Today's News-Friday, April 25th

The County Commissioners imposed a 30-day temporary county-wide burn ban because of the dry conditions in the woodlands. Emergency Management Coordinator Art Kaplan requested the ban based on the recommendation of the state Bureau of Forestry. Kaplan explains:

KAPLAN (click to listen)

Violators are subject to a $100 fine for the first offense, $200 for the second and $300 for the third. Kaplan said the ban is for 30 days but the Commissioners could extend the ban for an additional 30-days upon recommendation of the District Forester.

Overtime costs at the Schuylkill County Prison continue to be a problem. County Commissioner Mantura Gallagher, who heads the prison board’s personnel committee said during Thursday's meeting that since the beginning of the year, overtime costs have reached almost $71-thousand-450-dollars. At the present rate, they could exceed the overtime budget of $140,000. She suggested the board consider talking to the guards union about a swing shift proposal and hiring two more correctional officers to fill-in at the warden's discretion. She said that her suggestion is not a permanent fix but it would at least get them through the end of the year. Warden Eugene Berdanier said the main reason for the overtime is correction officers on extended leave. He also said that the prison is under staffed by state guidelines. He said the prison has 43 officers and using an inmate population figure of 280 said state guidelines suggest they should have 55 or 56 officers. Chairman Judge William Baldwin said a committee will be formed to study the overtime issue and try to come up with a resolution.

An Orwigsburg bicyclist was injured in a crash with a car yesterday afternoon.
Schuylkill Haven state police say that a teenaged boy and a car operated by Logan Farr, both of Orwigsburg, were traveling on RedDale Road around 5pm when Farr went around the boy, into the oncoming lane of traffic. The bicyclist turned directly into the path of Farr's car as he attempted to turn into his driveway. The teen was thrown onto the car. He had to be life flighted to Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Cass Foster Township police arrested a 17 year old girl on drug charges last night. The girl was found inside a Jeep parked in the woods in the area of High Road and Pine Hill. She was reportedly smoking marijuana. A search by police found the drugs and paraphernalia. Officers impounded the vehicle. The girl was released to the custody of her parents. She faces drug related charges. Cass Foster Township police have stepped up patrols in the area after recent plaints of ATV riding and drug and alcohol related incidents in that area. Officers made arrests earlier this week in that same area.

A McAdoo man was killed in a crash Thursday afternoon in Luzerne County.
69-year-old Joseph Gigliotti was traveling east on the Freeland-Drums highway, and collided with a vehicle driven by Kevin Prussock of Freeland. The Standard Speaker reports that Prussock was flown to the Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment. Gigliotti was prounounced dead at the scene by a Luzerne County deputy Coroner. The fatal crash happened around 2pm Thursday.

A Trevorton woman is charged with stealing money from the community fire company. State police at Stonington have charged 30-year-old Heather Foulds of writing checks in her own name from the accounts of the Trevorton Fire Company. She served as treasurer of the company from January, 2004 until July, 2007. Investigators estimate that the thefts exceeded $50-thousand-dollars from the fire company. Theft and related charges were filed against Foulds in District Court.

A Pottsville woman was involved in a crash in Berks County earlier this week.
State police from the Hamburg barracks say that 29-year-old Catherine Frankenberg was traveling behind a tractor trailer on Route 61 at Jetson Drive. She apparently was unable to stop in time and struck the trailer. Frankberg's Hyundai had to be towed from the scene. State troopers are still looking for the tractor trailer.

Penn DOT is advising motorists of lane restrictions on Interstate 81 Monday.
The work, including milling and resurfacing the roadway and painting, will take place between mile marker 108, near the Tremont/Tower City exit, exit 100, Route 443/Pine Grove. Single lane conditions will be in effect from 6:30am until 6pm, Monday through Friday for about 8 weeks. That section of Interstate 81 averages about 29-thousand-five hundred vehicles daily.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - What happens in Atlantic City may stay there. That includes a ban on lighting up a cigarette in the New Jersey seaside resort's casinos, which takes effect in October. Pennsylvania's casinos that have actively opposed a statewide ban on smoking on gambling floors say they are not budging from their stance, regardless of Atlantic City's law.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state's student loan agency is offering voluntary buyouts to its nonunion employees as a cost-cutting measure. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency says the agency hopes to save about $12 million annually through the buyouts. PHEAA says its earnings from student loans have been hurt by turmoil in the credit markets, and it's looking for ways to reduce its costs.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The former director of accounting for the now-defunct bottled drinks maker Le-Nature's Incorporated has pleaded guilty to fraud, conspiracy and tax charges. The charges against 40-year-old Tammy Andreycak are related to the operation of the Latrobe-based company between 2003 and late 2006, when it was forced to seek bankruptcy protection.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A lengthy class-action lawsuit over the Continental Business Center fire in Montgomery County has come to a close with a $1 million settlement by the remaining plaintiff. The May 2001 fire destroyed 15 businesses in the complex in a century-old former fiber mill along the Schuylkill River. Fifteen defendants in the lawsuit had already agreed to pay off $34 million in liabilities.

LINESVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A Crawford County man accused of setting fire at an amusement park and a church has been ordered to stand trial. Prosecutors accuse 19-year-old Nickolas Pope of Hartstown of igniting cooking-oil soaked rags and debris to set the Feb. 1 fire that destroyed the 99-year-old Dreamland Ballroom at the 116-year-old Conneaut Lake Park. Damages are estimated at $1.5 million.

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - U.N. Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is calling skyrocketing food prices a "real global crisis." Ban says the U.N. and the rest of the international community is very concerned and adds that immediate action is needed.

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - The U.N.'s top nuclear official is slamming the U.S. for keeping him out of the loop about what the White House claims was a nuclear reactor in Syria being built secretly by North Korea. The White House is urging Syria to "come clean" about the facility that the Israelis bombed last year.

SINGAPORE (AP) - Oil prices have rebounded after a steep drop yesterday. The price of crude is back up over $116 a barrel. There are new supply concerns after a Nigerian militant group reported it sabotaged another oil pipeline.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Prosecutors say a 16-year-old Indiana boy asked for help obtaining a 9 millimeter pistol, saying it would be "awesome" to use the same weapon as the Columbine killers. They allege he wanted to carry out mass killings in two states. The boy has a hearing in juvenile court today.

GRAYLING, Mich. (AP) - A wildfire in northern Michigan has burned six homes and shut down part of an interstate. About 50 homes have been evacuated. But no injuries have been reported.