Today's News-Tuesday, August 7th

A Schuylkill County potato processor is getting additional funding to expand and create new jobs. Keystone Potato Products, located in Frailey Township, is in line to receive a $1.2 million dollar state loan to expand their operations, according to the Republican and Herald. The low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, along with private funding, will allow Keystone to add 36-thousand-square feet to its existing plant for refrigeration, storage and processing. The company takes potatoes and processes them into dehydrated flakes and potato flour for various food products. They have been in that line of business since 2005.

Tonight is National Night Out across the country. The 24th National Night Out event provides opportunities for families and communities to get together to deter crime and prevent drug use in their neighborhoods. The Schuylkill County Tobacco-Free Youth Coalition is using the event to join forces with 7-tobacco free community swimming pools to bring attention to the dangers of teen smoking. Those community pools participating are Frackville, Tremont, Tri-Valley area, Tower City, Minersville, Tamaqua and St. Clair. Angela Morgan, Secretary of the Coalition, tells us about the events: MORGAN Residents in neighborhoods are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outdoors with neighbors and police.
The Coalition partners with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the American Cancer Society, Clinical Outcomes Group, Schuylkill Teens Kickin' Nicotine and the American Lung Association.

A relatively dry summer has forced state officials to put 58 counties in Pennsylvania on a drought watch. The Department of Environmental Protection issued the drought watch yesterday for Schuylkill County and 57 others as rainfall deficits continue to mount and groundwater levels fall in many areas of the state. A drought watch declaration is the first level — and least severe — of the state's three drought classifications. It calls for a voluntary 5 percent reduction in non-essential water use. Consumers should look for the most obvious ways to save water within the home by installing low-flow plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and using more water-efficient appliances. DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty also offers these tips to conserve our most precious natural resource: McGINTY .The watch will remain in effect until further notice.

A Pottsville man is in Schuylkill County Prison after an incident Sunday night in the city. Pottsville police report that Benjamin Riegel went to his wife Stacey’s home around midnight, and began banging on the door, asking her to come outside, in violation of a Protection from Abuse Order. During the confrontation, Riegel reportedly said that he saw her boyfriend sitting in the home. After Stacey Riegel called police, her husband left. He was located by police at his home on North Centre Street and taken into custody. Riegel was arraigned via video conference and lodged in the county prison on $10-thousand-dollars bail.

Schuylkill County school districts have an important matter to consider about improvements to IU 29's facilities and programs. At Monday night's meeting of the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit Board of Directors, members were asked to consider a $21-million-dollars upgrade to the Schuylkill Technology Centers. According to the Republican and Herald, studies have been done about the North and South Campus buildings and their respective programs to chart a future course. The buildings have been in use for many years, and need to be brought up to statewide standards to meet the educational needs of traditional high school students as well as non-traditional ones. Each district in the IU, who would share the costs of the upgrades, must carefully consider the projects. All 12 districts must approve the project in order for it to go forward. Authorities for the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit indicate that they would be willing to meet with individual school boards to discuss the project in detail before making a vote. The deadline for voting by school boards is October 1st.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) - The mayor of Huntington, Utah, says everyone is optimistic for a positive outcome as crews frantically try to reach six trapped coal miners. Gordon's husband is a former miner. She tells Fox News that the families "seem to have a quiet determination at this point."

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - City officials are asking Minneapolis residents to observe a moment of silence tonight at the time that a bridge collapsed last week. Bells at churches and City Hall are
going to toll immediately afterward. Meanwhile, Navy and FBI dive teams are searching for eight missing people.

MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan (AP) - The Pakistani army has bombarded two militant hideouts near the Afghan border today. Officials say the compounds had been used to launch attacks on security forces in the troubled tribal region.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Schools in 17 states with the highest obesity rates are getting a financial boost to help kids shape up. A philanthropic foundation is giving 20 million dollars to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for programs to promote healthy eating and exercise.

BEIJING (AP) - McDonald's employees in China are getting a raise. The company has confirmed that it is boosting pay to most of its 50,000 staff by an average of 30 percent. The move follows a report alleging that part-time workers were getting less than the legal minimum wage.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A legislative committee plans to hold a hearing today on a bill to strengthen Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. The bill would expand the definition of what is a public record. The House State Government Committee will hold the hearing at the Capitol complex in Harrisburg.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Public Schools will furlough 11 teachers and two counselors -- far fewer than would have lost their jobs had 160 teachers not retired in the last year. The district continues to cut spending and deal with declining enrollment. The district expects to have just under 28,000 students this fall -- about 1,500 fewer than last year.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) - Former International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Paul Spadafora will be released from prison later this week. He's been held since May 30th on a parole
violation. That's when Spadafora appeared in court to accuse his former fiance' of domestic abuse -- despite a condition of his parole that he have no contact with the woman.

JONESTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Police in Lebanon County are looking for the driver of a tractor-trailer that struck a guardrail, rolled down an embankment onto its roof and caught fire. The driver hasn't been seen since the accident Sunday. It occurred along Interstate 78 in Bethel Township. State police say a helicopter will fly over the area.

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - The state Department of Environmental Protection is fining the borough of Jersey Shore $3,000. DEP officials say the borough failed to stop construction of new
apartment buildings along Howard Street after it was discovered that work had begun without an approved sewage plan.