STATE
PITTSBURGH — A federal judge said the trial of a woman charged with killing an FBI agent will remain in federal court.
The brother-in-law of shooting suspect Christine Korbe, 40, wants the case moved to Allegheny County court, but U.S. District Judge Terrence McVerry ruled Friday George Waksmunski had no standing to bring the challenge.
Korbe is accused of shooting FBI Special Agent Samuel Hicks when he came to arrest her husband on drug charges at their Glenshaw home Nov. 19. Korbe said she shot Hicks thinking he was an intruder.
BRADFORD — State park officials want to build a glass-bottomed overlook at Kinzua Bridge State Park.The railroad bridge had spanned the Kinzua Gorge in McKean County until it was destroyed by a tornado in 2003. It was once more than 2,000 feet long and was a National Engineering Landmark.Six steel tower trestles still support part of the bridge and the Bureau of State Parks wants to build the overlook at the end of the remaining span about 220 feet above ground.Bids for the project were too expensive in January, so the overlook project will be rebid next month.Parks officials plan to develop an interactive display and visitors center with information about the viaduct from 1882 and the steel replacement that was built in 1900.
PITTSBURGH — A woman was ordered to repay the government more than $36,000 for stealing her dead mother's veterans benefits.Laurie Davin, 48, of Dormont also was placed on probation for four years, including six months of home confinement, on Friday. She had pleaded guilty to theft of government property.Investigators said Davin withdrew more than $38,000 from Helen Lang's bank account by using an ATM card nearly 150 times after her mother died in February 2005. The Veterans Administration wasn't informed Lang died, and the checks continued.
ERIE — Erie is closing in fast on a season record for snowfall.So far this year, the city has seen nearly 142 inches of snow — just under 12 feet.Erie needs about seven more inches to set a new record, which currently stands at just over 149 inches. That mark was set in the winter of 2000-01.The forecast for the next week doesn't call for any significant snowfall for the region, but National Weather Service meteorologist Marty Mullen said there is still plenty of time to break the record.March typically brings more than 11 inches of snow to the region.
