Today's News-Friday, September 5th, 2008

School time added, accommodations made for Piekarsky

A deal has been made to afford Brandon Piekarsky more homebound instruction time and other accommodations. Piekarsky, a Shenandoah Valley senior who is one of three charged in the beating death of Luis Ramirez, was offered only an hour of homebound instruction by the district. Tammey Piekarsky filed suit against the district in county court to improve the package. A preliminary injunction hearing today before Judge John Domalakes sought to resolve that dispute. During a recess, both parties hammered out a deal that was agreeable to both parties. In addition, a computer with internet access will be provided. Several other minor issues were also resolved. The same deal will be offered to Colin Walsh, the other accused who is still in school. The changes will take effect immediately.

Fire guts Haven home

An intense fire gutted a vacant Schuylkill Haven home early this morning. The back end of 219 South Margaretta Street was fully engulfed when fire crews arrived around 12:50am. It took about 2 hours to bring the blaze under control. Schuylkill Haven Assistant Fire Chief Glenn Sattizahn tells WPPA/T102 News that the cause is undetermined and the state police fire marshal has been called in to investigate. Crews from Schuylkill Haven, Pottsville and Pine Grove battled the fire. Owner Joseph Dewald said that his family was renovating the property. No injuries were reported.

STS to begin new route in eastern Schuylkill

Eastern Schuylkill County commuters looking to save gas will have a new way to get to work with a new route being offered by STS. Beginning September 15, travelers from Barnesville, Tamaqua and other stops along Route 209 will be able to ride to Pottsville on STS busses in a trial program. The first pickup will be at the Ryan Township Fire Company at 7:05am, and will arrive at Pottsville City Hall around 8am. The company says that county government employees and private businesses requested the additional service. For more information, contact STS at 800-832-3322.

Shenandoah man arrested on outstanding Jersey warrant

A Shenandoah man was picked up on a warrant from New Jersey authorities during a traffic stop on Wednesday. Borough police say that Glen Patterson was traveling on Route 924 when stopped, driving a vehicle with New Hampshire plates. A records check indicated he was wanted for probation violations and failing to appear in court. He awaits extradition at the Schuylkill County Prison.

STATE NEWS
Obama stomps in Pennsylvania

YORK, Pa. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says Republicans are attacking him to avoid talking about the sagging economy and housing problems that voters care about. The Illinois senator told voters in York that the GOP convention speakers spent all their time talking about politics, not about issues that matter to voters. He criticized the Republicans for not addressing the economic distress or housing foreclosures that have grown during the Bush administration. Asked about attacks on him by Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Obama declined to strike back. But earlier in the day, Obama's top strategist, David Alexrod, dismissed the Alaska governor's convention speech as dishonest about Obama's record.
Pennsylvania prepares for Tropical Storm Hanna

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency says people should be ready for heavy rains on Saturday because of Tropical Storm Hanna. Spokeswoman Maria Finn says the agency is mostly monitoring the storm for now and coordinating efforts with county agencies. Finn also says that September is National Preparedness Month, a good time to set up preparedness kits for all sorts of emergencies.
W.Pa. man accused of killing his wife and 2 children faces death penalty possibility

WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) - A western Pennsylvania man could face the death penalty if he is convicted of killing his wife and two children. Washington County District Attorney Steve Toprani says he plans to seek the death penalty against 38-year-old Orlando Maurice
Guarino. The bodies of Guarino's wife and two children were found in their Marianna home on July 9. A coroner ruled 22-year-old Ashley Guarino and her children, 2-year-old Dreux and 11-month-old Orlando Jr. were asphyxiated. Toprani cited seven aggravating circumstances warranting the death penalty, including that the children were younger than 12 and that Guarino's wife had a protection from abuse order against him. Inmate who helped convicted murderer escape Albion prison resentenced to more time behind bars.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) - A prison inmate in western Pennsylvania has been given more time behind bars for aiding the escape of a convicted murderer. Erie County Judge Michael Dunlavey originally sentenced 26-year-old John David Gromer, of Philadelphia, to 2 1/2 to five years
in prison. But he had made it concurrent to the five to 10 years Gromer is already serving for drug and weapons offenses. Prosecutors asked him to reconsider. On Thursday, Dunlavey made the sentence consecutive. Gromer admitted helping Malcolm Kysor escape from the State Correctional Institution at Albion on Nov. 25. Authorities say Kysor hid in a garbage can while Gromer covered him and then pushed the can onto the back of a pickup truck. Kysor was captured in California in April. He's charged with escape.

Retired upstate NY judge pleads guilty to recruiting prostitute for fraternal club's parties

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A retired judge in Buffalo, N.Y., has admitted recruiting a prostitute for parties sponsored by a fraternal men's club in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Ronald Tills, who served in the state Supreme Court, pleaded guilty Thursday to violating a federal law that prohibits transporting people across state lines to work as prostitutes. The 73-year-old Tills could draw at least 21 months in prison at sentencing in U.S. District Court on Jan. 12. He is also required to help investigators in the case, which involves a club known as the Royal Order of Jesters. Tills, who also served in the state Assembly, told a federal judge he recruited a prostitute from a massage parlor in 2005 and 2006 for club gatherings in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The investigation has also snared a retired police captain and a former law clerk.
NJ medical waste probe expands to Pa.

