Today's News-Friday, July 20th

A cooperative effort by several law enforcement agencies led to the arrest of a Philadelphia man on identity theft and other felonies. Pottsville police report that on May 25th, Jaime Reed's wallet was stolen from her purse. The Schuylkill Haven woman is employed by a Pottsville law firm. Her credit cards were used to make a substantial amount of purchases within minutes of it being stolen. On Wednesday of this week, 41-year-old Kevin Davis of Philadelphia was arrested on theft and related charges. He was initially arrested in Philadelphia and in Montgomery County for similar crimes. His arrest by Pottsville police was the result of a joint effort by the police departments and the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Intelligence Center. Davis was arraigned by District Judge James Reiley for his various crimes and then taken back to Montgomery County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 3rd.

A man suffered minor injuries during a crash in Pottsville on Wednesday afternoon. Pottsville police say that 22-year-old Ashley Krise was entering the rear parking lot at Hadesty's Hardware on West Market Street when her car struck a vehicle driven by 82-year-old Albert Chesonis, who was near the exit of the store on West End Avenue. Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene. Krise refused medical treatment at the scene. Chesonis was taken to Pottsville Hospital. The crash happened around 4:50pm Wednesday.

A Tower City woman had moderate injuries when her car hit a tree in western Schuylkill County Wednesday afternoon. Lykens State Police say that 29 –year-old Lindsay Ressler was headed eastbound on State Route 325, approximately 2 miles from the Dauphin county line, when she lost control and struck a tree. The crash happened around 1pm Wednesday.
The historic transportation bill signed by Governor Rendell earlier this week will be positive for Schuylkill and Berks county, according to one state legislator. State Rep. Tim Seip said the transportation improvement plan, is projected to provide a 14 percent increase for Schuylkill and Berks counties respectively. Schuylkill County's funding plan will rise by over $90-thousand-dollars, and Berks, an increase of over $135-thousand-dollars. Seip commented that the money will help cut down on the repair backlog that has left six state bridges in Schuylkill and 19 in Berks structurally deficient. The backlog also includes delayed repair work on 136 miles of Schuylkill County roads, that are rated poor. The transportation plan avoids any new state taxes, according to Seip. The major sources of new transportation funding will be increased revenue from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and placing tolls on Interstate 80, where about 72 percent of the traffic is traveling through the state.

A Mount Carmel man is going to jail for torching his wife’s SUV, after sentencing in Schuylkill County Court Thursday. 47-year-old Steven Wolfgang was sentenced for arson and criminal mischief for setting fire to his wife Sherry Wolfgang's vehicle on state game lands in Eldred Township back in January. He pleaded guilty to those charges in May. The Republican and Herald reports that Wolfgang will spend 12 to 24 months in state prison, with credit for time served. He will also have to pay costs and restitution, plus give a DNA sample to law enforcement officials. His wife, Sherry, disappeared at that time. A body was found in June in Mahanoy Creek, but authorities have yet to identify that body. Wolfgang, while suspected in his wife's death, has not been charged.

A cooperative effort between two police departments in Schuylkill County has been finalized. Mahanoy Township and Gilberton can now share officers from each other’s police force, under the supervision of Gilberton's chief, Mark Kessler. According to the Republican and Herald, the departments actually started shared services in June. The arrangement allows for either municipality to get out of the agreement by written notice. Several new part time officers were hired, and an existing part time officer recommended for promotion as second in charge of the joint police department.

A hungry black bear made the rounds of bird feeders at some homes in Pottsville and neighboring North Manheim Township yesterday. State and Pottsville city police say that the bear was rummaging through the bird feeders, looking for the nuts and seeds that they love to eat, at a couple of homes in the Deerfield Drive area and on Glenworth Road. After the bandit raided the feeders and ate the contents, it went back into the woods. Residents are reminded to take down bird feeders, to lock up garbage cans and remove anything that might attract bears and other animals. Game commission officials say that bears will eat just about anything.

PENTAGON (AP) - U-S military commanders in Iraq are now pitching November not September as a key date for judging the success of the latest troop buildup. At the same time, the top U-S civilian in Iraq says Iraqis are gripped by fear as their government struggles
to meet security and political goals.

BAGHDAD (AP) - The war continues to claim the lives of coalition soldiers. The military says an American has died of wounds suffered yesterday when a bomb went off next to his vehicle in Baghdad. Three British soldiers were killed in an attack on their base in southern Iraq.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A seven-day forecast of hot, dry, windy weather in the West does not bode well for efforts to control wildfires burning in ten states. One of the fires, a 200-square-mile blaze in Idaho, has forced the evacuation of dozens of families from the town of Murphy Hot Springs.

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Officials investigating Tuesday night's jetliner crash in Sao Paulo, Brazil, think one of the plane's two thrust reversers had been turned off. The devices are used to slow down jets after they land. At least 189 people were killed.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Lindsay Lohan has been released on her own recognizance in Beverly Hills, California, in a drunken driving case. The 21-year-old celebrity turned herself in yesterday to be fingerprinted and photographed. Police say she crashed her Mercedes over Memorial Day.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The word "public" is back in Pittsburgh schools. Following an outcry from parents and residents, Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt says he will continue using the word as part of the district's commonly used name after unveiling a policy last week to drop the word "public" from Pittsburgh Public Schools in hopes of avoiding the negative attitudes and perceptions some people have about public schools.

WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) - Washington County is getting a 90 (M) million-dollar retail outlet mall. Tanger Factory Outlets is scheduled to open next summer in South Strabane Township and will have 75 stores, including Banana Republic, Nine West, Nike, Brooks Brothers, Old Navy, Sketchers and American Eagle.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - P-N-C Financial Services Group says it has agreed to buy Sterling Financial for 565 (M) million dollars in cash and stock. P-N-C says the deal would make it central Pennsylvania's largest bank by deposits. The Pittsburgh-based bank is already one of the country's largest regional banks, with 126 (B) billion dollars in assets and 850 branches.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A Butler County company that admitted it provided inadequate fall protection to a worker who plunged 48 feet through a skylight to his death has been fined 25-thousand dollars and sentenced to one year's probation. American Asbestos Control
Company of Cranberry Township pleaded guilty in April to one federal count of willful violation of Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations for the April 2005 death of
27-year-old Saul Martinez of High Point, North Carolina.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The owner of the now-closed Moxham Personal Care Home in Cambria County has been ordered to stand trial in connection with the death of a disabled resident who was left overnight on a hallway floor. Prosecutors say 50-year-old John
Anthony Senior could have saved the life of 47-year-old Gregory Hanks by calling 9-1-1 after Hanks had collapsed on the floor the evening of December 21st.