Today's News-Thursday, February 19, 2009

YERUSAVAGE PLEADS GUILTY IN ARSON FIRES

An Auburn man has admitted to setting several fires, but contends he is mentally ill. That action took place in Schuylkill County Court Wednesday, where John Yerusavage appeared before Judge D. Michael Stine. The former firefighter set four buildings ablaze in an arson spree last fall. The plea arrangement on 16 counts of arson is not finished yet, as Yerusavage must now undergo a psychiatric evaluation before sentencing. Yerusavage torched the Precisionaire factory, leaving more than 130 people out of work, along with a hunting club and garage in Wayne Township, and a cabin in South Manheim Township. Precisionaire's parent company, Flanders Corporation, said they will not rebuild the plant.

PRE RELEASE CENTER MOVES FORWARD, BUT WITH A HITCH

The proposed pre-release center for Schuylkill County work release inmates is moving forward, but several issues have come to light that will cost the county money. During Wednesday's Prison Board meeting, President Judge William Baldwin noted that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will require Schuylkill County to pay for the 4.5 acre tract of land near SCI/Frackville. Baldwin explains the state's reasons for the change of heart:

BALDWIN

The money will come from prisoner's fines and fees. Funding of more than $1.5 million dollars has already been set aside to pay for the building. Total cost of the project is estimated at between 3 and 5 million dollars, and will be supplemented by a USDA loan. In another development, Commissioner Frank McAndrew told the board that a deal to get steam heat from the proposed coal-to-gas plant planned by WMPI is off because the plant has yet to be built. There is a possibility that a steam heat source from the Frackville prison may be an alternative.

STIMULUS HIGHLIGHTS OUTLINED

Schuylkill County's financial team, Paul Straka and Paul Buber, outlined the highlights of President Obama's stimulus package and proposed benefits for taxpayers at Wednesday's Commissioner's work session. The $787 billion dollar package, subject to modifications, will adjust federal withholding for workers, giving them a $13 dollar per week increase in take home pay. Other highlights include tax credits for education, extension of unemployment benefits, tax credits of $8-thousand-dollars for first time home buyers and a reduction of taxes paid when purchasing a new vehicle. Here is an audio link to yesterday's comments:

COUNTY STIMULUS RECAP

THREE INJURED IN CRASH NEAR TREMONT

Three peopler were injured in a crash near the Big Lots Distribution Center near Tremont last night. Schuylkill Haven state police say that 25 year old Nicole Derfler of Pottsville was southbound on Route 209 when her car began to fishtail and crossed into oncoming traffic. Steven Schisler of Tremont tried to stop, but struck Derfler's car. Derfler and Schisler were taken to Schuylkill Medical Center East for treatment. A 5 year old in Derfler's car suffered head injuries and was taken to Hershey Medical Center. Another child in Derfler's car, and two children in Schisler's car weren't hurt. The crash happened before 6pm.

DISPUTE OVER WORKING HOURS CONTINUES

A ratification pay raise vote for certain Schuylkill County Government non-union employees brought up the issue of working hours for courthouse employees again yesterday. During the Salary Board meeting, members were asked to vote on the pay adjustments of 3 percent, effective January 1st. Controller Melinda Kantner questioned who the increases cover, which was clarified by Commissioners Mantura Gallagher and Frank McAndrew:

GALLAGHER MCAND

Kantner voted no, and asked the vote be rescinded:

KANTNER

Her motion died for lack of a second. Questions arose last month about employees in the controller's office only working 30 hours, a fact that Kantner disagreed with, stating that the employees worked under her control at least the required 35 hours or more. Gallagher said the working hours in the courthouse are 8:30am to 4:30pm. Michael Mehalko was the only employee in the office who didn't sign the 35 hour requirement document, and was docked pay. The work hour requirement was changed in 1998. Controller Kantner raised questions about petty cash expenses earlier in the meeting, noting that coffee, pastries and other items purchased for the commissioners wing. Commissioner Gallagher said that the items were not purchased for staff use, but for meetings in the normal course of business with the commissioners and other officials.

