Today's News-Saturday April, 12th

POTTSVILLE - The Orwigsburg man who murdered his wife in July 2006 must stay in prison for the rest of his life, a three-judge state Superior Court panel ruled. According to the Republican and Herald, in a four-page opinion filed Friday in Pottsville, the judges ruled Jeffrey L. Zimmerman Sr., 48, did not properly challenge his conviction on a first-degree murder charge and that they could not consider it. Schuylkill County President Judge William E. Baldwin convicted Zimmerman on May 2 of first-degree murder and related crimes in the beating death of Cindy Lou Zimmerman, 44, in her parents’ home. Baldwin, who presided over Jeffrey Zimmerman's two-day nonjury trial, sentenced him to life in prison, a sentence that in Pennsylvania does not include the chance of parole. He also found Zimmerman guilty of third-degree murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime, and not guilty of second-degree murder, burglary and criminal trespass. Zimmerman is serving his sentence at State Correctional Institution/Fayette. Zimmerman's only allegation in his appeal was that the murder conviction was against the weight of the evidence, the panel wrote. However, he did not raise that issue until directed by Baldwin to file his reasons for his appeal, and the panel ruled that was too late. Under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, such a challenge must be raised orally on the record or by written motion before sentencing or in a post-sentence motion, the judges wrote. Since that was Zimmerman's only challenge to his conviction and sentence, there is no reason to change either, according to the panel. Judges Mary Jane Bowes and Jacqueline O. Shogan and Senior Judge John T.J. Kelly Jr. comprised the panel that considered Zimmerman's case. The opinion does not indicate which judge wrote it.

POTTSVILLE - An Orwigsburg man is facing time in state prison and a lifetime of Megan's Law sanctions after being sentenced in Schuylkill County Court Friday for assualting four boys. According to the Republican and Herald, Scott M. Donati, 26, was ordered to serve six to 12 years in a state correctional institution by Judge Charles M. Miller, as well as serve eight years on probation, and register as a sex offender after his release from prison. Judge Miller asked the parents of the victims for agreement in the sentence. Donati also has another case involving alleged assaults in 2006 and 2007 against a six year old boy in Auburn and Schuylkill Haven pending for September's court docket.

POTTSVILLE - The melodious sound of barbershop singing will fill the halls of Pottsville High School on Sunday afternoon. The Schuylkill Express Barbershop singers are hosting a festival at 2pm at the Wachter Auditorium. The featured group is the Chorus of the Chesapeake, a 100 voice competitive group from Dundalk, Maryland. In addition, quartets of young men and women from Methacton High School are also scheduled to perform. And of course, our very own Schuylkill Express will sing as well. Tickets are still available by calling Joe Stangl, at 624-7106.

SUMMIT STATION - The Week of the Young Child begins Monday. A big celebration is slated to kick it all off at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds today. The Family Fun Festival is chock full of games, crafts, music and more. The event is sponsored by the Community Engagement for Early Childhood Education Team. The group wants to heighten public awareness about the importance of quality early learning, before kids go to school. Information about the various programs that are available for families of all walks of life will be available. Free admission and parking are available. The event begins at 11am and runs until 4pm. So, pack up the family and enjoy a day of fun at the fairgrounds today!

BLYTHE TOWNSHIP - A permit for the BRADS landfill in Blythe Township has been denied by DEP. The agency announced its decision today, citing that the Blythe Recycling and Demolition Site Landfill did not adequately address issues and deficiencies in their application. DEP further acknowledged that Blythe Township was quote "given ample opportunity to address the problems" end quote. Among the issues that remained in question included leachate management, air quality impacts, mine subsidence and impacts to the environment and land use. The denial letter also stated that the application lacked the specific documentation necessary to justify the township's request for a permit for longer than 10 years. Blythe Township originally applied for a permit to construct the 15-hundred ton per day landfill in 2004. DEP's decision may be appealed within 30 days.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Two-hundred more American Airlines flights won't take off today, but it appears the cancellation mess is ending. The airline says operations should be back to normal by late this afternoon. American has had to canceled more than 3,000 flights this week to re-check wiring on MD-80 jets.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The world's top financial leaders are pledging to implement tighter controls on banks in order to avoid a repeat of the current worldwide financial mess. Talks continue today at the Washington meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) - Barack Obama is defending his analysis of what motivates working-class voters. Obama says many blue-collar Americans are angry and bitter over economic equality and have lost faith in Washington. That's why he says they form their voting opinions on the basis of issues like gun control and gay marriage. The remarks have drawn rebukes from Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Democrat Hillary Clinton says she'd eliminate the federal mandatory five-year sentence for crack cocaine users. The change would be part of a 4 billion dollar-a-year anti-crime initiative designed, in part, to steer many nonviolent offenders away from prison. She outlined her proposal in a speech in Philadelphia.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Scientists listening to underwater microphones have detected an unusual swarm of earthquakes off central Oregon. That phenomenon often happens before a volcanic eruption, except there are no volcanoes in the area. One expert says the quakes could be the result of molten rock rumbling away from earthquake faults off Oregon.

SAN JUAN DE LA VINA, Mexico (AP) - Residents in the Mexican village where Marine Corporal Cesar Laurean was arrested Thursday say he was a frequent visitor to the local Internet cafe and describe him as "serious" and "respectful." The 21-year-old Laurean is charged with murdering a pregnant Marine who had accused him of rape.

UNDATED (AP) - A spring snowstorm has caused blizzard-like conditions in northern Wisconsin. Power was knocked out to thousands because of tree limbs falling on power lines. The region has had about nine inches of new show, along with 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - More severe weather has left people hurt and buildings damaged in the South. A possible tornado damaged 56 homes yesterday in Tennessee. A mother and two children have been hospitalized after strong thunderstorms toppled their trailer.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Fighting has broken out between Shiite militants and U.S. and Iraqi forces in Baghdad's Sadr City district. At least 13 militants have been killed in the clashes, which the military says started last night and tapered off early this morning.

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - Iraq is the focus of the president's weekly radio chat today. President Bush will defend his decision to halt troop withdrawals after surge forces are removed from the country this summer. Bush will insist that quick pullbacks could endanger security gains in Iraq.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - A young girl is safe, but her cat had to be euthanized. It was injured when an Army artillery shell smashed though the roof of a house in northern New Jersey yesterday and landed on the girl's bed. She had left for a sleepover minutes earlier. The stray round came from a nearby weapons testing facility.

POMONA, Calif. (AP) - A California church congregation is grieving after four members of a church youth group are killed in a car accident east of Los Angeles. The car hit the center divider and rolled over on the Pomona Freeway yesterday. A pastor says it seems like there are "no tears left" for the congregation.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - It was a celebratory atmosphere in Buenos Aires as the Olympic torch made its only Latin American stop yesterday. The mostly trouble-free run through the city stood in contrast with events earlier this week in San Francisco, London and Paris, where torch runs were disrupted by anti-China demonstrators.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A 26-year-old from Texas has been crowned this year's Miss USA. Crystle Stewart beat out contestants from 49 other states and the District of Columbia to win the title at Friday night's competition in Las Vegas. She'll compete in the Miss Universe pageant in Vietnam this July.