RNN JOHNSTOWN 07/31/26

          A BEDFORD COUNTY CONTRACTOR FACES THEFT AND FRAUD CHARGES AFTER POLICE SAY HE POCKETED OVER 270-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO RE-ROOF A LOCAL CHURCH, BUT NEVER SHOWED UP TO DO THE WORK. OFFICIALS AT ST. ANDREW CATHOLIC CHURCH PAID SAMUEL HARRIS HALF THE PROJECT COST LAST NOVEMBER. HARRIS CLAIMS WEATHER AND OTHER DELAYS STALLED THE JOB, AND HE'S PROMISING FULL REPAYMENT.

          RESIDENTS IN THE WEST HILLS REGION ARE INVITED TO A PUBLIC MEETING NEXT MONTH FOR AN UPDATE ON LOCAL PLANNING EFFORTS. OFFICIALS FROM BROWNSTOWN, SOUTHMONT, WESTMONT, AND UPPER AND LOWER YODER TOWNSHIPS WILL PRESENT PROPOSED GOALS AND PRIORITIES ON AUGUST 10TH AT WESTMONT HILLTOP ELEMENTARY, REFLECTING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK GATHERED OVER THE PAST YEAR.  THE MEETING WILL RUN FROM 5 TO 7PM.

          A NATIONAL POST-9/11 MILITARY TRIBUTE IS RETURNING TO SOMERSET COUNTY NEXT MONTH. THE FALLEN HEROES MEMORIAL—A SIX-FOOT FLAG MADE OF OVER SEVEN-THOUSAND DOG TAGS—WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT PATRIOT PARK FROM AUGUST 5TH THROUGH AUGUST 15TH TO HONOR FALLEN SERVICE MEMBERS.

Good morning.

A Reynoldsville man is behind bars on two-hundred-thousand dollars bail following a wild police chase through Jefferson County. Authorities say thirty-year-old Tristen Shugar assaulted two people at a Brookville gas station, led officers on a high-speed pursuit, and smashed through at least seven gravestones in a cemetery before crashing into a large tombstone and being caught on foot.

Meanwhile, bail has been set at one million dollars for a DuBois resident and Clearfield Area School District teacher accused of inappropriate contact with a student. Thirty-six-year-old John Timothy Chelednik faces multiple felony charges, with prosecutors highlighting concerns for public safety after he allegedly continued contacting the victim during an active investigation.

And Jefferson County’s tourism economy is outperforming the region. County commissioners report a nearly ten percent jump in tourism impact—far outpacing neighboring counties and leading much of the Pennsylvania Wilds region.

For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.

Good morning.

Tires were squealing in downtown Meadville last night as the second annual Tool City Super Cruise kicked off. The popular event featured a legal burnout competition right in front of the Crawford County Courthouse, with police locking down designated areas to let local car enthusiasts safely show off what their vehicles can do.

In political news, California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna made his second stop in Crawford County in three months yesterday, speaking to a crowd of about one-hundred-and-sixty people in Diamond Park. The Silicon Valley lawmaker is currently testing the waters for a potential twenty-twenty-eight presidential run, pitching a platform centered on economic patriotism, Medicare for all, and higher taxes on billionaires.

And Meadville residents can expect a knock on their doors this month. Two dozen volunteers are canvassing neighborhoods to gather input for the city's new ten-year comprehensive development plan, asking residents seven quick questions about their top priorities for the community's future.

For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.

Good morning.

Youngstown police are investigating a fatal broad-daylight shooting on the city's south side. Authorities say a twenty-year-old man was shot multiple times Wednesday afternoon in a parking lot on West Indianola Avenue before running into the nearby Brothers Auto Group dealership, where he died. Police believe the shooting was targeted and have taken one person in for questioning as the investigation continues.

In Butler County, the local sports community is mourning the loss of two youth football coaches for the Seneca Valley School District who were killed in a single-vehicle crash Wednesday. Authorities say their vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree.

And hundreds of teachers and supporters packed the Mars Area School Board meeting, rallying for a new contract. District educators have been working without a contract and are calling on administrators to finalize a fair deal before the upcoming school year begins.

For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.

Good morning.