AVALON, N.J. (AP) - Pennsylvania authorities have searched the home of a dentist in connection with medical waste that recently washed ashore in New Jersey. Kevin Steele, an assistant district attorney for Montgomery County, tells The Press of Atlantic City that county authorities executed a search warrant at the Lower Merion Township home and assisted in the search. The dentist, whose name wasn't disclosed, hasn't been charged in the matter and wasn't home when the search occurred. But Steele indicated to the newspaper that some evidence was secured. The dentist also owns a summer home in Avalon, one of the Jersey Shore communities where syringes, cotton swabs and other medical debris washed ashore in recent weeks. The New Jersey Attorney General's Office, which is leading the criminal investigation, won't discuss the latest developments.

Feds charge former Boeing credit union VP, 7 others in loan kickback scam in suburban Philly

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A former Boeing Helicopters executive is charged in an alleged loan kickback scheme based at a suburban Philadelphia plant. Federal prosecutors say Anthony Forte used his job as a vice president with Boeing's credit union to obtain $1,000 kickbacks on $20,000 loans given to unqualified applicants. They say Forte recruited his brother, co-defendant David Forte, and several others to seek out more than 120 applicants for loans
totaling more than $2.5 million. The Fortes are charged Thursday with conspiracy, loan fraud and bank bribery. Six middlemen face similar charges filed in an information. Defense lawyer Edward Reif says Anthony Forte maintains his innocence. It is not immediately clear if David
Forte has a lawyer.

Cancer research telethon is about raising money, encouraging patients to join studies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Dozens of A-list celebrities hit the airwaves in prime time Friday for a telethon to raise money for cancer research and encourage cancer patients to participate in clinical trials. Proceeds of the Stand Up to Cancer telethon airs simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS at 8 p.m. It will fund research trials selected by a committee of scientists and patient advocates convened by a Philadelphia-based organization, the American Association for Cancer Research. Fewer than 5 percent of people with cancer take part in clinical trials each year. The association says 75 percent say they would have participated in research if they had known it was an option. Officials say 80 percent of clinical trials in the United States are delayed because researchers can't get enough patients to enroll. People must meet criteria that including the stage and type of cancer and whether they've had prior treatment.

Boys' Latin charter high school in Philadelphia rekindles same-sex education debate

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - How many ninth-grade boys would go to a school that involves wearing jackets and ties every day, learning Latin, and - to top it all off - no girls? As it turns out, about 270 boys - and 100 more are on a waiting list. The Boys' Latin of Philadelphia charter school began its second year this week, aiming to be an educational beacon in the financially and academically troubled district. But because it is one of four single-sex public schools in the city, it faced huge opposition and almost didn't exist. Critics contend it's unfair for taxpayers to fund a prep school curriculum for boys only. Supporters say Boys' Latin is desperately needed in a city where 45 percent of students drop out and male academic achievement badly lags that of females. The 167,000-student Philadelphia district is under state supervision for poor performance. It has tried to improve by establishing charter schools, hiring private companies and universities to manage schools, and offering single-sex education.

McCain accepts nomination, makes bipartisan appeal

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - John McCain is urging supporters to "Fight for what's right for our country." McCain, who accepted the GOP's presidential nomination, promised to work against "constant partisan rancor" while reaching across party lines. McCain made only a passing reference to an unpopular President Bush. In an apparent appeal to Democrats and independents, there was criticism of Democrats and Republicans in the nearly hour-long
address. The Arizona lawmaker said those elected to change Washington allowed it to change them. He also said he doesn't work for a party or a special interest, but for the people.
McCain complimented rival Barack Obama for winning the Democratic nomination, but offered a long list of criticisms of the Illinois senator. McCain said he will keep taxes low and cut them where he can. He said Obama will raise them. He also said Obama will increase, not cut, government spending.

Obama spokesman: McCain part of 'do-nothing crowd'

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A spokesman for the Barack Obama campaign is dismissing John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. Bill Burton says McCain "admonished the old, do-nothing crowd in Washington but ignored the fact that he's been part of that crowd for 26 years." Burton went on to say that McCain has opposed "solutions on health care, energy, and education." Earlier in the day, Obama himself said that Republicans are
attacking him to avoid talking about the sagging economy and housing problems.

Hanna heading toward Atlantic coast

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - Forecasters say the effects of Tropical Storm Hanna could be felt Friday night in the South. At 11 p.m. Eastern, Hanna was about 540 miles south of Wilmington, North Carolina, and moving northwest at 14 miles per hour. Hanna has edged by the Bahamas. In Haiti, officials say the storm is to blame for at least 137 deaths, many of them in a flooded port city. In the U.S., some Southeastern states have declared emergencies and officials are urging some residents to head inland. Hanna could bring high winds and rain from South Carolina to Maine. Hanna isn't the only concern for emergency planners. Hurricane Ike, still far in the Atlantic, has strengthened to a Category 4 storm with winds near 135 miles per hour. It's still to early to say if Ike will threaten land.

