Today's News-Friday, November 9th

The issue of staph infections has made the headlines over the past several months. At a public forum last night at Schuylkill Haven High School, attendees had the chance to learn more about them. A group of parents, athletic coaches and concerned citizens heard a presentation from a panel of health professionals from the Pottsville Hospital and Warne Clinic talk about MRSA, short for methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus aureus, a skin infection that may be resistant to antibiotics. If left untreated, it could cause serious health complications. MRSA has been in the news because of the deaths of students in Virginia and New York. The infection can be picked up by contact on open wounds and surfaces where carriers touch. While it is prevalent in health care settings, students in school can pick it up by not practicing good hygiene. Jen Evans and Bernie Stasko, certified trainers at Schuylkill Rehab, offered some simple tips for warding off MRSA:

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Students are getting the message:

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During the 90 minute session, many questions were asked about preventing the spread of the infection. For more details about MRSA, log on to the Centers for Disease Control website at cdc-dot-gov.

A landmark case about teaching intelligent design was handed down by a Pottsville-raised US District Judge nearly two years ago. Now, a nationally-known public television program will document the case next Tuesday night. Judge John E Jones III, of the US Middle District Court of Pennsylvania, and the story "Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on Trial", will be featured on NOVA, on PBS Tuesday night at 8pm. Jones heard the case, Kitzmiller vs Dover Area School District, in the fall of 2005, and ruled that teaching intelligent design theories along with evolution was a violation of the US Constitution’s First Amendment. The ruling vaulted Jones into the national spotlight, with nationwide speaking engagements and the inclusion of the Pottsville-native on Time Magazine's 100 most influential people. Jones continues to be humbled by all the notoriety:

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He said that the NOVA television docu-drama accurately portrays the Dover case:

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The Judge resides in the city, and hears cases in courtrooms in Williamsport and Harrisburg.

County Controller elect, Melinda Kantner attended Wednesday's Commissioners work session.
Speaking during the public comment portion, she said she was looking forward to working with everyone during her four-year term which begins in January. After the meeting she spoke with WPPA/T-102 News. She thanked outgoing controller Gary Hornberger for his offer to help in making a smooth transition to the office and was looking forward to getting started:

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Kantner won the seat in Tuesday's election by defeating Republican opponent Jason Gherghel. Controller Gary Hornberger did not seek re-election. Kantner was part of a team of Democrats who campaigned together and were successful in winning five of seven row office contests. Democrats also become the majority party in the County Commissioners office for the first time since 1971. Commissioner Mantura Gallagher and Sheriff Frank McAndrew will lead the county for the next four years while Republican Frank Studenmeier will be the minority party commissioner. One of the two majority party commissioners will become Chairman of the Board.

A county based philanthropic organization is celebrating Community Foundation Week beginning Sunday. The Schuylkill Community Foundation has been serving the county for 40 years by providing support to worthwhile charitable causes, from monies bequested to the $11 million dollar fund pool. Executive Director Eileen Kuperavage talks about how Schuylkill Community Foundation gives back:

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The Community Foundation Week began in 1989 with a proclamation from then President George Bush to raise awareness of community foundations' charitable activities and services to donors seeking to maximize their charitable dollars. To learn more about the Schuylkill Community Foundation, log on to their website, sacfoundation-dot-com, or call 385-4180.

A Hazleton man is in Schuylkill County Prison after he made terroristic threats against employees at a plant in northern Schuylkill County. 40-year-old Jorge Torres came to Cargill Meat Solutions at the Humboldt Industrial Park Wednesday afternoon, where he was fired in May. He reportedly told co-workers that he would return and shoot people. He began pounding on windows at the plant medical office, and got the attention of employees. Torres reportedly lifted his shirt, pointing to a handgun, prompting concerned employees to call security. Torres was picked up in Hazleton yesterday, and was arraigned charges of terroristic threats and simple assault. He was remanded to the Schuylkill County Prison on $30-thousand-dollars bail.

