Today's News-Friday, November 14, 2008

Baldwin to consider Shenandoah trio's petition to drop charges

Schuylkill County's President judge is considering motions to drop charges against three Shenandoah teens in the beating death of Mexican illegal immigrant Luis Ramirez Zapala earlier this year. Attorneys for 17 year olds Brandon Piekarsky and Colin Walsh and 18 year old Derrick Donchak made that request yesterday in a 10 minute hearing before Judge William Baldwin in a packed Courtroom Number 4 at the county courthouse. The attorneys requested Baldwin consider dropping the charges against them, and also requested that Baldwin separate the cases should they go to trial. No testimony was given, but preliminary hearing transcripts and medical reports were entered into evidence. Judge Baldwin did tell prosecutors that they needed to provide specifics as to the exact nature of the acts that the trio and a juvenile committed during the incident in July. Baldwin gave prosecutors 10 days to provide that information, but did not give any timetable as to when he would rule. Attorneys for the young men, nor DA Jim Goodman would comment after the hearing, which was delayed over two hours while the judge and attorneys met.

Sterns enters 29th Senatorial sweepstakes

A Pottsville area attorney is the next contestant to enter the 29th Senatorial district race. 30-year old Gretchen Sterns of Deer Lake wants to be considered for the seat which was held by the late Senator Jim Rhoades, who died last month but was re-elected posthumously November 4th. Sterns is a member of the county Republican executive committee, and she believes that voters are "hungry for candidates who come from outside the political class", and calls for limited and ethical government, low taxes and personal responsibility. Sterns joins Representative Dave Argall in the race. Other names have been tossed around in political circles as possible GOP candidates as well. The candidate will be chosen by a convention of Republicans from the 29th district, which includes Schuylkill and parts of Berks, Monroe, Northampton, Carbon and Lehigh counties. The Democratic party has not announced any candidates for the seat as yet, but that may come soon, according to Schuylkill County party chair Ed Kleha.

General election results unofficially certified

The results of the general election have been unofficially certified in Schuylkill County. Betty Dries, director of the county election bureau made that announcement yesterday. Anyone wishing to petition the Court of Common Pleas for a recount has 5 days to do so. After that time, the November 4th vote will be officially certified.

Pine Grove woman charged with stealing from her employer

State police have charged a Pine Grove woman for stealing from her employer. Troopers report that 36 year old Leigh Anne Miller was charged with retail theft after she was caught on video under-ringing or not charging for items late last month at Barr’s Interstate in Pine Grove Township where she worked.

Domestic incident in Pottsville

A Pottsville man is jailed following a domestic dispute in the city Wednesday night. City police were called to 532 East Market Street, where 47 year old Paul Haller allegedly hit his live in girlfriend, 42 year old Irene Bruen. She reportedly ended their relationship and Haller went into a rage, striking her and threatening her with a large knife. Haller is charged with simple assault and making terroristic threats. He was unable to post bail.

Knoll's casket to be displayed in Capitol Rotunda

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State officials say Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll will be just the second person to have her casket displayed in the current Pennsylvania Capitol. The 78-year-old Knoll died Wednesday evening after a four-month battle with neuroendocrine cancer. The Rendell administration says Knoll's casket will be in the Capitol Rotunda from noon on Nov. 21 to 2 p.m. the following day. Her casket will then be on display Nov. 23 at St. Paul's Cathedral in Pittsburgh. A funeral Mass and divine liturgy will be held Nov. 25. Funeral services and interment will be private. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Knoll's favorite charity, Angel's Place in Pittsburgh. The casket of former House Speaker Matthew J. Ryan was also displayed at the Capitol in April 2003.

Closings set for Monday in Pa. judge's fraud case

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A federal jury in Pittsburgh will have a long
weekend to mull nearly three weeks of testimony in the fraud trial of a retired Pennsylvania appellate judge. Testimony wrapped up Thursday and the jury will return Monday for closing arguments before deliberating mail fraud and money laundering charges against former Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce. Joyce is accused of faking or exaggerating neck and back injuries to collect $440,000 from two insurance companies after an August 2001 traffic accident. Several friends and judges have testified Joyce was in pain after the wreck. But prosecutors say Joyce continued to golf, inline skate, scuba dive and fly a private plane after the fender bender - despite telling an insurers his life and career were all but derailed by the injuries.

Turnpike to trim staff, costs as traffic falls

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is
trying to cut its work force to help adapt to a decrease in traffic in recent months. In a letter sent to state lawmakers and Gov. Ed Rendell on
Wednesday, turnpike chief executive Joe Brimmeier says employees
have until late next week to decide if they want to sign up for a "voluntary departure program." The commission says it hopes enough people sign up by the Nov. 20 deadline to avoid or minimize layoffs. Traffic volume dropped by 1.6 percent for the June-September period compared to last year. The agency is also cutting other aspects of its operating costs to address the budget problem. The turnpike commission has 2,250 employees.

102 arrested in Philadelphia police blitz

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia police say they've arrested 102
suspects in a single day in a crackdown on drug dealing and gang activity.
Police served 94 warrants on Thursday and seized 21 guns, $370,000 in cash and illegal drugs including heroin and cocaine. Four murders in the city's West Kenzington neighborhood led police to investigate and make so many arrests. Police say they've solved three of those murders. Police also busted a dogfighting operation in the law-enforcement blitz.

