Today's News-Thursday, April 2, 2009

REILEY TO RUN AGAIN
Pottsville Democrats named their slate of candidates for the May primary. Headlining the ticket includes Mayor John D.W. Reiley, who will see his third full term in office. Incumbent councilwoman Lori Spotts will be joined by newcomer Mark Atkinson. Dr. Michael Smink and John Boran will seek re election to the Pottsville area school board, while Denise Fanelli will seek her first full term, having been appointed to replace the late William Zimmerman. Robert Lipton is also seeking a spot on the school board as a Democrat.

CHAMBER OFFERS ELECTRIC PROGRAM
2010 is an important year for consumers of electricity, as de-regulation will likely spike rates, as much as 40 to 50 percent. The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce is offering a program through a western Pennsylvania company to soften the blow. More than one hundred people attended four information sessions by On Demand Energy Solutions Wednesday. By purchasing electricity as a collective group can save money, according to On Demand's John Bodine (bo-deen):

BODINE

He also explained some of the money saving programs.

BODINE 2

One to two cents per kilowatthour savings are possible through the pooling arrangement according to Bodine. Additional sessions will be held on April 17th at the Chamber office. The electric purchasing agreements are for 28 months, beginning May 1st.

CRASH VICTIMS IDENTIFIED
Rush Township police have identified the victims of Tuesday's crash in Ginthers. Delphine Hartman of Barnesville, a passenger in a car driven by her husband Gerald Hartman, is in good condition at Lehigh Valley Hospital. Selwyn Adams of Hazleton, the other driver in the two vehicle crash was taken to Hazleton General Hospital. Raymond McGrade, Hazleton, a passenger in Adams's vehicle was treated and released from St Luke's Bethlehem. The crash happened on Route 309.

TWO DETECTIVES TO BE HIRED IN DA'S OFFICE
Federal grant monies are available to Schuylkill County to bolster the number of detectives in the District Attorney's office. Four hundred thousand dollars from the Department of Justice would fund three years' cost for the investigators, one focusing on elder abuse cases, the other for drug investigations. However, a fourth year of funding would be covered by Schuylkill County as a stipulation for the grant. County officials say that the extra investment is worth it to fight crime.

UNDERGROUND DRUG LAIR
Philly cops find underground drug lair
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - What first seemed like a routine narcotics bust in Philadelphia turned out to reveal a trapdoor that led to a ladder that went two stories underground. An undercover narcotics agent told Philadelphia's WTXF-TV for a story aired Wednesday night that at the bottom of that ladder were two rooms - one of them going under a sidewalk. Capt. Debra Frazier says it seemed as if a suspect had disappeared when an officer saw him enter a room - but when the officer followed, no one was there and there was no other apparent exit. Police found the trapdoor under the carpet and made their bust. Two men are in custody. Police also found a secret compartment in a pool table that contained weapons, including semiautomatic rifles.

TITANIC TRAFFIC TICKET
Pa. police issue traffic ticket for over $37,000
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - A police captain in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley says it's the highest fine he's ever seen on a traffic ticket: $37,554.54. Bethlehem Police Capt. David Kravatz says the major violation was not getting the "super load" permit that was needed because the truck was hauling a 213,000-pound steel cylinder. Police have cited the driver, a 48-year-old Middletown, Ohio, man, and truck owner Guy M. Turner Inc., of Greensboro, N.C. Kravatz says the truck sat idle for almost three weeks after it tipped on March 12 because a new route, proper permits and a police escort took so long to plan. It was removed Wednesday.

EGG FARM-PROBE
NEW: Maine egg farm is accused of mistreating its hens
TURNER, Maine (AP) - New England's largest egg farm is being investigated after allegations of animal cruelty, including too many hens stuffed in cages. Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson says prosecutors will investigate before deciding if charges will be filed about
conditions at Quality Egg of New England. An animal welfare organization, Mercy for Animals, says the Turner, Maine, farm is a major supplier of Pennsylvania's Eggland's Best. Mercy for Animals plans a news conference about the Maine farm for Thursday in Philadelphia. Eggland's Best says on its Web site that its suppliers follow strict standards for animal welfare.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Senate OKs bill to bar aid to illegal immigrants
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A spokesman for Gov. Ed Rendell says there's no need for a bill that passed the state Senate that would deny public benefits to illegal immigrants. Chuck Ardo says there are already procedures to make sure benefits go only to people legally entitled to them, and there's no evidence that those procedures have failed. The Senate approved the measure 41-9 and sent it to the House. The legislation would require anyone seeking public benefits to
show valid, government-issued identification. They also would have to provide a sworn statement attesting that they are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. The Senate approved a similar bill last year, but it died in the House. Critics of last year's bill said it was unnecessary and would hurt legal residents who have no ID.

