Today's News - Saturday October 4th

POTTSVILLE - Two of three Schuylkill County miners facing charges relating to the death of a fourth miner in 2006 must wait until later this month for a hearing. 52-year-old David Zimmerman, of Pine Grove, and 42-year-old Jeffrey Klinger, of Tremont, must wait until October 20th for their hearing before Schuylkill County Judge Jacqueline Russell on possible dismissal of charges resulting from the October 23rd, 2006, explosion at the R&D Coal Company's Buck Mountain Mine in Tremont Township. Miner 43-year-old Dale Reightler of Donaldson, was killed in the explosion. Zimmerman, who owned the mine and Klinger, are charged with involuntary manslaughter, and related counts. A state grand jury indicted those two, along with David Zimmerman's son, 32-year-old Steven Zimmerman, of Pine Grove, a mine foreman, in April as the result of the explosion that killed Reightler.

A lot of behind the scenes persuasion by US Senators, the presidential candidates and President Bush led to the change of heart for many House members in changing their votes to "yea" to pass the $700 billion dollar plus financial bailout bill. But for Schuylkill County’s Tim Holden, it was no on Monday and no Friday. The St Clair Democrat was one of the 171 no votes on the floor of the House, 58 less than on Monday when the first version of the bill was shot down. Holden says that there was one positive, a change in the FDIC insurance limits. Holden is seeking re election in November. He is opposed by Republican candidate, Toni Gilhooley of Dauphin County.

Admitted sex offender Daniel M. Shields Jr., once one of Schuylkill County's most noteworthy high school football and track coaches, has another court date Thursday, this time as a defendant in a civil lawsuit filed by one of his victims. According to the Republican and Herald, Shields is one of four defendants in the lawsuit filed in 2005 by the girl, whose name is withheld by this newspaper because she is a victim of sexual abuse. The nonjury trial against Shields, who is serving 18 months to four years at State Correctional Institution/Waymart after pleading guilty in 2007 to sex-related crimes, is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin. Other defendants include Nativity BVM High School, the Diocese of Allentown, and the Most Rev. Edward P. Cullen, bishop of Allentown. The victim is seeking unspecified monetary damages. Shields pleaded guilty March 1, 2007, to five counts of invasion of privacy, four of sexual abuse of children, two of indecent assault and one of corruption of minors.

PALO ALTO — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has decided to replace the deteriorating Collins Street Bridge, according to PennDOT District 5 portfolio manager James R. McGee on Thursday. As reported in the Republican and Herald, the 118-year-old, two-lane bridge which connects Palo Alto's West Bacon Street to Mauch Chunk Street in Pottsville has weakened and has been closed to vehicular traffic for two years. The City of Pottsville, the Borough of Palo Alto, Schuylkill County and the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Co., Port Clinton, collectively own the bridge. Of the four, the city is the custodian, Ronald J. Young Jr., PennDOT District 5 press officer, said previously. McGee said the federal government will pay for 80 percent of the project, the state will pay 15 percent and the city 5 percent.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - O.J. Simpson will wake up this morning behind bars, something that could become a ritual he faces for the rest of his life. His conviction on all 12 charges form the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia collectors could lead to a sentence of life in prison.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Given a second shot, several lawmakers in the House changed their minds on the financial bailout plan. Yesterday 33 Democrats and 25 Republicans who voted "no" on Monday voted yes on the package, sending it to the president's desk. Shortly after, Bush signed it.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Homeowners behind on their mortgages and facing foreclosure are waiting to see exactly what the newly passed bailout plan will do for them. It directs the Treasury Department to "maximize assistance for homeowners" and write up monthly progress reports, but otherwise says little else.

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (AP) - Experts have three more bone fragments discovered near the scene of Steve Fossett's plane crash to look at. They'll be analyzed to determine if they belong to the famous adventurer. Investigators believe Fossett crashed his plane in the Sierra Nevada at a high rate of speed, killing him on impact.

NEW YORK (AP) - Shock jock Howard Stern has gotten married again. He and his longtime girlfriend Beth Ostrosky tied the knot yesterday. About 180 guests were on hand, including Billy Joel, Barbara Walters and Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Jobs are vanishing at the fastest pace in more than five years, and that may not be changing anytime soon.
Payrolls were slashed by 159,000 last month, more than double the cuts made in August. It's the ninth straight month of job losses.

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Joe Biden told his son and other Delaware National Guard troops his heart was "full of love and pride" as they prepared to leave for an assignment in Iraq. Biden's son Beau is Delaware's attorney general and also captain and lawyer in the 261st Signal Brigade.

CHICAGO (AP) - Barack Obama is about to go after John McCain's plan for health care. At an event in Virginia, Obama will call McCain's plan "radical," a sentiment he'll back up in four new TV ads, and many other forms of advertising.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Six Alaskan lawmakers want the state's Supreme Court to halt an investigation into abuse-of-power allegations against Governor Sarah Palin. They've filed an emergency appeal. The findings are due for release next week.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Transportation Department report says nine U.S. airlines outsourced more than 70 percent of their major aircraft maintenance last year. The report says it's a concern because the Federal Aviation Administration has failed to closely track how much maintenance is farmed out and also where it's performed.

BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. military says it's killed a senior al-Qaida in Iraq leader suspected of masterminding deadly bombings in Baghdad. It's thought he directed the insurgent cell believed responsible for nearly simultaneous car bomb and suicide attacks that killed at least eight people on Thursday.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) - The U.S. says it has "no information to give" about whether it fired missiles at buildings in two Pakistani villages near the Afghan border. The attacks have left about 20 suspected militants dead. A Pakistani Army spokesman says there's "speculation" most of them were foreign militants.