Today's News-Saturday, March 8th

POTTSVILLE - Schuylkill County will be transformed into Vienna this weekend, as Mozart Madness gets underway. The Schuylkill Choral Society, the Schuylkill Symphony and the county Council for the Arts are celebrating the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, now through the beginning of April. Mozart himself, will be portrayed by Choral Society member Ted Spontak. Tickets are $5 for the movie, Amadeus. Tomorrow, students of local instrumental and vocal teachers will sing and play Mozart selections, and a discussion of the famous conductor's life and works will be held at the Council for the Arts on Mahantongo Street at 2pm. Tickets again, just $5. April 5th and 6th, the two premier musical performance organizations will tackle several of Mozart's works in Schuylkill Haven and Pottsville. The symphony and the choral society have been working very hard on the pieces for the concerts. Tickets are just $10 for either performance. Log on to http://www.schuylkillcommunitychorus.org/ for all the details. Enjoy the arts and the music of one of the masters…Mozart, this weekend.

POTTSVILLE - The Schuylkill County Commissioners have been asked to approve a professional services agreement with an architect for the proposed $3-Million Dollar pre-release center. John Richmond of the Adult Probation Office attended Wednesday's Commissioners work session seeking approval for an agreement with Yongcheol Kim Architects at a cost of $6,800. He said an architectural study is a required part of the application process for a USDA loan the county hopes to receive that will be used toward the pre-release center. The Pre-release center, which would help ease overcrowding at the County Prison, would hold non-violent inmates. The preferred site is on the grounds of the State Correctional facility in Frackville. In other business, County Administrator Darlene Dolzani sought approval to retain renowned computer systems attorney, Peter Vogel of Dallas Texas as co-counsel with the Solicitor's office to represent the county in litigation against New World Systems. The county purchased computer software from the firm in 2005 which they say hasn't worked, and last month the county terminated the $1-Million Dollar contract.

POTTSVILLE - The County held a required public hearing Wednesday to review the proposed 2008 Community Development Block Grant Program. No members of the public attended the hearing. The County expects to receive just over $385-thousand-dollars to be used for demolition, storm water improvements and water and sewer improvements throughout the county. County Economic Development Directory Mark Scarbinsky said the county received 30 applications, exceeding $1-Point-5 million dollars from municipalities for various projects, but the county can only accommodate what the funding will support. County Commissioner Chairwoman Mantura Gallagher said while the expected funding is a lot of money, there never is enough to do all the projects that could be done.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - Democrats in Wyoming will make their pick today in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Hillary Clinton is downplaying any expectations of success. The former first lady's campaign sees Barack Obama as today's likely winner.

UNDATED (AP) - Nationally, Hillary Clinton's big wins Tuesday in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island have helped her pull into a dead heat with Barack Obama according to a new Newsweek poll. Forty-five percent of the Democrats polled say they're backing Obama for the Democratic nomination. Forty-four percent favor Clinton.

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - President Bush is set to use his veto pen today on legislation that would bar the CIA from using waterboarding and other harsh techniques on terror suspects. The bill's backers say waterboarding is torture. They contend that the methods authorized by the military should be sufficient for the CIA.

HERAT, Afghanistan (AP) - Thousands of people are demonstrating in western Afghanistan against Denmark and the Netherlands for alleged insults against Islam. The protesters are angry over newspaper reprints of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. They're also upset over a movie critical of Islam.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Iraq's president is pushing for a "strategic" partnership with Turkey. Jalal Talabani is on a visit to Turkey aimed at easing tension sparked by the Turkey's recent military incursion against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

NEW YORK (AP) - The last remaining above-ground remnant of the World Trade Center is set to be temporarily moved from New York's Ground Zero tomorrow. The "survivors staircase" consists of 37 steps that connected the World Trade Center plaza to the street below. It provided an escape route for many occupants of the towers destroyed on Nine-Eleven.

UNDATED (AP) - Wall Street has had another sour day. The Dow plunged 147 points yesterday on government news that employers cut 63,000 jobs from payrolls last month. That the largest employment cut in five years and is stoking fears of recession.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government is shelling out 42 million dollars to let taxpayers know their tax rebate checks are almost ready for mailing. The Bush administration maintains the mailers will help lessen confusion over the checks. Democrats say the IRS letters are a self-congratulatory waste of money.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Nevada judge has pushed back O.J. Simpson's armed robbery and kidnapping trial until September in order to give the defense more time to prepare. Las Vegas Judge Jackie Glass warned lawyers yesterday not to seek another postponement.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge is holding a former USA Today reporter in contempt for refusing to identify her sources for stories about a former Army scientist under scrutiny in the 2001 anthrax attacks. The judge says Toni Locy will have to pay up to $5,000 a day in fines if she refuses to cooperate.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Police in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, are set to hold a news conference today to discuss a photo of a suspect in the murder of 22-year-old Eve Carson. She was the president of the student body at the University of North Carolina and was found shot to death Wednesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Near blizzard conditions are predicted for parts of Ohio and Kentucky today amid a heavy, late winter storm that's left much of the Midwest and South buried in snow. In Florida, two people are dead following several tornadoes.

UNDATED (AP) - You may want to set your clock an hour ahead before you go to bed tonight. Most of the U.S. and Canada will switch to daylight-saving time at 2 a.m. Sunday.