Today's News- Tuesday, February 3, 2009

CATS NEED TO BE OUT BY WEEKEND

Animal rescue personnel are in a race against time to clean up the mess at a former animal sanctuary in Pine Grove. Last week's arrest of Virginia Justiniano and her boyfriend Andrew Oxenrider, who were nabbed by police for running a drug house at the site, left sick and dead cats in their wake. Volunteers from the Ruth Steinert SPCA have been caring for the remaining sick animals at the home, but now, the owner of the property wants them out. According to the Republican and Herald, more than 50 cats are still sick and have to be kept away from other animals. Justiniano and Oxenrider apparently sold the donated cat food to fuel their drug habit. Justiniano's mother in law reportedly leased the property from Emma Wolfe, and the lease has expired. The pair are locked up in Schuylkill County Prison.

TAX HELP AVAILABLE FOR STATE FILERS

Now that tax filing season has gotten into full swing, taxpayers who need help filing their state returns have several options for help. The Pottsville Service Center of the Department of Revenue on South Centre Street can help with state returns and filing of Property Tax and Rent Rebate forms as well. In addition, state taxes can be filed through the tele tax system using your touch tone phone and the pa.direct.file on line through the Internet. Taxpayers are reminded to have all of their forms, including W-2's and other statements, ready when they stop by to visit. The Pottsville Service Center is open from 8:30am till 5pm, Monday through Friday. Additional information is available by calling 888-222-9190.

MEDICAL EXPENSES FINANCIALLY CRIPPLE MANY

A Pennsylvania group says you can't fix the economy unless you fix the healthcare system that has bankrupted many. Glen Gardner reports:

GARDNER

Pa. Supreme Court takes over juvenile cases

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is intervening in Luzerne County juvenile criminal cases following allegations against the county's top judge. Federal prosecutors have accused President Judge Mark Ciavarella and another judge of taking kickbacks for placing juveniles in privately owned detention facilities. A youth advocacy group called the Juvenile Law Center filed court papers Friday asking the state Supreme Court to intervene. The court ruled Monday that it would do so. In a rare move, the court is using its King's Bench powers to take the case away from lower courts. Before federal prosecutors announced their charges, the state Supreme Court declined to intervene.

Pa. Senate GOP, Rendell have dueling health plans

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A political stalemate over how to expand state-subsidized health care is entering its third year. In Gov. Ed Rendell's budget address on Wednesday, he plans to reveal a plan to double the number of people enrolled in the state's low-cost health insurance program by asking for federal aid. That's according to an administration official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Democratic governor hasn't officially announced the plan. State Senate Republicans favor a plan to expand services through low-cost community health clinics. Delaware County Republican Sen. Edwin Erickson says he will reintroduce a $50 million community clinics plan that went nowhere last year. Erickson's office says there are more than 400 such clinics in the state.

Phila. policeman's son killed at by guest at Super Bowl party

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Police say a guest at a Super Bowl party in Northeast Philadelphia picked up a gun left on a table and accidentally shot and killed his host. Philadelphia police homicide Capt. James Clark says 49-year-old Ronald Parncutt is charged with murder. A woman who answered the door at his home Monday said his family did not wish to comment. Police say Parncutt shot 27-year-old Christopher Donaghy once in the back. Donaghy is the son of a Philadelphia police officer. Clark says the loaded gun was left on a table by another guest, an off-duty Plymouth Township police officer. It was unclear Monday if that officer, whose name wasn't released, would be charged with a crime.

Pa. man accused of setting his own home on fire with disabled daughter inside

CANONSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A western Pennsylvania man is accused of setting his trailer home on fire with his daughter inside. Police say 36-year-old Matthew John Swiantek confessed to starting the fire last month, telling a state trooper that he had money problems. He allegedly told police he hoped public sympathy would lead to donations of cash and housing. The daughter in the Elrama home at the time is a 10-year-old girl who has a disability requiring round-the-clock care. No one was injured but the trailer was destroyed. Police said at Monday's arraignment that this is the third fire to occur at a home where Swiantek had been living. Swiantek is in the Washington County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing Feb. 11.

Pa. gov. to testify at ex-state senator's trial

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The lawyer for an indicted former state senator from Philadelphia isn't saying what he plans to ask Gov. Ed Rendell when he's on the witness stand next week. Dennis Cogan has subpoenaed Rendell to testify on behalf of Vincent Fumo. He said Monday that Rendell will be asked about matters related to the case, but wouldn't elaborate. Rendell press secretary Chuck Ardo says the subpoena wasn't a surprise, because Rendell has long been on the list of potential defense witnesses. He says Rendell doesn't think he has any information that would be useful to Fumo's defnese but will show up and answer whatever questions are asked. Fumo and Rendell are both Philadelphia Democrats, but aren't considered close political allies. When Rendell first ran for governor in 2002, Fumo supported Rendell's opponent in the Democratic primary. That opponent, Bob Casey, is now Pennsylvania's junior U.S. senator.

