Today's News- Saturday, March 21, 2009

MISSING MAN SOUGHT BY STATE POLICE

State police at Schuylkill Haven are looking for a missing person who left his place of employment earlier this week. 21 year old Kyle Pogash of Aristes reportedly left his job at Weiner's Iron and Metal on Wednesday afternoon, and has not been seen since. He is described as a white male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, about 170 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. His father and brothers are concerned about his welfare, which led to the alert being issued by state police. Anyone with information about Kyle Pogash's whereabouts should call PSP Schuylkill Haven at 593-2000.

DUI CHECKPOINT ON 895

A state police DUI checkpoint was conducted last night on Route 895 in East Brunswick Township. Troopers report that 93 vehicles were checked, 2 drivers tested for driving under the influence and one underage drinking arrest made. A number of citations and warnings were also issued. The enforcement effort was part of the Strike Force Two Program. Members of the Schuylkill County Sheriff's office and the North Central Highway Safety Network also took part.

PINE GROVE MAN FLEES FROM POLICE

A Pine Grove man has been cited for numerous traffic violations following a stop by state police Thursday afternoon. 43 year old Craig Romberger was spotted by troopers on Route 443 in Pine Grove Township driving with an expired inspection sticker. He attempted to flee from police in excess of 70 miles per hour. He stopped his car at the Econo Lodge and left his car. When state police caught up with Romberger, they found that he was driving with a suspended license, an expired registration and inspection sticker and didn't have current insurance. Romberger was arraigned and committed to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of bail on the motor vehicle charges.

NEW RETAILER COMES TO SCHUYLKILL MALL

An apparel retailer is coming to Schuylkill Mall. Mall officials say that Famous Labels will occupy a part of the space that was home to Steve and Barry's. That company closed earlier this year due to corporate bankruptcy. Famous Labels, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a clothing discounter. They have 23 stores nationwide. No word on how many jobs the new retailer will bring to the county.

FOREST FIRE THREAT

Now that spring has arrived, outdoor cleanup is on the minds of many. While you're out cleaning up what was leftover from last fall, you may want to consider holding off on burning that brush until conditions are more favorable. According to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, late February to late May can be trying times for firefighters and other emergency managemen officials when it comes to brush fires. A spokesman for the Bureau of Forestry says the lack of snow accumulation does impact how dry the ground is:

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Northeastern and central Pennsylvania is experiencing extreme fire weather conditions. The DCNR states 90 percent of wildfires are caused by humans and are preventable.

GIRARDVILLE PARADE STEPS OFF TODAY

Despite the fact that St Patrick's Day was this past Tuesday, the annual Girardville Parade will bring out the Irish in all of us today. Parade chairman John McNelis says that this year's parade will feature more than 200 different entries for paradegoers to enjoy. The parade begins at noon, but traffic in the northern Schuylkill County borough will shut down at 11am. WPPA's Step Up to the Mic chat pack will provide live reports today from the parade.

CONFEREE CONVENTION TO MEET NEXT WEEK

The process of selecting a replacement for the 124th Legislative District seat vacated by Dave Argall moves forward this coming Thursday night. The state GOP committee has called a conferee convention at the Schuylkill Masonic Building at 6pm. Ten Schuylkill County delegates and 7 from Berks County will pick a Republican nominee. Barron "Boots" Hetherington of Ringtown, Patrick Daly of Perry Township and Roy Timpe of Maidencreek Township have already announced their intention to seek the GOP nod. The special election will be held on May 19th, the same day as the primary election.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Penn State University might undo part of next year's projected tuition increases. The trustees say the amount of the reduction will depend on how much state funding the university receives and other economic factors. A decision is expected in July.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - There's no word on when a federal judge will rule on evidence for the retrial of former Allegheny County coroner Cyril Wecht. Wecht's lawyer has argued that warrants weren't specific about what was being sought, so evidence gathered with those warrants should be excluded.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Several convenience store owners in Philadelphia say police who raided their businesses broke surveillance cameras, helped themselves to merchandise, and underreported the cash they confiscated. The owners spoke to the Philadelphia Daily News as part of a probe of allegations that an officer lied on search warrant applications.

CLIFTON HEIGHTS, Pa. (AP) - A baby who had to be rescued from a suburban Philadelphia house fire has died at a hospital. Clifton Heights Police Chief Walter Senkow says the 15-month-old boy was found unresponsive in his crib following Friday's pre-dawn fire. There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A lawyer for a former NFL quarterback who died in a car crash in Greece while a fugitive says his death is still sad regardless of what he calls "his past sins." At the time William "Jeff" Komlo disappeared, he was under investigation for fires at his home in Chester Springs, Pa., and another home in Florida.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The supreme leader of Iran is dismissing overtures from President Barack Obama. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to a video message Obama released Friday by saying Tehran does not see any change in U.S. policy or attitude.

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republican leader John Boehner says figures from the Congressional Budget Office should provide a "wake-up call" to the Obama administration. The CBO predicts President Barack Obama's budget will produce $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next decade.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Two astronauts will be going for a spacewalk today. They're scheduled to float out of the linked space station and shuttle Discovery to do some chores that will ease the burden for future spacewalkers.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Republicans have stalled Democratic efforts to bring up a tax bill designed to recoup most of the $165 million in bonuses paid out by insurance giant AIG. Sen. Jon Kyl says Democrats are letting populist outrage trump informed decision-making.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Medical marijuana advocates in California are praising Attorney General Eric Holder for saying federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state law. One activist says Holder's announcement signals "a more reasonable and sensible direction."