Local News-Tuesday, Sept. 26th

Services have been set for a New Ringgold woman who died fighting the war on terror in Iraq. Sergeant Jennifer Hartman, who served with the 4th Infantry Division, was killed September 14th in a suicide car bombing near Baghdad. Two other soldiers died in the explosion. According to the Pottsville Republican, Hartman's funeral arrangements have been set. She will be laid to rest with full military honors Saturday at 11am at the Hartman Funeral Home on the West Penn Pike. Calling hours will be from 8am to 11am, with a memorial service following. Hartman was in the last two months of her deployment in Iraq when she was killed. She is the first Schuylkill County soldier to die fighting the war on terror.

A man who was convicted of trying to kill the former Schuylkill County DA and others wants a new trial on an indecent assault charge. Forrest Pawling, of Reading, contends that his former attorney, Assistant Public Defender Christopher Riedlinger, did not call on witnesses who could have helped his indecent assault case. Pawling was convicted on charges that he tried to kill former Schuylkill County DA Frank Cori and eight other people, including some of his family members. He was sentenced to serve 26 to 55 years in state prison for his crimes. The Pottsville Republican reports that President Judge William Baldwin gave Pawling's new counsel, James Conville, and the DA's office 10 days for file briefs in the case. Pawling is looking for a new trial on the indecent assault charge even though he already served his sentence in the case. The indecent assault charge was lodged against him following an incident involving a young girl in 1994.

State police liquor control enforcement officials have made an arrest relating to an illegal poker tournament in Schuylkill Haven in June. Charges were filed last week against Kevin Tosh Sr. of Auburn. Authorities raided an illegal Texas Hold-Em poker tournament being held at the Liberty Fire Company in Schuylkill Haven on June 25th. Over $2-thousand-dollars in cash, a sizeable quantity of beer and gambling paraphernalia were seized in the raid. Tosh was charged for illegal sales of alcohol without a license and gambling. Liberty Fire Company officials state that the game was a private event, and in no way sponsored or sanctioned by them, and report that the organizers of the event told the fire company that the tournament was legal.

A Sunday morning crash that killed two deer is being investigated by Tamaqua police. Officers were called to Owl Creek Road following the report of two deer being killed by a motorcycle. Police found a Harley Davidson motorcycle owned by Joseph Hollywood of Coaldale lying alongside the road. The motorcycle apparently was stolen from Hollywood's parents' home early Sunday morning. Whoever was operating the cycle skidded more than 50-feet before striking and killing the deer. If anyone has information about the theft or crash, call Tamaqua Police at 668-5000.

State police at Schuylkill Haven have just released the details of an incident at Blue Mountain High School during the first week of school. Authorities say that a 14 and 15 year old girl got into an argument that turned physical. The girls reportedly began pushing each other, but not until after the older girl bit the 14-year-old in the left arm. She was treated at the Good Samaritan Hospital at that time. The 15-year-old was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct. The younger girl was charged with disorderly conduct.

A Pottsville sports bar was the scene of a smoke event Saturday evening. Fire personnel were called to Maroons Sports Bar and Grill on North Centre Street after the restaurant filled with smoke. A preliminary investigation indicated that the probable cause of the smoke was a malfunctioning air handling unit. Firefighters cut the power to the unit, and the smoke dissipated. There were no injuries reported.