Local News-Wednesday, June 27th

A Mahanoy City man is accused of shooting another man in the back yesterday in the borough.
Borough police say that the incident occurred in the 1300 block of East Mahanoy Avenue.
38-year-old Eric Grabowski of Burlington, New Jersey and two other men were remodeling a home when 26-year-old Thomas Heiser shot him in the back with a .22 caliber rifle. Grabowski identified Heiser as the shooter. Police surrounded Heiser's home and he was taken into custody. Heiser reportedly told officers that he saw the men working at a house up the street from him, and was fearful for his family, so he shot him in the back, according to the Republican and Herald. Heiser was arraigned at the Schuylkill County Prison and charged with attempted homicide and other offenses. Bail was set at $500-thousand-dollars.

It's official. Maroons Sports Bar and Grill will have new owners. Pottsville residents Robert and Karen Dittmar negotiated an agreement of sale to purchase the sports bar from the Pottsville Area Development Corporation, according to the Republican and Herald. Maroons Sports Bar was developed by Jim and Agnes Croley in 2004. They closed the business in the fall of 2006, and it has been sitting idle since. The purchase price was not disclosed. The establishment was named for the 1925 NFL Champion Pottsville Maroons Football team. Reports say that the Dittmar's plan to keep the Maroon’s name when they reopen later in the fall.

If you feel like you are stuck in a dead-end job, or are looking for a change in your career, an opportunity exists to change that today. Career Link Schuylkill County is holding the largest Job and Education Fair in the history of the county at Martz Hall from 9am till 4pm. About 100 employers, educators and agencies will be in attendance. You'll have a chance to meet with them, complete applications and possibly interview on the spot for a job! Your don’t have to be a recent high school or college graduate to attend, just come dressed for success and armed with your resume'. If you are worried about transportation to Martz Hall, transportation service will be available from the Career Link office in downtown Pottsville to the event site.

State police are investigating a theft at a Cressona business. Sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, someone removed three aluminum loading dock plates from the Cressona Textile Waste Company on Mengle Street. The rectangular plates weigh between 100 and 200 pounds. Troopers from the Schuylkill Haven barracks believe that a truck was used to remove the plates. The investigation is ongoing.

A load of pallets on the back of a pickup truck caused an accident in Wayne Township yesterday. A truck driven by 79-year-old Russell Harley was southbound on Route 443 with a load of wood pallets in the back of his Dodge Dakota. The load came loose and flew out of the back of the truck onto the roadway. A van driven by Robert Heim of New Ringgold was unable to avoid the debris on both lanes of the road. Heim's front end and passenger side mirror were damaged. Harley will be cited by state police in the accident, which happened around 3:15 Tuesday.

Today is National HIV Testing Day. The day is observed in order for all people to get the facts on preventing the spread of the virus and to foster a concern for those already infected. One in four new infections occur in people under the age of 22, and based on current trends, an average of two young people are infected with HIV every hour of the day. Schuylkill Wellness Service, the county’s only comprehensive HIV/AIDS agency is holding general HIV testing from 1:30pm till 6pm today. No appointment is needed. Their office is located at 514 North Centre Street in Pottsville. Phone 622-3980.

The 2007 edition of Schuylkill County Idol got underway last night at the Schuylkill Mall. The contest spotlights the talent of county residents, and is patterned after the wildly popular Fox TV show. More than 100 people turned out for the opening round, with a few contestants returning for another shot at the title. Cut down rounds will continue weekly through the end of July when Schuylkill County Idol Five will be crowned. The judges for this year's contest include local artist Angie Jordan, Cathy Fiorillo, a teacher at Penn State Schuylkill, and T102's Barry D.