Today's News-Saturday, January 24, 2009

FIRE DESTROYS MAHANOY TOWNSHIP HOME

No one was injured in a fire that tore through a home in Mahanoy Township last night. Crews were called to 108 Park Place Road around 8pm, which is owned by Paul Kalinock. He discovered the blaze when he arrived home. The fire was brought under control within two and a half hours. Crews from Mahanoy City and surrounding communities fought the fire. The cause is under investigation.

KANTNER SUES OVER ELIMINATION OF POSITION

The battle in the Schuylkill County Courthouse between the Commissioners and the Controller continues, following a lawsuit initiated by Melinda Kantner. On December 24th, the county Salary Board voted to eliminate an auditor's position and shift that job to a new financial analyst spot in the commissioner's wing. According to the Republican and Herald, Kantner said the action violated the Sunshine Act, and the loss of the position will affect the work of the Controller's office. Kantner's suit is asking that the auditor's position be reinstated and the financial analyst slot be eliminated. It further requests that the matter be brought up for discussion again. The Controller and the Commissioners have been at odds over a number of issues over the past year.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE AWARDS

Volunteers are the backbone of our country. Last night, those volunteers were honored for their contributions to the Make A Difference Day program in Schuylkill County. Several dozen people attended the special awards commendation ceremony at Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street. The wide range of programs honored volunteers who helped to feed the elderly, provide comfort items, cleaning up the community and other endeavors. Kelin Geary, a very shy little boy and a member of a local church Sunday School, was honored as being the youngest volunteer in the 2008 Make A Difference campaign in Schuylkill County. Carol Bowen of the Office of Senior Services was awarded the Above and Beyond honor for her work.

DRUG BUST IN MAHANOY CITY

A Mahanoy City couple are charged with various drug offenses after a raid Friday. Borough police and county drug agents arrested 30 year old John Shala and 34 year old Jessica Shala at their East Market Street home. A three month investigation led to the arrests for selling illegal narcotics from the home. The Shala's were arraigned on various felony drug counts, and endangering the welfare of children.

SOLDIERS ON FAST TRACK FOR DRIVING TRUCK

If soldiers can drive truck in the military, they should be able to drive truck when they get back to Pennsylvania, too. Roseann Cadau has more from Harrisburg.

CADAU TRUCK

Dow Chemical looks to close $15.4 billion buyout of Rohm & Haas after FTC blessing

NEW YORK (AP) - Dow Chemical is in talks with Rohm & Haas to close its proposed $15.4 billion buyout of the specialty chemicals maker after federal regulators approved the deal.
Approval by the Federal Trade Commission was the last regulatory hurdle after the European Commission signed off earlier this month. The FTC says Dow must sell facilities in six states in order to assuage antitrust concerns. Philadelphia-based Rohm & Haas Co. has said the acquisition, first announced last summer, must close within two business days of final regulatory approval. That would be next Tuesday. But Jefferies & Co. analyst Andy Baker says the fact that the companies are "discussing" the closing rather than completing it may indicate that the deal will not close by then. Dow said in July that the acquisition of Rohm & Haas and its
specialty chemicals portfolio would give it a buffer against volatile commodities prices in the chemical market. But the collapse of commodity prices and the financial crisis on Wall Street raise questions about the true value of Rohm & Haas and whether Dow paid too much.

Auditor general says Pa. should improve state vehicle oversight; agency says changes in place

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state auditor general's office says Pennsylvania needs to improve the management of its government vehicle fleet. But the Department of General Services, which oversees the vehicles, says many of the recommended changes have already been made.
Auditor General Jack Wagner says records about how the state's 16,000-plus vehicles are used were incomplete. He also says 51 state agencies, boards and commissions have had too much leeway in deciding who gets the cars and how they are used and monitored. But General Services Secretary James P. Creedon outlined a number of improvements that have been made in vehicle management, including new management software implemented earlier this month.
Gov. Ed Rendell in early 2007 issued an executive order that led to reorganization of General Services' Bureau of Motor Vehicles. He also froze the purchase of new vehicles last year.

1 dead, 1 critical after 6-vehicle crash on I-76 in suburban Philadelphia

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. (AP) - State police are investigating a six-vehicle crash on the Schuylkill Expressway in eastern Pennsylvania that left one man dead and another in critical condition.
The wreck occurred at about 9:25 a.m. Friday in the eastbound lanes of the expressway, Interstate 76, west of Philadelphia in an area known as the Conshohocken curve. Police say a car was pinned under a tractor-trailer and an SUV, and three other vehicles were struck after that.
Police say one of the two occupants of the car died at the scene. He was identified as 49-year-old David Schreffler, of Fort Washington. The other person, 53-year-old Joseph John Maylish, of
Media, was flown to Temple University Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition Friday night. The accident shut down three of the highway's four lanes and caused gridlock on the expressway and other local roads for much of the day.

