Today's News-Thursday, February 7th

The Schuylkill County Commissioners Wednesday voted to hire a Dallas, Texas attorney to evaluate software New World systems sold the county in 2005 for $1-Million Dollars that still doesn’t work properly. Assistant County Solicitor Jay Jones said Peter Vogel is an expert in computer technology, and explains what Vogel will do for the county…….
JONES (0681)….
Jones said Vogel's fee is $575 per hour with the fee schedule set at between $9,775 and $13,225.
Jones said a significant amount of data has been assembled and ready to send to Vogel so that he can begin the review before he visits the county sometime within the next several weeks. New World has until next Wednesday to show some progress with the software and several technicians were on site last week, but county commissioner Chairwoman Mantura Gallagher says that, so far, they haven't even acknowledged that there is a problem with the software. The system was purchased to reconcile differences in budget periods between the county and some human services departments, which run on the state’s budget calendar.

The North Manheim Township Supervisors may be interested in acquiring the county- owned 1912 building.
A delegation led by Barbara Miller attended Wednesday's County Commissioners work session to remind the commissioners they are interested……
Miller (0682)….
Miller said North Manheim Township officials have sent several letters to the county over the last few years, expressing their interest but have not received a response. She said they came in person Wednesday because they had heard that a sale of the building would be included on the agenda. A sales agreement was originally included on the agenda but for some reason had been withdrawn prior to the meeting. That agreement was to be between the county and the Advisory Board of the Penn State Schuylkill Campus, a non-profit corporation. The information indicated that the 1912 building and its 34 acres of land would be sold for 450-Thousand Dollars, contingent upon approval of a subdivision plan and all items associated within the terms of the agreement.

An unknown man robbed a convenience store in Sheppton last night. Just after 7pm, a man, believed to be in his 20's, entered Wolsky's Minimart, displaying a handgun. He told the clerk, Amanda Stitzer, to place the money from the register into a bag. The bandit took the undetermined amount of cash and fled the store on foot. Frackville state police are investigating the robbery. If anyone has information, contact them at 874-5300.


The borough of Schuylkill Haven has received funds to help develop the Island Park. State Representative Tim Seip presented the grants, totaling $62-thousand-500 dollars to borough council last night. Fifty-seven-thousand-five-hundred-dollars, from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will help to build a baseball field, develop parking, handicap accessibility and other park improvements. Five-thousand-dollars, from DCED, will help to offset fuel costs for earth-moving equipment for the Operating Engineers Local 542. The Island, just off of Dock Street, has been a recreational area for many years. Plans for developing the site further have been in the works for several years. The soccer fields on the lower level, adjacent to the Schuylkill River, were heavily damaged during the June 2006 floods.

Six volunteer firefighter relief organizations have received clean bills of financial health from the state. Audits were conducted by Auditor General Jack Wagner's office for Butler Township, Mahanoy City and Pine Grove for 2005 and 2006. In Quakake, Tremont and West Penn Township, audits were done for the firefighter relief associations for 2004 to 2006. In all cases, the organizations were in compliance with laws and regulations. VFRA's are non-profit organizations established to give financial protection to volunteer firefighters who suffer misfortune while serving in the fire service. The groups receive state aid from a two percent state tax on fire insurance purchased by Pennsylvania residents from companies incorporated outside of the Commonwealth. More than $67 million dollars was distributed to nearly 2-thousand volunteer firefighter relief associations last year.

A Pottsville man was sentenced yesterday for selling cocaine in the city. 22-year-old Franklin Quirk will go to state prison for 4 to 8 years for selling cocaine near a Fairview Street playground in Pottsville on two separate occasions last May to an undercover officer. He pleaded guilty to those charges in November, according to the Republican and Herald. Judge Charles Miller presided over the sentencing. Quirk's attorney, James Conville, challenged the mandatory sentences. He reportedly will appeal the sentence.

Legislators are calling for property tax reform legislation that was extensively debated last week to be returned to the House voting calendar for consideration. Democrat House Majority Leader Bill Deweese removed the bills from the voting calendar after an amendment to eliminate property taxes for low income senior citizens was approved in a bi-partisan vote. Rep. Dave Argall of Schuylkill and Berks counties said the move was an unfair to House members who have worked long and hard to bring about property tax reform and to low income homeowners in Pennsylvania. More than fifty House members joined in calling for a continued a free and open debate on the property tax reform issue that is so important to Pennsylvania Homeowners.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta says he is running for Congress. Barletta tells The Associated Press that he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Paul Kanjorski. Kanjorski is a Democrat who has been in Congress for 12 terms. Barletta has gained a national following with his get-tough approach to illegal immigration. He sought to penalize landlords in Hazleton who rent to illegal immigrants and businesses that employ them. But a federal judge struck down the city's law as unconstitutional. Barletta says Congress would put him in a better position to fight illegal immigration. He plans to officially announce his entry into the race at a news conference in Hazleton.

