Today's News- Thursday, April 16, 2009

STATE POLICE INVOLVED IN CRASH
Two people, including a state police trooper, were involved in a crash Wednesday night in Barry Township. 37 year old Michael Ryan was sitting on the berm of Route 901 in a marker state police cruiser and a car operated by 62 year old Albert Kuperavage was westbound on 901 after 6pm last night. Ryan was attempting to pursue another vehicle for a traffic violation, crossed the westbound lane and was hit by Kuperavage's vehicle. Both men complained of minor injuries and each vehicle was towed from the scene. The investigation is continuing.

IMPORTANT VOTING DATES
In what's been a year of elections for people in Schuylkill County, the May primary is just around the corner. Frannie Brennan, County election bureau director, tells WPPA/T102 News that Monday, April 20th will be the last day to register for the May 19th primary. We also have learned that the special election in the 124th Legislative District will be separated from the regular primary ballot. Republican Jerry Knowles and Democrat Bill Mackey are vying for the seat held once held by Dave Argall, who was elected to the state Senate on March 3rd. Voters going to the polls will be asked to cast ballots for the local races, then cast a separate ballot for the House race.

NICKEL EXPECTED TO PLEAD GUILTY
A Pottsville man accused of killing two Pottsville area teens last year is expected to plead guilty in county court. The Republican Herald reports that 54 year old Norman Nickle will enter that plea next week to shooting Joshua Yevak and Cayla Turner, then hid their bodies last March in the city. Nickle has been charged with two counts of criminal homicide, abusing a corpse and other charges.

KAREN'S HEROES RESULTS RELEASED
Third grade students at Pottsville's John S Clarke Elementary have cast their votes for their favorite charity in the Karen's Heroes program. The ten year program, to honor the late Karen Chattin Ney, a teacher who died of cancer, afforded children the opportunity to hear about 5 area charities in the classroom, then cast their $5 votes to dole out $15-hundred-dollars to those endeavors. The Make A Wish Foundation garnered the most votes and will receive $537 dollars, followed by the American Cancer Society, the Pottsville Free Public Library, the Sovereign Majestic Theatre and Avenues. Two hundred eight students voted in the Karen's Heroes
program.

CHARITY MONEY STOLEN
$3,800 stolen from Philadelphia charity fundraiser
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Police say two young men stole $3,800 in cash from a charity fundraising table at an upscale Philadelphia shopping center. Police say it happened Wednesday afternoon inside the Shops at Liberty Place, where two volunteers had been raising money to help breast cancer patients. Surveillance footage shows the men loitering near the table. One
held open a door to the outside while the other grabbed a box containing the donations the volunteers go throughout the day. Both ran off. No arrests were immediately made. The volunteers are breast cancer survivors who were raising money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. They were also registering people for the May 10 Race for the Cure.

STADIUM BREAK-IN
5 teens charged in Philly stadium break-in
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Five Villanova University freshmen are in custody after allegedly breaking into the Philadelphia Eagles' stadium and trying to make off with a seat. Police say security cameras spotted the men around 3 a.m. Wednesday at Lincoln Financial Field. Security guards alerted police and the men were arrested. Police say the students at the university in suburban Philadelphia are from Pa.; N.J.; Md.; N.Y., and Mass. Police say they face six felony charges including burglary, criminal trespass, theft and institutional vandalism as well as a
misdemeanor charge of possession of an instrument of crime. Authorities recovered a seat that had been ripped out as well as a sign.

PITTSBURGH SHOOTING
Murtha still opposes assault weapons ban
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A spokesman for U.S. Rep. John Murtha says he still opposes reinstating the federal ban on assault weapons. This comes after Gov. Ed Rendell and other Pennsylvania officials said the April 4 shooting deaths of three Pittsburgh police officers with an assault rifle shows the need for a ban. Congress approved a 10-year federal ban on the sale of assault weapons in 1994 and let it expire in 2004. Prospects for a re-enactment are not bright with 65 House Democrats signing a letter last month declaring their opposition. The letter says
assault weapons "were never involved in more than a modest fraction of all gun murders."
In addition to Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrats signing the letter are Jason Altmire, Christopher Carney, Tim Holden and Paul Kanjorski.

TIRES TO ENERGY
Pa. council opposes tire-fueled power plant
ERIE, Pa. (AP) - A plan to build a 90-megawatt electric plant using old tires for fuel in northwestern Pennsylvania has opposition from the Erie City Council. A resolution passed overwhelmingly Wednesday night says the City Council opposes the plant due to public health concerns. The resolution isn't binding, but opponents of the plant hailed it as a victory. Erie Renewable Energy LLC says its proposed $370 million plant would have an enclosed system with emission controls to prevent any smells, soot and smoke from getting out.

CHURCHGOERS RUN OVER
Priest helps funeral of woman he killed with car
FOREST HILLS, Pa. (AP) - A Pittsburgh-area priest helped lead the funeral of an 89-year-old woman killed when the priest's car hit her and others after Good Friday services. The family of Madeline Romell, of Forest Hills, welcomed the Rev. Elmer Kacinko's participation in her funeral Mass Wednesday. Romell was killed and four others injured when Kacinko's car hit them outside St. Maurice Catholic Church in Forest Hills. The priest has told police the accelerator on his vehicle stuck. The Rev. John Skirtich, the pastor who led the funeral with Kacinko and three other priests, said Romell's family considers her death a tragic accident. They embraced the priest during funeral home visitations. Three of those injured attended the funeral and Skirtich praised them for their "great faith."

