Board to hire basketball coachLEECHBURG — Leechburg School Board is set to hire a new boys’ basketball coach today in the wake of hazing allegations.The contract of coach Damian Davies wasn’t renewed after police and the district investigated allegations that a stick was used to haze some players in a sexually suggestive manner. No criminal charges have resulted.Parents, players and others who feel Davies was unfairly made a scapegoat have an online petition to reinstate him.He has re-applied for his old job, but school officials won’t say whether he’s one of two finalists being considered at tonight’s meeting. Davies has denied wrongdoing.

Woman killed in crash is ID’dEIGHTY-FOUR — Authorities have identified a woman who died when a car crossed the center line into a caravan of motorcycles.Darla Cook, 51, of Washington, Pa., was killed. She was a passenger on one of the motorcycles. Five other people were injured in the crash Sunday morning on Route 136 in Nottingham Township. The motorcycles were taking part in an organized Hog chapter motorcycle ride.State police said the car was heading west and crossed the center line into the path of several motorcycles, striking three.The driver of the car has been identified as a 73-year-old Monongahela man. He has yet to be charged or cited in the crash, and state police are still investigating.

Man dies when mower overturnsECONOMY — Authorities say a man died after a lawnmower he was riding overturned and landed on top of him.The Beaver County coroner’s office said 64-year-old Richard Gala was riding his mower at his home in Economy at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday when he rolled backward over a four-foot wall.Chief deputy Bill Pasquale said it appeared Gala was backing up the mower and misjudged his distance from the wall.He said the mower landed on top of Gala, causing him to suffocate.

Gator found near PhillyALLENTOWN — Wildlife experts were called to help corral an alligator spotted in a canal about 50 miles north of Philadelphia. A fisherman saw the 3½-foot reptile Friday afternoon in the Lehigh Canal in Allentown.Police say they tracked the alligator for hours and had corralled it Friday evening. The reptile was taken to a preserve in East Stroudsburg.The alligator is a juvenile. Police say the animal is likely an unwanted pet.