Today's News- Thursday, April 17th

The Auditor General has finished its year-long investigation of the county's MH/MR program provider, the REDCO Group. The findings clear the way for the county to cash a check it received from REDCO for just over $400-thousand-dollars. County Commissioner Chairwomen Mantura Gallagher, who revealed the outcome at the end of Wednesday's Commissioners work session, said the county is satisfied with the Auditor General's findings:

Gallagher (click to listen)

Gallagher said the county will cash the check just as soon as the county can verify that it is still valid. The letter to the county indicates the investigation did not find sufficient evidence of overbilling in connection with REDCO's services to the MH/MR Program beyond the cost adjustments previously reported in the Parente Randolph Report. The letter also indicated that no clear evidence has been found of other waste, fraud or abuse in the program attributable to REDCO or its subcontractors and affiliates. The Auditor General's Office of Special Investigations was joined by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Auditor General's office now considers the case closed.

A Pottsville man was stabbed early yesterday after an altercation with a neighbor. City police say they were called to 521 South Centre Street before 6am. They found 18 year old Joseph Ford bleed in his apartment. Ford told officers that he was stabbed by Justin Kline during a fight in Kline's apartment.
Witnesses indicate that Kline and Ford began arguing, which escalated into a physical confrontation and led to the stabbing. Police found Kline on Hotel Street, covered in blood. He was arraigned on charges. Ford was taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, where he had to undergo surgery.

Three men have been charged in the explosion at a Tremont Township mine in October, 2006. The state Attorney General's office reported yesterday that a grand jury investigation determined that David Zimmerman, Steven Zimmerman and Jeffrey Klinger were charged with involuntary manslaughter and other offenses in the death of Dale Reightler. Reightler died in the explosion at the Buck Mountain Slope mine on October 23, 2006. David Zimmerman was an owner and operator of the mine. Steven Zimmerman was the mine foreman and Jeffrey Klinger was a miner at the operation, according to the Republican and Herald. The grand jury stated that a build up of methane gas due to poor ventilation caused the explosion. They determined that proper procedures were not followed, leading to the explosion and Reightler's death. The men were arraigned on Tuesday. They face a preliminary hearing on the charges next week.

The Schuylkill County Commissioners received three checks totaling just over $429-thousand-600-dollars during their Wednesday work session. Two of the checks, totaling just over $397-Thousand Dollars were presented by President Judge William Baldwin, representing money collected by the court system from people who commit crime. Baldwin said that since 2005 the court system has collected almost $1.4-Million Dollars which is expected to be used towards the proposed prison pre-release center. The third check, for just over $32-thousand-100-dollars, was presented by Eileen Kuperavage of the Schuylkill Area Community Foundation. That check represents earnings from a fund the county started in 2001 for future environmental projects by monies contributed by county landfills to the post-closure trusts.

State police at Schuylkill Haven are looking for a thief who stole computer equipment at Staples yesterday. After 3pm, an unknown male removed a Dell Desktop computer from the store at the Cressona Mall, valued at more than $700 dollars. The thief was seen leaving the scene in a white Jeep Wrangler. The license plate was missing from the vehicle. If you have any information, please call the Schuylkill Haven state police at 593-2000.

A former Reading police officer is going to prison for corrupting the morals of a minor in Montgomery County. He was also convicted of similar crimes more than a decade ago in Schuylkill County. 39 year old Marc Pontician was sentenced Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to showing an 8 year old girl a pornographic movie in 2006 at a home in Limerick Township. Pontician had sexually assaulted two girls, ages 9 and 13 between August, 1990 and September, 1991 at a Port Clinton apartment. Pontician served two months in county prison, and was paroled in 1999. He was a Reading police officer for 5 years, having been dismissed in 1996. His sentence will run for one year to 23 months, plus additional probation after the sentence is served.

A Mahanoy City man was injured in a two vehicle crash in East Union Township Wednesday. Charles Labella was traveling south on Route 924 near Sheppton when he lost control of his Dodge Neon. The car went into the northbound lane, and crashed into a van driven by Daniel Grow of Ringtown.
Labella's car rolled over and struck a tree. Labella had minor injuries, but refused medical treatment. The crash happened at 5pm yesterday.

There are several jobs available for Tuesday' primary election. That plea was made by Schuylkill County Election Bureau Director Betty Dries yesterday. She tells WPPA/T102 News that several of the election boards in the county's167 precincts are not fully staffed. Interested persons can still contact her to apply and be trained before the April 22nd primary. She can be reached at 628-1471. Dries also said that the county is considering some future changes to polling sites. A study was done in 2006 and 2007 by Bondata of Hummelstown to see where some smaller polling sites could be combined, and possibly to break up some of the larger locations. The study considered geographical boundaries, legislative district lines and other factors. Dries said that the changes would have to be beneficial to voters. Any changes must be approved by Schuylkill County Court.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have found something to agree on in the opening moments of a campaign debate. Neither is willing to pledge to put the loser on their ticket as the Democratic vice presidential candidate. Clinton said she will do everything she "possibly can" to make sure that she or Obama takes the oath of office in January. She said that has to be the "overriding goal." Obama was similarly noncommittal, saying he thinks very highly of Sen. Clinton's record but that it is premature to talk about
vice presidential candidate when the identity of the presidential nominee remains up in the air. The two presidential rivals were in Philadelphia for a 90-minute debate, less than a week before the Pennsylvania primary.

