Indiana Gazette
The
www.indianagazette.com Vol. 111 — No. 326
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IndiGO planning CNG fill station
DOING BATTLE
July 2015
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Job listings There are 30 help wanted ads listed in the Classified section today./Pages B-5 and B-6
By RANDY WELLS
rwells@indianagazette.net
Who’s in the news There is good news today in The Indiana Gazette about these area people: Ron Valazak, Jessica Polenik, Chris Barr, Dwight “Arch� Brocious, Wanda Kay Rising, Thomas Fairman.
Inside
JAMES J. NESTOR/Gazette
UNWRITTEN RULE: Abiding by a “majority-of-themajority� rule may mean state legislators may have a difficult time bringing a budget proposal to a vote./Page A-3
FIREFIGHTERS FROM Cherryhill Township (Station 260) and Creekside (Station 240) competed Saturday in the battle of the barrel at the Indiana County Fire Chief’s Convention hosted by Commodore. At left are Cherryhill chief Jody Rainey and second assistant chief John Rainey and Creekside firefighters Cory Hitchings and Jasmine Long.
Saudis say they thwarted ISIS attacks, arrested 400
BEEFING UP SECURITY: Governors in several states ordered National Guardsmen to be armed in the wake of an attack on two military facilities in Tennessee, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott relocated recruiters to armories./Page B-1
By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
CROWDED FIELD: A lack of an incumbent presidential candidate is causing the Republican pool to swell./Page B-2
Associated Press
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia announced Saturday it has broken up planned Islamic State attacks in the kingdom and arrested more than 400 suspects in an anti-terrorism sweep, a day after a powerful blast in neighboring Iraq killed more than 100 people in one of the country’s deadliest single attacks since U.S. troops pulled out in 2011. The Saudi crackdown underscores the OPEC powerhouse’s growing concern about the threat posed by the Is-
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lamic State group, which in addition to its operations in Iraq and Syria has claimed responsibility for recent suicide bombings aimed at Shiites in the kingdom’s oil-rich east and in nextdoor Kuwait. The Saudi Interior Ministry accused those arrested over the “past few weeks� of involvement in several attacks, including a suicide bombing in May that killed 22 people in the eastern village of al-Qudeeh. It was the deadliest militant assault in the kingdom in more than a decade. It also blamed them for the November shooting and killing of eight worshippers in the eastern Saudi village
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of al-Ahsa, and for behind another attack in late May, when a suicide bomber disguised as a woman blew himself up in the parking lot of a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers, killing four. The Interior Ministry said that in June they thwarted a suicide bomb attack on a large mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia that can hold 3,000 worshippers, along with multiple planned attacks on other mosques and diplomatic and security bodies. Those arrested included suspects behind a number of militant websites used in recruiting, the ministry said. Continued on Page A-8
Thunderstorm today. Strong t-storm tonight.
LifeFlight crew takes to skies when seconds count
See Page 2.
Deaths Obituaries on Page A-4 HILTERMAN, Cy, 80, Cherry Tree REED, Joseph P. Sr., 83, Saltsburg (Moween) RURA, Rose Ann M., 72, Coral Late death BARANKOVICH, Frances (Bair), 91, formerly of Slickville
By JAN SHELLENBARGER news@indianagazette.net
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he LifeFlight helicopter’s rotors spin faster and the grass around the landing pad flattens into a circular pattern as pilot Karl Jolly begins to do the job “he loves to hate.� Jolly, who has piloted helicopters for 30 years, said he loves to fly, “but when I fly, it means somebody is hurt.� Before being hired by Metro Aviation Inc., the company that operates the helicopters used in the medivac service, the Marine-trained pilot served in active duty and reserves in areas around the country, such as the Gulf of Mexico. For the past 15 years, Jolly has flown LifeFlight missions out of the base at
Business..............D-1-D-5 Classifieds............B-5-B-8 Dear Abby...................D-8 Family .........................D-6 Food ............................D-7 Leisure..................E-1-E-8 Lottery.........................A-2 Op/Ed..........................A-7 Sports...................C-1-C-8 Today in History ........D-8 Viewpoint....................A-6
KAYLA GUBE/Gazette
GARY AND Joni Rupert got a scare last July when their daughter, Madison, was hurt in an accident on the family farm in Shelocta and was later flown by LifeFlight. the Indiana Regional Medical Center. Jolly not only flies the helicopter, but provides nonmedical assistance when transporting the patients between the facility and the helicopter. “I’m an extra set of hands,� he said. The hospital’s security staff assists as
Wolfendale’s bar, Grub’s back in business
Blueberries: U-Pick And Picked stutzmanfarms.com (724) 463-7915
By CHAUNCEY ROSS
Reassessment Consultants, Need Help? (724) 349-1601
chauncey@indianagazette.net
The operators of Wolfendale’s Pub & Club and Grub’s Sports Bar opened their doors and welcomed patrons on Friday for beverage service after reactivation of
Yarnick’s Summer Polka Party Sunday 2-7 p.m. Join Us For Great Music & Food! Dinner At 4 -p.m., Yarnick’s Farm (724) 349-3904
the businesses’ liquor permit. The license lapsed July 1 and the adjacent nightspots in the 500 block of Philadelphia Street idled their taps because of late payment of taxes to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and
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Industry, according to coowner and manager Ken Arthurs. “The department was refusing to give us a payment plan, but with the help of Sen. Don White and Rep. Dave Reed’s office, we were able to get an arrangement,�
Arthurs said Saturday. Grub’s opened on Thursday for the first time since early this month to serve diners taking part in the Taste & Tour promotional event spotlighting downtown Indiana restaurants, then both facilities an-
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well, helping to clear the hallways to the exit and carrying equipment. LifeFlight helicopters operate within a 130-mile radius of Pittsburgh and provide critical care services from either the scene of an accident or a Continued on Page A-8
Many American motorists have long recognized the advantages of owning a personal vehicle fueled by compressed natural gas. CNG is an abundant and economical North American energy source that releases less harmful emissions into the environment than gasoline. Fueling vehicles with CNG also reduces foreign oil purchases and creates more jobs for U.S. workers. The drawbacks to CNG vehicles are that they are more expensive to purchase than gasoline or diesel vehicles and for many drivers they are less practical because CNG filling stations are few and far between. That second disadvantage will not be an issue for Indiana-area drivers by next fall. John Kanyan, executive director of the Indiana County Transit Authority, said IndiGO will be among the first of 37 mass transit organizations in the state to receive new CNG filling stations that will also be available for use by the public. The new local CNG station is expected to be built near IndiGO’s maintenance facility along Rose Street, White Township. Last fall, Pennsylvania’s Public-Private Partnership approved a plan to take advantage of the state’s natural gas resources by finding a private partner to develop clean-burning CNG fueling stations at public transit agencies around the state. Under the plan the new stations must also be open to drivers of privately owned CNG vehicles. “With Pennsylvania now a leading natural gas producer, this project creates opportunities for transit providers and the public to have better access to this fuel for vehicle operations,� PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch said in a press release. “This project will help the people of Pennsylvania realize the benefits this resource is delivering.� Four companies in California, Illinois and Utah have been identified as potential private partners for the project. One is expected to be selected soon to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the CNG filling stations. PennDOT will receive a portion of the fuel sales revenue, with the money being returned to transit agencies to assist with future capital projects. IndiGO began using CNGpowered buses in 2000, and 70 percent of its fleet now runs on CNG. IndiGO has its own CNG refueling station at its maintenance facility where natural gas is taken from the same supply line that serves homes and businesses. The natural gas, at about 50 pounds of pressure Continued on Page A-8
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nounced their reopening on Friday, posting window signs reading, “Thanks to some great friends.� The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board changed the status of the license, held by NCK Inc., from “inactive� to Continued on Page A-4