A Pittsburgh radio reporter was arrested Monday morning after authorities said he tried to bring a loaded pistol into the Allegheny County Courthouse.

William Robert Milford, 53, of Castle Shannon — known on KDKA Radio as Rob Milford — was charged with carrying a firearm without a license and possessing a firearm in a court facility, county Sheriff Bill Mullen said.  read more »

Political consultant Thomas E. Severson, accused of threatening Northampton County Councilman Ron Angle at a funeral Mass, today lost his bid to have a special prosecutor assigned to hear the case.

Senior Judge Lawrence Brenner denied a legal motion filed by Severson’s attorney, George Heitczman of Bethlehem.

Pen Argyl police charged Severson in March with making terroristic threats, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. Angle claims Severson on Dec. 14, during Mass at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, made “several menacing comments” to him. Court records say the comments “indicated (Severson) wanted to physically assault, as well as kill” Angle. Further, records say, Severson swore at Angle.  read more »

Former Pittsburgh Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle was sentenced to serve 12 to 24 months and ordered to return $43,100 to the city yesterday after expressing remorse for her central role in a multi-year kickback scheme.

At a sentencing hearing, Ms. Carlisle said that she was “earnestly sorry for any misdoings and all misdoings” during her five years on council.

She said she was elected to change the fortunes of Council District 9 in the city’s northeast, and tried to do right. “Out of zealousness, maybe I did do things in an improper manner,” she said. She found herself in a maelstrom. “Everything that I stood for in terms of trying to be perfect, right and just, just went haywire.”

The number of black and Latino Pennsylvania State Police is at its lowest point in 10 years, a newspaper reported.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday that over the last decade the number of black troopers declined by 42 percent, partly because of lagging recruitment and a wave of retirements.

The percentage of minorities started to drop at about the same time a federal judge ended oversight of the organization’s hiring practices in early 1999, a newspaper review showed.  read more »

The man who served eight years as Pennsylvania’s state police commissioner is facing drunken driving charges.

Police in the Harrisburg suburbs say Paul Evanko was arrested Friday night and his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.

Police say the 60-year-old Evanko was charged with drunken driving Friday night after being involved in a minor traffic accident.

Evanko retired as commissioner in 2003.
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According to an article at GoErie.com, Erie has been ranked the #2 safe city in PA, with Upper Darby the safest. They claim 4 other cities were ranked (Pittsburgh, Allentown, Philly, Scranton?), but did not share details.

In other news, Detroit was overwhelmingly ranked the most dangerous city in the U.S.

Former Bath Mayor (and Charlie Dent Cheerleader) Elizabeth L. Fields will spend the next 30 months on probation for stealing money from a borough church where she worked as a volunteer secretary.

Fields, 66, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one felony count of theft. Charges of receiving stolen property and tampering with public records were dropped.

In addition to probation, Northampton County Judge Stephen G. Baratta ordered Fields, of Bath, to perform 250 hours of community service and undergo a psychological evaluation and any treatment recommended. She also was ordered to make restitution of $6,000 to Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, 210 E. Northampton St.  read more »

This is weird. Less than a month ago he was fighting to have the guy stay on. What gives?

In a surprise move, indicted State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo yesterday asked his lawyer and friend, Richard A. Sprague, to withdraw from his defense.

Fumo, who fought all summer against the government’s attempts to disqualify Sprague, changed course and decided the law firm’s potential conflicts might hurt his defense after all, a spokesman said.

Fumo, 64, faces 139 federal felony counts. He is charged with using Senate employees for personal and political tasks and with defrauding the South Philadelphia charity Citizens’ Alliance and the Independence Seaport Museum.  read more »