ENVIRONMENTAL SECRETARY
Hanger clears committee vote to be DEP secretary
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell's nominee to be Pennsylvania's environmental protection chief says he regrets some of the statements put out by a group he once led. John Hanger told a Senate panel that he didn't read everything put out by the environmental group PennFuture. Hanger was responding to questioning from Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Chairwoman Mary Jo White. The Venango County Republican recalled PennFuture's criticism of a bill to reduce mercury emissions that she had supported. White said the group unfairly suggested lawmakers improperly supported the bill to reward utilities and businesses that contributed to their campaigns. Hanger said many of the group's statements were written by other people. The committee voted unanimously to forward Hanger's confirmation to the full Senate.

REFORM ADVOCATE-ETHICS
Federal judge weighs Pa. ethics agency's gag rule
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A federal judge says he wants to rule quickly in the case of a man who claims the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission's confidentiality rules are unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner took testimony Wednesday in the lawsuit that state government reform advocate Gene Stilp filed against the agency and Attorney General Tom Corbett. Stilp says he wants to file more complaints against state officials but is concerned that he could again run afoul of the prohibition against disclosing that a complaint has been filed.
In January, Stilp acknowledged paying $500 to settle an ethics complaint that he violated the rules by telling reporters he asked the commission to scrutinize the Legislature's taxpayer-paid
polling. Conner says doesn't want to cause delays that might infringe on Stilp's rights.

PITTSBURGH POLICE SHOOTING
Kin to sue over fatal shooting by Pa. trooper
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A federal lawsuit is being filed over a motorist fatally shot by a Pennsylvania state trooper in Pittsburgh. Nicholas Haniotakis was shot March 15 by
Trooper Samuel Nassan III and a Pittsburgh police sergeant. An autopsy showed Nassan's shot was the fatal one. Nassan is the same trooper who shot an unarmed 12-year-old Uniontown boy in 2002. That family's lawsuit was settled last year for $12.5 million. A lawyer for Haniotakis' family, Geoffrey Fieger, says state police helped Nassan cover up the facts in the 2002 killing.
Nassan has declined to comment about the latest shooting. Pennsylvania State Troopers Association lawyer Eric Stoltenberg says the case remains under investigation and needs to be examined separately from other cases.

OFFICER-ARREST
Jury acquits ex-Pa. officer of gun charge, threat
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The wife of a man acquitted of using his Philadelphia police badge to rob a drug kingpin of $40,000 says federal prosecutors are playing "cat and mouse." Tawanda Snell says it's unfair to prosecute 36-year-old Malik Snell a third time after the first two trials ended with hung juries. A jury acquitted 36-year-old Malik Snell of using a gun to rob the kingpin and of threatening to kill him. But the jury deadlocked on charges related to a home invasion in
Pottstown, a little more than 30 miles north-northwest of Philadelphia. Jurors said Wednesday they needed more evidence. They also questioned the credibility of the kingpin and other criminals who testified against Snell.

BABY SITTER-CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Baby sitter gets 30 years in Pa. child-porn case
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia-area baby sitter has been sentenced to 30 years for procuring the victims in what the judge called a 'sociopathic' child-pornography case. Authorities say Dorothy Prawdzik undressed and posed young children so her ex-boyfriend could film and sexually abuse them. The Drexel Hill woman was convicted along with John Jackey Worman in the long-running exploitation scheme. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel calls the offenses "extraordinarily sociopathic." Prosecutors say the 45-year-old Prawdzik also sexually assaulted at least two children. Worman's sentencing has not been scheduled. Defense lawyer Steven Laver says Prawdzik feared Worman, with whom she has a child.

