WPPA/T102 NEWS Saturday

Local News

Judge denies trial request for Tamaqua man

Robert Yates is not entitled to a new trial on charges he shot and seriously injured a 10-year-old female relative, a Schuylkill County judge decided Friday. According to the Pottsville Republican and Herald, in an eight-page opinion, President Judge William E. Baldwin ruled Yates, received effective legal representation in spite of his being convicted and receiving a 6- to 12-year state prison sentence. "The defendant has failed to meet his burden of showing that his counsel was ineffective," Baldwin wrote. A county jury convicted Yates on Jan. 19 of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure, simple assault, simple assault with a deadly weapon and recklessly endangering another person. Baldwin sentenced him Feb. 16. Tamaqua police charged Yates with shooting the girl with a .380-caliber pistol on Aug. 4, 2004, as she slept on a love seat in her home. The shot struck her in the head, causing blindness in her right eye and other serious injuries, police said. Yates, who is serving his sentence at State Correctional Institution/Camp Hill, claimed that Chief Public Defender Harry A. Rubright, who represented him before and at the trial, failed to negotiate adequately a plea agreement on his behalf and should have called a ballistics expert to boost his case during the trial. Baldwin rejected both claims, ruling Yates failed to meet his burden of proving Rubright was ineffective. Also, Baldwin rejected Yates' claim that the county court discriminated against him because the deadlines for negotiated pleas prevented him from negotiating one.

Two Countains Arrested on Drug Charges

Two Schuylkill County men were arrested Friday on drug charges. According to the Pottsville Republican and Herald, Paul D. Eiler, of Mahanoy City, was arrested by borough police after a traffic stop early Friday morning led to a search warrant of his home Friday afternoon. Inside the home, police found drugs, drug paraphernalia, cash and other items. Eiler was arrested by Mahanoy City police Patrolman Timothy M. Wirtz and charged with felony possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $2,000 straight cash bail on traffic charges and $2,000 on drug charges. A traffic stop by Wirtz and Officer Melissa Johnson around 2:30 a.m. led not only to the search warrant, but resulted in Eiler being charged with driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, DUI, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Also Friday, Cass-Foster police arrested a 53-year-old Foster Township man and charged him with allegedly selling drugs. Edward J. Hunt Jr. was arrested by Patrolman Jeffrey Bowers and charged after an investigation spurred by a complaint received by the department. Bowers said Hunt's arrest by his department and state police was the result of an investigation that began when complaints were received that the man was selling drugs from inside his home.Bowers charged Hunt with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, corruption of minors, a violation of the Uniform Firearms Act and possession of small amount of marijuana. He was also arraigned before Ferrier.Bowers said Cass-Foster police ask that anyone with information on illegal activity contact them at 544-5631, while Mahanoy City residents with suspicions of such activity can call police at 773-2310. All information will remain confidential.

Haven Man Dies Due To Fall

A 48-year-old borough man was found dead behind his apartment building Friday morning, police said. Schuylkill Haven police said Robert Eiler of 35 E. Main St., 2nd Floor Rear, was pronounced dead at the scene by Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner John Harley. Police said a toxicology test will be done to determine if the man had alcohol or drugs in his system. Police believe that on Thursday night or early Friday morning, Eiler fell off the roof near his apartment and died from the fall. Police said that Eiler has been known to enter his apartment by using the stairwell of an adjacent building and then going onto his roof and to his apartment window. Police said there was nothing suspicious about the death and that it is being considered accidental.

John Pott Memorial restored

After spending some time in a parking lot, the John Pott memorial stone has been put back in its place near Arch and Center streets. According to the Pottsville Republican and Herald, the monument was taken down as part of the sewer project, but was slated to be repaired as a small bicentennial project before the sewer authority discovered it was in the way, according to Mayor John D.W. Reiley. As DOLI Construction Corp. wrapped up construction efforts in that area, workers re-erected the monument. Although the monument is back where it belongs, more improvements will become visible in the coming weeks. A small foot path leading to the monument is already visible, and landscaping is under way. City officials are also exploring the option of enhancing the area with lighting. However, officials haven't yet found a source of power to light the area. PPL Electric Utilities Corp. wouldn't grant the city permission to tap into the main power source, Reiley said, but accenting the monument isn't something officials have given up on.

Blue Mtn. energy initiative helps district save thousands

The Blue Mountain School District is working to promote environmental protection. Jeffrey E. Ritschel, district supervisor of buildings and grounds, and his assistant, Richard Wanamaker, gave a short presentation Thursday outlining benefits of Blue Mountain's Energy Management Program. According to the Pottsville Republican and Herald, from May 2005 through April 2006, the district estimates a cost-avoidance of more than $250,000 and actual monetary savings of more than $19,000. Blue Mountain School District was the first in Northeastern Pennsylvania to be considered for this program by Energy Education Incorporated — a consulting group that operates out of Wichita Falls, Texas. Ritschel attributed the savings to increased awareness by the school district about energy waste and improved conscientiousness of Blue Mountain faculty and staff. In only one year, Ritschel and Wanamaker pointed out that the amount of energy saved by the school district is equivalent to more than 3 million pounds of prevented carbon dioxide emissions, 295 cars being removed from the highway, or 612 acres of trees being planted.

