Today's News- Friday, April 18th

All the planning and preparations are finished. Its time for a debate. The long-awaited Maroons Debate will take place tonight at the Sovereign Majestic Theatre at 8pm. Maroons author David Fleming and NFL Hall of Fame Executive Joe Horrigan will square off to argue whether the 1925 NFL Championship was indeed stolen away from the Maroons. The event will be moderated by WNEP sports director Jim Coles. The debate will be judged by Rod Eyer, a correspondent for Newsday, former New York Giants GM Ernie Accorsi and Federal Judge and Pottsville native John E Jones the Third. The thirteen question format is expected to last just over an hour. The final result will not determine whether the Pottsville Maroons will get their title back. But, the discussion should provide some interesting fodder for the NFL's 32 team owners something to consider when they hopefully look at the matter in the future. You can hear the debate live on wpparadio.com, and a rebroadcast Saturday morning at 10am.

The subject of domestic violence and sexual assault is not your average luncheon conversation. But for one survivor, it's the only way to heal wounds. That was the message offered by author and film maker Angela Shelton, who was the guest speaker at an event sponsored by the Rape and Victim Assistance Center of Schuylkill County. From the time she was three years old, Shelton, of Asheville, North Carolina, was sexually abused by her father. As she grew older, Shelton found that laughter, honesty and determination were the keys to dealing with her problems. She has produced an award winning documentary "Inside Angela Shelton", written books, and is a screenwriter and actress. For Shelton, confronting the issues are the only way to resolve them. And, it takes time:

SHELTON (click to listen)

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22nd. For one Schuylkill County recycler, they are making it a family event…tomorrow. Weiner Iron and Metal, Pottsville, is holding an Earth Day celebration at their facility along Route 61. In business for more than 50 years, they are a wholesale and retail metals brokerage that is helping to clean up the environment. Company controller Michael Brennan explains the benefits of bringing aluminum cans into their site tomorrow:

BRENNAN (click to listen)

There will be activities, fun, and games for all. The event begins at 9am. Sharon Mullin, a metals buyer for Weiner Iron and Metal, said the day can be a learning experience:

MULLIN (click to listen)

A Schuylkill Haven man is the victim of theft and vandalism in Dauphin County. Lykens state police say that sometime yesterday, thieves broke into a property owned by Jay Reigel at 9557 Route 209 in Williams Township. Copper tubing was cut from throughout the establishment, and windows were smashed and other damage done. Estimated damages are in excess of $15-thousand-dollars. Anyone with information should call state police at Lykens at 717-362-8700.

Schuylkill Haven state police are investigating a burglary at a fire company in Tower City. Sometime over the past two days, unidentified persons broke into the Tower City fire company clubhouse on East Grande Avenue by forcing a rear door open. The thieves stole a cash register and a bottle of alcohol. Total amount of the cash taken is undetermined. State troopers are continuing their investigation. Call them if you have information about it at 593-2000.

The County Child Development office will again be seeking federal funding for its Head Start services in the county. Mary Ann Devlin of Child Development asked the commissioners during Wednesday's work session to approve an application for just over $2-Million-700-Thousand dollars in federal and state funding to provide services for 437 eligible children and families in the county.
In other business, Bill Liptok of the Public Works Office asked the Commissioners to approve a three-year contract for solid waste removal at six county facilities with Waste Management of Camp Hill. The cost of the service is just over $156-Thousand-700-Dollars. Approval is also being sought for safety and energy savings upgrades at a traffic signal at the intersection of Route 61 and University Drive in North Manheim Township. The upgrades include the installation of two crosswalks and changing the signal lamps to ED. The county is also expected to approve at next week's board meeting a ban on smoking in all county facilities by all employees and visitors as of June 1st. The Commissioners announced that the courthouse will be closed next Tuesday for Election Day and next week's public meeting will be held on Thursday in the Commissioners board room. The prison board meeting will be held next Thursday at 11am.


Man's dismembered body found in 2 bags near school

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - A dismembered body has been found near an elementary school in suburban Wilkes-Barre. A man's torso was found Thursday in a zippered bag in Hanover Township. The remaining body parts were found in another bag nearby. The body was not immediately identified.

Days before primary, US House candidate accused of felonies

CLEARFIELD, Pa. (AP) - A congressional candidate is facing felony charges in Clearfield County. Derek Walker, who has touted his Eagle Scout background in TV ads, is accused of sneaking into an ex-girlfriend's apartment in August when she'd left the door open. Police say he held up a cell phone in front of her and a man she was with and said a video would end her job. Police say the ex-girlfriend and the man believed Walker was shooting a video clip with the phone's camera. Walker says the charges are false and politicially motivated.
The district attorney says the investigation began long before Walker's campaign and charges were just now filed because he just got the last of the evidence he needs. The charges came five days before the primary in which Walker is one of nine candidates seeking the Republican nomination for an
open seat. Three Democrats are also running.

