Today's News-Tuesday, February 10, 2009

THREATENED STABBING IN POTTSVILLE

A Pottsville man is is charged with burglary and aggravated assault following an incident early this morning in the city. Bernard Visnefski, 720 Davis Avenue, called police and reported someone breaking into his home. Officers found 43 year old Samuel Pullins at the home, and he was identified as the burglar. Pullins reportedly punched Visnefski and threatened him with a kitchen knife. Police filed a host of charges against Pullins. The incident happened around 3:30am.

CRASH INJURES FOUR IN MCKEANSBURG

Four people were injured in a crash in McKeansburg Monday morning. 20 year old Sabrina Miller was westbound on Route 443 when a pickup truck driven by 74 year old Donald Dautrich pulled into the intersection at West Market Street near the McKeansburg Hotel. Miller was unable to avoid hitting Dautrich's truck on the passenger's side. 73 year old Pauline Dautrich was ejected from the vehicle. Both Dautrich's were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment. Miller and her passenger, 20 year old Mitchell Kramer, were taken to Schuylkill Medical Center East. The crash happened at 8:30 yesterday morning.

WILLIAMSTOWN MAN WANTED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT

A Williamstown man is jailed on a host of sex related charges following an incident with a 13 year old female. Lykens state police say that 25 year old Christopher Mann allegedly had sexual contact with the girl in Williamstown on January 30th. Mann was charged yesterday with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor and other counts and is jailed in the Dauphin County prison.

NY MAN CHARGED WITH DUI IN CITY CRASH

A New York man rolled his SUV in Pottsville Sunday night, and police believe he was driving drunk. Pottsville officers say 52 year old Donald Thomas of Brooklyn, New York was driving in the 400 block of Peacock Street around 11pm when he lost control and his Chevy Tahoe went over an embankment and rolled over. Thomas nor his passenger, Willie Brown, were hurt, but Thomas was taken to the hospital for a blood alcohol test. He was released after arraignment on drunk driving charges, posting the appropriate bail.

LUKACH RECEIVES ENDORSEMENT

The Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO voted to endorse Steve Lukach for his bid for the 29th Senatorial Seat. The state's predominant labor organization gave its support to Lukach, the Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts and the Democratic candidate in the Special Election to replace the late Senator Jim Rhoades. Lukach says he's honored to receive the labor nod.

New state corrections center opens in SE Pa.

WERNERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A state-run community corrections center that will eventually house 360 men just out of prison has opened in southeastern Pennsylvania. The state Department of Corrections moved the first 25 offenders on Monday to the Wernersville Community Corrections Center on the grounds of Wernersville State Hospital. The center will eventually house 360 nonviolent male offenders. Twenty employees have been hired so far, and 30 more will be added by the summer. Some of the new center's residents will have completed their prison time; others will be nearly finished. Residents will be kept under tight supervision and have to get jobs and pay rent. All will be screened to weed out those likely to commit crimes again.

84 Lumber Co. seeking state financing aid for debt

EIGHTY FOUR, Pa. (AP) - Officials at 84 Lumber Co. have met with the state Department of Community and Economic Development about debt financing after sales fell by about $1 billion last year. The Washington County-based building materials giant has been hard hit by the slowdown in new home construction, which accounts for about 95 percent of 84 Lumber's business. DCED spokesman Steve Weitzman says the company approached the agency about readjusting its debt. 84 Lumber spokesman Jeff Nobers says company officials have not been available to comment. 84 Lumber has 319 stores, down from 450 in 2006, and has laid off more than 100 people at its headquarters in Eighty Four. 84 Lumber's sales were $2.1 billion in 2008, down from $3.1 billion in 2007.

Inhaling dust remover blamed for fatal Pa. crash

SUNBURY, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania woman allegedly was inhaling, or "huffing," dust remover before a car crash killed her friend. Twenty-one-year-old Jessica Curry of Sunbury was arraigned Monday on homicide by vehicle and other charges. The accident occurred Jan. 17 on U.S. Routes 11 and 15 in central Pennsylvania. Police say 20-year-old Jason Noll, a passenger in Curry's car, died when the car crossed three lanes and collided head-on with a sport utility vehicle driven by 56-year-old Cynthia Scheib, of Herndon. A Shamokin Dam police officer said he found a 12-ounce can of dust remover in Curry's purse and three other cans in her car. Police say toxicology tests later revealed that Curry also had cocaine in her system. She is free on $50,000 bail.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate version of the economic stimulus bill is now at about $838 billion and it's expected to be approved this afternoon. President Barack Obama is headed to Fort Myers, Fla., to continue his pitch for the plan in another town hall meeting. Fort Myers has been hard hit by mortgage foreclosures.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is promising an aggressive effort to repair damage to the nation's financial system. Unveiling a program that could mobilize well over $1 trillion in public and private support to get credit moving again, Geithner says, right now, the financial system is working against a recovery and that needs to be reversed.

JERUSALEM (AP) - The two front-runners are making last minute appeals as voters head to the polls in Israel's general election today. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is urging voters to go to the polls despite rainy weather. Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he'd be "a strong prime minister" and answer militant attacks "with a crushing response."

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A memorial service is being held in Orlando, Florida, this morning for Caylee Anthony. The Florida toddler was 2 when she disappeared last summer. Her mother reported her missing a month after her daughter disappeared and is now charged with first-degree murder in her death.

ATLANTA (AP) - The company at the center of an investigation into a deadly national salmonella outbreak has suspended operations at a second peanut processing plant. This one's in Texas. In a statement, Peanut Corporation of America says it is voluntarily suspending operations while state and federal health officials investigate procedures and food safety records there.