JOURNAL REGISTER-BANKRUPTCY
Creditors ask to probe Journal Register, JPMorgan
NEW YORK (AP) - A group of creditors has asked a bankruptcy judge for subpoena power to investigate Yardley, Pa.-based Journal Register Co. Creditors also want to probe one of newspaper publisher's biggest lenders, JPMorgan Chase Bank. Lawyers for an official committee of unsecured creditors said in a court filing that they want to investigate the company's debt. They also want to look at its conduct in negotiations with JPMorgan before it sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Those creditors also want to know how the proposed reorganization plan was formulated and how the value of the company was decided. The creditors asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper to give them access to relevant documents and witnesses.

PPG-AGE BIAS
Judge lets PPG age bias suit become class action
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A federal judge says an age discrimination lawsuit against PPG Industries Inc. can move forward as a class action. U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab says PPG must produce a list by April 13 of salaried employees who were at least 40 when they lost jobs in 2006 as the Pittsburgh-based paint, glass and chemical company downsized certain divisions.
Five former workers who were at least 52 sued PPG in 2007, saying older workers were fired or pressured to retire because management considered them a financial drain. PPG has denied wrongdoing and says it doesn't discriminate or make employment decisions based on pension funding, as the plaintiffs claim. Schwab's decision Wednesday clears the way for similarly
situated workers to join the lawsuit.

LOST SYNAGOGUE
'Lost' synagogue reopens at historic Philly prison
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A synagogue once used by Jewish inmates at a historic Philadelphia prison has been refurbished and will open to the public this weekend. Eastern State Penitentiary closed in 1971 and has since become a popular tourist attraction. But even as officials worked to preserve parts of the decaying property, the synagogue remained forgotten and fell into ruin. It had been built around 1924 and was used continuously until the prison closed. About a year ago, conservators began restoring the room for worship, replacing rotted benches and a fallen ceiling. On Wednesday, it was reconsecrated as a holy space. The public
will be able to tour the synagogue beginning Saturday.

ART-CEZANNE AND BEYOND
Cezanne exhibit in Philadelphia extended 2 weeks
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Philadelphia Museum of Art is extending the popular "Cezanne and Beyond" exhibition for two extra weeks. The show will continue through May 31 - including May 25 on the Memorial Day holiday, when the museum is usually closed. The show, which is only appearing in Philadelphia, has garnered critical acclaim and large crowds - with some 134,000 visitors since it opened Feb. 26. "Cezanne and Beyond" draws from private and public collections throughout the United States, Europe and Russia as well as the Philadelphia museum's own large collection of the French master's works. On view are some 50 Cezanne works and another 100 paintings, sculptures, photographs and drawings by artists from the early 20th century to today.

HUMOR PRIZE-COSBY
Bill Cosby to receive Mark Twain humor prize
WASHINGTON (AP) - Philadelphia native Bill Cosby is the winner of the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor for his groundbreaking comedy and acting career. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Wednesday that the 71-year-old will be honored as one of the world's greatest humorists. Some of the biggest names in comedy will salute Cosby when he receives the award on stage on Oct. 26. In a statement, Cosby says his mother read Twain's famous stories to him as a child. Cosby says he wants to apologize to
Twain for falling asleep hundreds of times. Still, he says Twain's stories inspired his work.
Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen Schwarzman says the star of "The Cosby Show" during the 1980s is one of America's most beloved comedians. Past honorees include George Carlin, Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg.

LONDON (AP) - Leaders of the world's rich and developing countries are meeting today in London in an attempt to clear up divisions over how to fix the sick global economy. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel don't want more government spending, but do want tougher financial regulation.

LONDON (AP) - President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown are expressing their confidence that the G-20 summit of world leaders will come up with a strong agreement. Leaders are trying to address financial regulation, growth, and troubled banks.
Obama says "We can only meet this challenge together."

LONDON (AP) - London police are out in force today as leaders of the G-20 financial powers meet to discuss the global economy. Security is tight. Yesterday, thousands of anarchists,
anti-capitalists, environmentalists and others clogged the financial district for what protesters branded "Financial Fool's Day."

UNDATED (AP) - North Korea says it will send a communications satellite into orbit on a multistage rocket sometime from Saturday to Wednesday. In London, President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak have agreed that a "stern, united response" must follow the launch.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of the Democrats' House campaign efforts says liberal groups targeting moderate Democrats should "beware of forming a circular firing squad" that could hurt the party in 2010 elections. Congressman Chris Van Hollen presided over his party's 2008 House campaign, which added 18 seats.