Today's News-Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Monday morning fire destroys a duplex in Cass Township

It happened at 38 South Maple Avenue in Cass Township. Crews received the call around 8:30 and arrived on scene with heavy fire towards the rear of the first floor. Investigation revealed it was caused by an electrical fault in the laundry room. Several crews from Minersville, Cass Township and two companies from Pottsville responded. South Cass Township fire chief Pete Ricigliano says the volunteers did a great job:

RICIGLIANO

No injuries were reported however, one family dog was lost in the fire. Damage is estimated in excess of 50-thousand-dollars.

Many residents in eastern Schuylkill county are still on a water boil advisory. The Tamaqua Water Authority has issued the precautionary water boil advisory for their customers in the borough of Tamaqua and portions of Schuylkill, Walker and West Penn Townships. A water main break on November 16th has prompted the water advisory. Customers should bring all consumable water to a rolling boil...let it boil for at least one minute and let it cool before using. This advisory is in effect until further notice according to the water authority. For more information or any questions you may contact the Tamaqua Area Water Authority at 668-0300.

Pottsville man picked up on warrants

Pottsville police have arrested a city man on outstanding drug warrants. Officers picked up 23 year old Eric Guscott yesterday for delivery of crystal methamphetamine to undercover officers on two occasions recently. After arraignment, Guscott was taken to Schuylkill County Prison after he was unable to post bail.

Five Guatemalans picked up for violating immigration laws

Frackville state police picked up 5 Guatemalan men who are in this country illegally on Interstate 81 Monday morning. The car they were driving lost its rear tire near mile marker 139. The men, who were reportedly living in the Reading area, are identified as William Alpeno, Carlos Yanez, Gerson Pena, Jose Morante and Juan Lopez. They were taken to Schuylkill County Prison, where they will remain until immigration officials begin the deportation process.

Bank robbery in Berks

Hamburg state police are looking for a man who robbed a Shoemakersville bank Monday afternoon. The man approached a teller at the Wachovia Bank office at 445 Main Street around 1:30 and handed the teller a note, demanding money. The bandit got an undetermined amount of cash from the teller, then fled. Police say no weapons were displayed. The thief is described as being a light skinned Hispanic man, about 5 feet 9 to 5 feet 10, wearing a yellow hat, glasses, a black coat and long baggy shorts. Anyone with information should call police at 610-562-7525.

Judge takes issue with Pa. ethics panel's findings

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A county judge says Pennsylvania's Court of Judicial Discipline ignored evidence and lacked legal grounds for the scathing report about her that it issued last month. Luzerne County Judge Ann Lokuta is responding to a blistering 225-page ruling that court issued last month. She's since been suspended from the bench with pay. Lokuta's lawyer filed objections to the court's findings of fact and legal conclusions on Monday in Harrisburg.
The court said Lokuta violated ethics rules, failed to perform her duties, terrorized courthouse personnel and had employees perform personal errands. Her lawyer Louis Sinatra says oral arguments on his objections may be scheduled. A hearing on what punishment she will face would occur afterward.

Major testifies in court-martial

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) - A major told government prosecutors that she went to a judge advocate general officer about the behavior of a New York supply sergeant accused of killing two officers in Iraq. Monday's testimony from Maj. Linda Thorburn came in the court-martial of 41-year-old Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez. Thorburn said Martinez made a derogatory comment about Esposito that was inappropriate. Martinez has pleaded not guilty to premeditated murder in the deaths of Capt. Phillip Esposito of Suffern, N.Y., and 1st Lt. Louis Allen of Milford, Pa.
Prosecutors say Martinez planted and detonated an anti-personnel mine in the window of the officers' room in 2005. Earlier witnesses have said Martinez and Esposito had a tense relationship because Esposito thought Martinez's management of the unit's supply room
was lax. Martinez could face the death penalty if convicted.

ACLU sues W.Pa. borough on church's behalf

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania is suing a western Pennsylvania borough, saying it violated a church's religious beliefs by refusing to allow the
church to house homeless people. The First Apostles' Doctrine Church in Brookville says it's
following the Bible's teachings in part by allowing homeless people to stay at the parsonage. Brookville is about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Recently, the borough cited the church for violating zoning regulations by operating a group home. The church is appealing. The suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, claims that Brookville violated the church's state and federal religious rights and violated its constitutional right against unreasonable searches.
The borough's solicitor says he hasn't seen the suit so he can't comment. The ACLU is asking the court to order Brookville to let the church to resume housing homeless people.

