Today's News-Wednesday, July 18th

An Orwigsburg man is charged with attempting to torch the Orwigsburg borough manager's home Monday night. 50-year-old Carl Zehner is locked up in the county prison in lieu of $25-thousand-dollars bail on reckless endangerment and charges of risking a catastrophe. The Republican and Herald reports that Zehner tried to set fire to the home of Michael Lonergan on West Mifflin Street by lighting a cloth hanging from a bottle of gasoline and throwing it on the side porch of the home. The investigation into the incident is continuing, but police believe that Zehner was upset with Lonergan because the borough shut off his water during the day Monday. Police say that Zehner admitted to throwing the bottle against Lonergan's house.
Lonergan, his wife and children were home at the time. No one was injured. Damage to the home did not force the family to have to leave.

A Wiconisco man is jailed on charges that he committed sexual assault on a Cressona girl earlier this year. Schuylkill Haven state police say that 33-year-old Christopher Tennis is alleged to have sexually assaulted the 14-year-old girl at a horse stable in Pine Grove Township from March to May of this year. Troopers indicate that they were tipped off by the Rape Crisis Center of Schuylkill County about the incidents. The girl was reported to have lived with Tennis so she could finish her schooling at the Williams Valley School District because her family had moved to Schuylkill County in March. Tennis is alleged to have had inappropriate contact and sexual intercourse with the girl on several occasions, both in Dauphin County and at a stable where he boards horses.

A Pottsville woman had minor injuries as a result of a one vehicle crash in Blythe Township yesterday afternoon. Twenty-three-year-old Cynthia Putalavage was traveling south on Tumbling Run Road in Blythe Township when her car traveled off the right hand berm of the road. The Chevy Beretta she was driving went across the road and struck an embankment.
Putalavage had minor injuries. Her car had to be towed from the scene of the noontime crash.

If you are wondering why the signs are covered over at a downtown Pottsville hotel, it appears that things may be changing. The hotel, in the former Pomeroy’s building, has been under the Quality Hotel chain for a number of years. Now, the owners are planning to make some renovations in the hotel in order to qualify for branding under the Ramada franchise name.
According to the Republican and Herald, DNGP Enterprises, the hotel’s owner, has an agreement with Ramada to change the name, and are planning to make an investment of more than a half-million dollars in upgrades. Those changes are expected to be done within the next two months. The current owner has operated the property since 2001. They reportedly were unhappy with their arrangement with Choice Hotels, who operate the Quality Inn brand.
Open space on the street level floor, which at one time housed the hotel’s restaurant, is up for lease. It is hoped that a restaurant can return to the site. For the time being until approval is granted by Ramada, the hotel is known as the Pottsville Inn and Suites.

The semifinal round of Schuylkill County Idol proved to bring out more than just strong voices from the contestants. With the competition near its height, singers pushed themselves to new limits to win over the panel of judges and the live audience. However, the tables were turned on the panel when vocalist Sarah Blashack of Frackville let judge Barry D know that she did not like his opinions. Whether or not this judge’s comments were valid, his shock at her display was obvious. Besides this minor disagreement, the judges began to pick their favorites. Judge Angie Jordan picked Tom Gustavino of Pottsville as her top choice for the night while Barry D singled out Brittany Verchick of Minersville. The 3 who will reach the final round will be chosen by those who vote at the customer service desk at the Schuylkill Mall as well as by the judges’ scores for each singer based on technical skill, stage presence, appearance, and overall performance.

A Seltzer woman is charged with harassment following an incident Tuesday night. Schuylkill Haven state police responded to 219 Main Street in Seltzer, the home of Randy and Jean Marie Duncan. They found that Randy Duncan had bloody lips, the result of a verbal argument that turned physical. Troopers say that Jean Marie Duncan attacked her husband while he was sitting in a chair. She will be charged with harassment.

If you drive by the bank at the Atkins Mansion on South Centre Street in Pottsville, you may have recognized a new name. The Legacy Bank, which had operated in downtown Pottsville, is now known as First National Bank. The company merged with First National Bank, a part of FNB Corporation of Hermitage, Pennsylvania. The acquisition was announced last year. Initially, Legacy’s branches were known as a division of FNB. Now, the locations are First National Bank. In Schuylkill County, two branches are located in Shenandoah and McAdoo, in addition to the Pottsville office.

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Brazilian officials say the chance that anyone survived last night's jetliner crash in Sao Paulo is near zero. The TAM airlines jet skidded on a rain-slicked runway, slammed into some structures and burst into flames. At least 195 people are feared dead.

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - The marathon Iraq war debate continues in the Senate. They've been going at it all night. Democrats acknowledge they're unlikely to gain the votes needed to advance troop withdrawal legislation. A vote on one plan is set for later today.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - N-F-L quarterback Michael Vick has been indicted on federal charges of sponsoring a brutal dogfighting operation. Three others are also charged in the operation, known as "Bad Newz Kennels" The federal indictment says the dogs were housed, trained and fought at a property in Virginia owned by Vick.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - A woman charged with driving her son and a-half dozen other teens to a California skate park so they could attack another boy is pleading not guilty. Eva Daley is
charged with murder committed as part of gang activity. Police say Daley knew they planned to kill Jose Cano, who died of stab wounds.

BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese official says the U-S and China will meet this month to discuss problems with China's seafood exports. The official says the two countries will also discuss ways to cooperate on food safety.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Governor Ed Rendell plans to sign a bill today that would allow the state to spend 750 (m) million dollars this fiscal year on highways, bridges and mass transit. Funding would increase every year and average more than 946 (m) million dollars annually over the next decade.

NEW YORK (AP) - Eleven of the nation's largest food and beverage companies say they're going to limit advertising aimed at children under the age of 12. The companies -- including Pennsylvania's Hershey Company -- announced the move ahead of a Federal Trade
Commission hearing today on curbing the growing child obesity problem.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is calling for measures to strengthen education for poor children and make schools more economically diverse to fight poverty in America. Speaking to about 250 people in Pittsburgh's Hill District last night, Edwards said there is racial and economic segregation in our nation's schools.

COUDERSPORT, Pa. (AP) - A marketing company will open a call center in a Coudersport building once owned by Adelphia Communications. Empereon Marketing expects to create 450 jobs over the next three years. Adelphia, a former cable giant, once employed about two-thousand workers in the Coudersport area before a corporate fraud scandal in 2001.

WYOMING, Pa. (AP) - Two men from Virginia Beach, Virginia, are jailed in northeastern Pennsylvania, accused of a January murder. Joseph Kerekes and Harlow Cuadra are accused of killing Bryan Kocis, a producer of gay porn videos, in his home near Wilkes-Barre, then setting the house on fire to cover up the crime. They deny the allegations.