Local, State and National News-Saturday, July 7th

A long day of high-level negotiations over the state budget ended before midnight last night with a deal still so far from sight that even signs of progress were hard to find. Pennsylvania's fiscal year ended last Saturday, and more than 24-thousand state workers will go on unpaid furlough Monday if there isn't an agreement on a state spending plan. Slots casinos will stop taking bets, state parks will close and a range of government services will be curtailed, including Drivers License Centers. Travelers will not be able to access Welcome Centers on the major highways if the furloughs go through. Negotiators met for hours in the Capitol before wrapping up as midnight approached. The best they could say is that at least the talks will continue. Republicans say they're continuing to be frustrated at the scope of Democratic Governor Ed Rendell's proposals - an ambitious agenda that they say continues to grow.

A Gilberton man's dog was apparently hanged in his backyard yesterday. Sean Black, of 148 Long Row, apparently went outside to feed his pet Bosco when he found him hanging from the tree, according to the Republican and Herald. Police cannot investigate the apparent act of foul play because Black buried the pet before they arrived on scene. The two year old pit bull/shar pey mix was in the yard from about 6:30am until Black went to bring him in a few hours later. The dog was found hanging from the tree at that time. Black said that he never had any complaints about the pet from his neighbors.

Two nationally known drum and bugle corps are visiting the area this weekend. The Madison Scouts, of Madison, Wisconsin and The Casper Troopers, of Casper, Wyoming are traveling through the area as part of their summer tour. Early this morning, the corps arrived for some rest and rehearsal time at North Schuylkill and Schuylkill Haven High School, respectively.
The corps will travel to Allentown tonight for competition, then return to the county. The drum and bugle corps circuit is a difficult one, being away from home for months at a time. They will be fed a home cooked meal, a rarity for drum corps on tour during their stay, and provided a home away from home , Schuylkill County style. They will be back to the rehearsal fields tomorrow, and will both appear in a mini competition at Rotary Field in Schuylkill Haven at 7:30pm Sunday night. Gates will open to the public at 6:30pm. The performances are free, but donations will gladly be accepted to help defray the cost of housing the Troopers and the Scouts in Schuylkill Haven. Come out and enjoy a wonderful evening of some of the finest music and marching in Schuylkill Haven Sunday night.

A Mahanoy City man will do time in federal prison on child porn charges. 29-year-old Daniel Fronczak Jr. will be incarcerated in a federal prison for 340 months, plus serve 5 years on supervised release after sentencing in Iowa earlier this week. According to the Republican and Herald, Fronczak pleaded guilty in November to charges of attempted production of child pornography after he picked up a girl in Iowa in December, 2005. According to court records, Fronczak admitted to taking video of sexual acts with the 14 year old, then destroying the tape. Several other charges were dropped in the case. Fronczak picked up the girl and took her to a Moline, Illinois motel, where the acts took place. Authorities arrested him at a motel near the airport.

No one was hurt in a one vehicle crash last night in New Philadelphia. Kevin Mansfield Jr. was driving his Subaru south on Route 209 and fell asleep. He lost control, crossing the northbound lane and struck a fence at 15 and 21 Valley Street. The car continued on to hit the home at 21 Valley Street. Mansfield and his father were both wearing their seatbelts, and were not hurt. The car had to be towed from the scene. The crash happened before 11pm Friday night.

A Shenandoah Heights man was caught with a small amount of drugs in Pottsville yesterday.
18-year-old David Brown was picked up at the Main Street Playground by city officers, where they found marijuana on him. A 17-year-old Shenandoah teen had several pills, which appeared to be the drug Ecstasy, and other paraphernalia on him when police arrived. Another 17 year old and a 15 year old were also present. The incident happened after police received complaints of juveniles damaging equipment at the playground in the 5th ward. The drugs were uncovered during a search of the teen's car. Brown was charged and released. The teens were turned over to their parents.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - If there is a furlough of state workers next week, all state parks and driver licensing centers will close. So will Pennsylvania's five slot-machine casinos. Liquor stores and the state lottery would continue to operate because they are financed with the money they generate. Nearly 52-thousand workers with "critical" responsibilities, including
state police and prison guards, would continue to work. The threat of a partial government shutdown is not due to a financial crisis but to a clash of political wills. Governor Ed Rendell is insisting that the Legislature address a range of issues not directly related to the budget. Senate
Republicans say they'd prefer to pass a pared-down budget and push back consideration of the Democratic governor's energy, health care and transportation initiatives.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State House members today are expected to resume consideration of amendments to a bill to prohibit smoking in most public places in Pennsylvania. The Smoke Free Pennsylvania Act would ban smoking in enclosed or substantially enclosed work places, including bars, restaurants and at least three-quarters of a given hotel's rooms. It also would exempt private homes and vehicles unless they are used for child care, cigar bars, and retail tobacco stores. One amendment to be discussed today would restrict local municipalities from passing stricter ordinances. A similar bill passed the state Senate last week, but Governor
Ed Rendell threatened to veto because it would allow smoking in small at-home day care settings.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Luzerne County prosecutors have dropped charges in a May 2006 shooting long cited by Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta as the impetus for his widely emulated crackdown on illegal immigrants. Joan Romero and Pedro Cabrera had been charged in the death of 29-year-old Derek Kichline, but prosecutors say key witnesses were either unavailable or unreliable. Barletta's critics quickly cited the decision as evidence that the mayor jumped to conclusions when he accused illegal immigrants of wrecking his northeastern Pennsylvania city of more than 30-thousand. Witold Walczak, legal director of the American Civil Liberties
Union of Pennsylvania, maintains that it is one of a series of what he calls "discredited claims." Barletta calls Walczak's statement "repulsive." Barletta has cited other reasons for his high-profile campaign, saying illegal immigrants have been caught dealing drugs and committing other crimes and have overburdened police, schools and hospitals.

