WPPA / T-102 RADIO NEWS / Wednesday

08/16/06 CHARGES AGAINST LOCAL POLICE ARE DROPPED

SCH. COUNTY JUDGE JOHN E. DOMALAKES DISMISSED ALL CHARGES AGAINST CASS TOWNSHIP POLICE CHIEF JOHN.R HARLEY SR. 65 WHO WAS ACCUSED OF RUNNING HIS CRUISER INTO AN ATV AND INTIMIDATING A WITNESS. HARLEY A 24 YEAR VETERAN OF THE DEPARTMENT WAS ARRESTED IN OCTOBER OF 2005 ON CHARGES STEMMING FROM INCIDENTS THAT ALLEGEDLY OCCURRED ON JUNE 24TH AND JULY 24TH 2005. HARLEY FILED A MOTION TO HAVE THE CHARGES DISMISSED CLAIMING THE COMMOMWEALTH FAILED TO ESTABLISH THE CASE AND THAT THE TWO DIRT BIKE RIDERS AND THE ATV DRIVER WERE ILLEGALLYOPERATING THE VEHICLES AND FLED WHEN APPROACHED BY A POLICE OFFICER TO AVOID BEING FINED AND HAVING THEIR VEHICLES TAKEN.HARLEY ALSO CLAIMED THE COMMONWEALTH FAILED TO PRODUCE FACTS TO SUPPORT THE CHARGES BECAUSE IT HAD NOT OFFERED A MOTIVE FOR HIS CONDUCT. DOMALAKES CONCLUDED THAT ALTHOUGH CRIMAINAL INTENT CAN BE INFERRED FROM THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT MUST BE LOGICALLY INFERRED AND NOT MERELY BE A PRODUCT OF SPECULATION.DOMALKES SAID IN THE OPINION THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY THE COMMONWEALTH TO SUPPORT ANY INFERENCE THAT HARLEY INTENDED TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN STOP THE ATV. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO SUPPORT AN INFRENCE THAT HARLEY INTENDED TO CAUSE ANY INJURY TO THE ATV OR ITS DRIVER EVEN CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE POLICE CAR WAS MUCH BIGGER THAN THE ATV. THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE HAS UNTILL SEPT.11TH TO DECIDE IF IT WILL APPEAL.

08/16/06 WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP PASSES ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE

WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP BECAME THE SECOND MUNICIPALITY TO OK THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION RELIEF ACT AT A MEETING TUESDAY EVENING.ACCORDING TO THE POTTSVILLE REPUBLICAN AFTER A SHOOTING AND KILLING OF A HAZELTON MAN IN MAY BY TWO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HAZELTON MAYOR LOUIS BARLETTA ENCOURAGED HAZELTON COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION RELIEF ACT. OTHER SCH. COUNTY MUNICIPALITIES SOON FOLLOWED SUIT,FEARING ILLEGAL ALIENS WOULD FLEE HAZELTON AND HEAD FOR THE SCH. COUNTY BORDER 13 MILES SOUTH ON ROUTE 924.THE LAW PUNISHES BUSINESSES EMPLOYING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTSBY TAKING AWAY THEIR LICENCES FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS AND PUNISHES LANDLORDS RENTING TO ILLEGALS WITH $1,000 FINES.IT ALSO CONTAINS A PROVISION STATING ALL MUNICIPAL CORRESPONDENCE BE IN ENGLISH ONLY.THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY WITH A VOTE FROM WEST MAHANOY SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN JOSEPH SWEENY. ON AUGUST 8TH MAHANOY CITY BECAME THE FIRST MUNICIPALITY IN THE COUNTY TO GIVE THE LAW FINAL APPROVAL. FOUR OTHER SCH COUNTY COMMUNITIES ARE ADVERTISING IT,EAST UNION TOWNSHIP,GILBERTONBOROUGH,MAHANOY TOWNSHIP AND SHENADOAH BOROUGH. ACCORDING TO ARTICLE 1601 OF THE PENNSYLVANIA SECOND CLASS TOWNSHIP CODE,ALL ORDINANCES MUST BE ADVERTISED IN A LOCAL NEWSPAPER NOT LESS THAN SEVEN DAYS BEFORE THE DATE OF ADOPTION.


08/16/06 OVERSIZE LOADS TO CAUSE DELAYS

SCH. PRODUCTS HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL MOVE OVERSIZED LOADS TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY WHICH WILL CAUSE DELAYS ON SURROUNDING ROADWAYS. TWO LOADS EACH WILL MOVE AT 7,9 AND 11 AM TODAY,TWO EACH WILL MOVE AT 7 AND 11 AM THURSDAY,AND TWO EACH AT 7 AND 9AM FRIDAY. DELAYS ARE EXPECTED AT ROUTES 901 AND 183,ROUTE 182 AND AT ROUTES 183 AND 61. THE LOADS WILL BE ENROUTE TO BRADFORD COUNTY BY HEADING SOUTH ON ROUTE 61 TO INTERSTATE 78 WEST,INTERSTATE 81 NORTH TO INTERSTATE 80 WEST, ROUTE 180 WEST TO ROUTE 15 NORTH ,ROUTE 14 NORTH AND ROUTE 414 EAST TO ROUTE 220 NORTH.


08/16/06 STOLEN PROPERTY RECOVERED

STATE POLICE AT SCH. HAVEN HAVE RECOVERED STOLEN PROPERTY WHICH WERE STOLEN FROM VARIOUS RESIDENCES WITHIN THE ORWIGSBURG,DEERLAKEAND HAMBURG AREAS. SOME OF THE RECOVERED ITEMS INCLUDE NUMEROUS LAWN ORNAMENTS,CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS,FLOWER POTS,AND GARDEN FLAGS. ANYONE HAVING BEEN VICTIM OF A SIMILAR THEFT IS URGED TO CONTACT STATE POLICE AT SCH. HAVEN AT 385-2000 TO VIEW THE ITEMS.


08/16/06 GIRARDVILLE MAN IS JAILED FOR BURGLARY AND OTHER CHARGES

ST. CLAIR POLICE ARRESTED A GIRARDVILLE MAN STEMMING FROM AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED SATURDAY MORNING IN THE BOROUGH. ACCORDING TO REPORTS POLICE WERE CALLED TO 47 FRONT STREET FOR A BREAKING AND ENTERING IN PROGRESS. POLICE SPOKE WITH THE VICTIM WHO SAID A MAN WITH A BLOODY FACE WAS INSIDE HIS HOME AND HAD LEFT THE SCENE. BARLOW WAS FOUND BY POLICE AND WAS VISIBLY INTOXICATED AND WAS LATER IDENTIFIED BY THE VICTIM.BARLOW WAS ARRAIGNED BEFORE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE DAVID PLACHKO ON CHARGES OF BURGLARY,CRIMINAL TRESPASS,RESISTING ARREST,DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND PUBLIC DRUKENESS. BARLOW WAS UNABLE TO POST BAIL AND WAS REMANDED TO SCH COUNTY PRISON.