Prosecutor says Pa. councilman in office illegally

YEADON, Pa. (AP) - A suburban Philadelphia prosecutor says a
borough councilman should be ousted because he is a convicted felon
and is ineligible to hold office. Delaware County's district attorney filed court documents Thursday seeking to remove Yeadon Councilman Terry McGirth. McGirth pleaded guilty in 2003 to theft of funds. The charges
stemmed from his job as a collections agent for a kidney dialysis company. The state constitution says anyone convicted of an "infamous
crime" cannot hold public office, but the 53-year-old McGirth has been in office since January. District Attorney Mike Green says he became aware of McGirth's criminal record in July. McGirth did not immediately return a message left at Yeadon's borough offices.

State, colleges clash over Pa. teacher training

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Officials at some Pennsylvania colleges are unhappy with changes the state wants in the way elementary and middle-school teachers are trained. The colleges voiced concern at a legislative hearing Thursday that new program guidelines will place burdensome credit requirements on education majors. The changes will start to take
effect next fall. The state Education Department is replacing the current
elementary-education certificate with two new certificates - one for teaching students in grades 4-8, and another for teaching younger students. All education majors will be required to take courses in special
education and teaching students who are learning English.

US Steel lays off 677 workers in US, Canada

PITTSBURGH (AP) - U.S. Steel says it is laying off 677 workers in the United States and Canada because of weakening customer demand.
United States Steel Corp. spokesman John Armstrong says the layoffs are effective immediately for 500 employees in the United States and 177 in Canada. The layoffs affect workers at Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel's
facilities in the Pittsburgh area; northwest Indiana; Fairfield, Ala.; Ecorse and River Rouge, Mich., and Granite City, Ill. In Canada, U.S. Steel is laying off workers at its Hamilton and Erie plants. Armstrong says the jobs will come back "when we see customer demand strengthening."

W.Pa. homicide suspect escapes during standoff

CLAIRTON, Pa. (AP) - Police say a double-murder suspect from
suburban Pittsburgh has escaped from the home where he was holed
up. Police say 24-year-old Leroy Harris Jr., of Clairton, escaped from a Clairon home sometime Thursday morning after exchanging gunfire with police. The standoff began about 8 a.m. A SWAT team, local and county police were brought in, but police now say he escaped before the SWAT team's arrival. The standoff prompted authorities to lock down a nearby school. Just before noon, police fired flash grenades and tear gas inside, but police later realized Harris had fled. Harris is charged in a double-slaying in February 2007. His family tells reporters Harris insists he is not the shooter in that incident.

Police: Pa. trooper stole drill from crime scene

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania state trooper has been fired for allegedly stealing a cordless drill from a crime scene. State Police say 34-year-old Chann Chhim of Philadelphia, a six-year employee, also faces three misdemeanor charges. Authorities say Chhim answered a call about vehicle break-ins in August, and found a broken drill bit in one of the locks and a drill nearby. They say he put the drill in an evidence bag to process it for fingerprints - but instead took it home. Chhim was charged in Bucks County this week with theft, evidence tampering and records tampering. He last worked on a patrol unit in Trevose. A phone number for his lawyer could not immediately be determined.

Tellers' lack of cash thwarts attempted bank robbery in central Pa.

YORK, Pa. (AP) - Police say a central Pennsylvania man tried to rob a bank - but tellers' empty cash drawers thwarted his attempt. Springettsbury Township Police Lt. Scott Laird says the tellers were waiting for their cash drawers to be filled when a man entered a Susquehanna Bank branch Thursday morning and demanded money. The first teller fainted and the next two showed him their empty cash
drawers. Laird says the robber then threatened to file a complaint with
bank management before leaving. A customer at the drive-through called 911. A 48-year-old Windsor Township man was arrested about 10 blocks away and was held in the York County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail. He is charged with criminal attempt to commit robbery.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Expect more gloomy news about the economy this
morning. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks to an
international conference in Germany. And the Commerce Department
releases its report on last month's retail sales. Many economists expect the report to be especially grim.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The auto industry and business groups are
lobbying hard to thwart Republican opposition to a Senate vote next
week on the Democrats' plan for a $25 billion emergency bailout for
the Big Three carmakers. It would come out of the $700 billion financial rescue package.

CHICAGO (AP) - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton could be the next
secretary of state. Two Democratic officials in close contact with
President-elect Barack Obama's transition team say the New York
Democrat is among the candidates that Obama is considering.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - An explosive wildfire has destroyed
about 70 homes in the ritzy California community of Montecito,
southeast of Santa Barbara. The blaze has injured four people and
forced thousands to flee wind-whipped flames in the longtime hideaway for celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Rob Lowe.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - An airport official in Wilmington, N.C.,
says a Virgin Atlantic jet carrying nearly 350 people made an emergency landing there early today after crew members felt heat coming from the plane's floor. The official told the Star-News of Wilmington the heat was coming from an overheated toilet pump, not a fire.