Today's News-Monday, June 2nd

It was a tearful weekend for many residents of the Catholic faith that worship in Schuylkill County. Information about consolidations of parishes in the Diocese of Allentown was presented to worshippers during weekend masses. According to the Allentown Diocese website, of the 62 county parishes, more than three dozen will be eliminated and combined with existing churches. The final plans were two years in the making, after study by priests and lay leaders. Officials from the Diocese cite a declining number of priests as part of the reason for the consolidation. The complete list of the changes can be accessed through this link: http://www.allentowndiocese.org/.

The last injured crew member of the MedEvac helicopter that went down in the city of Pottsville Friday night has been released from the hospital. The jet copter was taking off from the heliport in the western end of Pottsville when it crashed right after takeoff around 8:30 Friday night. They were en route to a motorcycle crash in Wayne Township. A flight medic and nurse were hurt and taken to the hospital. Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration are still investigating the incident. Flights from the Lehigh Valley Medical Center helicopter service have been shut down here in the county until the investigation is completed.

Unexploded ordinance from the Civil War era was removed from the Schuylkill County Historical Society over the weekend. David Ward, son of the late president of the society, Leo Ward, was cleaning out his father's personal effects and donated the Hotchkiss rifle shell. Members of the society determined that it was unsafe to keep the shell, dating back to 1862. An Army bomb squad from Fort Drum, New York came to Pottsville to remove it Saturday. It was not certain that the round was still active, but it was better to err on the side of caution.

A Pottsville man is charged with simple assault following an incident on Saturday night in the city. Reports indicate that 19-year-old Christopher Prete is accused of injuring an 8-year-old boy during an argument. Prete reportedly began throwing items at the child, striking him in the head. The boy did not require treatment for his injuries. Prete was arraigned before District Judge David Plachko.

State police are looking for the persons who damaged a Frackville man's vehicle with a bottle late Friday night. Frackville troopers say that Issac Schmidt was driving on Mill Street, and a GMC or Chevy pickup truck was headed in the opposite direction. A bottle was thrown at Schmidt's vehicle, causing damage to his Toyota Tacoma. The suspect vehicle is described as being green in color, possibly a cab or cab and a half pickup. Anyone with information should call Frackville state police at 874-5300.

A man and woman were arrested following a disturbance in Pine Grove Friday night. Borough police officers were called to 67 South Tulpehocken Street around 9pm. 35-year-old Angela Singh had reportedly attacked several women at the house. As officers approached, she fled the scene into a nearby house. While taking Singh into custody, 43-year-old Lance Christman interfered with the Singh's arrest and was also taken into custody. Christman was charged with hindering apprehension, aggravated assault and harrassment. He was arraigned and remanded to Schuylkill County Prison. Singh was charged with simple assault, harrassment, trespass and other offenses. She was transported to Schuylkill County Prison, and subsequently released after District Judge David Plachko refused to arraign her, according to a Pine Grove police bulletin.

A Pottsville man was seriously injured in a motorcycle, car crash on Route 183 Friday night. Schuylkill Haven state police report that Frank Capozzi Jr. of Seneca Falls, New York, and Todd Freiler of Pottsville were northbound on Route 183 near Summit View Restaurant around 8:30pm, when Capozzi attempted to make a left turn, and went into the path of Freiler's motorcycle. Freiler's bike hit the left rear passenger door of the car. The impact shattered the rear passenger glass window, injuring two passengers in Capozzi's car. Freiler was taken to Geisinger Medical Center via helicopter. He remains there today. The two passengers, both from New York, had minor injuries. Capozzi will be cited with summary traffic violations in the crash.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush pays tribute today to a soldier who sacrificed himself to save his comrades in Iraq. In December 2006, Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis' unit was patrolling Baghdad when an insurgent lobbed a grenade into his Humvee. McGinnis jumped down onto the grenade and took the full force of the blast, which killed him instantly. McGinnis was 19 and from Knox, Pa.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state Department of General Services says there is no buyer yet for a state transport plane that has been for sale since February. Department spokesman Ed Myslewicz says only two offers came in for the 1981 Beech King Air 200. He says one buyer was willing to pay the $1.4 million asking price but withdrew the offer after learning that the aircraft was too heavy to be used as a cargo plane.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Lehigh Valley Hospital is once again airlifting patients. MedEvac service was restored Sunday in Berks, Carbon and Monroe counties. The hospital had voluntarily suspended flights following Friday night's crash landing of a helicopter in Pottsville. The helicopter was destroyed. Hospital spokeswoman Amy Satkofsky says it's still unclear when MedEvac service will resume in Schuylkill County.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - It now costs more to take a taxi in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Parking Authority approved a new 50-cent surcharge to help cab drivers pay higher gasoline costs. As of today, a trip that used to cost the standard $2.70 is now $3.20. In addition, a previously approved surcharge and fare increase is going into effect as well. Each additional passenger will have to
pay an extra $1.00.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - With gas prices hovering at $4 a gallon, some motorists are putting less fuel in their tanks and then coming up empty on the highway. National statistics on out-of-gas motorists don't exist, but there's plenty of anecdotal evidence. AAA Mid-Atlantic reports a 15 percent increase during the past year in calls from members with empty tanks.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Hillary Clinton says "One thing about superdelegates is that they can change their minds." After her win in Puerto Rico yesterday, she's hoping to peel away support from party leaders already committed to Barack Obama -- and from those still undecided on the eve of the last two primary contests, in Montana and South Dakota.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - At least four people are dead after an apparent car bombing outside the Danish embassy in Pakistan's capital today. Dozens more people are said to be wounded by the blast, which left a crater more than three feet deep in the road in front of the embassy.

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A Canadian schoolteacher is on trial in a Thailand court today on charges he sexually abused a 9-year-old boy. Police arrested 32-year-old Christopher Paul Neil after a three-year effort to unscramble images of a man engaged in sex acts with a boy. The man's face was digitally swirled.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (AP) - Universal Studios in Southern California will re-open to the public today. Yesterday a huge fire burned several famous props and backdrops, as well as a vault where 40,000 to 50,000 video and film reels were stored. NBC Universal says duplicates are stored in a different location.

NEW YORK (AP) - Police in New York say Academy Award-winning actress Tatum O'Neal is under arrest after allegedly buying crack cocaine near her home last night. The 44-year-old, who won an Oscar as a child for her role in "Paper Moon," chronicled her struggles with addiction in her memoir.