Some enterprising young students at North Schuylkill High School are aiding St. Catherine's Hospital to possibly win an MRI machine for their facility. The kids in Mr. Richard Gober's Advanced Computer Technology class created a neat black and white video about St. Catherine's Regional Medical Center, in a sort of take off on the Three Stooges, but it stresses that healthcare is no laughing matter, making the case for a new Siemens MRI machine for the hospital. Visitors to the site can vote for one of 70 plus hospitals, and one lucky facility will win a Siemens MRI machine! By voting, you can help your friends and neighbors receive a valuable resource for diagnosing health problems early. The website address to vote is win-an-mri-dot-com. You can search for the video by typing Saint Catherine in the search window. Voting will be open until December 31st.

A Gilberton man will be charged for DUI and other offenses relating to a traffic stop in West Mahanoy Township Wednesday night. Frackville state police report that they observed a suspicious vehicle traveling near the Morea Road, attempting to turn into Frackville.
A check of the license plate indicated that it didn't match the Blue Ford Mustang it was attached to. Upon stopping the car, troopers found 38-year-old Joseph Arbushites was apparently intoxicated, and a quart bottle of beer was observed. Police attempted to give him a field sobriety test, but because Arbushites was uncooperative, they were unable to do so. He was taken to Pottsville Hospital for blood alcohol testing, then released to his wife's custody. Arbushites faces DUI and other traffic violations, pending the results of the test.

A Cressona woman was not hurt in a hit-and-run crash in Berks County yesterday afternoon.
Mischell Yost and an unidentified driver were westbound on Interstate 78 in the Hamburg construction zone. Yost came to a stop in slowed traffic and a silver SUV, traveling behind her car, was unable to stop and struck the rear end of Yost's Toyota. The SUV fled the scene. State police are still investigating.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Governor Ed Rendell says Pennsylvania should establish a minimum 20-year prison sentence for anyone who shoots at a police officer -- even if the gunshot misses the officer. Rendell and House Speaker Dennis O'Brien pushed for the minimum yesterday, a day after the funeral for slain Philadelphia police officer Chuck Cassidy. Rendell says the need for tougher gun laws has been tragically demonstrated over the last five weeks in Philadelphia. It that time, three officers have been shot, one fatally. Gun legislation is always an acrimonious issue in Pennsylvania. A large hunting community and vocal gun-rights lobby have significant influence in the Legislature.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A federal judge has ordered an anti-abortion activist from Reading to remove Web site postings. Authorities say the postings on a site maintained by John Dunkle exhorted readers to kill an abortion provider. One posting stated: "While it does not sound good to say go shoot her between the eyes, it sounds even worse to say let her alone." That posting featured the provider's name, photo and address. Dunkle says he has removed the postings. Dunkle has said he didn't write the message on the blog, but that he did post it. Prosecutors say the posting targeted a former clinician for the Philadelphia Women's Center. The postings say she later stopped providing reproductive health services because she feared for her life.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania appeals judge says he won't comment on a complaint that alleges he violated judicial conduct rules for advocating changes in immigration law.
Superior Court Judge Correale Stevens is the focus of a complaint to the state Judicial Conduct Board that was obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer. The complaint says Stevens' participation in a September news conference on illegal immigration at the state Capitol and other events have undermined the impartiality and damaged the credibility of the court.
Pennsylvania's conduct rules for judges prohibit judicial candidates from saying anything that would appear to commit them to positions regarding cases, controversies or issues likely to come before them. Stevens won retention for a second 10-year term in Tuesday's general election.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The state has reportedly dropped a plan to move Graterford Prison and make way for development of its 1,780 acres in Montgomery County. The state department of General Services has been looking at whether it could make a deal with a developer that would result in replacing the prison with two or possibly three prisons elsewhere. The 78-year-old facility has 3,000 inmates - 170 over capacity. But The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the department has informed area legislators the prison will remain where it is. The possible move has been shelved because of legislative hurdles and
uncertainty about the cost to the state.