Pa. state agency heads praise new child-care rules

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania child-welfare officials say recent regulatory changes will ensure that infants and children receive better care at the state's licensed day-care centers.
The new regulations took effect Sept. 22 and apply to more than 9,000 child-care facilities that serve more than 350,000 children. The changes represent the first update of the rules in 16 years. Officials say the new rules modernize health and safety requirements, requiring parents to receive periodic updates on their children's development and facilities to make accommodations for special-needs children. Public Welfare Secretary Estelle Richman says the new standards provide a "blanket of protection" for the state's youngest children.

Former Penn professor pleads guilty to child porn

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A former Ivy League professor has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in federal court in Philadelphia. Authorities had accused 66-year-old Lawrence Scott Ward of inducing a teenage boy to engage in sexual activity with him in Brazil. They also alleged Ward made and shipped images of that activity to Pennsylvania. Ward pleaded guilty to those charges Monday and to one count of lying to the State Department in his attempt to get a U.S. visa for the boy. Ward was an emeritus professor of marketing at the University of
Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business at the time of the crimes in 2006. Ward is already in prison. He pleaded guilty in February 2007 to charges of importing child pornography. Those charges stemmed from an arrest at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Pa. businessman faces death in 2006 intern slaying

MEDIA, Pa. (AP) - The lawyer for a suburban Philadelphia businessman who frequently hosted gay sex parties in his home says his client didn't kill a young man who died there. The lawyer for 43-year-old William Smithson of Glen Mills says another man supplied the drugs used at the house on the night of the crime. Smilthson's lawyer says that man later lied to police about when he left Smithson's home. Delaware County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Lawrie says
Smithson killed 23-year-old Jason Shephard because Smithson wanted to have sex with Shephard. Shephard was from Cavalier, N.D., and had an internship with Smithson's company.
Smithson could get a death sentence if convicted.

Feds: Men from Pa., Md. traded with Iran

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Federal prosecutors say two immigrants used a Pennsylvania company to sell fuel-cell technology, centrifuges, computer equipment and other materials to their native Iran. A spokeswoman for prosecutors says there aren't any terrorism-related charges. The defendants are 41-year-old Mohammad Reza Vaghari of Broomall, and 42-year-old Mir Hossein Ghaemi of Edgewood, Md. An indictment says the men conspired to export goods that
included electrical, laboratory, medical and computing equipment; ultrasonic liquid processors; fuel cell technology; automobile parts; and centrifuges.

Phila. historic board OKs movie palace fixup

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The redevelopment of a historic Philadelphia movie theater has gotten its final regulatory approval. The Philadelphia Historical Commission has approved plans by
developer ARCWheeler to fix up the Boyd Theatre. The movie palace that opened in 1928 on Chestnut Street has been closed for several years. In addition to rehabilitating the theater itself, the developer is planning a 250-room hotel and two restaurants. Plans call for a facade that will fit in with its surroundings on Chestnut Street. A spokeswoman for the developer said Monday that the Historical Commission's approval is the final regulatory hurdle. She says construction can begin once financing is worked out, which is expected to take two to three weeks.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will take questions from a House panel curious about changes being made to the $700 billion financial bailout plan. Paulson tells the Washington Post he's working on a proposal to allow the government to take over an array of troubled financial institutions.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The CEOs of the Big Three automakers will be joined by the head of the United Auto Workers to plead for a $25 billion bailout package from lawmakers. Skepticism is highest in the Senate, and that's where they'll start off. The Senate Banking Committee is holding a hearing today.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush is set to outline his strategy for easing air traffic congestion and long flight delays during the upcoming holidays. Corridors of airspace from Florida to Maine usually used for military exercises will likely be opened again.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - California is asking the Bush administration to declare a federal disaster in areas around Los Angeles. Of the three wildfires that broke out in the region last week, only one is fully contained.

HOUSTON (AP) - Astronauts will begin the first of four planned spacewalks by trying to loosen up a massive joint that turns solar-panels on the international space station. Problems with the
joint have limited how much solar power it can produce.