Local News
Hart, Ney teamed up for fundraising
MERCER COUNTY — As Jason Altmire sees it, Melissa Hart has some explaining to do.
Altmire, the Democratic challenger to the 4th Congressional District Republican incumbent, isn’t alleging any criminal action by Ms. Hart took place, but he is raising questions about her relationship with U.S. Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio.
Ney last week became the first federal lawmaker to admit his guilt in the congressional corruption probe that was touched off by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Ney is expected to plead guilty next month to making false statements and conspiracy to commit fraud after improperly accepting tens of thousands worth of trips, meals, sports tickets and casino chips in return for pushing legislation favorable to the donors.
According to the federal campaign finance Web site tray.com, Ms. Hart — who represents Farrell, West Middlesex, Shenango Township and a sliver of Hermitage — and Ney were among four members of Congress who formed a joint fundraising committee — Good Government 2004 — during the 2003 and 2004 election cycle.
Based on information reported at tray.com’s PoliticalMoneyLine, the committee reported receipts and disbursements of $93,185 from Aug. 15, 2003 to March 11, 2004. Disbursements after $3,427 in operating expenses totaled $89,279, with Spencer Bachus, R-Ala. and Patrick Tiberia, R-Ohio getting $23,358 each, Ney receiving $21,441 and Ms. Hart $21,122.
The committee’s operating expenses included $1,615 for catering, $1,500 for Federal Election Commission compliance and $312 for in-kind salary and administrative costs.
Mercer County’s other congressman, U.S. Rep. Phil English, Erie, R-3rd District, accepted $5,000 from Ney’s political action committee and has since announced he would donate it to the American Red Cross.
Altmire said Ms. Hart’s situation is much different.
“She was a partner with Ney in a joint fundraising committee exactly at the same time he was committing these campaign violations for which he has pled guilty,” Altmire said.
Altmire said Ms. Hart needs to explain what her connection is to Ney. There’s a “clear difference,” he added, between English accepting money from Ney’s political action committee and Ms. Hart forming a political action committee with Ney and two others.
“At the minimum she should give it back (to donors), but the bigger issue is to explain her relationship with a guy who just pled guilty,” Altmire said, adding he would also like to know where the money came from and if any of it’s connected with the scandal Ney was involved in.
Ms. Hart’s campaign manager Luke Myslinski explained the committee was formed by the four lawmakers to for a “specific event,” which allowed donors to write one check to the committee before it eventually was split four ways.
“There was no personal involvement between Melissa Hart and Bob Ney,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of Ms. Hart, Myslinski also said there’s “absolutely no connection” between the event and what Ney has admitted doing and it’s “ludicrous” for anyone to attempt to connect them.
“The only connection is they served in Congress together, so you could make the connection to 433 other members of Congress,” Myslinski said.
Dr. Michael L. Coulter, an associate professor of political science at Grove City College, said forming specialized committees to host an event or a series of events is a common practice in Washington.
Coulter said the quartet were all members of the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, which was part of the House Committee on Financial Services. The donations for the event appear to have mostly come from people associated with financial service companies, he added.
Coulter said he didn’t think the relationship with Ney would hurt Ms. Hart’s campaign, noting that she reported raising $570,622 in political action committee donations during that same election cycle.
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Hood surfer back home, recovering
Natalie Huff, the 17-year-old girl critically hurt in a hood-surfing accident, made it home Friday for the first time since she was run over by a friend’s car last month.
David Huff, Natalie’s father, said she was in excellent spirits.
“She just wants to come home,” he said. “She wants out of the hospital. She’s doing really well.”
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Kelly: Jobs are the key to restoring economy
When businesses are healthy, they hire people, and everyone wins, according to Congressional candidate Mike Kelly
The Republican challenger announced his “Pathways to Prosperity” job plan Friday in time for Labor Day weekend at JFS Wealth Advisors in Hermitage. He also made stops in Butler, Crawford, and Erie counties.
Kelly, who faces U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, Erie, D-3rd District in November, said he’s been up and down the county and hears about two concerns: jobs and the economy.
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Couple restoring a local landmark
The gardens were renowned and the house was a resting stop for future presidents.
Now, Dan Briceland and his wife Kristin are restoring the structure at 379 state Route 7 in Brookfield to its original glory.
Built in 1816 by Navy Capt. James Christy, the dilapidated house went up for sale this spring. The Bricelands, who have always wanted to restore an historic house, put in a bid and won.
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Cleanup planned for 2nd city neighborhood
The Irvine Avenue cleanup in Sharon was so successful that similar efforts are being planned for another part of the city.
The Sharon Beautification Commission is organizing a cleanup for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 2 for Meek Street and several surroundings streets, Sharon City Manager Tom Lavorini told council Thursday.
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Lock up vehicles, police urge
Residents should be alert for suspicious activity and keep their cars and homes locked in the wake of a recent rash of thefts from cars — some of which were left unlocked, Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Chief Riley Smoot said.
The most recent thefts were reported Wednesday in the Dogwood Lane, Oak Hill Drive and Kiwanis Road area of West Middlesex.
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Blue Streak thrills again
“It was great. What else can I say?” Dave Hahner said Thursday, just moments after taking his second ride on the Blue Streak.
That’s right. For the first time since 2006, Conneaut Lake Park’s historic roller coaster is back up and running. Once again ready, as Jack Moyers, chairman of the board of trustees of Conneaut Lake Park, put it, “to bring thrills and chills to children of all ages.”
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3 Ohio men in county jail accused of Walmart theft ring
Three Ohio men are in Mercer County Jail for allegedly running a theft ring that stole video games and systems from Walmart stores and then sold them for cash.
Thomas “Tommy” Hamilton, 42, of Ashtabula; Alex Plitt, 34, of Jefferson; and Christopher Patton, 25, address unknown, were caught Aug. 25 after hitting up Walmart stores in Ohio and Pennsylvania for at least several months, Hempfield Township patrolman Daniel McCloskey said Wednesday.
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Blue Streak may be winner
The trustees of Conneaut Lake Park have invited the media and members of American Coaster Enthusiasts to the park today, where they are expected to announce that they will be awarded $50,000 in the Pepsi Refresh contest to help refurbish the Blue Streak roller coaster.
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Funding dries up
For two decades, Farrell Mayor Olive McKeithan has been an advocate for the city and its minority community. Now, one of the programs that’s near and dear to her heart is facing a funding crunch that could cause the Minority Health/ERASE Anti-Drug Coalition to cease operations at the end of the year.
Mrs. McKeithan helped start Minority Health 16 years ago when she worked for Sharon Regional Health System. It began as a way for the hospital to educate and serve the local African-American community, and since 1994 it has offered programs geared toward improving the health of blacks in the area.
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Briefly - Sept. 1, 2010
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Hood surfer back home, recovering