Sailor electrocuted

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Associated Press has learned that a third U.S. service member has been determined to have been electrocuted in a shower in Iraq. Navy criminal investigators are looking into the death of 25-year-old Petty Officer 3rd Class David Cedergren of South St. Paul, Minn. Cedergren's death is among 18 electrocution deaths under review. The inquiry primarily involves electrical work done at a facility where a 24-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth of Pittsburgh was electrocuted while showering in January 2008. Maseth's death was initially considered accidental, but is now classified by Army investigators as "negligent homicide."

Police: Carbon monoxide kills elderly Pa. sisters

FOLSOM, Pa. (AP) - Authorities in suburban Philadelphia say carbon monoxide fumes from a car apparently left running accidentally in a garage killed two elderly sisters. Ridley Township police say the bodies of 87-year-old Helen Pompo and 85-year-old Cecilia Passarelli were found Monday morning in their Ridley Park home. Sgt. Charles Palo says Passarelli lives in Philadelphia but was visiting Pompo. He says a neighbor alerted police about an odor of gas at 11 a.m., and authorities broke in and found the car running in the garage and the bodies of the women. Palo says the level of carbon monoxide in the home was far above the danger level, and the home had no carbon monoxide detectors. He says police believe Pompo accidentally left the car running when she came home.

4-trucks collision still slowing I-80 in NE Pa.

SCOTRUN, Pa. (AP) - A truckoad of potbellied pigs on their way to a slaughterhouse are dead in northeastern Pennsylvania in an accident involving four tractor-trailers. The wreck occurred around 8:30 a.m. Monday in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80, west of the Scotrun interchange and approximately 35 miles southeast of Scranton. Driver Mark Best of Lyons, N.Y., says he was transporting 180 potbellied pigs from upstate New York to a slaughterhouse in Hatfield, Pa., when the accident happened. Best says a hole was cut in the roof of the overturned trailer to assess the condition of the pigs. Some were found dead, and some were injured. Another truck was sent to transport the animals. Two truck drivers were taken to the hospital. Their conditions are not yet available.

Mayor announces Steelers Super Bowl parade plans

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The city of Pittsburgh will hold a victory parade for the Pittsburgh Steelers starting at noon Tuesday. The parade will use the route traditionally used by the city's St. Patrick's Day parade. That means it will begin near Mellon Arena and continue through downtown and end at Gateway Center. Streets will be closed for several hours before and during the parade. Revelers are urged to use public transportation and make use of river shuttles being offered to the downtown area. The Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 Sunday night to become the first NFL franchise to win six Super Bowls. Police estimated 250,000 fans turned out for a parade on Feb. 7, 2006, to celebrate the Steelers' win over Seattle in Super Bowl XL in Detroit.

Steelers-Cardinals Super Bowl the second best ever

NEW YORK (AP) - An estimated 95.4 million people watched the Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl, making it second only to last year's game as the most popular ever. NBC was blessed with a thrilling finish. Nielsen Media Research says viewership peaked late in the fourth quarter. The 2008 game between the Giants and the Patriots had a similar come-from-behind, last-minute score for the victory. Two big markets and the novelty of a team trying to go 19-0 kicked the 2008 game to an audience of 97.4 million. The only program other than a Super Bowl to top Sunday night's game in U.S. television history was the finale of the "M-A-S-H" series in 1983.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Top Democrats plan to add a big increase in highway and mass transit funding to President Barack Obama's economic recovery program. The Senate could increase funding for highway projects to $40 billion. Republicans plan to make proposals targeting the housing slump.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Eric Holder has been confirmed as the next attorney general. He'll be officially sworn in this morning. Also this morning, the White House hopes to fill the last cabinet
opening by formally nominating New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg for commerce secretary.

DETROIT (AP) - Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is free again. He walked out of a Detroit jail early this morning having completed his 99-day sentence for perjury and other charges. He served time for lying about a romantic relationship with his ex-chief of staff.

PHOENIX (AP) - The main suspect in a series of random shootings that terrorized the Phoenix area says he thought his arrest in 2006 was a drug bust. He denies killing eight people and attacking 20 others. His roommate testifies otherwise, saying they shot at people together. The prosecution gets to cross-examine Dale Hausner today or tomorrow.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The same company that runs a peanut plant in Georgia where salmonella was found has also been running a plant in Texas that's unlicensed and, until last month, had never been inspected. No salmonella has been found there. The Associated Press
has learned that the plant has been operating for nearly four years.