national convention
in July. Among them is
Oklahoma GOP chairwoman Pam Pollard.
“I think he has touched
a part of our electorate
that doesn’t like where
our country is,” Pollard
said. “I have no problem
supporting Mr. Trump.”
It takes 1,237 delegates
to win the Republican
nomination. Trump has
reached 1,238. With 303
delegates at stake in five
state primaries on June
7, Trump will easily
pad his total, avoiding a
contested convention in
Cleveland.
Many on the right have
been slow to warm to
Trump, wary of his conservative bona fides. Others worry about his crass
personality and the lewd
comments he’s made
about some women.
But millions of grassroots activists, many of
them outsiders to the
political process, have
embraced Trump as a
plain-speaking populist
who is not afraid to offend.
Steve House, chair-
man of the Colorado
Republican Party and an
unbound delegate who
confirmed his support
of Trump to the AP, said
he likes the billionaire’s
background as a businessman.
“Leadership is leadership,” House said. “If
he can surround himself
with the political talent, I
think he will be fine.”
Cameron Linton of
Pittsburgh said he will
back Trump on the first
ballot since he won the
presidential primary vote
in Linton’s congressional
district.
”If there’s a second ballot I won’t vote for Donald Trump,” Linton said.
“He’s ridiculous. There’s
no other way to say it.”
Trump’s pivotal moment comes amid a new
sign of internal problems.
Hours before clinching the nomination, he
announced the abrupt
departure of political
director Rick Wiley,
who was in the midst of
leading the campaign’s
push to hire staff in key
battleground states. In
a statement, Trump’s
campaign said Wiley
had been hired only on
a short-term basis until
the candidate’s organization “was running full
steam.”
His hiring about six
weeks ago was seen as a
sign that party veterans
were embracing Trump’s
campaign. A person familiar with Wiley’s ouster
said the operative clashed
with others in Trump’s operation and didn’t want to
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4 sections 28 pages
Sharon, Pennsylvania
LIFE: Lawmakers host fairs to help constituents stay healthy | C-1
sharonherald.com
Volume 153, Number 105
Sandusky scandal still casts a shadow at Penn State | B-1
75 cents
It begs
the question
Panel confronts
concerns over growing
heroin abuse
By SANDY SCARMACK
Herald Staff Writer
SHARPSVILLE – An hour
passed. Then two. Questions
kept coming from the audience,
two and three at a time.
“How can I tell if someone
has overdosed? What
do I do if I
think my
son is using
drugs? Why
can’t the hospital or the
police lock
someone up
for at least 72
hours after
an overdose?
Where can I
get help?”
About 60
people, probably none of
them younger
than 30, spent
a hot summer
night in the
Mercer
social hall
County
at St. BarDistrict
tholomew’s
Church in
Attorney
Miles Karson Sharpsville,
listening as a
panel of “experts” shared their perceptions
about Mercer County’s burgeoning heroin problem.
“I’m finding
that you
can’t jail
your way
out of this
problem,
and the
gray areas
are getting
larger and
larger.”
The drug problem
as county officials see it.
District Attorney Miles
Karson said his black-andwhite view of the world has
changed in his first six months
in office. Apart from the major
drug busts, he’s not sure who
to prosecute and who to help.
“I’m finding that you can’t jail
your way out of this problem,
and the gray areas are getting
larger and larger.”
Jeff Hanley, a prevention
specialist at the Behavioral
Health Commission, mentioned
several outpatient treatment
options for addicts who want
See HEROIN, page A-2
AP
Former President Bill Clinton takes the stage to speak during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Clinton wins historic nomination,
with a boost from Sanders
Former President
Bill Clinton
regales audience
with Hillary’s story
PHILADELPHIA (AP) –
Breaking a historic barrier,
Hillary Clinton triumphantly
captured the Democratic
nomination for president
Tuesday night, the first woman ever to lead a major political party in the race for the
White House.
Delegates erupted in cheers
as Clinton’s primary rival,
Bernie Sanders, helped make
it official when the roll call
got to his home state of Vermont – an important show
of unity for a party trying to
“The idea that I’m going
to be here when the
first woman president
is nominated is
overwhelming.”
Martha McKenna, a
Clinton delegate from
Maryland
heal deep divisions.
“I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party
for president of the United
States,” Sanders declared,
asking that it be by acclamation.
See CLINTON, page A-3
Despite anger, Dems
uniting against Trump
PHILADELPHIA – What
difference a day makes.
Bernie Sanders’ supporters
spent much of
the first day
of the Democratic National
Convention
protesting and
heckling speakers.
By Tuesday
morning, some
supporters of
the Vermont
JOHN
FINNERTY senator said
they were
DNC Notebook
ready to move
on and help the
party unify to defeat Republican Donald Trump.
“Bernie has a special place
in my heart,” said Anita
Prizio, a Sanders delegate
from Pennsylvania’s 12th
Congressional District. “We
want to not elect Trump, and
the only way that is going to
happen is to unify.”
