Latest news with #CambriaCounty
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
8 charged after game wardens take down poaching ring in Cambria County
Eight people pleaded guilty to dozens of charges after the Pennsylvania Game Commission said wardens took down a poaching group in Cambria County. The Game Commission said a lengthy investigation into the taking of 11 white-tailed deer and a gray fox in Cambria County between 2023 and 2024 resulted in 35 charges and more than 70 years' worth of license revocations. Authorities said the investigation began when a game warden checked the license of one of the suspects while they were fishing in Indiana County. When the warden asked about the guns and ammunition found in the vehicle, the Game Commission said the suspect admitted to shooting deer at night using a spotlight. After serving three separate search warrants, investigators determined eight people were poaching deer at night while using spotlights. They also failed to tag deer, took bucks that didn't meet antler restrictions, used tags from other states and exceeded the legal limits, the Game Commission said. Jason Wise, Sandra Wise, Daniel Wise, Issac Keith, Dan Sodomont, Marina Morgan, Dennis Corson and Levi Corson all pleaded guilty to summary counts. They were ordered to pay $35,000 in restitution and they lost their hunting and trapping privileges for a combined 70 years. "Great work by all wardens involved in ensuring these senseless crimes didn't go unpunished, helping to uphold the law and protect our wildlife for current and future generations," the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Southwest Region wrote on Facebook. People are encouraged to report wildlife crimes by calling Operation Game Thief at 1-888-PGC-8001 or by going online.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Longtime firefighter, department president 'leading the way' in Dunlo fire service
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Denny Gdula has been a volunteer firefighter for 54 years. When Gdula was 16 years old, the place to hang out was the Adams Township Volunteer Fire/Rescue station at 180 Pitcairn Ave. in the village of Dunlo. He played ping-pong and pool there – and developed a lifelong commitment to community service that spread to his family. Rick Gdula joined the department after Denny Gdula, his older brother. Front Lines logo 'I got involved so he could enjoy more time with his boys, who were reaching Little League age,' Rick Gdula said. 'Denny was a firefighter, EMT and paramedic, and he ran our ambulance. He was chief for a lot of years, too, and a caring Adams Township supervisor. 'The people who were around our fire department all looked up to Denny. So many people followed after him to become EMTs or paramedics, and that helped the community out a great deal, with him leading the way.' Gdula's father, Jim, also joined after his son and served as president of the department for many years until he died. Denny Gdula's sons, and Rick Gdula's, too, are members of the department, as well as Denny Gdula's grandson. At one time, his wife Denise, a registered nurse, was a paramedic with the department. Today, Denny Gdula, 70, is president of Adams Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 in Dunlo, which serves half of Adams Township in Cambria County. 'I forget how many fire companies were in Cambria County when I started, and now the number has probably been cut in half,' he said. The Dunlo station has survived because of community support, he said. 'In a small community like this, people will step up,' he said. 'Financially, we get supported well. And a lot of people who don't belong to the fire department, if we have a big function and need help, all we have to do is give them a call and they are happy to show up.' Dunlo firefighters had responded to 58 calls so far this year as of Thursday. The department responds to an average of 150 calls a year, Gdula said. Over the course of his career, he has helped people through a lot. He said he's probably the only firefighter in the fire department who was active the night of the 1977 Johnstown flood. 'I'll never forget those next two or three days after the flood,' he said. 'We were from here to there to everywhere, cleaning up, making our way, checking on everybody. There was so much destruction. That was one thing that never left me and never will. But since then, I've probably responded to a couple hundred structure fire calls, vehicle accidents – it's a hard thing to describe, what a volunteer does.' He said people may not realize all that firefighters can do and will do. 'We'll pump your basement, get your cat out of a tree,' he said. 'Just this morning, there was a carbon monoxide alarm, so you learn that their furnace was malfunctioning; you shut their furnace off and ventilate the house. There's just anything imaginable.' Gdula retired four years ago from his full-time job of 30 years as an Adams Township public works supervisor. Prior to that, he worked for Bethlehem Steel Corp. and M. Glosser & Sons steel company. 'As a volunteer firefighter, you miss a lot of sleep, and a lot of work at times,' he said. 'You might go out at 4 a.m. in the morning (on a fire dispatch), and you are supposed to be at your job at 7 a.m., but you don't get back until 8 a.m., so there's a lot of things volunteers do that people don't realize.' The department has about 30 or more volunteers from ages 16 through 70, he said. 'The future looks promising,' he said. 'We have 12 junior firefighters. They come and train, so it does look good.' Adams Township is also fortunate to have two fire stations, he said. The Dunlo station works with the Adams Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 station in St. Michael on almost every call, he said. At 70 years old, Gdula said he recognizes that he can't do what he used to be able to do, but he has no plans for stopping any time soon. 'Once you've been a volunteer firefighter for as long as I have, you feel obligated when the whistle blows to go,' he said.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fallen remembered, veterans honored in Cambria County on Memorial Day
CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Memorial Day is a day to remember America's fallen military members, and many state leaders attend various services across the Commonwealth. Senator Wayne Langerholc attended Sandyvale's dedication service in Cambria County, honoring the men and women from the county who gave their lives fighting for our country. The service also honored veterans in attendance with a special pinning ceremony. Langerholc spoke about his great-uncle, who was killed in World War II. He shared how special this day is to honor his uncle, as well as others who have served. Veterans who spoke at the service expressed how the day has turned into a celebration for many Americans, but remembering why we have the day is what's important. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Photos: Late night Johnstown fire leads to emergency building demolition
CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A late-night fire at a vacant commercial building has led to an emergency demolition, leaving a Johnstown road closed Crews were called to the 700 block of Railroad Street for a structure fire around 12:15 a.m. Sunday, May 11. Firefighters worked through the night, which led to the demolition of the building Sunday afternoon. To do so, crews had to close Feeder Street. Jim McCann, Assistant Fire Chief at the Johnstown Fire Department, said the building was unsafe and that Johnstown police and State Police Fire Marshals are investigating. Johnstown Fire Department was at the scene until just before 2 p.m., after nearly 14 hours from the initial injuries were reported at this time. Johnstown, Richland, Westmont Fire, Seventh Ward, Hilltop EMS, Dart Medic and Cambria County Box 11 all responded to the scene. Johnstown Firefighters also thanked Randy's Bi-Lo for providing snacks and drinks for the crews. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Burns, Cambria County officials at odds over ballots for primary
EBENSBURG, Pa. – The Cambria County Board of Elections has approved a slate of elections custodians and workers ahead of the May 20 municipal primary election. The nearly 30 election workers approved Thursday will receive stipends of $85 to $150 for their work at the courthouse on election night – the range depends on how long they are scheduled to work, the elections board said. However, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township, issued a press release stating the county has yet another election issue. He said he received a phone call from Pennsylvania Department of State Secretary Al Schmidt on Thursday morning, informing him that Cambria County misprinted its ballots for the May 20 primary. Burns said he was told the order of judicial race candidates presented on the ballots was incorrect, that the 'State Department flagged the problem a month ago' and that 'the county ignored that notice and plowed ahead with misprinted ballots, which have already been mailed to voters.' 'The county commissioners need to take action,' Burns said. 'They can no longer hide from the failures of the election mishaps on their watch.' Speaking on behalf of the county commissioners, Cambria County Solicitor Ronald Repak issued an email saying Burns' claims are partially false. It is correct that the only two names listed under the Republican state judge race were in the reverse order for the mail-in ballots sent out prior to May 6, Repak's email said. However, the county's elections director, Nicole Burkhardt, made contact with the Department of State to alert them to the mail-in ballot issue and seek guidance – not the other way around, Repak's email said. 'The Cambria County director of elections reached out to the Department of State to let them know of the inverted names on the Republican state judge race mail-in ballots and was told to segregate those mail-in ballots to ensure they are properly marked and scanned,' Repak's email said. The problem was rectified in 24 hours, he said. 'We want to be clear, the Cambria County Director (of elections) found that two names were inverted on the state judge race for the mail-in ballots only,' he said. ' ... We appreciate that the County Elections Department did not wait, but took swift action to correct it. Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Elections Department.' Moreover, the precinct ballots for election day are correct, he said. 'Additionally, for this May primary, the County will be testing the actual precinct ballots before disbursement to the precincts to avoid the issue related to the previous election,' Repak said in his statement. As for the approved election workers, their duties include collecting materials from polling places, counting mail-in ballots and working with ballots delivered by truck on election night, according to the elections board – a board that is composed of the Cambria County commissioners. In addition, county elections office staff said it has hundreds of elected inspectors and clerks are set to work at local voting precincts across the county. Somerset County Voter Registration and Elections Director Tina Pritts said Somerset's 230 local election workers are also preparing for election night. She said there will be 15 county employees who handle the ballots at the courthouse on election night. Pritts expects lower voter turnout for the upcoming municipal election compared to the last election in November, in which voters turned out in droves to elect the United States President and congress members. Cambria County experienced a unique problem during the last election: the county's voting systems malfunctioned. Ballots that couldn't be scanned due to a printer error were collected by Cambria County sheriff's deputies and hand-delivered to the courthouse where they were hand-counted with poll watchers from both parties present. However, as the municipal primary approaches, the county's voting machines – and the election-day paper ballots – have been tested for accuracy and dependability, Repak said. Repak said the county commissioners and elections office have taken steps to prevent a repeat problem. 'We are doing everything we can to make sure it's tight for May and November elections,' he said.
