Today's News-Wednesday, September 5th

More information about the state's bridges was released yesterday, specifically those that are locally owned. PennDOT released the information on the spans, on the heels of the release of bridge conditions statewide within the last two weeks. Focusing on locally-owned bridges in Schuylkill County that are maintained by boroughs, townships and municipalities, inspections indicate that more than 50 of the county’s 160 bridges have been deemed structurally deficient.
They are assigned a rating number, with the lowest numbered spans in the worst condition, based on structure and on overall sufficiency to support traffic. A handful of bridges in the county have been closed due to their poor condition. The move was prompted by the collapse of a truss bridge in Minnesota in mid-August. Previously, the state did not make their ratings and safety records public.

Two more people were hurt in off-road accidents over the Labor Day weekend. Schuylkill Haven state police say that Marc Benedict was riding an ATV on Reading Anthracite property in Foster Township Saturday evening when he rolled the vehicle after hitting a rock. He was flown to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. Sunday afternoon, an unidentified man was injured while riding an ATV in Porter Township, near Good Spring. The remote location where the accident happened made it difficult for emergency personnel to get to him. Members of his party were able to secure the man and delivered him to emergency personnel. His name and condition were not released.

Hamburg state police are investigating the theft of equipment from a school construction project in Berks County. Sometime over the weekend, unknown thieves broke into storage trailers at the Tilden Elementary School near Hamburg. They took over $11-thousand-dollars in equipment, then fled the scene. Troopers are continuing their investigation.

The case of an Allentown man accused of sexually assaulting children began in Schuylkill County Court yesterday without him. 51-year old Russell Rehrig, who allegedly molested three children in Tamaqua and Allentown during 2004 and 2005, failed to show for his court date, but President Judge William Baldwin said the case should go on even though Rehrig wasn’t there, according to the Republican and Herald. He is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, terroristic threats and other related offenses. The victims took the stand to testify how Rehrig assaulted them on numerous occasions at their homes, his home and at his place of employment in Allentown. According to court records, he told Tamaqua police that he had sexual contact with all three. Judge Baldwin issued a bench warrant for his arrest for failing to show up. The case resumes today in Schuylkill County Court.

A New Bloomfield company is in trouble for writing a bad check to a Pine Grove man for scrap metal. Schuylkill Haven state police now say that Perry County Metals purchased 9 truckloads of scrap metal from George Motter in April, and wrote a check for over $89-hundred-dollars. The check bounced. Pending the results of further investigation, the company will be charged with a misdemeanor bad check charge.

A local mall is launching two new programs, one for kids and one to help schools earn cash donations. Fairlane Village Mall will kickoff the Little Villagers Kids Club at the mall on September 29th at 11am for kids 12 and under. The program will provide free, family-friendly activities. The Cash Back for Schools program will feature a competition for $5-thousand-dollars worth of donations, beginning October 1st. Participants can earn points for their schools by participating in Kids Club events and shopping at mall merchants. The two schools that have earned the most points by May 31st, 2008 will win cash prizes of $3-thousand and $2-thousand dollars, respectively. Schools must operate within Schuylkill County and return a participation form by September 24th. This past summer, Fairlane Village Mall sponsored a series of free movies for kids every Tuesday. Mall officials say that between 400 and 500 kids of all ages came out every week during the movie program.

Police are investigating a break-in and theft at an area animal shelter. Sometime between Saturday night and Sunday, an unknown thief broke into the Ruth Steinert SPCA on Airport Road and took dog food. The Republican and Herald reports that Cass-Foster Township police are investigating the theft. If anyone has information about the case, call police at 544-5631.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A senior GOP senator says colleagues who pressured Larry Craig to resign should re-examine the facts in his arrest last June in an airport men's room. An aide says Craig got a call from Senator Arlen Specter last week urging him to consider fighting to retain his seat.

BERLIN (AP) - German authorities have arrested three suspected Islamic militants for allegedly plotting "imminent" and "massive" attacks on a major U.S. air base. A German prosecutor says the three had trained at terror camps in Pakistan.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Administration officials are recommending that President Bush stand by his Iraq war strategy and wait until spring to pull out troops. Bush is considered unlikely to order more than a symbolic cut in troops before the end of the year.

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - President Bush says it's important for the security of America and Australia to "hang in there" with the Iraqis and help them. Australia's prime minister says his country's forces will remain at their present levels in Iraq "not based on any calendar."

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) - Torrential rains and winds from Hurricane Felix have destroyed thousands of homes as the storm pushed across Nicaragua and Honduras. Meanwhile, Hurricane Henriette struck the Baja peninsula on the Pacific Coast. It's the
first time Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes have made landfall the same day.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Pennsylvania's senior senator thinks Senator Larry Craig would have been acquitted if he'd demanded a trial following a sex sting in an airport men's room. Senator Arlen
Specter, a former prosecutor, has urged the Idaho senator to reconsider his decision to resign. A spokesman for Craig says Specter's request is a factor in the Idaho senator's rethinking
that.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - You might have a hard time finding a cab in Philadelphia and New York City. Hundreds of drivers are threatening to stage a two-day strike in Philadelphia, and members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance are already on strike. The drivers are
upset over new rules in both cities requiring all cabs to have global positioning systems and credit card equipment.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Duquesne junior power forward Stuard Baldonado is due in court today. Court records show he's charged with criminal conspiracy involving the manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance. Baldonado was one of five Duquesne University students shot September 17th after an on-campus dance. The bullet severed an artery.

ANVILLE, Pa. (AP) - Funeral services are planned this afternoon for a Pennsylvania National Guard soldier killed in Afghanistan. Master Sergeant Scott Ball was killed in an ambush in Afghanistan's Kunar province. The 38-year-old Carlisle man is to be buried at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Eager fans are already camped out in front of Beaver Stadium for this weekend's showdown between Penn State and Notre Dame. The tent city is dubbed "Paternoville." Penn State students arrived Tuesday morning to hold a place in line
for Saturday's game. Paternoville usually doesn't sprout up until the Thursday before a game.