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SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — Officials with the Department of Corrections report the first death of an inmate with COVID-19 at the SCI Laurel Highlands facility. This is the 17th inmate to die with COVID-19. The 87-year-old inmate, who died Tuesday, had been enrolled in hospice care at the prison and had a do not resuscitate order. According to officials, the inmate was serving a 53- to 106-year sentence for involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years of age and entered the state prison system on May 19, 2014.

CONNEAUT LAKE, Pa. (AP) — A fire at a northwestern Pennsylvania amusement park has damaged a wooden roller coaster built more than eight decades ago. WICU-TV says reports from Conneaut Lake Park late Tuesday afternoon indicated that a controlled burn near the carousel got out of hand. The fire spread to nearby buildings and structures, including part of the Blue Streak roller coaster, the station reported. No injuries were reported.

DuBois, PA — The WPAL Fitness Center in DuBois is launching their after-school fit club for youth aged 6-18. The Western Pennsylvania Police Athletic League has nine boxing and fitness centers in Western Pennsylvania. One of those include the WPAL Fitness Center in the heart of DuBois. With their motto being "always for the kids," all of the WPAL fitness centers are free for kids aged 6-18. WPAL memberships are also free for first responders and military personnel.

HARRISBURG, Pa (WJAC) — US Marshals captured a fugitive on Thursday who escaped from a Pennsylvania facility in 2012, according to a release from the Marshal's office. Authorities say now 45-year-old Tomas Morales-Cresente escaped from a Federal Correctional Facility in Schuylkill County in July of 2012. Morales-Cresente was convicted in April 2009 for possession of a weapon and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, the release states, and was sentenced to serve 90 months in prison.

PITTSBURGH - Steelers All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown got the honor and double-edged sword of making the Madden cover. Brown is the featured player on this year's Madden video game cover. He is the second Steelers player to grace the cover of the iconic game. The honor is bestowed on one of the NFL's elite players each year, but since its inception, many of those players have either suffered injuries or saw a drop in their production on the field after they were featured on the cover.

CLEARFIELD, Pa. (WJAC) — Several Clearfield County inmates and a woman are facing charges after trying to smuggle contraband into the jail through a hole in one of the prison’s walls, according to a criminal complaint. Authorities say the inmates used a metal piece from a broken cot to dig a hole in the mortar under a window in one of the cells that was used as a bathroom. The hole was dug deep enough to reach the outside, the complaint says.

Somerset Co., PA (WJAC) — Following a long intermission, the Mountain Playhouse is premiering its 2022 season in a new location. After operating at the Somerset County Gristmill, just outside of Jennerstown, for over 80 years, the nonprofit relocated after it was unable to purchase the theater for much needed improvements and repairs. As a result, the 2022 season will be held at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center at UPJ, while the playhouse looks for a new, permanent home.

Family and friends of Tracie Williams said she was found dead at Johnstown’s Prospect Community one year ago, on June 9th, 2022, and they want to help others who could have similar struggles. Tracie’s brother Trevon Williams said, “We just want to raise awareness and get the word out while also holding a celebration for a year of her being gone, and just to celebrate and not grieve and not mourn.

In a 643-page report released Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has recommended the closure of SCI Retreat. It lists reasons for the closure as the age of the physical facility, infrastructure concerns (especially with the bridge entryway), and the inability to house physically handicapped prisoners, among other reasons. The full report is available here. SCI Retreat employs more than 400 people and houses about 1,000 inmates. RELATED:Lawmakers vow to fight second proposed closure of SCI Retreat