Today's News-Friday, January 30, 2009

LUKACH OPENS HEADQUARTERS

Democratic state senate candidate Steve Lukach opened his campaign headquarters last night in Pottsville. WPPA/T102 News Reporter Kerry Dowd was there and has this report:

DOWD LUKACH

Lukach will face Republican Dave Argall in the special election for the late Senator Jim Rhoades seat on March 3rd.

ZIMMERMAN PASSES

An educator and Pottsville civic leader has passed away. William J. Zimmerman, Pottsville
school board member and president died Wednesday at Geisinger Medical Center. Zimmerman served in various administrative and academci roles at Penn State Schuylkill Campus during his career, which spanned more than 30 years. He also served several terms as a school director, and was a fixture at school activities for many years. He is survived by his wife Cathy, and daughter Kate. Services will be held on Sunday afternoon. Zimmerman was 63.

SENAVITIS IN COURT TODAY

BROADHEADSVILLE - The preliminary hearing for the man accused of driving drunk in the October 17th car crash that killed state Senator James Rhoades will be held at 10 a.m. today in the Chestnuthill Municipal Building, Brodheadsville, before District Judge Debby York. 45-year-old Thomas Senavitis, of Kunkletown, faces charges of homicide by vehicle/DUI after the accident in which he allegedly crossed into the senator's lane and caused the near head-on crash while driving with a blood-alcohol content more than four times the legal limit. The crash happened on Route 209 near Broadheadsville in Monroe County. WPPA News will be there to cover that hearing.

PENNSYLVANIANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE TOPS 1 MILLION

The tough economic times that face many people have led to a significant increase in Pennsylvanians without health insurance. Those findings were disclosed in a new study according to state Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario:

ARIO

Some highlights of the 2008 study are that more and more people are waiting to get on the state's AdultBasic subsidized health insurance. In fact, more than 180-thousand people have applied for coverage. Children are not as affected, since they can qualify for the state sponsored CHIP program. State officials are working on ways to help those who don't have insurance or who are waiting to get on the state's program, in addition to other health insurance welfare programs.

CAR FLIPS IN 924 CRASH

A Shenandoah woman was slightly injured when her car flipped yesterday morning in East Union Township. 37 year old Diane Grutza was driving north on Route 924 when she lost control on a left curve. The car hit an embankment and ended up on it roof. Grutza was treated at the scene.

Group asks for expanded review of Pa. youth cases

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A youth advocacy group is expanding its motion asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to intervene in Luzerne County juvenile cases. The Juvenile Law Center is now asking the court to intervene in the cases of all juveniles placed in detention in Luzerne County from 2003 until May 23, 2008. That's when President Judge Mark
Ciavarella stopped presiding over juvenile cases. This week, federal prosecutors accused Ciavarella of taking kickbacks for placing juveniles in privately owned detention facilities.
The Juvenile Law Center says the expanded motion will be filed in court Friday. The state Supreme Court didn't explain its reasoning when it rejected an earlier motion only seeking relief
for juveniles who didn't have lawyers.

Pa. officer killed in highway accident

LANGHORNE, Pa. (AP) - Authorities say a police officer was struck by his own police car and killed after making a traffic stop in suburban Philadelphia. Authorities say Middletown Township police Officer Chris Jones died of head injuries at 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Police say Jones was working a traffic detail on northbound Route 1 in Middletown when he stopped a sedan, parking his cruiser behind the vehicle. He appeared to be walking back to his cruiser
when he was hit, causing three cars to collide and pinning Jones beneath his vehicle. Bucks County District Attorney Michelle Henry says passersby stopped to help Jones, lifting up the police car to free him. He died at a hospital. Jones was 37 and a father of three. He had been on the force for 10 years.

Pa. teacher accused of sexual contact with student

HAVERFORD, Pa. (AP) - A suburban Philadelphia teacher is accused of having sexual contact with a 16-year-old student. Court papers say 38-year-old Curtis Key of Wayne told Haverford
Township police that he had sexual contact with the boy twice. The Haverford High School teacher's lawyer, Joseph Chupein Jr., says Key has cooperated in the investigation and looks forward to resolving the charges. Key was arraigned Thursday on a corruption of minors charge and faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 5.

Judge orders 2 Amish families to stop construction

EBENSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A judge has ordered two Amish families in western Pennsylvania to stop additional construction on their homes until they comply with municipal building and sewage requirements. A Cambria County judge gave John and Susan Miller, and Joely and
Mary Swartzentruber, 60 days to comply or risk being thrown out of their homes near Ebensburg. The injunctions were issued late Wednesday. County sewage officials say the families have objected to installing permitted sewage systems because of their religious
beliefs. The couples are Swartzentruber Amish, a conservative Amish sect. Another member of the local sect is disputing whether school outhouses must comply with municipal guidelines.
An attorney for the families could not immediately be reached.

Pa. House GOP says Rendell sitting on millions

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Republicans in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are charging that Gov. Ed Rendell is sitting on millions in unspent funds that could be used to balance the state budget. GOP spokesman Steve Miskin said Thursday there is $268 million
in prior year balances that could be applied to the current financial crisis. He says Rendell has only offered to use $101 million of that amount to close the budget gap. Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo says those figures are intentionally misleading. He says they include money that may be spent in the current year as well as funds spent at the Legislature's discretion that the administration does not control.

Ex-Fumo aide breaks down on witness stand

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The longtime senate counsel for former state Sen. Vincent Fumo says he sidestepped questions from a potential competitor of Peco Energy. Christopher Craig testified at Fumo's corruption trial that Enron asked him about any side agreements made between Fumo and Peco during deregulation talks in the late 1990s. Craig says he didn't tell Enron about Peco's $17 million donation to a charity linked to Fumo, called Citizens Alliance for
Better Neighborhoods. He says he didn't consider the oral agreement between Peco and Fumo to be "legally enforceable," and therefore didn't feel compelled to disclose it. Craig grew red-faced and fought back tears as he said he still thinks he did nothing wrong. The judge recessed for lunch to give Craig a chance to compose himself.

Pa. AG settles drug discount card consumer case

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania consumers who bought discount prescription cards from a suburban Philadelphia company are eligible for restitution. State Attorney General Tom Corbett said Thursday his office's health care section reached a $230,000 settlement with Peoples Benefit Services Inc. The state sued more than three years ago, saying the company
misled older people by claiming their products were endorsed by the government and could result in significant savings on medication and treatment. Consumers have until March 24 to seek restitution. The phone number is 877-888-4877. The settlement also includes fines and payment of the state's court costs.

Pennsylvania SPCA closes shelter in Poconos

STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) - An animal shelter in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains has shut down abruptly. The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says it closed the shelter near Stroudsburg for lack of money, leadership and community support. Volunteers there say they found out that the shelter was closing only hours before it shut down for good Thursday. Other animal shelters in the area are taking in some animals from the SPCA shelter. The society says if all else fails, remaining animals will be taken to Pennsylvania SPCA headquarters in Philadelphia.

Obama rooting for Steelers in Super Bowl

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Bob Casey says he plans to bring Terrible Towels and Eat'n Park cookies to the White House for President Barack Obama's Super Bowl party. Obama says he wishes the Arizona Cardinals the best, but he's pulling for the Pittsburgh Steelers in football's biggest game. Steelers owner Dan Rooney, a longtime Republican, endorsed Obama's presidential bid and campaigned for him. During Oval Office remarks, Obama noted that one of the Steelers most beloved former players, Franco Harris, had campaigned for him in Pittsburgh, too.