DATES SET FOR SPECIAL, PRIMARY ELECTIONS

The Schuylkill County Election Bureau has announced important dates for the upcoming special election. Absentee ballots for the March 3rd elections are due on Tuesday, February 24th, and marked with SPECIAL ELECTION on them. Final deadline for receipt by the county board of elections is Friday, February 27th at 5pm. The special election is being held to fill the 29th Senatorial District seat held by the late Senator Jim Rhoades. Primary day is May 19th, and petitions for office are now being accepted until March 10th. Petition packets are available online at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us or at the voter bureau at 420 North Centre Street, Pottsville.

Lawyer testifies against former Pa. lawmaker

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A lawyer testifying against former Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Fumo says he thought Fumo was setting him up. Robert Scandone says Fumo and his lawyers wanted him to sign an affidavit saying he'd advised Fumo that he could destroy e-mail
evidence because he hadn't gotten a subpoena yet. Scandone says he refused to sign - but did agree to sign a letter saying he'd previously told Fumo he could continue with normal "District
Office business" because Fumo hadn't yet received a subpoena. The letter, however, does not specifically refer to the deletion of e-mail messages or other evidence. Fumo's lawyer is scheduled to cross-examine Scandone on Thursday. Closing arguments in the case are expected early next week.

Pa.'s top judge suggests eliminating constables

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's top judge says the state should consider eliminating the office of constable. Constables serve warrants, transport prisoners and perform other
jobs for hundreds of magisterial district courts throughout the state. Chief Justice Ronald Castille says sheriffs do that sort of work for the county courts of common pleas, so maybe sheriffs should take over the constables' duties at the lower-level courts. A key state lawmaker says he wants to keep constables but change the laws governing them. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Tom Caltagirone says he wants a law that sets new training requirements for constables and clarifies their duties.

Senator proposes increasing college grants

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A key state senator is calling for an expansion of Pennsylvania's grants for college students. Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeffrey Piccola also calls for strict limits on tuition increases at most colleges and universities that get state funding.
Piccola is seeking an injection of $145 million into the grant program, which he said would help an additional 25,000 students. His plan would offset the cost largely by eliminating tax breaks
for the film industry. The Dauphin County Republican also advocates requiring colleges
and universities that get the most state funding to limit their annual tuition increases to the inflation rate. Piccola cast his proposals as an alternative to Gov. Ed Rendell's more expansive plan to boost tuition aid by more than $500 million a year by legalizing and taxing video poker machines.

Phila. man charged in rapes in north-central Pa.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (AP) - A 23-year-old Philadelphia man is accused of attacking three Lock Haven University students in their apartment, raping two of them. Domenique Thomas Wilson denied involvment in the Feb. 1 attack when arraigned Wednesday. He's a former student at the
north-central Pennsylvania school. Police allege that Wilson entered the apartment and held them against their will for several hours. Police say he threatened them with a knife, sexually assaulted two of them, took ATM cards and later withdrew money from their bank accounts.
Wilson was arrested Friday on an unrelated warrant. A judge ruled at the arraignment that he should be held without bail. Public Defender Dave Lindsay is to handle his defense.

2nd teen charged in man's stabbing death in NE Pa.

MOUNTAINHOME, Pa. (AP) - Two teenagers are now charged in a man's stabbing death in a wooded area in northeastern Pennsylvania. Police say 17-year-old Ian Thomas Seagraves' fingerprints were found on duct tape found at the scene where 21-year-old Michael
Goucher was killed in Price Township, Monroe County. That's about 75 miles north of Philadelphia. The Cresco teen is charged as an adult with criminal homicide and other offenses. He was arraigned Wednesday and faces a preliminary hearing March 3. Defense lawyer Paul Kramer says all the evidence points to Seagraves' 19-year-old co-defendant, Shawn Nicholas Freemore. Police allege Goucher was killed Feb. 4, but his body wasn't found until Feb. 11.

Pittsburgh guilty of murder; body never found

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A Pittsburgh man has been convicted of killing another man whose body has never been found. An Allegheny County jury convicted 37-year-old Bryan Sedlak of
third-degree murder on Wednesday in the death of 22-year-old Patrick Kenney. Kenney, of Jefferson Hills, was last seen in early February 2005. Sedlak testified that he shot Kenney in self-defense during a drug deal gone bad. He says Kenney tried to rob him and that a friend got rid of the body. Prosecutors say it was Sedlak who robbed Kenney. Sedlak faces up to 20 to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 11, but the judge suggested a lesser sentence may be possible if Sedlak says where the remains are. Sedlak's attorney says they'll appeal.