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and other leaders of the Great Lakes region are telling the 2008 presidential candidates they'd better pay attention. Doyle says the candidates must make protecting the lakes a top priority if they want to win the battleground states. Doyle has sent the candidates a letter asking for their plans to save the lakes. He's chair of the eight-member Council of Great Lakes Governors. The lakes are facing dwindling water levels and rising pollution. Doyle says the next president must help the region restore the lakes.
Other members of the council include: Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Indiana and Illinois. Doyle says many of the states have helped decide past elections and that's not likely to change next year.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia Mayor-elect Michael Nutter has made his first appointment, naming former state chief financial officer Rob Dubow as city finance director.
The 48-year-old Dubow is also a former city budget director. And he has served as executive director of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, the state agency that
oversees Philadelphia's financial planning. Nutter recalled DuBow's unwavering confidence under questioning when Nutter was on the City Council and DuBow was Mayor John
Street's budget director. Even when being grilled, Nutter says, "He's rock solid. That's what I want."

HARMONY, Pa. (AP) - Striking teachers at a western Pennsylvania school district are turning to YouTube to get their message out. The strike at the Seneca Valley School District is approaching the one-month mark. The videos show teachers saying they're proud to be teachers and asking viewers to visit the teachers' Web site. Meanwhile, the teachers and board have agreed to meet Sunday for three hours for talks. Pay is a main sticking point. The 575 striking teachers serve about 7,600 students in the district that serves Cranberry and surrounding communities in Butler County. By law, they must end their strike by Nov. 16.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Classes at State College Area High School and the school district's Delta Program are to resume today after being closed for a day. A note containing a bomb threat was found at the school late Wednesday afternoon. Police are encouraging anyone with any knowledge about who made it to come forward. A $1,000 reward is being offered for
information leading to an arrest and conviction. Other schools in the district remained open yesterday.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - The driver of a school bus that crashed yesterday near Wilkes-Barre says two wheels came off the bus while he was driving. The bus plunged down a 40-foot embankment, but no serious injuries were reported. The crash happened on Route 29 in Hanover Township. The bus was carrying students from three Roman Catholic schools
in Wilkes-Barre.

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) - Monroe County authorities have identified the two people killed in a house fire in East Stroudsburg. One is East Stroudsburg University student Jeff Dailey, who lived with two other students in one unit of the duplex. The other is 25-year-old Takiea Jackson of Marshalls Creek. She was visiting friends who lived in the other unit.
A code-enforcement officer saw the fire while on his rounds just after 9 a.m. today. Flames were shooting through the windows and engulfing the front porch. East Stroudsburg Fire Chief Billy Miller says the first house was totally ablaze when police arrived and that the roof of the
neighboring home was also burning.

GREENVILLE, Pa. (AP) - About 3,700 customers of the Greenville Municipal Water Authority in Mercer County have been told to boil drinking water while the authority corrects a filtering problem. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says it issued the boil water notice after exceptionally high counts of Giardia cysts were found in Shenango River water entering the treatment system. Giardia cysts can make people sick by infecting their intestines and causing diarrhea. The DEP says it discovered the authority wasn't sufficiently filtering water from the river last week.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A former Mellon Bank employee is to be sentenced today for making false statements to government agents about the destruction of thousands of federal tax returns.
Lynn Kling of Terra Alta, West Virginia, pleaded guilty in May to the charge. Prosecutors say Mellon employees, feeling overwhelmed and unable to meet contract-imposed deadlines, destroyed 77,000 returns and checks totaling 1.3 billion dollars at a company service center in
Pittsburgh. Missing the deadlines would have meant fines and penalties for the bank. In all, eight former Mellon employees were charged.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a hedge fund manager bilked his clients out of more than 200 million dollars, in part by concealing investment losses. He is 42-year-old Paul Eustace, of Oakville, Ontario. He's accused of fraud while working at Philadelphia Alternative Asset Management Company, which had offices in King of Prussia and Canada. Eustace is accused of creating account statements for clients that falsely showed profitable investments. An indictment says he also loaned himself investors' funds, transferred clients' money
into his personal accounts, and increased his management fees based on the phony profits.