Today's News-Tuesday, October 30th

An Auburn man has been arrested and faces a homicide by vehicle charge in what police say was the road-rage death of a woman forced off the road late last month. Authorities say the arrest of 60-year-old William Moyer culminates a month-long investigation starting with witnesses' descriptions of the vehicle involved in the Sept. 28 fatality. Moyer is also charged with involuntary manslaughter and traffic violations, and was ordered imprisoned in lieu of $20-thousand-dollars bail following arraignment Monday. It's not immediately known if he has
an attorney. Authorities say 23-year-old Angeline Francisci of Hazleton was pronounced dead at the scene after a car swerved toward hers and forced it off Route 61 near the Schuylkill-Berks county line. The car didn't stop.

A man was burned yesterday during a house fire in Ashland. Fire officials say that Frank Bagdonas was found outside of the Chestnut Street home with burns when emergency responders arrived. The state police fire marshal and local authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which was contained to a basement area of the house. The fire broke out after 6:30am Monday.

A St. Clair teen who shot a gun at a girl earlier this year will serve probation until he turns 21. That was the determination in Schuylkill County Court for 17-year-old Justin Snyder, who shot a handgun at 14-year-old Amanda Moser at her home in New Castle Township. The Republican and Herald indicates that Snyder’s attorney petitioned the court to have him tried as a juvenile. He was charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and other offenses. However, two of the most serious charges were dropped.
The court determined that he will be supervised by county juvenile authorities until he turns 21. He must pay restitution and be evaluated for therapy.

Fire damaged two homes in Lansford yesterday. Authorities say that the fire started in the Suzanne Hough home at 41 South Walnut Street and spread to the Jae Lehman home, which adjoins it Monday morning. While its not clear how the fire started, Hough was arrested by Lansford police for being uncooperative with police and fire officials. She was taken to Gnadden Huetten Hospital for evaluation, according to the Republican and Herald. Both homes had fire, smoke and water damage. Adjoining homes had smoke damage as well. Several pets perished in the fire.

A Pottsville woman was arrested and charged for assaulting her brother. 19-year-old Alycia Hunt is charged with simple assault, domestic violence and disorderly conduct stemming from an incident where she bit and scratched her brother Andrew at a Second Street home in the city. Hunt was arraigned and taken to the Schuylkill County Prison.

HAZLETON, Pa. (AP) - It's been more than 30 years since an unidentified pregnant woman found dismembered and stuffed into suitcases. The body known as "Beth Doe" was found in White Haven on the banks of the Lehigh River near Interstate 80. Today, the body is to be dug up and re-examined by experts. The woman is believed to have been in her late teens or early
20s. The coroner estimated she had been dead less than 24 hours. Police didn't say yesterday what has renewed their interest in the case.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Drexel University in Philadelphia is getting ready to host tonight's debate of Democratic presidential hopefuls. The two-hour debate starting at 9 p.m. features seven Democrats seeking their party's presidential nomination. They are Senators
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd; former Senator John Edwards; New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and Congressman Dennis Kucinich

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania officials say they've developed a protocol for closing interstate highways in response to the February storm that left many motorists stranded.
Also, they now have a uniform system of grading road conditions. There are short-term and long-term solutions for a problem stretch of Interstate 78 in Berks County. That's where heavy truck traffic, steep inclines, Jersey walls and inadequate shoulders and medians made it impossible for many drivers to get off the road.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Governor Ed Rendell has given a big push to two state programs designed to give relief to the mortgage crisis. The state programs are called Refinance to an Affordable Loan, or REAL, and Homeowner Equity Recovery Opportunity, or HERO. They
are designed for homeowners victimized by predatory lending or facing unaffordable increases in their mortgage payments. Rendell promoted the programs yesterday at a news
conference at Philadelphia City Hall. The programs have been around since summer and were crafted by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A bill has unanimous approval from a state Senate committee to overhaul the state law that sets limits on public access to government records. The bill is expected to be brought up for a vote on the Senate floor in three weeks. However, some critics say the rewrite does not go far enough in peeling back secrecy, particularly when it comes to the
Legislature's records. The state House of Representatives is expected to debate its own
bill later this week. Pennsylvania is generally thought to have one of the nation's weakest laws regarding public access to government records and information.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The University of Pennsylvania has set up a "Guest Chef" program that turns a college cafeteria into a culinary destination for one night a month. A university official says the program began in the spring to treat students to something different and allow local chefs to show off their talent. It also gives dining staff a chance to learn new techniques.
Chefs aren't compensated but the university pays for the ingredients. The guest chef for one night last week, Michael Solomonov, says cooking on such a large scale is a bit overwhelming. He says he tends to order 30 pounds of short ribs for his restaurant, but the campus executive chef ordered 300 pounds.

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - A Philadelphia-based public radio station is coming to the Lancaster area. WXPN-FM, broadcast out of the University of Pennsylvania, begins transmitting live from its new tower in Middletown today. The new frequency will be found at 88.7 FM on the radio dial in Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. The station also broadcasts out of Harrisburg, the Lehigh Valley and the Baltimore area. WXPN plays a mixture of rock, folk, blues and roots music. Station managers are planning a free concert on Saturday at the Chameleon Club in downtown Lancaster.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A deal to grant immunity to Blackwater guards involved in a shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead last month has delayed a criminal inquiry into the incident. The AP has learned that the State Department has promised immunity, and that may make any prosecutions more difficult.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - A human rights expert with the U.N. wants the U.S. to either try or release suspected "enemy combatants" and move quickly to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. The Defense Department says it would like to close the prison, but that the U.S. has to act cautiously so "dangerous men" aren't freed.

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (AP) - Astronauts at the international space station will work to install a solar power tower during a spacewalk today. One of the spacewalkers will also
inspect a rotary joint on a solar panel to help engineers figure out what's wrong with a gear that controls other solar wings.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Pilots are being advised to avoid flying over part of Iowa after a massive chemical facility explosion sent clouds of smoke into the air yesterday, hampering visibility. Two people suffered injuries in the fire.

CHICAGO (AP) - Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois will start testing all incoming patients for a drug-resistant form of staph, amid reports suggesting that the bacteria is becoming more widespread. A new law in Illinois already requires the testing of
high-risk and intensive-care patients.