Today's News-Saturday, March 1st

POTTSVILLE - According to the Republican and Herald , Schuylkill County District Attorney James P. Goodman said Friday that Russell Rehrig, who was convicted in September of raping three children in Tamaqua and Allentown, will have his case mentioned on the "America's Most Wanted" television show. Putting Rehrig's face on the FOX television show, which regularly airs at 9 p.m. Saturdays, should increase the chances of capturing Rehrig, Goodman said. Rehrig, 51, last known address of 634 W. Whitehall St., Allentown, was convicted by a jury Sept. 5 of rape of a child, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors and terroristic threats. On Jan. 2, President Judge William E. Baldwin, who presided over Rehrig's trial, sentenced Rehrig to 42 to 84 years in a state correctional institution plus lifetime Megan's Law sanctions if he ever is paroled. The case already is on the "America's Most Wanted" Web site, said county Detective Anthony Carroll, who has led the manhunt for Rehrig. Rehrig's profile can be viewed on the "America's Most Wanted" Web site at www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id52966. According to the site, Rehrig may be in Glendale, Ariz., or Aurora, Colo.

POTTSVILLE - Blue Mountain School District has convinced a Schuylkill County judge to increase the fair market values of, and consequently the assessments and tax bills for, two East Brunswick Township properties. According to the Republican and Herald, In six-page opinions filed Thursday and Friday, Judge John E. Domalakes ordered increases in the fair market values of 1490 Reddale Road and 781 Summer Valley Road, respectively, as the district had requested. The decisions represent two more victories for the district in its effort to obtain more property tax revenue by appealing assessments to the county Board of Assessment Appeals and the county court. Domalakes ruled 1490 Reddale Road, a .5-acre property with a two-bedroom house owned by Robert W. Christman Jr., has a fair market value of $110,000 instead of the board’s current figure of $63,640. He also ruled 781 Summer Valley Road, a 1.7-acre property with a four-bedroom house owned by Richard W. and Carole A. Skipper, has a fair market value of $263,800 instead of the board's current figure of $166,860. In each case, Domalakes accepted the appraisal performed by Anthony Matsell, a licensed real estate appraiser certified to conduct appraisals in Pennsylvania, as indicating the accurate fair market value of the property. Domalakes wrote in each opinion that even though the county assessment records presumptively establishes the validity of the existing property value, they can be rebutted. The court has the duty to determine the fair market value of the property based on the evidence, according to Domalakes. In each hearing, Matsell was the only witness, and Domalakes ruled his testimony was credible.

POTTSVILLE - Schuylkill County will share in a $234-Thousand Dollar recycling development and implementation grant that it hopes will ease overflow problems experienced at some recycling sites. The grant is a partnership grant to be shared with Monroe and Carbon Counties. The grant will cover the costs to purchase refurbish and transport 74 Haul-All recycling bins to be brought in from Mercer and Crawford Counties. Those Counties have gotten rid of their Haul-All system. Schuylkill County is inline to receive between 20 and 25 of the bins be placed at the counties 27-recycling sites. Schuylkill County says it's in need of more capacity because countywide recycling has risen dramatically since the Haul-All program began in 2000. In other business, The County Veterans Affairs Office received approval to enter into a cooperative agreement with four other counties to purchase grave flags for Memorial Day. The County will purchase 272 flags.

UNION TOWNSHIP - State police at Frackville are looking for the individual who shot a dog in Union Township earlier this month. Dogs owned by Anthony Miernicki Jr. of Ringtown got loose from his residence February 19th. When he found them several hours later, Miernicki discovered that one of the dogs, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, had been shot. Frackville troopers could use your help. If you have any information, call them at 874-5300.

UNDATED (AP) - It's the final weekend of campaigning before Tuesday's crucial primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. Democrat Hillary Clinton will be courting voters in the Lone Star State today, while rival Barack Obama has an afternoon rally in Rhode Island. GOP front-runner John McCain is taking the
day off from campaigning.

NEW YORK (AP) - More bad economic news and high oil prices have combined to sink the major stock indexes for the week. It started with three days of sharp gains, but ended with yesterday's 315 point slide in the Dow. Analysts blame depressing economic and corporate reports.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A 17-year-old Georgia boy is accused of fatally shooting his mother and two sisters, one of whom was the daughter of rap star Juvenile. Anthony Terrell Junior is charged with murder. Police discovered the bodies of the three Thursday night in their home in suburban Atlanta.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Two-dozen Palestinians are dead in two days of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza. Israel is threatening a new invasion of the territory if rocket attacks into Israel don't stop. At least 57 people have died in the conflict since Wednesday, all but one of them Palestinian.

LONDON (AP) - Prince Harry is back in Britain, arriving today after 10 weeks of secretly serving in Afghanistan as an ordinary soldier. The 23-year-old Harry was greeted by his father and brother at an air base. Harry's deployment was cut short after word of it leaked on the Internet and in the media.