There's some news, from the Clarion County Economic Development Corporation, regarding its efforts to avert the planned closing of Clarion's Owens-Illinois Company glass production plant.     And, unfortunately the word is not good.     A statement, issued by E-D-C Executive Director Brad Ehrhart, does indicate that O-I's corporate chief executive has told U-S Senator Bob Casey that O-I's decision to shut down the Clarion plant is final and that O-I  would not sell the local facility to any glass industry competitor.     With that word, the team of local and area government and civic leaders, under the County Economic Development Corporation, will be trying to develop a business plan involving the re-use of the glass plant site.     The E-D-C says it and the Clarion Boro Government are talking with O-I real estate officals about the disposition of the of the Clarion facility.     O-I has said it plans to prepare the local site to be marketed by a professional industrial realtor.     And, it is expected to take six to 12 months to get the property ready for sale.     There is also word that Senator Casey's office is working, with the state department of labor and industry, to investigate the availability of funds to re-train current O-I employees.     The Clarion County Economic Development Corporation says that it, along with the governor's action team and the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, will market the Clarion site to attract new investment to Clarion County.

Clarion attorney Ralph Montana is one of two lawyers which have been playing different roles in providing legal help to former Punxsutawney Boro police officer Brian Andrekovich in facing the issues which grew out of the death of Stephen Obbish.     As we have been reporting, the state Attorney General's office announced, this week, that it would not be filing any criminal charges against Andrekovich or anyone else, in connection wih the incident in which Obbish died while in Andrekovich's custody.     Montana tells us that his client did give a very complete statement, intially to the state police, to explain his actions in handling Obbish's arrest and detention.     Later, copies of these statements were passed on to the Attorney General's office for its examination.     Montana says there never was anything criminal about Andrekovich's actions.     While Montana is glad to see his client escape any charges, Montana was not pleased that it took so long for the Attorney General's office to finally make a decision on his matter.     Obbish was, of course, found dead in the police car in which he had been left by Andrekovich.     And, that death has been ruled the result of alcohol and drug inhalation.     After this incident, Punxsutawney Boro fired Andrekovich.     And, another attorney is now trying to help Andrekovich get his job back.    

At this point in time:  There is no indication that anything else might be done, by local and area government and civic leaders, to help move the Owens-Illinois Company to change its earlier announcd plans to close its Clarion glass producion plant, this summer.     At Tuesday's Clarion County Commissioners work session, Chairman Dave Cyphert reviewed, for reporters, the fact that nothing has happened to reverse the situation involving O-I's earlier statements indicating  that the firm has too much production capacity.     And, Commissioner Tim Reddinger wished that some unspecified actions could have been taken, 20 years ago, which might have averted the current situation.

Last summer, 48-year-old Stephen Obbish was found dead in the backseat of a Punxsutawney Boro police car.     And, on Monday the state Attorney General's office disclosed that it would not be filing any criminal charges in connection with its investigation into this matter.     As you may recall, the Attorney General's office took over the probe because of a conflict of interest.     Punxy Boro Police had first arrested Obbish because of his suspected public drunkenness.     Arresting officer Brian Andrekovich had had left the man in a police car for five hours and that is where Obbish was found dead.     The Jefferson County Coroner had ruled that Obbish died from ingesting a combination of alcohol and drugs.