Today's News-Thursday, September 6th

An Allentown man who sexually assaulted three children was found guilty in Schuylkill County court yesterday. Russell Rehrig, who never showed up for his trial on numerous counts of raping the three children, and associated charges, was found guilty by a jury yesterday.
As WPPA/T102 news reported yesterday, Rehrig was being tried in front of President Judge William Baldwin and a jury of his peers. When he didn’t show up, Baldwin instructed the case to go forward. Rehrig faces a long time in prison for his crimes, and now, law enforcement is ramping up efforts to find him, according to the Republican and Herald. Sentencing will take place later.

The question of conflict-of-interest with Schuylkill County Solicitor Paul Datte was raised again yesterday with the County Commissioners. Democratic candidate for County Controller, Melinda Kantner asked that question of the County Commissioners at their workshop meeting Wednesday. Kantner inquired if they ever sought an opinion from the State Bar Association's Ethics Advisory Service about possible conflicts of interest with their Solicitor, Paul Datte.
She believes that Datte's role as County Solicitor, and that of his private practice representing other agencies and developers, is a conflict of interest with his job as County Solicitor.
The Commissioners said they never have sought an opinion from the State Bar Association, but Democrat Minority Commissioner Mantura Gallagher said she would. Datte, who in the past has said that no conflict of interest exists, said only an attorney can ask for an opinion from the State Bar Association and that he would do so to finally put the issue to rest. Datte said that after the written opinion is prepared, he will sit down with all three Commissioners to review the report with them.

A State Police Fire Marshal was called to investigate how a fire started in a car carrier in Schuylkill County. The fire destroyed a $60-thousand dollar Audi sports car and damaged several other vehicles Wednesday. The fire started just after six while the car carrier was parked on East Union Street in Mahanoy City. The Republican Herald reports the car carrier was parked and shut off when the fire started causing over $400-thousand dollars in damages.

Democratic Candidate for County Recorder of Deeds Nancy Petritsch held a press conference Wednesday on near the courthouse. She questioned whether incumbent Republican Matt Dudish would seek re-election only to become a candidate next year for the 125th Legislative District seat held by first-term Democrat Tim Seip. According to Petritsch, a recent Republican Party poll asking voters their views on prospective candidates to run against Representative Seip, suggested Dudish along with former Republican Party Chairman Dan Daub and County Controller Gary Hornberger, who is not seeking re-election, as their choices. Petritsch also questioned whether Dudish could be doing research work for his title search company while in his courthouse office, and if he spends any time at his company’s office located near the courthouse. Dudish owns Anthracite Abstract Company. Contacted Wednesday afternoon by WPPA/T102 News, Dudish denied he does any research for his company while at his courthouse office. He said employees of his company's office visit the courthouse to do their research but he does not do any of it. He also said he knew nothing about a Republican Party poll for possible candidates to run against Representative Seip, but is flattered that his name was mentioned.

Even though 82 years have passed since the Pottsville Maroons football team won the NFL championship, the memories of the team’s success remains fresh in the minds of fans, thanks to a book written by an ESPN sports correspondent. Dave Fleming, who writes for several of the sports network’s outlets, wrote "Breaker Boys" about the Maroons, and will be debuted here in Pottsville next month with a series of events. Fleming tells WPPA/T102 how he came up with the idea to write the book: FLEMING 1 He says that he made several trips to the area to do research, and found that the stories surrounding the Maroons, were like putting a puzzle together. But, in the end, he feels strongly that the team was wrongfully stripped of the title:
FLEMING 2. Maroons Week festivities begin on October 8th. For a complete list of activities, log on to our website. Dudish pointed to his years of working in the real estate industry as his qualifications for the office. He said the public is better served by someone who has knowledge of what the job requires. He said his office is one of the most up-to-date offices in the state and other counties are seeking to duplicate what they are doing here in Schuylkill County.

A New York woman and her passenger escaped injury in a Tuesday afternoon crash on Interstate 81. Lucia Brantis was driving her car south on the Interstate near mile marker 119 when she became distracted and slammed on the brakes. Her car skidded across the road and struck a tree with the passenger side of the car. The car came to rest on the median of the roadway. Brantis's car had to be towed from the scene of the Tuesday afternoon crash.

A Pottstown man suffered minor injuries in a Wednesday afternoon crash on Route 61 in southern Schuylkill County. Jose' Gonzalez was headed north on the highway, near Port Clinton and attempted to pass a truck. He lost control of the vehicle and struck the raised divider between lanes, then the car slid across the highway, grazing a utility pole. Gonzalez had minor cuts. His passenger, Salvador DeJesus was not hurt. The car was towed from the scene.
The crash happened around 10:15 yesterday morning.

ROME (AP) - Death has silenced one of the great voices of opera. Tenor Luciano Pavarotti died
today at his home in Italy of pancreatic cancer. He was 71. What was to be his final performance came at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Turin in February 2006. It was a Puccini song he made his own, "Nessun Dorma."

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - President Bush says the leader of China is an "easy man to talk to." Their wide-ranging talks at the Pacific summit in Australia today are described as "candid and
friendly." Bush said afterward he raised such concerns as product safety and religious freedom.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Republican Fred Thompson plans to hit the ground running in Iowa this afternoon after jumping into the presidential race last night. The actor and former Senator made his long-anticipated announcement on "The Tonight Show." He's portraying himself as a "common-sense conservative."

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - Another report to Congress today will outline major problems in Iraq. Headed by a retired Marine Corps commandant, the panel that prepared the report says Iraqis won't be able to handle their nation's security for at least another year and a-half. It says Iraq's national police force is so corrupt it ought to be disbanded.

MINDEN, Nev. (AP) - Planes and helicopters equipped with night-vision equipment have been in the skies over Nevada again overnight but have so far found no trace of missing aviator Steve
Fossett. The record-holding flier disappeared Monday. Scouring the 600-square-mile search area could take another week.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Governor Ed Rendell is taking a step toward reviving his proposal to privatize the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The governor says he will ask potential bidders to share
details of their qualifications with the state by October 1st. Rendell says it's necessary to explore leasing the turnpike to raise money for highways, bridges and public transit.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A suburban Philadelphia congressman accuses the Federal Aviation Administration of using "misguided and flawed" models for a plan to change flight paths at Philadelphia International Airport. Representative Joe Sestak says the FAA also
should have paid more attention to the views of residents concerned about additional noise from airplanes.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's final harness racing license has been awarded to a company that plans to build a racetrack in Lawrence County. That will give it an inside track for
a lucrative slots license. The state Harness Racing Commission has licensed Valley View Downs, which will buy land for the site from another group that had been its competitor for the track approval.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - State Senator Jane Orie is expected to announce today that the Pittsburgh Foundation will take over a fundraising campaign for a memorial to the victims of United Flight 93. The Allegheny County Republican started the "Hearts of Steel" campaign in 2001. Because of federal reporting requirements, Orie had put the money in a trust and stopped collecting donations.