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Route 219 (December 29, 2012) |
3. Woman's body found on trail
On Nov. 11, a person walking in a wooded area near the Keystone Viaduct along the Great Allegheny Passage found human remains. State police went to the scene. Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat, chairman of the forensic anthropology department of Mercyhurst University in Erie, brought a team to gather and examine the remains.
The state police held a press conference Nov. 13 to announce that the body of Justine Marie Jackson, 19, Meyersdale, was found in a shallow grave. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Jonathan William Beal, 23, Scratch Hill Road, Meyersdale.
The following day Beal was arrested by the United States Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. He was hiding in an apartment in Marrero, La. Beal was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Nov. 29, but that was postponed until after the criminal trial term that ends Jan. 25.
4. Election results
On Nov. 6 Allegheny County attorney Keith Rothfus beat incumbent Mark Critz, winning 51 percent of the vote. Rothfus' victory means the Johnstown region will not have location representation for the first time in 38 years. Rothfus, a Republican, ran a campaign linking Critz to prominent Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama.
Six-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, was re-elected to the 9th Congressional District in a landslide against candidate Karen Ramsburg, Mercersburg. State Sen. John Wozniak, D-Johnstown, has experienced plenty of election night victories during his 32 years in public office, but few were as close as Tuesday's night's win over Republican challenger Tim Houser.
