Latest news with #PENNCREST
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Warren drops out of PENNCREST race
Following accusations of patronizing prostitutes, PENNCREST school board candidate Matthew Warren has withdrawn from the ballot. He was one of 52 charged in connection with the Totally You Fitness Spa criminal investigation in which the fitness center was alleged to have acted as a front for commercial sex to buyers over a decade. Warren has maintained his innocence, but the state has said it can track his credit card and phone statements back to the facility from 2020 to 2024, and the criminal complaint included a confession to police in 2024 that he engaged in massages with sexual acts. After the charges were filed, there was an increase of scrutiny that Warren said ultimately drove him to stop campaigning. 'This decision was not made lightly, I've been unfairly targeted, and I refuse to allow those attacks to continue hurting the other candidates and the people I care about most,' Warren told The Meadville Tribune. 'I love my family, my friends and this community too much to let this continue.' Warren ran on Christian and family-centric values, saying that he became a Christian a few years ago. 'After becoming a Christian a few years ago, I developed a strong calling to serve — whether through public office, community involvement or simply being a light in people's lives,' he said. 'That calling hasn't changed. I still intend to serve God, serve others and give back to the community I love — but I will find other ways to do so.' Director of Elections Jessalyn McFarland confirmed that Warren submitted the required paperwork on Tuesday to be withdrawn from the ballot. Now, the Crawford County Republican Party must nominate someone to take his place on the ballot. McFarland said the party must decide by Sept. 15. Requests for comment to Mike Forbes, chairman of the party, went unreturned. Other Crawford County residents charged with patronizing prostitutes in the Totally You case include Steven Robert Test, 44, of Saegertown; Jamie Michael Bilich, 52, of Meadville; Garrett Robert Leech, 39, of Cambridge Springs; and Michael Thomas Stroud, 67, of Conneaut Lake. The preliminary hearings are set for Aug. 13 and 14 at Magisterial Judge Timothy Beveridge's office in Erie.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Majority of PENNCREST candidates look ready to advance
In an unofficial count Tuesday night, it seemed a majority of the eight cross-filed candidates for PENNCREST School Board will be on ballots come November. Based on Crawford County's precinct data, Tim Brown, Dani Schmidt, Robert Johnston Jr. and Amber Wright are ahead to be on the Democratic ballot, while Wright, Matt Warren, Kathi Despenes and Fred Bryant were the top candidates for the Republican ballot. Venango County election results were not available as of press time to determine the outcome. Current board President Johnston said his main priority moving forward is balancing the budget. 'We're the closest we've ever been in the eight years I've been on the board,' he said, mentioning that he wants to do it without a tax increase. PENNCREST residents saw a 4-mill tax increase last year, and the current preliminary budget has a deficit just over $525,000. On the Republican ballot, Warren said he wants to balance the budget without increasing taxes and to improve the quality of education. He believes his background gave him a leg up to get on the ballot. 'I have 18 years of business experience and I think I have good business sense and also have common sense,' he said. Also on the Republican ballot and focused on academic achievement is Despenes. She said she's tried to interact with the community as much as possible and hear what's important to them and how that measures up to her strong values. She wants to focus on transparency regarding the budget to let tax payers know where their money is going and hopes to continue test scores improvement. 'I hope I can improve the district if elected in the fall, help others and help work with whoever is elected to the board,' she said. All other leading candidates did not respond immediately for comment. The leading vote count for Crawford County precincts as of Tuesday night for the Republican ballot was Wright, 1,415; Warren, 1,376; Despenes, 1,361; and Bryant, 1,243. The Democratic ballot showed Schmidt, 786; Brown, 760; Johnston Jr., 612; and Wright, 342. Official results will be certified once all provisional ballots and other ballots that must be counted by hand are completed. The final computations, after a five-day posting period in which there are no objections or challenges, will be made official with the final signing by the Crawford County Board of Elections.