Senate GOP says Rendell should withdraw judicial nominees

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Republican leaders in the Pennsylvania Senate are sending Gov. Ed Rendell signals that his nominees to fill temporary openings on the state's appellate courts aren't acceptable. In a letter Thursday, the Senate's top two Republicans recommended that Rendell consider withdrawing the four nominees. The GOP leaders were dissatisfied with Rendell's picks when he made them in January, and complained that he had not taken their advice on whom to nominate. Senators Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County and Dominic Pileggi of Delaware County say Rendell's nominations of four white men, including three from Rendell's home city of Philadelphia, are not diverse enough. They also pointed out that one Superior Court nominee, Robert Daniels, recently turned 70, the court's mandatory retirement age.

Clinton brings 3 generations to win over female voters

HAVERFORD, Pa. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton stood between her 88-year-old mother and 28-year-old daughter. It was to personalize issues for the "sandwich generation" facing the demands of parents and children. She's renewing a push for the female voters who have drifted away from her campaign in recent weeks. The New York senator said
the three generations of women in her family give her "firsthand experience of all the challenges and changes that we face in our lives because different stages of life do present different questions." A recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll shows women are no longer so overwhelmingly convinced that Clinton would make the best president. Clinton owes many of her victories so far in the race to
support from women. But that backing has receded in recent weeks to about even with rival Barack Obama.

Pa. volunteer fireman accused of serial arson

EXCHANGE, Pa. (AP) - A 52-year-old volunteer firefighter from rural Danville is accused of setting several fires, including one in Montour County that seriously injured a firefighter. Authorities say troopers arrested Chester Cyphers on Wednesday afternoon after watching him start a fire in Lycoming County. Court papers say Cyphers told police he believes he set between 20 and 25 fires including two barn fires using long candle lighters. Warrior Run Fire Department Capt. Wayne Hawley Jr. is now paralyzed from a spinal injury he got fighting one of those fires. Cyphers is in the Montour County Prison on $400,000 bail. There's no word on whether the Washingtonville Fire Company
volunteer has a lawyer.

Pa. reports loss of 3,000 jobs in March

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania is reporting a loss of 2,900 jobs in March, the second straight monthly decline in the state. The loss represents less than a tenth of a percent of the state's seasonally adjusted count of 5.8 million nonfarm jobs. That's a similar proportion to the 80,000 jobs that the federal
government said were shed by employers in March. The state Department of Labor and Industry says construction, manufacturing and tourism lost jobs.
Meanwhile, education and health services and the trade, transportation and utilities sector added jobs. The state's unemployment rate, a gauge of how many people are looking for work, remained stable at 4.9 percent, but is above the
rate of 4.3 percent a year ago. The national rate was 5.1 percent in March.

Judge blocks Philadelphia from enforcing local gun-control laws

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A judge has temporarily blocked Philadelphia from enforcing its new gun-control laws. Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan says her temporary restraining order will maintain the status quo until the case is argued. The National Rifle Association says that state law specifically prevents municipalities from regulating guns. City lawyers argue that Philadelphia can pass supplemental laws. The new ordinances include a requirement to report theft or loss of a gun within 24 hours. They also ban the possession or sale of assault weapons and limit purchases to one firearm per month. Cutler Greenspan will hold a hearing on the case on April 28. Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham says the state Supreme Court has already made it clear that Philadelphia can't make its own gun laws.

WASHINGTON (AP) - After a dramatic three days in Washington, Pope Benedict heads to New York this morning. The second half of his visit to America begins with an address to the U.N. A Seton Hall expert on the papacy looks for the pope to urge member states to put aside self interests in pursuit of the global good.

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) - A judge in Texas hears more testimony today in the state's largest-ever child custody case. It involves 416 children taken from a polygamist ranch. Welfare officials, arguing abuse, say some of the minor girls are pregnant.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Something more to worry about, the jet stream. The vital weather-maker is creeping northward and getting weaker. Researchers say the result for the U.S. could be more drought conditions in the South and storms in the North.

JERUSALEM (AP) - A holiday in Israel is going to mean more hardships for Palestinians. The military today sealed off the West Bank and Gaza Strip for Passover. Palestinians will be barred from entering Israel until next weekend, except for doctors, lawyers and people with emergency needs.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Baseball fans got their money's worth overnight in San Diego. The visiting Colorado Rockies beat the hometown Padres but it took them 22 innings and six-hours, 16 minutes to do it. It was the longest game ever for the Rockies or the Padres and the longest in the majors in nearly 15 years.