Today's News-Wednesday, August 8th

A co-owner of a Mahanoy City convenience store, who is implicated in a bad check writing scheme, has surrendered to police. We told you last week that Javed Akhtar, one of the owners of the Mahanoy City Uni-Mart, was charged in writing more than $35-thousand-dollars in rubber checks to a supplier of his store. According to the Republican and Herald, the other owner, 43-year-old Mohammed Sheikh, of New Jersey, is charged with theft by deception, receiving stolen property and other offenses. He surrendered to police with his attorney on Monday. The men wrote the checks to Klein Wholesalers, one of the main suppliers for the store. When company officials came to the store, they noticed that inventory was low, the gas pumps were shut off and other services were not available. Officials surmised that the men were planning to shut down the business. After arraignment, Sheikh was taken to jail, but released after posting bail. Akhtar is still in Schuylkill County Prison.

An Orwigsburg man who tried to set fire to the borough manager's home last month will have his case heard in Schuylkill County Court. 50-year-old Carl Zehner, who faces charges of reckless endangerment, arson, risking a catastrophe' and others, appeared before District Judge James Ferrier yesterday, according to the Republican and Herald. Zehner threw a lit container filled with gasoline on the porch of Orwigsburg Borough Manager Michael Lonergan on July 16th. The exact circumstances as to why he did it are not definite at this time, but Zehner reportedly had the water service to his home shut off on the day of the incident. Police testified that Zehner admitted to the crime. Zehner's preliminary hearing was continued from July 24th, when he didn't have a lawyer present. The parties involved determined that there was sufficient evidence to have the case bumped to Schuylkill County Court. Zehner remains in the county prison.

The heat and humidity hasn't stopped a hard working group of young people from helping to improve one section of the city of Pottsville. Darryl's Army, a group of teenaged boys and girls from Methodist churches in New Jersey, converged on the city Monday for a week's worth of work in the northern corridor of Pottsville, as part of the Elm Street project. Libby Caine, one of the leaders of the program, tells WPPA/T102 News why they leave the comfort of home in the summertime to help others: CAINE The 50 young men and women come from 5 different churches in the Garden State, and pay for the privilege to get dirty by painting, cleaning up and working hard, not only in this country, but abroad. One of the volunteers, 18-year-old Christina Yost, has been working in Darryl's Army for 4 years. She explains what they hope to leave behind after they are finished their work: YOST Yesterday, the group broke into several work crews, painting and cleaning up on North Centre Street. They uncovered an old tombstone, dating back to the 1870's while clearing underbrush. Donations of water, healthy drinks and snacks, fresh fruit and ice for the group are needed while they finish their work through Friday. To donate, call Mike McGeever at 622-1995.

A New Boston man suffered minor injuries following a crash late Monday night in Kline Township. Frackville state police say that 18-year-old Jason Wronski was traveling onto the on-ramp to Interstate 81 from Route 309. He lost control negotiating the curve while tuning the car radio. The car struck the guiderail. Wronski had minor cuts to his face, but refused treatment. His car had to be towed from the scene. He faces two motor vehicle citations.
The crash happened before midnight Monday.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Baseball's new home run king says seeing Hank Aaron's taped message of congratulations "made everything." After Barry Bonds hit his 756th career homer last night, breaking Aaron's record, Hammerin' Hank's message played on the stadium's
video board. Aaron called the record a "historic achievement." Bonds says the record isn't "tainted," despite the controversy over possible steroid use.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The U.S. military says American troops and warplanes struck militants in Baghdad's Shiite district of Sadr City, killing 32 and detaining a dozen others. Officials say the
militants had helped smuggle weapons from Iran and sent militiamen to Iran for training.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is in Iran to discuss ways to end the
violence in his war-torn country today with Iranian leaders. Al-Maliki says both countries want to "solve problems and suffering of Iraqi people." The U.S. accuses Tehran of increasing
its backing of Shiite militants.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - More sizzling heat is expected in the South and Midwest through the weekend. Yesterday temperatures from the Midwest to the East Coast were well into the 90s, forcing the National Weather Service to issue excessive-heat warnings in several states. The heat has been blamed for three deaths.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (AP) - NASA's educator-astronaut, Barbara Morgan, says she'll probably let loose a loud "Woo-hoo" when space shuttle Endeavour lifts off. The launch is scheduled for this evening. More than half of the teachers who competed to fly in the
doomed space shuttle Challenger 21 years ago are expected to watch. Teacher Christa McAuliffe died in that explosion.

NEWARK, Del. (AP) - Bee experts from across the nation are in Delaware this week figure out why honeybees are continuing to die off. The Eastern Apicultural Society is holding its annual
conference at the University of Delaware. The hot topic is Colony Collapse Disease, which is believed to be killing the bees. Some beekeepers have lost 90 percent of their hives.

HORSHAM, Pa. (AP) - Toll Brothers says it expects to report a 24 percent decline in third-quarter homebuilding revenue. But the luxury homebuilder cautions that mortgage market troubles may cause further softening in the already weak housing market. Preliminary
results show revenue came in at more than 1.2 billion dollars, a little better than analysts expected.

MOUNT PLEASANT MILLS, Pa. (AP) - A well known craft shop in Snyder County was destroyed by fire late last night. The fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. at Irvin's Craft Shop and Tinware along Heister Valley Road in West Perry Township. Freemont Assistant Fire
Chief Ronald Mowery Jr. says damages are estimated at ten million dollars.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A group of running enthusiasts -- who have the backing of city and Allegheny County officials -- are working to revive the Pittsburgh Marathon in time for the city's 250th anniversary next spring. The marathon began in 1985 and was last run in May 2003 because the city could no longer afford the extra police protection and other needed services.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) - Officials with the Erie Art Museum say a planned expansion is on hold because of a lack of state funding. Construction on the 9 million dollar expansion was supposed to have
begun this year, but officials are 3.6 million short of the money needed for the "Picture a Place" project that will include larger galleries, a cafe and sculpture garden.