Today's News- Friday, June 20th

HAPPY SUMMER!

IT WAS A PACKED COURTROOM THURSDAY AS PARENTS FROM THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOWED UP IN SUPPORT OF THE INJUNCTION TO KEEP THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OPEN:

HAMPTON (CLICK TO LISTEN)

THAT WAS ATTORNEY - LLOYD HAMPTON - REPRESENTING THE PARENTS OF RINGTOWN ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. THIS ACTION IS IN RESPONSE TO THE MAY 8TH SCHOOL BOARD’S DECISION TO SHUT DOWN THE SCHOOL BY A 6-TO-2 VOTE. A PUBLIC HEARING IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY, JULY 10TH WHERE BOTH PARTIES WILL REPRESENT THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY IN THE CLOSING OF THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL SCHOOL.

THE HEAD OF THE COUNTY'S CHILDREN AND YOUTH DEPARTMENT IS SEEKING APPROVAL TO HIRE THREE NEW CASEWORKERS. GERARD CAMPBELL SOUGHT APPROVAL FOR THE HIRINGS DURING WEDNESDAY'S COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING. HE SAID THE NEED FOR MORE CASEWORKERS REFLECTS THE CASE LOAD AND STATE MANDATES. CAMPBELL SAID HIS BUDGET CAN ABSORD THE NEW POSITIONS. THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS 45 CASE WORKERS. IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE COMMISSIONERS WERE ASKED TO CONSIDER AWARDING A CONTRACT FOR A SANITARY SEWER EXTENSION PROJECT IN EAST NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP. B&R CONSTRUCTION SERVICE, HARRISBURG, WAS THE LOW BIDDER OF JUST OVER $21 THOUSAND DOLLARS. APPROVAL WAS ALSO SOUGHT TO ACCEPT A QUOTE FROM YOST MECHANICAL, INC. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN FOR INSTALLATION OF DUCTLESS AIR CONDITION SYSTEMS IN THE OFFICES OF JUDGE JACQUELINE RUSSEL AT A COST OF $63-HUNDRED-DOLLARS. PERMISSION WAS ALSO SOUGHT TO SEEK BIDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT THE WILLIAM PENN FIRE COMPANY TO COMPLY WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT REGULATIONS. BID OPENING IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 23RD, WITH THE CONTRACT AWARDING DATE OF AUGUST 13TH.

FIRE HEAVILY DAMAGED A POTTSVILLE HOME LAST NIGHT. THE BLAZE, WHICH STARTED IN THE KITCHEN AT 623 WEST RACE STREET, GUTTED THE HOME OF CLARENCE VIDAL AFTER 8PM. A DOG PERISHED IN THE FIRE. OFFICIALS BELIEVE THAT THE FIRE WAS ACCIDENTAL. THE QUICK WORK OF FIREFIGHTERS PREVENTED THE SPREAD OF THE BLAZE TO ADJOINING ROW HOMES. THEY INCURRED SMOKE DAMAGE.

A PINE GROVE MAN DIED IN A CRASH EARLIER THIS WEEK IN LEBANON COUNTY. JONESTOWN STATE POLICE HAVE JUST RELEASED DETAILS OF THE TWO VEHICLE CRASH MONDAY, WHERE 55-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL LONGO AND 61-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH PAZSIK JR. OF LEBANON BOTH DIED FROM INJURIES. PAZSIK WAS DRIVING WEST ON ROUTE 22, AND WENT INTO THE PATH OF LONGO'S VAN AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN ONTO THE INTERSTATE 78 ON-RAMP. THE VEHICLES CRASHED HEAD ON. LONGO HAD TO BE EXTRICATED FROM HIS VAN. PAZSIK DIED AT THE SCENE. LONGO DIED FROM HIS INJURIES AT MILTON HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THIS DOUBLE FATAL CRASH CONTINUES.

A FLORIDA MAN IS IN COUNTY PRISON ON DRUG POSSESSION CHARGES FOLLOWING A TRAFFIC STOP IN POTTSVILLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. POTTSVILLE CITY POLICE STOPPED A CAR DRIVEN BY 31-YEAR-OLD JOHANNA QUINONES, WHCIH WAS SPEEDING ON A CITY STREET. DURING THE SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE, OFFICERS FOUND A BAGGIE OF MARIJUANA INSIDE A CIGARETTE PACK. THE PASSENGER, 34-YEAR-OLD MILAGROS AHMAD OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA WAS ARRESTED FOR DRUG POSSESSION. FOLLOWING ARRAIGNMENT, HE WAS TAKEN TO COUNTY PRISON.

