Local News-Friday, Jan. 12th

The State Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing on the proposed ethanol plant in western Schuylkill County. The Initial Air Quality Plan application hearing for the Green Energy Ethanol plant is scheduled for Thursday, February 8th at 7pm at Williams Valley High School in Tower City.
The public hearing will focus on the company’s Air Quality plan approval applications for a proposed biofuel storage tank and distribution terminal and accompanying air pollution control equipment. The company has not yet submitted its Air Quality plan approval applications for a proposed ethanol manufacturing facility to be located at the site, and a separate public hearing will be scheduled once that application is received and the department’s review is underway. Anyone wishing to testify at the hearing must submit a written notice to DEP at their Wilkes Barre office. Testimony will be limited to 10 minutes, and pre-registrants will be given priority over those who wish to testify the day of the hearing. Additional information is available at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword “air quality”.

A Rush Township man has announced his candidacy for County Commissioner. John Schickram, a former Rush Township supervisor, has thrown his hat into the ring for the county board, a spot he sought in 2003. He is expected to run in the Republican primary. The Pottsville Republican reports that incumbent Commissioners Bob Carl and Frank Staudenmeier expect to announce their re-election bids shortly. Democratic Commissioner Mantura Gallagher is also expected to run for re-election, and County Sheriff Francis McAndrew may also be running for Commissioner as well. Both political parties anticipate that their plans will take shape in the very near future.

A girl was struck by a pickup truck while crossing West Market Street in Pottsville Wednesday afternoon. Pottsville police report that the girl ran between two parked cars in the 100 block of West Market, when she was struck by a pickup driven by 61-year-old Charles Lafferty. The child’s foot was slightly injured in the mishap.

Snowy roads were to blame for a one-vehicle crash on Route 61 in West Brunswick Township Wednesday morning. 23-year-old Desirea Moyer was driving her SUV on Route 61 in Molino when she lost control on the snow covered road. The vehicle began to spin, left the road and rolled down an embankment. Moyer was able to free herself from the vehicle. State police say she was driving too fast for conditions.

The Schuylkill County Commissioners approved several grant proposals requested for during last weeks work session. Approval was granted to the County Emergency Management Agency to apply for a grant of just over $2-Million Dollars. The annual grant between the county and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is on behalf of the East Central Pennsylvania Counter-Terrorism Task Force. The County Emergency Management Agency was also given approval to apply for two other grants amounting to just under $8,000. The money will be used for the Hazardous Material program. Approval was granted to apply for over $235-thousand-dollars from the state’s Emergency Shelter Grant Program. Schuylkill Women in Crisis in Pottsville and Gaudenzia in Fountain Springs will use the money for renovation and maintenance projects. The North Central Highway Safety Networks received approval to apply for a grant of $400,000 for a PennDot funded “Click it or Ticket” next generation project. Schuylkill Community Action was granted permission to apply for a $90,000 grant to support their affordable housing activities.

Responses and opinions continue to flow on President Bush’s plans for increasing troops in Iraq.
WPPA/T-102 News spoke with Schuylkill County native and nationally recognized military analyst Ralph Peters. He acknowledged that the proposed increase in troops may be our last chance to achieve success, and that there will be casualties as a result. Peters has, at times, been critical of the Bush administration’s handling of the war, but always been an ardent supporter of the troops. He said that the Iraqis are also running out of time before they have to go it alone, and that the year 2007 will be pivotal in the war on Iraq.