Rice set to make history in Libya

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - Condoleezza Rice is set to make history today when she becomes the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Libya since John Foster Dulles in 1953. Rice will shake hands with Moammar Gadhafi, closing a nearly three-decade era of bitter animosity between the United States and the North African nation. U.S. officials say they think Rice may see Gadhafi in a tent, his favored location for high-level meetings, surrounded by an all-female bodyguard corps, but that plan could change. Relations between the U.S. and Libya still face strains on a
number of fronts, ranging from human rights to the final resolution of legal claims from 1980s terror bombings, including Pan Am Flight 103. Rice is currently in Portugal, where she's scheduled to hold a news conference. She will also visit Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Woman dubbed al-Qaida backer skips NY arraignment

NEW YORK (AP) - An American-educated Pakistani woman who's been labeled an al-Qaida supporter has refused to appear in federal court in New York today. Aafia Siddiqui had been scheduled to appear to answer charges that she tried to kill U.S. soldiers and FBI agents after they detained her this summer in Afghanistan. She'd been expected to plead not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges contained in an indictment unsealed earlier this
week. Prosecutors say that when taken into custody, she was carrying handwritten notes referring to a "mass casualty attack" and listing the Empire State Building and other New York landmarks. In court, her lawyers told a judge their client didn't want to go through the humiliation of a strip-search -- a precaution taken with all prisoners when moved between federal lockups and courthouses.

Woodward: Bush 'too often failed to lead' on Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) - In Bob Woodward's latest book on President Bush and the Iraq war, he says the president "rarely was the voice of realism" on the war and "too often failed to lead."
In Woodward's "The War Within: A Secret White House History, 2006-2008," he tells of a president detached, tentative and slow to react to the escalating violence in Iraq. But according to The Washington Post, Woodward says once Bush decided that thousands of additional troops were needed, he moved with focus and determination even though top military advisers
resisted him. The book is the fourth by Woodward looking at the inner debates of the Bush administration and its handling of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's scheduled for release Monday. Spokesman Blair Jones says the White House had no immediate comment.

Nuclear envoys to gather over North Korea impasse

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Top nuclear envoys from South Korea, the United States and Japan will be gathering in Beijing Friday. They'll be discussing the worsening impasse over North Korea's nuclear programs. Pyongyang has been taking steps seen as reversing its promised
disarmament. South Korea says the North began moving disassembled parts of its main nuclear reactor back to the plutonium-producing facility this week. The North has threatened to restore atomic facilities that had been partially disabled under a disarmament pact. Pyongyang says the United States has not held up its end of a deal to remove North Korea from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Washington says it will take the North off the list only after it complies with a disarmament requirement.

Wild monkey leads Tokyo police on chase

TOKYO (AP) - Tokyo's most-wanted fugitive continues to evade the police. Said fugitive slips urban dragnets, climbs along powerlines and makes a nuisance of itself in public, but police shouldn't be surprised -- the culprit is a wild monkey. The red-faced primate first leapt to the national stage in August, when it showed up in a train station and gazed down at the crowd from atop a schedule board. The monkey deftly escaped dozens of police and dashed into a park.
Since then, the monkey has been sighted repeatedly around Tokyo. But the animal always manages to slip away before police can catch it. Authorities suspect the monkey hitched a train ride from nearby mountains into the Japanese capital.

OVERLOOKED WARMING

Asian soot, smog may boost global warming in US

WASHINGTON (AP) - A new report says smog and soot in China can have far-reaching effects on global warming -- even as far away as the United States. The federal science report says so-called shorter-term pollutants may raise summer temperatures in the American heartland
by three degrees in about 50 years. Shorter-term pollutants come mostly from burning wood and kerosene and from driving trucks and cars. The authors of the report say they cause more localized warming than once thought. The scientists contend there should be a greater effort to attack this type of pollution for faster results. For decades, scientists have concentrated on carbon dioxide, the most damaging greenhouse gas because it lingers in the atmosphere
for decades. Past studies have barely paid attention to global warming pollution that stays in the air merely for days. The new report makes a case for tackling the short-term pollutants, while acknowledging that carbon dioxide is still the chief cause of warming.

Wild monkey leads Tokyo police on chase

TOKYO (AP) - Tokyo's most-wanted fugitive continues to evade the police. Said fugitive slips urban dragnets, climbs along powerlines and makes a nuisance of itself in public, but police shouldn't be surprised -- the culprit is a wild monkey. The red-faced primate first leapt to the national stage in August, when it showed up in a train station and gazed down at the crowd from atop a schedule board. The monkey deftly escaped dozens of police and dashed into a park.
Since then, the monkey has been sighted repeatedly around Tokyo. But the animal always manages to slip away before police can catch it. Authorities suspect the monkey hitched a train ride from nearby mountains into the Japanese capital.