Prizio said she believes
many of the boos inside the
convention hall in Philadelphia on Monday night came
from other state delegations.
She pointed toward Califor-
See DEMS, page A-3
Neglected dog will be up for adoption
Former owner
was fined
for animal cruelty
By MELISSA KLARIC
Herald Staff Writer
Contributed
Emma will be up for adoption at the Humane Society of Mercer
County.
INDEX
Ask Doctor K.................C-1
Business....................... A-6
Classified.......................C-4
Comics/horoscopes.... C-3
Crossword.....................C-6
Life...................................C-1
Lotteries........................A-2
HERMITAGE – An abandoned dog found April 13 in an
empty lot giving birth to nine
puppies – eight of which died
– will not be going back to its
previous owner and is up for
adoption.
Laronica E. Smith, of Masury, pleaded guilty Tuesday
to animal cruelty before District Judge Ronald E. Antos,
Farrell, and was sentenced to a
$100 fine, $820 in restitution to
the Humane Society of Mercer
County and agreed to give up
ownership of the dogs. The restitution covers half of
the vet bill and the costs of caring for the mother, Emma, and
her surviving pup, Marcus.
When Humane Society officials arrived at the scene that
evening, Emma, 21/2 years old,
was giving birth to her third
litter.
Four puppies that died were
taken to Hillcrest-Flynn Pet
Funeral Home & Crematory.
The five that survived at that
time were taken to a veterinarian. Four of those puppies died
later that evening. The police and Humane
Society officials believe the
pregnant dog was dropped off
the night before she was found
in the lot because a sweatshirt
and empty can of beer were
found nearby.
“(Laronica) told the Humane
Society that she tied the dog
out at 11:30 p.m. and checked
a half hour later and she was
gone,” said Renee Dorogy, Humane Society officer. “She told
the (Hermitage police) officer
that she fell asleep and didn’t
look for her until the morning.”
Dorogy added that the dog
was malnourished and that
Smith said the dog had not eaten for two weeks.
When asked if she took the
dog to a vet, Smith said she has
never taken the dog to a vet,
See DOG, page A-2
DEATHS
Obituaries.................... A-5
Opinion......................... A-4
Public notices..............C-5
Sudoku.......................... C-7
Sports............................ B-1
TV grid...........................C-8
Weather.........................A-2
Kimberlee Carol Bert COONEY,
57, formerly of Jackson Center.
Vincent Joseph COYNE, 80, of
Fleming Island, Fla., formerly
of Brookfield.
Kay E. CUNNINGHAM, 73, of
Mercer.
of Hubbard.
Timothy Lawrence FOSTER, 49,
Elizabeth Julia Singer McBRIDE,
Ruth D. GAULT, 65, of Masury.
Rachel L. GRAHAM, 49, of Far-
Ruth E. MORRISON, 99, of Con-
of Choteau, Mont.
rell.
Francis “Frank” MARTINO, 91,
88, of Andrews, N.C.
nellys Spring, N.C.
Joanne Marie NELSON, 58, of
1239 Pierce Ave., Sharpsville.
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A-2
THE HERALD | Sharon, Pa.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
sharonherald.com
Heroin
WEATHER
Forecast for Sharon
Panel confronts concerns
over growing heroin abuse
FROM PAGE A-1
to get clean, but admits
there are no in-patient
options in Mercer County. The closest is Turning
Points in Franklin.
Hanley likened drug
addiction to heart disease
or diabetes and said it’s
often managed by medications like Methadone,
Suboxone and Vivitrol,
along with counseling
several times a week.
Critics say using those
medications doesn’t solve
the existing problem and
replaces one drug for another. Hanley’s opinion that
prescription pain medications are often the tipping
point of a spiral that ends
with overdose and death
was shared by Mercer
County Coroner John
Libonati, who said there
were 19 deaths from
drugs in 2015.
That’s not counting,
he said, the hundreds
of calls for emergency
medical services for drug
users who didn’t die. The
year before, he added,
Mercer County was the
worst in the state for the
number of drug deaths
based on its population.
Why not hold the doctors
who prescribe narcotics
accountable? Legislators are weeks
away from launching a
statewide drug database
that will allow doctors
to see what medications
their patients are getting
and who they are getting
it from. Called “doctor-shopping,” patients
go to more than one
doctor, asking for pain
medication and using
different pharmacies to
fill the prescription. The
database exists now, but
it can only accessed by
police.
Libonati is quick to
blame hospital administrators and insurance
companies for the thousands of prescriptions
SANDY SCARMACK | Herald
District Attorney Miles Karson, left, talks with Mercer County Court of Common Pleas
Judge Christopher St. John at the second community outreach forum sponsored by
the Mercer County Drug Coalition. County officials and local leaders are routinely
gathering to get a handle on the heroin crisis in the county.
written for pain medications. It started, he said,
when insurance companies began tying financial
reimbursement to patient
satisfaction scores. Patients who asked for pain
medication and were
denied were less likely to
give a positive review of
their treatment, he said.
Negative reviews meant
less financial reimbursement.