An Elmira man is behind bars at the Chemung County Jail facing an attempted murder charge after a broad-daylight stabbing on the city's Northside. Authorities say forty-five-year-old Lontell Maurice Davis stabbed a victim multiple times Tuesday afternoon on Walnut Street, leaving them in critical condition, before state police and sheriff's deputies intercepted Davis fleeing on the highway.

A controversial fifty-seven-thousand-dollar AI classroom robot named "Sally" has been abruptly put on hold by the Salamanca City School District following intense backlash from parents and the state teachers union. Critics voiced major privacy concerns and raised red flags over the manufacturing company’s past associations, prompting state education officials to step in and monitor the district's pilot program.

And a major downtown Elmira landmark is set for a massive transformation. Developer Jim Capriotti announced plans to convert the historic, long-vacant Iszard’s department store building into first-floor retail and dining spaces, with luxury apartments and a rooftop cabana bar filling the top floors.

For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.

Good morning.

Olean police are ramping up patrols across the city following a troubling incident at Lincoln Park. Mayor Amy Sherburne announced increased enforcement in public spaces after a city employee was menaced in a parking lot Wednesday morning. City officials emphasized that criminal behavior, public lewdness, and intimidation will not be tolerated as they explore new ordinances targeting unauthorized encampments.

Meanwhile, Steuben County has secured nearly one-point-six million dollars in state grant funding to replace twenty miles of aging guiderails. The safety upgrades will target County Routes 11 and 119 to reduce the severity of run-off-the-road crashes, saving local taxpayers from picking up the bill.

And drivers in Hornell should prepare for detours starting Monday. The Department of Public Works will begin milling six city streets—including Genesee and School Streets—with heavy truck traffic and strict street parking bans in place through Tuesday.

For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.

Good morning.

A federal judge has given U.S. Senator Jim Justice’s family another deadline extension as they scramble to finalize a five-hundred-million-dollar deal to save the historic Greenbrier Resort. Creditors holding nearly four hundred million dollars in debt are asking the court to appoint a receiver to take over operations, but the judge granted a final grace period through mid-August to close the financing.

In local education news, Wood County Schools is considering hiring contracted teachers to fill seven critical autism education vacancies. Special education officials report a surge in qualified students requiring individualized support, forcing the board to explore outside staffing agencies to ensure certified teachers are in classrooms.

And the district is rolling out a new standardized emergency response protocol. Following confusion during a recent shooting near Gihon Elementary, school security will adopt standardized terms like "secure" for outside threats and "lockdown" for internal ones.

For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.

Good morning. Here is your New York State Roundup.

Governor Kathy Hochul is rolling out a new slate of aggressive gun control measures across the Empire State in response to proposed federal deregulation. The Governor announced that State Police will immediately step up on-site inspections for gun dealers linked to firearms recovered from crime scenes. Hochul is also pushing new state legislation requiring all gun sales to be made strictly in person, blocking federal proposals that would permit online firearm sales delivered directly to buyers' homes.

Meanwhile, local officials across Eastern New York are assessing heavy storm damage following a deluge of rainfall. Emergency management teams report the Town of Coxsackie in Greene County bore the brunt of the storm, taking on ten inches of rain in just twenty hours and generating over sixty emergency pump-out calls. Coxsackie remains under a boil water advisory, and an emergency shelter at Hunter Elementary School has reopened to distribute drinking water to affected families.

In federal court, a jury in Buffalo has convicted the man who attacked author Salman Rushdie on federal terrorism charges. Twenty-eight-year-old Hadi Matar was found guilty after just two hours of deliberation for carrying out foreign terrorist orders when he stabbed Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution in 2022. Already serving a twenty-five-year state sentence, Matar now faces life in federal prison.

Down in New York City, a union representing horse-drawn carriage drivers claims underground stray electricity may have triggered a fatal Central Park carriage crash. Transport Workers Union officials say testing near the Cherry Hill fountain detected stray voltage that may have shocked the horse, causing it to bolt and kill an eighteen-year-old tourist. Utility giant Con Edison confirmed detecting minor voltage but maintains the issue did not originate from its equipment.

