The Fayette County coroner will hold an inquest into the death of a 21-year-old Washington Township man whose body was found in a drainage ditch months after his disappearance.
A coroner's jury will be impaneled on March 31 to review evidence in the death of Jesse Marish.
Marish was last seen in September, when he crashed a car into a utility pole and a tree in front of 309 Perry St. in the township. He took the license plate from the car and told a neighbor that he was all right before he ran away.
In December, Marish's body was found in a ditch opposite the direction from where police saw him flee.
A man working in the yard found Marish covered by leaves and brush. Searches by family, friends and police had been unsuccessful.
Elsie Dvorchak, the chief administrative assistant in the Fayette County Coroner's Office, said the inquest will be conducted to help determine the circumstances of Marish's death while dispelling rumors in the Mon Valley community where he lived.
Township officials say the municipal police department apparently was vandalized out of frustration with the case. Someone spray-painted "Justice for Jesse" on the side of the building.
Connellsville
Overheated stove
Connellsville city police and personnel from New Haven Hose Co. responded to a call Monday that was originally reported as a "possible fire."
Firefighters found an overheated stove at 8:45 p.m. inside the residence at 12 S. Penn St. in Connellsville.
"It was a smoldering wood pellet stove," police Chief Stephen Cooper said. "Fire personnel just emptied the hopper."
Dunbar
9 police incidents
Dunbar Mayor John Williams reported this week that the police department recorded nine incidents in January. These included two traffic stops, two warrants served, three vehicle ordinance violations, one accident, one check on welfare, one DUI, one criminal complaint and two non-traffic citations.
Fines and fees collected totaled $657.57. The police car traveled 393 miles in January.
Harrisburg
Recycling grants
Recycling grants totaling more than $369,000 have been awarded to Fayette County communities.
Fayette County will receive $305,916 to make improvements at the Goodwill Recycling Center and to enhance curbside collection of recyclable materials. Georges Township will receive $49,950 to improve its yard waste drop-off program, and South Union Township will receive $13,342 to enhance its curbside recycling program.
Established in 1988, the Recycling Development and Implementation Grant Program is administered by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
