Small plane crashes at private runway, injuring 2



ATLANTIC — A small plane crashed Tuesday afternoon on a private runway in East Fallowfield Township, Pennsylvania State Police in Meadville said.

Two men in the plane were hurt but refused medical treatment, police said.

Pilot James B. Townsend, 74, of Atlantic was attempting to land the 1945 Taylor Craft single-engine plane at 2:15 p.m. in an open field at the southeast corner of McMaster and Atlantic roads, police said.

Townsend reported that he was flying too high and tried to fly around for another attempt at landing when the plane lost lift and struck trees, police said.

The aircraft ended up in the trees with its nose into the ground, police said.

Police said Townsend and a passenger, Richard R. Price, 77, of Atlantic, received minor injuries but refused to be taken to a hospital.

Man fled DUI charges over illness, but lived



GREENVILLE — Eleven years after his arrest, Charles Irving Shaffer went to jail Monday on a first-offense drunken driving charge. His case dates back to 1996.

But Shaffer, 54, formerly of 170 S. Mercer St., Greenville, had an excuse — his attorney, Randall Hetrick, said he had contracted a life-threatening illness that made his expected jail term a relatively low priority in his life.

Shaffer moved to Illinois and medical advances eventually saved him, Hetrick said. He was recently picked up on a warrant, though, and pleaded guilty to drunken driving on Aug. 7 this year.

Judge Thomas R. Dobson, who sentenced him, told Shaffer that after a while he knew he wasn’t on the verge of death and should have returned.

Hetrick also pointed out that Shaffer had no prior criminal record and hasn’t been arrested since the drunken driving charges. Dobson gave him 30 days to 15 months in jail with five days’ credit and ordered him to pay costs and fines.

Elderly woman critically hurt when car hits tree



EAST LACKAWANNOCK TOWNSHIP — An 81-year-old New Wilmington-area woman was critically injured in a one-car crash at 5:15 p.m. Sunday on Stonepile Road, East Lackawannock Township, police said.

Leona Speer was listed in critical condition Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Ms. Speer was southbound when she lost control and her car hit a tree, police said. She was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

Flowers planted along bridge stolen from boxes



SHARON — Days after the Sharon Beautification Commission planted flowers along the Connelly Boulevard bridge in downtown Sharon, someone stole about 10 of the plants from the flower boxes, police said.

The mums were purchased out of the commission members own pockets, police said, and were planted Thursday by members Carol Schwarz and Carol Connelly.

Over the weekend, some of the flowers were taken, police said.

“Here you have an organization trying to make downtown look nicer and somebody had to mess it up,” police Chief Mike Menster said. “We’re not going to tolerate that.”

Anyone with any information or who saw anything involving the flowers is asked to contact police at 724-983-3232.

Day of remembrance for murder victims is Thursday



SHARON — The Mercer County Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children Inc., will observe the national day of remembrance for loved ones who have died by violence with a program at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Sharon City Building, 155 W. Connelly Blvd., Sharon.

For more information call Sister Genell Cozart at 724-342-9778.

Hearing on attempted homicide continued



SHARON — A preliminary hearing for an Ohio man charged with slashing a man’s throat outside a Sharon bar was continued Thursday.

Larry F. Zec, 60, of 3746 Custer-Orangeville Road, Burghill, was charged with attempted homicide, two counts of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment after police said he cut the throat of Walter Ayres, 35, of Sharon, on July 30.

Ayres received 45 stitches, police said.

Zec’s hearing, which was supposed to be Thursday before District Judge James E. McMahon, Sharon, was continued to Oct. 30.

Zec is free on $15,000 bond.

Feds charge Mexican man who fled police



MERCER COUNTY — A Mexican man arrested in Mercer County has been charged by federal authorities with reentry of a deported alien.

Fernando Lopez-Marin was driving a van stopped by state police for swerving Sept. 17 on Interstate 80 eastbound near Mercer, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a complaint filed Friday.

All of the 10 to 12 occupants told trooper Timothy Callahan they were not in the country legally, and had no immigration documents, ICE said. Callahan asked Lopez-Marin to follow him to the state police barracks for record checks, ICE said.

Lopez-Marin started following Callahan but, after turning onto Interstate 79 in Findley Township, drove off the road and all occupants ran, ICE said.

State police searched woods for several hours but only found Lopez-Marin and his common-law wife, who were walking long I-79, ICE said.

Fingerprint records showed Lopez-Marin also was known as Arturo Lopez-Tellez, and had been imported by an immigration judge Sept. 5, 2006 in Chicago, and by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Sept. 27 and Oct. 1, both 2006, ICE said.

At a detention hearing Tuesday, Lopez-Marin waived his right to a hearing, and was ordered detained until trial.

Local man hurt in crash is no longer at St. E’s



PYMATUNING TOWNSHIP — A Pymatuning Township man injured in a van-truck crash May 23 in Canfield, Ohio, is no longer a patient at St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, a hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Clinton Dershaw, 28, of 3572 N. Hermitage Road, was a passenger in a van that ran into the back of a lumber truck at 4:45 p.m. on Route 62, police said.

Dershaw was listed in critical condition for more than a month.

Police probing rash of car break-ins



FARRELL — At least a dozen unlocked vehicles were broken into over the weekend in the city. Stereo equipment and loose change were taken in the thefts, police said.

Southwest Mercer County Regional Police said at least 12 vehicles that were parked in driveways and on East Judy Lynn Drive, Short Street, Park Avenue and Shady Drive were vandalized.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 724-983-2720.