Today's News-Saturday, June 21st

POTTSVILLE - A gas leak forced swimmers to leave JFK Pool in Pottsville yesterday. Workers installing signs nearly the pool in the city's west end hit a gas line around 2:30pm, forcing the evacuation of several dozen swimmers, according to City Fire Chief Todd March. Air tests were completed and found the area was not at risk. Utility workers from PPL had to repair the line.

MARY D - Residents of Mary D celebrated the dedication of their new community sports complex yesterday. Ball fields, a skating rink, walking path and more complete the facility, which cost nearly $450-thousand-dollars to complete. The endeavor is a public-private partnership that has been in the works for several years. Ten acres of abandoned mine lands was donated by the Blaschak Coal Corporation from Mahanoy City. The baseball and soccer fields will be used and maintained by the Tamaqua Area Baseball Association and the Tamaqua Area Youth Soccer Association. Representative Dave Argall threw out the first pitch, accompanied by Senator Jim Rhoades.

POTTSVILLE - Yesterday was the first day of summer. That means that the Great Pottsville Cruise can't be far behind. Registration for the 15th annual event got underway earlier this week. This year's event will be one of the largest ever, according to Cruise Chairman Jerry Enders. SPEED Channel's Dennis Gage, host of "My Classic Car" and Genevieve Chappell of ESPN2's "Bidding Wars" are slated to appear. Enders said that more than 1-thousand classic cars are expected to participate, along with thousands of spectators during the 5 day event August 6th to 10th. A sweet ride, a 1995 Admiral Blue Corvette is this year's official cruise car, and can be won by some lucky driver who purchases the winning ticket. The cruise car is sponsored by Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. For more information. log on to www.thegreatpottsvillecruise.com, or by calling Enders at 622-9510.

SUNBURY - Convicted murderer Richard Curran gets life in prison without the possibility of parole in Northumberland County. At the request of Tina Curran's family Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini withdrew his attempt to seek the death penalty for Richard Curran Friday morning. Yesterday a jury convicted Curran of first degree murder in the shooting death of his ex-wife Tina Curran on August 24th, 2005 at the Shamokin Community Hospital where she was a nurse. The jury was faced with deciding between the death penalty or life in prison, but Tina Curran's family intervened saying they would rather see Richard Curran spend the rest of his life behind bars.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell's chief of staff says a new law to help Pennsylvania consumers cope with rising electric costs could be part of a state budget deal. Electric-rate caps are set to expire for most of the state's electric customers in 2010 and 2011.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's special-education funding formula is under attack in a federal lawsuit that claims it shortchanges needy urban school districts. The formula assumes that 16 percent of all students in each school district require special-education services.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - State police have arrested four people accused of being part of a scheme to issue Pennsylvania license plates under phony names. Police say some plates bought from the Philadelphia business were used on getaway cars used in serious crimes.

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - A former mayor of Weissport, Carbon County, won't have to serve any additional prison time following his guilty plea to a federal drug and weapons charge. A judge says 53-year-old Guy Frehulfer has spent enough time behind bars.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush says Democrats in Congress are blocking his energy proposals, and thus share blame for high gasoline prices. In his weekly radio address, Bush urged Congress to lift its long-standing ban on offshore oil and gas drilling.

ALTON, Ill. (AP) - Emergency workers in Illinois are keeping a close watch on levees along the Mississippi River, but officials say they're feeling guardedly optimistic. A state official says lower crest predictions in a number of places indicate the worst of the flooding may be over.

CRANDON, Wis. (AP) - The home where six people were shot and killed by a jealous sheriff's deputy in Crandon, Wisconsin, last year is no longer standing. Crews demolished it this morning, so a memorial can be built there.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says he'll quit if Iran is attacked. U.S. officials think an Israeli military exercise this month was a warning to Iran that Israel can hit its nuclear sites. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei (ehl-BEHR'-uh-day) says an on Iran could turn the Mideast into a "ball of fire."

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico has recovered more than 900 pre-Columbian artifacts seized from smugglers in the U.S. and Canada. Among the items reclaimed were 800-year-old fiber sandals, spears and hunting bows looted from nomadic caves.