Local News-Monday, Dec. 4th

A Reilly Township business was burglarized over the weekend. Someone broke into the offices of Elaine Stine Trucking Incorporated in Reilly Township between Friday night and Saturday morning. Once inside , thieves ransacked several desks and rummaged through the office. About $39-hundred-dollars in cash and a camera were taken. State police at Schuylkill Haven continue their investigation. If you have information, call them at 593-2000.

Three people were injured in a Sunday evening crash in North Manheim Township. A car driven by 26-year-old Geoffrey Singley was southbound on Route 183 near the entrance to the Chestnut Hill Development. State police say he was traveling at a high rate of speed and drifted into the northbound lane. Singley's car struck an oncoming car driven by Shirley Webb of Friedensburg head on. Singley, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was thrown into the back seat of the car. His vehicle then caught on fire. Two men passing the accident were able to free Singley from his car. Webb had to be freed by emergency personnel. Both were flown to Geisinger Medical Center. A passenger in Webb's car, 18-year-old Stacy Keip of Friedensburg had minor injuries and taken to Pottsville Hospital for treatment. Troopers believe that alcohol was a factor in the crash and a blood test will be given to Singley as the investigation continues. The crash happened after 6pm last night.

A Frackville man is under arrest after an incident in northern Schuylkill County Sunday morning. State police say that 26-year-old Shawn Cairo of Frackville and his girlfriend, Shannon Tucker of Shenandoah were involved in a domestic dispute at a home in West Mahanoy Township early Sunday. Cairo grabbed Tucker by the throat, pushed her into a wall and punched her in the stomach. Troopers went to Cairo's home in Frackville, where he got into a fight. But, he was restrained and taken into custody. Cairo was arraigned via video conference from Schuylkill County Prison. Bail was set at $1-thousand-dollars.

Fire destroyed a home in Minersville Sunday morning. The double home at 144 New Street erupted in flames after midnight Saturday. The Pottsville Republican reports that the first floor was fully involved when firefightes arrived. Four people, two adults and two children, lived in one half of the home. The other side was vacant. Those four were left homeless. Fire officials in Minersville believe they know the cause of the blaze, but and official determination will be made after the investigation is completed.

Over 3-thousand repeat DUI offenders are driving safer on Pennsylvania roads because of the Ignition Interlock program. Those drivers who have been convicted of driving drunk two or more times must blow into the device installed in their cars to determine if they have alcohol on their breath before starting the car. And, by statistics compiled by the Pennsylvania DUI Associaton, the interlock is getting the job done. In 2006, more than 28-thousand attempts to drive impaired were stopped as a result of the devices being installed in cars, resulting in safer driving on the state's roads. Over 28-hundred devices were installed in cars across the state. The program is a requirement of Pennsylvania’s drunk driving laws.

In the electronic age, people can do just about anything on-line. But with the convenience comes the risk of identity theft. There is a new tool available from the state that may be able to help. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is reminding consumers about a new resource to help them fight back against identity theft: www.IdentityTheftActionPlan.com, an innovative Web site designed to help citizens prevent, detect and respond to America's fastest growing crime. The website includes information on how identity theft occurs, prevention tips, steps to take if you become a victim, statistics, and information for law enforcement agencies that investigate these types of crimes. According to the 2006 Identity Fraud Consumer Report, nearly 8.9-million-Americans will become vicitims of identity fraud.