President Clinton campaigns for his wife in western Pa.

NEW CASTLE, Pa. (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton says his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, will be the best president for rural America. Campaigning throughout western Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Clinton was enthusiastically welcomed by hundreds of small town Americans who appeared to agree. At his last stop of the day in Cranberry Township, Clinton said he would be watching his wife's debate with Sen. Barack Obama in Pittsburgh. On Thursday, he will be campaigning in northwestern part of the state. Earlier in the day, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Clinton acknowledged a sign that read "Rural CountryClinton Country." The sign apparently referred to Obama's recent comments that small town folks are bitter over job losses. Referring to that sign, Clinton said his wife has been focusing on small towns because that is America. Clinton also visited Indiana, Kittanning and Clarion.

Murtha says McCain too old to be president

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. John McCain says he admires and respects Rep. Jack Murtha - but he says Murtha is wrong that a man in his 70s is too old to be president. Murtha is 75, four years older than McCain. He says they are nearly the same age, and the rigors and stress of running the country is too much for guys their age. In an interview on CNN, McCain responded: "Speak for yourself, Jack. I'm doing fine. Thanks." Murtha is a Democrat from western Pennsylvania. He made the comments while introducing the candidate he has endorsed, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, to a union group in Washington. Clinton didn't mention Murtha's comments on McCain's age, and the campaign sought to distance itself from the comments.

Arlen Specter says cancer recurrence won't slow him down

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Arlen Specter says his recurrence of cancer is "a great unifier." The Pennsylvania Republican says it's "one thing everyone can agree on" and that he's gotten hugs from both Democratic and Republican colleagues. President Bush phoned Specter and told him: "You beat it once,
and you'll beat it again." The five-term senator says he learned of the early recurrence of Hodgkin's disease on Tuesday and will begin chemotherapy next week. Hodgkins is a cancer of the lymphatic system. Specter says he still plans to run for a sixth term in 2010.

Pa. governor outlines terms of turnpike privatization bids

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell's administration has released a privatization plan for the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Under the plan, toll increases on the Pennsylvania Turnpike would be capped and some of the turnpike's 2,240 employees would eventually lose their jobs. The governor's office is telling interested groups that bids are due in a couple of weeks. Rendell wants the Legislature to consider the deal by mid-June. The plan is to lease nearly all of the 530-mile system for 75 years as a way to generate billions of dollars to repair roads and bridges and subsidize mass transit. If it's approved, a proposal to add tolls to Interstate 80 would be scrapped.

Pa. bankruptcies rise as risky mortgages pile on debt

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Bankruptcy filings rose by one-fourth in Pennsylvania last year, as rising monthly payments on adjustable-rate mortgages overwhelmed already shaky household finances. New statistics from the federal bankruptcy courts show nearly 30,000 Pennsylvania residents and businesses filed for bankruptcy in 2007. With 2.4 filings per 1,000 residents, Pennsylvania's bankruptcy rate was below the national average and 26th overall. Of Pennsylvania's three federal districts, the western district registered the most filings, with nearly 12,300. The district for central and northeastern Pennsylvania registered the biggest percentage increase, at nearly 39 percent.

Open letter to Mukasey asks for end to Wecht case

PITTSBURGH (AP) - An open letter signed by 33 prominent western Pennsylvanians is asking U.S. Attorney Michael Mukasey to dismiss a 41-count fraud indictment against celebrity pathologist Cyril Wecht. The letter was signed by politicians and other dignitaries, including former mayor Tom Murphy and former U.S. Attorney J. Alan Johnson. The letter echoes arguments by Wecht's defense which notes that the jury that deadlocked last week included several members who wanted to acquit Wecht. Wecht remains charged with using his former Allegheny County coroner's staff to do work for his lucrative private practice. Mukasey's office did not immediately comment because a spokesman says the attorney general hasn't seen the letter. A judge has scheduled a retrial to begin May 27, though that will likely be delayed by defense motions.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Pope Benedict goes to the ballpark today, but it's as a doer not a spectator. Some 46,000 people are expected to fill Washington's new major-league stadium as the visiting pope celebrates Mass.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - In a 90-minute debate, both Democratic presidential hopefuls have pledged not to raise taxes on people making less than $200,000 a year. They also said they would respond forcefully if Iran gets nuclear weapons and uses them against Israel. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia last night ahead of next week's primary.

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown meets with President Bush at the White House this afternoon. Iraq is expected to be high on the agenda. Brown has put his country's troop withdrawal on hold because of turmoil in the south, which is Britain's area of responsibility.

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) - A judge in Texas today will hear the largest child custody case in state history. The court has to decide whether 416 children removed from a polygamist ranch should be sent back or placed in state care.

SINGAPORE (AP) - Oil prices have hit a record $115 a barrel this morning amid concerns about the effect shrinking gasoline supplies will have on the summer driving season. The Energy Department reported yesterday that U.S. inventories dropped five-and-a-half million barrels last week.