WPPA/T102 NEWS Saturday 8/19/06

Schuylkill County Traffic Alerts For Next Week

Schuylkill Products Inc. has announced it will move oversized loads Monday through Thursday. Spokeswoman April Quandel said two loads will leave at 7 and 9 a.m. Monday; two will leave at 7, 9 and 11 a.m. Tuesday; two will leave at 7 and 9 a.m. Wednesday and two will leave at 7 a.m. Thursday. Motorists can expect delays at Routes 901 and 183 and again at routes 183 and 61.

PennDot is asking motorists to use caution on Monday August 21st while traveling on Route 61 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Crews will be painting new lane markings in the areas of Brick Hill Road, Liberty Street, and Greenview Street. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction as the work is being completed and it may take up until August 25th to complete the painting.

Contract still not official Union hasn't voted on STS agreement

Bus drivers and mechanics at the Schuylkill Transportation System have been working under a tentative contract for 19 days, but a union official says a vote to ratify the contract isn’t expected until “next week.” James Whitehead, secretary/treasurer for the Service Employment International Union Local 1201, said the 42 members were being notified Thursday about a ratification meeting. According to the Pottsville Republican and Herald, Union officials, based in Philadelphia, had previously said a vote would be held the week after the union and The ReDCo Group, Pottsville — the management firm overseeing the county’s public transportation operations — reached a compromise July 31. Labor and management were negotiating under a 30-day contract extension after their previous three-year contract expired June 30. The union and the ReDCo Group reached a deal July 31, but members need to vote on whether to accept or reject the new three-year contract.

The Tamaqua Train Station is losing a tenant

Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, which has more than 70 stores in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, will not renew its lease at the Tamaqua train station. According to the Pottsville Republican and Herald, Lisa Philips, public relations manager for Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, said the size of the borough is "not working out for us." In a press release, Philips said that with the emergence of large discount stores, "Gertrude Hawk Chocolates regretfully can no longer complete profitably in many smaller town environments." The store plans to close sometime after Labor Day, Philips said. The Gertrude Hawk train station outlet is open four days a week and is closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. After the station was renovated, all of its spaces filled with tenants, including a restaurant, gift shop and the Gertrude Hawk store, whose departure will leave an opening.

Retirees plan breakfast to honor former school workers.

The Schuylkill County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees met Friday morning to discuss an upcoming event to honor recent retirees. According to the Pottsville and Herald, a breakfast event titled "We Don't Have to Go Back to School Breakfast Buffet" is planned for Sept. 15 at the Pottsville Club, 201 S. 26th St., Pottsville. Retirees from the 2005-06 school year will be the honored guests for the event and treated to a free breakfast. All retirees are invited to attend for a $10 charge. The event is designed to allow retirees to share school experiences in a social setting. The local PASR chapter receives funding from local businesses that sponsor the chapter’s events. The event will begin with registration and introductions at 9 a.m. and breakfast will begin at 10 a.m. Attendees will have time to interact at 11 a.m. and new retirees will be recognized at that time, with the event ending at noon. Retirees invited to attend include teachers, aides, secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers, administrators, business office personnel, vocational-technical personnel and teamsters. Those interested in attending the event must register by Sept. 8, and registration inquiries can be directed to chapter treasurer Anna Stinner, 622-3468. The state organization of PASR provides services and benefits to retirees and is the third-largest school retiree association in the nation. For more information about PASR, visit www.pasr.org

MOSQUITO SPRAYING SET FOR NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

Treatments to control adult mosquitoes will take place Monday in Northumberland County, where sampling by local officials and the Department of Environmental Protection have shown mosquito populations that potentially can carry the West Nile virus. Weather conditions permitting, DEP and the county will use a truck-mounted ultra-low volume unit to mist residential and recreational areas in Coal Township and Kulpmont Borough in the evening hours. The unit will dispense fine aerosol droplets of Biomist 3+15 at a rate of 0.75 ounces per acre. The mist stays aloft and kills mosquitoes on contact. DEP personnel will conduct the spraying. Certain species of mosquitoes carry West Nile virus, which, when transmitted to people, can cause West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all residents of areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis; people over 50 have the highest risk of severe disease. There have been four confirmed human case of the virus in Pennsylvania so far this year.

