,b>Federal trial opens for retired trooper

PITTSBURGH — A federal court trial has begun for a retired Pennsylvania state trooper accused of having forged a dead judge’s signature on a bogus court order in an effort to keep his ex-wife from receiving part of his pension.

Steven Grados, 51, of Monongahela is charged with mail fraud and forging and counterfeiting a federal court seal.

A prosecutor alleged in court Wednesday that Grados mailed the state agency overseeing his pension a bogus order he had forged using the signature of a deceased judge who had thrown out a 2011 lawsuit he filed against his ex-wife and others.

Defense attorney Al Lindsay, however, suggested that another ex-wife, who is expected to testify in the case, could have benefited from the alleged plot.

Credit approved for Cheyney U.HARRISBURG — Leaders of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education have approved a new line of credit for Cheyney University.The credit will help ensure that the historically black college continues to operate. It will help the school meet its financial obligations while also requiring a new institutional model.The board on Wednesday also authorized the creation of a task force to make recommendations for that new model.