HUNTINGDON, Pa. (AP) - Juniata College is planning an $8 million renovation of Founders Hall, a building that once housed the entire student population. For nearly 30 years, only two of the dilapidated building's four stories have been in use. Now, each floor will be upgraded and the bell tower will be restored. The south wing will be renovated. The north wing will be demolished and replaced. When Juniata opened in 1879, Founders Hall was home to all the students. By 1970, the building's top two stories were closed due to bowing. But until 1980, the hall was a focal part of campus life. College administrators hope the renovation will restore vitality to a historic building that boasts stickers declaring "Dewey for President." Dewey ran in 1944 and 1948.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Three West Virginia football players have been charged with felony possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver. Running back Ed Collington, a junior from Pittsburgh; linebacker John Holmes, a junior from Rockledge, Florida; and defensive lineman James Ingram, a sophomore from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, were arrested Tuesday night. Police reports indicate the three were acting suspiciously as they left an apartment complex and were later pulled over for speeding. After smelling a strong odor of marijuana, deputies searched the vehicle and found individually wrapped bags of marijuana. After Ingram allegedly told one of the deputies there were also drugs at his apartment, investigators found more marijuana and bags used to package the drug in a bedroom. WVU head coach Bill Stewart says he will take appropriate action once all the facts are in.

READING, Pa. (AP) - Police say they have arrested two men in Reading and seized $3,500 worth of designer clothes and sneakers stolen from Berks and Lancaster County outlet stores. Authorities say 23-year-old Leonardo Pena, of Reading, and Robert Lee, of Bronx, N.Y., apparently were headed to New York City to sell the merchandise. The two have been arraigned on retail theft and conspiracy charges and sent to Berks County Prison, Lee on $25,000 bail and Pena on $15,000 bail. Police say employees at a store in the Designers Place outlet in West Reading saw one of the men taking numerous shirts out to a minivan in the parking lot. Investigators say they recovered items taken from stores in Designers Place, VF Outlet Village in Wyomissing, Berks County, and Tanger Outlets in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania supporters of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama say their near-draw on Super Tuesday could make the Keystone State important in deciding the
Democratic nominee. Only weeks ago, the April 22 primary was widely dismissed as too
late to make a difference. Supporters of both major candidates say it now appears more likely than ever to be a key battleground in the highly competitive contest. Pennsylvania has 158 delegates at stake for the Democratic convention. Meanwhile, the state Republican Party chairman says he expects Sen. John McCain will emerge as the presumptive nominee long before the Pennsylvania primary.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Federal courts are now split on the question of whether cities and towns may take steps to curb illegal immigration. A federal judge in Missouri says local governments may do so.
That contradicts a federal judge in Pennsylvania, who forbade the city of Hazleton from cracking down on illegal immigrants. In the Missouri case, the judge upheld an ordinance in the St. Louis suburb of Valley Park that penalizes businesses that hire illegal immigrants. The judge rejected an argument that the law
discriminates against Hispanics and tramples on the federal government's exclusive power to regulate immigration. It's unclear which interpretation will prevail as the cases are appealed.


PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The FBI says it isn't just a process of elimination that makes agents think a couple last seen in 2005 might be the victims of a professional killer. FBI spokeswoman Jerri Williams says leads and tips point to a murder-for-hire as the fate of 34-year-old Danielle Imbo and 35-year-old Richard Petrone. She isn't saying exactly what those leads and tips are. The Mount Laurel, N.J., woman and the South Philadelphia man had known each other since high school and had recently started dating.
Imbo, estranged from her husband, worked from home and had a year-old son. Petrone, who worked at his family's bakery in Ardmore, had a teenage daughter. Their families insist they never would have abandoned their children.

LAFAYETTE, Tenn. (AP) - It's another day of damage assessment and cleanup in the five Southern states hit by this week's tornadoes. At least 55 people died, with Tennessee suffering the worst count, at 31. President Bush visits the hard-hit town of Lafayette tomorrow. Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi also suffered damage, and hundreds were hurt across the region.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (AP) - NASA says it's ready to launch space shuttle Atlantis toward the space station, at least as far as the orbiter's fuel gauges are concerned. Engineers say once-faulty fuel gauges are working "just fine." But bad weather from the fatal storm system that's moving East from the Midwest could scrub this afternoon's scheduled liftoff.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - One SWAT team member is dead, another wounded as a standoff between police and a gunman continues in California's San Fernando Valley. Authorities say the suspect called police saying he'd killed three members of his family. There was a shootout when the SWAT team got there. One officer died half an hour later. The other underwent surgery.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan police say they've arrested two more suspects in the suicide attack that killed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Officials say they were picked up in Rawalpindi, where she died in
a gun and bomb attack December 27th. American and Pakistani officials think an al-Qaida-linked commander masterminded the killing.

NEW YORK (AP) - There's mixed January sales news from the nation's retailers. But, it appears to add to the evidence of a stumbling economy. Early figures show seven retailers missing sales expectations. Four beat estimates. The biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, had just a half-percent gain in same-store sales. Costco beat
expectations, up 7 percent.