The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

November 16, 2009

UPDATE: Fire chases family from new home

By Courtney L. Anderson

SHARON — A family of five was displaced by a kitchen fire early Friday in the Sharon home they recently moved into.

Sharon fire Chief Terry Whalen said firefighters were called at 1:43 a.m. to a fire at 700 McClure Ave.

The fire was an accident that started on the stove, Whalen said.

The home is owned by Sts. Peter and Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Whalen said, and Damian and Crystal Bowser lived there with three children ages 3, 16 months and one month.

Whalen said the family was “very fortunate” that the mother woke up and smelled smoke.

“They got out just with the clothes on their backs,” Whalen said. “They didn’t even have shoes on.”

The church has insurance on the building but the couple does not have rental insurance, Whalen said. They moved into the home less than two weeks ago, he said.

That no one was hurt is a “miracle,” the Rev. Jeffrey Harter said.

Harter said the church is not sure if it will repair the home, which is gutted.

Harter said the congregation has come through with donations and clothing and the church refunded the Bowsers’ rent for the month.

The church will collect “any kind of donations” for the family at 699 Stambaugh Ave., and there will be a basket set up at a fun night at 6 p.m. Sunday at the church, Harter said. That event is free to the public.

In addition to help from the church, Whalen said the Mercer County chapter of the American Red Cross offered assistance to the family, who are now staying with relatives. The fire department also gave them blankets and a gift card.

The fire was in the kitchen, but there was heavy smoke and heat damage throughout the home, Whalen said.

Firefighters got to the blaze within three minutes and it was out within 15 minutes, Whalen said.

Text Only
Local News
  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012

  • School board mulls change to sports chaperone policy

    In order to comply with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Sharpsville Area School Board is looking to adjust a chaperone policy it implemented six months ago.

    May 25, 2012

  • Afternoon crash hurts 3 high school students

    Three Jamestown High School students were injured – one seriously – when their pickup left a roadway in southwest Crawford County and crashed into a tree Tuesday afternoon.

    May 24, 2012

  • Board sells some, holds some

    Brookfield Board of Education members voted Tuesday to accept only the bids for the elementary school and the middle school, for a total of $97,050.
    The decision came after an hour-long executive session.

    May 24, 2012

  • Levey: Kohl’s project died with school vote

    Stripped of the necessity of voting for a tax incremental finance plan by Hermitage School Board’s unwillingness to participate, Mercer County commissioners said Wednesday they would like to meet with school board and Hermitage city officials to discuss other ways they can help Levey and Co. build a retail development in the city.

    But Levey spokeswoman Jeffrey A. Mills said there is nothing to discuss.

    May 24, 2012

  • Warden expects hectic season at county jail

    With the unofficial start of summer just a few days away, Mercer County Jail officials are preparing for a busy season.

    May 23, 2012

  • Levey officially drops TIF request

    Levey & Co. has officially ended its request for a tax incremental financing plan to build a retail development anchored by a Kohl’s department store.

    May 23, 2012

  • Grant will pay to fix 12-15 homes



    The City of Farrell will be able to fix up about a dozen homes in the city thanks to a $300,000 HOME grant from the state.

    May 23, 2012

  • Hard budget choices yet to come


     
    Hermitage School Board has been fortunate in many ways during the economic downturn that has been so hard on many other schools.

    May 23, 2012