In classroom policy, a controversial pilot program in Western New York has sparked a statewide push for artificial intelligence guardrails. Following intense community backlash that led the Salamanca City School District to pause its fifty-seven-thousand-dollar purchase of a humanoid AI assistant, New York State United Teachers is urging lawmakers to enact enforceable, statewide rules governing AI in public schools.

And in Westchester County, officials have officially banned the sale of e-cigarettes and vaping devices designed to look like everyday objects. County Executive Ken Jenkins signed the bill targeting devices disguised as pens, smartwatches, and toys, with violators facing fines of up to twenty-five-hundred dollars.

I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.

Good morning. Here is your West Virginia State Roundup.

Governor Patrick Morrisey held a flood recovery update in Weston yesterday, praising the steady progress of cleanup efforts across central West Virginia. The National Guard and state highway crews have already cleared six thousand tons of debris from flood-damaged areas in Lewis and Upshur counties, with totals expected to top twenty thousand tons before operations conclude. Governor Morrisey urged patience for impacted residents and issued a strong warning against looters and price-gouging scammers targeting flood victims, asking residents to verify credentials and report any suspicious activity.

West Virginia’s annual Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday kicks off at midnight tonight and runs through Monday, August third. Governor Morrisey highlighted the upcoming tax-free weekend, pointing out that the state’s six-percent sales tax will be waived on eligible school supplies under fifty dollars, clothing items under one hundred twenty-five dollars, and laptops under five hundred dollars. State officials estimate the weekend will save Mountain State families more than three-and-a-half million dollars in total.

In faith news, the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has officially welcomed its new leader. Bishop Evelio Menjivar was installed earlier this month as the tenth bishop of the diocese, succeeding retired Bishop Mark Brennan. Bishop Menjivar, who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador over thirty years ago, will shepherd Catholic parishes and schools across all fifty-five West Virginia counties.

In sports, first-round play is underway at the West Virginia Open at The Resort at Glade Springs. Nine golfers broke par during Wednesday's opening round on the Cobb Course, with Pat Carter and Winfield native Chris Williams sharing the early lead at four-under-par sixty-eight. The field will be trimmed to the top sixty players following today's second round.

And in Marion County, a Fairmont man already facing federal drug charges is now facing felony witness intimidation charges. Thirty-six-year-old Michael Fisher is accused of circulating photos of a state witness and sending harassing messages in an attempt to intimidate them ahead of his trial. He is being held at the North Central Regional Jail on a fifty-thousand-dollar bond.

I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.

           A massive data center and power project is being developed in western Kentucky.  The U.S. Department of Energy announced the 100-billion-dollar investment for the former gaseous diffusion plant site in Paducah yesterday.  Brookfield, NextEra Energy, Big Rivers Electric Power Corporation, Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative and Paducah Power System are all partnering on the build.  The data center will include its own natural gas electricity generation system and is expected to be operational by 2031.

         A Hopkinsville man is facing charges in connection with the death of a victim whose body was pulled from the Little River this week.  Local police report 44-year-old Terrance Christian was arrested yesterday on counts including murder.  Investigators believe Christian shot and killed 34-year-old Clifford Barber before his remains were left in the water.  Barber's body was recovered early Tuesday morning.
          

           Officials are identifying a woman who was struck and killed by a train in Whitley County.  The local coroner's office reports 41-year-old Loretta West died following the incident around noon on Monday.  Her body was found near U.S. Highway 25 in the Emlyn community, according to authorities.  Officials have said she was wearing some kind of hearing device when she was killed.  No other details are available so far.

           A former Kentucky State Police trooper is likely spending time behind bars for using excessive force against citizens.  Thirty-six-year-old Thomas Czartorski pleaded guilty to deprivation of civil rights in federal court yesterday.  Officials say he stomped and kicked a handcuffed man in Hardin County and hit another handcuffed man with a flashlight, both in 2020.  Czartorski's plea agreement lists a possible 30-month prison term.  A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November.

           Governor Andy Beshear is planning to hit the road to promote his upcoming book this fall.  Yesterday, the governor announced a 13-stop tour that will launch in Lexington on September 20th and wrap up in Louisville on October 6th.  The governor will be pushing his book, "Go and Do Likewise," which is set to hit shelves on September 22nd.  Other tour stops include Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.