Local Slaying Prompts Calls For Change In State Law

Blendon Township trustees are pledging action in the aftermath of the weekend slaying of a jogger in a local park. 16-year-old Jordan Stewart, who lived in a nearby group home, has been charged in the stabbing death of 55-year-old Jane Juergens in Ridgewood Park. Trustees say they will push for a state law giving communities some control over where and how group homes operate. Prosecutors say Stewart was placed in the group home after repeated run-ins with police. Prosecutors hope to try Stewart as an adult. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday.