Saturday, November 29, 2008

Today's News - Saturday, November 29, 2008

A 2-year-old boy has died as the result of smoke inhalation in a Thanksgiving morning house fire in Schuylkill County. The Schuylkill County coroner's office says Reese Sarno was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom when fire broke out in the Port Carbon home at about 7:45 a.m. His mother two other children and two men escaped the blaze unharmed. Port Carbon Fire Chief, Michael Welsh says family members and firefighters tried to reach the toddler, but heavy flames forced them back. The fire has been officially ruled an accident due to an overheated stove pipe from a wood burning stove inside the home and caused about $50-thousand dollars in damages.


The Schuylkill County Commissioners gave their approval Wednesday for the County to participate in an Earth Day E-Sweep event. The program will allow the County to recycle all surplus electronic waste at a cost of only $495.00. On Earth Day, April 22nd, 2009, Air Cycle Corporation will come to the County's designated storage location and package-up the county’s scrap electronics and take it to an EPA approved recycler.

The Commissioners also approved an agreement with Garland Communications Systems Pottsville for the installation of four security cameras on the courthouse property at a cost of $6,593.00.

The Schuylkill County Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission received approval to enter into a lease agreement with St. John the Baptist Church, Pottsville. The purpose of the lease is for a residential placement of drug and alcohol clients. The Commission's lease is for a term of five years at a cost of $2-Thousand-Dollars per month.

Bids were opened for cleaning services at the Courthouse and the 9-1-1 Communication Center building. Avenues of Pottsville submitted the lone bid of $94,628 for cleaning the Courthouse and TKO Cleaning Services of Pottsville was lone bidder for the 9-1-1 Center. They submitted a bid of $25,000 for a one year contract and $50,000 for a two year contract.


Five weeks after the death of state Sen. James J. Rhoades, there is still no projected date for a final report on the cause of the fatal Oct. 17 crash, the investigating officer said Friday. According to the Republican and Herald, Trooper Jason Beers of the state police station at Fern Ridge said the final report is waiting for a completed diagram from a crash reconstructionist, as well as the results of blood alcohol tests on both Rhoades and the other driver, Thomas Senavitis, 45, of Kunkletown. The investigation is still ongoing. Rhoades was re-elected in the Nov. 4th General Election and his seat is expected to be announced vacant sometime this week, Schuylkill County GOP Chairman Bob Ames said. Those who have announced they are seeking the Republican candidacy are state Rep. David Argall, R-124; attorney Chris Hobbs, Rhoades' son-in-law; and attorney Gretchen Sterns. No Democrats have officially announced intentions to run and according to the Schuylkill County Democrats no one will be announced until the Republican Party officially announce their candidate.


A Pottsville man is headed to state prison after pleading guilty Friday in Schuylkill County Court to possessing cocaine and a stolen automobile. According to the Republican and Herald, Joel Bonilla-Rosado, 40, did not react as Judge John E. Domalakes accepted his guilty plea and sentenced him to spend three to six years in a state correctional institution. Domalakes also sentenced Bonilla-Rosado, who pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property, to pay costs, $113 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem, $15,533.94 to Erie Insurance Co., $100 to the owner of the car and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, and to forfeit $444 he had in his possession when arrested. Pottsville police alleged Bonilla-Rosado had the cocaine and the stolen car, a 2005 Honda Civic, on May 17 in the city.


BERWICK, Pa. (AP) - A 23-year-old northeastern Pennsylvania woman is accused of leaving her newborn daughter outside in 17-degree weather as part of an attempt to conceal her pregnancy. Jennifer Lynn Killian told Berwick police she hid her pregnancy by wearing baggy clothes before giving birth Nov. 22 in a bathroom of her parents' home. Killian told police she planned to take the baby to a nearby hospital to give her up, but changed her plans because her parents were on the porch and would see her leave with the baby. She told police she put her infant outside through the bathroom window and was going to pick her up outside, but her father found the baby first. The father, Charles Drasher, called police.


MUMBAI, India (AP) - Authorities in India say only 10 gunmen took part in a series of terrorist attacks across Mumbai. They say Indian forces killed nine and the tenth is in custody. At least 195 people died in the nearly three-day-long rampage.


BAGHDAD (AP) - U.N. and military officials in Iraq are reporting a rocket attack targeting Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. At least two people were killed and 15 wounded in the strike near the U.N. compound.


CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Saudi Arabia's oil minister isn't ruling out an OPEC production cut as the price of oil tumbles. But he says he doesn't expect an announcement at the cartel's emergency meeting, which is being held in Cairo today.


NEW YORK (AP) - A surveillance video could hold clues to which shoppers trampled a Wal-Mart worker to death yesterday. Authorities say they may consider criminal charges in the incident. At least four other people, including a pregnant woman, reported being hurt as a frenzied crowd burst into the store.


HOUSTON (AP) - Endeavour's seven-member crew is awaiting an OK from NASA managers that will clear the shuttle to return to Earth tomorrow. Analysts are making sure the heat shield is undamaged and ready for re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Today's News-Friday, November 28, 2008

Child dies in Port Carbon fire

A Port Carbon child is dead following a Thanksgiving morning blaze. Crews were called to 113 4th Street after 7am where the home was fully engulfed in flames. Family members and rescuers tried in vain to save 2 year old Reese Sarno who was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Schuylkill County Coroner. The child's mother, 37 year old Tina Gochmonosky and four other children were able to escape the blaze. An investigation into the cause will be conducted by local and state police.

Black Friday shoppers hit the streets

Retailers are surely hoping that this day after Thanksgiving will be a Black Friday, in spite of the current economic slump. Shoppers were out very early looking for Christmas bargains and sales, and stores were ready with extra staff and early opening hours to accommodate them. Times are certainly tough for everyone, and with less than 4 weeks to go until Christmas, it will be a challenge for everyone to make the most of shoppers war chests to find that special gift for family and friends.

Commissioners notes

Everyone is thinking green more and more each day, trying to recycle everything they can. The Schuylkill County Commissioners have entered into an agreement with Air Cycle Corporation to recycle all surplus electronic waste at a cost of only $495 dollars. Next Earth Day, the county’s scrap electronics will be taken away and recycled rather than disposed in a landfill. In other business, the Drug and Alcohol Commission received approval to lease space at St. John’s Church in Pottsville for residential placement of clients. The five year agreement will cost the county $2-thousand-dollars a month.

Pottsville man charged in domestic incident

Pottsville police have charged a Brockton man with counts relating to a domestic dispute Wednesday night. 23 year old Jennifer Wythe of St Clair told officers that her ex-fiancee, 23 year old Kyle Delpais got into her car and asked her to drive so they could talk. She said that a Protection from Abuse order was in effect against Delpais. He reportedly grabbed her by the neck and told her to drive. In the area of Peacock Street and Railroad Street, Wythe hit the emergency brake and the panic button on her keys, activating the car alarm. The couple struggled, and Wythe tried to escape. Delpais knocked her to the ground and injured her. He fled but was apprehended by police a short time later in the 2100 block of West End Avenue. Delpais is charged with unlawful restraint, simple assault and other counts. He is lodged in the Schuylkill County Prison.

Free event to kick off Christmas season

A Pottsville fraternal organization is hosting a Christmas gala to kick off the Christmas season. The Pottsville Square and Compass Club is hosting the event Saturday and Sunday, November 29 and 30th, and December 6th and 7th at the Pottsville Masonic Building at 2nd and Norwegian Streets, complete with crafts, music, food and Santa Claus! Christmas trees will adorn the fifth and sixth floors of the building, and visitors can vote for their favorite trees. Those trees will be given to needy families for the holidays. The free event will be held from 4 to 8pm the next two Saturdays, and 2 to 8pm on the next two Sundays.

Today's News-Friday, November 28, 2008

Child dies in Port Carbon fire

A Port Carbon child is dead following a Thanksgiving morning blaze. Crews were called to 113 4th Street after 7am where the home was fully engulfed in flames. Family members and rescuers tried in vain to save 2 year old Reese Sarno who was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Schuylkill County Coroner. The child's mother, 37 year old Tina Gochmonosky and four other children were able to escape the blaze. An investigation into the cause will be conducted by local and state police.

Black Friday shoppers hit the streets

Retailers are surely hoping that this day after Thanksgiving will be a Black Friday, in spite of the current economic slump. Shoppers were out very early looking for Christmas bargains and sales, and stores were ready with extra staff and early opening hours to accommodate them. Times are certainly tough for everyone, and with less than 4 weeks to go until Christmas, it will be a challenge for everyone to make the most of shoppers war chests to find that special gift for family and friends.

Commissioners notes

Everyone is thinking green more and more each day, trying to recycle everything they can. The Schuylkill County Commissioners have entered into an agreement with Air Cycle Corporation to recycle all surplus electronic waste at a cost of only $495 dollars. Next Earth Day, the county’s scrap electronics will be taken away and recycled rather than disposed in a landfill. In other business, the Drug and Alcohol Commission received approval to lease space at St. John’s Church in Pottsville for residential placement of clients. The five year agreement will cost the county $2-thousand-dollars a month.

Pottsville man charged in domestic incident

Pottsville police have charged a Brockton man with counts relating to a domestic dispute Wednesday night. 23 year old Jennifer Wythe of St Clair told officers that her ex-fiancee, 23 year old Kyle Delpais got into her car and asked her to drive so they could talk. She said that a Protection from Abuse order was in effect against Delpais. He reportedly grabbed her by the neck and told her to drive. In the area of Peacock Street and Railroad Street, Wythe hit the emergency brake and the panic button on her keys, activating the car alarm. The couple struggled, and Wythe tried to escape. Delpais knocked her to the ground and injured her. He fled but was apprehended by police a short time later in the 2100 block of West End Avenue. Delpais is charged with unlawful restraint, simple assault and other counts. He is lodged in the Schuylkill County Prison.

Free event to kick off Christmas season

A Pottsville fraternal organization is hosting a Christmas gala to kick off the Christmas season. The Pottsville Square and Compass Club is hosting the event Saturday and Sunday, November 29 and 30th, and December 6th and 7th at the Pottsville Masonic Building at 2nd and Norwegian Streets, complete with crafts, music, food and Santa Claus! Christmas trees will adorn the fifth and sixth floors of the building, and visitors can vote for their favorite trees. Those trees will be given to needy families for the holidays. The free event will be held from 4 to 8pm the next two Saturdays, and 2 to 8pm on the next two Sundays.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Today's News-Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

Travel for Thanksgiving

For thousands of folks in the Commonwealth, today means the race is on to get to that Thanksgiving destination. The Pennsylvania State Police-through their annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign reminds people that tomorrow's holiday is the busiest time for motorists to be on the roads:

QUINN THANKSGIVING BITE

Safety checkpoints are set up all throughout the state until November 30th. That's an effort to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities resulting from traffic crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday driving period. For more information on "Click It or Ticket" or to find a state police barracks closest to you, log on to the state police website...PSP-DOT-STATE-DOT-PA-US.

Dinner is served

The countdown is on to Turkey Day! In fact, the first Thanksgiving celebration dates back to 1621 where the Plymouth colonists and native American Indians shared an autumn harvest feast. This annual holiday has evolved since that time. One tradition that remains still in Schuylkill County is finding the perfect bird. T102 News spoke with the Vice President and General Manager, Duane Koch, of Koch's Turkey Farm who says he sees the same faces year after year:

KOCH

Listen to a pre-Thanksgiving holiday interview with Duane Koch this morning on Step Up to the Mic at 10am.

Travel plans with AAA

Despite the current economic slump, local vacation experts are saying now is the time to plan that next escape while saving yourself some green in the process. Triple A travel agent Ann Kline says Schuylkill County families are thinking about brighter days in 2009:

KLINE 1

Thanksgiving to Christmas is a slower time for vacation travel. However, Kline says one of their biggest deals heading into the new travel year is a trip to the happiest place on earth-Walt Disney World:

KLINE 2

For more information on holiday travel or for tips on planning that next vacation, you may log on to Triple A's website-AAA-DOT-COM.

Shopping made easier with STS

Shoppers looking for another way to get around this holiday season can hop aboard the Holiday Express with STS. Schuylkill Transportation System riders can board the bus for the next 4 Fridays and ride all day on any bus for just a dollar. Senior citizens can still ride free with their bus pass. Children up to the age of 8 can ride free with a paying adult. Kids nine through 12 ride for just 50 cents. And, passengers can win great prizes from area merchants by riding the Holiday Express. The Holiday Express begins on Black Friday. For more information, call STS toll free at 800-832-3322.

Bear harvest strong on first day

Pennsylvania bear hunters had a strong first day of hunting in the opening day of bear season. The Pennsylvania Game Commission reports a preliminary harvest of more than 17-hundred bears in 50 counties. That's an increase of more than 700 bear as compared to the first day in 2007. In Schuylkill County, 18 bears were reported taken, compared to 7 last year.

Low income earners pay larger share of income taxes
KSNC

Taxes...we all have to pay 'em. But some people are paying "more" than their fair share during this time of economic turmoil. A new budget report says that's the case. Sharon Ward is the director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. Her organization's study claims that the state's flat personal income tax rate is unfair to working families...taking more than 12 cents of every dollar they earn, while those with far more money pay just over 4 cents on every dollar:

WARD 1

Opponents say that the rich should not have to pay more taxes simply because they earn more money. But Ward says that without a progressive income tax, Pennsylvania's state tax system has no way to offset regressive sales and property taxes:

WARD 2

Ward says the state could also expand the sales tax or add a tax on natural resource extraction as a way to generate more revenue.

Son pleads guilty in death of mother, 83

POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A Northumberland County man whose 83-year-old mother died the day after police say he kidnapped her from a nursing home has pleaded guilty to charges that officials say caused her death.
The Republican Herald reports that 58-year-old Robert Netchel, of Mount Carmel, avoided a prison term by pleading guilty Tuesday in Schuylkill County Court to recklessly endangering another person and unlawful restraint. Judge Charles Miller sentenced him to five years probation and ordered him to pay costs. Prosecutors dropped seven other counts including involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping. Netchel was accused of forcibly taking his mother from the Schuylkill Center Nursing Home to his home April 30. An autopsy found that stress from the incident resulted in Ruth Netchel's death.

Pittsburgh transit labor dispute settled

PITTSBURGH (AP) - There's a tentative agreement to settle the labor dispute at Pittsburgh's transit agency. That's according to a statement released jointly Tuesday night by the Port Authority of Allegheny County and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85. The union had been threatening to strike Monday. The 2,200 employees represented by the union are continuing to work under the terms of the contract that expired June 30. The new agreement is to take effect once the union membership and the Port Authority board ratify it. Terms of the agreement weren't released in the joint statement and it was not immediately clear how long ratification will take.

Obama to meet with governors on economic crisis

WASHINGTON (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama plans to meet
with nearly all the nation's governors in Philadelphia next Tuesday. They'll discuss how the economic crisis is crimping states and their budgets. The discussions at Independence Hall are being hosted by
National Governors Association Chairman Ed Rendell, the governor of
Pennsylvania, and Vice Chairman Jim Douglas, the governor of Vermont.
Douglas says 40 governors and governors-elect plan to attend the group discussion, which was put together just in the last few days. Douglas says some of them grumbled about the short notice but virtually all have cleared their schedules to attend.


Pa. government pension fund posts 14 percent loss

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania state government pension
fund investments fell sharply during the first nine months of the
year. Officials are warning that year-end totals may end up even
worse. The State Employees' Retirement System said Tuesday its
investments lost 14.4 percent for the year through Sept. 30. The pension fund shed $4.3 billion dollars from July 1 though Sept. 30 alone, ending up with a value of $29.3 billion. At the end of 2007 it was worth about $35 billion. The stock market has been hit with steep declines in October and November, and Pennsylvania's pension fund is warning that the year-end accounting may show much worse results.


Allentown, Pa., home is destroyed in explosion

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The American Red Cross says at least 12
adults and seven children have been displaced by a house explosion
in Allentown. The blast injured two brothers living in the house, heavily
damaged two neighboring homes and launched a wheelchair 40 feet up
into a tree. Fire Chief Robert Scheirer says "it's amazing" that the
brothers in the house survived. They are 52-year-old Cesar Coto and
41-year-old Miguel Irizarry. A neighbor, Bob Walko, says the explosion was so big he thought an airplane had crashed. He says it shook his house and knocked pictures and clocks off the walls.

Ruptured gasoline line closes Rt. 22 in W.Pa.

MURRYSVILLE, Pa (AP) - A ruptured gasoline transmission line has
prompted officials to close a major road in suburban Pittsburgh and
evacuate nearby businesses, schools and a nursing home. Officials say a ball joint in the six-inch line failed about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Murrysville along Rt. 22 while a Sunoco Logistics crew was working on it.
An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of gasoline shot as high as 100 feet into the air before the leak was stopped before noon. No injuries have been reported, but officials ordered the evacuation as a precaution.
The Department of Environmental Protection says some of the gasoline spilled into Turtle Creek, killing fish. Traffic is being detoured and officials say Rt. 22 could be closed for several hours as cleanup continues.


Delayed I-99 stretch finally open

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - A long-delayed stretch of Interstate
99 in central Pennsylvania is finally complete. Workers put the finishing touches this week on an eight-mile stretch of the four-lane highway in the State College area. The project had been delayed for years because of concerns about acid-producing rock displaced in the path of the highway.
Federal, state and local transportation officials hope the $700 million project will help with economic development in the region. The highway now links the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Bedford to Interstate 80 at Bellefonte.


Funeral held for FBI agent killed in Pa. drug raid

BALTIMORE (AP) - FBI agents and police officers from several states joined family members to say goodbye to an FBI agent killed in a drug raid in suburban Pittsburgh. Special Agent Sam Hicks's funeral was held Tuesday at the Cathedral of Mary of Queen in Baltimore, the city where he had been a police officer for five years. FBI Director Robert Mueller told a packed cathedral that although he didn't know Hicks personally, he had learned from Hicks' family and colleagues that the agent was "something of a superhero, full of strength and energy." Mueller presented Hicks' widow, Brooke, with a memorial star and told her that she and her son, Noah, would always be part of the FBI family. U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Hicks' name would be added to the Hall of Honor.

Ex-ACORN worker gets home term in voter fraud case

MEDIA, Pa. (AP) - A suburban Philadelphia man will serve house arrest for falsifying 18 voter-registration cards. Jemar Barksdale worked briefly this year for the voter-turnout group ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. The 34-year-old Chester man must serve six to 23 months of home confinement after his sentencing Monday in Delaware County. Barksdale must also pay the group $574 restitution after pleading guilty to forgery, theft and other charges. ACORN officials say Barksdale is a "bad apple." A call to his listed defense lawyer was not immediately returned Tuesday. He is one of thousands of part-time workers ACORN hired nationally this year to sign up 1.3 million new voters.

Knoll fondly remembered at Pittsburgh funeral

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll was remembered
as energetic, compassionate and generous at her funeral in Pittsburgh.
Friends, relatives and colleagues say the first female lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania will forever be an inspiration to women nationwide.
Knoll's family said the service at St. Paul Cathedral was an occasion to celebrate a life full of accomplishments. Gov. Ed Rendell said that with all of Knoll's achievements, she was always in a rush to do more. He joked that if Knoll is as full of ideas in death as she was in life, St. Peter's head is spinning. Knoll died Nov. 12, just four months after being diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer.


CHICAGO (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama is holding his third
straight news conference in as many days, this time to announce
he's forming a new economic advisory board. Obama says he wants to
show Americans that on January 20th he'll be ready to work.

NEW YORK (AP) - After three straight positive sessions, futures
trading suggests a lower open on Wall Street today. Investors are
cautious ahead of a series of economic reports that touch on jobless claims, personal incomes and spending, and durable good orders.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The jury is suggesting they've reached a verdict in three of the four charges against a Missouri woman accused of harassing a 13-year-old girl on the Internet. They've asked a judge in a note if the fourth charge can have a hung jury, but he'll have them deliberating again later today.

WASHINGTON (AP) - With Christmas shopping nearly in full swing,
consumer advocates warn if a toy fits inside the tube from a toilet roll, it's too small for little children. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group also says parents should be watching for hazards related to soft plastics and lead contamination.


WASHINGTON (AP) - Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon will be
crowded together to light up a corner of the southwest sky by the end of this weekend. They're the three brightest objects you can see, and it'll be more than 40 years before they appear that close again.



Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Today's News-Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

Weather

We are off to a wet start this Tuesday morning, and snow showers are possible as the day wears on across the region. Temps are in the high 30's at daybreak, and the National Weather Service is indicating that sporadic snow showers will dot the area through the day into this evening, but no accumulation is expected. Some spots in the Poconos and other areas of higher elevation did get some accumulation of snow overnight.

Teens to be tried together

Schuylkill County's President judge has ruled that the Shenandoah teens involved in the death of a Mexican illegal immigrant will be tried together. Judge William Baldwin released his findings yesterday according to the Republican and Herald. Attorneys for 17 year olds Brandon Piekarsky and Colin Walsh, and 18 year old Derrick Donchak had sought to have the charges against them, including third degree murder and related counts dropped, and to have separate trials. Baldwin requested that prosecutors provide more information about the circumstances of events that took place on July 12th, when 25 year old Luis Ramirez Zapala was beaten at a Shenandoah playground. The ruling states that prosecutors provided sufficient evidence to have the charges stand. One count against Derrick Donchak, hindering apprenhension of prosecution, was dropped. The trio remains free on bail. A juvenile has also been charged in the incident.

Pine Grove man nabbed after chase

A Pine Grove man is charged with fleeing police and other offenses after an incident Sunday night. Troopers from the Schuylkill Haven barracks say that 26 year old Steven Derfler and his wife were having an alleged argument at the Hess Express in Pine Grove Township around 7pm. He reportedly yelled an obscenity at police then took off at a high rate of speed through Pine Grove borough with state police in pursuit. That ended on Route 895, with Derfler turning himself in to police. He was charged with fleeing police, reckless endangerment and other counts and was taken to Schuylkill County Prison.

Party leaders: No plans for court challenge of Pa. legislative elections

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Officials from both the Democratic and Republican parties say they're not aware of any plans to challeng Pennsylvania legislative elections in court. The final tallies show Democrats with a five-seat advantage in the state House of Representatives. The Nov. 4 election saw the Democrats win six Republican districts while losing four seats to the GOP.
Five of the Democratic gains were in Philadelphia and its suburbs; the other was in Williamsport. Republicans flipped Democratic districts in Beaver, Bucks, Elk and Westmoreland counties.
The freshman class in the House consists of 15 Democrats and 12 Republicans.

Pistol-packing Pa. soccer mom sues sheriff

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania woman is suing a county sheriff who revoked her concealed-weapons permit after she upset fellow parents by wearing her holstered pistol to her 5-year-old daughter's soccer game. Meleanie Hain alleges in the federal lawsuit filed Monday that Lebanon County Sheriff Michael DeLeo prosecuted her maliciously when he took away her permit in September. Hain successfully appealed the revocation last month. But Hain's lawyer, Matthew Weisberg, says her babysitting service has suffered and she's been ostracized by her neighbors because of DeLeo's actions. DeLeo has said he based his decision on a section of state law that prohibits concealed-weapons permits from being given to people whose character and reputation make them a danger to public safety.

Ex-TV anchor Mendte gets 3 years probation

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The lawyer for a former Philadelphia TV newscaster whose e-mail messages were secretly read by her co-anchor says six months of home confinement is a serious
sentence. Paul Rosen, who represents Alycia Lane, says the sentencing of Larry Mendte sends a serious message to the public that it's not OK to break into someone else's e-mail. The home confinement is part of three years of probation. Mendte also must perform 250 hours of community service and pay a $5,000 fine. Mendte apologized in court, but Rosen says he isn't convinced that the apology is sincere because Mendte is "an artist in the media." Lane cried in court and declined comment after the hearing.

Man gets life for killing company intern in Pa.

MEDIA, Pa. (AP) - A jury says a suburban Philadelphia businessman should get life without parole for murdering a company intern. Delaware County prosecutors had sought the death penalty for 43-year-old William Smithson, of Glen Mills. Smithson was convicted Friday of first-degree murder, attempted rape, kidnapping, drug and other charges. Jurors decided Monday to
spare him the death penalty for killing 23-year-old Jason Kyle Shephard, whose body was found in Smithson's home in September 2006. Smithson drugged Shephard, tried to rape him and then strangled him when Shephard fought back. Shephard was an avid runner from Cavalier, N.D., a small town near the Canadian border, who was studying sports marketing.

Pittsburgh police arrest 25 in gang sweep

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pittsburgh police say they've arrested 25 people as part of an operation targeting gangs on the city's North Side. Police said Monday that the operation began Nov. 13 and lasted 8 days. Six people with known gang affiliations were among those arrested.
Police say they also seized heroin with an estimated street value of $14,000, 12 baggies of crack cocaine, thousands of dollars, two handguns and an assault rifle. The arrests were part of an operation known as T.A.G., or Target Area Gangs.

Philly police mourn sergeant killed on duty

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey says the latest officer killed in the line of duty was known as a model sergeant. Speaking at a funeral Mass, Ramsey said Sgt. Timothy Simpson had a taste for practical jokes and loved fishing and boating. Ramsey also says Simpson was a "best friend to a lot of people," including Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, his former partner, who was slain in the spring. Simpson was killed in a car crash last week. Police say he was hit by a career criminal who they believe had just made a drug run
on a suspended driver's license and was trying to flee police. Simpson is the fifth Philadelphia police officer killed in the line of duty in just over a year.

Fire in York, Pa., displaces families

YORK, Pa. (AP) - The American Red Cross is aiding several families displaced from a fire that consumed multiple rowhouses in south-central Pennsylvania. No injuries were immediately reported from Monday's fire in York. York City Fire/Rescue Services Assistant Chief John Kottmyer says the fire consumed seven three-story rowhouses.

DA seeks death penalty for Pa. murder

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - A prosecutor in north-central Pennsylvania is seeking the death penalty for a man accused of setting up a shotgun slaying from his jail cell. Lycoming County District Attorney Eric Linhardt filed notice Monday that he is seeking capital punishment for 25-year-old county prison inmate Maurice Patterson. The man who confessed to shooting Eric Sawyer of Philadelphia in a Williamsport alley last year has testified that Patterson ordered him to do so. At Patterson's preliminary hearing in June, his lawyer said authorities hadn't presented enough evidence to require his client to stand trial.

Pa. gets $40M in settlement with Reliance auditor

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state Insurance Department says it will get $40 million in a settlement with an auditor connected with the failed Reliance Insurance Co. Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario said Monday that the money from the settlement with auditor Deloitte & Touche will benefit Reliance's policyholders. Ario said the state's total recovery from Reliance parent companies and former officers and directors is nearly $145 million. The Insurance Department sued in 2002. It accused Deloitte of hiding Reliance's poor financial condition from regulators while owner Saul Steinberg drained cash from the company to support a lavish lifestyle and his own business debt. The state began liquidating Philadelphia-based Reliance in late 2001.

Invasive mussel found at dam in Susquehanna River

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania state officials say an invasive mussel that could be very costly to control was found in the lower Susquehanna River. The half-inch zebra mussel was found in recent weeks inside a water intake at the Conowingo Dam hydroelectric plant in Maryland. Above the dam is a nine-mile lake that stretches into Pennsylvania. A Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection spokesman says authorities are trying to find out if more zebra mussels are in the water there. The zebra mussel is native to Eastern Europe, but traveled to American lakes on ocean-going ships. The mussels compete with native mussels and fish for plankton, and their sharp shells can create problems on beaches. They also ruin water quality and clog water intakes.

Reputed Pa. mobster gets 9 years in prison

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - The reputed boss of the Buffalino crime family in northeastern Pennsylvania could get time off his prison sentence if he keeps cooperating with authorities in their prosecution of a casino owner. Sixty-two-year-old William D'Elia became the latest alleged
American Mafia leader to turn government informant as he was sentenced in Scranton Monday to nine years in prison for witness tampering and conspiracy to launder drug money. With time already served, he could be freed in seven years - or less. D'Elia is helping the Dauphin County district attorney's office, which has charged Mount Airy Resort Casino owner Louis DeNaples
with perjury. DeNaples allegedly lied to state gambling regulators about his friendship with D'Elia, whom authorities once called a "major player" in organized crime. DeNaples says he is innocent.

Defense wraps up NC murder trial of NY soldier

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) - The New York soldier accused of killing two superior officers in Iraq won't testify in his defense during his court-martial at Fort Bragg. The defense team for Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez wrapped up its case Monday, and Martinez told the judge he wouldn't testify. Prosecutors planned to call rebuttal witnesses later Monday. Martinez is charged with premeditated murder in the deaths of Capt. Phillip Esposito of Suffern, N.Y., and 1st Lt. Louis Allen of Milford, Pa. Both men died when a Claymore mine detonated near their room in 2005.
A defense witness testified Monday that all explosives were accounted for in his supply room. The testimony counters a prosecution witness who said she wasn't given receipts when she
delivered Claymore mines from her unit's supply room to a supply room Martinez oversaw.

Knoll's body arrives in Pittsburgh accompanied by honor guard

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The casket of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll is at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh. An honor guard brought the casket in to lie in repose. A funeral Mass is scheduled for noon on Tuesday. Knoll was honored with a memorial service in the state Capitol
Rotunda on Friday. She was diagnosed in July with neuroendocrine cancer and died Nov. 12. She was 78.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional Democrats and President-elect Barack Obama are working for the quick passage of a giant, two-year economic rescue package. It's an expensive measure meant to create jobs and cut taxes -- at a price that could near a half-trillion dollars.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's latest list of pardons lacks any of the high-profile names being talked about. California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher notes that two border guards convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler weren't on it either. He says it's insulting that some drug dealers have gotten their freedom, but the guards haven't.

HOUSTON (AP) - On the fifth day of trying, a new water recycling system for the space station has finally completed its first test run. Space shuttle Endeavour's mission was even extended an extra day as astronauts worked to figure out what was wrong with the system that turns urine and sweat into water.

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. marshals say a California man suspected of shooting his estranged wife inside a New Jersey church Sunday has been apprehended near Atlanta. Police say he shot and killed his wife and another man, and wounded another woman.

NEW YORK (AP) - They're celebrating the 225th anniversary of Evacuation Day in New York City today. On this day in 1783, the last British redcoat sailed away, ending the American Revolution. During the 19th century it was an annual celebration in New York, but has been largely forgotten.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Today's News-Monday, November 24, 2008

Three accused of shooting gun from car

Three young people are accused of shooting a rifle from a car in Washington Township. Early Sunday morning, the trio identified as 20 year old Kyle Kocher and 19 year old Natashia Nester of Pottsville, and a juvenile were shooting a .22 caliber rifle from a car on at street signs. State police say several of the rounds hit a home at 3503 Sweet Arrow Lake Road, one of which nearly struck 59 year old Charles Hoover, the homeowner. Kocher will be charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. Nester will be charged with reckless endangerment. The juvenile will be charged with charges similar to Kocher's through the juvenile justice system.

Two escape injury when car catches fire

A Minersville couple escaped injury when their car caught fire while driving in Cressona Saturday night. Eugene and Georggine O'Brien were driving on Tioga Street in the borough around 6pm when they smelled something burning, and flames were coming from underneath the dashboard. The O'Brien's were able to escape from the blaze, but their pickup truck was destroyed.

Fire destroys barn, kills all animals inside

A weekend fire in Schuylkill County destroys a pole barn-killing all farm animals inside. It happened on Rabbit Run Road in West Penn Township. The fire chief in charge said the cause looks to be electrical:

W. PENN FIRE BITE 1

Property owner Dennis Faust denied comment to the WPPA/T102 reporter on scene. The West Penn Fire Chief explains what was lost in that barn fire:

W. PENN FIRE BITE 2

Multiple crews from around the area responded to that pole barn fire in West Penn Township.

Koch's Turkey farm busy

They're a local family business who specializes in a holiday dinnertime favorite. But they're not you're typical once a year turkey. WPPA/T102 reporter Kerry Dowd was down in the Lewistown Valley and has their story:

KOCH'S TURKEY PACKAGE

Bank robber picked up

A bank robber suspected in a Berks County holdup last week has been apprehended. State and Reading city police picked up 43-year-old James Weitzel at a shopping mall in Reading Saturday afternoon after a dragnet was issued for his arrest. Weitzel was identified by a bank teller after he held up the Wachovia Bank branch in Shoemakersville a week ago. Reports indicate that Weitzel may have been involved in other robberies in Berks County. He is in jail, awaiting a preliminary hearing.

Penalty phase opens for manager convicted of killing company intern in Pa. during drugging, attempted rape

MEDIA, Pa. (AP) - Jurors in suburban Philadelphia return Monday to try to decide whether a businessman should be sentenced to death or to life in prison for the murder of a company intern. Forty-three-year-old William Smithson, of Glen Mills, was convicted Friday in Delaware County Court of first-degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Jason Kyle Shephard. The body of the North Dakota college student was found in Smithson's home in September 2006. Prosecutors say Smithson hosted gay sex parties at his house and drugged the victim, tried to rape him and then strangled him when he fought back. Smithson was also convicted of attempted rape, kidnapping, drug and other charges. Defense lawyer G. Guy Smith blamed another man who supplied drugs to Smithson and later lied to police about the night of the death.

Reputed Pa. mobster to be sentenced; attorney says he cooperated in probe of casino owner Louis DeNaples

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - The reputed boss of a northeastern Pennsylvania crime family is scheduled to be sentenced Monday on counts of witness tampering and conspiracy to launder money. The attorney for William D'Elia says in a sentencing memorandum that his client has helped Dauphin County authorities in their prosecution of Mount Airy Resort Casino owner Louis DeNaples and his attorney. DeNaples was charged in January with perjury. A grand jury says he lied to state investigators about his relationships with D'Elia and others in order to win a $50 million slot-machine license. The sentencing memorandum for D'Elia, the alleged boss of the Bufalino crime family, seeks a sentence of less than nine years. Sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of nine to slightly more than 11 years.

Prisons beefing up teleconferencing to save money

SOMERS, Conn. (AP) - With high fuel prices and tight state budgets, Pennsylvania and at least 10 other states report using teleconferences between judges and inmates more often to improve public safety and save some cash. Some inmates say they'd prefer to plead their cases in person, but correction officials say the technology offers a fair alternative to spending millions of dollars moving inmates in person. In Pennsylvania, prison system spokesman Susan McNaughton says teleconferencing has been used since the mid-1990s. It was originally used to let inmate patients meet with a doctor. Today, it's used for court cases, parole hearings and immigration hearings. McNaughton says there are video conference coordinators at each of the state's 27 prisons.

Philadelphia police sergeant killed in crash to be laid to rest Monday

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A veteran Philadelphia police sergeant killed in a traffic accident a week ago as he was responding to a robbery call will be laid to rest Monday. A funeral Mass is scheduled at 11:30 a.m. for Sgt. Timothy Simpson at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. He will be buried Monday afternoon in a cemetery in Bensalem. Simpson's squad car was struck Nov. 17 in the Port Richmond section of the city. Authorities say 41-year-old William Foster, of Levittown, was trying to elude another police car. He was charged with third-degree murder, vehicular homicide while driving under the influence, drug offenses and other counts. Simpson was 46 and had been on the force for 20 years. He is the fifth Philadelphia police officer killed in the line of duty in just over a year.

Pennsylvania can claim 3 of the 32 Rhodes Scholars in 2008

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - An anthropology major who curated an exhibit about Lenape Indians living secretly in Pennsylvania is among three people with ties to the state who have been selected as Rhodes Scholars. Abigail Seldin organized the exhibit "Fulfilling a Prophecy: The Past and Present of the Lenape in Pennsylvania." It opened at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in September. The Penn student said that although history books say the Lenape left the state by 1803, there were some who intermarried with whites and appeared to assimilate, but continued their indigenous traditions. Also chosen was Caitlin Mullarkey, a biology major and chemistry minor at Swarthmore College. Mullarkey wrote a thesis on a type of brain tumor and says she's espeically interested in developing vaccines. Another new Rhodes Scholar is Gregory Lippiatt, who's from York and attends the Virginia Military Institute.

Pa. cycling arena has financial, management woes

TREXLERTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A newspaper reports that dropping ticket sales and management turmoil have been causing headaches for an indoor arena for bicycle races in the Lehigh Valley. The arena was founded in 1975 as the Lehigh County Velodrome and is now known as the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. It remains a world-renowned track and held many top-tier internationally sanctioned races on Friday nights over the summer. But The Morning Call of Allentown says its review of tax records shows that the arena has lost $564,000 since the year 2000, and only two fiscal years since then have been profitable. The paper says tax records show that ticket sales peaked in 2003 at more than $86,000 and were down about 25 percent from that peak in 2007.

Union cancels meeting in Pittsburgh transit dispute amid possible Dec. 1 shutdown

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pittsburgh transit workers have called off an informational meeting a little more than a week before a possible Dec. 1 shutdown. The 2,200 members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 had been scheduled to meet Sunday to review their position in a contract dispute with the Port Authority of Allegheny County. But union president Pat McMahon says he's in meetings with union officials in Washington, trying to find a way for all parties to get back to the negotiating table. The Port Authority says the new deal includes 3 percent annual raises, but it also increases the cost of health care and the retirement age for its employees. The authority plans to impose the contract Dec. 1. If the drivers walk out, customers who take about 230,000 rides a day could be stranded.

LIMA, Peru (AP) - On the last day of a summit of Asian and Pacific nations, President Bush is meeting with his host, the president of Peru. Bush is expected to emphasize the benefits of free trade, which has been a key theme of his visit.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama has reportedly repeated his promise that Afghanistan will be a top priority of his administration. The office of Afghan President Hamid Karzai says Obama made the comment to Karzai in a phone call yesterday.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Two members of the Iraqi cabinet have a warning for colleagues about the proposed new security agreement with the U.S. The Cabinet members say if the deal doesn't pass parliament, the security problems that result will hurt economic growth.

TUKWILA, Wash. (AP) - Police in Tukwila, Washington, say they expect to make an arrest soon in yesterday's deadly shooting at a crowded shopping mall. One person was killed and another critically wounded. Police say it may have been gang-related.

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Vatican media are praising the music of the Beatles, compared to what it calls the "standardized, stereotypical" songs of today. Last week, the Vatican newspaper and radio noted the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' "White Album."

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Today's News-Saturday, November 22, 2008

Boscov's deal approved by bankruptcy court

The former CEO of Boscov's and his brother in law will be back at the helm of the retail chain next week. Albert Boscov and Edward Lakin have been scrambling to gather financing to buy the company back out of bankruptcy after it filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August. The financing package, from personal, public and private financing, totals more than $300-million-dollars, saved the company from liquidation. One of the final pieces of the puzzle came in the form of federal monies committed by Governor Ed Rendell. Reports indicate that the deal will settle on Wednesday, just in time for the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and that the company will begin hiring additional staff.


Officer gets sick, crashes vehicle

An area police officer was involved in a crash last night at the Cressona Mall when he took ill. Schuylkill Haven state police report that Port Carbon Police Chief Jon Bowman was heading south on Route 61 around 11pm when he felt ill. He pulled into the mall parking lot and the vehicle hit a concrete parking lane pole. Bowman was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center East for treatment. His condition is not known.


Deer causes accident on Route 61

A deer crossing the highway caused an accident last evening in West Brunswick Township. Schuylkill Haven state police say that 31-year-old Jason Clark of Orwigsburg was northbound when the deer jumped the concrete barrier into the path of his car. The deer was killed. Clark was not injured. The accident happened after 6pm Friday.


Snow covered road causes accident on I-81

A New York man suffered minor injuries in a crash on Interstate 81 Thursday night. David Donahue of Middle Grove New York was headed north in Butler Township, apparently traveling too fast for conditions on the snow covered road.

The car crossed both lanes and rolled onto its roof. Donahue was not injured, but his passenger, Bryan McMorris of Malta, New York suffered minor injuries. Donahue will be charged with driving too fast for road conditions by state police at Frackville.


AOH to honor Irishman of the Year

Local Hibernians will be honoring the Irishman of the Year during ceremonies tomorrow. The John F Kennedy Division Number 2 will hold their annual Mass for deceased members of the unit and Ladies Division Sunday at 8am at St. Stephen’s Church in Port Carbon. Following the mass, the Communion Breakfast will be held, where Joseph “Hap” Anthony will be honored as Irishman of the Year.

Boeing shuts down Pa. plant production after foreign object found in aircraft being built

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Production at Boeing's helicopter plant in suburban Philadelphia has been shut down after what officials are calling a "foreign object" was found in an aircraft under production. Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak says a Boeing executive told him that that a plastic cap was found in the fuel line of a V-22 Osprey fuselage. Sestak, whose district includes the Delaware County plant, says Boeing cannot immediately rule out the possibility that it was a deliberate act. Boeing spokesman John Williamson says production at the plant was shut down at 1 p.m. Friday after the problem was found during a quality inspection. While authorities investigate, the plant will not be producing aircraft, although workers are being told to report as usual. Production was also shut down in May after a disgruntled ex-Boeing worker cut wires running from the cockpit to the main body of an H-47 Chinook.

Pa. lieutenant governor remembered by Rendell, Sen. Clinton, Murtha at Capitol memorial

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The flag-draped casket of the late Catherine Baker Knoll, Pennsylvania's first female lieutenant governor, will remain on display in the state Capitol Rotunda through Saturday afternoon.
State officials say they believe Knoll is only the second person to receive such an honor in the current Capitol building. Hundreds attended a memorial service Friday in which Knoll was remembered in tributes by Gov. Ed Rendell, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, incoming Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati and Rep. John Murtha. Clinton called Knoll a pioneer in Pennsylvania politics. She drew laughter and applause when she kidded that Knoll would be organizing heaven and encouraging St. Peter to let women have more of a role. The 78-year-old Knoll died Nov. 12 after a four-month battle with neuroendocrine cancer. Knoll's casket will be on display at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh from 1 p.m to 5 p.m. Sunday and a funeral Mass will be
held there Tuesday.

Funeral arrangements set for slain Pa. FBI agent

PITTSBURGH (AP) - An FBI agent slain in a drug raid near Pittsburgh will be laid to rest in Baltimore, his wife's hometown. Funeral arrangements for 33-year-old Special Agent Sam Hicks are being handled by the Schimunek Funeral Home, with visitation on Sunday and Monday. Hicks' funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, with burial in Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. Hicks was killed after he and other law enforcement officers went to a home as part of a drug sweep. Forty-year-old Christina
Korbe has been charged with homicide. She told investigators that she thought her home was being burglarized and that she was shooting at an intruder.

Lawyer: Reputed Pa. mobster William D'Elia cooperates in probe of casino owner Louis DeNaples

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - An attorney representing the reputed boss of a northeastern Pennsylvania crime family says his client has cooperated with authorities in their probe of a Poconos casino owner under indictment for perjury. William D'Elia, the alleged boss of the Bufalino crime family, is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday for witness tampering and conspiracy to launder money. Attorney James Swetz says in a sentencing memorandum that D'Elia has assisted Dauphin County authorities in their prosecution of
Mount Airy Resort Casino owner Louis DeNaples. A grand jury says the Scranton-area businessman lied to state Gaming Control Board investigators about his relationships with D'Elia and others in order to win a $50 million slot-machine license. D'Elia's sentencing memorandum asks for a sentence of less than nine years. Sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of between nine years and slightly more than 11 years.

Manager convicted of killing company intern in Pa.; death-penalty phase of trial starts Monday

MEDIA, Pa. (AP) - A suburban Philadelphia businessman who hosted gay sex parties at his house could face the death penalty following his conviction in the drugging and strangulation death of a company
intern. William Smithson of Glen Mills was convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of 23-year-old Jason Kyle Shephard of Cavalier, N.D. The verdict Friday came after a weeklong trial. The penalty phase begins Monday in Delaware County. The college student's body was found in the 43-year-old
Smithson's home in suburban Philadelphia in September 2006. Defense lawyer G. Guy Smith blamed another man who supplied drugs to Smithson and later lied to police about the night of the death.


Former Pa. state trooper gets 8 years for tipping off pimps in truck stop prostitution ring

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A former Pennsylvania state trooper has been sentenced to about eight years in prison for his role in tipping off a prostitution ring that operated at truck stops. Kevin Judas Coleman Sr. of Harrisburg was sentenced Friday in federal court for obstructing and impeding the due administration
of justice. The 42-year-old had been assigned to patrol the Gables Truck Stop in Harrisburg. Prosecutors say he warned those involved in prostitution about undercover work, wiretaps, sweeps and arrests in
exchange for sexual favors. His sentence is 97 months, along with a fine and two years of probation.
Coleman's lawyer Royce Morris didn't immediately return a phone message late Friday.

