Target of ambush sought by policeWASHINGTON — A man authorities say was targeted but only wounded in a cookout ambush that killed five adults and an unborn child is now a fugitive himself.That’s because 25-year-old Lamont Powell failed to show up Tuesday for trial in Washington County on charges he was driving under the influence of marijuana, and possessing the drug during a December 2014 traffic stop.Cheron Shelton, 29, and Robert Thomas, 27, were charged last week in the Wilkinsburg massacre on March 9. Allegheny County authorities say they wanted to kill Powell because they believe he murdered Shelton’s best friend in 2013. Nobody has been charged in that killing, though police have called Powell a suspect.

Chickens credited with fire rescueCREEKSIDE — A fire chief says some cackling chickens turned out to be cock-a-doodle-do-gooders.Creekside Fire Chief Pete Yacovone said David Wells escaped his burning Indiana County home early Wednesday after his son, who lives across the street, was awakened by his chickens, who may have been startled by the fire.Yacovone says the chickens made “good smoke detectors” and that if Wells’ son “hadn’t come and got him, we would’ve been fishing a body out of there.”The fire reported was apparently caused by an electrical problem.

School super stays despite questionsPITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Public Schools board rejected one member’s request to rescind the hiring of a superintendent after questions were raised about his resume and possible plagiarism.The board voted 7-2 against a motion to reverse the hiring of Anthony Hamlet. He’ll begin his $210,000-a-year job on Friday. The board hired a former prosecutor to review Hamlet’s resume after two newspapers reported two Florida schools didn’t improve their state ratings as much as Hamlet’s resume says. He’s also been accused of using information from other sources without attribution to define his educational philosophy.