Latrobe Bulletin from Latrobe, Pennsylvania • 1

TUESDAY The Weather Fair tonight, low upper 50s. Sufiny and. warmer Wednesday. Iflgh around 85. Chance of rain 20 percent tonight, i ullettn VOL.

LXXVI. No. 218 LATROBE, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5. 1978 PRICE: 1 5c Seven Die, 18 Injured In Deny Borough Tragedy Cfie Digest under Gets Probe Way 'Copter Crash By EMCTEPFER Bulletin Staff Wff2V A full-scale investigation is under way to deter- mine the exact cause of a helicopter crash which left --C seven persons dead and 18 others injured yesterday afternoon at a festival on the grounds of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Derry Page 1.

A taxor man. is in Westotoreland County Detention Center today oh a charge of criminal homicide in connection with '20-year-old Latrobe man. Page 1. Today's obituaries. Page CO Four persons, including one from Latrobe, were lulled in traffic accidents in Westmoreland County I wring the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Page i. Derry; Parece Smith, 14, Third Street, Derry, and Lois J. Weidenhoff 50, of Ford. City R.D. 1.

Admitted to Latrobe Area Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained In the crash Tammy Barchesky, 13, of 300, Chestnut St Derry, critical; Gerald Hass of Latrobe R.D. 7, fair; Irene Horrell, 60, of 520 First Derry, fair; Ruth Bvj KozemchakvITf Broad Elaine Deity, fair; Vinzenzene T. Matteo, 62, 116 Walter Str Derry, fair; Andrew Palek7W, Wilpen, critical; Janice. Petrtinyak, 12, 20 fe. Third J)erry, serious; Roberta Puskar, 27, 100 Wagner St; Latrobe, fair; Andrew Spillar, 68, 110 Clinton Latrobe, critical, and Ruth 60; J32 First satisfactory.

Treated at the hospital, for various injuries and released were Ruth Puskar, Anita Crichal, Charlotte Demangone, Kathy Sulkosky, Lee Allison, Palek and-Anna MrosenSki. Heading the investigation, which began within a short, time after the crash occurred, investigators from the, Transportation -Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FFA), along with state Derry police and the Westmoreland County coroner's office. To Take Charge Everett Fahey, who heads the FFA office in Pittsburgh, told The Bulletin this morning that tbe NTSB, headquartered at Jqntt-F. Kennedy Airport near Nsfc wouli SPORT51 3s 1 1 The Pittsburgh Pirates pulled within one game of first place yesterday with a two-game sweep over the Mets. Page 12.

Derry Area Coach Carl Albaugh's debut was spoiled on Saturday when Laurel Highlands defeated the TfOjaps; 12-0. Page 12. STATE Despite taxes, corruption and everything else, the autumn campaign for governor- is becoming a backyard brawl between two Pittsburgh politicians-Democrat Ate Flaherty and Republican Richard Tffifeftuigirpage 11. Teacher strikes continued in four Pennsylvania districts today and more were threatened as the 1978-79 school year moved into full swing this week, page A full-scale investigation is under way to determine the exact cause of a helicopter crash which left seven persons dead and 18 others injured yesterday afternoon at a festival on the grounds of St Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Derry. The crash occurred at 3 p.m.

as a crowd of several hundred persons anxiously awaited a helicopter "money drop," advertised as one. of the -highlights of the traditional Labor Day weekend festival Dead Identified Killed when the helicopter crashed into the side of an outdoor kitchen booth as it hovered over the crowd to drop ping pong balls with certificates lor money inside. ferer Mary Lou Allison; 45, of 316 Third Derry; Timothy Deglau, 32, of "135 E. Second Derry; Darlene Gray, 13, of 1231 Beech Latrobe; Gertrude Gray, 54, of Vqx Beech Latrobe; Irene C. Maloy, 50, of 326 W.

Second Man Held In Area A Luxor man is in Westmoreland County jail today on a charge of criminal homicide filed in connection with the shooting death Saturjday a 20-yeWold Utrobemait: poUce idy titled the suspect as Robert Taylor 36, who was arraigned yesterday on that count before District Magistrate Lois Diehl set bail at $100,000. The -victim 'ot the early morqng snooung was uino r. Salandro, of 113 Leather St, who died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the county coroner's office. State police reported Taylor's arrest came after he turned himself in yesterday to Trooper Robert Kushner at the Greensburg barracks. A police report on the homicide states that Salandro' and two companions were in a vehicle which pulled along side a pi(p truck that was.

parked along Derry Township Road 715, at the intersection of Township road 931, near Kennametal's Chestnut Ridge plant, three miles south of Derry Borough. During the conversation, the lutuik uiecunversauuo, uie driver of the truck aUMedltf. shotSalandrotatheneadwith', a small caliber pistol Police said they have fouftd. no motive for the shooting and did not reveal the topic of the Three other persons, all males, allegedly were in the pickup trucrat the tune of Shoeting: "n- Police listed the time shooting as about 3 a.m. Borrowed A rt fit SM' Slaying i oWhe 2 1L.

A. 1 rtake charge of the investigation today with 1 r- 4 the shooting slaying of a 20. F. Jav Crawford went on Mi one the other drivers; Jured were Jason Rob bins, of 224 Manor St, Delmont, grandson of Mrs. Pukt and a passenger in her auro.

was laxenvio easi Suburban Hospital in passenger in the Edwards car Brjce Lynch, 3301 Jacks nun noaa, wnite uax, Allegheny was XhntmitaliTIVI fit WMhrnifvlAhH "ospitai, lireensourg, Mrs Piper and Edwards 1 enane hnl hollfl rinff thin week for most of the nation's I '-3 v' children, but for more than 750,000 of thejfh Hp cities jronSfciattle to New Orleans, teacher stakes may frep feummer vacation into autumn. Pale 2. SCENE OF. HELICOPTER CRASH This was Church's parking lot in Derry following the crash of a Hughes 300 helicopter into the crowd at the church's Labor Day Festival Firemen cover the bodies and block off the view of the crash site. Various ambulances and rescue trucks wait to receive the injured.