Former Pa. state senator stricken during corruption trial to spend 2nd night in hospital

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Former state Sen. Vincent Fumo is spending a second night in the cardiac unit of a hospital where he was taken from federal court after reporting dizziness and shortness of breath during his corruption trial. Fumo was listed in fair condition Friday and described as "resting comfortably" at Hahnemann University Hospital. Spokeswoman Coleen Cannon said he would remain there Friday night for continued observation. Cannon declined further comment on his condition, but said Thursday night he was admitted to the cardiac unit to monitor heart rhythm irregularities. The hospital said no invasive procedures were done and he was to have more cardiac tests. According to the hospital, Fumo "experienced chest pain, racing heart beat, shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea" while in court Thursday afternoon.

Judge issues gag order in criminal case of woman accused of killing W. Pennsylvani FBI agent

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A federal judge has issued a gag order in the case of a suburban Pittsburgh woman charged with killing an FBI agent raiding her home. Forty-year-old Christine Korbe is accused of shooting FBI Special Agent Samuel Hicks when he entered her and her husband's Glenshaw home on Nov. 19. Her husband, Robert Korbe, was wanted on drug charges. Korbe's attorney has acknowledged shooting Hicks but says she didn't know police were raiding her home and feared for her children. Prosecutors maintain that police loudly announced who they were and that the shooting was malicious. Prosecutors sought the gag order, saying her current and former attorney made comments to news organizations that were likely to prejudice judicial proceedings.

Attorney for W.Pa. defense contractors raided by feds says companies unaware of discrepancies

WINDBER, Pa. (AP) - An attorney for two western Pennsylvania defense contractors raided by federal agents says the companies' books are in order and that the companies are fulfilling their
contractual obligations. Attorney Dennis McGlynn declined to say Friday why authorities
raided Windber-based Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems. He says authorities took numerous books and records, but that the companies are unaware of any discrepancies and are cooperating. Authorities aren't saying why Thursday's raids were carried out by Defense Criminal Investigative Services, the IRS and the FBI. The homes of the companies' principals, brothers Bill and Ronald Kuchera, were also searched. Windber is about 60 miles east-southeast of Pittsburgh.

Couple faces murder charges in upstate NY slaying

WINDSOR, N.Y. (AP) - State police in New York say the husband of a 20-year-old suspect in a fatal robbery attempt at a home outside inghamton has also been charged in the slaying.
Troopers say 21-year-old Anthony Carnevale of Kirkwood was arraigned on second-degree murder and attempted murder charges at a hospital. Investigators allege that Carnevale shot and killed 39-year-old Jean Clark of Parsons, Pa., and wounded 39-year-old Ethan Button
while trying to steal drugs from Button's home on Tuesday. Trooper say Button was able to get the gun away from Carnevale and shot him in the torso. Carnevale's wife, Ashley, has been charged with second-degree murder. It couldn't be immediately determined if the Carnevales have lawyers.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is revealing more pieces of his economic plan. In his radio and Internet address, Obama says the proposal would add 3,000 miles of electrical lines, increase security at 90 ports and double the America's renewable energy capacity within three years.

BEIJING (AP) - State media reports a Chinese banking official is dismissing Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner's comment that President Barack Obama believes Beijing is "manipulating" its currency. The official Xinhua News Agency reports a deputy
governor of China's central bank said the remarks were "not in line with the facts."

CHICAGO (AP) - A trip to a bar on Chicago's South Side capped off Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's day of media interviews and public appearances. The governor, whose state Senate impeachment trial begins Monday, shook hands and hugged supporters last night. One bar patron says it was like having a celebrity come in.

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) - Gov. David Paterson's pick to fill Hillary Rodham Clinton's old Senate seat is stirring up a political hornets nest. Some state Democrats are unhappy with Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's pro-gun tendencies. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy says she doesn't believe someone with a "100 percent NRA rating should be the next senator from New York."

MIAMI (AP) - The search is on in Miami for whoever is responsible for a shooting that left two dead and seven more wounded in Liberty City. Officials describe a chaotic scene. When
paramedics arrived, many of those who had been shot were lying in the street.