Today's News-Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Cruise sock hop a sellout
The Great Pottsville Cruise weekend kicked off last night with an oldies dance. Reporter Allie Raring has more:

RARING

Today's events include Cruise-Ins at Jerry's Classic Car Museum this afternoon and on North Centre Street in Pottsville this evening. Listen for live call ins from JZ later on this morning. The big cruise rolls out at 4pm through the streets of the city, with special guests Dennis Gage of Speed TV and Genvieve Shappell of ESPN2.

New police digs in Haven

The Schuylkill Haven police department has moved into its new headquarters on Parkway, and made it official with a ribbon cutting last night. Haven PD was originally housed in a 600 square foot space at Borough Hall on Main Street. Now, a state of the art facility in the Walk-In Center on Parkway and Columbia Streets will serve the community, with six times the amount of space for the department to work from. Chief Jeff Walcott says the move was necessary, and will provide a higher level of service to the public:

WALCOTT

Tours of the new Haven police department are available today from 10am till 5pm.

Haven solider reportedly injured

A National Guardsman from Schuylkill Haven is on the mend following injuries received in Afghanistan. The Republican and Herald reports that 37-year-old Master Sgt. George Holmes was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington on June 22nd, but has been released. The extent of his injuries is not known. Officials at Fort Indiantown Gap report that Holmes has been a member of the 103rd Armor Regiment, based in Lewisburg, and with the
Pennsylvania National Guard since 1989.

Grass fed beef shows potential for producers

High corn prices and the growing interest in"natural" foods have spurred both consumers and farmers to consider grass-fed beef, and a study by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences may reinforce this trend. Gary Abullah has the story:

ABDULLAH

Philadelphia councilwoman's ex-employee sentenced

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A former employee of a Philadelphia city councilwoman - and later the city controller's office - has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Federal prosecutors say 53-year-old Theresa Pinkett extorted more than $5,000 in cash and a cell phone in exchange for real estate help she was required to provide as a city employee. Pinkett worked as an aide to councilwoman Donna Reed Miller from 2001 to 2003. She worked as a constituent services representative in the controller's office in 2006. Pinkett was fired by the controller's office for alleged conduct called "unacceptable." She was sentenced Thursday.

Former W.Pa. firefighter gets house arrest for arsons

EBENSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A former western Pennsylvania volunteer firefighter has been sentenced to home confinement for one year - and probation for 19 years - for setting five fires.
Cambria County Judge Gerard Long told Charles Edward Shenego that he faces years in prison if he doesn't continue mental health treatment, make restitution and work. Long says he was influenced by mental health experts who said incarceration could hinder Shenego's rehabilitation. Shenego was serving with the Lower Yoder Volunteer Fire Company when the fires broke out at a vacant house, in trash and recycling bins and near a garage last year.
Authorities say Shenego admitted setting the fires because there were no good fire calls in the area and because he wanted excitement.

Suspect convicted in death of Pa. police officer

READING, Pa. (AP) - A jury has convicted a man of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a Reading police officer. Twenty-six-year-old Cletus Rivera was found guilty in the August
2006 slaying of Officer Scott Wertz. Prosecutors say the plainclothes officer was chasing Rivera near City Hall when Rivera shot him in the chest. Rivera testified he saw someone with what looked like a gun running after him but did not know Wertz was a policeman. Rivera claimed he shot Wertz in self defense. Jurors deliberated four hours before reaching a verdict
yesterday. The panel will determine Rivera's sentence next week - either the death penalty or life in prison.

Philadelphia grants 1920s theater historic status

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia city commission has granted historic status to a closed Art Deco movie palace that has been threatened with demolition. The Historical Commission voted unanimously yesterday to place the Boyd Theatre on a city register that protects it from
being demolished or altered. The downtown movie theater was built in 1928 and has been closed since May 2002, when it was known as the Sam Eric. The Boyd was facing demolition when its current owner, Live Nation, bought it with plans to make it into a music venue. The
company later decided to sell the theater. Supporters say that without the historic designation, the theater could again face demolition, depending on the new buyer.

Date set to decide fate of Pittsburgh casino

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State regulators will meet next week to decide whether to approve the proposed rescue of Pittsburgh's financially troubled casino project. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says it will hear public comment and presentations by agency investigators at a hearing Thursday in Harrisburg. Under the rescue proposed last month, an investor group led by Chicago real-estate billionaire Neil Bluhm would take over the partially built Majestic Star casino. Construction on the project has stopped since owner Don Barden
ran out of money for the nearly $800 million project. Some state lawmakers say Barden's $50 million slot-machine gambling license should be revoked and made available again through
a competitive application process.

14 Pa. family members share $42.5 million jackpot

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania couple is sharing a $42.5 million Powerball jackpot with a dozen relatives. What's more, they didn't even have to buy the winning ticket - they received it as part of a lottery promotion at a convenience store. Barrie Edwards, of Lancaster County, purchased two Pennsylvania lottery tickets and received a "quick pick" Powerball ticket for free. It turned out to match the winning numbers drawn Aug. 2. Edwards' wife, Jean, presented the winning ticket to Pennsylvania Lottery officials in a ceremony yesterday. By sharing the prize with the family, the Edwardses say they're making good on a longstanding verbal agreement to split winnings with relatives who also buy lottery tickets.

Pa. group removes alleged NRA spy from board

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Pennsylvania group in favor of stricter gun laws has voted to remove a woman from its board of directors who has been accused of being a spy for the National Rifle
Association. The board of directors for CeaseFirePA voted unanimously yesterday to remove Mary Lou McFate. It also is exploring possible legal action against her. The 62-year-old McFate is from Sarasota, Fla., and was an unpaid member of the CeaseFirePA board for seven years. She is accused of portraying herself as a gun-control activist while being paid by the NRA to snoop. A Chicago-based group, the Freedom States Alliance, expelled her from its board last week. The NRA has not responded to requests for comment on the spying allegations.

Baby of slain Pa. woman to stay in foster care

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A judge has ruled that the baby of a slain Pennsylvania pregnant woman will remain in foster care for at least another three months. An Allegheny County judge made the decision yesterday involving the infant son of Kia Johnson. The 18-year-old woman was
killed and her baby cut from her womb. Her body was found July 18 in the Wilkinsburg apartment of 38-year-old Andrea Curry-Demus. Curry-Demus is accused of killing Johnson, who was from McKeesport. Johnson's family was not present at the hearing Friday. The
woman's boyfriend and father of the child, Terrel Barnes, was there. Barnes is an inmate at the county jail who is facing unrelated robbery and burglary charges.

BEIJING (AP) - An American tourist has been fatally stabbed at a Beijing landmark in an attack that injured another American and Chinese guide. The Olympic Committee says the tourists are
relatives of a men's volleyball coach. The attacker jumped to his death.

BEIJING (AP) - President Bush is taking in the games at the Olympics and got in a little beach volleyball with team USA. But he shied away from the traditional butt slap, opting instead to give defending gold medalist Misty May-Treanor a quick pat to the small of her back.

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) - A Russian air raid on a Georgian town has killed and wounded scores of civilians. Russia had threatened new air attacks on Georgian military bases as fighting that has
killed hundreds continues in the separatist region of South Ossetia. Hundreds of Russian troops have been sent to the province that Georgia is trying to retake.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former presidential candidate John Edwards has admitted having an affair, an allegation he once branded as "tabloid trash." Edwards says he told his wife and family long ago, but "hoped that it would never become public."

UNDATED (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is taking some vacation time in Hawaii and rival John McCain says that's fine with him. McCain says he could use a little down time too and plans to take some later this month.