Argall Sponsors Identity Theft Seminar

Rep. David Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks) is inviting local residents to join him for an identity theft seminar on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Schuylkill Valley Elementary School. The seminar, which Argall is hosting in cooperation with state Attorney General Tom Corbett's office, the Northern Berks Regional Police Department and the Hamburg Police Department, will cover topics such as avoiding identity theft, how identity theft happens, suggestions to help prevent identity theft and why senior citizens are targeted for identity theft. Identity theft occurs when someone else uses your personal information, such as your name, Social Security number, credit card information or other identifying information, without your permission. These thieves use this information to commit fraud and other crimes under disguise of your identity. Identity theft is a serious crime. Unlike other crimes, victims must first prove they are in fact a victim and then they are often faced with time consuming and costly measures to restore their good name and credit. Victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities or be refused loans, credit cards and mortgages. Schuylkill Valley Elementary School is located at 62 Ashley Way in Leesport. To make a reservation for the identity theft seminar, please contact one of Argall's district offices located at North Third Street, Hamburg, phone (610) 562-3411; 237 West Broad Street, Tamaqua; phone (570) 668-1240; 61; or 209 North Warren Street, Orwigsburg, phone (570) 366-2735.

Program on Chronic Wasting Offered

A fatal disease that affects deer will be the focus of the second session of a three-part series on the connections between the health of wildlife and humans. PPL will hold the program from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31 at the Susquehanna Energy Information Center of its Riverlands preserve. The topic for the discussion is chronic wasting disease. There is no treatment for this disease, which affects deer and is not presently a problem in Pennsylvania. The session will address the effects on deer populations and hunting if the disease were to become established here. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Susquehanna Riverlands preserve at 570-542-2306. The Susquehanna Riverlands, along Route 11 about seven miles north of Berwick, is operated by PPL in conjunction with its Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Salem Township. The preserve, encompassing 1,200 acres on both the east and west banks of the Susquehanna River, has been providing the residents of north central Pennsylvania with quality recreation, fishing and environmental education since 1980. PPL is hosting this program as part of PPL Project Earth, an initiative through which the company educates the public about energy resources and the environment. For more information, visit www.pplprojectearth.com or write to pplpreserves@pplweb.com.

Latest Pennsylvania News

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak says Pennsylvania students have made good progress in math and reading over the last four years. Zahorchak says the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test results for 2005-2006 show that increasing state education spending under Governor Ed Rendell is paying off for struggling schools. The scores show mixed results from the previous year, with fifth-grade math and reading scores and eighth grade math scores declining, but other areas showing improvement. Zahorchak says any one-year declines aren't steep enough to cause him any concern. The math and reading tests are required for students in grades three through eight, and also in eleventh grade.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann's first television advertisement will air in western Pennsylvania on Monday, two weeks earlier than expected. Campaign spokesman Leonardo Alcivar won't say how much the ad cost. But he says the campaign was able to accelerate its advertising schedule because it has been "overperforming" for the past several months, based partly on recent fundraising -- including a campaign appearance by President Bush on Wednesday. The 30-second spot has been posted on Swann's campaign Web site. Governor Ed Rendell has held a double-digit lead over Swann in recent polls and also enjoys a substantial fundraising advantage. As of early June, Rendell had nearly 14 (m) million dollars on hand for the race's final months, while Swann had more than three (m) million dollars in the bank.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Ronald H. Brown Charter School in Harrisburg is notifying the families of its 400 students that it won't be opening Monday. The 30 teachers and 15 other staff members were informed Thursday of a Commonwealth Court ruling that leaves the six-year-old alternative school with no funding. The uncertainty began last school year when the Harrisburg School District declined to renew the Ronald H. Brown school's five-year charter. The board cited financial, academic and staffing inadequacies, and the state Charter School Appeals Board upheld the decision in May. Yesterday, Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini denied a request by the school for a stay. Most of the students probably will return to their home school districts. That would mean the Harrisburg district would gain up to 240 children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) - The surgeon and other doctors that have worked to save the racehorse Barbaro will now try to save an Erie Zoo polar bear with a broken leg. On Thursday, doctors who examined the seven-year-old bear,
Alcor, thought he would have to be euthanized, because they didn't believe surgery could fix two broken bones just above his right paw. But today, zoo officials said a team led by Barbaro surgeon Doctor Dean Richardson will try to fix the bear's leg at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, where Barbaro was treated. Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner, suffered life-threatening injuries when he broke three bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness in May. The horse continues to recover from that surgery and laminitis, which is affecting his left rear hoof.