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - Jurors in Ohio will return to federal court July 16th for a hearing to determine whether a Pennsylvania woman should be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole for the death of her husband. Donna Moonda of Hermitage was convicted of murder for hire and other charges yesterday. Doctor Gulam Moonda was shot to death in May of 2005 at a spot along the Ohio Turnpike about 30 miles south of Cleveland. Prosecutors said Donna Moonda promised her lover, Damian Bradford, half of the estate if he shot her husband. The defense maintained that Bradford acted alone.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Allegheny County's mass transit agency says there will be more cuts this fall unless state lawmakers provide more help. The Port Authority of Allegheny County says it will eliminate 34 weekday and 18 weekend bus and rail routes and reduce service on 65
other routes in September. The plan also calls for 170 employees to be laid off. Port Authority C-E-O Steve Bland says the cutbacks will reduce transit options to "unthinkable levels." The agency last month cut service 15 percent and laid off more than 200 people. The Port Authority last month approved a 325 (M) million-dollar budget for the fiscal year that began July First. The budget uses money from a special fund to cover a nearly 45 (M) million-dollar
deficit.

NEW YORK (AP) - A Pennsylvania woman pleaded not guilty to shooting a New York commune leader last year in an ambush outside his home. Forty-four-year-old Rebekah Johnson was ordered held without bail after entering the plea to charges of attempted murder, assault and weapons counts. Johnson was captured last month in Philadelphia after more than a year on the run. She had been featured five times on FOX's "America's Most Wanted." An indictment unsealed yesterday alleges that Johnson shot Jeff Gross -- a founder of the Staten Island-based shared-living community Ganas -- five times as he was coming home from a movie on
May 29th of last year. Johnson lived with the Ganas community from 1986 to 1990 and
again from 1994 to 1996 before she was kicked out, according to neighbors and commune members.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A man charged with murder who was mistakenly released from a New Jersey jail almost a month ago was captured in Pennsylvania. Nineteen-year-old Dontay Brannon of Trenton, a reputed member of the Bloods street gang, was arrested last night at a private home in East Stroudsburg. Brannon was being held at the Mercer County jail on trespassing and mischief counts when authorities filed charges of murder and attempted murder against him. He was mistakenly cleared for release June 11th because parole officials were unaware of the pending charges.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Sectarian violence is on the rise again in Iraq. A suicide truck bomber today killed at least 23 people in an outdoor market in a Shiite village. Two other bombings last night
killed dozens more, including 22 people at a funeral.

BAGHDAD (AP) - It's been a deadly week for U-S servicemembers in Iraq. The military has announced eight more casualties. Three were killed in combat Thursday. Four more died yesterday. Another death is listed as non-combat related. The U-S toll since the war began
is now at least 35-hundred-99.

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Artists like Madonna, the Police and Genesis are headlining the Live Earth concerts today, lending their support to raising awareness of climate change. Former Vice
President Al Gore, who inspired the event, says global warming is the "gravest" challenge ever facing the planet.

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - President Bush uses his weekend radio chat to accuse congressional Democrats of moving too slowly on spending bills for the fiscal year that begins in October. He also complains they want to spend too much and tax too much.

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Bus drivers in Orange County, California, have gone on strike after their union and the bus agency failed to agree on a new contract. The strike means about 50
of over 80 routes aren't running. The two sides were apparently only one percentage point apart on a wage increase, with pensions also a sticking point.