Monroeville Mall Quieter Today After Friday Night Fracas

No trouble was reported as of this afternoon at the Monroeville Mall, which reopened today under heightened police watch after a series of fights broke among 1,000-plus teenagers and young adults Friday night, prompting the facility to close early.

Two injuries not believed to be life-threatening were reported in the skirmishes that began on the first floor and moved upstairs, startling shoppers on the day after Christmas and drawing police from multiple communities. Authorities expected to cite at least one for disorderly conduct, in addition to a pair of arrests made earlier Friday over a domestic dispute.

Monroeville Police Chief K. Douglas Cole said today he knew of no connection between the disturbance at the mall in his community and problems reported Friday in at least two other malls elsewhere in the nation.

Some mall stores within Independence Center in Independece, Mo., were locked down Friday night after several hundred youths congregated inside, with some fights breaking out, The Kansas City Star reported.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/east/2014/12/27/Monroeville-Mall-quieter-today-after-Friday-night-fracas/stories/201412270116

State Appointee Granted Control Of York City School District

A Spring Garden Township businessman was put in charge of the York City School District on Friday and tasked with implementing a financial recovery plan that could see all district buildings turned into charter schools run by an outside company.

York County Judge Stephen Linebaugh on Friday granted a petition from the state education department to name David Meckley as receiver for the city school district, which gives Meckley all of the school board’s powers except for levying taxes.

Meckley, who has been the state-appointed chief recovery officer for the district for about two years, guided the creation of a financial recovery plan for the district. The plan, adopted in 2013, called for internal reform but included a path to charter conversion if progress wasn’t made.

The state, in its request for receivership, said the school board wasn’t following the plan for reasons including that the school board tabled a decision in November on turning all district schools into charters next year after Meckley directed them to approve it. The board also approved a new teachers’ contract that was inconsistent with the recovery plan, the state said.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_27208369/york-city-schools-receivership-decision-expected-today?source=most_viewed

Paradise Township Man Charged With Cutting, Axing Wife To Death

A man killed his wife during an argument Christmas Eve, then took their two children to celebrate Christmas at his parents before calling police to confess, police said.

Dustin Lee Klopp, 36, punched Stephanie Kilhefner in the face, cut her throat and bashed her head with an ax at their Paradise Township home about 10 p.m. Wednesday, according to Pennsylvania State Police in Lancaster.

Klopp then tried to clean up the blood and moved Kilhefner’s body to a shed at the property, police said. He called state police about 5:20 p.m. Thursday to tell them he killed Kilhefner and wanted to turn himself in; he arrived at the barracks about 6:30 p.m., according to police.

About 5:30 p.m., a trooper arrived at their property at 623 Georgetown Road and found Kilhefner’s body in a car-carrier bag in the shed.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/paradise-township-man-charged-with-cutting-axing-wife-to-death/article_e5e1e4d2-8ca9-11e4-8fd0-f7625cc3354c.html

Police: Woman Stabs Son On Christmas Eve

A woman arguing with her son at her home in Berwick, Columbia County, said she was going to kill the dog, but instead grabbed a knife and stabbed her son in the chest, police said.

Rachel E. Fallat, 44, of 300 Summerhill Ave., was arrested Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault and attempted homicide for using a steak knife to lacerate Mark Goodson’s chest, causing severe respiratory distress and a collapsed left lung, Berwick police said.

Goodson was transported to Geisinger Wyoming Medical Center in Plains Township and has since been treated and released, according to hospital officials. Officers interviewed Goodson at the hospital the day of the incident, and he told them he and his mother Wednesday morning had several arguments, some of which became physical.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/police-woman-stabs-son-on-christmas-eve-1.1808606