State News From The AP

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The demand for the latest meningitis vaccine is rising among college students, and colleges and universities are learning that the vaccine is harder to find. The vaccine, called Menactra, prevents a form of bacterial meningitis and is recommended for students living in dorms. Its manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, is struggling to keep up with the need, some students and colleges have found the vaccine harder to find. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that more than eight (m) million U-S children get vaccinated. Several states have enacted laws in recent years requiring the vaccine for college students. In Pennsylvania, college students living in dorms must either be vaccinated or sign a waiver saying that they chose not to get it and understand the risks.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann picked up an endorsement today from the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association. The endorsement, announced outside the union's headquarters in Harrisburg, comes amid continuing tensions between the union and Democratic Governor Ed Rendell over his plan to have civilians take over certain jobs that troopers now perform. Bruce Edwards, president of the troopers' union, said the endorsement is not payback for its problems with Rendell. He said the union's board unanimously approved the endorsement because union leaders feel Swann will be more sensitive to its concerns. A Rendell campaign spokesman said the number of state troopers currently authorized represent the largest complement in the state's history. Dan Fee said 401 additional troopers have been authorized since Rendell took office in 2003, pushing the total to maximum of 43-hundred-and-ten allowed by law.

CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago's State Street may still be a great street, as the song says. But news that Carson Pirie Scott is leaving after more than a century is just the latest reminder that State Street is changing. Owner Bon-Ton Stores in York, Pennsylvania, yesterday announced that Carson Pirie will close its State Street store by March due to lagging sales and rising operating costs. The Carson Pirie building was designed by famed architect Louis H. Sullivan in the late 19th century and is designated a National Historic Landmark. The building is owned by Joseph Freed and Associates. That company says it plans to convert 250-thousand square feet in the building into new retail space on the lower level, first and second floors. The third through seventh floors will offer 350-thousand square feet of new office, school and entertainment space.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - The Penn Traffic Company is recalling all sizes of Food Club spring water from P and C and Big M stores in four states because of high levels of bromate. Bob Chapman, president and C-E-O of the company, says there's no health risk in drinking the water, but that it doesn't meet F-D-A regulations. Chapman says the Food Club water was sold at 61 P and C stores in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania and 45 Big M supermarkets. Chapman said Penn Traffic decided to recall the water after tests showed bromate levels in some of the water higher than federal limits. Bromate is a chemical created during the disinfection process. The company says the affected water was produced between June 27th and August fourth. The remaining stock of Food Club water was pulled from store shelves. The company could not say how much water was affected.

National News From The AP

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - The National Hurricane Center is keeping its eye on Tropical Storm Ernesto. It formed yesterday over the Caribbean and is moving toward Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Ernesto could develop into the first hurricane of the 2006 Atlantic season by early next week.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - D-N-A evidence has emerged as an early battleground in the case against John Karr. His public defender says any samples taken could not have been legally obtained. D-N-A is considered a potential key to solving the 1996 slaying of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey.

HOUSTON (AP) - One college student has a lot of explaining to do after a stick of dynamite was found in his checked luggage. Transportation Security Administration officials say that was just one of seven incidents yesterday that caused U-S flights to be diverted, evacuated, searched or delayed.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A new review finds families of Army soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are being given accurate information on how their loved ones died. The review ordered by the Army secretary shows that out of the roughly two-thousand deaths, the error rate is under one percent.

NEW YORK (AP) - At least five people are recovering from gunshot wounds after a motorist went on a shooting rampage in New York City. Police say it happened last night in Queens. The shooter apparently targeted victims at random. At least one person is in critical condition. Police are questioning a "person of interest."

KHONDAB, Iran (AP) - An Iranian heavy-water production plant is now officially in operation -- even amid U-N demands that Iran stop that activity. Iran's president today officially inaugurated the plant. It's the first time an Iranian president has officially visited the site. The announcement comes just days before a U-N deadline for Iran to stop uranium enrichment.

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Most of the two-dozen people who've been treated for headaches and nausea in the aftermath of a leak at a chemical plant in Delaware have been released from a hospital. And a state official says he's been told that the leak from a rail car has stopped. Nearby residents were told to stay indoors, and some traffic was diverted away from the area.

KISUMU, Kenya (AP) - It's the country where his father grew up herding goats. Today, Senator Barack Obama is being greeted by thousands of well-wishers lining the roads in Kenya, as he visits his late father's rural village. He's also planning on drawing attention to the AIDS epidemic in Africa by being publicly tested for AIDS.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - What was he thinking? A Connecticut man is wondering that about his 21-year-old son, who he says made a "stupid" mistake by bringing a stick of dynamite onto a flight from South America. Dogs sniffed-out the explosive during a stop in Houston, and the college student now faces federal charges.

UNDATED (AP) - The discovery of dynamite in luggage was just one of a half-dozen security scares on planes across the U-S yesterday. A flight from England to Chicago instead landed in Maine, where passengers say a man was then handcuffed and placed in a police car. And a man who disrupted a U-S Airways flight before being subdued by an air marshal will undergo a mental evaluation.

CHICAGO (AP) - What could a little boy have said that caused a United Airlines flight to be delayed? Whatever it was, a government official says it's clear that the boy "didn't want to fly." It's one of seven security-related incidents on flights to, from or within the U-S yesterday. Authorities don't think any of them involved terrorism.

NEW YORK (AP) - Northwest Airlines planes are still flying, after a judge in New York blocked flight attendants from carrying out a planned series of strikes. The judge says he needs time to examine the case. Northwest is operating under bankruptcy protection, and says labor action could kill it.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A free flight to Las Vegas with exotic dancers -- it's among the goodies a State Department worker allegedly took from a jewelry company executive. Prosecutors say he was bribed to help speed the firm's visa process.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A lawsuit against Arnold Schwarzenegger has been settled. The libel lawsuit was filed by a former British T-V personality who claimed she had been groped by Schwarzenegger during an interview six years ago, and that she was later defamed by his aides during his campaign for governor.