If physicians become
less willing to write prescriptions for narcotic
pain medications, longtime users will eventually turn to other sources
to treat their pain or
soothe an addiction. At
$10 a bag, heroin is far
cheaper than paying upwards of $30 for a single
pain pill on the street.
Karson, who said he
recently spent some
time at a statewide district attorney gathering,
said authorities have
to be one step ahead of
the drug dealers, who
have figured out how
to process “God knows
what” into pills labeled
as Oxycodone.
As Gov. Tom Wolf tosses money at the opiod issue and travels the state
pushing treatment, Karson said counties must
take a holistic approach
to the problem. “My
piece, the prosecution of
drug purveyors, is only
one piece of it.”
Who can help?
Mark Benedetto, the
county’s chief juvenile
probation officer, said his
work with the Strengthening Families Program
is a good place to start
developing trust and
communication within
families. He encourages
people to get involved
with Criminal Justice
Advisory Board, a community group working
to reduce repeat offenses
for juvenile offenders.
He’s also involved with
a study done every two
years that looks at the
behavior of students,
who report anonymously
about illicit drug use,
among other things.
Dog
Farrell
• Trevon Michael
McCormick, 19, of 2861
Mercer-West Middlesex
Road, West Middlesex,
was charged Friday
with possession of marijuana after police found
a clear plastic bag with
suspected marijuana
in his car at 9:08 a.m.
Thursday in the west
Farrell School parking
lot, police said.
FROM PAGE A-1
Dorogy said. “We’re hoping someone
local will adopt her so
we can still see her,” said
Courtney Ivan, who has
been fostering the two
dogs.
Ivan is set to be sworn
in with two others as a
Humane officer on Aug.
5.
“She’s great with kids
and dogs,” Ivan said.
“But questionable with
cats.”
Hermitage
Contributed
Marcus, the surviving puppy from Emma’s litter, is currently in foster care.
Man charged with making
meth in hotel room
Herald Staff
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HERMITAGE –
Charges of operating a
meth lab were filed Monday against a Transfer
man after police found a
portable lab in his hotel
room earlier this month,
police said.
Brian Scott Hughes,
48, of 90 Shenango Park
Road, Lot 36, was paying
weekly for a room at the
Quality Inn, 3200 S. Hermitage Road, when he was
arrested for possession of
methamphetamine and
drug paraphernalia for
items found by agents of
Pennsylvania Board of
Probation and Parole on
June 7, police said.
REACHING US
52 S. Dock St., Box 51
Sharon, Pa. 16146
FOR those looking for help
with addiction, the Mercer
County Behavorial Health
Commission is the place to
start, she said. The number is
724-662-1550 or the 24-hour
emergency line at 724-6622227.
POLICE, FIRE
Neglected dog
will be up for adoption
CONTACT the Humane
Society of Mercer County at
724-981-5445 if interested in
adopting Emma.
He said his research
shows the younger crowd
is using alcohol and marijuana.
Gloria Mackley, one of
the founders of the Mercer County Drug Coalition, she was frustrated
at having to travel to
New Castle for help when
a family member was
hooked on heroin.
“There was nothing here
for us. And I wanted what
they had down there. I
didn’t want people to have
to go far away for help.”
She, her husband, Ray
and about six others
started the coalition with
the hopes of spreading
information about drug
addiction and treatment.
A Facebook page is on
the way, as are more
meetings.
After he was taken to
jail, housekeeping staff
found a duffel bag with
drugs and drug-related
items and called Mercer
County 911 multiple times
before Hermitage police
responded, police said.
The officer immediately recognized the smell
in the room and items
in the bag as consistent
with the one-pot method
of cooking meth, police
said.
Hermitage firefighters
and police evacuated several rooms and secured
the second floor of the
hotel, police said.
The Pennsylvania
State Police Clandestine
Lab Team collected ev-
idence and neutralized
the chemicals, police
said.
In addition to operating a meth lab, Hughes
was charged with delivery of a controlled
substance, possessing
a controlled substance
drug device, risking a
catastrophe, possession
of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia and ephedrine and
reckless endangerment,
police said.
Hughes remains in
Mercer County Jail on
$100,000 bond. A preliminary hearing before
District Judge Ronald E.
Antos is set for 10 a.m.
Aug. 4.
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• Jalissa Ann Woods,
26, of 1540 Park Drive,
Hermitage, was charged
Tuesday with assault,
disorderly conduct and
public drunkenness
after she attacked a disabled woman at home
at 10:41 p.m. Monday,
police said.
CORRECTION
Greenville pig roast is
not open to public
An exhibition football
game is open to the public at 7 p.m. Friday at
Greenville High School
between the National
High School champions
of Japan and Mercer
County all-stars. A pig
roast on Wednesday is
not open to the public.
In a Tuesday article,
The Herald incorrectly
stated that the pig roast
is open to the public. The Herald strives for accuracy. But when factual error
does occur in the news or
editorial columns, the newspaper’s policy is to correct it.
To report such an error, call
The Herald’s news desk at
724-981-6100.
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