New mad-cow rule poses health dangers of its own; FDA fears thousands of rotting carcasses

LITITZ, Pa. (AP) - A federal regulation aimed at protecting the food supply from mad cow disease could leave thousands of cattle carcasses rotting on farms -- and creating health risks. At issue is a Food and Drug Administration rule that will prohibit the use of the brains and spinal cords of older cattle as
ingredients in livestock feed and pet food. The rule is set to take effect in April. Some of the rendering plants that grind up carcasses for use in feed say they will stop accepting dead cattle from farms because it
would be too costly to remove the banned organs. Other renderers are likely to raise the prices they charge farmers. As a result, industry officials and regulators say, many farmers may simply bury dead cattle on their property or let them rot in the open. Officials say that could spread germs, attract vermin and
pollute soil and water.

Poconos ski resorts opening early in eastern Pa.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Some ski resorts in eastern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains are opening early due to the recent cold weather and snow. Big Boulder opened its Freedom Park, a terrain park, on Thursday night. Bear Creek Resort in Berks County plans to open additional ski runs Saturday, two weeks earlier than ever before. Blue Mountain Ski Resort general manager Dennis Krell says snowmaking requires temperatures that are at or around the freezing mark depending on humidity. But he says things are best with temperatures of 27 to 28 degrees or lower. The colder it gets, Krell says, the more efficient the snowmaking machines. Blue Mountain hopes to open the Friday after Thanksgiving. Krell says it's never opened before Dec. 1. A spokesman says Camelback is planning a Nov. 28 opening.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama is outlining his plan to create 2.5 million jobs by 2011. His proposal seeks to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize schools. Developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars is also part of the deal.

WASHINGTON (AP) - This week's lame-duck session of Congress wasn't exactly full of sunshine. Lawmakers had to deal with a stalled auto bailout, an airing of grievances aimed at Sen. Joe
Lieberman, and a goodbye from Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who lost his re-election bid. At least some gloom was lifted for millions of laid-off workers when unemployment benefits were extended.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq's parliament is again debating a proposed security pact that would keep American troops there for up to three more years. Today's session is being shown live on TV and so far has been orderly. Earlier this week, the session was steeped in chaos when opposition lawmakers disrupted it.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - Former President Jimmy Carter says he and others planning a humanitarian mission have been refused entry into Zimbabwe. Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, who was among them, says no official reason has been given.

BEIJING (AP) - A college student in southern China has been bitten by a panda after he broke into its enclosure to get a hug. According to the official Xinhua News Agency, the student said "Yang Yang was so cute" that he "just wanted to cuddle him." The student says he "didn't expect he would attack."

Friday, November 21, 2008

Today's News-Friday, November 21, 2008

Black ice, slick roads begin the day

Snow squalls and cold temperatures have made roads slick in spots across the region this morning. Some highways are snow covered and there are patches of black ice on many roadways, and crews are treating surfaces in preparation for the morning commute. Take your time while traveling this morning.

Mail carrier dies in crash

An Orwigsburg woman is dead following a two vehicle crash in West Penn Township Thursday morning. Frackville state police indicate that 63 year old Fern Gerber was delivering mail, driving in a westerly direction on Route 895 and attempted to make a U-turn on the roadway. The vehicle crossed into the path of a car driven by 28-year-old James Tout of Jim Thorpe, which was eastbound. Tout's car struck the right side of Gerber's vehicle. Gerber was pronounced dead at the scene by Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Larry Neff. Tout, nor his passenger, 28-year-old Eric Steigerwalt, had only minor injuries. The crash happened before noon.

Berks bank robber identified

A Reading man has been identified as the suspect in a bank robbery earlier this week in Shoemakersville. Hamburg state police say that 43 year old James Steven Weitzel entered the Wachovia Bank at 455 Main Street, demanded cash and fled. He is described as being a white Hispanic male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 175 pounds, with brown eyes and bald. He is also reported to have numerous tattoos on his right arm, and the name "Robin" tattooed on the right side of his neck. Crime Alert of Berks County is offering a reward of up to $5-thousand-dollars for information about Weitzel's whereabouts. Contact Hamburg state police at 610-562-6885, or Crime Alert Berks County toll free at 877-373-9913.

Pa. gov promises bankruptcy exit help for Boscov's

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell says the state has secured $35 million in federal loans to help regional department store chain Boscov's exit bankruptcy. Rendell said Thursday the loans would be financed through a program that allows governments to guarantee loans for economic development with federal community development block grants. Reading-based Boscov's filed for Chapter 11 protection in August and announced that it would close 10 of its 49 stores. Rendell says Boscov's won't have access to the federal loans if it can't obtain bridge loans that are part of more than $300 million in financing the chain will need to exit bankruptcy. Boscov's is in the midst of court hearings in Delaware on its bankruptcy sale to two former executives.

Car flips on icy road

Two Georgia men escaped injury when their vehicle flipped on Interstate 81 during a snow squall Thursday afternoon. 24-year-old Matthew Demmon was driving north on the Interstate near mile marker 113 in Foster Township when he lost control of his Chevy Silverado. The truck traveled into the median where it flipped and came to rest on the driver's side. Demmon, and his passenger, 22 year old Casey Demmon, were not wearing their seatbelts, but were not hurt. The crash happened after 6pm last night.

Warehouse theft

Schuylkill Haven state police are investigating a theft at a Wayne Township warehouse earlier this week. Sometime between Saturday and Wednesday, unknown persons removed cases of bath and body supplies, and candle lanterns from a storage area at K&S Flower and Vine Warehouse on Route 183. No estimate of the items value was given. Anyone with information should contact Schuylkill Haven state police at 593-2000.

Pa. sheds 7,000 jobs in October, reaches lowest number of jobs in state since February 2007

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell is warning that the state's economy could get worse before it improves, and said he says cuts in state spending to offset a deepening deficit could be
painful. Pennsylvania officials say the commonwealth lost 7,300 nonfarm jobs in October, leaving payrolls at the lowest level in 20 months. The state Department of Labor and Industry also said the unemployment rate in Pennsylvania rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.8 percent. That matches the state's five-year high that it also hit in August. Rendell says hundreds of millions of dollars in new state spending on infrastructure projects like bridges and water and sewer facilities could put people to work. He is pressing the federal government to follow suit. Generally, Pennsylvania's economy has fared better than the rest of the nation.
The state's jobless rate in October stayed below the national rate for a sixth straight month. And Pennsylvania has shed a smaller percentage of its jobs this year than has the rest of the
country.

Pa. lawmakers, judges, to reap automatic 2.8 percent COLA raises

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania lawmakers, top executive branch officials and state judges are in line for 2.8 percent cost-of-living raises as the state grapples with a worsening budget picture. The increases are tied to the regional consumer price index and boost the pay of more than 2,000 government officials annually. But Gov. Ed Rendell says he will consider suspending increases for his nonunion appointees and top staff. On Dec. 1, Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Castille's salary will rise to nearly $192,000. The pay for county judges will be
nearly $162,000 and nearly $81,000 for district justices. Rank and file members of the state House and Senate will see their base pay increase to just over $78,000. Members of leadership
get larger salaries, topping out at just above $122,000 for the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati says he will consider
taking away the cost-of-living raises for legislators in discussions about cutting spending to offset a deepening budget deficit. Cost-of-living raises for most of the state's approximately
80,000 employees are protected by labor contracts.

