Today's News - Saturday July 28, 2007

SIBT administrators and staff to form new school

POTTSVILLE - The administration and staff of the Schuylkill Institute of Business and Technology will not be resting when ForeFront Education Inc. discontinues service as SIBT. In an attempt to fill a void in local education that is needed the staff announced they will become a nonprofit organization known as Schuylkill Academy. Schuylkill Academy will be located at the location of 118 S. Center Street, Pottsville the site of the current SIBT. Course offerings will include graphic design, business administration, medical assistant, drafting technology, network/internet professional, accounting, and paralegal curriculums. The project is scheduled to open in October.

State police looking for vagrant who stole a car

CUMBOLA - A Middleport man is being sought by State Police for using a Cumbola woman's car without her permission. Troopers issued an alert yesterday, indicating their desire to apprehend 37-year-old Jeffrey Weicicoskie (why-sick-koskie). He took a Cumbola woman’s car and used it without her permission several months ago, but their search for him continued. Wiecicoskie's address is unconfirmed, as he moves around. He may be in the Pottsville or St. Clair area. If you see Weicicoskie, please call Frackville State Police at 874-5300.

Blythe gets extension on BRADS pre-denial letter

BLYTHE TOWNSHIP - A proposed construction landfill has been granted an extension by Pennsylvania regulators to respond to a pre-denial letter of their application. The Department of Environmental Protection announced yesterday that it has granted Blythe Township, a 90-day extension to respond to DEP's April 2007 pre-denial letter. The township requested the extension to address deficiencies in its permit application for the proposed Blythe Recycling and Demolition Site, or BRADS, construction and demolition waste landfill. DEP Northeast Regional Director Michael Bedrin said that DEP officials met with the township earlier this month to discuss the items in their original letter. At that time, the township said it needed more time to address the issues. The original denial letter identified a number of issues that must be resolved by the applicant, including site ownership, leachate management and the need for additional botanical studies. Blythe Township originally submitted a permit application for a 1,500-ton per day demolition debris landfill in early 2004. DEP held a public hearing on the application Dec. 5, 2006, and received testimony from more than 50 individuals.

Fair preparation underway

SUMMIT STATION - One day to go until the opening of the 24th annual Schuylkill County Fair. Older folks have memories of the fair in Cressona, but a full generation now remembers the Great Schuylkill County Fair in Summit Station, and it opens tomorrow, Exhibit Day. WPPA News stopped by the fairgrounds yesterday and found the place buzzing with activity. Vendors of all types were setting up their stands, and have been doing so since Monday, according to Shirley German (gur-man). She anticipates a sell out of vendor spaces for the fair. Paul Kennedy, the fair's director of safety and security, tells us that so far, preparations are going smoothly. Last year, the Schuylkill County Fair was plagued with some misfortune. The June flood did significant damage to the fairgrounds, but with hard work and determination, the annual event opened on time. An oppressive heatwave baked the 2006 fair. Have “Bushels of Fun” at the Schuylkill County Fair.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A longtime Philadelphia cheesesteak shop with family ties to the inventors of the famous sandwich has gotten the final order to leave a historic downtown market. Reading Terminal Market spokesman Kevin Feeley says management gave Rick Olivieri a final hearing Wednesday. Officials also spent the week discussing their reasons for the change with merchants and others. The board then reaffirmed the decision not to renew the
lease of Rick's Philly Steaks. Olivieri says he does not know whether he has to leave by
Wednesday and plans to meet with attorneys. He said earlier he would fight the eviction in court. Olivieri is the grandson of Pasquale "Pat" Olivieri, who founded the first cheesesteak shop with his brother back in 1933. The 104-year-old market plans to replace Rick's with Tony Luke's Old Philly Style Sandwiches, a locally owned chain.

PHOENIX (AP) - T-V crews in Phoenix have been wiping away tears as they report on a tragedy one journalist says is "too close to home." Two news helicopters smashed into each other during live T-V coverage of a police chase yesterday, killing the two pilots and two photographers onboard.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Doctors are preparing to operate on Vice President Dick Cheney this morning to replace his pacemaker. The vice president's spokeswoman says the device's battery has reached the level where replacement is recommended.

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - President Bush is using his weekend radio chat today to urge Congress to update U-S intelligence laws before lawmakers break for the August recess. He wants an overhaul of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that governs federal wiretaps aimed at stopping terrorists.

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - Australian officials are allowing an Indian doctor to leave the country after prosecutors dropped a charge linking him to the attempted terror attacks in Britain. Twenty-seven-year-old Mohamed Haneef was released from a Brisbane prison yesterday.

BARABOO, Wis. (AP) - Testimony continues in Wisconsin in the murder trial of a 16-year-old boy charged with shooting his high school principal to death. The defense attorney says Eric Hainstock didn't mean to kill his principal. Prosecutors say Hainstock was upset over being bullied and that his anger had been building.

BEIJING (AP) - China has sentenced two men to death for masterminding a plan to steal oil from an underwater pipeline. China's state news agency says the plot netted only 65 barrels of oil, but caused tens of millions of dollars in damages.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - News media in Pakistan are reporting that President Musharraf has held secret talks with opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. They're reportedly discussing a possible power sharing deal.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Commanders in Iraq say an airstrike after a fierce gunbattle in Karbala killed some 17 militants Friday. U-S troops are also said to have captured four militants suspected of links to networks that smuggle weapons and fighters from Iran. And the military has also announced the death of another U-S soldier.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Hawaii man has been hospitalized with symptoms of botulism poisoning after eating canned chili that was subject to a massive food recall. Officials continue to find recalled canned foods on store shelves nationwide more than a week after Castleberry's Food Company warned the products were possibly contaminated.

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington state Supreme Court has sided with a dentist who's a practical jokester. The oral surgeon was sued by his assistant for temporarily implanting fake boar tusks in her mouth while she was under anesthesia and taking pictures of it. His insurance company wouldn't cover her claim against him, so he sued the company and won in court.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota rescue workers have recovered the body of a 23-year-old sewer worker. Another worker remains missing. The two were working 150 feet below ground when a sudden rainfall sent water rushing into storm sewers.

NEW YORK (AP) - The maker of Aquafina bottled water is changing the label to clarify that the drink comes from the same source as tap water. PepsiCo will now spell out "public water source" on its bottles.

NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street has wrapped up its worst week in five years. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 500 points in two days. Investors are worried that borrowing costs will climb for both companies and homeowners.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) - More bad news for Michael Vick. Shoemaker Nike has suspended its contract with the Atlanta Falcons quarterback who's been indicted on dogfighting charges. And Reebok has taken the unprecedented step of stopping sales of his Number-Seven jersey. Vick has pleaded not guilty.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Barry Bonds says his proximity to the all-time home-run record is sinking in now. He's just one away from tying Hank Aaron. Bonds hit number 754 against the Florida Marlins last night. The two teams play again tonight.