READING, Pa. (AP) - Reading police Officer Scott Wertz will be profiled on Fox Television's "America's Most Wanted" program. Wertz was fatally shot August sixth by a suspect officers were pursuing. Fox says a segment on Wertz will run during the "In the Line of Duty" portion of the show scheduled to air at 9 o'clock tonight (Saturday). Wertz and another officer were chasing a suspect when that man turned and fired, hitting Wertz twice in the chest. The 40-year-old, nine-year city police veteran left a wife and two children. Twenty-four-year-old Cletus Rivera of Reading is being held in the Berks County Prison without bail on a charge of first-degree murder.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A scuffle broke out yesterday between campaign volunteers counting signatures to determine whether Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli can appear on the November ballot for U-S senator. About six people filled out police reports after the minor fight in a state Capitol office building was broken up and police summoned. Democrats have challenged the validity of some of the signatures on Romanelli's petition, fearing that the Green Party candidate could siphon votes away from Democrat Bob Casey as he tries to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Rick Santorum. The fight broke out early on the fifth day of counting, although witnesses disputed who started it and who broke it up. No charges are expected to be filed. Counting could last until Labor Day.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Alcoa C-E-O Paul O'Neill will be in Pittsburgh this morning (Saturday) when he speaks at the graduate ceremony at Chatham College. O'Neill headed Alcoa for 22 years before joining Presdient Bush's cabinet as treasury secretary early in Bush's first term. The president then fired O'Neill when he overhauled his economic team in 2002. Chatham's commencement begins at ten o'clock.

HUNTINGDON, Pa. (AP) - Police in Huntingdon County say an escaped convict apprehended last week had the driver's license of a man whose body was found along a rural road this week. The remains of 43-year-old Carl W. Ryder of Amberson were found Wednesday, six days after escaped convict Scott North was captured by police. An autopsy confirmed Ryder's identity. North is from Fannettsburg. He was pulled over August 10th after leaving a Shirleysburg bar. Trooper Warren Rhyner, who had been on the lookout for the vehicle, said he smelled alcohol. North handed over Ryder's license, and the trooper noticed that North did not look like the man in the photo. North said he had undergone plastic surgery since the picture was taken. When Rhyner told North to get out of the car, North fled at speeds of about 100 miles per hour before police were able to stop him by deflating his tires. State police say the cause and manner of Ryder's death are under investigation. Franklin County Jail Warden John Wetzel says North was serving time for theft, burglary and nonpayment of support. He walked away during lunch from a work release job August second.

NATIONAL NEWS

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Hezbollah fighters battled an Israeli commando force deep inside Lebanon today. Hezbollah says its guerrillas foiled the raid. Israel says one of its military officers was killed and two others hurt, but says the force completed its mission.

JERUSALEM (AP) - Palestinian militants shot and killed an Israeli soldier today in the West Bank's Jordan Valley. The Israeli army says the militants fired on a force in the area, killing the soldier. In a separate West Bank incident, Israeli soldiers arrested the Palestinian deputy prime minister in a raid on his house.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - At least 13 people are dead in Iraq today in scattered violence. Four soldiers were killed and four more wounded by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad. Seven pilgrims heading to a Shiite religious rally were killed last night in a Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad.

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - The man suspected in the murder of six-year-old Colorado beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey will be brought back to the U-S from Thailand tomorrow. U-S officials are continuing to investigate John Karr's claims of involvement.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Military maneuvers are going on in about half of Iran's 30 provinces today. State television reports the maneuvers are aimed at introducing the country's new defensive doctrine. Iran is under international pressure for its nuclear program and support for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A federal judge has rejected arguments that a Ten Commandments monument outside an Oklahoma courthouse promotes Christianity at the expense of other religions. The judge ruled the monument can stay in place.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - Firefighters battling wildfires in Wyoming are having some luck. Calm, cooler weather has allowed them to get a handle on the 18-square-mile wildfire that had been threatening hundreds of homes. Wildfires are also burning in Texas, Utah, Nevada and Oklahoma.

CHICAGO (AP) - Immigration officers don't plan to enter a Chicago church where a single mother is seeking sanctuary rather than be deported to Mexico. Thirty-one-year-old Elvira Arellano (ah-ray-YAH'-noh) has been living in the Methodist church since Tuesday. Officials say she'll be apprehended "at an appropriate time and place."

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - Police in Indiana think they have a description of the person responsible for a wave of highway vehicle shootings. So far, police have not released descriptions of the suspect or a pickup he was driving. Three more cars were damaged yesterday but no one was hurt. A total of 13 attacks have been reported.

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin man is recovering from minor injuries after being trapped waist-deep in chocolate yesterday. Darmin Garcia works for a chocolate company and got stuck in a vat. He says he felt like he weighed 900 pounds, and says he doesn't really have a taste for chocolate anymore.

TORONTO (AP) - Some of the world's leading AIDS experts are accusing the government of South Africa of ignoring the epidemic and promoting inadequate prevention methods. The comments came in Canada Friday at the close of the 16th annual International AIDS Conference. South Africa insists it has stepped up its care.

NEW YORK (AP) - Oil prices are once again on the rise. Light, sweet crude for September delivery settled at 71-dollars, 14 cents a barrel Friday, up one-dollar, eight cents from Thursday. Oil traders are watching weather patterns for potential hurricanes that could send prices up even further.