A HECKSHERVILLE WOMAN IS FACING STATE JAIL TIME FOR ARSON AND ASSUALT. 44-YEAR-OLD STEPHANIE MILLER PLEADED NO CONTEST TO THE CHARGES OF SETTING A FIRE AT A THOMASTON ROAD HOME, AND ASSAULTED TWO FIREFIGHTERS DURING THE JULY, 2007 INCIDENT. IN A SEPARATE CASE, MILLER ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED A CASS-FOSTER TOWNSHIP POLICE OFFICER. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN AND HERALD, BY PLEADING NO CONTEST, MILLER DID NOT ADMIT TO THE CRIMES, NOR OFFERED A DEFENSE. SHE FACES AT LEAST 22 MONTHS IN STATE PRISON.

IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS, A NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY JURY FOUND A FORMER POLICE OFFICER GUILTY OF MURDER. RICHARD CURRAN, FORMER POLICE CHIEF IN BERNVILLE, BERKS COUNTY, WAS CHARGED WITH KILLING HIS 31-YEAR-OLD WIFE, TINA IN AUGUST, 2005. THE COUPLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CUSTODY BATTLE OVER THEIR CHILDREN, AND RICHARD SHOT TINA 7 TIMES BEFORE TRYING TO FLEE TO CANADA, WHERE HE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. THE PENALTY PHASE OF THE TRIAL BEGINS TODAY, TO DETERMINE IF CURRAN WILL BE SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON OR BE GIVEN THE DEATH PENALTY.

A TOWER CITY MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE THEFT OF A MOTORCYCLE IN LYKENS EARLIER THIS MONTH. 35-YEAR-OLD GERALD MILLER THE THIRD OF TOWER CITY IS ACCUSED OF TAKING A MOTORCYCLE FROM JUSTIN SHILEY'S HOME IN LYKENS JUNE 7TH. THE BIKE WAS LOCATED IN TREMONT. STATE POLICE AT LYKENS ARRESTED MILLER AND PLACED HIM IN DAUPHIN COUNTY PRISON IN LIEU OF $50-THOUSAND-DOLLARS BAIL.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State figures show Pennsylvania extended its hiring increase into a second month, but the unemployment rate continues to rise. It was 5.2 percent in May, up nearly an entire percentage point above the year-ago rate. Employers added 2,900
jobs in May.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A Pittsburgh daycare center where police say a 7-year-old girl killed an infant has closed. The state Department of Public Welfare says Loretta Bray turned in her certificate of registration for Bray's Family Day Care. Authorities have ruled the death a homicide and the investigation continues.

WARMINSTER, Pa. (AP) - Teachers describe a surreal and terrifying atmosphere caused by a rash of bomb threats last fall at a Bucks County elementary school. Testimony resumes today in the trial of 46-year-old Susan Romanyszyn. She's accused of leaving threatening notes and a device that looked like a bomb at Longstreth Elementary School in Warminster.

PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A Chester County school board has scrapped plans to build an elementary school alongside a hazardous waste site. The board voted 6-2 last night to abandon the two-year-old plan to build Kimberton Elementary School at the site, although they said tests showed the site was safe.

SOUDERTON, Pa. (AP) - A Montgomery County church has been heavily damaged by fire. Crews were called to the Zwingli United Church of Christ in Souderton just before midnight. Officials say they were able to prevent any major damage to the church sanctuary and plans are being made to hold services on Sunday.

FOLEY, Mo. (AP) - Some towns along the Mississippi River won'tget the record-level flood crests they expected today. Butforecasters are warning that major flooding is still coming, assurging waters move toward St. Louis.

CHENGDU, China (AP) - Parents of Chinese earthquake victims are still showing their anger. About 150 parents held a sit-in at a Chinese school today, demanding that government officials start explaining why it collapsed so easily during last month's earthquake. They eventually got bused to another town for a meeting.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Scientists think NASA's Phoenix Mars lander exposed bits of ice while recently digging in the soil of the Martian arctic. They point to the crumbs of bright material that were photographed in the trench, and that later vanished -- and they say frozen water must have vaporized after being exposed.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - Federal investigators are on the hunt for convicted executive Samuel Israel. They were skeptical right from the start about his disappearance -- apparently designed tolook like a suicide. Yesterday, his girlfriend admitted it was a hoax. Israel was supposed to do 20 years in prison for swindling hedge-fund investors out of hundreds of millions.

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks are headed for a lower open today.Investors are watching oil prices rebound. And they're hearing morebad news about the financial services industry. Merrill Lynch reportedly has cut its earnings estimates for regional banks.