Pa. Capitol expected to overflow with hundreds of mourners at lieutenant governor's memorial

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A memorial service will be held Friday for the late Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll. The casket of Pennsylvania's first female lieutenant governor will be carried into the Capitol during the noon service, and it will be on display through Saturday afternoon. Officials say Knoll will be just the second person known to receive that honor in the current building. Workers fit 300 seats into the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, but officials say hundreds are expected from all levels of government to come to pay their respects to Knoll. Speakers scheduled include Gov. Ed Rendell, Sen. Hillary Clinton and U.S. Rep. John Murtha. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Harrisburg Diocese will lead the invocation and benediction. Seventy-eight-year-old Knoll, of suburban Pittsburgh, had battled neuroendocrine cancer since July and died Nov. 12. She served two four-year terms as state treasurer and won statewide elections in 1988 and 1992. In 2002, she beat out eight other candidates in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, and went on to win the office as Rendell's running mate.

Scarnati poised to take on bigger role as Pa. Senate elects leaders for new session

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state Senate's top leaders will keep their posts in the new session, although officials say Sen. Joe Scarnati also will hold the gavel as lieutenant governor and two new faces will join budget negotiations. The majority Republicans re-nominated Scarnati, of Jefferson County, to a second term as president pro tempore of the 2009-10
session. Under the state constitution, Scarnati also assumes the duties of lieutenant governor for the late Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, who died Nov. 12 after a four-month battle with cancer.
Scarnati, a Republican, will not have a role in the Democratic administration's operations or policymaking. But he is not dismissing the idea that he could use the position to advance his
or his party's positions on important issues. Republicans, who hold a 29-20 majority in the Senate, re-elected floor leader Dominic Pileggi of Delaware County. Democrats re-elected their longtime floor leader, Robert J. Mellow of Lackawanna County. The chairmanships on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which handles bills that affect state spending, were up for grabs. Republicans elected third-term Sen. Jake Corman of Centre County while Democrats elected fourth-term Sen. Jay Costa of Allegheny County.

Pa. senators ask insurance commissioner to reject proposed merger of 2 big health insurers

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania Senate committee is urging the state insurance commissioner to block a proposed merger of the state's two largest health insurers.
The Republican-controlled Senate Banking and Insurance Committee voted 10-4 to recommend rejection of the proposed consolidation of Independence Blue Cross and Highmark Inc.
Although state law gives lawmakers the authority to evaluate and comment on the merger, the committee's recommendation is not binding. Sen. Don White of Indiana County, the committee's Republican chairman, says the merger would reduce competition in Pennsylvania's health-insurance market. The insurers say the merger would produce $1 billion in savings that would benefit subscribers, the uninsured and other charities. In a joint statement, they say information gathered through 11 public hearings and tens of thousands of documents filed with the
department has bolstered their arguments for the merger. Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario says he won't isssue a decision before the end of January.

Pa. Turnpike begins layoffs as buyout period ends

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Turnpike has begun laying off employees after only 20 workers accepted voluntary buyout offers designed to offset falling traffic numbers and
declining toll revenues. Turnpike CEO Joe Brimmeier says his goal is to reduce payroll
expenses by 7 to 10 percent, so more people will be let go in the coming weeks. He calls the layoffs a difficult and uncomfortable process. Brimmeier says the turnpike has almost 2,300 employees across the commonwealth. Summer traffic volume dropped by 1.6 percent compared with last year and officials expect a 4.4 percent revenue shortfall for the current fiscal year. The turnpike wants to cut expenses by $10 million immediately, with further cost savings to be identified later. Brimmeier has said the 545-mile highway system will not reduce
services and intends to follow through on a $500 million-a-year capital improvement effort.

Pa. Supreme Court upholds death penalty for man who killed 6 in racial shooting spree

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty for a man convicted in a racial shooting spree in suburban Pittsburgh that eventually left six people dead. The court's ruling Thursday means that Richard Baumhammers will remain on death row.
Baumhammers, who is white, went on a rampage in on April 28, 2000. He shot his Jewish neighbor, two Indian men, two men of Asian descent and a black man. He was sentenced to death for five of the murders. The sixth victim, who had been left paralyzed, died last year of
complications from pneumonia. Baumhammers' attorney argued in March that jurors should have heard more evidence in his criminal trial about his mental illness.

FBI agent slain in Pa. was on bureau's fast-track to success, but is remembered as family man

PITTSBURGH (AP) - An FBI agent slain in a suburban Pittsburgh drug raid was on the bureau's fast-track to success. But family and co-workers of Special Agent Sam Hicks say he
would much rather talk about something only slightly older than his FBI career: his 2-year-old son, Noah. Hicks would have been 34 on Thanksgiving. He died Wednesday morning after he was shot as he and nine other officers raided the home of Christina and Robert Korbe in the rural suburb of Indiana Township. The law enforcement agents were at the house to arrest Robert Korbe, one of 35 people targeted in a suburban drug sweep. Forty-year-old Christina Korbe has been charged with criminal homicide. She has told police she thought she was firing at a burglar. Hicks' colleagues remembered him as an extraordinary agent and a quick study. They said Hicks would rather be in civvies than a suit, and on the streets gathering intelligence or grabbing drug dealers than behind a desk.

Ethics panel denies NE Pa. judge's objections to scathing report, schedules penalty hearing

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's judicial ethics panel holds a hearing next month to decide what penalty a county judge should face for behavior the panel described as "antithetical to standards of common decency." The Court of Judicial Discipline on Thursday dismissed Luzerne County Judge Ann Lokuta's objections to the court's findings of fact. The ethics panel concluded last month that Lokuta failed to perform her duties, terrorized courthouse workers and dispatched employees on her personal errands. A hearing on what penalty to impose will be held in Harrisburg on Dec. 9. She faces potential removal from the bench where she has served
since 1992. Her lawyer, Louis Sinatra, has declined comment.

Testimony to resume Friday in North Carolina in sergeant's court-martial

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) - Testimony is scheduled to resume Friday in North Caroline in the court-martial of a New York National Guard sergeant charged with killing two superiors with an anti-personnel mine in Iraq. The military judge recessed court Wednesday after telling the
jury that defense witnesses wouldn't be available Thursday. Defense attorneys for Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez of Troy, N.Y., began questioning their witnesses Nov. 12. Martinez has pleaded not guilty to premeditated murder charges in the 2005 deaths of Capt. Phillip Esposito, of Suffern, N.Y., and 1st Lt. Louis Allen, of Milford, Pa. If convicted, Martinez could face a death sentence. the judge also told the jury that defense lawyers expect to wrap up their case Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President George W. Bush leaves for Peru this morning and a summit of Asia-Pacific nations. The White House says he'll try to get them behind the financial rescue plan approved at the G-20 meeting last week in Washington.

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - It's proving a brighter day so far on world markets. European markets are following the lead of most Asian stock exchanges, which rebounded significantly. Japan's Nikkei rose 2.7 percent. Futures trading suggests Wall Street will open higher.

WASHINGTON (AP) - People who've exhausted their jobless benefits will apparently get some holiday relief. President George W. Bush is expected to sign an extension that would mean an extra 13 weeks of checks for people in some states.

SEATTLE (AP) - The grim economy is expected to have little or no impact on charitable donations over the holidays. The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University says historically, charitable giving is recession-proof. One survey says donations may rise.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Michael Mukasey is spending the night in a Washington, DC, hospital after collapsing yesterday during a speech. There's no word yet
what caused it, but Mukasey is said to be alert and talking.