Couple missing from Phila. for 4 years as of Thursday

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Thursday is the fourth anniversary of the disappearance of a couple last seen at a Philadelphia nightclub. Authorities are once again seeking the public's help in finding
out what happened to Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone Jr. Imbo and Petrone had known each other since high school and had recently started dating at the time of their Feb. 19, 2005,
disappearance. That Saturday night, they were at a club on Philadelphia's South Street when they told friends they planned to return to Imbo's home in Mount Laurel, N.J., in Petrone's pickup truck. Imbo, Petrone and his truck haven't been seen since. The FBI says Imbo and Petrone might be victims of a murder-for-hire scheme.

Judge dismisses Pa. couple's suit against Google

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Google Inc. says people who don't want their homes seen on the Google Maps "street view" feature can use some simple removal tools, rather than resorting to a lawsuit. The company was sued by a suburban Pittsburgh couple who contended that Google violated their right to privacy by posting photos of their house online. Aaron and Christine Boring of Franklin Park live on a long driveway labeled "Private Road" and alleged in the suit that Google would have had to access the road to take the pictures. A judge dismissed the lawsuit. A judge says the Borings didn't take reasonable steps to remove the pictures, didn't prove mental suffering and showed no evidence that their property value dropped because of Google's actions.

Pa. school allows 2 students to wear Arab scarves

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A suburban Pittsburgh school says Muslim students it banned from wearing traditional neck scarves because of tensions involving Jewish students will be allowed to wear them again. Gateway High School's principal had told seniors Mohammad Al-Abbasi and Ahmad Al-Sadr on Tuesday to remove the checkered kaffiyeh scarves or they couldn't go to class. The students kept the Arab attire and went home. The Monroeville school said the scarves would be allowed after a meeting Wednesday involving students, one of the Muslim students' mothers, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the American Civil Liberties Union. A school district spokeswoman says three students recently wore T-shirts saying "RIP Israel" and 35 Jewish students responded with a petition saying they felt threatened. She says Al-Abbasi, Al-Sadr and the Jewish students will sit with counselors and discuss their cultural differences.

Pa. self-taught cancer researcher John Kanzius dies

ERIE, Pa. (AP) - John Kanzius, who had no medical background but invented a device that kills cancer cells, has died at age 64. Kanzius died Wednesday at a hospital in Florida, where he had a
winter home. Jack Martin, of Dusckas Martin Funeral Home in Erie, confirmed the death but had no further details. Kanzius used to be a partner at Erie's Jet Broadcasting Co. He invented a device that uses heat from radio waves to kill cancer cells without harming other cells. He created the device while suffering from insomnia brought on by chemotherapy. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston are experimenting with it. Kanzius' survivors include his wife, Marianne; two daughters, Sherry Kanzius and Toni Palmer; and two grandchildren.

JERUSALEM (AP) - The American consulate says U.S. lawmakers are visiting the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip for the first time in at least four years. Two House members and Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry will meet with international officials, but not the Hamas rulers.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) - A key U.S. air base in Kyrgyzstan is another step closer to closing. The country's parliament voted today to evict the Americans. If Kyrgyzstan's leader signs the
bill, it could hamper U.S. efforts to get more troops in Afghanistan.

KRAKOW, Poland (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates is talking up better relations with Russia on his first trip abroad for the Obama administration. He's meeting with his Polish counterpart in Krakow and trying to make a case for more NATO participation in Afghanistan.

MESA, Ariz. (AP) - President Barack Obama is trying to keep distressed homeowners' heads above water with a $75 billion home mortgage lifeline. Government support pledged to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is being doubled as well to encourage them to help.

NEW YORK (AP) - A New York Post cartoon is causing an uproar with protesters calling for the paper to be shut down. The cartoon attempts to parody the recent shooting of a chimpanzee with criticism of President Barack Obama's stimulus package. Critics say it recalls old racist stereotypes of blacks as monkeys.