PENNSYLVANIA SENATE-TOOMEY
Conservative launches challenge to Pa.'s Specter
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pat Toomey says he expects to raise "much more" money in his campaign to win Pennsylvania's Republican primary for U.S. Senate than in 2004. In the previous race, Toomey had less than $5 million, yet the little-known congressman nearly defeated Sen. Arlen Specter. Toomey says Specter's support of President Barack Obama's
economic stimulus makes him challenge the moderate Republican. The conservative formally announced his candidacy on Tax Day, though it was widely known for some time that he was strongly considering a campaign. Johnstown anti-abortion activist Peg Luksik is also seeking the
GOP nod. Running as an independent for governor in 1994, Luksik got 13 percent of the statewide vote.

THE MEADOWS-CASINO
Pa. permanent slots parlor draws crowd for opening
HOUSTON, Pa. (AP) - A new $175 million, permanent slots parlor is open for business at the Meadows Racetrack & Casino near Pittsburgh. The new casino replaces a temporary slots parlor that opened in
June 2007 with 1,825 machines. The new building that opened
Wednesday has more than 3,000 machines as well as more parking and
dining options.
Several hundred people were waiting as the new building opened
Wednesday morning, and several thousand filed through by mid-day.
The permanent casino facility is a major part of the $450
million that Cannery Casino Resorts is investing in The Meadows.
PHILLY CASINO RELOCATION
Philly casino developers eye new downtown site
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Foxwoods officials are now looking to build a slots parlor in a shuttered department store in downtown Philadelphia. The developers originally planned to build on the Delaware River waterfront in South Philadelphia. But last fall, amid community opposition, they agreed to look at other possible sites. Foxwoods announced at City Hall on Wednesday that they plan to seek approval to build the 3,000-machine slots parlor at the former Strawbridge & Clothier store at Eighth and Market streets. Opponents packed Wednesday's news conference to voice their continued opposition. Foxwoods will need approval from the city and the state gaming board. In July 2004, the Legislature passed a gaming law that legalized as many as 61,000 slot machines across the state. Opposition has stalled plans for two casinos in Philadelphia.

SCHOOL HIRING PROBE
FBI expands NE Pa. schools probe to contracts
PITTSTON, Pa. (AP) - Federal investigators are expanding their probe of hiring in northeastern Pennsylvania public school districts to include how contracts are awarded. FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver said Wednesday the agency wants people to share tips with them about whether government contractors have been required to make payments in order to get the work. Klaver says last week's call for tips on pay-for-hiring in public schools yielded many leads and what he's describing as "good information." The Citizens' Voice of Wilkes-Barre is reporting that a federal
grand jury has subpoenaed Pittston Area School Board meeting minutes and other records.
The FBI's already obtained records from Wilkes-Barre Area School District and the Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center.

IRA DAD-FAMILY WOES
Pa. builder mired in family legal woe set to plead
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Prosecutors say a suburban Philadelphia builder with old ties to an Irish terrorist group is expected to plead guilty Thursday to federal immigration, tax and weapons charges. Sean O'Neill Sr.'s family has been embroiled in legal woes in recent years. Teenage son Sean Jr. fatally shot a friend during an unsupervised 2006 party at the sprawling O'Neill family home in Newtown Square. And 22-year-old daughter Roisin is due to stand trial Monday in an alleged drunken-driving crash that killed a Massachusetts grandmother.
Prosecutors say Sean O'Neill Sr. hid his criminal background and took part in a sham marriage when he came to the U.S. in 1983.

GYM TEACHER-SEX CHARGES
Pa. teacher accused of sex crimes to stand trial
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - A 12-year-old north-central Pennsylvania boy has testified that the man who used to teach his gym class repeatedly forced him to have sex. James Jamison, who taught at St. Boniface Elementary in Williamsport, says he's innocent. He was ordered to stand trial after Wednesday's hearing. The boy testified that Jamison forced him to have sex over the last several years, starting in first grade. He testified that Jamison held a knife to the youngster's throat several times in fifth grade and said, "Don't tell anyone or I'll hurt you."
Defense lawyer Matthew Zeigler says the boy previously accused someone else and it's possible that someone other than his client assaulted the boy. Jamison remains jailed. He left his job at St. Boniface at the end of the last school year to take a job at the York City School District in south-central Pennsylvania.

JOBLESS MAN'S SIGN
Pa. man gets job offers by holding sign by road
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - A central Pennsylvania man is weighing his options after his unorthodox method of finding work netted 17 job offers. When 27-year-old Joe Sabol lost his job at a supermarket chain's corporate office in December, he started a conventional job search.
But after sending out 155 resumes didn't get him work, he walked along a busy street in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, with a sign saying, "College Grad Looking For Employment." Although he's gotten some job offers, he says he plans to be on the street again Thursday. Sabol says he got a bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2006. He lives in Manheim Township, near Lancaster.

MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) - A charter plane is on standby in Kenya, ready to fly the skipper of the Maersk Alabama home to the U.S. Richard Phillips arrived in Mombasa aboard a Navy ship just hours after his crew reunited with loved ones near Washington.

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's president is trying to downplay talk that his country might attack Iran to take out its nuclear facilities. Shimon Peres says there's no military solution to dealing with Iran. He met today with the U.S. Mideast envoy.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Barack Obama's trip to Mexico today is a "signal of respect." Obama will meet with Mexico's president at a time the U.S. is stepping up aid in Mexico's fight against drug gangs. Immigration and trade are also on the agenda.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - No classes today at Virginia Tech, where they're marking the second anniversary of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. More than 3,000 people have signed up for a 3.2-mile morning run and walk around campus in honor of the 32 people killed by a troubled graduate student.

NEW YORK (AP) - The YouTube Symphony has debuted at a place most musicians dream of playing: Carnegie Hall. The 93 musicians voted in by viewers on the Web site include a surgeon-violinist and a cellist who's also a professional poker player.