Additional The. success of an investigation into the General Services Administration' will hinge on whether those targeted for indictment can be convinced to testify as government witnesses and break the case, sources say Page 11. A Time Of Tragedy Beyond Belief American businessman 1- -v 4rtal today in a Moscow court on charges of illegal Derry Worf Forget Labor A By WILLIAM COSTANZO Bulletin Managing Editor To many persons Labor Day is sort of a sad holiday in itself because it means the waft! currency speculation fot which he could face eight years in prison. Page 2. One Victim From Latrobe 4 Persons ICilled they would ever experience.

But the streets of Derry literally ran red with blood yesterday as a Labor Day "tracedv of its own marred the holiday. A small helicopter crashed into a crowd of festival-goers at the SL 'Joseph Labor Day -j- In Road the' Vconclusion of the summer season in West-. moreland CBunty ended as it bean-tragedy in the form of multiple highway deaths and ding Jo the West- njurw. Atcofr assistance from the FFA. An NTSB investigator arrived late last night and ia expected to spend the day at the crash site.

"It will probably be some time before we know exactly what caused -the crash because we've got to start piecing everything together front-scratch today," Fahey Said. Fahey, along with other FFA officials, was on the scene for several hours yejterday. State police guarded the helicopter, owned by Nelson Helicopters and based at the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, throughout the night and had the area roped off to keep curiousity seekers away. ineJ uraMureu neucopier Passed twice over the church i i i i i a parking' ffit, scene of the festival, but on the final -pass the copter's engine stalled and the vehicle plunged into the (See PROBE, Pages') pavement and festival tcuueun; i iuout i the scene yesterday of St Pictures on Page 11. Festival Abrupt Halt The annual three-day event, by.

the chVch, Mcaihe to an abrupthalt. as hundreds lined South Ligpnier Street on the warm, sunny mid-afternoon to quietly and suddenly watch; inshock as blades and grim faces of rescue Joseph Roman Catholic (Bulletin) Day '78 dozens of persons from rescue units, police and fire depart- ments attempted to clean upv the orpo. onH went ohnnt thv the area' and, went about the grim task of getting the bodies of- friends, relatives and jieighbocs identified, "I Just cantlbelieveJt N)ne WONT, PigdS) The blood-stained workers 1 icptdry. I l. jraoeland 11 dlftce.

County Corone'anreevn'e tor treatment of jV wrsolisierWies- .1 waxena 'the Labor -Day I ft result 6f traffic on county i. ai ways. OGDEN, Utah (UPlV Send caSg toappeareoVitVr Lump's disappeared it'i those household i- ma 'weekend, the start of the- summer season, highway accidents in the county Mys oi summer are almost at our ac; uviues ine pas several, months are just about over. Labor Day means a "last shot' for many to do all the things they put off the previousjhrse months. People now await cool nights, back- to-schfipL hassles and, even- the return of -winter and the bad weather that drives them back indoors.

ut Labor Day also can be a day of family fun. It is one last chance to have that final Cookout or picnic; a final dip in the pool or a chance to visit relatives "or friends. It offers the working man, for whomjtjras set aside, the ie li up on all chores, getting together with friends, neighbors or relatives, particularly at a place like St Joe's annual festival. Derry is a close-knit community. And yesterday everyone hung their heads in shock, disbelief and sorrow when they either witnessed or heard the news that many of these very same friends and neighbors lay dead or injured in the parking lot at St Joseph's Roman Catholic church school complex on South Ligonier Street To the residents of Derry, the tragedies that accompany holidays were only something they read about in' the newspapers or saw on television.

It was not something they ever believed 'esulted in the deaths, ot five SamStote' Meanwhile, across Pennsylvania, 22 persons lost their -lives (a Labor Day weekend road mishaps. fc 4 Wit ii ptey mm were pronounced dead at the scene while Opfer filed later at Suburban "General Hospital in Monroeville. John D. Deren, of Sllckville, driver of a third vehicle in- -volved in the accident, was not injured. A coroner's- office spokesmansald Mrs.

Piper- was eastbound on Route 22 when her car crossed the' center Dne and crashed head-on into Edwards' pickup -tpick. After impact, Deren't auto struck the rear of Edwards-iruck. -vThe -accident occurred at i first deaths in the took place in a violent it bead-on crash Sunday night on just about bird bunting lesson. Roger Butler told authorities this weekend that for the fourth year in a row, somebody has borrowed his English pointer. Butler keeps the bird dog tn i yard near hit borne and dognappers have taken the t-year-ald black-and-white pointer, again' this "time by unfastening the dog's chain mat was booked to a heavy wire between twe trait trees.

Officer C.D. Riristiansen tald Ump, iVjthe past three years, has shown up again at the yard after the hunting season. Route 22 in Murrysville when three persons were killed and two others The dead were identified as: Leona Piper, 51, of 238 Manor one of the driven; jCarole Opfer, 35, of P-m. about ontenth mile west of Haymaker Road In Murrysville. i-.

EUitbeth, Allegheny County, a 'passenger in the Piper vehicle, andYRichard F. Edwards, 14, of 119 James North Versailles Township. I BODIES COVERED Firemen cover the victims' bodii booths, bent helicopter An lo-year-oia utrooe (See TRAFFIC, Page 8) i.